23 minute read
Editorial
Welcome to this week’s editorial, Everywhere I turn I am hearing the message that Omicron is “mild”. In December NSW Premier Dominic Perro et assured us that early signs indicate Omicron is “five mes less severe” than Delta. This might well be the case in the physical impact of the virus but one would have to observe that the psychological impact on the community by Omicron we are currently witnessing is far more severe than any of us can imagine. Our community and our region was hammered by the bushfires. Even the hint of wood smoke in the air brings back memories to most of us of the incredible heat, the stench of acrid smoke that found its way into our homes, our lives and our every pore. That event brought to the surface the realisa on that we had no control of what might happen next. There was li le that could be done and since then li le has been done to give us any assurity it won’t happen again. La Nina is with us now and the rolling storms, the rain and the flooding remind us once again that we are at the whims of the gods. Add a volcano and tsunami to the mix and the reality steps up another notch that we have li le choice but to accept we live on a large spinning planet that we have no control over. That in itself is daun ng but we seem to reconcile that those are the risks we take. We live on fault lines, we build homes in the forest or next to the shore line. But when one natural disaster builds on the next and the next and the next … and the next it tends to undermine our hope of general stability. As a result we now live in a less predictable world and are surrounded with compounded uncertain es. There are no guarantees and we are now reminded of this annually with increased insurance premiums. Then along comes Covid. Ini ally we were on-guard. Most realised the poten al threat the virus posed on our lives and the lives of loved ones. We saw the figures. We reacted and most vaccinated. The wave of concern turned to a wave of complacency. Noses soon appeared from atop face masks. People stopped washing their hands. We demanded our right to sing and dance. Our leaders assured us all was in order. We had trust in them but alas they failed. It turns out it was a Race and that we missed the starters gun. Lock down a er lock down took its toll on our community. More and more we were isolated from each other. Humans are social beings. The loss of contact brought its own costs on our mental health. The lockdowns and messages were relentless. Isolate, test, lock down, sani se, and isolate again. But we did it hoping to pop out the otherside to normality. We yearned to return to how it had been. A predictable life that was stable. Where there were no masks, no sani sing and no lock downs. Added to that we wanted to return to a place where the smell of woodsmoke didn’t strike immediate fear. But then came Omicron that once again reminds us that we have no control. The disrup on it has caused, and con nues to cause to so many millions of lives can not be described as “mild”. Each, and all of us, are not the same folk we were two years ago. Resources for mental health services are stretched to near breaking. The fact is that we don’t like the unpredictable. We need to be in control of our own lives and when that control is taken away we don’t take it well. There is much we can’t control. We enjoy order, structure, guidance, reassurance and leadership. But we now live in a world where the rules change daily and it is more than evident that our leaders also have li le, if any, control. Humanity is currently rudderless and we are all in the same boat. Only the decks and cabins differ. The only thing we do have control over is how we treat ourselves and each other. We live in difficult mes and we have all been affected, one way or the other by fire, flood or pes lence. So if you see a neighbour walking by be sure to raise a hand and wave. It might just be the small posi ve they need to get by, and they might even wave back. Take care—we s ll have a way to go. Un l next lei
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Batemans Bay HealthOne is one step closer to becoming a reality since it first began planning six months ago. The service is intended to perform as a one-stop offering what NSW Health describes as a “unique Vol 16 September 15th 2017 model of integrated care for the community”. Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 The details of exactly what HealthOne in Batemans Bay will look like remain unknown. What is known is that there is a budget of $20 million from NSW Health. Will it be a new building, a set of buildings (described as Hub and Spoke) or will it be a connec on of services that already exist that are linked by improved paperwork and administra on prac ces? That is yet to be revealed. All we know is that it is "one step closer". That also means we don't actually know when it will be delivered or what the $20 million alloca on will pay for. NSW Health say "In prac cal terms, integra on for HealthOne NSW means that the planning, administra on and provision of primary and community health care services is integrated. In establishing HealthOne NSW services, the process of transi on from autonomous services, o en provided at separate loca ons some distance from each other, to integrated services, can take me. Service partners may take a staged approach, star ng with collabora ve or coordinated arrangements. Successful integra on is an ongoing adap ve process rather than a one-off ini a ve, it is organisa onal systems and processes, the work of teams and individuals that ul mately achieve the alignment and coordina on associated with integra on to deliver stepped changes for client and popula on benefit" Local Health Districts, including Southern NSW Local Health District, are generally guided by their community needs to determine the configura on that is best suited to each locality. The inten on of HealthOne is to deliver health upgrades to rural communi es, so that people can access higher quality health services in contemporary, purpose built facili es close to home. The model brings together a Commonwealth-funded general prac ce and state-funded primary and community healthcare services that includes dental, pharmacy and allied health professionals crea ng a healthcare hub in one loca on.
The general message is that while Commonwealth and State Governments have different areas of responsibility in delivering health services, the community just simply wants an effec ve, seamless system that works.
HealthOnes are par cularly beneficial for people who have complex health needs, and have been proven to be a successful model that bridges the gap between private providers and Commonwealth and State delivered health services. While there is no fixed model for HealthOne NSW services, they are characterised by a mo va on to bring health care professionals together to reduce the increasing burden of chronic disease and to focus on those people in the community who need a greater level of coordinated care.
which will be built at Moruya. While the development of the HealthOne at Batemans Bay is a posi ve there are s ll no details of the services will deliver.
When first the alloca on of $300,000 to get the planning underway was announced in August 2021the ques ons asked by the community were le unanswered. The general response at the me was that any addi onal services provided to the region was very welcome however the suspicion has progressed that the HealthOne op on is li le more than a poli cal pacifier to the Batemans Bay community as they begin to realise their hospital is undergoing considerable change that already has the community being redirected to the exis ng Moruya Hospital, well before the opening of the new Eurobodalla Hospital. Also of concern is the con nued outcry from the Narooma and Cobargo communi es who seem to be falling through the net of on-site local health provision as NSW Health con nues to centralise.
With the reduc on of service provision and rebates in TeleHealth rural and regional NSW health services are s ll falling a long way from the promises being made.
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Bega by-elec on: are you registered
Upcoming Bega State by-elec on. Update enrolment by 6pm Friday 21 January. Please check/update your enrolled address aec.gov.au/check.
Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 The 2021 River of Art Prize was announced today with the winner being Geoffrey Odgers for his work Burnt Offerings. The second award went to Victoria Collins for Sapling Forest in Crimson and the highly commended prize to Grace Paleg for Kiss the Floor.
The River of Art prize was rescheduled due to the 2021 COVID lockdown.
‘Congratula ons to the winners for their artworks. It’s a very diverse exhibi on from a highly talented and commi ed field’, said Leanne Joyce, Chair of the River of Art Fes val. The winning ar st will receive $2,000 with $250 for the runner up. The artwork most highly commended will be awarded $100. 50 ar sts entered a total of 63 works from within and beyond the Eurobodalla region demonstra ng again the quality and commitment of ar sts in our region. The final 22 works will hang at the Narooma School of Art studios un l 6 February 2022. ‘We also thank the judges Denise Ferris, ar st and educator, and Iain Dawson, Director of the Bega Valley Region Gallery’, said Leanne. ‘We spent quite a while considering the final 22 entries from a very robust field and it was a difficult final decision’, said Denise Ferris. ‘We feel that every work will find an apprecia ve audience and every entrant and their work ma ers’.
The 2022 River of Art Prize will be open in August and announced during the Fes val that will run from 1625 September 2022. The final works will be available to view on the River of Art website www.riverofart.com.au.
Above: Geoffrey Odgers with ‘Burnt Offerings’ (Credit: Corin Roussouw)
Two keen Eurobodallan equestrians will soon follow in the hoofprints of the world's greatest warlord, helping today’s Mongolian kids move Vol 16 September 15th 2017 on from lives scavenging garbage ps.
Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 Bodalla’s Duncan McLaughlin and Moruya’s Cele Stone are among sixteen riders selected for the 3,600 kilometre Blue Wolf Totem Expedi on across Mongolia. Raising funds for the Children of the Peak Sanctuary, the three-month adventure will see the pair aboard na ve Mongolian horses, riding roughly 50 kilometres each day. The horses are descended from those belonging to Genghis Khan's armies as he carved out the world’s largest empire: an area covering more than 23 million square kilometres including nearly all of Asia, the Middle East and a swathe eastern Europe. Mr McLaughlin said the expedi on was “much more than simply riding from A to B”. “We’ll be visi ng with Buddhist monks, hanging out with reindeer herders and riders that hunt with golden eagles, crossing deserts and mountains, pa ng yaks and camels, and seeing the wild and endangered Przewalski’s horses up close,” he said. “Riders cover the cost of the expedi on itself but have each commi ed to raising at least US$5,000 for charity.” Mr McLaughlin and Ms Stone were both caught in the Black Summer bushfires. McLaughlin and his family managed to defend their home and animals, though most of their property infrastructure was lost. “There’s a way to go but we’re ge ng there. COVID willing, I reckon both Cele and I can do with the break,” said Mr McLaughlin. The bushfires completely wiped out Ms Stone’s Mogendoura property as she fled the inferno with only those items already stashed in her car. Yet to rebuild and s ll ren ng, she said the trip would be a welcome reprieve. “It’s been a bright light shining the way a er some dark days,” said Ms Stone. “Mongolia has the world’s oldest surviving horse culture and the Blue Wolf Totem is the biggest charity ride ever undertaken. When you read up on Genghis Khan, he was quite a forward thinking and encouraged freedom of religion, ins tuted merit-based career paths, and was keen on redistribu ng wealth. I like to think he’d appreciate what we’re doing here.” The driving force behind the Blue Wolfe Totem Expedi on is Julie Veloo, a Canadian expat who has spent the last decade living in Mongolia. Ms Veloo came late to horse riding a er watching Mongolian children galloping their ponies across the steppe. Her Veloo Founda on is dedicated to helping displaced herder families, especially the children. “The steppe is in trouble due to climate change and overgrazing, with families forced to the capital to try and make a living, scavenging from Ulaanbaatar's rubbish dumps,” Ms Veloo said. “It’s astonishing to see the difference food, care and educa on makes in their lives. With money raised from horse expedi ons like this one – more than half a million US dollars over the years – we’ve built and run two kindergartens and a community library, with summer camps for the kids as well.” Duncan McLaughlin’s fund raising page > h p://www.veloofounda on.com/duncan-mclaughlin.html Cele Stone’s fund raising page > h p://www.veloofounda on.com/cecilia-stone.html Veloo Founda on > h p://www.veloofounda on.com Blue Wolf Totem Expedi on > h ps://m.facebook.com/105584197529257/
community Eurobodalla Show: Next weekend Sat 22nd & Sun 23rd January Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 Next weekend Sat 22nd & Sun 23rd January our Eurobodalla District Show is on at the Moruya Showground. The annual local show consists of two days of entertainment, including - Eljay motorbike entertainment show - Horse events - Produce display + compe ons - Arts & cra s - Photography - Food stalls - Animal nursery - Motorbike obstacle course - Side shows - Pet show - Dog jump - Music entertainment - Tractor & machinery display And much more!
Photo supplied
Photo supplied
Tuross Head Men’s Shed Monster Garage Sale
When: Saturday 29 January 2022 Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 Where: Tuross Head Men’s Shed - 44 Monash Avenue Tuross Head
Time: From 8.00 am to 1.00 pm Sausage Sizzle available
Bargains for everyone - bric a brac - household items - and even collectible Phantom comics
Come along and support your local Men’s Shed Contact: Steve Ryder (0412 623 865)
BBay walk-in COVID-19 vaccina on clinic
A walk-in COVID-19 vaccina on clinic will be available in Batemans Bay over the next four weeks. The Pfizer clinic will be open on Thursdays and Fridays un l 4 February from 10am - 3pm. Thursdays will be for people aged 12+ to get their first or second doses, and for people 18+ to receive their first, second or booster vaccina ons. Fridays will be for children aged 5-11 to get their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. No bookings required, just walk in! Parental consent is required for people aged 5 - 15 to get their vaccina ons. Venue: Batemans Bay Community Centre, SEARMS building, Museum Place, Batemans Bay Dates: Ages 12 years and above: Thursday 13, 20, 27 January and 3 February Children aged 5-11: Friday 14, 21, 28 January and 4 February Time: 10am – 3pm Available vaccine: Pfizer Eligibility: 5 years and older Bookings: Not required For informa on about parental/guardian consent visit: bit.ly/vaccina onconsent
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Please contact Diane to book on 0400463438
Next Teensafe course Monday 24 January at Moruya Speedway - book now
The next Teensafe course for L and P plate young drivers is being planned for the school holidays on Monday 24 January, 2022 at Moruya Speedway – subject to Covid and Lockdown restric ons at the me. Cars and instructors provided. For registra on form and more info visit www.teensafemoruya.org
www.iga.com.au/catalogue
Left: Eurobodalla councillors 2022-2024 (l- r): David Grace, Rob Pollock, Anthony Mayne, Amber Schutz, Alison Worthington, Mayor Mathew Hatcher, Pete Diskon, Tubby Harrison, Tanya Dannock
Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 Contact your Councillors Correspondence to councillors can be sent to the councillors directly or by: email: council@esc.nsw.gov.au
post: Eurobodalla Shire Council PO Box 99, Moruya NSW 2537
Please note that emails sent to the @esc domain are handled by Eurobodalla Shire Council staff.
Mayor Mathew Hatcher T: 0482 662 708 E: Mayor@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor Tanya Dannock T: 0482 720 103 E: Clrtanya.dannock@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor Peter Diskon T: 0482 709 883 E: Clrpeter.diskon@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor David Grace T: 0482 788 865 E: Clrdavid.grace@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor Tubby Harrison T: 0482 607 256 E: Clrtubby.harrison@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor Anthony Mayne T: 0482 496 402 E: Clranthony.mayne@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor Rob Pollock OAM T: 0482 707 080 E: Clrrob.pollock@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor Amber Schutz T: 0482 783 020 E: Clramber.schutz@esc.nsw.gov.au Councillor Alison Worthington T: 0482 846 641 E: Clralison.worthington@esc.nsw.gov.au
Correspondence received at these generic addresses will be distributed by Council's records staff to the councillors and staff specified by the sender. All correspondence or emails sent to Council addresses become official records.
Photo supplied
The Bee Team at Yumaro Living have beeeeeen extremely buzzy making lots of Bee Hotels for their clientele. Joey and Ma , the Bee-Advisors, have now allocated 8 hours per week so they can build the Bee Hotels with the residents of Yumaro Living. As you can see by the photos, everyone is Vol 16 September 15th 2017 having lots of fun especially in the sunshine weather.
Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 The Bee Team are asking for dona ons of Bamboo, Pallets, Wood (including Dri Wood), Shells, Small Rocks and even some Dried Twigs. These are the things that they will mostly need to be able to build the hotels. Yumaro Living is located conveniently on the corner of Campbell Street and Foreman Street in the heart of Moruya or alternately you can drop off any of the above materials at Yumaro – 6 Shelley Road, North Moruya Industrial Estate. In Joey’s words, “We are so excited to get this project up and running this year and have many fabulous ideas to add to our Bee Team Crea ve space.” Please contact Joey or Ma for more informa on – 4474 5819
Cu agee Bridge repairs – Tathra Bermagui Road closures from 24 January 2022
Bega Valley Shire Council would like to advise the community that emergency repair works will be carried out at Cu agee Bridge on the Tathra Bermagui Road from Monday 24 January 2022 (weather permi ng). Works will include driving piles to improve lateral stability and the replacement of several failed structural components below the bridge deck. This will require the bridge to be closed to all traffic from 9am to 3pm on Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 January, and again on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 January. Detours via Bega and Cobargo will be sign-posted for the dura on of the works. Details will also be published on the BVSC Website and Facebook pla orms. Cu agee Bridge will be open under the current posted limita ons on 26 January for the Australia Day public holiday. For further informa on please contact Council’s Works Engineer, Ivan Rizwanul on (02) 6499 2222.
Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018
real estate OUT NOW—your latest Beagle Abode : Eurobodalla’s
Vol 16 September 15th 2017 leading real estate guide
Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018
The beagle abode is an online weekly Eurobodalla real estate guide showcasing the current Eurobodalla market and our many realtors.
The beagle abode is the new addi on to the South Coast Beagle that owns The Beagle and the South Coast Travel Guide: The Nature Coast of NSW : from Durras to The Tilbas The Beagle Abode has been established to provide that service while also providing our readers with a glossy overview of latest proper es on the market each week. You can find Beagle Abode on the Beagle website under REAL ESTATE
The latest Beagle Abode lis ngs are also available each week as a FlipBook on the website and also distributed to readers via our social media pages and our twice weekly mailouts. CLICK HERE: h ps://www.beagleweekly.com.au/real-estate
South Coast Property Specialists (Carlene Franzen) Tips #1080: Where is all the Money Coming From?
Vol 16 September 15th 2017 The increase in property prices in our local area has been quite Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 staggering along with the speed at which properties are being snapped up. As we have previously reported, many properties are not even making it into the advertising stage but are being sold to people on our database who have property profiles that match the new listings that we get. This is one of the reasons why you would have seen a “SOLD” sign put up in front of a property that you didn’t even know had been put on the market. While prices in our local area are high, the value of property in many, many, many, suburbs in Sydney are quite mind blowing. The Daily Telegraph recently reported that at the start of 2021 there were 39 suburbs where median house prices were over $3m, but the number more than doubled to 82 suburbs by the end of the year. Of those 82 suburbs, 29 of them had a median house price of over $4m. That is a massive amount of wealth stored in people’s “asset bank” and quite frankly makes many of our properties locally look like complete bargains. Imagine moving from a Sydney suburb with all the traffic congestion etc to a waterfront or clifftop property in the Eurobodalla and you may still have $1m-$2m+ as retirement money. In line with the increase in property values it is no wonder that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has also announced an increase in the lending to owner occupiers, investors and first home buyers. The value of new loan commitments rose 6.3% to $31.4 billion in November 2021. The average loan size for owner occupier dwellings rose to an all-time high of $596,000. This will obviously have a significant impact on the ongoing housing affordability issue which we are sure must be becoming more and more of concern for the various levels of government. Also, interestingly from the ABS figures, approximately one third (or $10.1 billion) of the new loan commitments were to the investor segment which shows that the investors are truly back in force in the property market. The new Real Estate Ins tute of Australia (REIA) President Hayden Groves was quoted in one of his first press releases as saying: “It is our hope that 2022 should see a more stable market in line with an expected increase in stock levels for the first home buyers, owner occupiers and investors alike”.
