At the extraordinary meeting held on Tuesday, May 18 a rescission motion was moved and the item again debated. A motion that the matter be deferred to the next Ordinary Meeting was carried. It was voted for by the Greens and Gash councillors and by myself. The reason for this was so that we could have a briefing about the matter, including funding options. We received this briefing yesterday and I am personally now much clearer on what is being asked of us and of what funding options are available.

I would ask that in the future that if Mr Ward wishes to become involved in council matters and make statements publicly and in parliament, he makes sure he tells the truth instead of trying to mislead the residents of the Shoalhaven.

After listening to Ann Sudmalis’ train wreck of an interview conducted on the banks of Shoalhaven River I'm compelled to provide this critique.

Mrs Sudmalis likened herself to a jockey and the government a horse. She said the horse was doing well why would you change the jockey, referring to a possible preselection challenge to her position.

Her analogy immediately reminded me of comments made by late legendary horse trainer Tommy Smith.

He said you could have the most expensive and well trained horse in the field, aided by much developed and planned tactics to enable the horse to win but when you send them out to run their chances of success rests in the hands of the jockey. 

Our present economy is obliged to grow annually at between 3 and 6 per cent. If it grows at less than 3 per cent for too long the economy will collapse through lack of currency. On the other hand, too much over 6 per cent for too long will see inflation spiral out of control.

Scott Morrison’s talk of tax cuts will see a further stagnation of wages growth (workers need at least an 8 per cent wage increase to boost spending).

The Turnbull government’s failure to reduce record debt will further erode living standards to the extent not seen since the Great Depression.

This week (National Volunteer Week, 21 to 27 May 2018) we’re saying a huge thank you to the people who take action and make our country a happier place.

Volunteering happens in all kinds of ways. Like the simple act of sharing a social media post about supporting newly-arrived migrants which, when thousands of others share, can have a huge impact. Other kinds of volunteering require a bigger commitment, like driving elderly isolated people to regular medical appointments and social outings, and can have a profound effect on the lives of individuals.

At Australian Red Cross, volunteers support communities when natural disasters hit, make daily phone calls to isolated people, greet customers to our op shops, donate blood, and fundraise for us. This week we’re celebrating not just our volunteers in NSW, but everyone who takes action to make our society stronger, more connected and supportive.