You can read the report – the whole 29 pages of it – by going into the NSW Department of Lands website.

In short the sub committee does not believe – like the majority of ratepayers do – that the area should be kept in its current state.

They claim that unless there is active intervention the heritage assets and other infrastructure will continue to deteriorate and the value of the harbour to the community will be lost.

Their report also suggests the existing public domain does not meet expected standards for current or future needs, including regard to public safety.

Further, they suggest equitable access to the harbour should be provided for a wider range of users and that development should be geared towards recreation and tourism uses.

A key recommendation is that the southern side of Belmore Basin should be re-focussed as a pedestrian friendly environment with vehicles excluded and that low scale development of up to two storeys in height can be allowed in a way which will not adversely impact on heritage features or views of or from Flagstaff Hill.

What will be applauded though is their view that Flagstaff Hill should remain as open space.

New neighbourhood group gives it to council   

The recently formed Neighbourhood Forum 5 has told Wollongong City Council’s administrators and senior officers to withdraw the proposed draft Local Environmental Plan and only resubmit it when we can again have an elected council.

And fair enough, too.

Forum 5 represents the suburbs of Keira, North Wollongong, Figtree, Mangerton and the city itself and don’t be surprised if the other recently formed neighbourhood groups follow their lead.

In their correspondence to council Forum 5 has also suggested an extension by at least six months of the environmental plan exhibition period and to hold a public hearing to be chaired by an independent person preferably with qualifications in town planning and law to further look at the LEP.

Many concerned citizens will say it’s great to see some long overdue action out there in the community.

Why pick on private schools?  

So, some of our top private schools are going to receive money from the Federal Government’s National School Pride program, and why shouldn’t they?

It’s up to parents to decide where they send their kids to school and all schools should be treated as equal. After all, when it comes to the HSC the kids sit for the same exam!

And let’s not forget that many parents scrimp and save to get their kids to private schools because they feel they will be better educated, overall, and these people and their kids deserve the same treatment as anyone else.

What about back here Kevin?  

Mates with new Yankee president Obama and trying to get into the pockets of other world leaders our prime minister, Kevin Rudd, has now had an audience with the Queen.

Well, Kevin, you might think you’re putting yourself and Australia on the map but back here at home the country is in a mess and your incumbent government seems short on major decision-making ability.

The people of Australia, or a majority of them, elected you as PM so it would be only common decency to take more interest in them rather than blow up your own ego travelling the world.

Anyway, largely thanks to our sporting prowess, and more so after the Socceroos’ effort last week, most of the world that counts already knows about us.

Business group review 

Don’t be surprised to see some changes in the way the Illawarra Business Chamber goes about things in the future with new CEO Greg Fisher suggesting he will take time to review current procedures and just what the chamber stands for.

I don’t expect wholesale changes, but perhaps some subtle ones in the area of correspondence to members and the community.

The former city council officer has plenty of experience in dealing with people from his days managing parks and gardens and dealing with local amateur sporting bodies, which is something he was very good at.

Good to see  

I don’t profess to be an ardent NRL follower but I did watch about 90 per cent of the game between the Dragons and Broncos and what a great exhibition it was, particularly from the men in red and white.

And, what’s more, there were more than 40,000 people at Skilled Stadium in Brisbane to watch the game, which was a definite shot in the arm for the league, There were more supporters at this one game in Brisbane than attended all of the games played in Sydney over the weekend.

It was also good to see those other men in red and white, the Sydney Swans, take the points in their game and get four points on the board.