Note too that Elspeth Finney of Shoalhaven Family Law was a winner in two categories and is also a local business with an office in Ulladulla - another deserved young winner.

I refer to your contributor B. Cumberland ('Nuclear debate needed').

B. Cumberland claims high power prices are due to Labor and our local member Fiona Phillips failing to embrace nuclear energy.

This argument is untrue and clearly misguided.

There are two main reasons why power prices in NSW remain high and the Liberal party, not Labor, are responsible for both of them.

Firstly at state level, the Liberal Party privatised the power grid some years ago. At the time we were told that this would result in lower power prices. However since then, prices have risen progressively because power companies only have profit as their goal rather than the public interest.

The NSW Liberal Party remains silent on this issue.

Secondly, the federal Liberal Party does not have a coherent energy policy, nor does it have a meaningful climate change policy.

As a consequence, commercial organisations are reluctant to invest in renewable energy and so we remain dependent on fossil fuels and what is essentially an energy monopoly.

Why do the Feds not have an energy policy?

Because for the most part they are a party of climate change deniers.

There is a lot of evidence to support this contention and although Morrison claims to believe in climate change, his actions are not consistent with this position.

His shameful behavior at the recent Pacific forum where he refused to support those countries directly affected by climate change speaks for itself.

Renewable energy from solar and wind are the future in Australia.

However until the Liberals embrace this reality, we will continue paying more for power than necessary.

The nuclear option has far more risks than benefits and needs to be excluded.

Excuse the sarcasm, but if would appear that stadiums, tollways and light rail have a higher priority than the health system.

This past week we have seen fires in Brazil and Bribie Island and both will certainly cause great environmental damage.

The fire in Brazil was deliberately lit and from what information available was done for commercial and political reasons.

However the fire on Bribie Island was the result of a so-called burn-off.

This looks like another case of either little training or care by those responsible and those responsible must be penalised for the death they have caused to native animals and habitat.

I was sickened by the sight of dead kangaroos on the beach and this tragedy could have been prevented with proper planning and oversight.

At least it did not result from commercial or political reasons.

I would like to think such condoned destruction would not occur in the slowly diminishing bush habitat still remaining in the Shoalhaven but then again we have car parks and motorcycle racing tracks planned, which will destroy large areas of habitat without a match being lit.