The Winter Solstice and the local Indigenous exhibitions held recently show-cased Griffith's immense local talent and interest in art. Artistic merit deserves to be promoted and encouraged to enrich all our lives.

We are grateful for our many parks and gardens and now it is time to create something new and exciting.

With the community and the Griffith Council working together let's create a wonderful, 'built-for-purpose' Art Gallery.

The land adjoining the Visitors Centre has been strongly supported in the community as the best site for the gallery.

And what a unique guide-post the 'plane on a stick' would be ... welcoming visitors to our new gallery. As Henri Matisse once said "Creativity takes courage".

Let's show the world what Griffith is capable of.

I am opposed to spending $300,000 on a garden at this stage and would like much more consultation with the community before it goes ahead.

Council should spend the money allocated to the 'rose garden' to beautify the Memorial Gardens which is in desperate need of an upgrade. why create another garden when the present gardens are poorly maintained. The vacant land next to the Visitors Centre is the perfect position for a new Regional Art Gallery.

Looking at the proposed plan whether there are roses or not, council can't even look after the gardens they already have let alone another complicated mess as the proposed garden. Build a new Art Gallery on this site.

I call on the NSW Education Minister stand down over the management of the HSC with the changes announced last month.

Clearly the NSW Government has failed to manage the COVID cases. Now the decision for the continuation of the HSC feels that HSC students are being used as pawns in a game to justify taking vaccines away from communities like Wilcannia.

As a parent of a Year 12 student, I do not believe students should remain in school longer than normal. Students are prepared to complete their exams now and move on.

Their time at school is over. This delay negatively impacts them; emotionally, educationally and financially.I also personally know of the negative impacts on individuals.

International students who had flights booked to return home after two years abroad now can't. My own daughter had a job lined up for later November which she can not start.

The decision to delay the HSC has implications. I don't believe the needs of the students have been considered.

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