Thanks to Woolies

We are often critical of huge businesses, but on this occasion I

would like to give a word of thanks to Woolworths, in particular its Fresh Food Kids’ Hospital Appeal conducted by Bega Woolworths.

Last week a cheque for $18,000 was presented to the hospital for purchase of equipment for the children’s ward, equipment for entertainment and some badly needed equipment to aid the health of children.

The health system is such that there is always need for improvement and when the public and large firms come together, the results can be amazing, and I give thanks to both Woolworths and the public for this generous gift to the children’s ward.

This is just another example of money raised in the area staying in the area, for the benefit of the area.

Having a keen interest in the health of this area I do congratulate all parties, well done, keep up the good work.

Allen Collins

Tathra

Saving what?

Congratulations to the Pambula Hospital Committee for their drive, hard work and persistence.

But what are they trying to save?

Perhaps the hardworking nursing staff are really happy and motivated to be working in a tired rundown hospital.

Perhaps the families of seriously ill people are more than happy to leave the shire for medical treatment.

Perhaps the many people who need orthopedic surgery are happy to wait over 12 months in pain.

What a shame that determination and drive is not used for the good of the whole Bega Valley Shire and the Monaro.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to hear more each week on the news: “build a new health facility now.”

Cathy Benzie

Bega

Hospital thanks

Having recently spent a few days in Bega Hospital after presenting to emergency with chest pains, I wanted to publicly express my admiration for all the staff working there under extremely difficult conditions.

I was very impressed with the supportive attitude they have to their fellow staff members from the domestic staff, nurses, administrators and doctors - there is a great camaraderie.

They deserve better facilities and so do we, their patients.

We all know that the hospital is outdated and that we have been promised a new Base Hospital, what we do not know is when we can expect to see the reality.

We were told many months ago that the location for the new hospital would be announced in July, it is now November and no announcement.

Maybe we should ask which July?

I would encourage everyone to contact our Parliamentary representatives to agitate for action on this long overdue facility for our region.

We cannot expect the staff of the hospital to continue to provide such excellent care working in a run down, outmoded building which is well past its use by date.

Edna Duncanson

Bega

Shame on you

To the person driving in front of me on Tathra Road travelling from Tathra towards Bega, (just before the 60km sign entering Kalaru) at about 8.10am Thursday, November 12, shame, shame on you!

How could you not attempt to miss hitting the family of ducks with their duckling who were trying to cross the road (to get to the dam on the other side) and then to not stop to see if you could move them off the road or prevent the surviving three ducklings from being injured.

Well, I cleaned up the carnage for you.

There were four ducklings, one was dead, two had managed to safely cross the road.

I tried to pick up the fourth duckling.

It started to run across the road (cars were continuing to travel past the scene).

I managed to hold up traffic while it scurried away to safety.

One of the adult ducks was still alive (just).

I covered it in a towel and placed in it my car.

I moved the remaining adult duck (deceased) and the little dead duckling well away from the road.

I then drove to the vets in Bega with the adult duck, but unfortunately it didn’t survive.

I then rang Alan from the Native Animal Network Association and he said he would kindly arrange for one of their members to see if they can find and rescue those three baby ducklings that have lost their parents.

It’s highly unlikely that the ducklings have any chance of surviving without the protection of their parents.

I’m sorry if I inconvenienced other drivers due to my car being parked partially on the road (with hazard lights on) but tough.

It’s time drivers stopped being in such a hurry.

I’m fed up with seeing so much wildlife being killed on our roads (especially from dusk to dawn.)

So please, slow down and protect our precious wildlife.

Linda Hoyle

Wallagoot.

No answer

I sent a letter to the general manager of the Bega Valley Council on October 10.

Up to date it has not been acknowledged, nor has there been any improvement in the service.

I complained that the garbage disposal team pick up the garbage bins, empty them, then drop them back either in the gutter, sometimes lying on their side, lid open.

At times cars are parked on the kerb but mostly they are not, but it makes no difference they are dropped, wherever.

I wrote on behalf of myself and some friends who like myself are elderly people and find it hard to deal with the situation.

We pay our rates on time and believe the council should act on our behalf.

We deserve better treatment.

Olive Sharpe

Bega

Disappointed

I was disappointed to read the circumstances (Conjecture and controversy hits Festival, BDN 13/11) behind the SEFE stall firstly being accepted, then refused entry to this year’s Bega Festival.

Despite whether you agree or disagree with what is proposed by SEFE, I think Harriet Swift has summed it up perfectly (BDN 13/11) in that it would have been a great opportunity for the people of the Bega Valley and across Australia to hear what SEFE has to say in relation to their proposed Biomass power station.

I thought free speech was part of the Australian way - maybe not so in the Bega Valley? (It was good to see the stance reversed).

On another matter, Mick Ahkin raised am interesting question in last weeks BDN (BDN letters 13/11).

I have another question: does the Bega Cheese sold in local supermarkets come straight from Bega, or does it travel from Bega to Sydney or Melbourne, through a distribution network, and back again?

Five kilometres makes more sense than more than 1000 kilometres.

Perhaps Mick, this is what is influencing your price concerns?

Steve Sass

Tathra

Burning issue.

The response from SEFE to being denied exhibition space in the Clean Energy Expo highlights some interesting points.

It is clearly beyond the scope of the Corporate Affairs Manager to understand that burning native forests to create electricity is neither clean, green, or alternative.

Rather, it shows a lack of understanding for ecology and the basic life systems of this world in which we live.

Explained simply, cutting down forests has a negative impact on our soils and on water quality and availability.

It releases carbon into the atmosphere and destroys the habitats and therefore lives of numerous species.

The unmanaged regrowth forests further suck up vast quantities of our limited ground water supplies, robbing streams, rivers and catchments of the water needed to sustain life.

The current practice of chipping 90 per cent of these forests and exporting them as woodchips is another big carbon footprint.

But the proposal to burn these forests as waste wood and produce electricity somehow makes the industry see it as an alternative energy source.

Vince Phillips and others may try and wear a green hat, but I don’t think so and congratulations to the Clean Energy committee for drawing the line.

(Even knowing the change of mind) my comments stand, but my question is where do we stand on forests, what value do we place on our ecological systems?

Maybe SEFE should set up in the street with their information for direct questioning and feedback from the community.

I think the discussion about this issue needs to be had and has only just begun.

The Forest Forum on Saturday afternoon at 1pm might provide a starting point for some directions into our common forested future.

Skye Etherington

Wallagoot