Nowra multi-level car park - Why? Why? Why?
WHY is Shoalhaven City Council (SCC), after 11 years, still persisting on putting a huge five-storey car park for 467 cars, on the current at-ground 196 car park site of Berry, Worrigee streets and Lawrence Avenue?
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One which will dwarf other buildings in the Nowra Central Business District (NCBD), and very likely be underused, especially on weekends. Why is SCC wasting $15 million plus of Shoalhaven and NSW taxpayer's money on building a multi-level car park to gain just an additional 271 car spaces? - effectively spending $55,350 per additional car space. Why is SCC trying to provide all-day car parking for workers when it's not up to council to do this? Why would anyone want to pay to park in this car park when they will be paying to build it through their taxes.
Why is this car park being built on the Berry/Worrigee Streets/Lawrence Avenue site? Surely better sites would be the existing Stewart Place car park or the Egans Lane car park site. Both these car park sites are much closer to the majority of businesses for both workers and shoppers. Why does SCC continue to commit taxpayer funds to the planning and development of a multi-level car park when current and future parking needs are being greatly reduced? a) from the impact of COVID-19: Business closures in Nowra CBD - currently around 40 properties are available for lease in and around the NCBD; Increase in people 'working from home'; Increase in 'online shopping', and b) the opening of other shopping and business facilities in the Shoalhaven: Woolworths Supermarkets at Culburra Beach and Bomaderry, new shopping centre at Vincentia Aldi Supermarket opening at Bomaderry
Why is SCC insisting on building a large multi-level car park next to residential units? Can you suggest a better use for the $15 million dollars in the Shoalhaven region and Nowra CBD?
Judith Mitchell, Nowra
Abandonment of Afghan allies
More than 10 weeks ago your June 11 edition carried my letter about the shameful neglect by the Morrison/Joyce government towards those Afghan patriots who assisted our troops in the conflict against the Taliban, particularly their lack of effort in bringing them to safety in the face of an imminent Taliban victory. The last of our troops were withdrawn and in May, our embassy shut down. In spite of many pleas for action from veterans and others our government sat on its hands for weeks. They procrastinated until the very last minute and even then the visa process was overly bureaucratic and clearly inappropriate for the crisis at hand. I am sure all Australians will welcome those who were able to escape to our shores but will deeply regret that so many were left behind in potentially lethal circumstances. No matter how the government spins it this abandonment of our friends is a disastrous and shameful chapter in our history.
George Thompson, Shoalhaven Heads
Are we uncaring?
The insidious spread of COVID-19, in particular the Delta strain, is now obvious to all. Or at least should be. However we have people in our communities who continue to deny the reality of our situation through ignorance or a false sense of superiority over the rest of us.
It is human nature to believe that we are smarter than the average person but our actions will always reveal that is not the case. The spread of the virus can only happen if people move around and/or fail to take the appropriate measures yet time and again we see people who believe the guidelines apply to others and not themselves.
Restricting travel, wearing a mask, checking in to premises and above all getting vaccinated are all simple things to accommodate yet there are people in our communities who think they are above it all. Egotistic? Maybe. Ignorant? Possibly. Uncaring? Most certainly.