Depth of deception regarding flooding
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The recent inundation of many parts of Narooma, Dalmeny and Kianga highlighted by you in Narooma News reveal Eurobodalla Shire Council to be in deep waters.
The implications of constructing a roundabout and associated works in a high risk flood area were well known before the expenditure of some $5 million.
Questions were raised regarding the damming effects, height datum levels, changes to the drainage systems and dispersion of dangerous contaminants into a much disturbed water table.
Poor engineering design has increased diversion of damaging storm waters into many properties.
Repeated requests through the general manager to reveal some critical engineering details such as Environmental Impact and Hydraulic Studies remain unanswered.
Findings from recent “Flood Studies “have been “hidden” from the public. Public forum requests to our local representatives, the Mayor and former Deputy Mayor have been ignored.
Findings of a Coastal Adaptation Report by University of Canberra (refer Narooma News) have been ignored.
The exemption of the “Flat” and Bateman’s Bay commercial area from the effects of sea level rise and flooding is nothing but a farce and serious questions of “public perception of conflict of interest” remain unanswered.
The reasons for exemption are not what one would expect even from an unqualified planner or engineer. This exemption reaches a new depth in planning deception
Questionable council engineering design and environmental controls have directed substantial volumes of storm waters into a heavily restricted open drain in Barker Street.
Storm waters were further restricted by boundary fences and debris blocked pipe.
Contaminants from a council dump on the same corner of Barker Street may very well have joined residual contaminants from a previous commercial site adjacent to the roundabout.
These contaminants were identified off and off site in “Freedom of Information” reports.
Request to council to identify whether any of the materials removed from this site were disposed of within the Eurobodalla remain unanswered.
We can thank our lucky stars that the peak flood period in this area did not coincide with a significant high tide.
This would have been disastrous and affect more infrastructure and private properties.
Restricted drainage to the inlet systems and inadequate “tidal flaps” or self-regulating flood gates did not help.
They are hinged and require inspection, good maintenance and must of good design and adequate capacity for the purpose intended
If not they will restrict flood waters entering the inlet whether it is a low or high tide.
If sea levels rises and climate change occur to that predicted by the green controlled ESC we had better pack up our old kitbags and head to the hills.
Peter Bernard
Dalmeny
“I Will Survive” thanks
I would like to personally thank all involved in the "I Will Survive" fundraiser event on Saturday, October 18.
I'm so over whelmed by the local community of Narooma's support on the day and leading up to the event.
The event wouldn't have been so successful without the local community so thank you so, so much and thank you to all the buisnesses in the Eurobodalla that donated items for this event.
Thanks also to Amy lee Negus for shaving her hair off for breast cancer awareness, Maeve Hatton for cutting her hair off to make a wig for people who have lost their hair from cancer, Jen the Breast Care Nurse, Sue and Kyle Narooma Community Nurses and Lynda from Moruya Oncology.
Together we raised $28,000 which means $14,000 to Breast Cancer Network Australia and $14,000 to National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Also a huge thank you to the "I Will Survive Committee" words can't explain how much you all mean to me with your ongoing support, guidance, dedication and good looks.
The goal was to raise awareness about breast cancer in our local community of the Eurobodalla and funds to support two organisations that helped me through my breast cancer journey and I can say thank you so much as we all together achieved this goal.
Jessica Bourke
Narooma
Great Bowls Day for Deviates
After a wonderful day of fun, bowls and generosity the Dalmeny Deviates would like to give a big thank you to Narooma News, Club Narooma and the Narooma community for once again supporting the Deviates Bowls Day.
This is the Deviates’ only source of fund-raising for the year with money as usual going to exclusively local causes.
In the past few years donations have been made to many local charities and organisations from Moruya Hospital, to the Dalmeny-Narooma Cycleway, Narooma Men’s Shed, Animal Welfare League, Bluewater Dragons, Narooma Surf Club and many, many more.
Special thanks must go to Club Narooma for their wonderful support for the bowls day and all that goes with it and also our great friends at Narooma News who have generously given us space in this paper for quite a few weeks.
All our prize sponsors have been incredible generous as usual and, equally, the bowlers who rolled up on the day to play and then participate in our auction and raffle were magnificent in their support for the Deviates.
Over the next few weeks you will see the fruits of last weeks’ bowls day as donations are made to local clubs and organisations. Once again a big thank you from the Dalmeny Deviates
Bob Burnside
Narooma
Funding our future
All rate paying residents should now have received a mail out from the Eurobodalla Shire Council seeking our permission to have a Research company contact us about a rate increase to fund projects in the Eurobodalla for the future.
Firstly, I would ask the Shire,
1. How much did it cost to have the pamphlet designed and written ?
2. Then, how much did it cost to have the pamphlet printed ?
3. Cost of postage?
4. Cost of hiring the Research company Micromex?
Secondly, does Shire not already know the answer to the questions that Micromex will ask.
Surely, given that Eurobodalla Shire is made up of a high proportion of retirees and pensioners that any one of these people will say YES PUT UP OUR RATES.
Will 600 people called be enough of a cross section of the Shire to give an accurate point of view. Also will the Shire publish the results?
Thirdly, my experience in speaking to other retirees and pensioners from regional areas that the Eurobodalla Shire is one of the most expensive shires to live in rate wise.
I know what I would be saying to the research company if they were to ring me. No rate rise - we cannot afford it!
And lastly, could the monies spent on this project have been better spent funding our future.
Letty Lot
Narooma
Mayor’s say… I love my local business
Have you heard about the ‘I love my local business’ campaign? It’s a NSW Business Chamber initiative that aims to raise awareness of the vital role that small business plays in our communities.
In Australia, small businesses are responsible for almost half of the jobs in the private sector and about one third of financial value of the sector. In Eurobodalla there are around 2500 small businesses that employ 4 or less people and they are the mainstay of our economy.
Are you supporting them enough?
The convenience of shopping online, or waiting till you’re in Canberra or elsewhere to buy up, or using professional services from outside the region can be tempting but next time you think about doing this, spare a thought for the impact on our community when just one small business employing four people has to shut up shop.
One small business might support a number of families who may have to leave Eurobodalla to seek other jobs.
The combined income of those families and individuals and sometimes extended family members who move with them, will no longer be spent in local shops and on local services.
It won’t be contributing to the school fete, our volunteer emergency service fund raisers, the local club, or to Council rates which in turn pay for community and transport infrastructure and services.
When a small business closes because locals are spending their money elsewhere, there is no new business that pops up in Eurobodalla to fill the space and re-employ people.
It may however pop up in Canberra, Sydney or another city and then the residents of that city will enjoy all the economic and social benefits that this one small business brings.
If every small business in Eurobodalla was able to employ just one extra person, we could wipe out unemployment!
Have I won you over to spending all your money locally yet?
Small businesses play a huge role in providing jobs and driving economic growth and as anyone who has ever owned one as I have, you will know the sacrifice and hard work that are part of the deal.
The ‘I love my local business’ Facebook competition is a way to show your favourite small business that you care and I encourage you to visit www.facebook.com/FairTradingNSW and give them the recognition they deserve.
By nominating a business you automatically go into a draw to win one of six prizes of $250.
More importantly, spend your money locally as often as you can so that we are all part of making Eurobodalla a better place to live.
Please let me know if there is any issue you feel Eurobodalla Shire Council may be able to help you with. You can email me at mayor@eurocoast.nsw.gov.au or phone me on 0418 279 215.
Clr Lindsay Brown
Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire
Respect for local forest
Dalmeny and Narooma finally have an entrance statement, the kind that every tourist town needs.
This is the destruction of its iconic tree the spotted gum or “Eucalyptus Maculata” due to logging.
On the Princes Highway at the top end of the Brou Lake turnoff to the tourist lay-by on both sides of the highway the evidence of tree felling and its aftermath is very evident.
No attempt has been made to at least leave an environmental buffer and it is there for all to see the destruction which has taken place.
No thought was given to this process by either the Chamber of Commerce or the ‘Greens’, their silence on the logging operation is deafening.
The trash left on the forest floor is a serious fire hazard and no attempt has been made to clear it up.
PS I have no political affiliation nor do I belong to any environmental group. I’m just a concerned citizen.
Neal Watson
Dalmeny
Disgrace to environment
I spotted the purple flowers on the roadside near Brou Tip last week and that there was partial logging going on, too.
I found the amazing remnant of small native species, all flowering together.
Patersonia, Drosera, Diuris and Calochilus, plus others but I didn't have the have plant book with me so I took some photos in the rain.
I intended to come back to take better photos in a good weather.
Today I was shocked and upset to find an extreme logging have been done on both side of the Prince Highway in the same area. These seldom seen native flowers have been wiped out.
They will never grow back because of the razed and compacted soil.
They had no opportunity to self-propagate for the future regeneration.
A corridor of natural beauty should have been retained to hide your ugly logging mess.
It is a disgrace to our environment.
Vivienne Wood
Narooma
Flat drainage due for an upgrade
It is with great interest that I read what Eurobodalla Council mayor Lindsay Brown had to say in regards to the recent flooding.
The mayor does not actually live on the flats but he certainly lives in a position to see what is happening in the area.
He stated, among other things that the council’s infrastructure manager had said the drains and any blockages were not an issue contributing to the rising water. I dispute this.
As we were experiencing torrential rain and the open drain at the rear of my house was obviously not coping, I decided to take a walk and see for myself.
I did not see any council crews and I was there before dawn. What I did see was that not one of the canal cover systems were open.
The water had nowhere to go so as a consequence it was backing up and beginning to flow over the canal and into nearby houses.
The problem is this… run the tap into your sink and the water will go down the drain.
Place the plug in the sink and it will overflow and flood the kitchen. I cannot ever recall seeing these so called safety valves being serviced and anyone can see for themselves that they are invariably blocked by debris and silt.
This has been brought to the attention of council on numerous occasions. Has it fallen on deaf ears?
In the same issue of the Narooma News, Gave Eichler commented on the lack of suitable drainage. I agree totally.
The drainage system for the Flat is simply not coping with any rain considered above average.
It is hopelessly inefficient and well overdue for upgrading.
George Hulley
Narooma
Seagrass not an issue
Last week’s Narooma news story with Marine Estate power to Primary Industries just goes to show how ineffective and corrupt the Marine Parks have become in Narooma since it started some seven years now.
So let’s just steer the ministers department in the direction of the Batemans Marine Park and point a few things out for her department to have a look at.
One of the biggest waste of tax payers and rate payers money would have to be the grant that was given to the ESC to upgrade the Apex boat ramp.
The council have gone to the trouble and drawn up plans and it was all knocked on the head owing to sea grass?
So back the plans went and new ones drawn up all good so far except the Marine Park Authority has lied to us again this time about sea grass and not to forget Nangudga Lake.
In fact they the MPA cannot even quote how much would be effected because the answers are coming from somebody high up who is feeding his department lies and this would be the reason the minister is taking charge.
The fact is you cannot get an answer from anybody on the cost and now the council has to re-apply for more funding just to do a simple upgrade that is now 19 months and still going.
It would be good if the minister makes the MP pay back the funds wasted.
But on the bright side now we know the sea grass in not a problem just as a major catch up to have sufficient boat facility's in Narooma Mill Bay and the Loop Boat ramps are in desperate need of pontoons as we have suffered long enough in Narooma.
Dave Clark
President Narooma Fishing Club
World at the brink of disaster
I know not what weapons World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
The above words come from Albert Einstein, perhaps he didn't count on the onset of the radicals called Ebola.
Ebola forces have no Super Hornets or MIGs that hovers above the clouds delivering sidewinder missiles all it requires is a little droplet.
Ebola is probably only true risk to our way of life unless it is contained rapidly, are we doing enough along with the rest of the western world to stop it on its tracks, you be the judge of that.
According to some world will only have till December this year if we wish to stop the spread of the epidemic.
Man has no weapons against Ebola virus and according to medical science earliest we can expect to have an experimental vaccine will be some time in 2015. Houston, we have a problem, not enough funding in the research around the globe.
We and the rest of the so called civilized world rather spend our public funds in obtaining better and more powerful submarines and extra super, super Hornets rather than concentrate in easing of man's suffering around the globe.
Ebola has no permanent home address, it may find a new post office box in Australia anytime soon, are we prepared?
USA has allocated 20 beds in specially prepared hospitals to care for Ebola patients, how many beds do we prepare in NSW to meet Ebola?
When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans some years ago USA didn't have sufficient number of busses to ferry the people out of New Orleans city football stadium for weeks, so I ask how well are they prepared for Ebola, are twenty beds sufficient?
How well has US prepared to exit from Iraq on this occasion, and do we Australians have an exit plan for our troops that required written guarantee from Iraqi rulers that our troops are not a subject for legal prosecution later on when the bodies have been buried.
It appears that Albert Einstein is right when he stated that sometime in the future wars will be fought with sticks and stones, there will be plenty of stones on earth to fight the war especially in Middle East after we have turned the cities into rubble.
Today, as we remember great Australian Gough Whitlam on his passing and we pay homage to the man who had vision to withdraw from the conflict in 1972 and end conscription to the war that we had no right to be involved in, perhaps one day we will again have the leader of Whitlam’s vision for peace rather than constant conflict.
Mark Ikonen
Dalmeny
Roads, rates and rubbish
They say you are never too old to learn, but even little old me was surprised last week to read the Eurobodalla Shire Council's flyer about its upcoming ratepayer survey. What surprised me?
Was it that the ESC was conducting a survey (even about constituents' happiness to pay higher rates); or that I seem not to have been one of the 600 selected to be interviewed?
No, it was that apparently council's role is no longer "rates, roads and rubbish".
Colour me stupid, but that is exactly what I thought councils existed for!
But no, as governments at higher levels have stopped providing services, it seems their functions must be subsumed by local government.
In taking up the burdens of environmental protection, nuclear non-proliferation, beautifying the cityscape, providing ancillary health services, gay marriage for adult wombats (not that there is anything wrong with cohabitation by consenting wombat adults), etc.
Council finds it can no longer afford to provide such mundane services as roads and rubbish management.
At least, judging by the perfection of local roads, one can only assume that they no longer need maintenance.
So, after due consultation, we, the ESC residents, will no doubt be told in 2015 that we may have to up the ante via higher rates.
Which personally I can live with - providing I see an improvement in basic services.
At the moment I must confess that my heart bursts with civic pride when surveying the beautified main street of my local city, Narooma.
Millions well spent, obviously!
Far better value than fixing the leaking roof of the Sports and Leisure Centre.
Much sexier use of public funds than grading, (or, heaven forbid! sealing) local goat tracks.
And I also noted that the Shire contains some 54 public toilets - fine facilities all, especially for the older amongst us, who can't necessarily tie and untie knots as we could when younger. Just a shame that Council can't find the money to pay cleaners to occasionally maintain them: the gents' behind the Batemans Bay Information Centre has apparently never met a brush, or bottle of disinfectant...
So, fellow citizens, when casting your vote at the next local government election, remember the ERA councillors, who fight for sanity, reality and boring, basic services.
And remember also the others, who want the Shire to be a Green oasis where feral animals holiday, roads are designed for sulky drivers (I can feel myself going a little hoarse, even sulky, at the thought!) and progress takes us back to the halcyon days of the 90s - the 1890s!
S. Kennedy
Corunna
No need for special rates
Recently I received a folder and card from Eurobodalla Shire Council, advising that Council has engaged the services of Micromex Research Consultants, to ascertain Ratepayers' attitudes toward a proposed Special Rate Variation.
Is there no limit to the way Council will waste money?
This exercise is, metaphorically, asking turkeys to vote for Christmas.
Presuming that only Ratepayers are contacted, I think it safe to assume the proposal will not be well received.
What will this research project cost, and why does Council need to research a question they already should know the answer to?
ESC is fond of advising that our rates are lower than comparative shires elsewhere. Name names please.
I have yet to see figures nominating the percentages of gross income spent by ESC on wages and salaries, and staff overheads such as superannuation, long service leave provisions etc,
Council could well look to improving its own efficiency levels. To take the example of the proposed improvements to the Apex Park boat ramp.
This project has been stalled and obstructed by council green tape for well over a year.
The initial blockage was to study the impact on "rare and endangered sea grass". For goodness sake, how many square metres would be involved? We are not talking about a new Suez Canal here, and a boat trip around Wagonga Inlet reveals plenty of seagrass to be seen.
Council should limit its expenditure to areas within its core responsibilities and live within its means.
A current example of extra-curricular activity is the scheduled Chinese introduction workshop, purportedly for businesses wishing to reach the Chinese market.
All well and good, but not a council concern at all.
If council stuck to its core agenda, and managed well, there would be no need to call for a Special Rate Variation.
Frank O'Brien
Narooma