This is on the strip of council-owned land at the back of properties that front Dora Street, including Morisset Memorial Hall.

I am part of the spinners and weavers group that has been using the hall for 30 years, and I am concerned about the litter on council verges.

‘Mower man’ Mick Cronan mowed the area some months ago, and so I bought a small rubbish bin and chained it to a tree.

Each week I empty it. It is full of pizza boxes and milkshakes from Domino’s on the corner. Domino’s says the council bin outside its store is long gone, and they have requested a replacement.

Could council please install two bins – one outside Domino’s and one opposite Morisset Square, where my bin is?

I cannot empty my bin when I am away on holidays.

Morisset Square has at least six bins, but they are all inside.

I care for the look of Yambo Street opposite the shopping centre, and I don’t like to see the rubbish lying around.

- Beverley Timms, Cooranbong

PREMIER Berejiklian appears to have copped the short straw to refute the impractical and unpopular decisions of her predecessor, some of which relate to greyhound racing, council amalgamations, the Powerhouse Museum, the energy services levy, street lockout laws, and privatising hospitals.

Couple this to the embarrassing revelations of the ICAC and one must wonder at the wisdom of cutting Hunter rail services, selling the poles and wires, and leasing the port.

This also highlights the concentration of spending into a few kilometers of Newcastle CBD to the detriment of the rest of the Hunter.

Since these decisions became obvious nobody has voted Liberal in the Hunter, so it’s not surprising to observe that a number of former Liberals have quit the Party and are now calling themselves ‘Independents’. 

One Independent Lord Mayoral candidate has questioned Newcastle City Council’s squirreling away of what they describe as 46.9 per cent rates, and about $15 million being held, which could be returned to ratepayers.

If the candidate’s assertions are true, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to employ these idle funds to clear the backlog of jobs that have languished these last half dozen years?

- George Paris, Rathmines

JUST a thought: How about any councillor wanting to sit for another term show what she or he has actually done in their previous term? So many seem to just go to the meetings and play with their phones but not do anything constructive for the area they have pledged to help. So many promises, but once elected those promises are forgotten. Get rid of the bludgers and clean up the councils.

- Donna Norris, Glendale

GIVEN the government now conducts business by "snail mail" perhaps everyone should follow this trend in the upcoming local government elections and vote by postal vote. Everyone’s a winner, you get a free Saturday and a new council in 4-6 weeks.

- Bruce McKinnon, Edgeworth

PLEASE can anyone tell me what 'marriage equality' is? Equality to what? The word gay has been hijacked, our rainbow has been hijacked and now our constitution is to be hijacked. There's a tyrant to our north that can lob nuclear warheads at us and marriage equality hijacks parliament, supported by the looney left.

- Greg Stewart, Beresfield