HuntFest aims defended
AS a licensed Conservation Hunter, I would like to express my support for the HuntFest to be held in Narooma in 2013.
Conservation hunters and organisations like the South Coast Hunters Club do more in practical terms to conserve native wildlife and natural habitats than the Greens and their blowhard supporters could ever imagine or would be capable of doing themselves.
HuntFest is about promoting safe and responsible hunting on both public and private land, helping to control pest and feral animals that impact on our native wildlife and the areas they live in.
The Narooma area is not some sacrosanct zone where the Greens rule. Other people in the community have the right to express their views and celebrate their culture as well.
John Dunn
President, Snowy Mountains Conservation Hunters Inc.
Adelong
ERA campaign “critiqued” by reader
AS a reader of all newspapers in the Eurobodalla since retiring here eight years ago, letters to the editor are always good for a laugh.
It's therefore humorous to me that Mr Neil Burnside is standing for council and mayor, thus allowing himself to be critiqued.
Mr Burnside has whined persistently of those demons up north taking “our rates from Narooma" for street upgrades etc. yet he now wants to be mayor of Batemans Bay and dominions – Moruya, Narooma etc.
To achieve his goal Mr Burnside is sending all his preferences to Batemans Bay; am I the only one seeing the hypocrisy here?
Mr Burnside’s pen is very negative yet he now seeks "a positive change" as per his Corflute signs. More hypocrisy?
Speaking of Mr Burnside's Corflute signs - the ones illegally on power poles - reading the fine print on all his elections material I see they are printed in Moruya (those northern demons get our money all the time). There's that hypocrisy word again?
On ABC Radio last year, the Eurobodalla Ratepayers' Association past president stated that council should not be involved in tourism, yet the ERA now wants council to support tourism more. Sshhhh, whisper hypocrisy.
It is an unfortunate circumstance that democracy costs money, so I would like to acknowledge those independents spending their own funds and applaud their genuine independent intentions.
I would like to stand for council but I don't have the finances, so I wonder how much Messrs Burnside, Wilkins, Smith and Potts and Ms Creed are contributing of the $60,000 ERA advertising budget.
With 16 candidates, three official teams and nine mayoral candidates it adds up - Corflutes at $20ea, 140 WinTV ads, posters, 20,000 brochures, 20,000 how- to-votes, etc.
It seems quite obvious the money is coming from those awful people up north or maybe I’ll just have to wait for their funding returns. Ssshh, the "H" word again.
I believe in a democratic party system however I don't believe this ERA is a legitimate voice. It should be Eurobodalla Ratepayers and Residents Association. The way it operates with no real structure, no valid membership base, just poorly written annoying emails, parallels Labor's faceless men.
At least those other groups like the Greens, Eurobodalla First etc. are up front. You know who they are and what their agenda is.
J. Johnson
North Narooma
Call for southern councillors
THREE local councillors should represent those of us south of Moruya.
This should exclude the mayor's position. The mayor should be seen as a figurehead, casting deciding votes only when there is a tie.
Independent candidates are now to be found groups or teams in order to get a spot above the line. Most people vote this way and I can't blame them for that.
I am not quite sure whether a top position in that group of independents gives them also a better chance to get elected. I know for sure that this would be the case when they are part of a political party.
The independent groups did not make that clear to the voters whether the lower positioned candidate's votes would automatically be transferred to the top candidate if they do not reach the required numbers to get elected.
I know this is happening in the Eurobodalla First group and the Greens group, with the surpluses of top candidates being passed down to lower ranking candidates to prop their chances to get elected .
We need to know what the main candidates are standing for and that they will not be changing camps after the election as has happened before.
I find that we in the south of the shire are quite happy looking a bit under developed.
What we do not like is that the over development of Batemans Bay leaves our shire permanently cash-strapped. The south has to share that cost through higher rates and fees at the end. Having the business hub at the top end of the shire makes it hard for us to get a share of the facilities. We here have no public transport and not everybody is able to drive or can afford a car.
Because of the election our council restrained themselves from increasing rates during the last financial year. That will change after the election. How much more we will have to pay depends on a good representation for the south of the shire.
K. Krueger
Central Tilba
Thanks from Sister Lloyd-Jones
THROUGH your letters columns, I offer my sincere thanks to the many generous and supportive people in the local community who have enabled me to continue in my endeavours to seek justice within our legal system.
As an aged pensioner who is also carer for a chronically ill husband, and a life-professed Franciscan religious who has worked in an honorary capacity within my vowed commitments for over 29 years, I would not have been financially able to seek to defend myself.
My commitment as a Franciscan is to seek to assist and support others who require assistance at times of challenge in their lives.
For those who may wonder why as a married woman I have the title of Sister perhaps I can explain. I am a member of an ecumenical religious community “The Little Followers of Saint Francis” which has both married and unmarried members. I made the vows of obedience, simplicity of lifestyle, and fidelity within marriage before our bishop protectors, Catholic Archbishop Francis Carroll and Anglican Bishop George Browning, now both retired. Our community is a member of the Franciscan Federation of Australia and was the first ecumenical Franciscan community here in Australia.
I felt that it was timely for me to publicly thank all those who have stood beside me these past three years, who have conducted fund-raising campaigns, who have believed in me, and encouraged me so strongly. Your love and support has been a tremendous gift throughout every moment of this challenge. While this ordeal is yet to come to an end I have to place my faith in the justice system.
In particular I would like to express my thanks to members of the Justice and Reconciliation Committee on whose unanimous motion and request I wrote the original letter that led to this defamation action against me. You have continued to be faithful and supportive and for this I am exceedingly grateful.
Sister Laurel Clare Lloyd-Jones
Dalmeny
Greens oppose a hunting festival
THE GREENS do oppose an annual hunting festival for Narooma, for two reasons.
Firstly the outcome will not be safe. The festival is aimed at promoting hunting in our forests, normalising an American style gun culture here. It will put Eurobodalla on the map for hunters.
The Game Council of NSW employs just 4.2 full time staff to supervise shooters in more than 1.75 million hectares of state forest, so they cannot police activities, let alone investigate complaints, and these have been many.
Hunters have cut people’s fences and bolts on gates to get access to state forests. One farmer had a horse shot dead in the night. Shooting at night, in this situation, is illegal.
And what’s happening to native wild life? In SE Forests National Park recently a number of kangaroos were massacred by hunters, before the very eyes of a visiting family.
Who will protect other forest users, such as trail bike riders, horse riders, 4WD enthusiasts, walkers and cyclists? The police are already run off their feet and the game council don’t have the staff.
Secondly it will be an overall economic loss to the area. Hunting tourism is incompatible with our traditional tourism, worth more than $300 million a year to the area. We will lose many of them. The community will lose economically and culturally.
No. We don’t want this for Eurobodalla.
Anne Marett
Secretary, Eurobodalla Greens
Bouquet for “real” council
WITH all the negativity regarding the Eurobodalla Council its management and the counsellors going around at the moment, I feel it is time to stand up and say something for the real people of the council, and that is the people on the ground.
Through thick and thin, through storm and tempest, these people are out there doing the things that are required to keep the shire ticking along. These people are the staff that are the doers of the council and are under instruction from the senior management as to how and when a job is to be done.
They then get out there and do it and do it very well.
Presently a major piece of work is being done on Corkhill Drive at Tilba Tilba to realign the road and correct drainage issues. It is work that has been needed for some time.
Watching the men doing the task makes me proud that there are still people out there who take an absolute pride in their work and are willing to do a good days work for their remuneration.
I haven't seen any of the senior management at the site during the course of the activity but the people doing the work have conducted themselves in a manner that is befitting congratulations.
Their attention to detail is excellent and I am sure that when the job is completed it will be as good as any job that has been completed elsewhere in the shire. Congratulations to you all as you are doing a mighty fine job.
Keith Mundy
The Spires Nursery
Tilba Tilba
Cameras, not guns, in this hunt
I WRITE in regard to slander I’ve heard against Huntfest, scheduled to debut in Narooma, June 2013. This activity is sponsored by the South Coast Hunting Club.
I’d like to set record straight, here and now, and assure your readers that it is by no means a dangerous or risky venture as the “Narooma Rumour” likes to say. No guns will be present at this event. We are offering knowledge and entertainment.
Huntfest 2013 is a photographic competition to show the beauty of nature that hunters experience when out in the wild.
This activity is promoting tourism for Narooma, much like the Oyster Festival, and will bring both renewed interest into our community as well as finances which Narooma needs especially in the winter months when few activities engage the public to visit.
This benefits all businesses in the community: hotels, restaurants, shops and cafes all will prosper.
It isn’t about finance alone but also to enlighten the general public about the good conservation hunting does for the community and to allow them to become actively involved if they so desire.
As a local deer farmer I am going to supply the venison for this event. A local goat farmer and poultry producers will also supply food both to eat as well sell. This opportunity opens a new venue to the community to experience something perhaps they have never before been exposed to.
The meats are healthy for the body and lean for those watching cholesterol intake.
Since the Greens and Labor Party brought new regulations in regard to control of the marine parks (ie: fishing) tourism has dropped significantly, some say by approximately 30 per cent. This is local financial loss which has damaged the welfare of our community significantly.
Huntfest will become an annual event which will bring money to the community and help educate people to the wonders of hunting.
The true nature of this activity has been besmirched by ignorance.
Peter R. Baltis
Narooma
Greens’ motives questioned
TO HUNT or not to hunt: that seems to be the question that appears to have the Greens up in arms (pun intended).
The pure viciousness of their attack on the proposed HuntFest has totally astounded many.
They have even printed a leaflet, full of the usual untruths, for the occasion. But it is unclear as to what their actual objection is. Is it the destruction of feral animals?
Apparently not, as they had no objection to the slow and agonizing death caused to deer, kangaroos, wallabies, possums etc by the poisoning campaign carried out by the National and Parks and Wildlife Service recently. So it must be the hunting aspect that has their feathers ruffled.
The most astonishing accusation that I have heard from their camp is that we are trying to normalize hunting as a community activity. That is probably the only truthful statement that they have made in this whole sad episode.
Of course hunting is normal; it’s been normal for mankind to hunt ever since we came into being, it’s in our DNA. Regardless of whether you support the scientific or biblical version of evolution, we have always been hunters and gatherers, only the methods have changed and for the better I might add.
Almost every animal in the animal kingdom hunts as do several plant species – so how normal do you want to get? The indigenous population have always hunted, and still do, go tell them that they can’t do it anymore!
The local hunters’ club has several hundred members drawn from the local community. Its members include a surgeon, several doctors, nurses, firefighters, horticulturalists, business owners, tradesmen and women, professionals, solicitors, council employees and school aged children, just to name a few.
This is a fair cross section of our community. So who are the odd ones out here?
They might be those self-interested hardliners who have infiltrated the Greens and think they have the right to control everything that we do.
Those idiots that recently shot kangaroos in the vicinity of a visiting family near Batemans Bay are ratbags, and spoil the hard work done by responsible members.
Regretfully, ratbags can be found in any activity of every community.
Legitimate hunting groups actively do everything they can to disown and discourage these ratbags. The Greens could take a leaf out of our book and do the same within their ranks.
Onno de Smeth
Bodalla
Greens’ relentless attack
THE secretary of the Eurobodalla Greens has authorised a leaflet attacking the South Coast Hunters Club.
Hunters and target shooters, both pistol and long arm, have been active in the South Coast long before Anne Marrett arrived here.
Here is a list of active clubs that shoot regularly in our area South Coast Hunters, Bega Pistol Club, Bermagui Field and Game, Bermagui Pistol Club, Moruya Pistol Club, Batemans Bay Pistol Club, Batemans Bay Rifle Club and more.
I have lived here for 30 years and can't remember a firearm accident.
All over Australia folk who enjoy the shooting sports actually fire their guns!
The safety record is there for all to see but still the Greens attack us relentlessly at every opportunity.
To obtain a firearm licence one has to pass a police check to show that they have no criminal convictions.
Do the Greens vet their members in this way?
As a member of the South Coast Hunters Club, I take umbrage at the way she blames hunters for and I quote "cut peoples fences and bolts on gates to get access to State forest".
When hunters who are qualified to hunt in State forest do so, they do it under the law and are granted written permission to hunt in a designated area for a specific period of time.
They do not cut fences...yobbos do that!
We are not yobbos, we are licenced hunters.
So please stop blaming hunters for what yobbos do.
Get it straight: We do not "slaughter Kangaroos" we do not shoot horses or any of the other lies that the greens are propagating.
The HuntFest is a great thing for Narooma. Don't let the new puritans spoil it for you.
Happy Hunting
Neil Graham, South Coast Hunters Club
2002 Churchill Fellow
Central Tilba