Blame for the embarrassingly high youth unemployment lies with the elected federal member and Liberal government policies. The Turnbull government has failed the people of Australia by rushing through unfair, one-sided free trade agreements and their refusal to change the policy to instruct all government departments to buy Australian products.

If the local member and her government had changed this, many struggling industries throughout Australia, including the paper mill, would still be operating.

Manufacturing in this country has been sold out by this government. You cannot expect new business to start in the Shoalhaven or anywhere else in Australia while there is an unfair playing field and no loading discount for Australian made products when tendering with the government.  

Our federal member may have a job paid from the taxpayers’ purse, so if she wants to keep it then it’s time for her to go knocking on doors in parliament to get support to change the procurement policy which will help struggling manufacturing and may encourage new industries in the Shoalhaven.

Having a job gives you self-esteem, a sense of achievement, and a dream for the future, while unemployment only leads to frustration, a lack of confidence and depression.

A yes vote in favour of same sex marriage will surely put in train a sequence of moral, ethical and financial costs that as a society we may not be prepared to pay.

It’s simply not about same sex marriage but about issues and practices that will be under attack from those who espouse their support for marriage equality.

The leftists have set their course in pursuit of radical social reforms disguised under the banner of marriage equality. Their endeavours must be resisted and defeated as their constant attacks on the norms of mainstream Australian values must not be allowed to prevail.
 

We would like to congratulate Shoalhaven City Council for joining the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership with other like-minded LGAs including Kiama, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley.

This initiative responds to widespread community concern about the impact of climate change on the health and wellbeing of the community and the destruction of our local environment. As part of this initiative, council has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations and to help influence community attitudes in favour of sustainable, low carbon behaviour.

The council obviously needs to fix our roads and bridges, and the effects of social disadvantage in the Shoalhaven. However, it must, as a significant priority,  address the threats of climate change that will adversely impact current and future generations through higher temperatures, more heat waves, more frequent and intense storms, drier conditions, coastal erosion, flooding and environmental damage.

The newly established Shoalhaven City Council Sustainable Futures Committee, has proposed measures to address social, infrastructure and sustainability issues in the Shoalhaven. As well as this, strategies that address inequity, inclusion, and resilience are integral to addressing climate change. We are very concerned about how older, disabled and economically disadvantaged people will be able to cope with more frequent extreme temperatures and associated health issues.