I have become increasingly horrified over the past year or so about the progressive vandalism of trees along almost the entire stretch of path behind Collingwood Beach.

I suspect the home owners – many of whom are not even permanent residents - have poisoned and butchered these once beautiful trees for their own selfish perceived gain. They have left ugly scars, trampled vegetation etc.

Now I find out that council is about to embark on its own program of vandalism, all to appease these wealthy and influential house owners.

Did you know that your council, under the leadership of Joanna Gash and her team of “independents”, have voted to further chop down trees and keep vegetation to below a metre of height along much of this stretch? Who will pay for this? Us, the ratepayers of course.

What happened at Collaroy in Sydney? Massive erosion as a result of not having vegetation along the foreshores. What’s going to happen if all the vegetation is so severely cropped at Vincentia? The same thing. Who is going to pay for it? Us the ratepayers.

Once the residents realise what is going on with the risks to their properties, they will be the first to come whinging to council and demand that a concrete wall be put in place. Who will pay for this? Us, the residents.

Apparently there is even money put aside for this. So all ratepayers pay for the trees that hold the shoreline together to be vandalised (and this will not be cheap), and then we later pay for the remediation works. Does this sound fair to the majority of Shoalhaven residents? I don’t think so.

This will set a precedent for the entire coastline in the Shoalhaven and elsewhere, with the residents paying so a privileged few can obtain water views.

Thank you Malcolm but two phone calls during dinner gets you put on the do not call list. These were followed by a letter and I wonder about the cost.

Malcolm Fraser sent all Australians a letter over 30 years ago in the expectation they might get him re-elected and those also failed but at that time the cost was estimated at $2 million.

As postage and phone costs are significantly more expensive these days I can only guess the cost but it still will not earn you a vote with me as your mob have never done anything to benefit ordinary working people or the environment.

On Thursday, June 16, I arrived at a Bomaderry venue for a planned candidates forum, along with hundreds of other people all looking forward to a spirited debate between three electoral candidates on issues facing people in the Gilmore electorate.

What we were faced with on stage, however, was the candidate for the Greens Party, the candidate for the Labor Party and an empty chair.

According to the MC, the sitting member, Ann Sudmalis, had sent two different text messages explaining her absence: one that she was travelling from Sydney and held up in traffic and the other that a traffic accident prevented her from attending.

Phone apps and statements from those who had just driven from Sydney revealed that there were no other reports of traffic accidents, leaving us perplexed and questioning.

Why wasn’t the sitting member present at the candidates forum? Why weren’t we, who had ventured out on a cold winter’s night, given the opportunity to hear in person about the Coalition’s plans for people in Gilmore?

As a taxpayer and a voter, I felt devalued and disrespected by the sitting member’s actions.