DEAR News Of The Area,

EARLIER this year we heard that Australia is committed to developing a fleet of nuclear powered submarines at a cost of billions of dollars.

This week we hear that we are joining the USA in the development of long range missiles that can travel five times the speed of sound and can be fired from land, sea or air.

Federal Government funding in coming years is to be allocated to these projects.

Yet here in Australia we have no imminent threat from any other nation.

Only around twelve percent of the Federal Budget is devolved to the states and this needs to increase.

After the ravages of fires and floods there is an urgent need for spending on roads, rail, social housing and many other aspects of our infrastructure.

Here in the Nambucca Valley we have rural roads that are often impassable and bridges that are in dire need of repair.

The situation is far worse up the coast in Lismore and many other flood affected areas.

We only need to take a look at the rail line between Sydney and Brisbane to see that we are miles behind other countries in terms of our infrastructure.

This needs to be a focus for any incoming government.

In short we need investment in community provision rather than massive expenditure on defence equipment which may never be required and only serves to appease the USA.

Regards,
Marlene GRIFFIN,
Valla Beach.