During the years from 1939 to 1945, our army, navy and air force had personnel attend the Rathmines RAAF base – not all who were stationed there were to fly or crew the Catalina flying boats.

Lake Macquarie City Council avoids spending in recognition of those personnel, and recognition on the western side of the park continues to simply be ignored.

Council spends thousands of dollars to upgrade other parts of the city, and in Sydney they’re talking about spending millions on new sporting arenas. Surely honouring those responsible for the defence of our nation merits more consideration and respect from councils and government.

- Alec Howard, Friends of Rathmines

THERE has been a lot written in the Lakes Mail and other newspapers lately regarding the privatised Newcastle and Lake Macquarie bus service.

Previously, timetables were available at Charlestown Square and Glendale Shopping Centre, but this is no longer the case. The private operator, Keolis Downer, maintain that timetables are available at shopping centres, newsagents and libraries.

I have contacted several local shopping centres, as well as newsagents at Warners Bay, Cardiff, Swansea and New Lambton, and not one of them has timetables.

The libraries told me they don’t have any either, but the public can use their internet services to look up the timetables. Surely if Keolis Downer want people to use the bus services, timetables should be readily available. The whole privatisation exercise appears to be in need of an overhaul as people are not happy the way it is.

- Ian King, Warners Bay

WHEN is something going to be done about the section of Wilton Road outside the Awaba train station? Yes, I am talking about the 90-degree bend in the road to the left when coming from Toronto.

My son was nearly killed there this week when, driving in the dark, he missed the bend, went down the grass embankment, rolled several times and came to rest on his roof, in the bushes. The car was a write-off, and the emergency services personnel could not believe my son escaped with only a few scratches. One of the emergency services personnel said he had been out to this site at least a dozen times to accidents.

It would seem safety improvements should be considered there, starting with the lines on the road, and signs warning of the bend.

Also, a big thank you to the local residents who came to help my son, and to the emergency services personnel who were so quick to the scene. 

- Walter Tuxford, Toronto

I REFER to Carl Stevenson’s letter (“Meet helicopter half way”, Lakes Mail, March 8) regarding a proposed helipad at the Trinity Point marina about which he states “it’s going to happen regardless”. As we are not in a communist country (yet), I believe that the people still have a say in development proposals that will affect them. He may recall that of the 361 written submissions to the JPG concept plan, there were 337 opposing it – that is some 93 per cent. Helicopters can “windmill” to a forced landing on firm ground but as was demonstrated in New York’s East River on Tuesday, March 13, when they hit water they invert and sink very quickly because of their heavy top-mounted engines. In that incident all five passengers lost their lives. Do we want these noisy, potentially dangerous machines operating over our suburbs?

- George Aungle, Morisset