But it wasn’t just structural and natural damage left behind. 

There was ongoing collateral damage in what has been seen as a strange and unnecessary case of overkill. 

After the Westfund building in Railway Parade lost part of its roof, up went construction site fences blocking off the full width of Railway Parade, including footpaths between John and Tank Street. 

The result was an immediate disruption to trade for Lithgow Furniture and Bedding, left with only foot access from Tank Street, and, importantly, extra time for ambulances in assessing the eastern side of town. 

With no suggestion of any potential collapse in the Westfund (former Lithgow Co-Op) building one can only wonder at the need for such astonishing overkill, particularly as the obvious more seriously damaged Council depot in Mort Street the fencing extended only across the northern footpath. 

Please explain. 

STILL with that storm, described by some as ‘like a 15 minute cyclone’, it was noteworthy that it was almost entirely big old gum trees that crashed down. 

Non natives lost limbs but stayed in the ground. 

Must provide food for thought on the wisdom of the so called ‘widowmakers’ in areas of even medium pedestrian movement. 

THE heatwave conditions since pre Christmas have highlighted what we were always warned about- the heat reflected from the bare concrete in Cook Street Plaza has been likened to ‘stoking the furnace’ and made the plaza virtually uninhabitable (not that many spend much time there anyway). 

You won’t get anyone on council to admit they stuffed up badly on that project- apart from ‘Honest Ian’ Lesslie- but maybe they need to get over their pigheadedness’ and at least consider following Penrith Council’s lead in very successful softening their open air plaza with ‘soft’ artificial turf. 

It made a huge difference and is popular with the residents. 

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AND more- we hear a lot of descriptions of Cook Plaza but surely the most unusual must be the unsolicited comment by an obviously well travelled visitor from Narrabri: ‘...it reminds me of some of the worst back streets of Milan (Italy)’. 

Maybe that’s being a bit unkind to Milan. 

There’s no doubting the huge tourist appeal of our two lakes, Lake Wallace and Lake Lyell. Both were as usual the biggest visitor draw card over the Christmas/New Year period and visitation will predictably remain high throughout the Summer. 

WONDER if this is what really meant to say.

 A TV news person reporting on a major bushfire at Maroota, near Sackville, at the weekend said the area included a popular nudist beach. 

“Residents have been advised to seek cover,” she said. 

Hmm! 

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