In vital peak hours, especially for university staff and students, the barely two-lane Gobba Bridge is not only an expletive-filled mouthful, but an agonisingly slow nightmare – no bicycle lanes, no walkways, and no sense commuting into NSW's largest inland city from the city's north.
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One small accident blockage on Gobba Bridge restricts commuters from an awkward three to two difficult routes for northern commuters.
Few folk compute that from the Olympic Highway via nearby Uranquinty, we have five routes to commute into Wagga.
And they mainly overlook that most of the vital health facilities of Wagga are all on the western, more approachable, Uranquinty side of the city, including the Glenfield Medical Centre, the new ambulance station, the two hospitals, new day surgery centres and major new specialist medical rooms.
But in a life-saving emergency, an ambulance from Uranquinty can fast-track it to virtually any medical facility in Wagga without going through one single set of traffic lights, whereas in nearly any other direction in the suburbs, it is a high risk manoeuvre via many roundabouts, dangerous intersections and traffic lights.
Stewart Crutchett, Wagga
Festival in grave doubt
Earlier this week the president of the Rhythm n Rail Festival Association called an urgent executive meeting over concerns with resources, in particular volunteers, to deliver the 2018 festival.
The meeting raised the question: "Does the Junee Community really want the Rhythm N Rail Festival?"
The association currently consists of less people than the small number, which with a lot of determination and hard work, delivered the 2017 festival.
Although the last festival was a success and the team, attractions and organisations that make a big effort to contribute remain committed, additional support from the community has not been forthcoming.
The small team is stretched to capacity and without additional people will not be able to complete the preparations required to hold the next festival. An open public meeting for the Rhythm n Rail Festival Association will be held 6pm on Wednesday, November 8 at the Ex Services Club.
The executive committee hope that anyone who is keen to see the festival continue will come along and join the team.
The attendance and response at the meeting will determine if the 2018 festival will go ahead and if so, which events will need to be cut from the program.
Jeanne Kennedy, Junee
Remembering the sacrifice
On this day 75 years ago, Australian soldiers retook the village of Kokoda in PNG.
Between July and November 1942, Australian forces fought the numerically stronger Japanese in abysmal conditions along the Kokoda Track, sustaining more than 600 dead and more than 1600 wounded or struck down by illness or disease.
The Australians forced the Japanese into retreat, culminating in battles at the Beachheads which came at an enormous cost — more than 1200 Australian lives lost and more than 2000 wounded.
Today, I ask all Australians to pause and reflect on the service and sacrifice of these great Australians and of all those who served on the Kokoda Track and at the Beachheads during the Second World War.