NPS 125th Committee says thanks
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The Narooma Public School 125th Anniversary Committee would like to thank the following for helping to make the 125th Anniversary Celebrations such a huge success.
The Principal, Teachers, Staff, Parents and Pupils of Narooma Public School, Narooma Public School P & C, Narooma News, Elli Gross, National Parks & Wildlife, Narooma Charters, Narooma Big 4, Island View Beach Resort, Amaroon Holiday Apartments, The Whale Restaurant, Narooma Palms, Narooma Auto Spares, Garry Bennett Smash Repairs, South Coast Outdoor Products, Gaye Spears, Narooma Woodies, Betta Electrical, Halliday Engineering, ABC Bakery, Jessica & Danielle at the Golf Club, Pauls Restaurant, Montague Arts & Craft Society, Whacka’s Picture Framing, Mitre 10, Treasury Wines and to the wonderful folk who provided and served afternoon tea on Friday and morning tea Saturday.
Our grateful thanks to you all! (If we have missed anyone please accept our apologies and thanks).
There has been an overwhelming response to the weekend with people expressing their thanks and appreciation for the celebrations.
We say “thank you for attending”. Without your attendance there would be no celebration! See you at the 150th!
Geoff Lanham, Chris Hendra, Myra Wright, Elaine Noble, Bob Bennett, Jan Boxsell, Pauline Willcock, Rhonda Morrison, Wally Eliaschewsky, John Philip, Kris Gauslaa, Sylvia Gauslaa
Medical praise
I have lived in Narooma for 20 years and until the last nine months have had no need to call on our emergency services.
In May 2013 and last Friday, March 28, due to a medical situation, I found it necessary to call an ambulance to my home. The ambulance arrived very promptly.
The ambulance officers who came on both occasions where highly trained professionals. They were very reassuring to me and my wife and were outstanding in the way they carried out duties.
On both occasions I ended up in Moruya Hospital. I underwent surgery on both trips to hospital and spent time in intensive care and normal wards, again my treatment was first class (although I was a public patient).
The doctors, nurses and hospital staff were very professional and caring.
Nothing was too much trouble. We are very lucky to have such dedicated ambulance officers in Narooma, and the Moruya Hospital staffed with great medical and auxiliary personnel.
My wife Sandra and I sincerely thank you all
Gordon Bird
Kianga
Shark net disgrace
I sent the following letter to the shire council, the mayor and all the councillors. I wonder if they care...
"It is with increasing horror that I have watched the deterioration of the shark net in Narooma over the last year. My wife and I are residents and we swim in the net area most of the year and usually twice a week. We consider it to be a wonderful and relatively unique attraction for the town. To watch the decay of the net due to the negligent and deliberate failure by yourselves to do any maintenance work is quite disgusting. The net has progressively submerged due to neglect and is now about 50 per cent under the water. In no way whatsoever does this net perform any anti-shark function. It would seem that the shire council has made a conscious decision to allow this net to deteriorate and rot and not to provide a safe swimming area free from the potential of shark attacks. Given the horror that unfolded in Tathra this week this decision is atrocious and you are requested to advise just what actions you will take to rectify (the situation)”.
Neil Ferguson
Narooma
What price safety?
I feel I must respond to Bill Barker's letter last week to address some of his claims.
Fortunately for Mr Barker, we live in a democracy where his very minority view is listened to, and taken into account.
I too enjoy the natural environment, the wildlife, and the warm friendliness of the village community.
In order to protect what this wonderful village has to offer we must, sometimes, make hard decisions, especially when lives could be lost. Being an active member of the Potato Point Fire Brigade I believe it is prudent to take precautions rather than risk losing everything to a fire. The Community Association is representing the views of an overwhelming majority of the community and is doing a sterling job.
Dene Hawke
Potato Point
Festival great event
Congratulations to the Oyster Festival committee for pulling off a great event in the most atrocious weather conditions.
It must have been incredibly hard to set up all that infrastructure in the unrelenting rain - which very cruelly seemed to settle right over Narooma.
There were so many fantastic elements to the festival this year. Heide Smith’s exhibition of oyster farmers young and old was beautiful, the oyster shucking competition was fantastically run in the main marquee and Johnny G and the E-Types provided the best music entertainment ever.
I’m proud that this event puts Narooma at the heart of Australia’s Oyster Coast and so impressed by the work of Garry and his gang, supported by Narooma Chamber, in really running with the Oyster Coast brand.
Narooma is now the central point of a nationally-recognised initiative which has the potential to create many, many jobs in tourism, hospitality and farming.
Food tourism is a potential goldmine for this area and those recognising and capitalising on that are already reaping the benefits.
People at the Ultimate Oyster Experience heard that Pambula Oysters are being served in Singapore restaurants, that several farmers are applying for export licences and that growers are struggling to keep up with demand.
I don’t know if the festival will make money this year, but I’m sure that its legacy will be ongoing and important for Narooma.
So well done to all you burnt-out committee members. You should be proud.
Kate Jackson
Mystery Bay
Councillor playing sea level politics not needed
This is in regard to the attempt of some councillors to repeal the shire's sea level rise adaptation.
The Eurobodalla councillor Milton Leslight says the policy is restrictive and is degrading property values and development: "The anecdotal evidence has proven that the sea level rise is a far more complex issue and it is not happening at the speed as it was forecast.”
What makes him a scientist I ask?
What I learned so far is that this climate change is something so different from the past climate changes.
Nobody can really be sure what we are in for and what may be happening when it is fully unleashed .All we know is that the human race so far is hardly preparing for it .
Also, my husband and I had to endure a big devaluation of our home in the Hawkesbury flood plains due to proposed changes to the one in a 100-year flooding zone. That was not even implemented at the end ,most likely due to politics.
This was 24 years ago hardly anyone was talking about climate change then.
We could see then that those charts were not accurate ,everybody knows this now.
The 20-year flood occurrence we had every year and the 50-year flood twice in five years.
In my opinion the public needs to be protected from developers which get more attention when lobbying our politicians than we do.
So developing went on from there in the Hawkesbury floodplains .No doubt, when the sea levels are rising more victims like us then will be affected.
For us we moved away from the river, accepted our losses and prefer to view the ocean now from a safe distance.
Mr Leslight serve all the residents, not only some beach dwellers which took a gamble by building to close to a beach.
It is not fair when our authorities are gutless and reject proper foresight.
Do our governments expect us to study everything? I always believed we pay taxes in order to receive a service.
Oh bugger, I forgot the federal government just got rid of the climate scientists, so the state and federal environment ministers must be climate scientists.
The public does not believe that, it is just political convenience!
K. Kruger
Central Tilba
Potato Point options to move ahead
I am writing as president of the Potato Point Community Association to correct some of the impressions made by Bill Barker in his letter to your paper last week.
The Potato Point Community Association was established in September 2013 at an open community meeting, held to discuss the best way to restore an effective firebreak for the village.
Community frustration with government inaction on restoring the firebreak at Potato Point has grown over the past 12 years, during which time promised action by government, had not eventuated.
Anxiety and concern about fire risk has risen as forest has been permitted to grow on the long standing grassland firebreak.
Fuel loads have grown alarmingly. This anxiety has increased, given warnings from other government departments (e.g. CSIRO) of the increased risk of extreme weather conditions in the future.
In response to the community concerns, last year, the association, with full support of its available members, pressed the Minister for Environment and Heritage, to once more restore a 200 meter enhanced firebreak zone on the approaches to Potato Point and create a plan for its maintenance.
Following a detailed review of the situation the minister agreed and asked NPWS ( National Parks and Wildlife Services) to provide an ”enhanced Asset Protection Zone”.
Stage One has been completed, and is now a thinly wooded area of 1.6 hectares, seen as of little environmental or heritage value.
The area for Stage Two has undergone extensive reviews by NPWS to ascertain heritage and environmental values. We understand that NPWS is required under law to undertake such an extensive review, which they have executed professionally.
At the community meeting on March 22, NPWS put forward three options:
1) Do nothing (by law we were told, this option must always be offered) 2) Partially clear an area south of Bodalla Road. The end effect would be a wooded area with a significant fire load reduction. Most tree canopies would still be touching and looking like a thinly wooded area of mainly casurinas, with limited grass. The area is 1.47 hectares.
3) Similar part clearance of trees west of Jemison Track and north of Potato Point to an area of 2.51 hectares.
NPWS expects the firebreak options to be on exhibition by April 22. After that open public comments and submissions can be made.
This is a difficult process. NPWS has done a lot of work. The community association has briefed residents at all key points and sought views and opinions but always taking the democratic majority view.
A healthy range of views exist, as in any community and they have been expressed. However, your readers should be in no doubt that the overwhelming majority of residents and land holders remain firmly committed to the early restoration of an effective bushfire protection zone for Potato Point. Only then can we sleep peacefully again.
Bill Leakey
Potato Point
Mayor's say… The best community in the world!
MY column this week is a bit of a muse about this place we live in and the people who make it something out of the ordinary. Over the last week I have had the privilege and the pleasure of being at a number of functions that Eurobodalla can be proud of.
The spirit of the 2014 Jobs Launch which aims to have 100 people employed in new jobs during April was kicked off by Adam Pike from Auto Pro in Batemans Bay when he stood up to be the first employer to offer a new job.
Rally for Recovery and the many local people who support the cause and the event, continued its impressive track record by donating $25000 to bring the total of its contribution to childhood cancer research over the past 13 years more than $1million. Imagine the difference this research will make in the future to those who will have to bravely face this terrible disease.
The Narooma Oyster Festival and launch of Australia’s Oyster Coast Oster Trail showcased the quality and commitment of our south coast oyster growers and all those who support this industry.
They have taken a brave and successful leap into the overseas market and a number of important Chinese and Indian media people and marketing representatives took part in the weekend festivities and committed to tell the stories about Eurobodalla through their extensive media outlets in the year ahead.
I spoke at length with listened with deep respect to our 2014 Senior Citizen of the Year Sylvia Penberthy’s story about her valuable work in supporting and educating families and friends dealing loved ones living with gynaecological cancers.
It’s no wonder that overseas residents are choosing to make Eurobodalla their new home and embracing this community. At the Australian Citizenship ceremonies on Thursday I was able to welcome 12 new Australians to our shire in my role as representative of the Minister of Immigration.
Some had lived here for almost 4 decades after seeking a better life, some came for love, others for education or work, some to escape repression but all are here to be part of Australia and in particular the Eurobodalla. I am confident that all our new citizens will make a difference in our community.
We truly are living in the best community in the world and if you’re a keen photographer and can capture this, remember that you can enter Council’s $4000 Live Life in Eurobodalla photographic competition to win one of 6 cash prizes. You need to get your entry in by April 22 and you can find out more on council’s website or pick up an entry for at council, the libraries and the visitor information centres.
Please let me know if there are any issues that Council can assist with. You can contact me at mayor@eurocoast.nsw.gov.au or phone 0418 279 215.
Clr Lindsay Brown
Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire
Job well done
Myra, Sylvia and to all the people who helped organize the wonderful week end for the 125th Anniversary of Narooma school.
From the moment I walked into the school I felt I was home.
My daughter and son in-law made me realize what a great privilege it was to be able to go to the anniversary as I saw people I had not seen for 60 years including my 1st form teacher Mrs. Constable who in 1952 I knew as Miss Britton.
What great memories came flooding back. I attended Narooma school from 1949 - 1953 and the five years were some of the best years of my life.
Starting on our arrival on Friday everything was perfect from the entertainment by the school children to the afternoon tea which by the way my daughter could not believe it was catered and home cooked by the wonderful women of Narooma as she said this would be very rare in Sydney.
Saturday; The ringing of the bell by the very deserving lady Beatrice Bourne, and the planting of the olive tree which came from the original tree not far from where I lived.
The dinner on Saturday night was enjoyed by all.
Sunday morning many thanks to the ladies and men from the school who cooked breakfast for everyone.
I felt sad when it came to an end.
To all the wonderful people of Narooma, a job well done!
Pam Mack (Nee Knight )
Jennifer Stanton (Daughter )
Barry Stanton (Son In Law )