Freemasons on the Central Coast have once again supported the region’s surf life saving clubs with a $50,600 donation – taking total donations to more than half a million dollars over the past years.

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Great strides since the 1960s … not

Everybody should read the “Six Cities Region Discussion Paper” that is up for public discussion (“Six Cities consultation too rushed, says CEN”, CCN 365).

It will make them aware of how futile this exercise is.

Anybody who can wade through the 68 pages of platitudes and obfuscations that pass for a discussion paper will emerge no wiser than when he/she started.

About the only thing that can be argued is whether we want the whole urbanized coastal strip treated as a single integrated region or prefer the present piecemeal and chaotic approach that has brought us

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See Page 2 for address and contribution conditions. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily of the newspaper

to the point we’re at now.

I dearly wish that I had kept my copies of the “Sydney Region Outline Plan 19702000: a Strategy for Development” (State Planning Authority, March 1968) and “Sydney Region Outline Plan 1980” (NSW Planning and Environment Commission), so that we could see exactly what intellectual advances our politicians have made over the past 50 years or so.

My recollection is that the proposals made in 1968 don’t differ markedly from the nebulous ideas now being put forward as the solution to all our problems.

Of course, the statistics have changed, there are more coloured diagrams of not much import, and the word “vibrant” is bandied about with gay abandon, but of hard thinking about what is actually required there is very little evidence.

The danger of anybody’s responding to the invitation to comment is that it will allow the authorities to say that the public participated and that all relevant submissions were taken into account.

On the other hand, if nobody comments, the authorities will be able to say that there was absolutely no negative feedback on the proposals which are, therefore, taken to be fully acceptable.

Of course, the entire process is “a political sham”, as Gary Chestnut says: that is the whole point of the exercise.

This time, I intend to keep my copy of the document, so that I can review it again in 50 years and see what strides we have made.

Email, 31 Oct Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy

Gosford Waterfront

I would just like to say on this subject, that this is not a great way to spend rate payers’ money when the rest of the council area has fallen into disrepair.

It appears that all the focus is on Gosford nowadays when it comes to spending money.

The so-called Central Coast Council should represent the

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whole area, not just Gosford.

The Gosford waterfront only attracts a small minority of tourists to the area compared to the ocean front regions.

Spend the money on the people who pay the rates.

Email, 30 Oct Brad Godfey

Trolley woes

I note that Coles has dispensed with its smaller trolleys, forcing me to reach down even further for the few items that I have (I have a slipped disc).

Given that there is some psychological pressure to fill the trolley, is this some devious plot to increase sales, or something more innocuous?

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Email, 31 Oct Dave Horsfall, North Gosford

Dear Dave, we have investigated and found Coles’ trolleys to be very functional and their staff to be very friendly and helpful - no sign of any devious plots anywhere. CCN

Thank you

Thank you for printing my letters – it is amazing what a letter can do.

The large potholes on George Downes Drive have been fixed and, now, I must also say thank you very much to the team of workers from Mangrove Mountain Depot for the good work.

Now all we need is Mangrove

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Mountain Depot to come out and grade Walkers Ridge, as it is now becoming unsafe, especially considering that there are a lot of mothers taking their children to catch the school bus.

Email, 31 Oct Christine & John Woods

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