Being asked what I do for a living is complex and, sometimes, anxiety-producing. If I say “public policy” or “government relations”, most people’s eyes glaze over and they start rocking on their feet, not even bothering to stifle a yawn. I pre-emptively put an arm out,...
Dear Here to Help, Government awarded me a substantial grant to pursue my innovative idea. I poured my heart and soul into my project and developed it to a stage where it was ready to launch. Then, I came in for a nasty surprise. Government was...
Dear Here to Help, Government has done a great thing with the bottle recycling scheme. It’s fun to take the bottles with the kids for some spending money. The machines have become faster and easier to use. However, some problems make it annoying and time-wasting to return...
Dear Here to Help, Government talks about what it is doing to help active transport. I have a new job in the centre of Newcastle, but I can’t find anywhere secure to lock my bike. There used to be secure bike lockers around the Newcastle train...
Dear Here to Help, There was a classified ad in the Local recently by a man saying he “is not a voluntary transactor in commerce” and seeking to “sever Usufruct Subjugation ties with the Australia Corporation in its entirety.” and instructing it to “cease and desist...
Dear Here to Help, I spend a lot of time in Islington Park, next to Throsby Creek. It has great facilities – an oval, a playground, covered picnic tables, bbqs, bubblers. But no toilets! Most of the older parks in Newcastle have toilets, but not the newer...
Dear Here to Help, Why is it that every summer, parking becomes such a heated issue? People seem to park wherever they want, fight over parking spots, park along yellow lines, shout at one another,… The beach and lake seem to be the biggest source of...
Dear Here to Help, Recently, it seems to be more and more difficult to use public transport. I thought maybe busses were arriving or leaving early, but when I check the NSW government information online, it says the services were cancelled. How are we meant to use...
Dear Here to Help, I don’t understand why government doesn’t do things about the rental crisis. All they need to do is set a rental cap and penalise landlords who charge more. Interesting question. Community is a complex set of interactions and public policy decisions need to consider...
Dear Here to Help, Someone told me recently that government is meant to consult the community before it makes big decisions. How did I never know this? How does this work? How do I become involved? And why do some of government’s decisions still so… well weird?...