A return email was sent informing us that a decision had been made by council that this financial support had been withdrawn and was not expected in the foreseeable future.

Tathra Surf Club had not been advised of this, and to date has not received any official correspondence from council.

Since the last increase in rates, council has withdrawn this support without any notification.

However, we continued to provide volunteer patrol services during these holiday periods saving council from paying the lifeguards.

The last donation we received was in 2007.

Eurobodalla surf clubs continue to get a donation from their council for this service.

Volunteer lifesavers patrol the shire’s beaches on all other weekends and public holidays from October to the end of April.

Does the council provide anything to the clubs for this community service? No.

Do we expect it? No.

But what we do expect is the courtesy of someone from council consulting us about issues that affect our members and the viability of our club.

So, council now has a great deal happening with NSW SLS.

The lifeguards are happy because they are back on the beaches getting paid.

The council is happy because they are paying less with the new deal struck.

But what about the volunteers and the surf clubs?

Council has broken a long-standing agreement without any discussion or consultation.

No courtesy call to discuss the issues.

Just an email saying “bad luck”.

Where did these funds go?

Surf clubs are not sporting clubs.

They are a community and emergency service providing voluntary services to keep our community and visitors to our region safe.

We do not have ovals to maintain, but we do have hefty service costs – water, sewerage, power – from running services for members and the community – showers, toilets, building maintenance etc.

So please be advised, in our opinion, rate rises do not equate to better services for the community.

Lack of this donation to help cover our basic utility costs, coupled with the continued increases in council sewerage and water rates – the club’s has doubled in a 12 month period – equates to a very poor outlook for the community services in our shire.

And that’s before an economic downturn.

Does council not want its beaches to have viable surf clubs?

A surf club is dependent enough on its members, local business and the community to raise money through membership and fundraising.

But the community has only so much to give.

Therese Wheatley

Secretary

Tathra Surf Lifesaving Club

Stunned

I was stunned by BVSC general manager Peter Tegart’s response in last Friday’s BDN to questions put to him.

These were regarding council’s decision to scrap its current DA for a Central Waste Facility in Wanatta Lane and start afresh with a new DA process.

I believe we have the right to know why council will be able to reuse information from previous failed studies, but affected residents will not be allowed to rely on information they previously submitted?

Residents’ previous submissions are in direct response to council’s previous studies, in addition to the many issues relating to the CWF proposal which greatly concern people of the Wolumla locality.

Council was asked to respond to these issues, and a meeting held at council chambers to do that very thing was barely able to touch on just a few items before it was adjourned, as a councillor and staff member present had other commitments.

Despite our requests to resume the meeting, no response was ever received from council.

Now, from the general manager’s statement, we can only conclude that the concerns and worst fears held by Wolumla residents will not be addressed prior to this new DA/EIS being produced.

It is also apparent that the issues we have raised are in the too-hard pile and council would rather ignore them than answer them.

Do any of our councillors or any council employee care what affect this CWF DA process is having on the lives of affected residents?

Apparently not.

We are sick to the back teeth of council mucking us around and running roughshod over our concerns with its less than viable plans.

Council has been attempting to hammer square pegs into round holes for over seven years with regards to this project, to no avail.

Numerous consultancy firms have been retained at God only knows how many millions of ratepayers’ dollars and now more will ensue.

It’s no wonder our rates need to be raised to cover funding shortfalls.

I can only suggest council and its consultants try using a larger hammer as it might be the breakthrough they are looking for.

One last thing, Mr Tegart could you please let me know the hourly rate your consultants charge, as this will be my fourth submission?

I intend to start billing council a similar rate for my time spent so far and in future.

When Don Chipp spoke about keeping the bastards honest, I never believed it could be this difficult.

Jeff Smith

Wolumla

Brochure request

Members of our Institute are impressed with the recent initiative of Eurobodalla Shire Council, Eurobodalla Tourism, the Roads and Traffic Authority and the Eurobodalla Bicycle Users Group in producing a new brochure, Cycleways in Eurobodalla.

As a result, we have requested Bega Valley Shire Council to co-ordinate the production of a similar publication for our shire.

Such a brochure would, we believe, promote cycling and cycleways for both recreation and as an alternative transport mode.

Consequent increased use of bicycles would, we think, both increase community health and fitness levels in the Shire and help reduce our community’s greenhouse footprint.

Jack Miller

Bermagui Institute Bicycle Division

Timor Leste support

Many members of the Bega Valley Community have supported the efforts of Bega Valley Advocates for Timor Leste over the last five years.

Most of our messages have been doom and gloom but things are changing.

Since 2004 I have visited East Timor on eight occasions as team leader of Bega Valley Advocates for Timor Leste.

On each occasion I have returned to Australia with images of a non-functional government and of Australia’s contribution through our Government aid agency AusAID, being miniscule, despite a nominal$ 70 million being budgeted.

My recent visit was different.

In at least some areas the Timor Leste government is getting its act together.

For example, last trip it took eight hours to travel the 140 km from Dili to Natarbora - this time just five hours - equipment and gangs working on the full length of the road.

Similarly I must eat my words regarding Australia’s aid agency AusAID.

For the first time we are seeing its involvement in worthwhile initiatives, water supplies, funding NGOs and the like.

Parliamentary Secretary Bob McMullan has brought about a total change of culture.

For the Timorese embedded in grinding poverty there is hope.

Civil violence is largely a thing of the past.

No one is interested any more.

Jim Collins

Springvale

The Bridge and the Taco

We all know the story of the bus stuck under the bridge.

The police, fire brigade, engineers, town officials, mayor, architects and everyone who was anyone came to offer an opinion and find a solution.

After many hours of debate and proposals on lifting parts of the bridge, cutting the top off the bus, lowering parts of the road etc, a small boy came up with the solution.

Why don’t you just let the air out of the tyres on the bus?

Or the taco ad on television at the moment.

The chiselling of grooves on the table, nails as supports and a variety of other solutions to keep the tacos standing.

Why not make them with a flat bottom says the boy?

Well, the same could be said to our current council as it announces that, after spending seven years and countless thousands if not millions of dollars, that their DA for the Wanatta Lane Waste Facility will be scrapped and a new fresh one started. Why?

When there has been so many problems, controversies and false facts proffered, so many issues neglected until residents spot them and so much time and money wasted, do we need a child to come up with the obvious solution?

Find a more suitable site. Simple, really. Or is that, in itself, the problem?

Beth Smith

Wolumla

No GST

Your Budget at a Glance pie chart of “where it goes” (BDN 15/5) does not show any money going to the States.

I thought the States were supposed to get all the GST money.

Where is the States funding coming from?

Sid Wilcox

Wolumla

Mother’s Day market

With the best will, the best planning, the best organisation any public event is only as good as those who come along to support it and that is why our market at the Old Bega Hospital was such a great day.

There was a diverse collection of stall holders as well as craft demonstrations, a group of young string players, a magician, cake and coffee, the Ulysses bike club members, a barbecue and, what was very apt for an autumn market, a meeting of Fibre Groups showing and demonstrating spinning, knitting, felting and selling their stunning fibres.

The committee thanks all those behind the scene volunteers who made the cakes, brewed the coffee, mowed the lawns, donated raffle prizes, sold raffle tickets, advised drivers where to park etc.

A very special thank you to our community, ABC and 2EC radios, the Bega District News and all those businesses who were happy to have our flyers on display.

We are going to do it all again on October 10.

Barb Waddell

Member of the Fund Raising Committee