Without the support of all our volunteers and benefactors we would not be able to do what we do.

Special mention must go to the following businesses and groups for their ongoing and generous support: Nowra Fresh, Nowra Farmers Market, Bakehouse Delights, Nowra Village Hot Bake, St Michael's Primary School, Shoalhaven City Council, Shoalhaven Engraving, Bomaderry Bowling Club, Southern IML Pathology, Vinnies, SALT Ministries, and Nowra City Church. A big thanks to the many other community groups and individuals who have also supported us this year.

We couldn't do what we do without you! The Soup Kitchen will have its Christmas lunch today, December 20 and will close until February 7. Have a safe and blessed Christmas and New Year.

I would like to request that tourists be discouraged from coming to our area through this time of drought. I know this would affect businesses adversely but these visitors will not care about the restrictions. They are on holidays and need to wash their boats and have long showers after days at the beach.

At the moment we seem to have an adequate supply of water but with tourists arriving soon and with the threat of Sydney taking our water because of their lack of forethought and lack of infrastructure spending billions have been spent on roadways but virtually nothing on fixing problem plumbing.

I wrote to Melinda Pavey late last year (2018) about the continued growth of Sydney and why there hasn't been any further dam construction. Her reply was the desalination plant would be beneficial and they could always use Shoalhaven water.

I remember protesting Sydney's use of our water at least 15 years ago, and they have done nothing about fixing their own problem since. Let's be thoughtful about our water and how we can get it to last well into the future.

As a newcomer to the area I was wondering where the water came from. I'm so glad the Shoalhaven has made measures in the past to account for this type of weather. Great work.

I have lived on a property for 16 yrs with just tank water. I try to use little to help out the area, even though I would love a deep bath but not just yet. Hang in there Shoalhaven, the time will come.

The words "climate change" will not go down in history; as the key descriptive words for the destruction of habitation. The defining words muttered by the remnants of civilisation will be "season change".

The deterioration of the atmosphere by an abundance of fossilised carbon has wreaked havoc on our overcrowded planet. Due to inaction by governments we have reached the "point of no return". A final evolutionary phase, of rising temperatures and diminished drinking water.

There are two raging, bushfires, one a backburn, the other a searing forefront. The severe heat of the backburn punished the month of September with 30 plus degrees of hot weather, and no doubt, next year, the forefront will liven-up March and April.

In the future, once the two fires meet-roughly in the middle of July-there will be one season only-summer. The Earth will be a lonely uninhabited place of bare earth and raging dust and rain storms.