Bega District Letters to the Editor, November 17: Negative consequences of parking fines

This cynical Orwellian exercise creates a disincentive to visit Bega and spend money. Why does council create such barriers for local small businesses?

Furthermore, heightened anxiety caused by this revenue making erodes the very fabric of a small community creating an unhealthy and dangerous atmosphere in that in order to avoid being fined, people have to leave their businesses to drive around town creating increased traffic with its subsequent consequences.

I recently watched six people including the barista leave a cafe in order to move their cars because the parking officer had been spotted.

Are the many negative consequences of this revenue raising really worth the money?

As a future 'senior' and resident of the area for 24 years, the proposed development for 'seniors only' in Merimbula is a disappointment and an outdated concept.

New developments like the proposed seniors village in Lakewood Drive must take into consideration the community as a whole and provide access to a cross-generational and socioeconomic demographic while attending to housing issues.

The problem with this closed development for seniors only, is that it creates an isolated community for the well-to-do and privileged. This ghetto-like approach to new housing development can only lead to a dysfunctional society.

New developments should focus more on creating village-like communities of mixed socio-economic generational groups and families, fostering diversity and social cohesion.

There are trends in our large cities for smaller developments around a central courtyard and garden aimed at housing families, single occupants and older people, creating a small community with homes that are built to a high standard of sustainability, recycled water, solar panels, double glazing etc.

It would be great to see the BVSC take a stand and initiate a plan to encourage developers who want to lessen the carbon footprint of new homes built in the Valley with thoughts toward mixed demographics and include social enhancement and the fabric of our community and our ageing population, building a better future for everybody.

Regarding the Lakewood Drive seniors development, I would not want to live in a high rise that is bushfire-prone. It is clear that the effects of climate change are with us now. We can have no confidence that "a high-rise in town" will be safe from fire.

I would not like to be the fire service with responsibilty for telling the management to evacuate all the oldies. I wouldn't like to be the BVSC having to provide an evacuation centre. I wouldn't like to be the electricity company with responsibility for keeping the lifts going in the high rise during an evacuation.

And bushfire is only one of the reasons I object to this DA. Another of at least five reasons is the crass intrusion into this suburb of gardens and low housing. It feel it is incredibly rude to even suggest it, and it is easy to blame the profit motive.

I'm impressed that BVSC is standing up against it. Thank you BVSC!

Imagine what could happen if all the money, creativity and business that are supporting the development of AI and space exploration could be channelled into the true global crisis - the lack of drinking water that 75 per cent of the world's people face.

According to the World Health Organisation, only 25 per cent of the world has access to safely managed water. Surely safely managed drinking water is a fundamental right and need for all people everywhere!

In relation to the piece by Denise Dion, Temporary Telstra tower leaves Eden (BDN 25/10), I note that our federal MP for Eden-Monaro, the Honorable Kristy McBain, who is also Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories arranged for Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones to speak at two community anti-scam forums, (at Merimbula and Narooma), as it happens on the same day.

If the information contained in Denise Dion's piece is correct, that the mobile phone coverage at Eden is currently way below standard, then the good folk of Eden will at least be spared a whole lot of scam activity.

However, surely our esteemed MP could also arrange for something to be done about the situation, eg find a new temporary location for the Telstra tower. Perhaps by having a word with Bega Valley Council and Telstra who love to boast about their superior national coverage.

Come on Kristy and Telstra for the sake of reginal development surely it can't be that difficult to get a better outcome for Eden residents!! They deserve as many scams as the rest of us!

Also let's hope the "misinformation" discussed at those forums was not in some way about silencing those who simply disagree with Labor as we must, at all costs, ensure we preserve freedom of speech.

I am referring to the article in the Merimbula News about the difficulties of the long-term deaf tenant being given 30 days notice to move. There might not have been a suggestion that there was something legally done wrong. However, laws that allow a thing like this to happen are questionable to begin with.

Morally there is everything wrong with this decision from the landlords and real estate agents direction. I would like this real estate agent to know that I and my downsizing baby boomer friends will vote with our feet and not go anywhere near a business that operates this unethically.