The Government is concerned about the sustainability of Medicare as we know it.    Why is bulk billing not means tested?   With no strong interest in the matter, I always assumed it was in some way. 

Then, with all the recent debate I have learned that some 80.2 per cent of GP attendances in Australia are bulk billed.   I was astounded because until the last twelve months I believed I hardly knew anyone who enjoyed bulk billing.  Who were these people?

I thought it was reserved for those in “struggle street”, and had no issue with that.

I now find that I personally know of at least eight Sydney based multi-millionaires who enjoy the benefits of bulk billing.

One of these is a very prominent Federal politician.  Yet, I know many people in our local area here who do not enjoy the benefit, and are far from wealthy.

Furthermore, an inspection of Medicare’s own web site reveals that only 61.8 per cent of visits in Eden Monaro are bulk billed. I would be surprised if the figure were even that high in Narooma.

I am also told that medical practices which do not generally bulk bill (including in Narooma) will make their own assessment of individual patients and bulk bill for some and not others.

Amazingly, as far as I know, possession of a Senior’s Health Card does not qualify one for bulk billing, yet these are means tested.  Where is the logic in all this?

One can be extremely wealthy and enjoy free GP visits, yet one can be on less than average earnings and be denied it.

To me, in my relative ignorance, the solution seems blindingly obvious.  Means test bulk billing!

I shall be grateful to anyone who can explain where I am wrong on this.  I find it hard to believe I have the current situation correct.  Help please.

Harry Bate

Tilba Tilba

Parting of the ways

Firstly, this is not a catastrophe but an opportunity. ERA is a ratepayer based organisation not Councillor dependent. There is a groundswell of support from the Community for our voluntary organisation that is representing ratepayers. ERA remains committed and focused on its goal of achieving positive change. ERA Councillors Leslight and Innes are enthusiastic about the opportunity that this restructure has afforded.

The positive changes bought about in Council have resulted from ERA’s considerable team effort and can only be claimed as ERA as a whole.

As ERA Councillors ourselves, we understand our role is to represent all ratepayers including those with specific interests. Every issue involves a section of the Community but not every issue involves all of the Community. ERA has always been a very broad church.

The trust that our Community placed in us has not been forgotten and we will continue to be the voice of the Community not the Bureaucracy. This does not mean we are in conflict as Neil and Peter imply, however we will never blindly follow Council staff recommendations that prove not to be in the best interests of the Eurobodalla Community.

We wish Peter and Neil well and assure our Community that ERA remains vibrant, strong and most of all independent from undue Council influence.

Councillor Liz Innes

Councillor Milton Leslight

Pork barrelling times

Readers, we are living in historic times of electioneering and pork barrelling of grand scale, the latest that really stuck in my mind is the "Bottleneck in Batemans Bay" words of our local member, having travelled through Batemans Bay north and south umpteen times using the political term I don't recall that I have ever struck a bottleneck over the bridge north or south.

Our state treasure and a local member for Bega Mr Constance must have searched the bottom of the pork barrel and found spare $113million dollars lying about among the pickled pork, the Minister decided after having had nightmares on Sunday night that I will build a new crossing over the Clyde river.

Like sand through the hour class so are the days of endless electioneering, I will build this and that, no consultation required on priorities by the Minister because I know what our communities need there is no need to consult Shire Engineers or Marine Board over this matter.

I wonder if the new crossing will be known as Andrews Crossing or Constance Bottlenecks and Barnicles. We can't wait for a day of blue ribbons that marks the opening of the crossing that eliminated the worst bottleneck south of Nowra.

Would you not think that money be better spent on upgrading Moruya airport or purchasing x-ray scanning equipment for Moruya hospital rather than the second bridge over an water that does not require second bridge, second bridge all it does is merge two lanes further into the Batemans Bay main thoroughfare and in the north merging traffic around the roundabout so what and where is the advantage.

All of this depends on the sale of our poles and wires to private corporations that sale will apparently provide our energy at 20-30 per cent cheaper rate at year 2019 than we are paying at the moment 2014 this a guarantee from our Premier Mr Baird.

It is reported that the Sate of NSW will be least 1 billion dollars worse off per each year due loss of income from poles and wires. So why are we doing it, what will the Liberals put up for sale 3 years from now when a new round of crossings are on a promise to win another 3 year term, crossing over Clyde is not enough, we now want the Formula 1 circus in Sydney as a monument to Mike Baird at the cost of $180 million dollars, could we not use the $180 million to upgrade Moruya Hospital into more than a first aid station.

Liberal Government is doing a song and dance over $900 million that they are going to spend on Westmead Hospital over the next few years, that is brilliant, but that is a natural progression that must happen no matter what, population growth demands that and more.

The entire future of a NSW appears to hang on a balance if the Poles and Wires is sold or not, what kind of planning is this, selling the family jewels to provide services and new infrastructure does not make sense and is detrimental to the majority.

Poles and wires what are they really worth if replaced today and how much have we spend so far in installing these poles and wires all over the state up till now, and is the 20 billion dollar figure realistic price or is it just a figure snapped up from the air, I am yet to see any figures published where the value of 20 billion is coming from.

Please more transparency would be appreciated stop treating us like a bunch of village idiots!  Voters may well approve the sale of poles and wires, but the mandate does not include wasteful use of people's funds. 

Mark Ikonen

Dalmeny

Re Martin Thackray’s Letter “What is hypocrisy?”

Since Mr. Thackray invites a tutorial on the topic, allow me to oblige and I will do so by citing an example that addresses the question he asks, “I wonder what the average reader would call the following?”

Narooma’s anti-HuntFest lobby sets up a Facebook page. For the page’s header image they use a photo of local man, Dan Field, in a hunting pose as the focus of their revulsion. High profile local Greens and anti-HuntFest campaigners then permit visitors to leave the following comments on the site, where they remain on public display for six months:

“Looks like the sort of man you’d want to protect small children from!”

“Look at the size of that gun. You know what they say about guns and size!”

The rest of the comments don’t warrant repeating.

When Mr Field’s daughters make an impassioned plea to the site’s administrators, requesting the vilification of their father, a local Scout Leader of many years, stop. A representative of the Facebook page’s cause and local Greens Councillor advises them, “Dan puts himself out there and therefore must accept this sort of thing.”

The girls are then driven to write heart wrenching pleas to their father’s vilifiers via the local media requesting that the vilification cease. After all, he is just going about his legal business, exercising his right to expression etc. Much as Mr. Thackray claims the anti-HuntFest protesters were doing.

So bad is the vilification of Mr Field that a new Facebook cause is founded with the specific aim of lobbying to have the offensive suggestions of paedophilia and penile insufficiency etc, levelled at him removed. After some lobbying and ‘outing’ of the anti-HuntFest and Greens antics, the page is removed in the dead of night, without apology. ‘Coincidentally’ the Eurobodalla Greens facebook page also disappears, thus obliterating the data trail, but not before a member of the public i.e. me, saves the entire offensive site as a standalone .HTML file on his computer in all its infamous glory.

On the other hand, we have the photograph of a local woman Mr, Thackray himself admits was “selected at random” as opposed to selected strategically to vilify a specific individual in vengeance as the anti-HuntFest mob did. The moment the HuntFest Facebook page’s administrator was informed the image was the cause of some angst, it was removed! The time lag between phone call and removal was approximately 5 minutes, not 6 months, and it was removed without argument.

The images posted on the HuntFest page were not “doctored” by HuntFest management. The image Mr. Thackray claims incited vilification, in fact invited people to suggest alternative statements for the signs. This is known as satire. All statements that might have been considered even remotely offensive by the average man or woman in the street were removed the moment they were detected.

It is interesting to note that one such satirised image (attached for the Editor’s information) was in fact ‘Liked’ by none-other than that very vocal anti-HuntFest campaigner, Susann Cruttenden. Perhaps appreciation of satire is rare amongst SAFE and its supporters, but it is clearly not entirely absent.

The threat contained in Mr. Thackray’s letter is certainly cause for concern, “We have your names” he says. This is a statement notoriously associated with the secret police of the totalitarian regimes we all live in fear of and can be taken no way other than as a threat.

Given the circumstances, I strongly encourage HuntFest to remove all the satirical images SAFE objects to, even though they are neither offensive nor vilifying. The recent French example of the lengths fanatics will go to in responding to satire suggests the pictures’ removal may be prudent.

Je Suis HuntFest!

Garry Mallard

Bega

Mayor's say…  Infrastructure grants support our economy 

Work has started on the new traffic signals at the intersection of Perry and North Streets in Batemans Bay and I am delighted to see this project finally get underway.

Providing safe access in this area for all pedestrians in Batemans Bay is long overdue and I look forward to seeing some in our community who have not been comfortable getting around the Bay, regain some independence and most importantly, a safe route around town.

While I am aware that a small group in the Bay have opposed the new arrangements saying that it will cause grief, I think a reality check may be in order.

The perceived inconvenience on the busiest day in summer is a possible seven second delay.

In my books, if we haven’t got seven seconds in our daily life to contribute to making Eurobodalla a better place to live for everyone including the elderly, people who may be living with disability, and parents with prams and children, then we need to take a long hard look in the mirror.

Along the same vein I am also pretty chuffed that Council now has most of the money we need to make our bus stops compliant with accessibility standards thanks to a grant from the  NSW Government of  $241,000. I have personally thanked Minister for Bega Andrew Constance for these funds which when the shelters are upgraded, will encourage the use of bus transport.  

While I am not personally a fishing or boating enthusiast, the news that Council would receive more than $700,000 for five boating projects in Eurobodalla is a great win for locals and our tourism visitor economy which supports almost 30 per cent of local jobs.

Big thanks again to Andrew Constance and the NSW Government who have provide the funds as part of the very successful NSW Boating Now program. The Apex Park boat ramp will be upgraded and have a new pontoon and the Old Punt Road boat ramp in North Batemans Bay will be upgraded.

At Tomakin, both the ramp and parking will be upgraded and there will be improved access to the Clyde River at Batemans Bay s following the completion of the boating infrastructure study.

Our very important oyster industry which is gaining momentum both domestically and internationally thanks to the success of the Australia’s Oyster Coast activities which are supported by council’s tourism marketing and business development, will benefit from a new sewage pumpout at Batemans Bay. 

So all in all, a few good weeks for Eurobodalla that continue to make me confident that the NSW Government is committed to helping Council deliver excellent outcomes across a number of council services for our community.

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

Opera house or health?

Did I hear correctly that when (or if) the electricity network is sold the NSW Liberal Government want to spend $202 million on improving the sound in the Opera House?  And they take the credit for our $187 million new hospital. Just imagine how far that money could go instead of spending it on a luxury few of us can afford to listen to. Maybe another 1 or 2 small regional hospitals, more nurses for Bega, better roads, $50 million back into the GSAH budget? All the liberal voters must be healthy or wealthy because it’s obvious why the health system is eroding away.

Mr Constance, I hope those core flute signs you put up every 5km on the main highways, in both directions, are paid by you and not by taxpayers? Is their frequency supposed to provoke a subliminal message? Well it’s working. Just reminds more me how I won’t vote for your policies and your concern (or total lack of) for the environment as displayed by your speech at the opening of the Cobargo Show.

Sarah Quinlan

Cobargo

New focus for councillors

We will continue to work towards further Council reform, not revolution. We were elected to reform the joint, not wreck the joint.

Despite our present difficulties, we are proud of the considerable progress we have made since we were elected. We believe we have countered the very high levels of community discontent with the Council's performance.

Notable among our achievements to date have been persuading council to; (1) greatly improve its approach to the rural LEP,  (2) to remove millions of dollars from its forward operating cost estimates, (3) to restructure the senior management team, (4) to commence a comprehensive service review, (5) improve its public consultation and (6) improve financial oversight through the appointment of an independent internal auditor and a close examination of our contract letting arrangements.

Projects that Neil and I are directly involved in and have advocated include the facilitation of the Moruya Farmers Market, the Council endorsed Batemans Bay Deep Water Marina proposal which is currently with Destination NSW seeking funding and the completion of the Narooma Streetscape.

It also needs to be recognised that, in response to recent community concerns, the controversial sea level rise and special rate variation proposals were modified as a result of our efforts negotiating with other fellow Councillors. Unfortunately, many of our efforts have not measured up to some people's wants and desires. We have learnt that we will never be able to please everyone one hundred per cent of the time.

To achieve our goals and objectives, it can only be done through research, dialogue, rapport, negotiation and compromise. Employing these qualities are the only way when a party does not have a clear majority. The time has passed to still be shouting from the sidelines yet offering no solutions. But rather it is time to be be part of the solution and part of the wider debate to drive the Eurobodalla forward for the betterment of all.

We are proud to represent this wonderful Shire and we will continue to set high expectations for ourselves and the Council and continue in our pursuit of positive change. Feel free to judge us if we decide to stand for re-election in September 2016.

Clr Peter Schwarz