NEWCASTLE'S ragged cityscape has been a cause of embarrassment, sadness and anger for some years. And while that isn't going to change in the near future, signs are emerging that Newcastle City Council may at last be preparing to confront the problem.

This week the council resolved to take legal action against the private owner of the city's decaying former post office and it seems the long-running saga of Merewether's derelict Surf House may finally be wound up, with demolition said to be likely, possibly within weeks.

Cynics might wonder if the looming local government election has anything to do with this sudden burst of activity, but no matter what prompted them, the proposed actions are welcome.

Newcastle's iconic former post office one of the most important historical and architectural landmarks in the city was sold by the Federal Government in 2002 for less than $2 million. The buyer, Sydney businessman Sean Ngu, has applied to convert the building into a nightspot, but despite some hostile verbal exchanges between the developer and the council, little progress appears to have been made towards this goal.

The building has been vandalised and invaded by squatters and there are fears for its future unless more effort is made to secure it. This week the Lord Mayor, John Tate, instructed council staff to prepare for legal action to enforce the preservation of the post office building.

Other councillors suggested "more encouragement" and "more dialogue" to attempt to persuade the developer to save the building. Nobody could argue that these steps aren't worth pursuing, but it's good to see that the council at last seems prepared to take a firmer line.