There is no doubt in some instances lakes should be opened. There are very serious consequences when our small lakes are opened, particularly extremely productive lakes like Tilba Lake.

Tilba was opened recently. Ramifications are: four commercial fishermen lost the immediate income from prawning. This means pressure on the already stretched waterways when they are forced to replace their lost income. Those who can’t catch their own prawns will miss out.

Many recreational fishers lose their enjoyment that comes from prawning - the local economy suffers. The many tonnes of prawn that were buried in sand during the day time when it was opened were fried in the sand as the lake ran out.

The bream juveniles spawned in September and October had safety and feeding grounds in the reedy areas around  the edges of the lake. This area is now dry and no longer any protection. Many juvenile fish who were food for the endangered little tern went to sea. The terns’ nests were washed out as the lake opened.

The lake went from about 1.8m to about 0.5m - great feeding now for pelicans and shags; no protection for our native fish. The nutrient-rich plankton loaded  lake water will be replaced with the much lower nutrients levels of sea water; this will help starve the juveniles the birds miss. Please think before you dig.

The Christmas - New Year has come and gone again and as usual the Mystery Bay Campground s occupancy has been completely unregulated. So much so that it resembled more of a third world refugee camp than an idyllic and pristine campground.

A very conservative estimate would be 600+ campers with the overflow spilling up along Mystery Bay Road for over 200 metres. There was even a campsite in the bushland reserve opposite the campground. At the very least toilet facilities, I believe there are 6, are completely inadequate for this volume of people, with the obvious occurring, toilet paper littering the bushland along the boundaries. Campsites are so close to one another that it is even difficult to leave the area, with the space left after the removal of a vehicle quickly being filled by another camp. The environmental disaster at the site is also plain to see, bushland cut down by campers, every stick of burnable timber removed. Trees cut down in the bushland reserve opposite for firewood.Waste water flowing everywhere, soil compaction resulting in the removal of many trees each year, the list goes on. 

Its hard to believe that Eurobodalla Council has noted this area as a Remnant Coastal Bangalay Forest, worthy of protection.

Whatever happened to councils own plan of management (dated 2006) which indicates a finite number of sites and no camping at all between the internal access road and Mystery Bay Road.

Its time Council implemented this management plan, and at the very least a ballot or booking system for the busy Christmas Holiday period. I'm sure that most campers would appreciate more space and fewer people.

Council did after numerous phone calls from concerned residents remove all the illegal campsites from the area. Eurobodalla Council would, however be one of the few along the popular east coast which completely closes over the Christmas - New Year period, there are no council rangers on duty at this time.

The safety aspect along Mystery Bay Road should also be looked at. At all times of year, especially Christmas and Easter, the road into Mystery Bay is frequented by Cyclists, Walkers and wildlife, and I believe that the 100 kph zone right up to the entrance to the camping area is just too high and an 80 kph would be much preferable for safety reasons.

I felt sorry for all those holiday makers heading home recently.

I am told traffic was banked up back to the Tuross turn-off from that ridiculous set of traffic lights at Queen Street Moruya. 

The Moruya town planners included two cross streets (Queen and Church streets) and they got neither of them to line up.

That is just plain dumb. As a result it plays havoc with the through traffic and will forever more until something sensible is done.

Does the Shire still have a traffic management committee? 

Is it not part of the police highway patrol’s duty to move the traffic safely and smoothly?

How hard is it to tun off the traffic lights and put an officer on point duty to alleviate the congestion? 

Over recent times, there has been much in the media regarding "choices" and "LGBT (lettuce, gherkin, bacon and tomato)." Why this is so puzzles me. The choice of sandwich filling should be of no concern to anyone other than the buyer and the seller. If someone wants lettuce, gherkin, bacon and tomato, so be it.  Perhaps the whole exercise is spin by the sandwich shops to engender higher sales. I just don't know

Was anyone else left with questions after seeing and hearing all the sales hype and the ensuing shopping mania?  We were primed so well; given extra hours, even “all night” in some centres.

What have we become? We’re no longer referred to as men and women, just consumers. Instead of buying what we need, when we need, we’ve now enshrined shopping as a ritual; so brainwashed, many feel they have to have the very latest upgrade.  They’ll queue for hours, sometimes all night, to be among the first.

What would happen if we ceased playing into this game of manipulation?  Ceased being consumers?  Reclaimed our power as human beings, each unique, gifted, and extraordinary with a specific purpose for being on the planet?