Each of these "machinery of government" changes costs NSW taxpayers millions of dollars. A government that struggles to fund enough teachers and nurses can apparently find millions to spend on this biennial farce. These changes distract thousands of public servants from doing their jobs, as they spend months planning and executing these massive reorganisations - only to start again two years later.

Add to that the fact that this time around, the NSW government has buried the agency responsible for the environment so deeply within the planning portfolio, as to render it all but powerless. This, at a time when much of NSW has been drought stricken for years, when we face a global climate crisis, and as wildlife such as our koalas are facing threats to their existence, especially on our North coast, where the LNP's Biodiversity Conservation Act has led to some of the highest land clearing rates in the developed world.

Thank you for coming along to Relay For Life on the weekend and for the story you had on the South Coast Register website.

As a committee we were so happy with this event and with the support from locals. Through wind and rain, sunshine and chilly weather we beat the odds and came out victorious.

We set up and started in the rain and then enjoyed some sun for an hour or two before the winds came. Our participants jumped in the help tie down tents and secure any lose items and kept walking. Cancer doesn't stop for bad weather and neither did we.

Our special morning tea for survivors of cancer and carers for those with cancer was so well supported with approx 150 people sitting down together in the pavilion to morning tea supplied by a team from the local TAFE and local Lions club.

Our participant numbers increased by 15 per cent this year and we are on track to reach this years fundraising target.

During the event we had a number of different activities including a ship building exercise from the local defence forces. We also had two young girls who had been growing their hair long who had their hair cut short to donate to be made into wigs. Once again our Ceremony of Hope gave us a chance to remember those we have lost but then we focused ahead and celebrated with those who have survived cancer and our vision of a cancer free future.

We had teams who stayed with us overnight and kept walking through the wind and cold night. We all got together for a one am onesie lap and walking the track overnight it was great to see teams encouraging each other.

Relay For Life is important to our local community for two reasons. Firstly it is a fundraiser for Cancer Council NSW. There are so many support services in place for those affected by cancer as well as prevention programs and research aiming towards a cancer free future. We have a local cancer care centre here and volunteers are there each day to talk to those with cancer and make sure they are connected with the services they need. These things would not be available without the money raised at Relay For Life. Secondly, and more importantly, Relay is a support network. It is a place where people who have been affected by cancer can come and get support, chat with others who have been through this as well and understand the impact it has.

We would really like the thank the local community for their support over the last 16 years. We could not put on an event like this without our sponsors and our local people getting involved. Bring on our 17th annual Nowra Relay For Life in 2020!