Golf, bowls, food, live music, functions and the RSL sub-branch reflect the value of community gathering space where people find enjoyment and belonging. As community organisations, churches, schools and activities all experience the challenge of meeting the hurts and hopes of people in an anxious, busy world, this only adds to the stresses. The pain from the loss of jobs and its impact on the community is already evident with the closure in immediate effect. Drysdale Metals own the land, no question. But hopefully the loss of space is enough for Lake Macquarie City Council to keep the existing zoning, affirming the value of the community activity it represents.

The Country Club board and members need to know they have our support and encouragement to take up the fight for the future of this community space.

- Rob Hanks, Morisset Uniting Church

CONTRARY to Paul Foster's letter ("Ethics predates Bible", Lakes Mail, May 23), it is not the case that P&C Federation is "opposed to scripture being held during class time in public schools." Our position, crafted by our P&C Association members, is that parents have a clear choice of enrolling their child in either scripture classes, ethics classes, or neither. Students not enrolled in these classes should be free to do other meaningful work related to the curriculum.

A concern is that parents were denied a clear choice when the option of ethics classes was taken off the student enrolment forms, while information about scripture classes remained. This unfairly privileged scripture classes over ethics classes. This was largely fixed this year, when the NSW Department of Education introduced a participation letter to be signed by parents when completing the student enrolment, providing local information about the choices around scripture or ethics classes or neither. Parents may at any time notify the school that they wish to change their decision. The other challenge, which remains, is that students not enrolled in scripture or ethics classes cannot receive any academic instruction or participate in any school activity while scripture or ethics classes are occurring. This rule is not extended to other school subjects. The rationale for this is that students in scripture and ethics classes would be disadvantaged if other students were allowed to do school work.

The Department often states that there is a legal requirement that no student can be disadvantaged by attending scripture or ethics classes, though we question that assertion. It is students not enrolled in scripture or ethics who are currently disadvantaged, due to the many hours of education they lose each year while scripture and ethics classes are running.

Our position is that scripture and ethics classes should be treated the same as any other class: students should be free to enrol in them, and those who don't should be free to do other curricular work.

- Federation of P&C Associations NSW

REGARDING Lake Macquarie City Council's proposed multi-usage building for Bath Street, Toronto, people must realise council has another option that may be less favourable. Council could easily sell the land, and approve private development there. Council currently appears to be meeting public expectation half way, with part of the building being for tourism and public use, and part for private residential. The community being completely negative might just force council to take the easy way out. The choice comes down to council control or developer opportunity. l can't see council spending much more time on a matter where people are not prepared to compromise.

- Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek