Newcastle Quay deserves the best architecture

This week's announcement of DOMA's plans for the remainder of the Honeysuckle foreshore could hardly be more consequential for the future of inner Newcastle ('Quay to the city', Newcastle Herald 20/5).

The news was particularly meaningful to me. I was a reporter for Prime TV news in 1993 when I was assigned to cover the announcement of plans for the redevelopment of the former Honeysuckle rail yards. It prompted me to find some photos of the area at that time, and it was nearly shocking to be reminded just how derelict and forlorn the harbour foreshore was. Frankly, anyone who tells you that Newcastle was better back then should be given short shrift.

It is disappointing then to be told that final stages of the Honeysuckle redevelopment will take at least 15 years to complete. Other than mine grouting, it seems there won't be a sod of earth turned until sometime in 2028. Questions should be asked about the glacial pace of development, but there is an upside: it will give us time to campaign for better-looking buildings.

Most recent multi-storey developments in the city have been, in my view, lazy - the architectural equivalent of rolling the arm over, but near enough will not be good enough for Honeysuckle HQ. Like Circular Quay in Sydney, Newcastle's quay will be where the central business district meets the water and will influence national and international perceptions of our city for decades to come. I think Novocastrians should demand that at least some of the buildings are admirable rather than execrable.

Mark Mathot, Mayfield East

Blow the whistle on this circus

When will this farcical circus that is the proposal to build a new basketball stadium stop?

One look at the proposed site would convince any reasonable person that this proposal is not only ludicrous but defies common sense.

The proposed site is opposite McDonald Jones Stadium, where rugby league and soccer draw huge crowds bringing with them huge parking problems and antisocial behaviour that already turn game days into a nightmare for local residents.

Adding to this are the excellent hockey fields adjacent to the stadium operating almost every day of the year. More people, more parking congestion.

Then the actual fields on the proposed site are used regularly by many sporting bodies but also as a playground and lesson area for adjoining Lambton High School. So what happens to them?

Well, I suppose the school could have the outdoor PE lessons on the nearby Young and Womboin roads and the sporting bodies could play their games in the nearby drain. Because these areas will be gone forever.

Nobody could deny Newcastle needs a much better basketball stadium than what exists, but to even consider locating it at the proposed site is absolutely ridiculous.

Unfortunately, I feel this proposal is already a fait accompli. I would love to know which Newcastle councillors voted to support this idea, and which state politicians did likewise. In my opinion they should be named and shamed.

Maybe, just maybe, common sense will prevail and the plan will be abandoned. But I doubt it.

Robert Green, Georgetown

Top job, Newcastle Basketball

What a relief the community's concerns have officially been addressed after several extensions and I was hoping for sweeping changes.

I was worried about losing green space, but, don't stress, as they're planting 15 trees. Kids may lose huge open playing fields, but at least they'll be able to swing from tree to tree while staring at a $90 million concrete jungle.

I was concerned about the roads already being overloaded and unsafe, but the report says they are already bad, so apparently making them worse isn't really an issue.

Top job.

Residents supplied photos and videos of regular flooding events, but, thankfully, the response was virtually that hopefully that a really bad flood won't happen.

Again, top job.

Parking concerns were solved too. Apparently there aren't proper parking standards for indoor sports centres, so nothing to worry about there either.

It's honestly impressive. Almost 2000 submissions, and instead of listening to the objections, they have explained why we were all wrong.

Great work, Newcastle Basketball, I can see why you needed all those extensions. Time and money well spent.

Tracey Gardiner, Elermore Vale

Rising Tide should look for a new name

It seems Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's admission about "changing his position" has now inspired the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to do the same. Its latest report admits that its previous doomsday predictions are implausible and have postponed them to a date further into the future. Perhaps Rising Tide should consider a name change?

Greg Hunt, Newcastle West

Dim view over the fence

Colin Rowlatt says that building coal-burning power stations is dumb. It depends, Colin, on what side of the fence you're on. Believing in the complete farce called climate change, now that is completely dumb.

Graeme Bennett, Warners Bay

Right to be selective

Peter Rennie ("Immigration's value on show", Letters, 21/5), I hope your wife is OK now, and I'm sure the medical staff born overseas are every bit as capable as those born here. That doesn't change the fact that Australia needs to have a mature conversation about immigration. The reality is there is a never-ending queue of people wanting to come to this great country. We can't accommodate them all. I believe we not only have a right to be selective in who we welcome, but a responsibility to do so.

Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth

Refuge for lazy politicians

Nigel Farage's Reform Party is gaining ground and I can't help but wonder what is in store for the UK. PM Keir Starmer is barely holding on, and with people badly suffering from cost-of-living issues the future looks grim ("UK's Starmer faces battle for survival as rivals circle", Herald, 15/5). Starmer, who is as bland as a lettuce sandwich, has nobody to blame but himself. His leadership skills leave a lot to be desired. Scapegoating migrants is known to win votes. If it didn't work, leaders such as Farage, and our Angus Taylor and Pauline Hanson, wouldn't do it. For the lazy politician it works every time.

Julie Robinson, Cardiff

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