Just looking through the names of my fellow performers brought back memories. Helen and George Clemson. George made the scenery, he made a packing case for my fridge to go back to the UK. Darrel Riles, who I last saw in Fiddler on the Roof in Sydney in 1968. Jeff Wilkinson, who painted the scenery and painted a picture of Nowra Hill as a farewell present. It still hangs on my wall today. The Sheaths who used to run the Wedgwood Gift shop in Junction Street, Brent was the musical director, Mavis Voss who worked at Fossey's, I once asked her to get a suitable present for my wife's birthday. She bought and packed a most wonderful negligee for me. My wife still claims that it was her best birthday present ever.

To all those members of the Shoalhaven Musical Society I would like to thank them for such a happy time spent with you all in Nowra.

In case any of the cast are still around I played the part of Jeb.

I believe a Jervis Bay Road flyover is on the agenda, but it could not come soon enough.

Thanks to COVID-19 the traffic has eased, but once visitors are allowed back we will be back to the slog of a long clogged road leading back onto the highway.

It certainly has been a death trap and I dread witnessing any more accidents, especially for the tourists who are not experienced with this section of the road.

I would like to protest against the approved development for Ozy Homes to raze the unburnt forest in Manyana, purchased by them years ago, prior to the growing concern for conservation of forest areas and habits.

In light of the recent bushfires and global impacts of climate change, the recent approval for this development by Shoalhaven Council and Rob Stoke's NSW Planning and Public Spacing department, beggars belief.

One can only assume that the community of Manyana, while in the midst of COVID 19 lockdown, has been preoccupied with their own health and safety to have noticed the media release of the Shoalhaven City Council's consultative opportunities for effective two-way discussion about the Ozy Homes proposal.

Or, indeed, if there was any opportunity provided to the Manyana community for consultation about the development.

It seems to me that both assumptions could be proven to be valid, given the high level of protest, concern and despair from the Manyana people, others in the Shoalhaven region and fellow Australians living beyond New South Wales.

If the minister, Rob Stokes and his department, along with Shoalhaven City Council, do not want to appear as money grabbing entities risking communities and their environments at the expense of embellishing their CV s, then they would do well to remember that they are there to listen to and serve the people through open, interactive dialogue.

I urge all residents to get behind the campaign to save some of the only remaining bushland in Manyana from development. This bushland is home to so many native animals and to destroy it before the surrounding bush has time to regenerate from the fire is signing the death sentence for wildlife.