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It’s is always a pity that accommodation providers does not find out who’s open in the food supply business until the event time is over.
On checking with the local tourism office, they advised that they do not know what is open, when or where.
It does not make it easy to send or advise visitors to the area when places opening hours are unknown to all but themselves and guests return frustrated that they have to drive the town to find out themselves. Restaurants seem very unhelpful to help themselves at event times and it would seem they have a very relaxed approach with a "we are open or closed you work it out".
It would seem that networking is such an old thought, but Narooma maybe missing out by not taking it on board, with guests/visitors looking next time at a more proactive town/s in a reduced dollar environment.
Kerry Challis
Narooma
Council to make HuntFest amendment decision
Residents of Eurobodalla and surrounds who oppose Huntfest/Arms Fair have signed petitions, made presentations at shire council public forums, held meetings, contacted councillors, spoken on radio, addressed conservation groups, and sent letters to politicians and newspapers.
A formally drafted petition signed by 930 residents, was taken to the NSW Legislative Assembly by the local member, Andrew Constance.
This petition was tabled on the October 14, and is to be considered by the Minister for Crown Lands.
The petition to the Assembly reads in effect:
“We reject HuntFest on a number of grounds, including the absence of community consultation, and its negative social, cultural and economic impacts on the shire. We therefore ask the Legislative Assembly to rescind the approvals that presently enable Huntfest to take place on crown land, and thus put an end to the event”.
Although In December last year the hunters had won approval for an Arms Fair at the 2014 HuntFest they were prevented at the last moment from selling guns; they could only display them. Now they have to go to council again, to get approval from them for a licence variation that will allow them to sell guns.
A rally held in the foyer of the Eurobodalla Shire Council was attended by about protesters from all political parties. They then moved inside to the building to applaud Public Forum speeches that gave strong legal and moral reasons why the application to sell guns in a public building in the middle of town should be refused.
Inviting the community to make submissions on the sale of guns is the first real concession ERA council members have given to community engagement, and the first sign that they may at last be listening. Hunters from all over Australia will make submissions and locals have to hope that councillors in their wisdom will attach greater importance to their electors when they make their decision for guns or no guns.
Around 80 per cent of the 200 submissions from residents opposed the addition of Gun sales to the “attractions” of Huntfest.
Will Council vote in favour of them, or will the gun lobby prevail?
We’ll know just how democratic and accountable to the electors our council is when they vote on this amendment on the 25th this month!
Susan Cruttenden
Dalmeny
Ongoing dog issues
I am writing after experiencing confrontations with dogs not on leads when I am taking my dog walking, and owners saying “Our dog is friendly!” but my dog does not know that.
I would like the Eurobodalla Council to please put more notices along public walkways stating that dogs should be on leads and that owners are expected to pick up after their dogs – not much use carrying a lead if it is not connected to the dog.
There are designated areas where dogs can be let off leash and they should be advertised.
There is a notice at the entrance to the walkway along Narooma Caravan Park to ‘pick up after your dog’ with a container that to my knowledge is always empty.
I walk along the Kianga walkway and do not see any signs, but plenty of dog fouling, as with the lovely Narooma boardwalk where dogs foul and their owner walks casually away.
When I travel to other towns I see signs, along with incentives clearly stating the requirement of the council re responsibility of dog owners.
Betty Greenshields
Narooma
To hope or not to hope
We Australians invested a lot of money in this G20 talk fest, half a billion dollars. It better be worth it.
Experience with past G20 summits tell us most likely it will change little.
Mr Abbott's wish list of a two per cent growth in the economy might be a dream and the other leaders think so too.
Most likely they have a different approach than our present government and give it a go with a more environmentally friendly industry.
They now learned that we can't ignore nature in the equation .
I agree with the member of parliament Mr Heffernan wanting to deliver on the deal with China and provide them with much needed food is very limited to say the least.
I can recall from our early years in Australia, what our government is planning to do in the area around Normanton could end up in a disaster.
Turning it in to a new cattle country?
That place is flat as far as the eye can see and had a flood metres high over a vast area for a long time in 1973.
We don't really fully understand as yet what to expect from a changing climate.
In the country of my birth we have the Rhine Ruhr industrial area with a high concentration of heavy industry. They had to rethink the development of this place already 40 years ago.
The polluted air was killing people then.
In California they worked on improving the air quality years ago successfully.
China has to come up with an answer for their problem.
In the past and present the dirty industry came up with the idea to move to countries where they had less restrictive laws when polluting.
I feel that industry which creates the pollution producing our goods have an obligation to do the right thing.
We are depending on them to act now.
The world is coming close to a limit how much pollution it can afford.
K. Kruger
Central Tilba
An apology
Thank you for your coverage of the launch of ‘The Unreal Story of World War I & the NSW South Coast’ (Narooma News 5th November and 12th November).
It resulted in some stockists rapidly selling all their initial stocks and the entire print run, which would normally be sufficient for 12 months’ demand, being completely exhausted in just 10 days!
My apologies to those unable to immediately purchase a copy.
A second print run has been ordered and the book should be back in all outlets next week.
It seems to me this has been a powerful example of the continuing effectiveness of local newspapers!
Peter Lacey
Quaama
Mayor’s say - Helping our sports clubs
The Ack Weyman Energy Challenge is still open and if you are part of a sports club, remember that your club could win $1,000, $500, or $200 to buy sports gear by taking part in the challenge.
The challenge is part of Council's Community Building Sustainability Project which has been educating and supporting the community who use our 50 community buildings to help them reduce their energy costs.
The challenge is designed to help clubs save money on energy bills all you need to do to take part is nominate your club or group and fill out a survey by Monday, December 8.
The survey has 10 simple questions based on the 'Easy steps to save power around your home' fact sheet. You can pick up the fact sheet and survey now from your club manager or download and complete it on Council's website, www.esc.nsw.gov.au.
If you enjoy walking your dog on our dog friendly beaches, I have been asked to remind you that the 24-hour off-season beach access arrangements for time share beaches finished on October 31.
Up until the end of April you can take you dog to these beaches between 5pm and 9am. Please check the signs at the main access points if you are not sure about where you can take you dogs.
Monday evening’s community information session about the proposal to fund a package of community and transport infrastructure projects through a special rate variation was well attended and from my head count it looked like around 75 people came along.
Our next community session will be at the Tuross Shopping Centre on Saturday, November 22 from 9am to 11am and this will be a drop in session so you can come anytime.
If you haven’t been able to attend any of the sessions or market days and you have some questions, I encourage you to call our rate proposal hot line on 4474 7377 during business hours.
Or your questions may be answered from council’s website where there is plenty of information about the proposal, why council is considering it, what projects it could be used for and how it will impact you.
So once again, please send your feedback directly to council so we can consider it.
The most effective way is to send a submission via email to council@eurocoast.nsw.gov.au, or a letter to council at PO BO 99, Moruya, NSW 2537.
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
Footpath required
I have recently moved to Narooma from Queensland and have noticed that at the front of the busy Narooma Plaza shopping centre on the Princes Hwy (in front of the Garden Centre) a 20-metre section of council footpath has been left unfinished and is full of sand and gravel and becomes muddy and slippery when wet.
I have been informed that it has been in this condition for over two years and only needs a 20-metre section of concrete to be completed.
I have recently contacted the council regarding this matter and was told that there may be works planned for this area in the next couple of years, and that they would not be completing this missing section until those works are undertaken.
As stated before, this busy area has been in this condition for a long period of time already, and under the right conditions could be considered dangerous to elderly or frail people who use it regularly.
Trevor Smith
Narooma
Say no to rate rise!
In 2011 our council sought support for a similar huge increase to our rates.
This was emphatically opposed by the ratepayers and wasted a huge amount of time, money and consultancy fees.
The result was no rate rise variation so our council went ahead with big increases in all fees and charges. Check your water bill over the last five years.
Now on top of that they want another 26 per cent increase over the next three years. Our defence forces have been given 4.5 per cent over three years, teachers 7.5 per cent over three years and these are the lucky ones.
Our many pensioners and self-funded retirees are under pressure with low interest rates and pension cuts. Local businesses are doing it tough and will face bigger increases.
Councils get their CPI increases each year without question and this rate variation is just an obscene grab for cash.
When Joe Hockey announced changes to pensions in the federal budget our caring mayor and GM went straight to Canberra to protest on behalf of the large proportion of ratepayers in Eurobodalla that are pensioners.
Now they are pushing for a 26 per cent rate rise, one wonders who they represent.
Our shire cries poor but continues to be over represented at conferences and pay above award salaries to staff.
A recent announcement stated over a $1M suplus for council last year. Who needs a rate rise?
If funds are needed let’s try cutting staff and expenses. Our mayor could stay home more often and use new technology to communicate.
The time taken by staff and the cost of the rate rise propaganda would have been better spent on sourcing funds from state and federal governments.
Community services could be pruned to those that are needed. Residents do not need council to show them how to ride a bike, or cook a meal or what to plant in the garden etc. This can be done by contacting a neighbour, watching TV or via the internet or through a local business.
It has disadvantaged so many residents and wasted so much of our rates with draconian LEP and sea level rise policies. It has stifled development with a negative approach to any building.
Council’s increased fees and charges have spared no-one – even dog registration recently increased over 25 per cent.
It is vital people let council and our local member Andrew Constance knows they are not in a position to pay for this variation to our rates, or in favour.
Council needs to work within its means like the rest of us do. If they cut the waste then a rate decrease would be possible next year.
Bruce Rapkins
Kianga