I don’t agree with the council undertaking commercial development.

I believe the role of the council is to look after the residents' interests in regard to parks, garbage management and overseeing development applications.

I am a ratepayer for two properties in this council and do not want to see my rate dollars going to this activity, as this is not what council has been elected to do.

I believe the funds could be better utilised for bringing the foreshore in line with other Lake Macquarie areas like Warners Bay where the foreshore can be used by the residents as recreational area.

I would like to see the provision of a light rail from Fassifern to Toronto using the existing rail corridor.

This would be far more beneficial to the local residents and bring visitors to the foreshore as it was in Toronto’s heyday in the 1900s.

The town had a rich history and I would like to see it preserved as a unique part of the Lake.

I am also a sailing enthusiast and think that a commercial development will restrict access to the marina and for parking of visitors to the lake.? 

It is commendable that council wants to have developments that make money, however I don’t believe council has the expertise to undertake this project and believe this would turn into a white elephant for council and destroy what little public space we have to enjoy on the Toronto foreshore.

The surprising amount of extra table scraps placed in the new purpose green bins, if true, should prove the exercise worth the effort.

However, using numbers quoted equates to over 10 kilograms per household, that's a hell of a lot of potato peeling or prawn shells.

Next time you are out shopping see how big and heavy 10 kilos of spuds weigh (if available), even five kilos needs two hands for the average person.

Some times wishful thinking clouds a person's perception, especially when trying to make a point, but there needs to be a bit of reality before expecting people to agree.

Sure keep the green bin, but maybe allow paper and cardboard to also be part of the mix and keep the yellow bin for glass metal and plastics, which should prove much easier to separate .

After decades of debate I believe that two things are certain – climate change is real, and renewable wind and solar now produce power more cheaply than a new HELE coal plant.

Renewable plants also don’t leave long lasting scars in the landscape; divert large volumes of water from agriculture; regularly fail, or reduce generation to avoid breaching cooling water outlet temperature limits, in the heat of summer.

Coal plants do. 

Renewables cannot contribute to the intensity of cyclones, storms, rainfall events, fires, extreme temperatures, droughts or air pollution.

Burning coal can. 

It is farmers and rural communities who are likely to suffer the most from these adverse impacts of coal.  

Conversely, they are the groups who stand to benefit the most from the creation of a widely distributed renewable power grid, as the inland regions generally have the best conditions for wind, and solar energy.  

They need to make themselves heard, as it is their parliamentary representatives who seem to be doing their best to sabotage progress.

Click here to submit a letter to the editor.