I know people would say, “What about the criminal element?” Well, are Nowra crims any different to others? If our council looked around Nowra on a Sunday morning they would find the cafes buzzing with people eating out.

How about an apartment block with shops in street level? 

I still get butterflies in my stomach when I think of my first day at school.  The anticipation of seeing friends, and a few people I’d rather not face, finding out who my teachers would be, all that homework, study and exams. Ok, perhaps they were knots in my stomach. But those nerves weren’t all bad, they were also about excitement and anticipation for the year ahead.

For over 3.6 million students across Australia heading to primary and secondary school over the next few weeks there will no doubt be plenty of butterflies.

While some students seemingly cruise through the whole thing, whether they’re starting school for the first time, moving to a new school, starting high school or heading back for a new class, some young people find it a very challenging time. And let’s face it, it can be tough for us as parents too.

For some children it’s particularly difficult as they face extra pressures like getting the best grades, or dealing with bullying, and others may be dealing with mental health issues like anxiety or depression.

If you’re a young person with something going on, or a parent concerned about your child, you don’t have to handle things alone.

headspace the national youth mental health foundation provides support for young people aged 12 to 25 who are struggling with their mental wellbeing.

General mental health and wellbeing resources can be found at headspace.org.au.  For online and telephone support please visit eheadspace.org.au or call 1800 650 890, which is staffed by qualified youth mental health professionals, and available between 9am - 1am EST.

Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy school year ahead - may those butterflies in your stomach be gentle, kind and full of promise. 

L. Sikora’s reply to B. Cumberland’s letter seems confused. We still have freedom of speech. It was Shelley Hancock not B. Cumberland who promised a new but not 24/7 police station as well as a new ambulance station for the Bay and Basin. 

The readers have seen many promises from candidates at election time, including "I will resign from the Liberal Party if elected to make my team non-political".

People still have the freedom of speech to keep the Bs honest by writing letters to the editor, whether from their armchair or the back of Bourke.

Well, well, the Police Minister Troy Grant and local MPs Ward and Hancock, it would appear, have bowed to the corporate needs of the NSW Police Force by creating two new deputy commissioners at the expense of our Bay and Basin police station.

The bolstering of the senior ranks at the expense of boots on the ground and supporting infrastructure beggars belief. It is simply not good enough to have a corporate structure in place if they lack the resources to deliver. Competing priorities, they will say, and we, the voters, may apply the same logic come election time.