Local jobs in Local Government are important to our employment in regional labour markets and economies.

Our area has faced crisis after crisis in the last two years and the toll on our communities and people has not been witnessed since the second world war.

To betray the council workers, who have tirelessly performed their duties during this time is an insult to their commitment.

Shame on the Mayor and Councillors who voted in favor of the Tendering out of Public Amenities Cleaning.

This was not something any of you campaigned on during council elections.

Regarding my letter to the SCR Wednesday, March 09, 2022, where I asked, "Who is benefitting from our loss" "Where are our elected representatives" and "Please if you can, prove me wrong?"

I'm talking about life and death issues, serious stuff, and when no one replies, one must ask if our politicians are moving away from reality.

Bay and Basin's 34,465 people are entitled to 90 public hospital beds. Where are the beds?

Milton Ulladulla people are entitled to an extra 25 public hospital beds. Where are their beds?

When Nowra has 13 more public hospital beds than they are entitled to, why are they getting a $438 million upgrade to their existing hospital?

For population, Illawarra should have 763 public hospital beds. Illawarra has 852 available hospital beds, 89 over their quota.

Why? Whose economy is benefitting?

I calculate 89 hospital beds generate $85 million in wages alone without mentioning infrastructure, travel, accommodation, lost time from work, and ongoing health issues not being addressed.

That money belongs in the Shoalhaven economy!

Illawarra Area Health, how about a few less glossy artist impressions and a few more answers?

And I ask where the ones we elected and those hopeful of election stand on this subject?

The Prime Minister has scoffed at the Labor Party plan to address the myriad of issues in the aged care sector.

These issues were all recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care, which the government seemed concerned about at the time but now dismisses Labor's plan to do something to address the issues by actually spending money.

The whole community was outraged when longstanding problems came to the fore during COVID: poor nutrition, underpaid staff, not enough staff, minimal training for staff and no regulations to have registered nurses on duty at all facilities 24 hours a day.

Many of our elderly were locked in their rooms for weeks at a time during the pandemic and sadly many died.

The governments first priority it seems was to spend several million dollars on consultants to develop frameworks / guidelines for the sector. While standards are important money needs to be spent on frontline delivery to residents!

The current Liberal-National Federal Government needs to step up and actually commit funds to fix these issues our elderly deserve it!

Wow, the new Shoalhaven District Hospital will be seven storeys high. That's seven more storeys for our nurses to be overworked and underpaid on.