Latest news with #Raglan
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Harbour homes for the wealthy is no fix, premier
Great plan, Chris Minns (' Glebe Island firms as a 'Plan B' for new housing ', June 2). More high rise for the wealthy with sublime harbour views. It is the young, low- to middle-income earners who are crying out for housing they can afford. This plan will provide none of that but it will destroy a working port that has been in operation for decades. When driving on the Anzac Bridge to the city from the western suburbs, the view over the dock to the harbour is so lovely and always reminds me of what a beautiful city we live in. What a terrible shame to take that away. Lynne Egan, Glenbrook New housing is needed in Sydney. Plan B for new housing at Glebe presents the same issue as building any large development in any area. Has the government considered where children will attend school, and will there be adequate medical facilities? I hope there will be enough tradies to cope with building the major development. So many questions, and at this stage I have heard no answers. Robyn Lewis, Raglan While I agree the city needs more housing, what's really needed is public/affordable housing, not homes for rich investors, especially international investors. Glebe Island is currently a key element of the working harbour in Sydney, enabling the bulk transportation of the materials needed for the construction industry. Maritime transportation of bulk raw materials is the cheapest and most environmentally sustainable way to bring cement, sand, gypsum and aggregate to Sydney. The Port Authority is currently undertaking the installation of shore-to-ship power at White Bay, with plans to extend its provision to Glebe Island. It also proposes that the power delivered will be from renewable sources. This NSW government instrumentality is leading the way in terms of reducing both carbon emissions and noise, and it is vital that the government supports its endeavours. If Glebe Island is turned into yet another high-rise residential precinct, articulated lorries will continue to grind their way up the Illawarra escarpment from Port Kembla, slowing traffic and belching pollution into the atmosphere. I implore you to reconsider, premier, and focus your efforts on delivering the homes already proposed for BaysWest and on the Pyrmont peninsula, which is currently being rezoned to provide homes for 8300 people and offices for 23,000 new workers. Perhaps, with demand for office space tanking, these targets could be revised to provide housing for low-income families, and the rich, thus negating the need to close the Glebe Island port. Elizabeth Elenius, Pyrmont While we dither about building houses on racecourses and island ports, we slide perceptibly towards Third World status where housing is concerned. We need to be much more creative. I would suggest we simply build amenity blocks, dump points and camp kitchens to service the growing numbers of our fellow citizens reduced to living in their cars, in parks, under bridges and in abandoned rail cars. This action might induce our political leaders to understand the severity of the problem we face. John Richards, Turramurra Under the flight path Queen Street in the heart of St Marys, where huge housing blocks up to 63 metres high and major new infrastructure is to be built, will be overflown by aircraft using the new 24-hour Nancy Bird Walton airport (' St Marys to gain 'civic heart' and 20,000 residents ', June 2). Using the official government flight path tool, when runway 05 is in use, Queen Street will be 200 metres from the flight path and 900 metres when runway 23 is in use. Remembering that this airport will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I just hope there will be effective noise mitigation included in the new apartment blocks so that residents' sleep is not unduly disturbed, and that Penrith councillor John Thain's hope that express trains will stop at St Marys to pick up passengers from the new airport metro, will be implemented. Lance Dover, Pretty Beach King/Pope v Trump/Vance George Brandis, commenting on King Charles' 'provocative' speech at the opening of the new Canadian parliament, and criticism of Donald Trump on social media by the then Cardinal Provost, who is now Pope Leo XIV (' Trump v church and head of state ', June 2), points out the irony that, for the Trump administration, 'two of the most influential voices of restraint may be a king and a pope'. Brandis writes that the new pope's 'potential influence in his homeland could be immense, should he choose to use it'. Unfortunately, however, the record of both Donald Trump and his Catholic vice president J. D. Vance, make this hope pretty unrealistic. It's more likely that this power-loving pair would be rudely dismissive of whatever king or pope had the temerity to question or criticise the new and disturbing political and social order they are trying to create, unimpeded by the constraints of the law and justified by the evangelical right. Far from having influence in this brave new world that is the US, King Charles and Pope Leo are much more likely to find themselves labelled as 'nasty', and their criticisms as 'fake news'. Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown I'm certain Trump would love nothing more than to be life-long monarch of the US (and more), unfettered by any personal responsibility that constrains the king, the pope and any other head of state worthy of the title. Trump already behaves as if he is sole ruler, bypassing all norms, conventions and processes that get in his way and using (like all thuggish despots) falsehoods, bullying, tantrums and intimidation to do it. I sincerely hope that the two-term, four-years-apiece constitutional limit on the occupation of his self-built throne brings his dangerously madcap reign to a merciful end before he totally trashes the kingdom. And may sanity return to those who put the crown on his head in the first place, and they never do anything like that again. Adrian Connelly, Springwood George Brandis has written an outstanding essay that should be compulsory reading. The final paragraph of his essay says it all. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland Retaliation incoming The planning may well have been18 months in the making but Ukraine's inflicting this humiliating damage on Russia's firepower, particularly as loosely named 'peace' talks are under way, is bound to incite Vladimir Putin to escalate his retaliatory attacks (‴ Absolutely brilliant': Ukraine destroys $11b work of Russian bomber is surprise attack ', June 2). One thing is certain; Trump won't be happy. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook Like the driver that speeds up to avoid the red light as soon as the traffic lights he's approaching turn amber, whether you're Russia or Ukraine, how serious are you about achieving peace? 'Hours before the next round of peace talks' both countries decide to launch surprise attacks on the other, and they will probably go into those talks blaming each other for breaching any ceasefire which may have been agreed. Frederick Jansohn, Rose Bay Hear my voice Voices from the backbench should be treated the same way as voices from vested public interests (' Labor's win frees up many voices ', June 2). If they contribute constructively to the debate then they should be listened to and policy modified accordingly. Otherwise, the government should stop trying to appease them in the name of 'unity'. They should just be ignored, and the government should get on with doing what is right. David Rush, Lawson Necessary tax rises a hard sell Not only are we 'kidding ourselves', Ross Gittins (' Let's stop kidding ourselves – taxes will have to go up ', June 2), but our politicians are being deceptive, possibly deceitful and definitely dishonest by continuing to increase spending without any hint of increasing revenue to compensate. Of course, the ALP was on the right track at the 2019 election with measures to address negative gearing, capital gains and franking credits that benefit the more well-off, and many ALP members and supporters would welcome any efforts by the Albanese government to revisit these areas requiring reform. Due to neglect and inaction over many years, and the peddling of myths relating to the tax burden, it is well understood how difficult it is for the government to even whisper taxation increases. Ross Butler, Rodd Point Ross Gittins glosses over the two alternatives to higher taxes. Spending could also go down and productivity could become a priority. The Coalition was onto something, pointing out the blowout in the number of bureaucrats. It's not just wages but all the on-costs and procedure implicit in an expanded public service. On productivity: wage rises have stopped being linked to productivity growth and instead they are linked to to inflation, thereby actually driving inflation. Productivity creates wealth and jobs and those are also taxed. So let's get everything on the table before we mandate higher taxes as the lazy choice over more sustainable alternatives. Peter Comensoli, Mangrove Mountain It is going to take years to wind back the outrageous tax incentives from the Howard era. Everyone talks about the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount, but the refundable franking credits policy is the one to attack. Sure, allow taxpayers to receive the tax credit from what the company has paid, but to give it back to the shareholder, as a refund, was wrong in 2001 and it makes even less sense today. Time to open our eyes to inequities that rort our tax system. Michael Blissenden, Dural Resistance is fertile There seems to be a large gulf between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Richard Marles in their responses to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's call to Australia to arc up its military response to China's 'belligerent' attitude in our region ('Albanese resists US pressure on China', June 2). Given Hegseth's performance in his job so far, I wouldn't rush to take everything he says as gospel. I think, despite China being a difficult neighbour to deal with, Albanese and Penny Wong have a good handle on our relationship with it, particularly because we have a strong trade relationship. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill On the one hand, Donald Trump wants Australia to lift its defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, and on the other hand he wants to impose tariffs of 50 per cent on Australia's aluminium and steel. Thankfully, Anthony Albanese has informally advised him that Australia will make its own decisions on defence spending. I would rather Albanese held friendly discussions with President Xi Jinping than show him how great our military capacity is to fight him. Peter Nelson, Moss Vale I think Albanese was very wise in not being goaded into additional defence spending by the China-baiting and egregiously incompetent US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth. The Trump administration is not known for its sane and thoughtful evaluation of issues and, as we know only too well, wars are easy to start but hellishly difficult to conclude. Things have reached a lamentable state when China these days often sounds like the only adult in the room. Bernard Moylan, Bronte Win some, choose some What a timely reminder from Michael Carr-Gregg (' Leave concierge parenting at the door to help children ', June 2) regarding sensible parenting. Parents are too quick to blame schools, teachers and other kids when their precious youngster is always in the right. Disappointment is a fact of life and, as stated, we must teach them to accept disappointment with 'courage and curiosity'. Coming second or second last is not failure, it's life. Deal with it, without looking to blame others. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach Experiences in life can be out of personal control. Illness, accidents and domestic violence may happen, so you learn to accept you have no control and use problem-solving skills to get by. Teachers try to develop these skills. Parents should, too. Playing sport engages children in the highs and lows of life. If you break a bone, medical experts try to fix it, but you have to be patient for a long time as the break heals. You use problem-solving to adjust to moving with a limb out of use. Bea Hodgson, Gerringong Lest we forget Your correspondents' defence of Margaret Thatcher's Falklands War (Letters, June 2) is silent on the torpedoing of the General Belgrano, outside England's declared exclusion zone, with loss of 323 lives, many of them young conscripts. A memorial listing the dead was located in Plaza Britannica in central Buenos Aires, lest Britain forget. Michael Britt, MacMasters Beach The teal deal? If the group known as teals do decide to form a party (' Whips and wisecracks: Who will be Lord of Crossbench? ' , June 2), they could still keep that name. The Elected Australian Legislators. Ann Babington, Thornton It is interesting that a group of teals wishes to coalesce into a political party. Interesting, because they ran on a platform of anti-party feeling. Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga Heavy thrifting Unable to get the answer to Saturday's Quick crossword clue (8 down) 'Manages one's resources thriftily', my wife nearly choked on her breakfast porridge when I meekly told her yesterday morning the solution was: 'husbands'. She then reminded me, at length, why I am not entrusted with the household shopping. Thanks for nothing Herald and DS; it's going to be a long week. Paul McShane, Burradoo
ABC News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Vintage planes and stunt pilots take to the skies of central Queensland
Vintage planes and stunt pilots take to the skies at the Old Station Air Show in Raglan, central Queensland.
RNZ News
07-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Raglan lifeguard takes home top prize at Search and Rescue awards
Chris Malone - or Bugsy - took home the Gold Award for Operational Activity on behalf of the Raglan Surf Lifesaving Club. Photo: Supplied / Surf Life Saving New Zealand A lifeguard who saved the life of a father trapped in an upturned boat has been recognised with the top prize at an awards ceremony at Parliament. Chris Malone - or Bugsy - took home the Gold Award for Operational Activity on behalf of the Raglan Surf Lifesaving Club at the Search and Rescue Awards on Tuesday. It was for a rescue in December, where a small fishing boat carrying a family of three had capsized crossing the Raglan Bar. Although the son had been thrown clear and the mother was able to get out of the boat, the father remained trapped in the upturned hull, breathing from a small air pocket. Fortunately, there were members of the Raglan Surf Life Saving Club training nearby. They responded immediately and pulled the mother and son from the water. Unable to locate the father, a Surf Lifeguard entered the water to check the boat, cutting his way through tangled fishing line. After banging on the hull and hearing a response from the forward cabin, the Surf Lifeguard forced open the cabin hatch and pull the trapped man free. Bugsy told Morning Report there was a little bit of luck involved in the rescue. "I was anticipating the worst, but the team put a massive effort in, and we were lucky to bring the family home at the end of the day." He said he was proud himself and his team. Bugsy said it was his first time in Parliament, and it was "awesome" to spend time with the other search and rescue teams around the country. "There's some amazing achievements that some of the search and rescue teams do. "It's just incredible what they do, and how they rescue people all the time, and I feel it gets better and better each year." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Teens claim honours at SI champs
Dunedin surfer Lewis Murphy competes in the open men's heats at the South Island championships at St Clair at the weekend. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN The young ones shone brightest at the annual South Island championships in Dunedin at Easter. Two rising stars of the New Zealand scene claimed the premier honours at an event that started at St Clair and moved to the Aramoana Spit. Taimana Marupo (Mount Maunganui) won the open men's title, and Alani Morse (Raglan) was the open women's winner. Both surfers — Marupo is 17, and Morse just 14 — claimed their first victories in the New Zealand Surf Series. Marupo started with a rough wave in the four-surfer men's final but scored a 6.17 with his second wave and a perfect 10 with his fourth for a combined score of 16.17. Not far behind was Sev Tolhurst, of Piha, who showed his talent late in the final to score 15.83 on back-to-back waves. Morse took control of the women's final with nice style on her second and third waves to score 13.50. She pipped Kyra Wallis (Piha), who had the best single score — a 9.00 on her second wave — in the final but could not find another decent score as the waves kicked higher at the Spit. Will Hardie (Piha), who had finished third in the open men's final, won the men's under-20 title, and Piha youngster Poppy Arkle won both the women's under-20 and under-18 titles.
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Edgbaston Stadium given go-ahead for £42m redevelopment
A £42m redevelopment of one of Birmingham's biggest sporting venues has been given the Priory and Raglan stands at Edgbaston Stadium will be replaced with a new 3,191-seat facility. A 146-bed hotel will also be opened on the City Council's planning committee unanimously approved the plans on County Cricket Club, which plays its home games at the stadium, said work was expected to start in September and be complete in time for the men's Ashes Test against Australia in 2027. The club said it expected 60,000 people to stay at the hotel each year, adding £5m to the £35m the stadium is currently estimated to contribute to the local new stand will include improved facilities for disabled spectators. Edgbaston's strategy director Craig Flindall said: "Cricket will always stay at the heart of our thinking. But it's important we develop a stadium that operates all year round, supporting new jobs in this part of the city, and creates wider community opportunities."The project is being partially funded with an £18m loan from West Midlands Combined region's mayor Richard Parker said the redevelopment would ensure the future of world class cricket in the region."Our region is home to a number of globally celebrated sports teams and venues," he said."By supporting them to grow, we shore up our place on the international stage, bringing visitors, investment and jobs now and into the future." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
