Also set up food truck/stall stops. In Merimbula Ford Oval could have food trucks allowed to trade with seating set up. Hire a huge marquee, add some lights and you've got a lovely outdoor eating area. The same thing could be replicated up and down the coast from Eden to Batemans Bay.

This isn't the time for problems, it's time for solutions. Everyone from vendors to council to government should work together to find creative solutions so that when Victorians are allowed out they can have a good time visiting our beautiful area.

I've been walking this road for so long,

Will it ever end, will I ever find the sun?

Please come back to me and shine forgotten gladness,

Come shine for me so I can let go of all this sadness.

Shining joy you came,

I can let go of all this pain.

Now I shall be free to my only friend,

The sun.

I'm utterly dismayed at the news that the government would allow regional Australia to lose our national broadcaster and the SBS. Clearly this will be another step towards the destruction of open accurate and fair information and communication.

After all certain members of our current government who repeatedly tarnish the ABC with left wing bias when their decisions are questioned, would gladly see it go. If we lose both the ABC and SBS, the heartbreak of 2020 would not only be bushfires and COVID-19.

I certainly am concerned about losing these channels from the free to air programs. These are the most watched channels at my residence and to lose them for maintenance reasons seems a really backward step, particularly with the virus still lingering around. These two channels more than the others have helped keep our sanity over the past few months.

I write from the not-for-profit Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA) to highlight there is no question that across Australia, people's mental health conditions have escalated significantly. It is due to fear, anxiety and social isolation. COVID-19 has hit the community very hard indeed.

What is very troubling is that 54% of people with a mental illness do not access any kind of treatment. Close to 7 in 10 of all GP presentations are now people with mental health issues.

That's where the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia comes in. We have a special hotline designed to help people work out where they can get help. It is a free service available to readers in your area. Readers should simply call 1800 985 944. You can also get more information at www.minetworks.org.au.

Mental health issues need to be talked about more across the community. Close to half (45%) of all Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. It is now estimated a huge 3.8 million Australians live with a mental illness; 690,000 live with a severe mental illness.

We absolutely need to be investing more in services that help people with mental health issues. We must make it easier for people to access the help that is out there.

Our key message is reach out...because there is help out there. Visit our website or call our hotline. It is why the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia is there - to help.