As we sit in the lounge room of his unit overlooking North Beach and beyond he recalls his 38 years with the steelworks when he was just one of the 20,000 employed there and just what a great place it was to work at and the friendships that were made.

Born and educated at Lithgow, Alan followed many other people from that area to Wollongong and by–passed the opportunities for bursaries to the University of Sydney to accept a traineeship, at what was then known as Australian Iron and Steel.

That was in February 1945 and in time he became a shift observer in the mills, undertook training as a metallurgist and went on to roles in the tin mill and other parts of the plant before being appointed Manager Flat Products and later Assistant General Manager of the plant.

During his years with the steelworks Alan says he saw many changes, all for the good, and he thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship and comradeship among the employees and management.  And, of course, the opportunities to travel overseas and to see first hand what other leading steelmakers were doing and apply them to Port Kembla’s forward planning.

Alan’s interest in writing letter to the editor of the Illawarra Mercury started some 20 years ago when he decided it was time to speak out about local council deficiencies and what he saw as poor management.

He firmly believes that what he saw then was to become today’s writing on the wall.

“I would write to council about my concerns and if I had a response it usually said they would look into it, so it wasn’t long before I came to realise that a letter to the Mercury meant I was able to get my point across to a wider range of people,” he says.

Alan points to the problems with the Gateway Centre at Bulli Tops where council costs have blown out from about one million dollars to something like $11 million as an example council’s lack of professionalism.

The amazing view of Wollongong from Alan's unit.

The people are missing out 

What’s more, he suggests, it is the ratepayers of the city who are having to suffer because of poor management and a lack of proper decision making.

He also says that a city the size of Wollongong deserves a degree of professionalism in its management and the right directions it should be taking.

If he had his way the city council would comprise one councillor in each ward who would be paid something like $100,000 a year to be a full time operator, someone the people could talk with and hopefully see action on their behalf.
It would also remove the politics that has become an unwanted part of our local council in recent years. 

And while he believes the work being done so far on the Blue Mile proposal has brightened up Belmore Basin, the areas such as inadequate parking and appropriate infrastructure are still letting the people down.

Yes, he will continue to write letters to the editor about the things that concern him, and will also champion his thoughts to anyone who might like to listen.

But the necessary changes won’t happen, he suggests, unless council management forgets about its own egos – and the same would need to apply to any newly elected council – and services the people.

Oh, and by the way, Alan handwrites his letters, preferring in his retirement to go for a daily walk and swim and spend time with the grandchildren rather than becoming a modern day technology whiz.

Keep the writing up Alan because your letters are really good reading.