Meanwhile, Shoalhaven City Council is proposing to hedge, prune or remove a swathe of foreshore trees along a 1.5km stretch of Collingwood Beach at the behest of foreshore property owners seeking to maximise views across Jervis Bay. Just 4 per cent of the area will remain intact.

The existing trees, shrubs and grasses were planted following the 1974 storms after the very same properties were threatened by storms, wave erosion and sand damage. The Vincentia community has since grown to enjoy the Collingwood Beach reserve for its natural values, particularly since the shared pathway was built in 2000. Threats from poisoning and cutting by a selfish few, and now Council's proposal to cave in to pressure from a narrow interest group by devegetating the reserve only serves to inflame a protective response from the broader community.

Council is meant to be the custodian of our Crown Reserves.  Instead, the gamekeeper is turning poacher, legitimising private foreshore clearing and poisoning across the Shoalhaven.

Australia has a proud history of being one of the world’s most compassionate countries. However, as the cold months set in, there are tens of thousands of Aussies who still need a helping hand from Red Cross. Last year we helped more than 20,000 people who were lonely and at risk of serious illness or injury.

During the recent devastating storms, Red Cross volunteers were on deck to help people affected right across NSW.

We must never accept that that life can’t be better for our families, friends and neighbours. In winter, it’s the poorest who often suffer most, including homeless people and families struggling to make ends meet.

A donation to Red Cross before June 30 will ensure we can continue to carry out our work such as keeping in touch with the vulnerable and isolated to ensure they are safe; it will help provide breakfast for Aussie kids, who would otherwise go to school hungry and help in times of disaster in Australia and across the region. It will help us to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

To donate, or for more information, go to redcross.org.au.

Pensioners and retirees were already outraged by the federal government's changes to the pensions assets test which will reduce many part pensions next year, as well as their $1.2 billion funding cut to aged care services. Now we have the ALP backflipping and supporting these attacks on some of the most vulnerable members of our society.

As most pensioners spend much of their pension on everyday living expenses in the local community local economies can expect to take a significant hit financially. What might have seemed little luxuries to many of them like visiting the local coffee shop or cinema will probably become a past dream and those repairs to the home will just have to wait. Pensioners will also find it more difficult paying for nursing services.

When the federal government in its recent budget reduced taxes for the wealthy and multinational companies it would not have dawned on many pensioners that the reduction of their part pensions and  the hardship it will bring was paying for tax reductions for millionaires and multinational companies.

The new Seniors United Party of Australia (SUPA), which will have three candidates standing for the senate, opposes those negative changes to the pension assets test and the cuts to aged care services.