Ken was extremely positive from the beginning, a personable man who can get along with anyone and who is straight sort of bloke.

Knowing that he had a development on the flat which was much needed by the community, to be built on a site with a zoning that fitted his purpose perfectly and which would bring much needed competition and employment to our town, he approached his task with relish.

He had the financial backing, the support of the majority of the residents and assurances from councillors and senior bureaucrats that his goal was achievable, workable and needed. What was more, he’d had dealings with local government elsewhere, and had an idea of what to expect….

Or so he thought.

Then the planning approval process started.

Every step was greeted by new and never previously mentioned requirements, often changing from day to day and week to week.

Even with an occasionally helpful act along the way, the process took over 18 months.

In the end it required the intervention of state planning, but finally, more than a year after he had expected to have the project up and running, he received approval, only to lose his great love, Judy, a fortnight after the victory.

The cost to his family was huge, both physically and financially, with the human cost, eventually, being too much for the Bryans to bear, and Ken reluctantly pulled the plug on the development, and he walked.

It would be good to be able to think that the council had learnt something from all this.

I was told that the appointment of a new General Manager was to be instrumental in “putting a broom through the place; cleaning out the deadwood” and “turning over a new leaf”.

From what I understand, however, things are as bad as they’ve ever been.

The day before Ken left, he was still waiting to hear from a senior planner about a proposed passive use for his vacant site on the Flat.

He’d waited patiently for a week and a half for a reply to a simple enquiry (don’t they have a maximum response time? - everybody else has) and rang again.

He got the junior, was put on hold, was told the senior planner was busy, but insisted that he needed an answer.

The bloke didn’t come to the phone and, through the intermediary, told him he couldn’t have what he needed — and that was it. Ken broke down.

So I guess they win don’t they? Well they will if we let them.

The Narooma Chamber has a role here. They have an inspirational, entrepreneurial team and are doing good things for the town, but with this rubbish coming out of Moruya, it will all be wasted if they don’t tackle the tough issues.

We did elect Councillor Lindsay Brown to look after our interests and this paper could be a bit more “questioning” as well.

I wish Ken, David, Win and Brodie the absolute best and trust they find true happiness and peace in a place where enterprise and vision are really valued.

Neil Burnside

Narooma

Nelsons Lagoon changes proposed

I am writing to voice my concerns of the proposed closure of all access roads into Nelsons Lagoon north of Tathra. Many of you have fished this system or may be intending to and as you know this is a beautiful prestine system with plenty of fish.

National Parks have released a draft plan of management for Mimosa Rocks NP stating they wish to close all access roads into the lagoon leaving one point of access on the southern side which will mean a 360-metre walk to access the lagoon (not real good for elderly people or families with young children.)

It is also proposed that all powered vessels be banned from the lagoon to leave it basically a canoe-only option (again not really good for the old and real young people).

This system is governed by maritime law and it is a recreational fishing haven governed by DPI NSW Fisheries, and neither of these bodies support these proposals.

To sum it all up this basically means no more boat fishing for the general public, no more guided charter fishing, and more restrictions for you the tax payer who wish to use a public area.

I have spoken to the regional manager of the parks who stated the only way to fight this is to have as many individuals write in voicing their displeasure and requesting access roads to stay as they are.

Due to the fact parks have kept this very quiet, we only have until June 14 to act upon this.

For those who fish Nelsons with me regularly, we will be okay for the upcoming season and if we are to continue on past that, please get writing.

To gain access to the draft plan or to fill in an online form check out the web page: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/parkma nagement/MimosaRockspomdraft.html

Or write to: The Planner, Mimosa Rocks National Park

National Parks and Wildlife Service, PO Box 282, Narooma, NSW, 2546

Darren & Jan Redman

D J’s Estuary Adventures, Bermagui

Wild Angry Sea

Wild angry sea, green with morning sun.

Rising in huge waves, with monstrous mouths

Foaming in their wrath then clamming shut

As they race towards the sandy shore.

He stood and stared at its aggression.

He was at one with this great sea

It set his moods as it had always done

Often tranquil, calm and submissive

But not today...

Today it stirred his anger,telling him to fight

It had given him some fish and abalone from the rocks below

Where was the harm in that?

He would fight in court while the ocean roared

He saw it as his privilege, his tribal right...

By John Petherbridge

Dalmeny

Oyste r shuck criticism

I live in Canberra and travelled down the coast for the oyster festival.

I was unimpressed at the organisation of the shucking competition. It ran late and the man with the microphone had no idea what was going on.

He told the first heat competitors that 10 oysters need to be opened, turned and left in shell. Half way through the heat he told them not to worry about turning them. He told the 2nd and 3rd heat to turn them.

I was thinking far out what’s going on? The final then required 12 oysters to be turned and left in shell. Now I was thinking 10 or 12 oysters turned or not turned and left in the shell?

Anyway the outcome was the same two professional oyster farmers (they do this for a living) took out first and second again this year. Now what I don’t understand is no professional golfer can go in the hole in one competition so why can these guys compete in the oyster shuck off?

The whole set up was so badly organised with absoletely no consistency to competition.

I was very disappointed, especially for the poor guy who got timed out therefore disqualified because he only opened 10 oysters not 12. Even the table they opened on bounced around like a jumping castle. Maybe next year will be better, what do they say, third time lucky?

Sandra Lyons

Holt, ACT

Editor’s note: The organisers say they were clear about the shucking directions.

Local Environment Plan

THE year 1987 saw the Eurobodalla Shire Council release its last Local Environment Plan and over 20 years later, Council is again putting forward via a draft document, the 2009 LEP for public comment and submission.

It is a large and complex document and can be intimidating to negotiate and understand, however Council is offering face to face meetings along with a hotline service for landowners to phone 4474 7486 and discuss the ramifications on each landowners’ property.

The State Department of Planning decided some time ago that it was necessary for all local government areas to have LEP’s consistent across the state eg: a B2 Zone in Narooma is the same as a B2 zone in Narribri, along with recognition of the environment, Aboriginal heritage etc.

Therefore a “template” was designed by the Department of Planning that all council’s must adhere to and could not be changed, no matter the merits or otherwise.

Each council could then, through negotiation with the Department, add localised clauses etc.

In viewing the Draft LEP document, remember all the black ink is the Department of Planning’s “contribution”. All the red ink is Council’s contribution, which followed exhaustive negotiation with the Department.

We must be aware that Council is required by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act to act according to Department of Planning statutory requirements and sadly has limited control over the document.

Every landowner in the Eurobodalla Shire Council is affected by this LEP as the document details what can and cannot be approved on each property eg, if a landowner wants to subdivide, the minimum residential lot size has been increased from 450m2 to 600m2, in some areas 1500m2 is the minimum.

Also, for a property to be “developed” it is possible up to 15 maps, yes 15 maps, may need to be considered when preparing a development application or considering what you can do on your land!

The ramifications are shire-wide and long-lasting.

I urge all landowners to review the Draft LEP, which is available at the library or on Council’s website, and if you have any concerns to contact the council on their hotline 4474 7486 and discuss their personal circumstance.

I also encourage all members of the community to put in a submission by July 24, if they feel they have been unduly affected or if they feel that they can support this draft document; tell council what is bad, what is good, what should be changed.

There is also a public meeting at the Councils Chambers on Thursday, June 11 at 6pm to hear from staff.

Every submission will go to councillors who will then vote on the plan and pass on to the Department of Planning the views of the community.

Again, I urge the community to seek out advice and play a role on this most important issue, you have until July 24.

On a personal note, I would like to thank the Narooma Community for their kind words and understanding following the sudden deaths my wife’s mother, Narooma resident Jean Godfrey and my father Geoff recently.

We were truly touched by the support at this most difficult time for us both. Again it reinforces our belief that we do live in a wonderful part of the world.

Clr Lindsay Brown

Narooma

Labor no good

Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan tell us daily that we are in Recession.

They also tell us that other countries are in recession, worse than Australia. They never tell us that the Howard-Costello Government left Australia in a sound and surplus condition, which the Rudd Government soon blew.

The Rudd Government’s ideas of “stimulus” have not stopped the increase in the unemployment, which is forecast to get steadily worse.

They have no idea how to fix the problem, and the debt incurred by them will be a massive burden on future taxpayers, that is if anyone has a job to pay taxes!

The Rudd Government never acknowledges that Howard and Costello Steered Australia through the “Asian meltdown” that had a very severe impact on the other nations, especially the “Asian tigers” who were once said to be the economic models to be followed.

I am sure that if Howard and Costello were still in government, the impact on us would be far less severe.

Can anyone tell me why whenever Labor is in power, we go into debt?

Would it be that they have a long time record of being terrible economic managers?

Shirley Goodin

Narooma

Liberals no good

All political parties are needed to get us out of the financial crisis. Does anyone ever wonder what would it be like if the Liberal Party was still in power?

They had the fortune to have the boom years on their side and escaped the downturn during their reign.

To ex-minister P. Costello’s shining performance, we have to remember, a lot of revenue came from the sale of public assets like Telstra and others contributing to their surplus budget.

Of course, the opposition would not have spent money on the broader public, which in the first place does create the tax revenue. Under a Liberal government, I have the feeling that they would stimulate our economy only by cash injections to industry and infrastructure.

After the budget their reply suggested only that increasing the cigarette tax would help to balance the budget.

Why is it so that they only came up to hit yet again the smokers?

Is it not a fact that alcohol is harbouring a lot of health risks as well and should therefore be made less affordable?

But this may swing some diehard voters to the Liberals if they get an early election.

The environment issue we do not have to worry about, both major parties did let us down since it is to them more important that we work until the bitter end.

K. Kruger

Central Tilba

Letter from the Eurobodalla Mayor

The Eurobodalla Draft Local Environmental Plan (LEP) has been the main topic of interest across the Shire. There is a public meeting is on Thursday, June 11 at 6pm in Council Chambers, Moruya to discuss the LEP. Council staff continue to address issues on the LEP hotline 4474 7486 and by meeting with focus groups.

Local boy Michael Weyman’s selection in the NSW State of Origin team is something that we are all proud of. Michael didn’t get there easily. His parents and good friends in Moruya assisted him in his early years and he has remained focussed on his career in football despite a lot of injuries.

The NSW Shires’ Conference is in Sydney on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The Eurobodalla Shire Council left this organisation several years ago in the hope that others might follow and we could then end up with one body representing local government in NSW. That was not to be and unfortunately we still have the Local Government Association and the Shires Association sharing the responsibility of representing local government in NSW to the State and Federal Governments.We still hope that one day commonsense will prevail and in the meantime we have rejoined the Shires Association as an associate member.

I was saddened to hear on the weekend of the death of Ken Marshall. Ken and his wife Helen established the Tuross Bus Service some years ago. They then acquired the Moruya Bus Company, changing the name to Marshalls Bus Service. Ken, Helen, Peter, Wayne and their partners built the new bus depot on Yarragee Road, Moruya to accommodate this expanded business. The depot is something they are very proud of and they should be.

Fergus Thomson

Mayor