Lest we forget: wartime lessons
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At the start of the so called Great War my uncle Jacques fell in the battle of Mamey-Lironville (September 1914); he was just 21.
His 9-year-old brother (my father) ran away to the north of France in search of his hero but only reached Limoges before being returned safely home by the military police. My grandmother never recovered from that terrible loss and died 4 years later.
Out of the 60 million soldiers who fought in that insane and senseless slaughter, 9 million were killed and 20 million wounded.
The resulting economic and social dislocation laid the foundation for a new global conflict a mere 20 years later, as well as what were to be the 20th century’s most barbaric regimes: German Nazism and Soviet Communism.
The 2003 invasion of Iraq by the Coalition of the Willing without a UN mandate and subsequent retaliation by extreme Islamism, only shows how little we have learnt.
“Terrorism is the continuation of war by other means” Patrick J. Buchanan
Bernard Lagarenne
Merimbula
Hold off the Narooma Visitor Centre review
Eurobodalla Shire Council’s Visitor Information Centre (VIC) proposals are based on inaccurate and incomplete key information which I believe compromises the whole review process.
This is both extraordinary and disappointing when at stake is the shire’s major industry of tourism, currently worth $388 million.
Surprisingly councillors have not yet made any decision on the future of VICs, including that of baling out of managing and staffing the VICs at Narooma and Batemans Bay.
Yet the reams of background information we are expected to read about these proposals suggest it has.
A continuation of this model, even with some ‘tweaking’, is not offered as a model in the current consultation yet it should be.
No one would dispute VICs everywhere are operating in a changing environment and need to adapt to the more digital world.
But their role is changing, not ending as the information before us might suggest.
The current work and value of VICs is poorly represented in the review documents.
For example, the number of people using VICs is wrong. Council senior staff in the last two weeks have increased the 2012-2013 door count by 40 per cent due to acknowledged faulty door counters.
That means 8.2 per cent of the estimated visitors to the Eurobodalla in that year visited our VICs, not 5 per cent as listed in the documents.
Still to come presumably are the corrected figures for 2009-2012, and the most recent figures reflecting the upturn in domestic tourism (the drop in Australian dollar possibly a significant factor).
Another error is the gross underestimation is the number of phone calls handled by VICs – only the 1800 number (poorly advertised for Narooma) when most are via landline.
One gaping hole in the review documents is the lack of any attempt to evaluate the VICs’ contribution to the shire’s economy.
Destination NSW and Aurora research shows most VIC visitors want local and independent knowledge from talking with VIC staff once at their destination. That’s on top of the work staff do for visitors before their visit.
Research also shows this often results in people spending more in the area - maybe staying an extra night, doing an additional activity or visiting extra attractions
Combining Aurora and Destination NSW’s research with Council’s now revised door count figures for 2012-2013 of 91,620, suggests this extra visitor spend in the Eurobodalla, or ‘on sell’ if you like from face-to-face talking with staff at Eurobodalla’s two VICs could be between $4.6 m (Aurora’s figures) and over $6m (Destination NSW figures).
That’s an injection into the shire’s economy over and above what visitors intended to spend on anything already booked on their smart phone or ipad, or from a previous phone call to the centre.
That’s rather an impressive annual bonus from Council’s investment – a return of between 660 and over 1000 per cent.
Nowhere in the report is there any attempt to measure the potential economic impact of these proposed models or of VICs closing altogether.
Best practice destination tourism is about collaboration between council, the industry and the wider community. Yet there has been no open dialogue with Narooma businesses, including Eurobodalla Tourism members, nor the wider community about any perceived problems with the Narooma VIC, built by this community not council.
I believe any consideration about changing the current model should be put on hold for 12 months until more complete and accurate information is gathered, including a cost-benefit analysis.
Meanwhile council should have the long overdue face-to- face and open discussion with industry and the community about possibly making the operation of VICs more efficient to free up more funds for marketing.
Laurelle Pacey
Narooma
Not representing me
With all the rail money going to rural areas but not here, perhaps the Transport Minister may be too busy to represent the members of this area again.
All the potential rail maintenance, job creation and tourist benefits will be at the expense of his electorate…
… or perhaps this was a Liberal Party tactic to have a ‘green’ or wilderness corner of the State. As the Hon. Andrew Constance didn’t and doesn’t represent me, I can do nothing but pay tax.
D Pearson
Dalmeny
Closure of St George
On my last visit to your Narooma agency, I heard of the plan to close this branch next month.
My reaction to this news is one of dismay and disappointment, and I must protest in the strongest possible terms at this loss of the only St George outlet within 80kms.
Narooma has a high proportion of residents of retirement age, many of whom, like my wife and I, prefer to deal face-to-face with real people, and who are reluctant to do business via electronic means.
Your Narooma agency must surely be one of the busiest places in this small town, providing, as it does, contact with charming counter staff who provide human contact to customers who perhaps have little interaction with friendly people.
While I understand that a bank is not concerned with customers' welfare, only their money, it should be borne in mind when closures are considered, that older people like my wife and I will certainly be looking elsewhere for our banking needs in establishments where we can be assured of personal attention from concerned staff.
In our case, substantial sums are involved. We shall be looking to re-invest our life savings shortly, and following today's bewildering news are already making enquiries elsewhere.
We have come to regard the ladies in your agency as personal friends, are sad that they will soon be unemployed and that we will have to look for another bank with which to do business.
To your customers this closure is a retrograde step, albeit one which may slightly improve the bank's bottom line and the shareholders' dividends in the short term, but if closures like this continue, older customers will desert the bank which has served them well for so long.
It will bring the sad day nearer when we must all communicate via cyberspace, with a consequent loss of human contact in our lives.
I trust it is not too late for you to reconsider this fateful step and keep the Narooma branch of the St George bank in business for your many, (so far) loyal customers in this regional town.
No reaction on your part to this plea will simply serve to confirm our suspicion that St George management, like so many others, are only concerned with profits and not at all with 'customer service,' which your advertising tells us is so important.
Peter Robinson
Narooma
A heartfelt thanks from the boaters
On behalf of the family who were involved in the boating incident on Good Friday when our boat capsized on the Narooma bar, we would personally like to express our heartfelt thanks to those brave young surfers who came to our rescue through very rough seas.
There is no doubt that at least three of us would not have survived without their assistance.
In particular we cannot express sufficient gratitude to Joe Nugent and Daniel Simpson who dived down around four times and rescued our 20-year-old niece who was trapped under the cabin and could not get out due to the continuous wave action and the buoyance in her vest.
Also to Kane Mood who appeared beside me when I was at my last ebb and took me in on his surf board only to reappear minutes later when I was struggling against the under tow getting back on the beach.
Thanks also to surfers Dan Efraemson and Shane Barrow who were also on the scene and helped take others to shore.
Thanks to the lovely woman who gave up her jacket to our niece and then disappeared amongst the onlookers.
Also to the professionalism and genuine compassion displayed by the paramedics on the day.
They did a magnificent job and to all the other people who were on the beach that day and helped out in many ways, such as assisting in the recovery of the boat.
In the future, every time I see a surfer on the waves it will remind me of the actions of these fine young men who bring great credit to themselves, the Narooma township and in particular the Narooma Surf Lifesaving Club where they are current serving and past members.
Also to the unknown woman who tended me when I was dragged up on the beach and stayed with me and comforted me until paramedics arrived.
Forever grateful
Don Stokes
Narooma
Proof council did it!
Despite Council and Public Works coming out publicly and claiming that they definitely did NOT use cheap GAS mains (instead of real WATER Pipe, to supply Batemans Bay etc) WSAA documents show they actually DID!
You may have read last week how council actually ordered the pipeline from China, despite insinuating earlier that it was manufactured locally by ‘ORRCON’.? This is important for another reason, because we now have a copy of the Water Services Association of Australia’s (WSAA) assessment report, which reveals that the pipe ORRCON ordered from China WAS in fact GAS/ OIL mains (known as API 5L in the trade)
The trick Public Works and Council were trying to pull on the community was by using simple word play. i.e Its not Gas mains (any more) because they modified it! by the action of spraying one coat of water compatible paint on the inside, and putting some fittings on it.
They also stated “The pipeline was specifically designed for water,” he said “It was assessed by the Water Services Association of Australia, who approved it.”?
Well no. You see WSAA did not assess the pipeline council actually built. WSAA only approved a ‘SYSTEM’ for the company ORRCON (which council claims to be using) WSAA admit they had nothing to do with the pipeline council actually built! ?But it gets even better.? WSAA specifically states in their report that their approval DOES NOT cover the proposed foreign made GAS/ OIL Pipe (API 5L) which council obviously purchased. The approval is ONLY for the second option, an Australian made pipe.
Council and ORRCON have apparently tried to get around this by using companies to check the manufacturing process in China. But of course this directly contradicts the WSAA report, which rejects this option.
Damien Rogers
Moruya
EPRIB thief message
With your permission, I would like to address this letter to the thief or thieves who stole the EPIRB (electronic position indicating radio beacon) from the boat at Dalmeny and activated it early on Sunday morning.
If you are the thief, I would like you to consider the consequences of your actions.
Police and several Marine Rescue personnel responded quickly to the likelihood that a boat was in trouble and probably on the rocks near Dalmeny.
The rescue vessel was launched in pitch blackness and put to sea in a strong southerly with the weather deteriorating.
Crossing the bar in total darkness is not recommended. The rescue vessel returned safely but in other circumstances, this may not have been the case.
Your thoughtless act placed several people in danger as well as wasting valuable police and rescue resources.
This was a criminal act as well as an act of stupidity. How much enjoyment did this cause you?
T. Taylor
Narooma
Batemans Marine Park based on lies
It’s was good to see that the Batemans Marine Park back in the pages again last week this time from Rob Paxevanos with his piece Fishing Southern –Balancing fishing and conservation.
To say fishing in the Marine Park has gone from strength to strength is a bit rich as this year would be one of the worst on record for the commercials and recreational fishers that fish Montague Island but soon to be renamed Seal Island as they are the only thing feeding there now.
Now you say the anti-marine park folk drove the message home and people listened and they turned away and fished elsewhere and that’s a fair comment but remember they only became anti because of the lies that were used to have this park in the first place.
I bet the anglers that got a fine this year for fishing in sanctuary zones have booked for next year.
Marine Parks have been based on lies from the start but the sad thing is 99 per cent of people like the idea of Marine Parks but one could say 90 per cent oppose them
Maybe you could do a show down here and we might be able to show you some truths on how the public have been lied to?
You might be able to uncover the NEW scientific evidence that was used to close Nangudga Creek by former manager Mr Kelly as to this date no managers or ministers have been able to produce it.
As for your examples of how sanctuary's zones have some major science evidence you missed the little bit by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park scientist released on how the spill over effect is just a myth and this is something all fishermen knew from the start and nearly all sanctuary zones are a total waste of time for fish stocks apart from a few that are territorial and none of them are threatened are they?
And yes fish stocks will increase if you remove the commercial effort and you will never get a negative from me when they removed them bull dozers that were destroying the bottom but the other side is we still need commercial fishing and maybe the government should look at changing the ways these guys fish by encouraging them to use different methods and giving them the right financial support to survive.
I find it quite funny how we take such a great interest in what we can see yet over the past few weeks the Federal Government has allowed the Geelong Star a super trawler start netting the waters of Australia but only for bait fish and again the science is in and it’s only 4 per cent of the bio mass being caught they tell us well as none of us are scientist do we believe them or wait until Seal Island is back to Montague Island as that 4 per cent might be some of the 10 ton of feed that them seals eat each day gone.
As a closing comment it’s a great move the council is going to upgrade the Apex boat ramp from May 4 till June 26 pity we have no other suitable ramps to launch anything bigger than a canoe and right at the start of tuna season
Dave Clark
President Bowlo Fishing Club
Irresponsible medical advice
"We Create Drug Addicts" screams Grandpa's Garden's advertorial last week.
Once again the author is off on her highly irresponsible anti-immunisation, anti-fluoride, hobby-horse, this time blaming drug addiction on immunisation and I quote, "When children grow up being jabbed with needles and handed pills it's not hard to see how they could progress to recreational drugs."
This monumental leap of illogic apparently forgets that drug addiction has been around for a great deal longer than immunisation programs. But the great danger, of course, is that there might be someone who takes this nonsense seriously.
I question Narooma News' sense of public responsibility in allowing its paper's pages to be used for such propaganda.
And before the author declares that I am trying to shut down free speech let's remember that with the right to free speech comes the responsibility to use it intelligently.
The author claims that after John and Jane's visit, and John's apparent suicide attempt, "I received a phone call for help from Jane. She didn't know where to turn..."
Now hang on, something doesn't quite gel here. The facts, according to this article, are that after a casual visit to the author's grocery store while on holiday the distraught woman, seeking professional help, phones Grandpa's Garden, not Beyond Blue, not The Black Dog Institute or one of the many help lines that are available, not her local hospital or family doctor but the owner of a grocery store she met while on holiday.
Does this seem as odd, even irresponsible, to you as it does to me?
The author goes on to blame John's "... misguided professional parents who ..... had forced (sic) John ..... to have some vaccination."
The author offers up no evidence to back her extremely serious and almost libellous inferences that it was the combination of vaccination and "misguided parents" that had killed John. I sincerely hope that the parents don't read the article.
Our author goes on to tie all this together with Fluoride. The line of illogic goes like this: John's vaccination lead to a mental condition which necessitated anti-depressants whose main active ingredient is fluoride.
Fluoride is cumulative in the brain and "The reason for it to be added to our water is to dumb us down."
All I can say to this is that if you believe any of this stuff then the fluoride is certainly doing its job.
John Cowan
Cadgee
A Frank response: a minor achievement
It is somewhat of a minor achievement to be the recipient of the wrath of two Letter-writers. (Narooma News April 15)
I think it unseemly for one writer, S. Kennedy, to resort to name-calling and exaggeration.
To be called a "pillar of rabid right-wing ratbaggery" is over the top. In my friendships with Labor stalwarts Jim Bright and Joe Potts, and my late brother Kevin, we have discussed our political differences without recourse to personal insults.
Were you helping Jim and Joe in the recent Election campaign S. Kennedy?
My responses will be collective rather than individual. For instance, in the Howard-Costello Budget of FY 2006-7, over 50 billion dollars was allocated to the Future Fund. I concede that more should have been spent on infrastructure etc., but my critics should also concede that Howard-Costello steered Australia virtually unscathed through the Asian Meltdown of 1997.
I believe had they been in power at the time of the GFC, things would have been handled so much better.
The Keynesian pump priming followed by Labor/Greens has not worked effectively anywhere.
In the Great Depression of the Thirties, the United States did so and was still in Depression until the outbreak of WW2.
Other countries, non "pump primers", were well into recovery much earlier.
Another instance, that terrible Payroll Tax, if lifted entirely, would have been a positive step to lower unemployment.
Introduced at a time of virtually no unemployment, it should have been deleted when circumstances changed.
Both sides are guilty of retaining this job inhibiting tax.
I am bemused by Richard Tilzey's remark on my call for bipartisan support for curative action on the nation's current woes. Surely bipartisan and "takes two to tango" are much the same.
The Coalition, when in Opposition, did fully support the many good reforms initiated by Hawke-Keating Labor.
Time now for Labor/Greens to reciprocate.
Tony Abbott's opposition to so many Labor actions was because those actions were considered to be wrong and against Liberal policies. Curently, Bill Shorten opposes for the sake of opposition only. He is bereft of any policies or platforms, and waffles rather than make any definitive statements.
As Mr Tilzey has "fessed up" to voting for Andrew Constance, so too will I, owning up to voting for Bob Hawke and Paul Keating until I became disenchanted.
I am often critical of Liberal actions and policies, but keep these criticisms "in house". I am far from being a "pillar of right wing ratbaggery", as I'm sure Jim Bright and Joe Potts would agree.
Frank O'Brien
Narooma
Be part of the solution
This week’s column is an update of some of the projects currently on exhibition, and some work we are doing to support the business community in Batemans Bay.
On Thursday and Friday this week, business people are invited to a workshop which aims to work through a solution to a more sustainable way of providing information services to visitors when they arrive in Eurobodalla, so that we can focus more resources on marketing to make sure we’re getting them here in the first place. In an ideal financial world perhaps we would be able to continue to spend more than half the tourism budget on providing the excellent level of visitor services that we deliver now through the current model of two stand-alone visitor centres and increase the marketing budget but the reality is that there is no magic pot of money to dip into in Council and our approximately $1.2 million budget for tourism is a strong commitment when compared to some other councils. And it should be for our most important economic driver. If you are planning to register for the workshops or to make submission I hope that you are able to contribute positively and realistically to the debate. Is there an opportunity for Council to partner with a non for profit or commercial organisation for a better outcome as many other regions do? Should we be directing more of our tourism resources to getting people here through promoting Eurobodalla and its many destinations and attractions to Sydney, through the Canberra region, Regional NSW, Victoria and internationally as well through partnering on major marketing campaigns and activities with regional and state tourism bodies? How can our local businesses step up and be more active in providing quality visitor information to visitors when they arrive in town? These are the questions I ask you to consider and if you have some ideas that may help develop a solution please attend a workshop in Batemans Bay on Thursday afternoon and Narooma on Friday morning or let us know by making a submission.
I also encourage you to read and let us know your thoughts about the Draft Policy Directions Paper for rural lands in Eurobodalla. This paper has been developed with the Rural Lands Strategy Steering Committee and from extensive consultation with our community. The paper sets out a direction that aims to encourage primary production, cut red tape, support economic development, promote and grow rural tourism, promote sustainable resource use, recognise and manage environmental hazards and values, support rural residential living opportunities.
We have started more than half a million dollars of works to revitalise the southern end of Batemans Bay in the area near the Salvos. The works will support economic activity and provide safer access through a new pathway and pedestrian facility. The works include additional parking, new stormwater drains, kerb and guttering, retaining walls, landscaping and a T-intersection.
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.
Cr Lindsay Brown, Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire