As a homework task, students were asked to consider the article “Council supports public art acquisition”, or another issue of interest, and to write a letter to the editor.

Several of their submissions are below.

I do agree that these artworks make the Bega Valley more interesting and attractive but do we really “need” them?

I don’t think that we do.

What we do “need” are new roads, money for the new hospital and money to help medical research. These things are much more practical than artworks. 

$10,000 per year is a lot of money to be spending on art.

I personally think that a small amount of artwork is fine. Maybe a sculpture here and there that doesn’t cost too much because $10,000 per year is too expensive for art. 

I do not agree with council’s decisions and I think they should seriously reconsider them. Thank you for reading my letter. 

I am writing to you because I strongly believe the Bega Valley Shire Council should not spend its money on buying art. 

I feel the council should spend its money on more important matters.

There are many people in the Bega region who need extra help. We could support people with disabilities with that money, donate to the homeless in the area, pay for more surgeons in the hospital or for cures for cancer.

There are so many people we could help with that money. 

A solution could be the council could put half of its money towards art and the other half towards people that need help. 

When voting on how to use ratepayers money, this is the action I would like to see. 

My name is Archie and I am writing about the quicker need for surgery at the new hospital.  It is deplorable that patients are having to be moved to the back of the line for surgery because of the move from old Bega hospital to the new one.

I think they need to do surgery while moving patients out – so do the major surgeries at the old hospital while moving the minor ones in because they can wait longer. 

In future I would like to see a more gradual transition when amalgamating health services, as many patients would be happier, as would their family and friends.

We all need help from the hospital at times and this makes the process much smoother.

It is fantastic that the Bega Valley has the new hospital and hopefully they can get the surgery practice up to speed. 

I am writing to give you my thoughts about how the council should be spending ratepayers money.

It is in my opinion that the council should not spend ratepayers money on artwork for Bega each year. 

I agree that spending money on artwork is a brilliant idea and would help improve some of the local sights of Bega and promote local artists. However, I feel that the money could be spent on other needy causes in the local area.

Council’s funds could be better spent by donating money to the new hospital. 

There are many areas in the hospital that are always in need of money such as the oncology unit where funds could be used to improve services for patients and their families or go towards new accommodation. 

Thank you for considering my thoughts.