It has long been known that fluoride is a cumulative poison and potentially carcinogenic, but is still used as a preservative in foodstuffs. It was banned in the UK for this purpose over 30 years ago, I understand.

Research has shown it affects plant growth so don’t use treated water in your vegetable garden!

We have such clean air and can easily collect pure rainwater. I’ve had my own supply here for 30 years and would never drink town water.

I don’t know if you can filter out chlorine and fluoride, but that would be an alternative if so and if you prefer purer water.

I think people should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own health, including dental, by not basing their diets on processed food. We are well educated these days and know sugar is so detrimental and that wholefoods, fresh fruit and vegetables are essential for proper nutrition – and good teeth!

What was the value of the remnant red gums and angophoras in Rawlinson St, Bega? Zilch!

On Monday morning, I saw beautiful ancient angophoras and red gums in an area that looked like development was happening. The age of those trees would be in a range well over 150 years.

All the trees had numbers on them. Ah, I thought, they are protecting these trees. No!

By Wednesday afternoon, most had been felled! Ancient trees lay wasted on the ground, the sight was heartbreaking.

What alternative solutions could have been put in place to protect these magnificent specimens?

A visit to the local council office with a promise from the front desk that a staff member would call me on Thursday morning never happened.

Is this the council we elected to protect our environment? Is this how the voice of a ratepayer and citizen are ignored and the march of development at any cost continues?

One solution could be to develop a heritage list of all the ancient trees in the Bega Valley. In this way they could not be cut down at the whim of council or a developer.

The Bega Shire Council has approved the building of 82 self storage units and sundry support structures on Tathra Rd  in the middle of Kalaru.

This is very hard to comprehend when a similar development application for the southern end of Old Wallagoot Rd was apparently rejected by this council.

Also, the council's  requirement for  Zone 5V Village states that any  development must “protect the village character”.

Will the six Bega  councillors who voted for this development please explain how  the character  of Kalaru will not be impacted upon by such an industrial development. 

Do any of them live in Kalaru?

It is important there is a demonstration of support for strong action on global warming.

The threat to the way of life of future generations is greater than that of terrorism, but not so obvious.

Tony Abbott's legacy is a fear of taking strong action on climate change. There was great relief when Malcolm Turnbull replaced Tony Abbott.

Now I look forward to the relief I will feel when the world finally takes strong action on climate change at Paris.

We can't afford apathy to climate action any more than we can be apathetic about terrorism.

I look forward to a big turn out at Ayres Walkway at 11am on November 28.