Show some leadership
Why does the majority of the Shoalhaven Council not support the Sustainable Energy Sustainable Futures 18.26? The support for this proposal would enable council to receive a government grant to implement job-creating infrastructure for projects such as putting solar panels on our entertainment centre or other public buildings.
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From information gained from the public access to recent council minutes, it seems council is reluctant to take advice from the Shoalhaven Natural Resources flood plan management or from the Futures Committee the SN18.20 or Sustainable Futures Committee.
The delaying tactics of the majority include suggestions that the policies be displayed to the public and to wait for consultation from stakeholders. These proposals are not without merit but are used to put off important decisions for our environment.
Come on council, show some leadership. Be a shining example of forward thinking about our environment, infrastructure and employment in renewables. We need a real belief in the importance of sustainability for the sake of our children's children.
C. Parris, Conjola Park
Backflips fuel anger
One might have expected the disastrous Wagga byelection result would serve as a wakeup call for the NSW Coalition. In Wagga the Liberal Party suffered a massive erosion of support from its traditional base, losing the once safe seat to an independent climate change realist. In response, Premier Berejiklian promised she had “heard the message”.
Instead, we again have the city-centric Liberals acting in a tone deaf manner by axing their own recently announced plans for marine park sanctuaries, even before the public consultation period has ended.
Public opinion polls have repeatedly made it clear the majority want strong leadership from the government across all areas of the environment, including protecting the oceans. For the South Coast, this is a non-trivial matter. Half of the shallow rocky reefs on the South Coast look more like an underwater moonscape than a healthy and diverse habitat. The local Nature Coast Marine Group has been trying to get the state government to recognise the problem for the past six years but has been ignored.
For local fishermen, this is a problem as it is bad news for local fish populations. No plants and their associated animal life means no food for the smaller creatures and hence for the fish on which bigger fish feed.
Commonwealth government research clearly indicates marine protected areas generate enormous benefits to marine habitats and biodiversity, and generate benefits for fisheries and fishing tourism. By backflipping on this key issue, the NSW Government is showing it is again not listening to its local communities. They misjudged the level of community anger in Wagga and they appear to be doing so again.
B. Tomkinson, Little Forest
Undeserved reward
What can only be described as one hell of a dummy spit, our federal member Ann Sudmalis unleashed a tirade of accusations against a number of individuals who, in her opinion, were bullying and treating her most unfairly.
Seemingly bruised and angered, her condition was quickly treated with a liberal dose of taxpayer funded personal expenditure to participate in a stint at the UN – some would say retiring from politics but not retiring from nose-in-the-tough syndrome, a condition consistent with many of our politicians at this time.
I have vivid memories of Mrs Sudmalis shouting across the chamber at the opposition during question time, “Shame, shame, shame.” Were one to reply it might be, “ Really, you protest too much.”
Her trip to the UN is being discussed everywhere I go in the Shoalhaven and with much anger. Retire if you will but don’t flip us the bird on the way out.