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Plans to cut red-tape Key projects out for comment

GROUPS WELCOME PUSH FOR LESS BUREAUCRACY

BACKING: Cooma Car Club life member and well-known volunteer, Rogan Corbett, is supporting a

Narelle Davis, to cut the council red-tape and allow community groups to do what they do best.

provide a process where they can work on and maintain the council facilities and assets they use and pay fees for.

By NATHAN THOMPSON

CUTTING the red-tape is a phrase o en said but seldom acted upon. A plan before Snowy Monaro Regional Council is hoping to achieve just that, by assisting community groups in their dealings with council and allowing them to take greater ownership of the public spaces they use.

In council’s suite of planning and reporting documents currently out for community

comment, an area identi ed for improvement is how council sta work with community organisations.

Councillor Narelle Davis has put forward the idea with the support from a majority of councillors to cut the red tape and help not-for-pro ts do what they are best at.

“There is work taking place to put in the processes where our volunteers will be provided the necessary support and guidance to help manage our open spaces

and recreational facilities,” Cr Davis said.

“We hear all too o en from community groups that they are willing and able to help maintain facilities but are prevented by council bureaucracy.

“The motion, to be debated at the June meeting, will hopefully result in council being easier to work with.”

Cooma Car Club life member and active community volunteer, Rogan Corbett, said the move has is welcomed by local groups.

“We support any move where we can allow our hard working volunteer groups to do what they do well,” Mr Corbett said.

“If we can work with council to go through the proper induction processes and cover o on those things, then let us help.

“We see work, repairs and maintenance that could be quickly done by a volunteer group, but then sits there for weeks if not months while council tries to t it into their schedule.”

COOMA FURNISHING CO

By NATHAN THOMPSON

SNOWY Monaro ratepayers are having their say on council’s suite of integrated planning and reporting documents, which feature the dra budgets, operational plans and fees and charges for the next nancial year.

Within the documents, is an outline of the key projects council anticipates to deliver in 2025/26, changes to the services council provides and increases in the fees and charges to use council assets.

In Cooma, key projects set for delivery include an expansion of the Cooma Lawn Cemetery, swimming pool upgrades, ood levee concept designs, and the Cooma Snowy Reservoir design and construction.

In Jindabyne, a series of projects residents have long been calling for are included in the dra operational plan for 2025/26.

Community members and business operators have been urging council for a number of years to knock down the existing town centre toilet block and build a new amenities facility.

The project was placed on hold as council awaited the development of the Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct.Around $900,000 has been allocated to the design and refurbishment of the toilet block in the town centre.

■ More on page 3

move by Snowy Monaro Regional Councillor,

Snowy Monaro groups are hoping council will

PHOTO: Nathan Thompson

Feedback sought on key council projects

By NATHAN THOMPSON

SNOWY Monaro ratepayers are having their say on council’s suite of integrated planning and reporting documents, which feature the dra budgets, operational plans and fees and charges for the next nancial year.

Within the documents, is an outline of the key projects council anticipates to delivery in 2025/26, changes to service delivery and increases to council fees and charges.

The documents are arguably the most important council places on public exhibition.

We have a breakdown of the key projects in Cooma, Bombala and Jindabyne and the funding source delivering these projects.

Over the coming weeks, we will feature key projects and fees and charges increases for towns and villages across the Snowy Monaro.

In Cooma, key projects set for delivery include an expansion of the Cooma Lawn Cemetery, swimming pool upgrades, ood levee concept designs, and the Cooma Snowy Reservoir design and construction.

Council infrastructure priorities out for public comment

build a new amenities block.

The project, like a numerous others in Jindabyne, was placed on hold as council awaited the development of Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct.

The design and construction of the Cooma Snowy Reservoir will see a new distribution water reservoir for Cooma. This project is budgeted at $5 million with

the money coming from council’s restricted water and wastewater funds.

Almost $1.9 million will be spent on upgrading the water treatment facilities at the

Cooma pool to meet Australian standards. $500,000 will go towards the Cooma land ll upgrade, with work to commence planning for the installion

of a new weighbridge and weighbridge o ce.

In Jindabyne, a series of projects residents have long been calling for are included in the dra operational plan

for the coming 12 months.

Community members and business operators have been urging council for a number of years to knock down the existing toilet block and

The toilets, next to the memorial hall, have $935,000 allocated for its design and refurbishment.

Headlining council’s list of Jindabyne based projects is the Lake Jindabyne Shared Trail. Funded through the NSW Government’s infrastruture grants program, the next 12 months is expected to see additional trails and upgrades delivered to connect Creel Bay to east of Jindabyne.

The entire grant for the shared trail is $11,500,000.

Council has allocated just more than $4 million for the upgrade of Bombala’s swimming pool. There will be upgrade to the water treatment facilities to meet Australia standards. The money comes through grant funding.

A new sewer pump station for Bombala is in the operation plan with $1.3 million from council funding allocated.

The Delegate School of Arts received a bush re economic recovery grant to upgrade its amenities, storm water and drainage. The grant of $965,688 will be administered over the nextnancial year.

GREG COWELL LANDSCAPING

COMMUNITY: Council is calling on ratepayers to provide feedback on a range of projects included in the dra operational plan. A key project is the delivery of the Lake Jindabyne Shared Trail.

PHOTO: Supplied

By NATHAN THOMPSON

Red Shield Appeal most important yet: Bartlett Salvos appeal for community support

WITH more Snowy Monaro residents than ever before calling on the Salvation Army for assistance, Cooma Corps

O cer Debbie Bartlett believes this year’s Red Shield Appeal is the organisation’s most important yet.

The Cooma Salvation Army has supported about 160 families and hundreds of residents in the last 12 months with cost-ofliving pressures placing an increasing number of locals in nancial hardship.

Mrs Bartlett said rising electricity costs and grocery prices are being cited as the two biggest challenges locals are facing. She said single-parent families and individuals aged between 4554 are struggling the most.

“Our Red Shield Appeal is an important time for our community to support those doing it tough and be the hope many in our community need,” Mrs Bartlett said.

“The last 12 months has seen a sharp rise in people needing our support. Money we raise locally through the appeal will stay in the region, together we can make a big di erence.”

The Cooma Salvation Army has set an $18,000 target for this year’s appeal. The 2025 appeal will see the Salvos team and a band of volunteers at stalls outside Cooma Woolworths and Cooma Aldi between May 19 and 25, collecting funds.

SUPPORT NEEDED

Mrs Bartlett said locals can support the appeal through donating funds or

by helping on a stall. Gone are the days of the Salvos door-knocking for the appeal, this year is a ‘digital door knock’.

“We would love people to help out by collecting on a stall. You can contact the Cooma Salvos or check our

Facebook page for further information,” Mrs Bartlett said. Donations can be made until the end of May. Mrs Bartlett is calling on locals in a position to donate, to make a di erence.

“No matter how much you

can donate, every cent helps. The funds raised in our region stay here, we can help each other out,” Mrs Bartlett said.

Across Australia last year, through The Salvation Army’s network of more than 400 centres and 2,000 services in areas such as homelessness,

family and domestic violence, youth, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, nancial hardship and much more, the Salvos provided:

- Assistance to one person every 17 seconds

- More than 1.76 million sessions of care to over 250,000 people in need

- More than 1.1 million bed nights to those who needed accommodation

- More than 1.5 million meals to those who accessed our homelessness services.

“The last few years have been incredibly tough for the hardest hit in our community, and for many that shows no sign of slowing down,” Salvation Army’s Major, Gary Masters, said.

“We see so many people grappling with increased stress and uncertainty as everyday living has become una ordable, leading to housing stress, nancial hardship and an inability to get by.

“At the Salvos we are privileged to support those in our area experiencing hardship, but we cannot do this without the ongoing and loyal support of the community.”

To donate or volunteer for The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal or if you need support from the Salvos, visit salvationarmy.org.au or call 13 SALVOS. You can also donate at any Salvos Store.

TRAFFIC ADVICE:

of major components for Snowy 2.0 is continuing with large loads transported via Cooma and the Snowy Mountains Highway

All oversize moves will be transported under pilot escort and at times, depending on size, police escort. Please always adhere to directions from pilots and NSW Police. These moves may involve some minor delays for motorists.

To minimise disruptions to road users and the community, loads wider than 4 metres will travel on the Snowy Mountains Highway at night. A number of overnight loads are scheduled during May.

For travel times and more detailed information on escorted loads please visit futuregenerationjv.com.au/ traffic-notifications

Please note, dates and times published on the Traffic page of the project website are subject to change at short notice.

Heavy Vehicle deliveries will increase over the coming months. Thank you for your patience and take care when driving around the Snowies.

Cooma Salvation Army Corps Officers, Debbie and Brian Bartlett, are calling on the community to donate where they can to this year’s Red Shield Appeal. PHOTO: Nathan Thompson

Councillor Andrew Thaler suspended for three months

OLG rules social media posts breach code of conduct

able on social media on 5, 6, 12, and 14 March, 2025.

Cr Thaler’s suspension starts on 13 May, 2025, and ends on 4 August, 2025.

Cr Thaler must apologise for his misconduct within 14 days from the order being made (5 May) in writing, addressed to the individuals named in online comments and make the apology available to council’s chief executive o cer (CEO) for publication in any manner the CEO believes is necessary to reach the greatest number of Snowy Monaro residents.

Council’s interim CEO, Stephen Dunshea, said he welcomes the OLG’s intervention.

“As CEO, I appreciate the OLG for taking action. This suspension notice will assist me in safeguarding the health and well-being of our sta and elected councillors,” Mr Dunshea said.

“Respect and decency are not negotiable. These principles must be upheld by each of us as public servants – people who serve the public – no matter our position within the structure of government or public administration.

“Without respect and decency as the starting point, the position of local government within the community and in public life is put in jeopardy.”

Cr Thaler was approaced for a right of reply but declined to provide any comment.

Have your say now

SNOWY Monaro Regional Council has resolved to support the public consultation of its dra integrated planning and reporting (IP&R) suite at their extraordinary meeting in Cooma on May 1.

The IP&R suite contains council’s most important planning, reporting and nancial management documents, and sets out the priorities, direction, and levels of service for all areas of the organisation.

“Every year, council asks our community to have their say on our major plans, policies and budget ahead of the new nancial year,” Mayor, Chris Hanna, said.

“Our annual IP&R consultation is the community’s biggest opportunity to shape council’s priorities and the work we’ll do in the year to come.

“Everything we do is based on these core documents, so I really encourage everyone to jump online and get involved. It’s easy to share your view with us, and the team’s available to answer any questions you might have.”

Visit https://qrco.de/SMRCipr today to download a copy of the 2025/26 Integrated Planning and Reporting suite from council’s Your Say consultation site, and nd out more about our upcoming in-person consultation sessions.

Community feedback is open for 28 days until Tuesday, 3 June 2025. Members of the public can have their say on the whole suite, or focus on the areas of council’s work that matters most to them.

Seasonal renting more reliable as a Berridale accommodation option

Winter rental market update: Stratton

By KAREN FORMAN

BERRIDALE residents hoping to make some spare cash by holiday renting their spare rooms or empty homes for the winter snow season might nd the result not as lucrative as they hope.

Local real estate agent, Alicia Stratton, who is the Belle business development manager, said while the practice might work better in Jindabyne, which was closer to the snow elds, Berridale is “not quite the holiday destination” that some people would like.

“Seasonal rentals seem to work better in Berridale than holiday renting for people wanting one to a few nights or week of holiday accommodation,” she said.

“People on holiday want to be in Jindabyne which is closer to the snow and the cafes, restaurants and shops. Berridale is more of a place where the locals or seasonal sta like to live.

“Some people who were doing holiday renting are now looking at seasonal renting instead, because it is more reliable.”

Ms Stratton said families who came to the Snowy Mountains every weekend during the season to ski or snowboard, or for their kids to train for snowsports, were happy to rent property in Berridale for the season, so they had somewhere to go to and leave their gear.

Of the organisations which allow

owners to manage their own holiday rentals on line, for a fee, Airbnb lists 729 and Stayz 295 Berridale and Jindabyne properties available for holiday renting from June, ranging from single rooms to granny ats to entire houses.

About one third state they are located in Berridale.

Rent by owner lists 42 Berridale properties and Home to Go has 21. Many properties are listed across the popular owner-managed platforms and prices start from around $140 per night.

Located 28km from Jindabyne and 60km to the ski resorts of Perisher and Thredbo, Berridale, according to the 2021 Census, has around 1300 residents, with a median age of 44 years.

Children aged 0 - 14 years make up 19.4 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over make up 18.9 per cent of the population.

“Traditionally Berridale has been a place for the locals to live quietly, away from the busy snow town of Jindabyne,”

Ms Stratton said.

“There has been a trend of people wanting it to be a holiday destination, but it is not there yet.

“We are not seeing a trend in Berridale for holiday letting at all. The occupancy isn’t what we need, so Belle Property Escapes don’t manage many in Berridale.”

The town has a post o ce, a cafe, a mini mart, a fuel station, a medical practice, a hotel, a country club, ski

rental and a couple of hotels. However, while holiday rentals did not appear to be lucrative in Berridale, Ms Stratton

rental and a couple of hotels. However, while holiday rentals did not appear to be lucrative in Berridale, Ms Stratton said both permanent and seasonal rentals were looking strong in the town.

time last year which is a massive positive a er two dodgy winters,” she

“Demand is stronger now than this time last year which is a massive positive a er two dodgy winters,” she said.

“We are still bringing on winter

“We are still bringing on winter rentals, we only have got one or two listed.

regard to winter rental, is that they are are slightly cheaper than Jindabyne, which means people can do weekends

“I think the bene t to Berridale, in regard to winter rental, is that they are are slightly cheaper than Jindabyne, which means people can do weekends away for a whole season, have kids doing training programs, for less than using holiday accommodation options.”

and seasonal renting were cheaper

Prices for both holiday renting and seasonal renting were cheaper in Berridale, she said.

“There is quite a signi cant di erence.

“In Jindabyne a three bedroom residence costs $1400 to $1800 a week; in Berridale $650 a week, for a 16-week winter rental.

“Some are properties that are dual dwellings, or a house with a at out the back with a landlord on site.

“Some are empty houses owned by people moving north for winter to get away from the cold and busyness.”

SNOWY MONARO FIREWOOD

HOLIDAY MARKET: Berridale is more attractive to permanent residents and seasonal renters than holidaymakers says Belle Property’s Alicia Stratton. PHOTO: Supplied

Local branches support CWA motions

THE Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW will hold its annual State Conference in Wagga Wagga later this month where a record number of motions will be debated for inclusion in the association’s policy platform for the next 12 months.

Members from the Snowy Monaro’s branches will be in attendance, calling for the NSW Government to improve the medical response for patients in regional areas and upgraded procedures for triple zero responses.

More than 600 members from around the state are expected to come together in from 19 to 22 May, with 36 motions and several urgent motions to be put to delegates.

At this year’s conference, a new president for the association will be elected, following the end of the three-year term by current president Joy Beames.

The motions that will be put to delegates over the three days cover education, health, the environment, agriculture, transport and telecommunications.

There are two urgency motions for consideration, both aiming to improve health care outcomes for remote, rural and regional NSW communities.

They are that the policy of the CWA of NSW be to

ambulance resourcing in regional, rural, and remote communities to ensure a timely medical response.

Improved emergency response protocols to ensure that when an ambulance is unavailable, appropriate alternative medical support is deployed.

An end to the inappropriate reliance on Rural Fire Brigades and Fire and Rescue NSW crews for emergen-

The CWA of NSW will also advocate for improvements to emergency call handling protocols to ensure that when a Triple Zero (000) call is successfully connected following previous failed attempts, essential information is retained and transferred e ciently to avoid delays in dispatching emergency services.

Increased public awareness and accountability

gional, rural, and remote communities have condence in the emergency response system.

Other motions include urging the State Government to provide vital short-term housing for women and children and women over 55 across NSW and ACT by converting unused buildings into safe accommodation.

Advocating for a review of the current local council

funding model, ensuring that regional, rural, and remote councils are adequately funded through equitable state and federal contributions, minimising reliance on ratepayer increases such as Special Rate Variations.

Advocating for the funding and tting of seatbelts in public buses on routes where they transport school children in rural, regional and remote areas.

Urging the State Government to cut two months o

the daylight saving period.

Advocating for the strengthening of penalties for biosecurity border breaches, re ecting the severe risks posed to agricultural products and the industry.

Support for the work of the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner, actively opposing all forms of modern slavery and raising community awareness.

Advocating for tax incentives for businesses donating surplus food and associated logistics services, promoting food waste reduction and supporting food relief e orts.

Calling for nancial support for women from rural, regional and remote areas forced to travel to access fertility treatments.

“The high number of motions delegates will be asked to vote on this year re ects the commitment from our members to their communities and the importance of highlighting issues impacting the lives of those in remote, rural and regional NSW communities,” Ms Beames.

“Advocacy has always been at the heart of our association and that has certainly come to the fore this year.”

Local members will report back to their branches on outcomes endorsed by the state executive.

No matter how quiet it is, or how many times you’ve driven the road, every kilometre over the speed limit increases the risk of a serious crash.

Isn’t it time we got serious about casual speeding?

CHANGE: Members of the region’s Country Women’s Association branches will head to Wagga Wagga for the state conference later this month, where they will push the NSW Government for better health outcomes for regional and rural residents.

Mountain pygmy-possum bouncing back

THE critically endangered mountain pygmy-possum is showing signs of recovery in Kosciuszko National Park with 107 marsupials found at a single site, the highest on record.

Seventy-eight were females and most had four young in their pouch, which is the maximum number that can be accommodated in a pouch. They weighed between 30 and 40 grams.

Prior to the 2019-2020 summer bush res, Kosciuszko National Park had an estimated 1000 possums in two main population areas.

Drought had led to a decline in their main food source, bogong moths, and in 2020, re decimated their habitat at all northern sites of the park. This resulted in the population dropping to around 700 animals.

To save the remaining population, Saving Our Species Program threatened species o cers and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) launched an emergency project to supply ‘bogong bickies’ and water at the northern sites.

The recipe for the biscuit was created by NPWS sta and volunteers, with the assistance of students from schools including Berridale Public School, Cooma Public School, Adaminaby Public School and Jindabyne Central School.

These feeding e orts have resulted in the record number of possums being trapped and assessed at the largest boulder eld in the park, Snow Ridge Hill. It’s believed the population across the two main sites is now more than 940.

The count of possums was led by Dr Linda Broome, threatened species o cer

with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Dr Broome has dedicated nearly half her life to securing a future for the little marsupial. Dr Broome was assisted by NPWS sta and volunteers.

“It is heartening to see mountain pygmy-possum numbers thriving again fol-

COMEBACK

The critically endangered mountain pygmy-possum is showing positive signs with the highest number record at a particular site. Dr Linda Broome holds a pygmy-possum.

PHOTOS: Alex Pike

lowing the devastation of the 2019-2020 summer bushres,” Dr Broome said.

“Their resilience, combined with the dedication of NPWS and Saving Our Species teams, has been critical to their survival.

“This is a positive step towards restoring the ecological balance in the area.

“While this is an encourag-

For more information please scan the QR code or visit the link below snowyhydro.com.au/entry-level-programs/ 1800 623 776

providing a

A pygmy-possum is given water at Mt Blue Cow. The critically endangered animal is bouncing back following the 2019/20 summer bushfires.

ing milestone, recovery e orts are far from over. We will continue our work to support these possums and strengthen their population, ensuring these iconic marsupials have the best chance of long-term survival.”

this

recovery for this marsupial is ongoing.

While the results of the latest count are positive, this is just one site, and the road to

In contrast, some unburnt sites in the park’s south showed below average numbers of female possums, despite good bogong moth numbers. It is hoped these numbers will recover in time with favourable conditions.

Dr Broome

trapped pygmy-possum with water on Snow Ridge Hill during a site visit last year.

Posted with Phil Daley Respect, kindness an important part of our elections

Are we heading towards excellence?

PHIL Daley has been a practicing engineer in local government since 1967 and has worked for local councils between 1985 and 2018.

His experience has given him inside knowledge of many councils across NSW and he has seen the best and the worst of their administrations.

He has been critical of the new 1993 Local Government Act which expected councils to think corporately and with it the replacement of shire and town clerks with general managers and lately with chief executive o cers.

Phil laments the de-engineering of councils and has observed the deterioration in the way engineering services in particular have been delivered. He hopes that trend is in the process of being reversed.

This is the rst of a monthly column Phil will write, sharing his perspectives and thoughts on decisions made by Snowy Monaro Regional Council.

AT ITS April 17 meeting, Snowy Monaro Regional council considered the delivery program progress report.

Councillor Rose asked for the report to be formatted di erently to make it easier to read.

He claimed that information can be hidden in the report due to the small font size.

Councillor Williamson stated the Towards Excellence program is the most important program council has due to the minister mentioning it in his correspondence with council.

He asked what the council was doing to address the “of concern” program status.

The CEO icked the question to the Chief Strategy O cer who seemed to have some di culty explaining to council the reasons for the delay other than lack of resources.

When asked what he would recommend, he said he would not recommend anything. What a strange statement to make.

He explained the item was o track due to a decision still needed regarding the IT so ware, necessary to bring the Towards Excellence program to fruition. He indicated at some

length there are no resources presently available within the organisation to bring it back on schedule.

He said it was not feasible to bring back external resources to meet the original timeframe due to the expense and those resources would not understand the organisation and what would be needed to get it back on track.

If the engaged consultants who are supposed to be delivering better ways of doing things within the organisation, can’t meet their contracted time constraints, what hope is there for a satisfactory conclusion of the program?

Councillor Stewart then stated that he ‘has issues with this Towards Excellence program’ and that the issue needed to be addressed because to date he had seen no feasible results.

He claimed there is a better way for council to deliver the services for the bene t of the community without having to bring consultants in to ‘tell us what to do’.

He said ‘we have managers on board’ and there was a need to change the structure of the organisation to deliver better services to the community.

He went on to say that he had asked for details of where our bene ts have come from as its costing us $0.5M a year.

His statement raised no explanation from the sta . The Towards Excellence project was adopted by council during a time when nancial sustainability was the hot topic and this initiative was seen as delivering the “goose’s golden egg”.

Sta sold the concept of possibly saving $1M annually but didn’t indicate ways of measuring the outcomes. Cr Rose stated that both he and Cr Williamson have had trouble nding information about the project and he had even considered asking the Minister for Local Government for details because he considered the minister was the only one who really knew the details of the program.

His statement was not challenged by sta nor was he given an outline of the program

and its expected outcomes. He asked what contractual obligations remained regarding the program.

The CEO gave no details of the project other than to give an answer regarding the contractual obligations and expected timelines for the consultants engaged two years previously.

Within his reply, he dropped a little gem stating a new business unit consisting of a team of two business analysts was being created within the Workforce portfolio.

He said council was transitioning from contractual arrangements to the new business unit with the assistance of, yes you guessed it, more consultants.

Wasn’t Towards Excellence supposed to analyse council’s operations and correct how business is done more e ectively?

Con rmation of the projects budget balance wasn’t o ered, so it may be of concern also. The new business unit will supposedly drive the improvement process internally without the need for consultants. Really? So why don’t the existing managers run with the new method of delivering services instead of introducing yet another layer of oversight. Does council not have any competent managers?

The further the decision makers are from the coalface, the less e ective the organisation will be. The CEO inferred that a similar business unit had existed up until a couple of years ago and had been budgeted for in the 2025/26 nancial year.

That statement was not questioned and needs clari cation. Councillors wouldn’t know what was in the structure of the organisation as there has not been a full structural review since the merger of the three councils. One has to wonder why council needed to run the Towards Excellence program if the former unit (if one actually existed) had been performing as it should have been in the rst place. So many questions and too few answers for our elected representatives.

I WANTED to write in to thank everyone for a pleasant election day at the polling booth at Bombala.

I’ve proudly been a volunteer for a number of years and it was nice to share ja es and cold drinks with other volunteers.

There wasn’t any of the drama or disrespect seen at other polling booths around the country. Just playful banter and kindness, the way election days should be.

A er the polls close at 6pm, volunteers act as scrutineers, to oversee the independent counting process.

As a scrutineer, you get to see the informal votes that are either le blank, rude characters drawn or silly things written.

One thing that makes me sad as an educator is people not exercising their democratic right by doing these things and voting informally.

We live in a vibrant democracy and not every country has our democratic freedoms to elect governments that work for us. But we need people to be engaged and informed.

As our population becomes more and more concentrated in the cities, we really need everyone from the regions –whether you live in Nimmitabel, Cooma or Bombala – being engaged and informed in politics and making sure our communities get our fair share.

Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain, is one of the good ones and has a big heart. She’s a local mum, a successful former Bega Valley Shire mayor and a strong voice for our region.

Hopefully people that didn’t vote Labor in our region warm to Kristy over the next term and hopefully you have a chance to say g’day when you see her next.

The Prime Minister has reiterated that he heads a government that is for all Australians, no matter where you live.

So I look forward to seeing more cost-of-living relief, more funding for schools, more jobs and better health services rolledout in the next three years in our local community.

The Monaro Post welcomes contributions of Letters to the Editor. Letters can be posted, emailed or dropped to our office. Preference will be given to letters concerning local issues. Letters may be edited for reasons of clarity, removing defamatory or offensive content or due to space constraints. Preference will be given to letters which are less than 500 words in length. It is the editor’s prerogative to print or not to print letters. The editor’s decision is final.

Email editor@monaropost.com.au Address 59 Vale Street, Cooma

THUS... ‘THE PLOUGHMAN’S LUNCH’ HAS BEEN BORN.

Kay Coates Cathcart

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Disappointment over railway bridges’ removal Peace

RECENTLY, I noticed a social media post about the impending removal of the wooden railway bridge over Old Bombala Road near Holts Flat.

Unfortunately, this was the first I had heard of this removal.

Following contact with the Regional Transport Ministers office (and a temporary hold on works), I have now had a briefing on the state of the bridge and the reasons for removal.

I have also been briefed on the railway bridge over Bumbalong Road at Colinton near Bredbo.

Unfortunately, both the Holts Flat bridge and Bumbalong bridge have

been deemed to be unsafe and, in in the case of Holts Flat, in danger of collapse. The engineering advice is that any future use of the bridges, even light weight use, would see them having to be completely rebuilt.

I am informed the demolition of both bridges was considered and approved by Snowy Monaro Regional Council. I suspect that council was not given much choice, given the condition of the bridges and lack of funds for any alternative action. I have expressed my view that the decisionmaking process on these bridges should have included wider

public consultation and information. The department has assured me that in future that will happen, in the case of the Bumbalong bridge there will be further information provided prior to demolition.

Unfortunately, neither of these bridges have any heritage protection.

I share the disappointment many people will have about this, and as a person who loves old railway structures and regularly rides rail trails, I do think that the timber bridges are often highlights of the line and wonderful landmarks.

Member for Monaro Steve Whan

Church service times across the Snowy Monaro region

Cooma Baptist Church: 10am Sunday

St Patrick’s Catholic Parish: 10am Sunday, Weekday mass 10am Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays

St Paul’s Anglican Parish of Cooma: 9.30am Sunday

St Andrew’s Cooma Uniting Church: 9.30am Sunday

Lifegate Christian Church Cooma: 9:55am second and fourth Sunday each month, 4pm first and third Sunday each month

Cooma Presbyterian Church: 9am Sunday

St John’s Anglican Church Adaminaby: 3pm first and third Sunday each month

St Peter’s Anglican Church Nimmitabel: 11.30am third Sunday each month

St Andrew’s Catholic Church Nimmitabel: Saturday vigil mass 5pm on the weekend of the third Sunday, Liturgy with Holy Communion other Saturdays 5pm

Alpine Uniting Church Jindabyne: 9.30am Sunday

Columbkille Catholic Church, Jindabyne: Mass 5pm Saturdays

Village Church Jindabyne: 5pm Sunday

All Saints Anglican Church Berridale: 9.30am Sunday

All Saints Numeralla: second Sunday of the month liturgy 5pm, Fourth Sunday of month 5pm mass

If your church would like to be added to this list, please contact us editor@monaropost.com.au

Independent newspapers serving the Snowy Monaro Region. Subscribe to our Digital Edition at www.monaropost.com.au

GROUP EDITOR

Nathan Thompson (02) 6452 0312 editor@monaropost.com.au

JOURNALISTS

Trista Heath (Jindabyne) 0491 214 722 trista@monaropost.com.au

Karen Forman 0425 675 555 kforman@monaropost.com.au

Melinda Cairns Hack (Cooma) (02) 6452 0312 mcairnshack@monaropost.com.au

By G.J O’DONOGHUE

There’s cottage and mill

Cold and quiet

There’s time stopped still The darkest nights

Here’s what was What could of been What’s the cause?

A ghost town cryin

There’s potential A lack of crime

There’s no hope at all And broken dreams

There’s the thinkers And those that don’t Plenty of drinkers And those that quit

Above all there’s peace And who gives a damn?

There’s small town vice And some still dream Of a better time Of What is lost

There’s lots of calm

At this outpost

There is basics And basics only

There’s no tra c There’s the lonely You choose to leave You choose to stay Your choice to have Either way Your could kneal Or meditate The Earth you’ll feel But also fate To go on Or stop still

A ghost town cryin

Of cottage and mill

A place of peace

To lay your head

There’s what was The living, the dead

By LISA ASHURST

WITH the election over and done with, what will that little band of activators and agitators do with their time now?

I’m talking about those who popped up at polling places during pre-polling and on voting day itself to cause disruption.

Those handing out how-to-vote paraphernalia outside of venues were just doing a job. Those working for the Australian Electoral Commission inside the venues were just doing theirs too, so why did those individuals with an agenda believe it was okay to turn up, cause a ruckus, and then vanish, leaving their mess behind them?

And what was with the physical altercations that took place at some locations?

Voting is compulsory and therefore we all must turn up and do our thing. We all vote according to our own choice, and it should be a straight-in, straight-out thing.

Those outside handing out how-to-vote flyers to voters are part of the equation, whether you like them or not.

They have permission to be there and they put in a full day, as do those working inside the polling stations.

The election workers’ day kicks off at 7am and they are there until the end of it. It’s a long day and they are really ready to leave when it’s over. Those working inside the venue often don’t finish until late into the night. So, what they don’t need are those with a beef turning up and creating a big problem.

They are there to assist people and to ensure the voting process flows smoothly and that can be difficult if they also have to fend off verbal tirades, in-their-face agitators,

Elle Thompson (02) 6452 0312 elle@monaropost.com.au

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Published by Hartley Higgins for Monaro Media Group Pty Ltd (ABN 121 288 060), 59 Vale Street, Cooma NSW 2630. Responsibility for election comment is accepted by Group Editor Nathan Thompson. Copyright: All advertising and editorial content of this issue is copyright of Monaro Media Group Pty Ltd and cannot be used without the company’s permission. The Monaro Post is bound by the Standards of Practice of the Australian Press Council. If you believe the standards may have been breached, you may approach the Monaro Post itself or contact the council by email at info@presscouncil.org.au or by phone on (02) 9261 1930.

and physical attacks from disgruntled individuals. Don’t like a specific party or candidate? Fine, drop a chill pill, do your thing and leave.

One of the biggest issues around elections these days is the amount of disinformation and misinformation that inevitably does the circuit.

Disinformation is when someone knowingly and deliberately spreads feed which they know is false.

Misinformation is when others read it, believe it to be true, and then spread it further. Those who start the rumours are a big problem, and then their followers exacerbate it by taking it to the streets and into the faces of electoral workers and sometimes even other voters.

As a means of gaining followers, it’s probably not all that great really. Sure, they may attract a few, but on the whole, the general population sees them for what they are; a nuisance, and best avoided.

I didn’t encounter any hassles in my local area and things basically flowed fairly smoothly and that was a good thing.

People came, they voted, chatted to people they knew, and then they left. The electoral staff were able to get on with the job and those outside handing out howto-vote information for the various parties and individuals were able to do theirs. It was all very civil.

So, to those harbouring burning issues about any of the parties, individuals, or just the voting process? Yes, you have a right to feel as you do, but that doesn’t extend to dumping your issues on electoral workers or other voters.

How about you check the facts before you rant? And then check yourself.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Aasta Arctander aasta@monaropost.com.au

FEATURES WRITER

Lisa Ashurst

Member

Snowy Monaro community.

Where

By WALKER, GIBBS AND KING SOLICITORS AND CONVEYANCERS

SUPER is not a normal asset that goes by will.

With the old ComSuper scheme, a pension is paid to the worker, and a 2/3 pension to the spouse/de facto of the deceased if they were the spouse/de facto at the time of retirement. On death of the spouse/de facto, the pension ceased and there is no lump sum.

Some super, in particular for police and ambos, goes according to an Act of Parliament. What the Act says can’t be changed.

Most often these days, super goes in accordance with a binding direction. You need to make sure it is not different to your will, for example ‘to my children’ has a different affect in a super direction than a will if one of the children dies leaving

surviving grandchildren.

With a will, the share will normally go to the grandchildren, but not with a super direction.

Otherwise most super death benefits go in accordance with the discretion of the super trustee, although a nonbinding direction will usually be followed.

The trustee will look at who is dependent for super tax law purposes. Most often a spouse or a de facto spouse will get either the whole death benefits or most of them.

Adult children, not super tax dependents, often won’t get much, and it is likely to be taxed at up to 15 per cent.

It’s always more than ‘just a will’. The mistakes can’t be fixed after you’re dead. Get it done properly by a competent legal professional with experience in the area.

Big dollars to tackle litter

Council

receives $70k to keep community clean

SNOWY Monaro Regional Council has been awarded

$70,000 by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) as it works to combat local litter and keep communities in the region clean.

The Better Understanding for Better Prevention project will enable council to deliver a regionally tailored litter prevention roadmap to support cleaner environments across the entire local government area.

A comprehensive study will assess the full cost of litter management throughout the Snowy Monaro by identifying high-impact touch points, mapping current bin infrastructure, and developing performance indicators.

These outcomes will guide evidence-based decisions, enhance strategic direction, and support long-term nancial and environmental sustainability in our unique alpine and rural settings.

This is one of 19 successful projects, led by councils, community groups and government agencies throughout NSW to share in $2.28 million as part of the EPA’s Litter Prevention Grants Program.

Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, said the funding will support council in helping clean the region’s unique natural environment.

“Like many locals I get

time to clean up a er others – although their work is appreciated.

“I congratulate council on securing this grant to support

The project aims to strengthen interdepartmental collaboration, build internal capability, and secure executive support to embed litter prevention into council’s core operations.

Proudly supported by The Monaro Post

ENVIRONMENT: Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, says a $70,000 EPA grant will help Snowy Monaro Regional Council tackle litter in the community.

Fast-paced, witty, hilarious

THEATRE REVIEW

By KAREN FORMAN

AMERICAN playwright Neil Simon was initially panned for his 1963 comedy Barefoot in the Park.

It was dubbed “a story about nothing at all” and “a play with no plot”, but once reviewers realised they were watching a play about things that happen in everyone’s lives - getting married, dealing with parents, having arguments, coping with nancial constraints and living next to unusual neighbours - and how ridiculous and funny they could be, the play became his longest-writing hit on Broadway and later, a lm.

Cooma Little Theatre’s (CLT) production of the play is the best version I have seen as a reviewer, in Australia. It starts on time. Finishes on time. Is fast-paced. Polished. Perfectly cast. Exquisite acting. Has a proper set. (I am a huge fan of the old fashioned sets that look like real places and this set, Top Floor Manhatten Apartment, has stairs, windows, furniture and a replace).

The CLT cast comprises top amateur and former professional actors directed by a former professional Jayne Keegan.

GO SEE LITTLE THEATRE’S BAREFOOT IN THE PARK

(McNally), a conservative, uptight lawyer, recently married and moving into a h- oor apartment in Greenwich Village, hosting their rst dinner party, dealing with Corie’s now lonely mother Ethel Banks (Pernitsch), setting up said mother with quirky and eccentric neighbour Victor Velasco (Dowd), having their rst ght (leading to requests for divorce) and various other malarkies (Corie sets her mum up with Victor), and interactions with a telephone repair person played by Robertson, whose well delivered words of wisdom are not lost on the audience.

Pernitsch and McNally are mother and son in real life, and this is the second time they are on stage together. Their mother/son-in-law rapport is genuine and perfect for this production.

The cast is Fran Robertson, Chris McNally, Trish Rowling, Nell Pernitsch and Ron Dowd.

to work.

Several le the big smoke/ bigtime to live the quiet life in Cooma and found their way back to the boards. Their professionalism shows in this play, which needs all the elements above,

You leave feeling you know each and every character. Can relate to at least one. Want to be at least one. And thoughtful and introspective. So how is it?

Let’s bring out the reviewer’s superlatives: “a triumph!” “Fastpaced”. “Witty”. “Hilarious”.

Then I will add my own: “A cleverly built story based on nothing much, that captures the nuances of everyday life in the first Act, builds like a mountain storm with its dark clouds in the wee hours during the second Act, then leads to a thunderous crescendo and

then the promise of a sunny morning by the time it’s curtains down.”

Locals, just go see it. It’s fabulous. A great night away from reality. Entertainment on steroids.

The plot sees free spirited Corie (played by a dazzling Rowling) and Paul Bratter

The signi cance of the name Barefoot in The Park becomes obvious only at the end, when the audience learns a lesson alongside the once again happy couple. Sometimes we need to hit rock bottom to be able to see things more clearly. To appreciate the good things. To be able to walk, barefoot in the park.

Cooma Little Theatre Barefoot in the Park May 20, 16, 17 2025

coomaselfstorage.com.au

Old Wares & Collectables

Clearing Sale

Account: Les Jones, Saturday 24th May 2025 Start 10am. Inspections from 9am Cooma Multifunction Centre, Cooma Showgrounds.

Further

the

Cooma

253 250

Cast (from le ) Fran Robertson, Chris McNally, Trish Rowling, Nell Pernitsch, Ron Dowd.

THEATRE: Nell Pernitsch and Chris McNally. PHOTO: Contributed

Alpine School takes on Mock Trial comp

MOCK Trial is a serious competition for senior school students, providing them with an insight into the rule of law. The Alpine School has entered the 2025 competition for the rst time.

“The rst round was a little overwhelming,” Teah, who acted as the rst barrister, said.

“I’ve debated before, but I’ve never even been in a court room.”

The defence team consisted of two barristers, a solicitor, two witnesses and a court o cer.

The case was a criminal one about abuse over a carriage service. The case was based on an actual case

that had been tried in a NSW court room.

This case not only tested the students’ new skills but had the advantage of looking at the rami cations for someone, potentially a teenager, of using their mobile phone in a way that had legal consequences.

The team had to upskill for the new challenge. They learned about court room etiquette, legal precedence, how to present a case, civil versus criminal burdens of proof, the essence of each role and courtroom narratives.

The team of Teah, Claire, Keaghan, Michael and Tayla prepared

themselves well and feel this was the key to their defence.

The witnesses, Keaghan and Tayla, had memorised their statements and were very di cult for the prosecution to trip up. The barristers were not only very clear on their defence but were also clear on which objections to raise.

The Alpine School’s rst opposition was the Snowy Mountains Grammar School and both teams had hoped that it might take place in Cooma Courthouse but the Courthouse is not available on Mondays. The Alpine School recorded a win on their rst attempt.

COMMUNITY INFORMATION SESSIONS

First steps towards improving councils’ financial stability

By NATHAN THOMPSON

THE peak body for local government has cautiously welcomed the state government’s response to the nancial sustainability crisis threatening the viability of the sector.

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) president, Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM, said it was helpful for the sector to nally receive some clarity about the state government’s position in response to the 17 recommendations of a parliamentary inquiry into the ability of local governments to fund infrastructure and services and to get an understanding of their vision for longer term reform.

“I do thank the government for their commitment to involve the sector in shaping and implementing the necessary reforms going forward through the establishment of an Expert Advisory Panel and we’re grateful for their preparedness to partner with councils in seeking that Financial Assistance Grants from the Commonwealth return to one per cent of Commonwealth taxation revenue,” Cr Miller said.

“However, some of the government’s suggested measures for addressing nancial sustainability concerns could actually add to the adminis-

trative burden currently on councils.

“For instance, in regard to the process for special rate variations, the government is suggesting councils undergo a comprehensive spending review – something we would argue that councils already do via their annual budget process. This is carried out by their democratically elected body in line with their community’s wishes.”

Cr Miller said while there is a lot in the government’s response that can be agreed upon, there are a number of key areas where more detail is required - such as the absence of leadership on reducing cost shi ing or addressing issues with the development contributions framework.

“On this and other aspects of the report, I look forward to working with Minister Hoenig and with the government to develop and implement the reforms that will be required,” Cr Miller said.

“Overall, we see this as a rst step in the reform of local government nancial sustainability. Councils stand ready to work with the state to make meaningful change and bring about genuine and substantial reform to the nancial viability of councils.”

LEGAL SKILLS: Students from Cooma’s The Alpine School are competing in Mock Trial to learn more about the legal system.

St Pat’s celebrate role mothers play

THE St Patrick’s Parish School community celebrated mums, grandmothers, and all maternal gures at its Mother’s Day breakfast last week.

Around 100 people gathered for St Pat’s inaugural Mother’s Day breakfast, an occasion principal, Dr Sean Mangan, said will likely become an annual event.

Teachers, parents and community leaders - mostly mothers - attended the breakfast at the Cooma Ex-Services Club.

Cooma’s Sandy Scho eld, well-known for her volunteer work with the Monaro Committee for Cancer Research and Cooma Chamber of Commerce, delivered a moving speech at the breakfast.

Mrs Scho eld talked about being a mum and the supportive community she was part of when raising her two boys.

Mrs Scho eld also paid tribute to her late mum, declaring her the most resilient woman she knows.

RECOGNITION: Sandy Schofield talks about life as a mum and the support network she had raising her two boys in Cooma. Mrs Schofield is speaking at the St Patrick’s Parish School Mother’s Day breakfast.

PHOTOS: Nathan Thompson

Police investigate series of rural thefts

MONARO Police District officers are investigating the theft of approximately 1000 litres of diesel from a rural property on Rosemeath Road, Bombala, between Monday 14

April and Sunday, 20 April 2025. Police are urging rural landholders in the area to keep a lookout and report suspicious activity they see. Police are also appealing for

information after the theft of cattle panels near Nimmitabel.

Police have been told 20 cattle yard panels were taken from a property on Greenlands Road, Greenalnds (15km east of

Nimmitabel), between Friday, 25 April and Sunday, 27 April 2025.

Anyone with information is urged to contact rural crime investigators at Queanbeyan

Police Station on 02 6298 0599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A reminder, please don’t comment information on this post, contact police directly.

St Pat’s principal, Dr Sean Manhan, thanks the school community for coming together to celebrate mums and all maternal figures.

Claire Lawley listens to Mrs Schofield’s speech about being a mum.

Dry conditions bring record-high volumes of stock onto market

By DAMIEN ROACH, NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS COOMA

LIVESTOCK markets are holding this month even with a big in ux of numbers being seen in saleyards across the country, in particular Wagga Wagga, with 75,000 sheep and lambs last week and 8600 cattle last week.

There are still high volumes of cattle and sheep being pushed onto the market with the drier conditions being seen in NSW and Victoria, coupled with the winter fast approaching, yet the market is absorbing these quite well so far.

Processors are handling the volumes well with most sheep processors still only being out one to two weeks for space.

Market con dence is buoyant on kill stock, with well- nished, wellpresented lambs and cattle being sought a er. Yet restocking animals are still hit-and-miss with buyers being particular about what article they acquire, wanting to select large lines of stock and some uncertainly of the season, in particular in the Riverina/Upper Murray.

Looking forward, this time of year is typically when the Monaro producers start to try and conserve what feed they have for the winter months.

We are seeing the normal sell-o

Merino wethers reach $203/head

Yass sale yards 27,000 sheep, lambs

LAMB numbers li ed and the quality was plainer with a in ux of one and two score lambs at last week’s Yass sheep sale.

There were more light Merinos and secondary trade weights with only a limited supply of well nished trade and heavy weights. All the usual buyers were operating in a cheaper market.

The light Merino lambs sold from $10 to $64/head and restocking lambs up to 20kg sold from $98 to $136/head. Shorn feeder lambs 18 to 22kg sold from $159 to $174/head. The trade lambs were back $6 to $8/head selling from $141 to $193/head and averaged

770c to 800c/kg. Heavy lambs dropped $6 and sold from $194 to $250/head or 780c to 820c/kg on average and the extra heavy weights topped at $272/head. The best for hoggets reached $172/head and was $20/head cheaper. Mutton numbers also li ed and there were more light and medium weight ewes in one and two score condition.

Prices were $15 to $30/head so er, medium weight ewes sold from $100 to $160 and heavy crossbred ewes reached $240 and Merinos $193/head. Merino wethers made to $203/head and most of the medium and heavy weights averaged 540c to 620c/kg.

of older cows and ewes, as well as surplus pregnant stock that producers don’t want to have to carry through winter.

We are seeing some excellent lines of PTIC heifers hitting the market, so please reach out if you’re chasing a few more to bolster your own numbers.

On the local sale front, we have a special feature store cattle sale in Cooma on Friday, 30 May with decent numbers expected, so talk with your local agent to make a booking for this sale.

Mutton is also tracking along exceptionally well given the numbers on the market. Particularly heavy mutton, seeing sales over $200 if the article is right.

On the sheep front, killable shorn lambs are still coming onto the market as they’re nished on some crops and reach the ideal weights. Buyers are paying a premium for well shorn, well covered crossbred lambs.

Current conditions see yarding record for Wagga cattle sale

By MEAT AND LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA

WAGGA Wagga selling centre has witnessed an unprecedented inux of cattle, setting a new yarding record that has surprised agents. There were 8690 cattle yarded.

The surge in numbers is primarily attributed to ongoing water issues and a lack of feed, which have forced many farmers to sell, with some farmers having no choice but to commence liquidating their cow herds.

Agents in the Wagga region expect this trend to continue as conditions remain dire.

Most of the usual processors participated in the sale, but it was evident that not all buyers held feedlot orders this week.

A notable absence of re-stocking inquiries from the northern regions signi cantly impacted prices, particularly across the lighter weight categories.

However, one speci c breed managed to maintain its value better than others. The trade cattle market saw limited activity, with prices ranging from 310 to 383c/kg.

Medium weight feeder steers gathered keen interest, particularly when they belonged to a speci c breed.

This demand helped bolster the average prices within this category, with medium weights selling between 310c and 438c/kg.

The enthusiasm for these steers was notable with all buyers chasing weight.

Lighter weight feeder steers, speci cally those weighing between 330-400kg, experienced a signi cant price drop, selling for 38c cheaper than previous weeks, averaging 373c/kg.

The medium weight feeder heifer market was well supplied, leading to a price decrease of 18c/kg. In the lighter weight category, prices

dipped by two cents, averaging 336c/kg.

Lightweight weaner steers, weighing between 200-280kg, faced a notable decline of 55c, with prices ranging from 320 to 436c/kg. The heifer portion of this weight category sold within a range of 250 to 340c/kg.

In the export market, the availability of heavy cattle, particularly heavy steers and bullocks, was limited.

Prices for these cattle ranged from 303 to 400c, while heavy heifers reached a top price of 398c/kg. A total of 2,415 cows of various weights and grades were o ered, but prices experienced a decline of 20 to 30c/kg across the board. Heavy cows sold within the range of 280 to 310c/kg, while leaner cows fetched prices between 210 and 290c/kg.

Store cow numbers increased and they sold from 190c to 292c/kg.

Recent Cooma cattle and weaner sales have seen increased numbers. The next sale is at the end of the month with a store cattle sale.

LIVESTOCK: High numbers of cattle and sheep are being pushed onto the market with the dry conditions being experienced in NSW and Victoria.

PHOTOS: Melinda Cairns Hack

ACROSS

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD

4 Name a renowned Scottish dish (6)

7 What is the killing of one human being by another (8)

8 Who was the first to use antiseptics in surgery, Joseph ... (6)

9 Which army noncommissioned officer ranks below sergeant (8)

11 Which giant did David slay with a stone from his sling (7)

13 To look upon with contempt (7)

15 Who practises the art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, or the like (7)

17 Which planet is fifth from the sun (7)

20 What are small districts enclosed within other ones (8)

23 What are aspects, or phases (6)

24 Violent storms are known as what (8)

25 Name an English pioneer of birth control, Marie ... (6)

DOWN

1 Name an extinct clumsy flightless bird (4)

2 To have plunged temporarily into a liquid (6)

3 What do we call a person who fiddles with the truth (4)

4 Name a telephone greeting (5)

5 What is idle talk, especially about the affairs of others (6)

6 To be still, and apparently incapable of movement, is to be what (5)

9 What is methyl morphine (6)

10 Which term describes a nickname (7)

12 Name a type of tweed from the Outer Hebrides (6)

Letters have a number value

14 Which US film actor is noted for her role in The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl ... (6)

Some values are in the right hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

E-QUATIONS

Letters A to Z have a number value. Some are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

16 Name a suit of playing cards (6)

18 The first woman to preside in the Australian federal court was Elizabeth … (5)

19 What are bird structures (5)

21 What is a state of prolonged unconsciousness (4)

22 When one consumes food, one does what (4)

Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.

Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters.

1 OPSIMATH

(a) Anything eaten with bread as a relish (b) One who learns late in life (c) A member of the aristocracy

2 PHILOGYNY

(a) The science of language (b) Collection of matchbox labels (c) Love of women

Build it yourself using the clues and each of the twenty-four letters once only to form ten words: five across and five down. A key word (bold clue) builds on the letter set in the grid.

CLUES:

AIDS-causing virus (3) Error (7)

Having many veins (5) Hit ball in air (coll) (3)

Medicates (5)

Splendid (5)

The ground (poet.) (3) Time periods (5)

Unfashionable person (3) Warn (7)

6.00 Morning Programs. 9.30 NBC Today. 12.00 Better Homes. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 South Aussie With Cosi. 2.30 My Impossible House. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Father Brown. 8.30 Grace. 10.30 Murdoch Mysteries. 11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 MOVIE: A Zest For Death: A Hannah Swensen Mystery. (2023) 3.00 The Chase. 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia. 6.00 7News Local. 6.30 7News @ 6:30. 7.00 Home And Away. 7.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly. 8.30 Britain’s Got Talent. 10.30 The Amazing Race. 12.00 Raines. 1.00 Travel Oz. 1.30 Harry’s Practice. 2.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 Pawn Stars. 1.30 Highway Patrol. 2.30 The Force: BTL. 3.30 Duck Dynasty. 4.00 Aussie Lobster Men. 5.00 American Resto. 5.30 Storage Wars. 6.00 American Pickers. 7.00 Football. AFL. Round 10. Gold Coast Suns v Hawthorn. 10.30 AFL Post-Game. 11.00 Kick Ons. 11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 12.00 The Hundred With Andy Lee. 1.00 Drive TV: Drive Car Of The Year. 1.30 Young Sheldon. 2.00 Pointless. 3.00 Tipping Point. 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 Tipping Point Australia. 5.30 WIN News. 6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 Rugby League. Women’s State Of Origin. Game 2. New South Wales v Queensland. 9.35 NRL Women’s State Of Origin Post-Match. 10.00 9News Late. 10.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 12.00 Good Chef Bad Chef. 12.30 Family

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.25 Penn & Teller: Fool Us. 3.05 Doctor Who. 4.05 QI. 4.35 MythBusters. 5.30 George Clarke’s Old House, New Home. 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. 7.05 Hard Quiz. 7.35 QI. 8.10 Would I Lie To You? 9.10 The Weekly. 9.40 Gruen. 10.15 Guy Mont Spelling Bee. 11.05 Planet America. 11.40 Late Programs. 6.00 Morning Programs. 1.55 Alone Australia. 3.00 Living Black. 3.35 The Cook Up. 4.05 Jeopardy!

6.00 Morning Programs. 12.00 News. 1.00 Sherwood. 2.00 Restoration Aust. 3.00 House Of Games. 3.30 Grand Designs: Streets. 4.15 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. 5.00 A Bite To Eat. 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. 6.30 Claire Hooper’s House Of Games. 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 7.30. 8.00 Grand Designs UK. Return. 8.50 Martin Clunes: Islands Of The Atlantic. New. 9.35 The Kimberley. 10.30 Late Programs. 6.00 Kids’ Programs. 3.00 Play School. 4.00 Andy’s Safari Adventures. 4.25 Builder Brothers Dream Factory. 5.20 Thomas And Friends. 5.45 Kangaroo Beach. 7.05 Dino Dex. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 The Inbestigators. 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.40 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.25 Saved By The Barn. 10.05 Merlin. 10.50 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 12.00 News. 1.00 Bay Of Fires. 2.00 Restoration Aust. 3.00 Claire Hooper’s House Of

3.25 Grand Designs: The Streets. Final. 4.15 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. 5.00 A Bite To Eat With Alice. 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. 6.30 Claire Hooper’s House Of Games. 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 Gardening Australia. 8.30 Sherwood. Final. 9.30 Gruen. 10.05 The Weekly With Charlie Pickering. 10.35 Late Programs.

Practice. 4.00 Better Homes. 5.00 Escape To The Country. 6.00 Bargain Hunt. 7.00 Better Homes. 8.30 House Of Wellness. 9.30 Escape To The Country. 11.30 Late Programs. 6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 The Car Club. 2.30 Desert Collectors. 3.30 Timbersports. 4.00 Aussie Lobster Men. 5.00 American Resto. 5.30 Storage Wars. 6.00 American Pickers. 7.00 AFL: Friday Night Countdown. 7.30 Motorway Patrol. 8.30 MOVIE: Bridesmaids. (2011) 11.05 MOVIE: Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. (1991) 2.05 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.25 Whose Line Is It Anyway? 2.50 Doctor Who.

4.05 Would I Lie To You? 4.40 MythBusters. 5.30 George Clarke’s Old House, New Home. 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. 7.05 Hard Quiz. 7.35 QI. 8.05 Would

6.00 Kids’ Programs. 4.00 Andy’s Safari Adventures. 4.25 Builder Brothers Dream Factory. 5.20 Thomas And Friends. 5.45 Kangaroo Beach. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 8.00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! 8.30 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 8.55 Robot Wars: Battle Of The Stars. 9.55 Merlin. 10.40 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. 12.00 Midsomer Murders. 2.00 Yes, Prime Minister. 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: The Queen Of Spades. (1949) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 RBT. 8.30 Emergency. 9.30 A+E Crash Scene Emergency. 10.30 Panic 9-1-1. New. 11.30 Late Programs. 6.00 Get Clever. 7.00

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. 11.30 9News Morning. 12.00 MOVIE: Kidnapped In Paradise. (2021) 2.00 Pointless. 3.00 Tipping Point. 4.00 9News Afternoon. 4.30 Tipping Point Australia. 5.30 WIN News. 6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 Rugby League. NRL. Round 11. Canterbury Bulldogs v Sydney Roosters. 9.55 Golden Point. 10.45 MOVIE: Into The Blue. (2005) 12.50 Drive TV: Launch Pad. 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. 2.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Get Clever. 7.00 It’s Academic. 8.30 Mystic. 9.00 Shopping. 10.30 House Rules. 12.00 Code Black. 3.00 Ed And Karen’s Recipes For Success. 4.00 Puppy School. 4.30 Frogger. 5.30 The Amazing Race. 7.00 MOVIE: The Karate Kid. (1984) 9.40 MOVIE: Shanghai Knights. (2003) 12.05 MOVIE: Great Day. (1945) 1.40 Shopping. 2.10 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 12.00 GCBC. 12.30 Family Feud. 1.00 News. 2.00 Wheel Of Fortune. 2.30 Lingo. 3.30 10 News First: Afternoon. 4.00 Judge Judy. 4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. 5.00 10 News First. 6.00 Deal Or No Deal. 6.30 The Project. 7.30 House Hunters Australia. 8.30 Have

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Are You Being Served? 3.00 Antiques Roadshow. 3.30 MOVIE: A Man About The House. (1947) 5.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 West Coast Cops. 8.30 MOVIE: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. (2015) 10.55 MOVIE: Going In Style. (2017) 12.50 Late Programs.

SEVEN NINE

ADDRESS: 2 Keys Street, Bombala

ASKING: $500,000

LOOKING for something far from the maddening crowd but need to be close to town? This property could be your answer. Occupying a delightful position on a no through road, this property has a lot to offer. The house features two very spacious bedrooms with built-in robes, good sized lounge room with pellet heater and reverse cycle air conditioner, that opens out onto the large deck, modern kitchen with all the trimmings, dining room and bathroom/laundry.

The deck looks out over Bombala and the local countryside and has plenty of space for outdoor living/entertaining.

The house yard is securely fenced with a Colourbond fence and has established lawns and gardens and includes a fenced dog run.

Outside the house yard in a utility area is loads of shedding with a three-bay garage with concrete floor and power connected, carport and shed with sliding glass door entry that is an ideal mancave, teenage retreat, guest bedroom or just secure storage, large chicken coop and woodsheds.

This is a fantastic opportunity to combine space and privacy, so book your inspection today.

The Pines with highly fertile basalt soils and high average rainfall is consistently performing fattening country for sheep and cattle.

• 346.33ha/855.781ac subdivided into 14 main paddocks

• 50% pasture improved

• 4 stand shearing shed with mains power

• Reticulated water system with 14 troughs

• Fencing in good to excellent condition

Located in an easily accessible location with the benefit of being highly productive, The Pines is an ideal stand-alone or fattening property. The combination of rainfall, quality soil and location in one package is hard to overlook and commands an inspection.

Beaumont is a wonderful lifestyle opportunity on the Southern Monaro.

• 3.94ha/9.736ac fenced into 4 paddocks suitable for hobby farm

• Renovated main house with 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, open living areas with timber floors

• Adjacent outbuilding contains 4th bedroom and second bathroom

• Secure water with good rain water storage, 1 dam and reliable bore

• Double car garage, chicken coop, established lawns and gardens

Embrace the beauty of Beaumont and book your inspections today!

130 Vaughans Road, Ando

TRADES AND SERVICES

TRADES AND SERVICES

SERVICING COOMA, JINDABYNE, BOMBALA,

Digging Up The Dirt On The Monaro For Over 40 Years

ROADS - Access tracks, driveways, subdivisions, and suppliers of decomposed granite. WATER - Dams, water features, and agricultural water systems.

LANDSCAPING - Fence line clearing, site preparation and leveling, erosion control, drainage, and garden services.

BUILDING - Sheds, pergolas, retaining walls, fences, paths, and rock features.

LOCAL. PROVEN. RELIABLE.

COOMA SAND & CONCRETE

Concrete - All grades, colour & decorative

80 POLO FLAT ROAD, COOMA 6452 1660 sales@coomasand.com.au

Landscaping - Tan Bark, Gravel, Sand, Aggregate, Bagged Cement, Concrete & Clay Pavers, Concrete Retaining Wall Blocks

WANT TO JOIN THE TRADES?

The Trades Directory is a great way to promote your business to potential customers. It is cost effective, stress and hassle free, and most importantly, effective.

If you’re interested in booking your spot, contact our sales team to discuss different options.

PHONE: 02 6452 0313

EMAIL: sales@monaropost.com.au

VISIT: 59 Vale Street, Cooma NSW 2630

First round of Bombala handicap

bala Bowling Club Championship Handicap Singles was held with top notch bowling and some close scores.

cap) played Ray Fermor (16), Ray took charge of the match from the rst bowl, Brotherton was not able to get into the game until the seventh end clawing back a few shots but he was outclassed Fermor who took the match 2616.

Herbie Elliott (18). Jones came out fast and furious not conceding a shot to Elliot un-

it didn’t change the outcome with Batey taking the game

Cary Elton (16) played Matt Cootes (2) who came out strong with some great draw-

On the h end, Elton reduced the de cit by the 11th

The score uctuated for the next 10 ends with Cootes slowly keeping the score within two to maintain his handicap, and Elton conceding the game on the 24th to Tony Shaw (14) forfeited to

Celebrating all things Cooma rugby

FOR Cooma Red Devils life member, Marcus Caldwell, old boy’s day is one of the great days of the year.

The occasion comes together largely through the hard work of Caldwell, who brings together past players, supporters and rugby lovers.

This year, the day is less about the ‘Old boys’.

Caldwell has arranged for a large marque at Rotary Oval to house the 200 plus people expected to attend. It will be the first time the main lunch and pre-game activities are held at the ground.

With the club boasting a women’s side for the first time since the early 2000s, female players and the women of the club will join in the lunch and festivities.

Starting at 11.30am, a ticket secures a sit-down meal, beverage package and chance to hear from former Wallaby, John Langford.

There will be junior matches in the morning before the senior fi tures in the afternoon. Both the women’s side and mean’s team are undefeated.

The Red Devils women run out at 1.30pm against Bungendore and the men at 2.30pm.

A highlight of the day will be special jersey presentations to players at 12.30pm. These jerseys will be auctioned off at 7pm at the Alpine Hotel, the Red Devils’ major sponsor.

Caldwell and many past players will be there to reminisce and reflect on their playing days while cheering the current crop of players on.

Guest of honour, ex-Wallaby John Langford

Born and bred in Wagga Wagga and educated at Sydney’s Knox Grammar, John Langford was an e tremely fit, raw-boned lock who did not play his first game of rugby until he was 19 years of age.

One Saturday morning Langford was dragged from his Wesley College bed to make up the numbers

in the University of Sydney’s third grade team. He enjoyed the experience and decided to stick with the game.

In 1993, Langford debuted for NSW against Waikato at Concord. He departed University and joined Gordon where he was a member of the 1995 first grade premiership winning side. Langford’s performances caught the attention

of ACT coach Rod Macqueen and as a result he moved to Canberra to play for the Brumbies in 1996, the first year of professional rugby in Australia.

In 1997, Langford made his Test debut against New Zealand in Dunedin.

After four seasons with the Brumbies, Langford left Australia to play in Ireland with Munster.

Highlights 1997 - Langford won his first test cap at lock in the run-on XV for the third Test, 24-36 loss to New Zealand in Dunedin. He earned three additional starting caps that season against South Africa in Pretoria, England at Twickenham and Scotland at Murrayfield.

In 2023, Darcy Larritt received his playing jersey from club stalwart, Charles Quodling.

A wall showcasing the Red Devils history was a hit at the 60th anniversary, which ran alongside old boy’s day.

Marcus Caldwell, life member of the Cooma Red Devils, is the driving force behind the club’s old boy’s day. He and wife, Anna, enjoy the club’s 60th anniversary in 2023.

PHOTOS: Nathan Thompson

De Rooy re le ts on proud areer

Prop praises Red Devils community

By NATHAN THOMPSON

WHEN Chris De Rooy runs out for the Cooma Red Devils on old boy’s day, he will have the honour of playing in front of the largest crowd of the season.

The hard working prop has been a mainstay of the Red Devils engine room since 2010, when he made his seniors debut.

De Rooy said old boy’s day is the best occasion of the season and when the side runs onto Rotary Oval, he anticiaptes a large roar to greet them.

Right on 2.30pm the side will run through the tunnel - comprising past players, club legends and the current women’s side - a moment De Rooy is very much looking forward to.

“Running through that tunnel is unbelievable. You leave the change rooms knowing it’s a big run, by the end of it, it’s almost overwhelming,” De Rooy said.

“Old boy’s day is a special day, the best of the season.”

De Rooy has been a key part of the Red Devils leadership group having captained the first and reserve grade sides in seasons past. He said the feeling among the club is the most positive it has been for a number of years.

“Everyone is working hard and the results are showing. We have a good feeling among the club,” De Rooy said.

“Our camps to start the year were

great. We have excellent support around the team also through our coaches and old boys who help out.”

De Rooy started his rugby career as a Red Devil junior in the under 13s.

He played each season up to the under 18s, spending the majority of his early years as hal ack.

Throughout his rugby journey, De Rooy and his father, Rob, have shared a love for the game they play in heaven.

“My old man loves rugby and was a big influence on me starting in juniors. He’s a big rugby nut,” De Rooy said.

“It’s great to share that bond with him. We love the game and love the Red Devils.

‘We often talk about games. The club is a second home for us.”

e Rooy praised the efforts of the Red evils coaching staff and committee for ensuring the club is a welcoming and enjoyable place to play.

“I love the Red Devils community. teams might come and go but the community around them stays firm.

“The old boy’s have created a terrific legacy, one we hope to add to this season.”

A highlight of De Rooy’s career has been playing in old boy’s day clashes.

“The best moment of my career was winning the Dobbie award on old boy’s day and being captain of that side,” De Rooy said.

De Rooy receives his 60th anniversary playing jersey in 2023 from club

De Rooy looks to pass during the Red Devils Old oy’s Day lash against the Jinda yne ushpigs

C AR : Chris De Rooy in a tion early in his senior areer The prop has een an integral part o the Coo a Red Devils lineup or any seasons

PHOTOS: Monaro Post

The Red Devils through its early years

RECORDS indicate in June 1887

Cooma played a game of rugby football against Bega at Bega.

The team members were: E. Halliday, T. Goodwin, G. Miller, J. Sullivan, B&H. Edwards, W. Russell and L. Solomon.

In 1893, GTC Miller owner of the Cooma Express and a Member of Parliament was secretary of the Cooma Football Club.

In 1903 he donated a cup, which still holds pride of place with the Cooma Rugby Club today. Rugby football had a strong following in the Cooma area until 1924, when Rugby League started in Cooma and took over.

The new game of rugby league was popular because it was played on a Sunday, whereas Rugby was played on a Saturday, which was a working day for most people.

In 1957 a group of enthusiastic graziers, with some help from the Snowy Mountains Authority personnel and league players, played six social games of rugby union for Cooma winning five and drawing one. The chief instigators were D. Hickson, J. Keegan, T. Shorrock, and D. Howard. The team disbanded in 1958.

Evolution of the club

In 1961/62 Jock and Patrick Litchfield, Peter Martin-Smith, Ian and Michael Litchfield and Jock Mitchell were playing for the Eastern Suburbs in the ACT Rugby competition.

At that time the ACT was regarded as a NSW Country Region that participated in Country Week held in Sydney every year, playing against all other country regions. In 1961 Jock Litchfield was selected to captain the NSW Country Rugby team to tour NZ.

The rugby officials could see that there was a wealth of rugby talent on the Monaro; Jock was approached concerning the possibility of forming a rugby club to represent the district in the ACT competition.

This proposed 10-team competition covered a good-sized area of southern NSW. A meeting was held in Cooma where it was decided to form a club to commence playing in the 1963 season. Bruce McDonald, a Snowy employee, was elected president.

In 1963, the club reformed as the Harlequins Rugby Association later to be called the Cooma Rugby Club.

In its first season only a first grade side entered the original three-grade Canberra competition.

The man to whom rugby owes its existence in Cooma in the early days is the original secretary, John Sharman. It is almost certain that the Rugby club would not have officially got

LEGACY

off the ground without him. Other members who gave enormous support to the secretary was: Jock, Patrick and Ian Litchfield, Peter Martin-Smith and Jock Mitchell.

In 1975 Cooma had their first success when the reserves won the Ian Litchfield, Peter Martin-Smith and Another long serving player and administrator of the club during the the same period members such as Bruce McDonald, Bob Dorman, Dave Lambert and Brian Kaufline were

Another long serving player and administrator of the club during the 1960s and 70s was Bill Priest who both as player, coach, secretary and president has done much for the development of the club. During the same period members such as Bruce McDonald, Bob Dorman, Dave Lambert and Brian Kaufline were closely involved in the running of the club.

premiership, the prestigious Eibe cup in Canberra, coached by Graeme Bell.

At the special 60th anniversary dinner in 2023, life member Brian Coyte cuts the cake. Brian has dedicated many years of service to the club’s senior and junior ranks.

commemorative playing jersey from club president Sean Neilson. Ingram is a past captain of the side and one of its leaders. He has had the honour of playing in a number of old boy’s day matches. player when the red Devils meet Bungendore on Saturday

In 1969 Peter Payten was selected to play for Australia against Fiji in a test match.

play for Australia against Fiji in a test

The middle 60s to 1972 saw Cooma in a four grade Canberra competition, Cooma fielding first and third grade, Yass had second and fourth grade teams.

1970 was a big year for Cooma Rugby, the first grade side reached the semi finals of the ACT competition for the first time in its history but ended up losing by two points to Norths.

Cooma in a four grade Canberra of the ACT competition for the played showground and was the first time any finals were played outside the ACT. This was also the year that the

This was played on the Cooma showground and was the first time any finals were played outside the ACT. This was also the year that the juniors were formed.

Michael Fitzgerald was selected to play for Australia in the 1975/76 Wallaby team touring England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

The Cooma Red Devils rugby union club will celebrate its proud history at old boy’s day this Saturday. In 2023, the club marked 60 years. Mike Litchfield (right) played a pivotal role in the club’s early days. He and son Geoff enjoy the old boy’s day occasions. PHOTOS: Nathan Thompson

Favourite day on Cooma rugby calendar

By NATHAN THOMPSON

THE best day on the Cooma Red Devils’ calendar is without doubt old boy’s day. A chance for past players and Red Devils supports to come together and celebrate the game they play in heaven.

Old Boy’s Day attracts hundreds each year with attendees travelling from across the country to reminisce and reflect on Cooma rugby union. The stories might be a tad embellished, there’s no doubting the pride of those who once wore the the jersey or

cheered loudly from the Rotary Oval sideline.

Under the organisation of Cooma Red Devils life member, Marcus Caldwell, the day is beocming more popular each year.

Let’s take a look back at old boy’s day from 2024.

LOCAL FOOTY: In previous years, Jake Quodling has led strong Red Devils’ efforts on old boy’s day. Quodling is one of the competitions premier number eights.

PHOTOS: Nathan Thompson

Hundreds line Rotary Oval at the 2024 old boy’s day match. The occasion is the largest of the season for the Cooma Red Devils.

Ben Hearn and Simon Freebody are regulars at the club’s old boy’s day events.

Life members of the Cooma Red Devils, Tim Fitzgerald and Brian Coyte, reminisce about their many years of involvement at the club at last year’s old boy’s day.

Nic Maclean is one of the Red Devils best. The prop has been a welcomed addition to the club since arriving two years ago.

Eltons on fire, Bombala course record equalled

By BOMBALA GOLF CLUB

BOMBALA golfers enjoyed another top weekend of play and weather. Saturday was a stroke for the monthly medal.

With a good score of 69 nett, Wayne Elton was the winner from Pepper Thompson 70 nett and Darren Forrester 72 nett.

Nearest the pin and the golden shot was won by Steve Tatham. On Sunday, the event was a sta-

bleford for the late J. Crawford trophy. It was an Elton weekend.

Korie Elton had the game of his life, equalling the course record with two under 69 (63 nett - 44 points) alongside his uncle, Wayne.

Korie recorded 36 on the front nine and 33 on the last nine with a three on the par ve, hole 14.

Members congratulated Korie on his achievement.

With that score, Korie was the

winner of the trophy ahead of Phillip Shilling 40 points, Lakyn Tonks 39 points, Daniel Douch 37 points, Shane Gulliford 35 pointsm Darren Forrester 34 points on a countback from Linden Hampshire.

Nearest the pin went to Pepper Thompson. Golden shot was won by Shannon Gulliford.

In the match play, Joel Cherry defeated Brad Yelds three and one.

Phillip Shilling defeated Darren Forrester four and three.

Program for the week

equalled the

Ladies Wednesday, 14 May – stableford, club trophy

Members – change to program Saturday, 17 May – par, B.Yelds trophy Sunday, 18 May – stableford, club trophy.

Players seeking an earlier tee o to head to the rugby league, can do so by contacting Neil Thompson.

Cooma golfers contest Irish four-ball

By COOMA GOLF CLUB

TERRY Schofield won last week’s Saturday stableford competition at the Cooma Golf Club with 38 points.

Steven Wheatley won A grade with 34 points, Helen Crawford was the B grade winner with 36 points on a countback and the C grade winner was Gary Batten with 36 points. Placegetters

were Simon White, Tim Bedingfield, Greg Abraham, Jenny Rainsford and Harry Mould. Nearest to the pin on hole four was claimed by Simon White, Phil Ingram was closes on nine, 11 went to Marty Janota and 17 to Roy Hankinson.

Saturday also included an Irish four-ball-best-ball competition which was won by Simon White, Shannon Fer-

gusson, Charles Quodling and Nate Quodling. On Wednesday, the midweek medal was played. Helen Crawford was the overall winner with 69 nett. Mark Rainsford won A grade with 75 nett, David Douglass was the B grade winner with 74 nett and the C grade winner was Greg Abraham with 72 nett on a countback.

Placegetters were Gary Batten, Wayne Flynn, David Stewart, Andrew Dunkerley and Mitch Hynes. Nearest to the pin on the ninth was James Ewart and Mitch Hynes was closest on the 17.

This Saturday, the Autumn Cup stroke competition will be played, while the Sunday and midweek competitions will be a stableford.

Haigh’s fine form claims par event

By COOLAMATONG GOLF CLUB

MEMBERS were out in big numbers on Sunday competing in a par event, with the standout score of plus three seeing Cole Haigh take out the day’s event by a clear two shots.

Several players nished on plus one, with Scott Baker taking second and Owain Jones in third. The best in A grade was Owain Jones on plus one, B grade Scott Baker on plus one, and C grade Cole Haigh with plus three. Playing a four-ball-best-ball in conjunction, Tim Robertson and Werner Seigenthaler teamed up well to post plus 10 and win on

a countback from Aaron Fenton and Owen Freebody.

In third position in the fourball, on a countback, were Peter Hastings and Andrew Hearne on plus nine.

The ball competition on the day ran down to all golfers who had square or better.

The men’s nearest the pins were won by Chris Brown on three, Owain Jones on eight, Louis Fenton on 15, and Ewan Murdoch on 17.

The ladies’ nearest the pins were won by Michelle White on eight, Carolyn Major on 15, and Sunghee Kim on 17.

The men and ladies will com-

pete in the two-ball Keno Ambrose next Sunday, May 18. The leading men, women and mixed pairs at each club qualifying event will advance to stage two. If a leading pair is unavailable for stage two, the next placed pair may replace them. If a club has more than 21 plus pairs in any of the categories, they are entitled to have two pairs progress to the next stage.

There are 12 regional nals, managed by Golf NSW, and held in NSW metropolitan and regional areas. Regional nals for Coolamatong players will be staged at Pambula-Merimbula Golf Club on 5 October (to be con rmed).

Milestone matches for Southern Cats duo

THE Southern Cats took on the Woden Blues last weekend at EPC Solar Park. It was a milestone weekend for two Cats players with Sarah Burns and Sean Bourke taking the eld in their 50th game.

Burns has played Aussie Rules in Broken Hill and Sydney and in more recent years for Tuggeranong Valley, the Queanbeyan Tigers and now leading the Southern Cats.

Bourke, a Victorian, moved to Cooma a er playing for the Hampton Rovers as a junior and joined the Cats in 2020. Both have contributed to the club o the eld, lling positions on the club’s board since joining the Cats.

The Southern Cats women continued their defensive form in the rst half of the game, holding Woden to 28 points in the rst two quarters. The half was marked by plenty of stoppages and strong defensive displays by Isabele Ryan, Pip Golding, Bee Hazlewood and Lauren Crawford.

There was also plenty of footy in the attacking half, with Tayla Wilson demonstrating her o ensive skills. Meg Pearce and Erin Pearce continued to put the Cats in a strong position on the eld, contributing to a large number of stoppages across the game and moving the ball into the o ensive 50.

They were well supported by Emily Perkins and Emily Roberts who saw plenty of action in mid eld. Woden li ed in the third quarter, putting 24 points on the scoreboard.

In the fourth quarter, Laura Murdoch li ed the backline, doing a wealth of work stopping Woden’s o ensive surge.

Best on eld for the Cats went to Emily Roberts. Emily Perkins received the coach’s award and Sarah Burns was players’ player, in her 50th.

The nal score was Woden 10.10 (70) to the Cats’ 0.1 (1).

The nal score was 70.10.10 to 1.0.1 in favour of Woden.

A er a loss against the Australian National University in round four, the Southern Cats men were keen for a strong performance.

Both teams were well matched in the rst two quarters with the Cats showing a strong attacking line against Woden.

The leading male, female, and mixed pair from each regional final will advance to the state final.

Harro’s Day, 1 June.

Members should pencil Harro’s Day into their calendar, where we pay tribute to the late David Harrison, a good friend to many members and a genuine great person.

This year, money raised from the event will go to the Skin Cancer Council.

The cost is $40, which includes morning tea and lunch, plus extra prizes on the day, and $23 of the fee goes directly to charity.

Woden pulled away in the third quarter with a strong o ensive display that was di cult to defend. The Cats pulled back the de cit in the nal quarter, but weren’t able to catch the nal score 11.8 (74) to 9.8 (62).

Goal scorers in the match were Hayden Thompson, Wade Cutter, Cameron Moore (4), Samuel Ellis, Angus Strudwick-Wood and Hayden Richards.

There is plenty of Aussie Rules action this weekend with the Southern Cats hosting their rst Cooma matches of the season at Snowy Oval.

They take on Yass, with the women starting at 10 am and the men at 12 pm. These matches will be followed by the Belconnen Magpies Community Men’s Division 1 team taking on Yass at 2 pm.

TOP FORM: Korie Elton (le ) has

Bombala Golf Club course record, sharing the honour with uncle, Wayne Elton (right).

Cooma men’s bowls pairs underway

By COOMA BOWLS

THE rst match of the Cooma Bowling Club’s men’s pairs championships took place last week with the duo of Don Menchin and Tony Gray claiming victory.

Menchin and Gray faced Max Butler and Mike Mannile. The gusty winds made bowling di cult with the same two bowls o en having a very di erent destination.

Menchin and gray led 8-2 a er ve ends. Their lead was reduced to 8-7 by end eight.

Mannille and Butler could only win one of the next even ends and the score was 22-10 to gray and Menchin.

A er 20 ends, Gray and Menchin won 29-14.

Social bowls 7 May

In trying conditions, some regulars turned up for a fun a ernoon.

On rink one, regular visitor from West Wyalong, Austin Crampton, was skip for ines

Rees and Carmey McDermott.

They played Wendy Nixon, Bob Douglass and Mary Bowerman.

The latter team was behind the whole game and down 6-12 with one end to play.

On the last end, they scored six to tie the match 12-12 in a great nish.

On rink two, Mick Boyce, Dianne Wilkins and Bruce McDermott played Ed Shanley, Kathy Venables and Ken Rees.

Both teams won six ends, however Bruce’s team had higher winning points.

Ken’s team chased the scoreboard the whole match and nally went down 6-12.

Social bowls is played each Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, all welcome.

COMPETITION: Tony Gray prepares to bowl during the Cooma Bowling Club’s men’s championship pairs match.

PHOTOS: Nathan Thompson

Cooma North athletes shine at school carnival

STUDENTS from Cooma North Public School put their athletic talents to the test during their school athletics carnival held over two exciting days last Thursday and Friday.

With determination and school spirit on full display, many students surprised themselves by excelling in new events and pushing

their personal boundaries.

The high jump was a crowd favourite, with plenty of tension and excitement as students soared to impressive heights.

On the track, lightning-fast runners delivered thrilling nishes, while others leapt into action at the long jump pit and sent the discus ying to remarkable

distances.

“I didn’t think I could jump that high. I was so nervous at rst, but then it just clicked,” said Year 5 student, Shiloh, who placed rst in the high jump for her age group.

The school’s PSSA representative, Mrs Sky, said she was proud of the students’ e orts across the board.

“The level of participation and encouragement was fantastic. Students really stepped up and tried new events, and some outstanding talent came through,” Mrs Sky said.

For many, the highlight was the spirit of the day itself.

“It was so much fun cheering on my friends and racing in the

100m,” said Zoe, a Year 3 student. With the district carnival just a few weeks away, excitement is building.

“We’ve seen some standout performances and we’re look

match against Mike Mannile and Max Butler.

Wednesday.

Teachers, sta , parents and fellow students cheered participants on from the sideline.

School champions

Monaro High wins girls soccer title

MONARO High School’s (MHS) open girls’ soccer players are the Eurobodalla champions a er winning their round-robin competition in Tathra on 5 May.

The day kicked o with a challenging match against Eden Marine High, which ended in a nil-all draw. Defender Natasha Kelly was named MHS player of the match for her outstanding defensive e orts, keeping the opposition at bay.

The girls bounced back with an impressive 4-2 victory against Bateman’s Bay. Striker Mary Kimber shone in this match, earning the player

of the match title for her remarkable goal-scoring ability.

The championship match saw MHS face o against Bega, a team they had previously faced in two grandnals, losing both matches in penalty shoot-outs.

This time, the girls were determined to turn the tide. In a nail-biting nal, they secured a 3-2 victory, with defender Leah Gri s receiving player of the match honours for her crucial contributions to the team’s success.

Accompanying teacher Mrs Lee Riley expressed her admiration for the girls’ performance, highlighting

how every player showed improvement throughout the day and worked collaboratively to achieve a strong outcome.

“A special shout-out goes to our goal scorers, Mary Kimber and Reagan Stockl, and to novice goalkeeper Olivia Mauri, who excelled under pressure and played a vital role in the team’s success,” Mrs Riley said.

“Congratulations to all the girls for their hard work and dedication. Your achievements are a testament to your skill and sportsmanship, and we are incredibly proud of you.”

Bombala students riding high SPORT

BOMBALA High School students have shown their skills at the 2025 Snowy Mountains Grammer School gymkhana in Dalgety.

Held last week, students Lydia, Asha, Tabitha, and Destiny proudly represented Bombala High School.

The girls showcased their talents in dressage, showjumping, time trials, and various sporting events, competing against other schools in the Snowy Monaro and capital region.

“Their hard work

and dedication truly shone through, and they were thrilled with their performance,” Bombala High School principal, Jai Lester, said.

“We can’t wait to see what next year holds for these amazing athletes.”

COMPETING: Bombala High School’s gymkhana team performed well at last week’s event held by the Snowy Mountains Grammar School. PHOTO: Bombala High School

TEAMWORK: The Monaro High School girls open soccer team has been crowned the Eurobodalla champion, winning the South Coast competition in Tathra last week.

Cats’ homecoming

AUSSIE RULES

IN COOMA

By NATHAN THOMPSON

WHAT’S better than one game of Aussie Rules footy in Cooma on Saturday? How about three.

Particularly, when two of the matches will feature local talent as the Southern Cats return to their spiritual home ground for the rst time this season.

The Southern Cats women’s side, playing in their rst competitive season, will launch an exciting day at Cooma’s Snowy Oval. With the

rst bounce at 10am, the women’s side is looking forward to their rst o cial Cooma match.

Cats women’s captain, Sarah Burns, has praised her side’s work ethic so far this season.

“We are training really well and in every game so far we have put in a really strong e ort,” Burns said.

‘With a Cooma home ground advantage, we are really excited about playing in front of our friends and family.”

Burns, who played her 50th

Aussie Rules match last week, has led e orts to form the Cats’

inaugural women’s side. With the support of coach, Damien

Asanovski, the side has generated plenty of excitement in the Cooma sporting community.

“We have women playing Aussie Rules for the rst time and others returning to the game. It’s such an amazing team to be part of,” Burns said.

The women’s side has faced a tough start to its debut season, coming up against last season’s two grand nal sides and preliminary nalists.

The team faces Yass this Saturday in what is expected to be a close contest as the Cats search for their break-through victory. Following the rst o cial

Where the Flick

women’s Aussie Rules game in Cooma, the Cats men’s team run out at 12pm. The side has won two of its four matches and sits seventh on the ladder.

A tough clash awaits on Saturday against ladder leaders, Murrumbateman in the AFL Canberra community division two competition.

The Cats lost a close contest to second-placed Woden last weekend, going down by two goals.

Sean Bourke celebrated his 50th game for the club in the 11.8 (74) 9.8 (62) loss.

The third xture of a busy day at Snowy Oval will see Belconnen

Southern Cats women’s coach, Damien Asanovski, said the side is looking forward to playing its first o icial match in Cooma.

competition.

The Southern Cats inaugural women’s side will take to the club’s spiritual home ground of Snowy Oval in Cooma on Saturday for the first time.

PHOTOS: Nathan Thompson

Plans to cut red-tape Key projects out for comment

GROUPS WELCOME PUSH FOR LESS BUREAUCRACY

BACKING: Cooma Car Club life member and well-known volunteer, Rogan Corbett, is supporting a

Narelle Davis, to cut the council red-tape and allow community groups to do what they do best.

provide a process where they can work on and maintain the council facilities and assets they use and pay fees for.

By NATHAN THOMPSON

CUTTING the red-tape is a phrase o en said but seldom acted upon. A plan before Snowy Monaro Regional Council is hoping to achieve just that, by assisting community groups in their dealings with council and allowing them to take greater ownership of the public spaces they use.

In council’s suite of planning and reporting documents currently out for community

comment, an area identi ed for improvement is how council sta work with community organisations.

Councillor Narelle Davis has put forward the idea with the support from a majority of councillors to cut the red tape and help not-for-pro ts do what they are best at.

“There is work taking place to put in the processes where our volunteers will be provided the necessary support and guidance to help manage our open spaces

and recreational facilities,” Cr Davis said.

“We hear all too o en from community groups that they are willing and able to help maintain facilities but are prevented by council bureaucracy.

“The motion, to be debated at the June meeting, will hopefully result in council being easier to work with.”

Cooma Car Club life member and active community volunteer, Rogan Corbett, said the move has is welcomed by local groups.

“We support any move where we can allow our hard working volunteer groups to do what they do well,” Mr Corbett said.

“If we can work with council to go through the proper induction processes and cover o on those things, then let us help.

“We see work, repairs and maintenance that could be quickly done by a volunteer group, but then sits there for weeks if not months while council tries to t it into their schedule.”

COOMA FURNISHING CO

By NATHAN THOMPSON

SNOWY Monaro ratepayers are having their say on council’s suite of integrated planning and reporting documents, which feature the dra budgets, operational plans and fees and charges for the next nancial year.

Within the documents, is an outline of the key projects council anticipates to deliver in 2025/26, changes to the services council provides and increases in the fees and charges to use council assets.

In Cooma, key projects set for delivery include an expansion of the Cooma Lawn Cemetery, swimming pool upgrades, ood levee concept designs, and the Cooma Snowy Reservoir design and construction.

In Jindabyne, a series of projects residents have long been calling for are included in the dra operational plan for 2025/26.

Community members and business operators have been urging council for a number of years to knock down the existing town centre toilet block and build a new amenities facility.

The project was placed on hold as council awaited the development of the Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct.Around $900,000 has been allocated to the design and refurbishment of the toilet block in the town centre.

■ More on page 3

move by Snowy Monaro Regional Councillor,

Snowy Monaro groups are hoping council will

PHOTO: Nathan Thompson

PAGES 31-36

Bears secure double

TIGHT LEAGUE-TAG WIN, MEN WIN BY 42 POINTS

By NATHAN THOMPSON

A DOMINANT performance has secured back-to-back wins for the Snowy River Bears men’s side as the club enjoys a ne start to its George Tooke Shield campaign.

In their rst home match of the season, the Bears’ attack was on-song in a 46-4 victory over the University Canberra Stars.

A nice show of sportsmanship saw the Bears match UC with 11 players on the eld.

The Bears were far too strong, starting the encounter on re with three quick tries.

Within the rst 20 minutes, the Bears crossed through centre Max Naisby in the 11th minute, fullback Kohen Pearce in the 17th minute, and centre Keelan Johnson in the 20th minute.

Naisby would collect a hattrick in a superb showing for the youngster.

The Bears halves for this game, halfback Wayne Crisp and veeighth Matty Kilgannon guided the team around the paddock.

Their running games proved a big handful for the opposition.

Back rowers Blake Codey and Clayton Thompson showed they can be a real threat when hitting the ball with speed, while Jayden Carberry and Liam Pepper made an impact o the bench.

When Rhys Hemsley-Hales crossed over the line for a 23rd minute, the match was well and truly in the Bears’ control.

Not long a er, fullback Pearce crossed for his second as he broke down the sideline, fending o the opposition to score.

The Bears led 30-0 going into the

break. Further points came as the home side raced to 46 points.

The UC Stars nally crossed for a try in the 46th minute, but when an injury forced one of their players from the eld, the game ended early as there were insu cient numbers to proceed.

The Snowy River Bears ladies’ league-tag celebrated Mother’s Day in style as players, supporters and

club o cials were recognised for their contributions to the club.

In a very close a air, the Bears would sneak away with a hardfought 16-14 victory over the UC Stars. Both sides showed great skill with the result coming down to the wire.

The Bears’ defence in the second half was a key factor in the result.

Strong performances from

the halves, Leonie Burns and Sheryn Baird, who both led by example with strong runs, line breaks and Burns scoring a decisive second half try.

Shannon Harvey showed some speed to make several breaks, and Summer McGladrigan scored a late try inside the last ve minutes to secure the points.

The Bears’ league-tag side is next in action on Saturday, 24 May at John Connors Oval against Bungendore, 1.15pm start. The men’s side face Bungendore at 2.30pm. Bungendore sit on top of the ladder in the men’s competition.

WINNERS: The Snowy River Bears men’s side has two wins from as many matches following a dominant display in front of Bears fans at John Connors Oval. Jayden Carberry (pictured) o loads a er a strong carry. PHOTOS: Steve Cu

Try time for Leonie Burns in the Snowy River Bears’ tight 16-14 win in their first home game of the season.