Weekly wrap: We want to write about you in 2021

Do you know a local champion?

We need your help to highlight local champions and the good work they do every day.

People who help others, those that excel in their field, those that educate others and generally do good things in our community.

I know from readers' feedback that you like the hard news stories we publish, but I also get requests for more positive yarns.

This year has been a helluva year I think we'd all agree.

Therefore, I want to steer the Leader in a positive direction in 2021. I want to publish more positive yarns about the positive things you and others in the community do.

Don't worry we will still shine a light in dark corners, but we will balance it with yarns about people we'd all be proud to be associated with.

Click on the link and let us know who we should write about in 2021.

I knew I'd get emails after last week's newsletter, thank you to those who took the time to write to me. Surprisingly I had an equal amount of letters that agreed the premier's position is untenable as I did those sticking up for "our Gladys".

I talked about the pub test last week.

I think we'd all agree the Georges River Council seeking amendments to the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 would pass such a test.

Jim Gainsford tells us they are seeking to prevent owners and applicants applying for retrospective approval for unauthorised development or building works.

Jim also reports the Bayside Council is calling for workers in waste collection and cleaning, maintenance and child care to be given "priority group status" during the early stages of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Australia. What are your thoughts? I think it makes sense.

I spoke earlier in the year about how we love to go to bat for our readers. Community advocacy journalism is essential and I believe in it wholeheartedly.

Sarah Falson explains residents who live near what they claim to be a "derelict" building in Cronulla have "had enough" of the unsightly property and are demanding the council do something about it. It seems after we contacted the council for comment, an inspection of the property was organised.

If you'd like to have a sticky beak at who was at the "Grand Opening" of Hoyts Cronulla on Tuesday night, check out Murray Trembath's yarn. Sutherland Shire sporting, business and political identities were out in force on the red carpet.

I bet most people who live in the Shire love it.

Merryn Porter tells us the Shire ranked second in a report listing the most liveable metropolitan areas of Australia. How's that for positive!

This will be the last newsletter for 2020.

I am going on annual leave until the first week in January.

The newsletter will be back next year for our more than 3000 subscribers.

Thank you for subscribing, for reading the newsletter, for reading the website or the paper, for writing to me or phoning me this year. I appreciate having direct contact with our readers; it is one of the most enjoyable things about my job.

Merry Christmas and see you in the new year.