At the same meeting it took these councillors almost two hours to decide which councillors would attend a conference. This saga must have been great for professional staff morale.

The community at Bermagui requested a cement wheelchair access ramp into the water at Bruce Steer Pool in an area long identified as being a safe haven for the very young, elderly and disabled in the community. 

To its credit, council decided to undertake a revamp of the area and add small amenities block due to the steep hill steps to the existing toilets.

Now we find that our most vulnerable community members are expected to share this small proposed facility with the many hundreds who use the trailer boat parking area on the headland daily during the fishing season.

I consider this decision to be an assault on the most vulnerable in our community and completely lacking in caring for those without a voice.

With the project being contingent on grant funding from the state, our local member Andrew Constance (a former Minister for Disabilities) has expressed his dismay at the decision and agreed to work with the community to reverse this dreadful decision.

Thank you to councillors Allen and Fitzpatrick for attempting to follow the staff recommendation.

It would appear that caring is out and self interest is in at the Bega Valley Shire Council meetings.

After recent high profile sportsmen misbehaving, I thought it might be timely to remind ourselves of the opposite.

After growing up here and then with public school support Kye Otton achieved a very high level in results and performance at the top level of professional surfing. 

Congratulations to Kye, his family and other mentors for showing us gentle, good and successful men do exist. 

Paul Strutynski in promoting his atheism (Letters, 31/8) and responding to a Just a Minute article by Meredith Coe tells us that all sacrifices are absurd, including that of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What he fails to realise is that all worthwhile achievements in life are achieved through sacrifices of various kinds. 

Parents continually sacrifice in the raising and education of their children.  Many years ago I was close to a couple in their late 50s whose son murdered his wife.  This couple suddenly had the job of holding the family together and restoring a sense of justice and mercy in their midst. 

They suffered much abuse from the community for several years in which time the woman had a nervous breakdown.  She had sacrificed herself in restoring the wellbeing of her family. 

I learned powerfully from that experience that when any injustice occurs there can never be a restoration of justice without a sacrifice by someone.

This is real everyday life and Jesus Son of God lived that real life recognising that sacrifice was the only way to counteract the sin of the world and restore justice on a cosmic scale.  His is the only way. There is no other.

And those who believe and accept His sacrifice are assured of eternal life with Him.   His sacrifice has given us purpose and hope that life is worth living and billions throughout the ages have taken it up.

Atheism which has no sacrifice offers us nothing.