We survived a micro-sleep
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ON Saturday my parents and I went out on a family luncheon to Nelligen.
On the way home mum was driving about 100km/h, and between Trunkabella and Tuross Bridge just past the Long Point Farm driveway mum had a micro-sleep.
We veered off the left side of the road went two metres down an embankment at a 70 degree angle, through a barbed wire fence and finally stopped about 150m just before an electric fence.
Result not a scratch bump or bruise on any of us, the car came through relatively unscathed and I was able to drive the car through the adjoining paddock and safely home!
Several vehicles pulled up that were travelling behind and they couldn’t believe what they saw, three people walking out of the vehicle.
They all said, “It was just like that ad on TV (but thankfully there was no tree in front of us!).”
With the onset of the Easter Break coming up this weekend have a serious think if travelling on the highways, to include periods of rest to stop, revive, survive and or change drivers.
We survived this Micro-sleep, but will there be a next time?
Aunty Gable
Narooma
Dog attack on alpacas
I would like to thank the caring travelling who bothered to stop and throw a rock at the dog attacking my alpacas.
From the description of your Ute given by my neighbour I think you drove slowly past this morning to check to see if they were OK. You are so kind and caring to do that.
Too often alpacas are killed by dogs or so maimed that euthanizing is the only option. It is true alpacas are used as guards for other livestock but with only their fighting teeth (males only) and legs to kick are no match for a larger dog or pack.
Following your quick response I located the alpaca that had been attacked on the face and ears. Saliva samples were taken in the event that a suspect is found. DNA analysis can then confirm the attacker. A good description of the dog has been passed on to other alpaca owners in the area. Luckily after bathing and treating the alpaca, the bleeding stopped, however, was still suffering shock for quite a while. As most people know shock can also be a killer so during the night the alpaca was monitored and by morning was about his business with the rest of the herd. I am so grateful for your intervention.
The most touching thing was while the injured alpaca was being treated in the stable his brother came up, stood at the door and hummed. To settle the herd down both were reunited while the others gathered outside. Eventually all were released into the paddock.
On behalf of all Alpaca owners and breeders thank you again for your speedy action and thoughtfulness. May this never happen again.
Pam Hamory
President
Australasian Alpaca Breeders Association
Visitors centre
What on earth is happening with our local visitors centre? Rumour has it that the council is going to close it down.
Why in heavens name would they do that? Our town relies on tourism and it is our main industry.
The visitors centre is vital to our town. We have a wonderful building, museum car park, playground, room for caravans.
The list is endless. Then of course there is our fabulous friendly staff, information from locals who work there, the shop.
It's all absolutely priceless. No other method would work to encourage tourists to stop here.
They will simply not come here, and they certainly won't stop. Don't our council care about any of these things?
In my opinion, it must be retained. It's the first "port of call" when you travel. Please, everyone, do something before it's too late. Write to council, our local member. It's essential.
Narelle Davis
Narooma
Narooma recognised as top tourist spot
Whose hare-brained idea was this to close/abolish the Narooma Visitors Centre?
With Narooma being recognized as one of the top tourist destinations in New South Wales, the existing Visitors Centre is a prime location for out-of-towners to seek and secure information from the very pleasant and knowledgeable staff.
Having endured the last 18 to 24 months' disruption involving the new roundabout and streetscaping to the Princes Highway, surely we need our Narooma Visitors Centre to focus on remaining the hub to encourage tourism which we believe to be the life-blood of this town.
Comparing the location of the Narooma Visitors Centre on the highway to the other information centres in the Shire, this is an ideally planned and located building, with adequate and ideal parking for cars, caravans and buses.
Surely, this proposal needs rethinking!
John and Margaret Gellibrand
North Narooma
Informed debate on seals
Over the last four years a number of seals have established a colony on the southern breakwall at Narooma. They offer a tourist benefit in that it is possible to observe them from relatively close quarters. Unfortunately some people, including young children seem unaware of the fact that these are wild animals with teeth and attempt to get close to them.
I feel a serious injury is inevitable if this situation continues.
The council will be open to litigation along the lines of “Where were the warning signs?” “Nobody told us they were dangerous.”
Additionally seals eat 4 per cent to 6 per cent of their body weight each day. The resident seals are large. These seals are adversely affecting the fish in our inlet. Not only are they stripping the proximal inlet of fish but also they are frightening away spawning fish attempting to run the gauntlet into the inlet.
A walk along the boardwalk used to be an occasion to observe schools of blackfish. Not anymore.
Some will say that seals are marine animals and can live anywhere they choose. So what if they are depleting fish stocks and anyone who gets bitten should have stayed clear of them.
I believe that a significant number of visitors to Narooma come for the primary purpose of fishing and if they fail to catch anything worthwhile they will holiday elsewhere
I think there needs to be an informed debate on this subject.
Warwick Huntsdale
North Narooma
Very concerned about visitor centre
I am very concerned about the recent report to Council on the future of Visitors’ Centres, particularly Narooma’s.
Council wants to bail out of operating Visitors Centres with its own professional staff, despite their supporting the shire’s major industry, valued at $367m a year and employing 30 per cent of the shire’s workforce.
The report suggests other models including using volunteers and a once a month pop-up stand at Narooma markets.
The reason - to free up funds to redesign council’s tourism website with a net saving of $163,496.
I question figures in the report and the haste with which council is moving on this.
The report also reflects a lack of appreciation of what actually happens in Narooma Visitors’ Centre and of the tourism market.
It places too much emphasis on accommodation bookings and ignores the many telephone inquiries telephone calls staff take, the importance of face-to-face friendly contact once people get here, the store of local knowledge built up by the professional team at Narooma over many years, and the role this plays in enhancing both visitor experience and the Narooma economy.
Nor does it consider the flow-on effects to local businesses.
Some crucial statements in the report contradict other known information. For example, the report claims foot traffic through visitors’ centres has declined over recent years, yet Eurobodalla’s Visitor Services and Tourism Manager told Narooma News a few months ago the number of people using both Batemans Bay and Narooma Visitors Centres has been trending up since 2009, particularly Narooma.
Surprisingly, nowhere in the report is there any mention of the estimated total number of visitors to Eurobodalla yet this is a crucial figure in this discussion.
There are no local figures. The figures usually quoted are from Tourism Research Australia, a ‘rubbery’ figure with a high margin of error. A previous Eurobodalla tourism manager explained these are derived from broad scale national surveys and are extrapolations of estimations.
But if we marry the recent statement in Narooma News with figures produced by Tourism Research Australia for Eurobodalla since 2009 (even though imprecise) they suggest an increasing proportion of our visitors are using our visitor centres. Again, this contradicts the report to Council.
The report also does not reflect an understanding of the community’s stake in Narooma Visitors Centre. It was built by local businesses and volunteers, not by Council, because the Narooma community saw the need for such a centre as a focal point for its major industry.
The Lighthouse Museum again resulted from community volunteers – the original light mechanism from Montague Lighthouse, on permanent loan from AMSA, was valued in 1986 at over $2m. The figure today, and with associated lighthouse equipment, would have to be well over $3m.
This infrastructure was handed over to Council to manage on the community’s behalf, believing it would be in safe keeping. The report suggests Council now wants to abdicate that responsibility and hand it over to a not-for-profit group or private enterprise. I suggest most would be reluctant to take over that responsibility.
I also don’t think it is right to expect older (most of our already stretched volunteers!) unpaid people to service an industry bringing in $367m a year to the shire, instead of paying younger more ‘switched on’ professionals.
I suggest the consultation to date and that proposed is inadequate.
This is a MAJOR decision impacting the shire’s major industry.
It warrants more time and a standalone public meeting in Narooma and not be merely an agenda item at the next Narooma Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Laurelle Pacey
Narooma
Mayor's say… The tourism conversation we need to have
This week I write about the visitor services proposal we are asking for feedback on and I thank those of you who have called either myself or the dedicated hot line to seek out the facts.
We are not proposing closing the visitor centres and I assure you that we understand and value and the importance of providing quality local information to our visitors.
What we have done is undertake a review of the way we provide and fund visitor services with the aim of making sure we manage the $1.2m tourism budget in the most effective way we can, and that we are getting the best bang for our collective buck!
What the review has shown is this. The costs of operating the accredited centres such as wages and penalty rates, maintenance, electricity etc. have increased over time; the number of people using the centres has decreased as more and more people search for information online; and booking revenue has decreased as the bigger players such as Wotif, booking.com have and others have taken over the market.
Through this, the total tourism budget has remained fairly static and these increased costs and declining revenue have come as a hit to the marketing budget that we use to get people here in the first place.
As anyone running a business knows, with facts like these staring us in the face we have to look at options.
So, is there a more efficient way to provide visitor services?
Would a not for profit or commercial organisation do a better job of running the centres? Do we offer the same quality of service delivery as other councils?
Do we spend more attracting people here? What is the bigger priority for council - getting people here in the first place or providing information at two visitor centres once they’re here?
I hope you did not vote us in to stick our heads in the sand and ignore economic reality and opportunities to support our tourism industry.
Many ratepayers made it loud and clear through the special rate variation process that you want council to be more efficient, to come up with new ideas, to move with the times, to rigorously review how we operate and deliver services, to think about what our core business is.
Well, this is what we’re looking at. This is the proposal before you and there has been no ‘lack of consultation’ as we are consulting right now with a model that can amended, modified, expanded or changed.
I voted to extend the submission period by 50 per cent and you now have at least 40 two days until May 6. Experience tells me that most submissions arrive in the first two or three weeks, however I can extend the time if necessary.
Please make your view informed by facts, not what you hear from chat or rumours in the street.
Ponder the questions above, think the issues through. If after considering the proposal your view is that there should be no change, or you come up with a better idea, or you support some of the proposed changes, then let us know.
This is the reason we have put this proposal out there, to hear your view. I just ask that at the very least, you make your view an informed one as councillors have to.
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.
Lindsay Brown, Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire