Retailers will be harvesting heaps of cheap power, and charging more for it. Just another example of a great system at work.

Welcome to our world Minister Frydenberg!  By implementing a price on carbon, of say $10 per tonne, 400,000ha of public forests in southeast NSW would earn $20million per annum for jobs in forest restoration, wildlife protection and eco-tourism.  

Ending loss-making ($79million over seven years) native forest logging would save water, topsoil and threatened iconic species, the value of which would be incalculable.  Plantations supply domestic needs. 

Exporting koala pelts and whaling –  consign logging of our forests to history too.  

I have faith in the power of an individual to change in positive ways. I have faith in the power of humanity if we do what feels necessary and cooperate with others to achieve the changes necessary and tell as many as possible. It's a beautiful world we live in, it's our only home, let's look after it.

The average Australian household spends more than $1226 every year on things they will never use.

Each of us produces more than half a tonne of waste every year – a figure only outstripped by the average American. 

With a paralysing amount of choices available to us - on billboards, radio ads and online popups, fuelled by ever deepening debt and spending cycle - it’s easy to wonder, if infinite growth is unattainable.

“Inconspicuous consumption” is unique to the rich. A lot of people nowadays question the things they brought into their lives and think it’s ultimately not about depriving ourselves of the things that we have, it’s much more about reducing the desire for owning more stuff, as if those things are going to make us happy.

Australians are generous, which shows me that others also experience the pleasure in making somebody else happy, not just thinking about themselves.

That indeed is the spirit of Christmas, when a Middle Eastern couple were seeking asylum, giving birth to their son and were brought presents. 

While council insists it is not “expanding” the airport, its project involves a 200m extension of the runway, sealing the runway end safety area, expansion of the terminal, freight handling and baggage security capabilities and is intended to facilitate access for larger aircraft as part of a plan that envisages nearly 600,000 tourists flying into the airport annually via Canberra, Melbourne and the de-regulated air route from Sydney – a 12-fold increase in current annual passenger movements.

The Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association believes that even with the use of larger aircraft, the forecast passenger volumes are such that there will likely be a six-fold increase in aircraft movements in and out of the airport – surely an issue worthy of public consideration, particularly for those living anywhere near the flight paths.

The association  believes council’s failure to take steps to identify the social, environmental and fiscal implications of its project and share these with the community before committing to the project is completely irresponsible.

We cannot accept that just because the majority of the proposed expansion works are to be funded by the state and federal governments that it eliminates or diminishes the need to carry out due diligence in assessing the big picture implications before jumping in boots and all.