It has been an exhausting time for those on the front line as well as those who are continuing to offer assistance to help restore some normality to neighbouring communities. This is also directed to the supporters of our paid employees of the RFS who give many more hours than their pay rates nominate.

It is you who are the back bone of our firefighters and service, the quiet concern when you see them off and warm and loving welcome when they come home to their families and their jobs. We are a wonderful community and proud to be a part of it in Bermi and the greater Bega Valley.

I just heard an interview on local ABC radio with Andrew Constance, Member for Bega and Minister for Transport. Following the 'brave' admission from his Environment Minister, Matt Kean, that he believed that the catastrophic bushfires are directly linked to climate change you'd think that the game was up!

But no! As much as the interviewer tried to prompt him to utter the words 'climate change' as a factor in the fires, Constance could only go so far as mentioning 'climate' as a factor. To put the two words 'climate change' together was obviously one step too far as he proceeded to dance around the question in his usual political babbling style. If it wasn't so serious it would be funnier than Yes Minister!

Then to add insult to injury, I hear our 'highly informed' Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, an ardent climate change denier, offer another 'amazing' insight into the 'debate' when he challenged Minister Kean's admission by claiming, on ABC's PM program, that the fires were caused by little 'lucifers running around with matches and fire starters', not climate change.

I challenge Mr McCormack to find any pyromaniac that is capable of lighting up sub-tropical rainforest at Terania Creek in Northern NSW under normal climatic conditions! We know from the NSW Rural Fire Service that many of these mega fires were ignited by dry lightning storms under unprecedented dry vegetative conditions. When sub-tropical rainforest burns, under any circumstances, you know you have a serious and unusual problem. Using fire bugs as scapegoats for our current predicament is an outrageous claim and is highly insulting! How did this man get to become our Deputy Prime Minister?

Meanwhile the Commonwealth Government is transfixed on busting up the trade unions, repealing Labor's medevac laws, downsizing the public service, and protecting religious rights; none of which would seem to have any real priority under the current dire circumstances. It seems to me that we don't have a representative government anymore. Its very existence seems only to serve its obsessive conservative ideological agenda and to protect its precious lobby groups and corporate sponsors while the Prime Minister need only promise to pray for us poor mortal peasants!

It seems to me we'd be better off having our new breed of concerned and informed school children running our democracy. At least we would stand more of a chance of staging some form of mature and rational debate without having to rely on Scomo and his evangelist God to save us all!

I think it is outrageous that BVSC is not having the usual celebrations in Littleton Gardens this year, what is wrong with these idiots!

Isn't Bega supposed to be the main town in our shire? Every town has its own celebrations and I for one always turned up in my heritage car as a member of the Bega Heritage Motor Club. Also, one of our members usually transported the ambassador to the event. I am appalled by this ridiculous decision!

The intention of BVSC not to hold ceremonies of awards and citizenship on Australia Day 2020 is disappointing. The excuses seem lame and do arouse suspicion.

If council considers attendance id dropping, then it won't help to hold an evening event some days later (and after a council meeting)! Impetus and a degree of meaning will have been lost.

My wife and I found the proceedings in Bega this year enjoyable and inspirational (apart from one excessive acceptance speech).

And, what on earth does council really mean by "respects local communities' choice to celebrate this day in a way that is meaningful to them"? Is this another instance of council detracting from its good operational work by policy pandering to special interest groups (sometimes not even pertinent to council's primary business)?

Surely cost saving can't be driving council if it intends to "support" bits and pieces across the shire. As administrative and geographic centre of the shire, Bega is best placed, and indeed obliged, to host Australia Day activities.

So, what is council's real agenda and motivations regarding Australia Day? If it truly "continues to value Australia Day", then it should host appropriate celebrations on the day. Other patriotic Australians might also make that point to BVSC.