Karen Bull, Kianga

At 6 pm this evening (12 April), all the Narooma TV channels except the ABC were off the air, then about 6.45pm it went off too. There does not appear to be any means of finding out what is happening or when they will be on again on the internet or anywhere. Why are we kept in the dark? 

Paul Goard, North Narooma

I read with interest the latest Eurobodalla Shire Council's publication ‘What’s on April –June 2016’ where Huntfest is advertised as ‘Discover the latest equipment 4WD, camping, clothing, field cooking, meat processing and preserving, game hunting, bushwalking and fishing. Entry $10 adults, under 16’s free.’ NO mention of an Arms Fair where guns and ammunition will be on display and for sale. NO mention of an archery range where young children are taught to shoot mock images of animals! This is blatant misleading advertising on behalf of the council. Perhaps readers would like to attend one of the council’s upcoming community meetings and voice your opposition to their recent actions re approving Huntfest for additional five years way beyond the term of this current council and the deceitful advertising of this event in their own publication. The Narooma community meeting is Monday, May 2 at Narooma Golf Club at 5.30pm

Heather Irwin, Narooma

I write in response to Markku Ikonen’s letter to the editor on Wednesday regarding the procurement of steel. Australian steel is used in a range of  transport projects, with recent examples including the Foxground and Berry bypass which used 54 per cent Australian steel and the Gerringong upgrade which used 62 per cent.  Where possible, we will continue to use local steel suppliers while getting the best value possible for the people of NSW. In regards to the procurement for steel on Sydney Metro Northwest – much of the steel is Australian-sourced. For example, on tunnelling, the reinforcing steel came from the Australian Steel Company through an open tender process.  It met all the standards required for the project and went through an inspection and verification process. On the skytrain, a local supplier has been engaged to build the steel towers on the cable-stayed bridge while steel used for reinforcing also came through an Australian supplier. The consortium building Sydney Metro Northwest’s stations, tracks and trains held a competitive tender process involving both Australian and international suppliers for the rail steel required for the project.  They took into account a number of factors, including the ability to deliver on-time. All the steel used on the project has to meet the relevant standards and independent quality checks are also done. We have and will continue to encourage suppliers to source materials locally where possible.

Andrew Constance MP, Member for Bega, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure

Anyone who attended last week’s Eurobodalla Shire Council meeting would have been astounded at the offhand way in which a challenge to the accuracy of the minutes of the last meeting was handled.  I would venture to say that challenges to minutes, to the extent of saying they include something which never happened, would be very rare.  And yet, with no attempt to check the webcast, which would conclusively settle the matter, the majority of councillors voted to accept what had been pointed out to them as an untrue record of what occurred. That in itself was a breach of councillors’ legal responsibility to ensure accurate minutes of their meetings. This is not a trivial matter.  The motion in question was on the subject of the Council moving into closed session to debate a further 5-year licence for Huntfest.  The failure to move the motion in the correct form, and to vote on it, constituted a breach of the Local Government Act and calls into question the legality of the council’s subsequent decision to approve the extension of Huntfest until 2022. I am aghast at the lack of accountability shown by councillors Pollock, Innes, Burnside and Schwarz, and their disregard for, indeed, ignorance of, the legal requirements placed on councillors.

Louise Webb, Kianga

An open letter to Councillors Burnside, Schwarz, Pollock, Leslight, Innes and members of the evaluation panel on council. Dear Neil, Peter, Rob, Milton, Liz and Council staff – a question for you  – Can you honestly say to me that you all read through the Tender documents from the Animal Justice Party and the Shooters Clubs, absorbed all the information, understood the economic and social benefits to the Shire in the long term but still voted in favour of the Shooters Club Tender as opposed to the Animal Justice Party's Tender? If the answer is yes, then I really have to question your competency in the understanding of economics and your ability to gauge the mood of the 'general' public or 'silent majority'. You did not listen to the people from across all sections of the community - church elders, Aboriginal elders highly respected economic experts including Professor Steve Garlick from the Animal Justice Party. The 'silent majority' will be heard.  This is not over, we can assure you.

Coral Anderson, Batemans Bay