Market area to lure GPs
REGARDING the local GP shortage ("Southlakes GP crisis", Lakes Mail, March 5), perhaps we need to look at other incentives. Income for GPs needs to be competitive, but there are other cards to play, some of which will be more important to the right individual and their family.
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Firstly, housing in the Southlakes area costs about a third of what it costs for housing in the big smoke. Housing is paid for out of after-tax dollars, so a saving in housing is turbo charged against income. So that means for the same income, there's more money in the pocket after tax and housing.
Secondly, to the right individual or family, the lifestyle in this area will be a huge bonus. So at the end of the day effective marketing to prospective GPs may be the key.
- Andrew Nelson, Bonnells Bay
More Late MAC, please
THE MAC (Museum of Art and Culture) is on a winner with its Friday night, "Late MAC" events.
We attended the first for the year last Friday (March 6) and had a wonderful evening. The fabulous setting of MAC lends itself to evening experiences at the gallery.
We enjoyed the art activity (painting a pottery bowl to be fired and collected later). The musicians added a relaxed and funky vibe. We enjoyed the Hunter Valley bubbles and wine and the tasty food platters.
The evening went so quickly we didn't have time to check out the latest exhibition! It's on our calendar for later this week.
Congratulations to everyone involved with MAC. We encourage the cultural experiences team at Lake Macquarie City Council to make this a regular event, please.
- Kate and Fred Elderton, Toronto
Mundane dangers abound
MY sincere condolences to the families of the deceased victims of coronavirus to date. Australia's so far three deaths is triple the number of Australian SARS cases recorded in 2003. It's interesting to compare this to the recent bushfires which killed 34 people and destroyed 2176 homes. The Royal Life Saving Society has reported 276 Australians drowned in 2018-19. Compare 257 people who died worldwide in commercial airplane crashes to 1182 victims of Australian road carnage. The number of victims of homicide and related offences across Australia decreased from 432 victims in 2017 to 375 victims in 2018. Of these, 38 people died as a result of domestic violence homicide in the year to March 2019. Life in Mind Australia says 3046 people died from suicide nationally in 2018. The natural Australian population increase for 2019 was 143,000, while the year ending 30 June 2019 Australia's preliminary net overseas migration was 238,300. Do the numbers. Is this our best effort?
- George Paris, Rathmines
Look Mum, no hands
NOW that we're belatedly paying more attention to hygiene - you're not still grabbing the handrails on public transport are you? - how about we insist that public toilet blocks that are not the modern maze style have an exit door opening outwards hands-free or, if that's too hard, a wash basin outside.
- Tim O'Connell, Morisset
Climate change questions
I SUSPECT those living in New York covered in ice are saying why isn't climate change giving us warmer weather? Why is it that living at Dora Creek for over 20 years, I am still waiting for climate change to increase the depth of my shallow waterside property when council forecast oceans would rise? How many others are waiting for the change that has never happened? How many are paying dearly to stop change that was never needed? And when will some realise that climate change may be more about the money than the truth? Will the future prove that climate change was the biggest con of the 21st century, where mankind was sold the belief they could control the weather and change the future?
- Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek