Raising the Barr

The state of NSW really is broke – thanks to the former Government Regular readers of this column will know that for many years I have been pointing out that…

WHEN SHOULD WE CALL AN AMBULANCE OR GO TO EMERGENCY? There is absolutely no doubt that our hospitals and ambulance services are under incredible pressure to meet expectations. There is…

Last week, the NSW Parliament sat for the first time since the March 2023 election. This might seem like a long delay but it really isn’t. It does take time…

15 Minute Communities One of the more interesting things that I heard during the recent election campaign is concern about the idea of 15 minute communities. It was as though…

Post Election Wash Up As I write this column, I am in many ways unemployed. It looks almost certain that the people of our community have re-elected me to represent…

We Are All Paying for Privatisation I have made no secret of my views on privatisation.  I hate it! Government businesses, that often provide a monopoly service, should not be…

Long Term Effects of COVID Won’t Be Realised For a Long Time It’s hard to recall anything quite like COVID, in terms of turning our society upside down and shaking…

‘TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS’ ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT Over the past 10 years the NSW Government has spent billions and billions of dollars on public transport, almost all of which is…

What Do You Think About a Cashless Future? There are a number of issues getting media attention at the moment that forces us to think more and more about a…

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO HOMELESSNESS It is estimated that across the Cessnock LGA there are somewhere between 500–1,000 homes being used as short term rentals on platforms like…