OPINION & ANALYSIS ONLINE COMMENT Mayors of the world theherald.com.au Milk chatter sours ON Saturday the Herald reported Hunter New England Health officials had been could have more say considering saving money by replacing fresh milk by the carton for staff with small long- life capsules. Here’s what you Phillip had to say on the issue. O’Neill Hunter Health senior management continue to show how narrow minded their focus is. These type of emails are something of a daily THERE seems to be more public occurrence. interest in Jeff McCloy, the lord Doc mayor of Newcastle, than in any other Hunter politician at the Another HNEH thought bubble. moment. There are many simple ways to Not accidentally, this comes at a save money – e.g. the biggest cost time when the Hunter’s hard- to the health budget across the working state and federal politicians state is electricity. Lights in empty have very little influence in Sydney departments are left on at night, and Canberra. computers that could be turned off Indeed, news coverage of their when staff go home are left public lives tells of little more than running 24/7, air-conditioning runs school visits, the award of 24/7 in all wards/departments. community grants and the odd Wakeup personal stunt, like a boxing match or a surgical procedure via Twitter. Next. Toilets. Bring your own The lower Hunter has only two paper. (and soap) ministers. The state member for Noway Maitland, Robyn Parker, is the NSW minister for the environment and Again, HNEH with no heritage, but ranks only 19th in environmental conscience. Huge ministerial seniority. The federal LEADING MAN: Imagine Jeff McCloy at the helm of a Lower Hunter combined council. impact of millions of tiny plastic member for Paterson, Bob Baldwin, capsules that will be filling our bins is a Commonwealth parliamentary nations are failing to respond thereafter, he lays out a compelling federal governments on behalf of the instead of recyclable bottles. secretary, but ranks just 32nd in effectively to major issues such as argument for turning cities into entire lower Hunter. Nurse seniority. climate change and refugees. places where residents engage Imagine the enthusiasm that This is the hand we’re holding in And within nations, he says, enthusiastically in political would be generated if Newcastle and Rather than crying over spilt milk state and federal politics at the national governments are argument and democratic decision- its four sister councils merged into they could always just bring in their moment. Little wonder we have the increasingly inefficient and citizens making. The advantage, says Barber, one large, proud Australian city? own in just as others have to. feeling of looking on from afar. are increasingly disillusioned with is that people would be encouraged In 1937, a small Newcastle city Crazyivan In contrast, there’s always them. to have a say in their own patch, council merged with its surrounding something going on in the politics of Barber has a solution. He wants while politicians – confronted on a municipalities, namely Adamstown, I’m sure if everyone tossed in a local government and ample cities to extend their municipal daily basis with the consequences of Carrington, Hamilton, Lambton, couple of bucks a week they could opportunity to halt your local powers and deploy them with their actions – would get on with the New Lambton, Merewether, have all the milk they could councillor or mayor in the street and greater vigour. He points to London job we elect them to do. Stockton, Wallsend, Waratah and possibly need – come on people have your two-penneth worth. and his home town, New York, as It’s an idea worth thinking about Wickham. Back then, coming out of haven’t you got something more Why wasn’t my bin emptied last cities that have built their global for the lower Hunter. Like it or not, the Great Depression, the citizenry important to whinge about. Thursday? How come the pool importance over the past decade the lower Hunter is well on the way had the wisdom and courage to Cracka opening hours have been cut? Why under the charismatic leadership of to having 750,000 people by 2030. create a council with jurisdiction hasn’t the new art gallery been mayors, namely ‘‘Red’’ Ken Under present arrangements, over the city’s front and backyards, Well, at least HH provides milk to all built? Livingstone and Boris Johnson in these mostly urban dwellers will be and the scale to get things done. staff. In the dark ages in another I’ve just finished reading a book London, and Rudy Giuliani and divided among five local Eight decades on and the Newcastle hospital system in another place, that claims local government is the Michael Bloomberg in New York. government areas, none with the urban area extends way beyond its sweet biscuits were provided for only tier of government across the Barber also strings together a list power and resources to steer the council boundaries. We are morning and afternoon tea – for the Western world where lively of emerging cities where mayors lower Hunter’s growth or the fragmented once again. medical staff only. democracy still exists. The book is have played a major leadership role wherewithal to provide decent Why doesn’t someone fly Sweetie called If Mayors Ruled the World (Yale including Barcelona in Spain and services. The lower Hunter would Benjamin Barber out to give us a University Press). The title gives you Stuttgart in Germany. continue to be planned from Sydney talk? A rich mayor maybe? Someone Central Coast health staff changed some idea of its pitch. Its author, The argument that mayors could and beg for resources from Sydney. who wouldn’t mind being one of the to long life milk years ago. The Benjamin Barber, from the City rule the world is, of course, a fantasy. Alternatively, the lower Hunter new rulers of the world? world didn’t end. We just adjusted. University of New York, reckons So, too, is Barber’s assertion that might take up Benjamin Barber’s Jenny now is the time for cities to assert nations are in decline. Tell China challenge and create a genuinely their place in the world. Barber that. democratic new city with a mayor argues that nations are failing to Maybe Barber’s tongue is firmly in and a council holding real power, Phillip O’Neill is a professorial deliver the goods. On the his cheek as he makes these claims not just to get things done locally, but research fellow at the University of ONLINE poll international stage, says Barber, in the book’s opening chapters. But to speak with force to state and Western Sydney.

TODAY’S QUESTION Cash for cans could help protect our land Should Newcastle City Council contribute $1.45 million to a $5 million cliff-top coastal walk Recent bushfires have collect bottles and cans scattered for what was once a beautiful strip this, for me, represented real cash. proposal promoted by Liberal along the headland that extends of coastline. On taking my load of ‘‘treasure’’ state member for Newcastle exposed a litter problem, south of the jetty to north of We cannot procrastinate or back to the Scout Hall, they would Tim Owen? Moonee beach. deliberate for too long as the exchange money for bottles and at YESTERDAY’S RESULT writes Damien Hawcroft. They included residents of regrowth is rapidly returning and the end of the day I was cashed up Catherine Hill Bay and Nords eventually will hide this and felt rich. It was the best way to Should Hunter New England Health provide fresh milk for THE recent bushfires at Catherine Wharf, and groups such as environmental disaster. make pocket money. It also Hill Bay could have been Gwandalan Scouts, Catho Surf Seeing is believing, and I ask you heightened my mechanical skills staff? catastrophic if it had not been for Club, Catho Boardriders Club, to take the time over the coming as I was continually fixing my YES, it’s the least they can the wonderful work carried out by Waratah Fire Brigade, Catherine weeks to walk this area so you can overloaded billy cart. do to support people 75.9%who are people from the Rural Fire Hill Bay Progress Association, see for yourself the enormity of this The cash incentive to stop tossing already working hard Service, police and other volunteer Lake Macquarie City Council and man-made problem and the effort and start collecting should be NO, the money would be better spent on medical services. A big thanks to them. local member Garry Edwards’ staff. required to fix it. mandatory – it will stop mindless 24.1% One unexpected thing this fire These volunteers collected about Having helped in the recent littering and encourage positive essentials has given us is exposure to three tonnes of bottles, cans and collection and witnessing the human qualities such as VOTE NOW thousands of bottles and cans broken glass. thousands of cans and bottles that mindfulness, entrepreneurship, (mostly alcohol) that have been But there are still tonnes to be still remain, there is no doubt in my health, resilience and a decent mindlessly thrown on to the heath collected, and the task is too big for mind we need to establish a cash for respect for money. and into the bush covering what 28 volunteers. bottle/can recycling scheme. Flora and fauna cannot cry out, n ... appears to be pristine coastland. The community needs help from Catherine Hill Bay is only one of but we can, and I am asking for onversatio the c Unfortunately, this stretch of relevant government and many examples along the coast and your ideas, support and help. JOIN coast is not pristine – it has been commercial organisations – around Australia of this pollution, Contact Catherine Hill Bay theherald.com.auththehehere aalld.d.ccoomm.aua vandalised by man, and man now National Parks and Wildlife, Lake and would not exist if people Progress Association at has the responsibility and Macquarie City Council, Coal and received 10¢ for their cans or bottles. catherinehillbay.org.au. LIKE US on Facebook opportunity to fix it. Allied, and the Rose Group. As a kid I used to pull my billy Newcastle Herald For three hours on a recent We need these organisations to cart around the local streets, FOLLOW US on Twitter Sunday morning, 28 remarkable get together and develop and competing with other like-minded Damien Hawcroft is a resident of twitter.com/newcastleherald volunteers of all ages set out to implement a clean-up campaign scavengers in search of bottles as Catherine Hill Bay.

Monday, December 9, 2013 NEWCASTLE HERALD 11