VOTE OF THANKS
I would like to thank the many people that voted Labor in the recent federal in Gilmore. While Labor did not quite win Gilmore, we went close, with a 5 per cent swing to Labor in the primary vote. Gilmore now has a razor then margin of 0.8 per cent, is the most marginal electorate in NSW and seventh most marginal in Australia. Irrespective of political party, that new slim margin can only be good news for people in the Gilmore electorate as we move forward.
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Thank you to our many volunteers and supporters that have every day stood up for Medicare, for our hospitals, for the full Gonski needs based funding for our local schools, for significantly more fibre-to-the-premises NBN in Gilmore, jobs, and much more. It is because of your support that we are in a solid position moving forward and for our next task of holding the Member for Gilmore and her Liberal government to account.
Just like our electorate of Gilmore was named after the great progressive Dame Mary Gilmore, I have no doubt that with you help in the not so distant future Gilmore will be progressive again too.
F. Phillips, Callala Beach
COMMONSENSE PREVAILS
In a rare outbreak of commonsense, Shoalhaven councillors have agreed to further consider legal, environmental and community concerns about the proposed lopping of vegetation to a height of between one and 1.5 metres along a 1.5km stretch of Collingwood Beach.
But why does it take media exposure, 900-plus signatures on a petition, and the very public embarrassment of their own consultants telling them that their plan possessed a risk to dune stability, and the area will become “more susceptible to extreme weather conditions that could result in adverse impacts to private and public assets as well as the ecological values of the reserve” for our councillors to see sense?
If it goes ahead, the upfront cost of the plan for Shoalhaven ratepayers will be $120,000 plus $5000 for a demonstration site. But who actually benefits from this proposal? A small number of property owners at Collingwood Beach. And who is going to pay for the costs of damage to private properties and public infrastructure that results from destabilising the dune? Shoalhaven ratepayers.
We all saw what happened at Collaroy Beach during the east coast low that hit the NSW coast in June.
Approving the Collingwood Beach Dune Vegetation Plan, knowing that it will increase the risk of damage to properties and infrastructure from extreme weather events, is reckless and irresponsible. With many of Collingwood Beach’s foreshore properties and the shared pathway already in the Immediate Zone of Reduced Foundation Capacity, the plan is very likely to expose Shoalhaven City Council and ratepayers to unacceptable legal and financial risks in the not too distant future
A. Boutland, Ulladulla
CHILDREN BENEFIT
I’m writing to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the community of NSW for their support of The Smith Family’s 2016 Winter Appeal. We launched the appeal in May to raise $3.65 million by June 30 to support the education of disadvantaged children across Australia.
Our appeal highlighted the impact of severe financial disadvantage on the education of a child. For the 638,000 children living in jobless families across Australia, every day at school can be a struggle. These children often miss out on excursions and camps, can feel isolated and alone, and are at risk of disengaging from learning. Without educational support and extra resources, they may never reach their potential or find a pathway out of poverty.
It is heartening that our call to “end poverty – one student at a time” through education resonated with so many people in the community, who responded with great generosity to our appeal.