I have travelled on Sempill and Hannan streets and Oakhampton Road many times over the years on my visits to Walka Water Works. Of course these narrow roads were built for the horse and buggy days.

I would suggest that Maitland City Council needs to carry out a traffic management study of both Sempill and Hannan streets, at the same time reconstruct the surface of those streets – it is well overdue.

One possibility would be to make Sempill and Hannan Streets one way for traffic movements - make Sempill Street one way towards Oakhampton and Hannan Street one way towards High Street.

Unfortunately there is not much opportunity to widen the streets.

But Oakhampton Road should be widened where possible and perhaps a centre line and speed limit painted introduced at various locations.

I have always been impressed by Maitland Council road/traffic design engineers and I am sure if given the opportunity they will come up with a solution.

I wish to state from personal experience the danger to users of Oakhampton Road.

I regularly cycle on that road and drivers often go past me at high speed with less than a metre and a half distance between us.

I at times cycle at 40km/h and drivers go past at easily double that speed.

It is the responsibility of Council to make sure that the road is safe.

The road is far too narrow for two-way traffic and the edges are broken so it is dangerous for a cyclist.

So please widen and resurface that road for two way use or enforce a one way use.

And take away the licences of drivers who are speeding on that road.

Premier Berejiklian appears to have copped the short straw to refute the impractical and unpopular decisions of her predecessor. Some of which are;

1) Greyhound racing

2) Council amalgamations

3) Power House Museum

4) Energy services levy

5) Street lockout laws

6) Privatizing hospitals

Couple this to the embarrassing ICAC revelations and one must wonder at the wisdom of cutting Hunter rail services, selling the poles and wires and leasing the port.

This also highlights the concentration of spending into a few kilometres of Newcastle CBD to the detriment of the rest of the Hunter.

Since these decisions became obvious nobody has voted Liberal in the Hunter, so it’s not surprising to observe that a number of former Liberals have quit the Party and are now calling themselves ‘Independents’.  

What an brilliant photo Jim Thomson captured for The Mercury of Honeyeaters. Love hearing how he does it. Keep "getting excited" Jim, your photography is amazing!

Matt Canavan may have acquired Italian citizenship but so far hasn't shown he deserves to be an Italian. A true Italian wouldn't hide under his mother's skirt. 

In the words of Richard Di Natale (Leader of the Greens) a good Italian would never accuse his/her mother of leading them into trouble.

As I understand, the discussion whether or not the constitution should be changed has already begun.

Personally I believe it should be – but until then, the law has to be respected.

In a multicultural society like ours, I don't see what harm could be possibly done if one wishes to keep ties with their heritage!