Not only will this mean two weeks off work, it means paying for 2 weeks accommodation and taking my older son out of school for two weeks. It will end up costing a couple of thousand dollars to have an operation done within the public health system.

I hope the health district is looking into an ENT as a priority as I'm sure many families are not going to be able to afford these costs.

It would appear many on welfare and benefits of varied forms are simply replacing their hands with what is called a beggar's bowl. How sad is this with so many dependent on the government for their primary source of income, today, tomorrow and into the future.

The family unit is over represented with children with different fathers. What a pathetic situation many find themselves in but more pathetic is the number of agencies so keen to support these family units via their own begging bowls for public funds.

The lucky country we are not!

I write in response to B. Cumberland (Letters, October 2). In response to comments stating, "having our member in opposition is as handy as an ash tray on a motor bike.", First, former Member for Gilmore, Joanna Gash, was elected into opposition not once but twice.

If having a member in opposition is seen as useless, one could be mistaken for thinking Ann Sudmalis was elected into opposition. Re-elected in 2016 on just a 0.7 per cent margin showed voters were unhappy with the elected Liberal member's performance.

At the 2019 federal election, there was a 16.1 per cent swing against the Liberal party in our electorate, with voters turning their backs after more than two decades. We live in a democracy and as adults we must respect our democratic process, regardless of one's political views.

Throughout the world it is common practice that those nations with three levels of government mandate for state government oversight and control of the local level. This helps to overcome the often narrow and parochial view of local councillors responding to their support base without recognition or understanding of the bigger issues.

And throughout the world you would be hard pressed to find a better justification for this state government oversight than Shoalhaven City Council and Cr Greg Watson. Both the institution and the man are regularly convinced of the superiority of their intellect and local knowledge that overrides national or international concerns.

We see this in council's approach to climate change. This has drawn on support from an American climate change denial organisation and a group of local property owners with land values (and water views) to protect. This allowed the truly amazing decision that climate change will not impact Shoalhaven to the extent other areas have planned for.

And we see this in Cr Watson's recent torade against the planning minister who pointed out council's 45-degree rule for tree removal may have "perverse outcomes," resulting in a bare landscape. Uninvited views that do not support the local position are routinely dismissed, regardless of the expertise involved.

The real pity is that successive state governments and ministers have been reluctant to take action against Shoalhaven City Council. Or Cr Watson.