A big thank-you!
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I would just like to say a huge thank you to the Narooma Kinema for hosting the Narooma Pre-School fundraiser movie night on Saturday night.
It was a fantastic night, everyone had a great time enjoying the coffee and cakes and the movie was a big hit.
The Kinema was so generous in giving their time and staff to help out on the night as well as being our major sponsor, so we can't thank you enough!
I would also like to thank our other generous sponsors, South Coast Cheese in Tilba, Montague Coffee and Narooma Woolworths.
Lastly I would also like to thank Rachel Smeallie and Sarah Misko who organised the whole night, Adrian Fisse for our lovely tickets and posters, Sarah Fisse and Narelle Constable for their help on the night and very importantly all our lovely Pre-School mums who made all the delicious cakes and goodies.
The Pre-school and all our families are very grateful for the support and effort of everyone involved, so thank you!
Kirsty Avery
Dalmeny
Great staff at pool
I would like to acknowledge the great staff at the Narooma pool, who continually go above and beyond the call of duty.
I would like to name names, but know they would be embarrassed. We truly have the best there at the moment. Thanks folks. You are greatly appreciated.
Wendy Brown
Dalmeny
Mayor's column - More Federal budget blues…
LAST week pensioners and councils across were up in arms with the news that the federal budget would cut $450 million from the Commonwealth and State joint funding scheme for pensioner concessions.
The Federal Government has walked away from a signed agreement under which all three levels of government committed to support the most vulnerable in our community.
Hearing the anger locally, I was able to follow this up with Andrew Constance our local Member for Bega and NSW Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations last week. We agreed that those who can least afford to pay should not be asked to do so.
Thankfully and despite the intent of this federal government budget cut, Andrew Constance moved quickly and decisively over the weekend stating that the State Government would honour its current commitment to pensioners.
This means that the State along with local government will continue to offer our pensioners a discount on their council rates at no further cost to local government.
In doing this Andrew Constance has shown that he has genuinely listened and responded to concerns in his to his Bega electorate. His decision also acknowledges a commitment to local government and the difficult role we play as the level of government closest to the community.
Councils across NSW are already looking at how to deal with a number of financial implications from the decisions that Abbott and Hockey have made in their Federal budget.
To say I was concerned last week about where this cut might leave us is an understatement. A possible outcome of this cut could have been that under current legislation, the State government could reduce their 55 per cent pensioner subsidy on council rates back to 50 per cent.
Eurobodalla's pensioners currently receive a rebate of $425 on their rates.
This discount is shared between Federal, State Government and Local Governments and this is legislated under a longstanding agreement.
In Eurobodalla, the loss of state government support of this scheme would have cost Council an extra $1 million a year.
Such a cost would mean real cuts in services and projects like roads, cycle ways, pools, libraries and much more.
I have already met with Dr Peter Hendy Federal Member for Eden- Monaro about the real and harsh impact that Tony Abbott's budget will have on our community at many levels and I will continue to lobby both him and every state and federal politician I can to minimise the effects on our community.
We will already bear a financial cost from this budget with the axing of annual indexing increases to Federal Assistance Grants costing our community around $160,000 a year and we can expect a ripple effect through our community with the loss of 40 jobs from the possible closure of our Medicare Local office in Moruya.
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.
Cr Lindsay Brown
Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire
Morning Tea thanks
Narooma Plaza Pharmacy would like to thank everyone who helped out and attended our biggest morning tea on Thursday.
A special thank-you to the music men Mark Whittty and Kevin Mccarroll, and to helpers Glenda Guseli, Sue Moore and Martine Light.
Thanks also to all the staff and the Plaza management who baked and Kate McLaren for her beautiful slices.
Thank-you to everyone who came and donated you all helped us to raise over $750 for the cancer council!
Tammy McLaren
Narooma Plaza pharmacy
Clarifying the Bega Bermagui land swap
I have just read M/s. Wall’s letter to the editor in the Narooma News.
There appears to be some confusion.
The Bega Valley Shire Council land swap with the Lands Department was not related to the Bega Woolworths development at all.
During planning for the construction of a new town hall in Bega it was realised that the town hall and also a large section of the council building (through to the GM’s office) actually did not belong to the Shire but to the Lands Department.
Council was considering placing offices on top of the new town hall to lease to federal and state entities to improve services to our area and the Lands Department advised this was not permitted due to the zoning.
With the approval of Council, negotiations took place with the Lands Department to swap council owned land at Beauty Point and Beares Beach at Bermagui for the town hall site and the front of the council building itself right to the roadway.
A local club approached Council for support to purchase the old supper room area for a new club house as theirs was being purchased by Woolworths.
As Council was considering possibility of duel use of kitchens and bar area for the town hall, we supported the proposal. This was in reality a Lands Department matter as they owned the building.
The finalisation of that issue was not something I was involved with as it all happened after I retired from Council but I reiterate not really a matter for Council but between the Lands Department and the purchaser.
As Deputy Mayor at the time, I was a member of the Council delegated Woolworths “negotiating committee” along with then Mayor Allen, our Director of Planning and the General Manager.
The “negotiations with Woolworths” were in relation to their purchase of section of Zingel Place roadway belonging to the Council.
I cannot understand how this up front and very open process has now been turned into something questionable.
Every proposal put to the committee by Woolworths went to the full Council for a decision and every proposal the committee put to Woolworths was via the Council itself.
No “deals” were done outside of this very transparent practise.
Once the land purchase price had been finalised, the normal processes were employed and handled by Council’s staff in the normal manner.
All decisions were made by the whole council in a very transparent manner and we even had an outside body oversee the process to ensure probity.
The purchase price for the roadway would be available under government information for public access for anyone caring to enquire.
Janette Neilson OAM
Former Deputy Mayor Bega Valley Shire
Disastrous Federal budget for climate change
When it comes to climate change solutions, this year’s budget delivered quite a few surprises and broken promises.
On the positive side of the ledger (and you need to dig deeply to find anything positive) there is $2.55 billion that goes towards the Abbott governments 'signature' Emission Reduction Fund, the centrepiece of their Direct Action policy.
Just how this money will be spent, and over what time period are unclear. It is unlikely that any of that money will towards renewable energy projects.
There is a small amount of money put aside for tree planting and some funds earmarked to employ Tony Abbott's green army. Just what the green army will do seems yet to be determined.
On the negative side of the ledger, the list is much longer.
Prior to the election the Abbott government promised to keep funding the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
ARENA and its $3 billion funding for renewable energy will go!.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation and its $10 billion for renewable energy has already been disbanded by the Coalition.
The Climate Commission has gone.
The CSIRO will lose 500 jobs despite pre-election commitments.
The carbon tax (the most cost effective way to reduce emissions) will be repealed if it gets through the senate. It will be replaced by a new (carbon) tax, the fuel excise, which will see petrol prices rise by 5 cents per litre. The fuel excise will ironically cost households more than the carbon tax, and shifts the burden of emission reductions away from big polluters and on to households. What a backward step!
It seems as if the Abbott government has an ideological problem with anything to do with renewable energy and sustainability. Almost all government support has evaporated.
The only government support left for renewable energy is the bipartisan 20 per cent by 2020 Mandatory Renewable Energy Target. i was very pleased to hear the Abbott Government prior to the election offer unconditional support for the 20 per cent MRET.
It comes as no surprise to hear that Abbott has now ordered a review into the MRET, to be chaired by climate sceptic Dick Warburton.
If the MRET is watered down then there will be no government support for renewable energy in this country. It seems unlikely that any new major renewable energy projects will be commenced for the duration of the Abbott government.
It is worth pointing out that federal subsidies for the fossil fuel industry amount to more than $3 billion per year.
I think it is entirely reasonable to consider the age of entitlement over. It is fair that all Australians must contribute to the heavy lifting.
Unfortunately the Abbott Government is telling us in no uncertain terms that when it comes to climate change they want the heavy lifting to be done by the next generation.
Matthew Nott
www.cleanenergyforeternity.net.au
Budget blues causes
The predictable outcries over Joe Hockey's "Horror Budget" are bemusing. ALP/Greens are loud in their condemnation, having developed amnesia to the fact that their prior actions are the cause of the drastic debt situation Australia now suffers.
When the Global Financial Crisis developed, the naive and inexperienced trio of Rudd, Gillard and Swan immediately presumed that Australia would suffer very badly too.
But Australia did not have a deficit.
Thanks to the prudent guidance of Howard and Costello, Labor/Greens inherited a Surplus! Banks and financial institutions with toxic debts, and governments with massive deficits were features of the US and European economies, not ours.
Our banking and financial institutions were and are sound, with good regulatory oversight.
But Rudd and his cohorts rushed ahead with discredited Keynesian tactics of massive hand-outs and ill-conceived and managed spending on such schemes as the NBN, the Home Insulation Batts, the BER, TV Set Box Top payment, Cash for Clunkers, the Carbon Tax, Petrol Watch, Grocery Watch.
No thought given to alternative policies that would stimulate employment such as eliminating Payroll Tax, a tax introduced in the time of virtually no unemployment, but kept on when unemployment rose. Nor did they revise the "Unfair Dismissal" restrictions that inhibit employers from putting on new staff.
Meanwhile, China and India kept on buying and buying Australian minerals at good prices. No GFC worries with this duo of rising economic powerhouses.
Readers should recall the way Howard and Costello steered Australia through the Asian Economic Crisis in the late 90's, with minimal adverse effects on us.
The "helmsmen" of Rudd, Gillard and Swan must have taken lessons from the "Titanic" for their time at the wheel of Australia!
The Hockey Budget imposts will hurt me and most to a degree, but must be borne, as the ever-increasing deficits initiated by the Labor/Greens Government must be turned around.
The interest bill alone is $12 billion per year.
That money could be used elsewhere, if available, for a host of good projects.
This budget is but a start on the massive debt reduction needed, and the screams of the Opposition do nothing to fix the problems of their own making.
Frank O'Brien
Narooma
HuntFest not so bad
There has been a bit of a negative outlook towards the next HuntFest. There are a lot of different people in the area, so why not have different things.
I do not hunt or have gun, but will be interested in the display, as I would on fishing, bush camping. Sometimes people are too polarised.
Alisdair Rowe
Dalmeny
No gun display please!
I am a newly retired resident of Narooma who is distressed by the HuntFest and its weapons display in my new home town.
I appreciate all the hard work Eurobodalla Shire Council does as it maintains the beauty and charm of our coastal towns in the face of economic pressures, however I am deeply concerned when we hear about what is happening in Sydney (with 20 drive-by shootings each month since 2011 and 9,000 firearms stolen each year mostly from homes.)
Having been a psychiatric nurse, I am aware of what violence, depression and substance abuse can do to normally rational people.
Suicide with a firearm, threats to spouses with weapons have been part of my life, and I feel I can speak out on behalf of many vulnerable people in our society who do not want to see more access to weapons, especially here in our beautiful home.
Police, military and farmers should be the only people who need guns. Shire councillors, please don't let recreational use of weapons be encouraged in our towns.
Amanda Wheatley
Narooma