The opposition quite rightly objects to the alienation of public land to facilitate the society having a place to store and operate both large and small canoes.

The concept of the application is not in question, the society's operation from a lakeside location would no doubt include a colourful spectacle as big and the smaller canoes take part in races and skill events that would likely include participants from other outrigger clubs in NSW.

However, locating the boatshed and the society's events at Barker Reserve is simply locating an otherwise welcome event in the wrong place and for the wrong reasons.

Barker Reserve includes a children's playground and a (very) small launching ramp that is also the only sandy area where children and other visitors can swim without walking on the seagrass areas inhabited by various marine organisms including crabs.

A Google map view of Burrill Lake shows numerous alternative locations including privately owned farm land that appears to be ideally located. As farmers are generally doing it tough might it not be possible for the society to negotiate a lease for a lakeside part of a farmers land and thereby provide some added income for the farmer and an uncontested location for the paddlers?

One such location would appear to be at 39 21' 28.03" S and 150 26'7.24" E located at the northern end of the lake.

Yes, members of the society would need to pay the farmer for use of the land but that should not be an insurmountable problem.

The 1970s: Scientists become increasingly aware earth's climate is changing. Severe winters in Asia and the US lead press to conjecture that the world is getting colder. This is not what science was saying. Instead the World Meteorological Association issued a warning in June 1976 that a significant warming of global climate was probable.

The 1980s: The effects of acid rain (discovered in the 17th century) become more noticeable from the 1970s as population and industrialisation grow. Through the 1980s scientists work with governments and clean air acts are put in place, limiting sulphur and nitrogen emissions. Because of this action acid rain levels have dropped 65 perf cent since 1976.

The 1990s: the hole in the ozone layer was discovered in 1982. Scientists discover the cause is human made chemicals and that its depletion would be harmful to all life on earth. Governments worked together to create an international treaty that everyone abided by and the ozone began to recover in the 2000s.

The 2000s: The world becomes very aware of 'Global Warming' (term coined in 1975 by Columbia University) and 'Climate Change' (1979 by the National Academy of Science). Both terms mean that science is telling is its getting hot out there. The five warmest years on record, globally and in Australia, are the most recent five years. Predicted by Garnaut in 2008 that we would start to feel the effects by 2020.

We need to learn the value of listening to science and working co-operatively. That will give our children hope.

How do you think two 15-metre shiping containers plonked on a concete slab would go down at Hyams Beach Reserve or next to the Mollymook Surf Life Saving Club? That's the quality construction council appears set to approve for Barker Reserve at Burrill Lake. Some people might not mind putting a shipping container in their front yard but it's too "industrial" for me.