All entries were

outstanding and there was obviously a lot of work put into the floats, but we were judged the best!

Pat Helmore

Club Captain

Sapphire Water Dragons

Mea culpa. The Sapphire Water Dragons were indeed judged the winners of best float. Our apologies for the error. Editor

Your criticism was a bit much, Mr Mutch

I agree with Mr Mutch that the “mermaids” at Snug Cove were exceptional, but feel his criticism was a little harsh and unfounded.

Because no matter what medium was used, an equal amount of effort went into all entries, whether they used a mannequin or not, and they were all done with the sole purpose of supporting the Whale Festival and helping to make it the outstanding success that it was.

Unfortunately there could only be two winners in each section and the judges did an excellent job considering the standard of the entries.

I didn’t see your entry there Mr Mutch.

Perhaps next year you would like to be a judge or let us see you helping out on the Whale Festival committee, and not being critical of those who did step forward.

Congratulations to all and a big thumbs up to the current committee and all those who helped out. It was a credit to everyone.

Valma Barber

Eden

What do marine parks protect?

Re, D Binar and Mark Fleming, marine parks:

There is nothing marine parks can do in protecting the environment that cannot be done by State Fisheries under the Fisheries Act 1994.

At various meetings post declaration of Batemans Marine Park, I asked the question of Marine Parks, “What areas have you found to need special protection?”

No answer. I suspect the person would not, or more likely could not, answer.

Having served six years on NSW Fisheries MAC I knew full well that an EIS was required before a marine park could be legally declared

My time on MAC enlightened me to the fact that marine parks and most regulations are mainly created to appease a noisy minority, not more than 15 per cent of the total vote and as such are superfluous to needs.

Their staff could be more gainfully employed under Fisheries field work.

Last I heard Fisheries had an imbalance of seat polishers to field workers of around four to one so there is plenty of room.

As for funding they are already funded by the public purse.

Re D Binar’s remarks, I agree that three-quarters of a box of fish per person is a bit on the large side for recreational bag limit.

Of course in practice the bag limit is not often reached.

G Collet

Philippines

Than ks from Nullica

The Friends of Nullica would like to thank Eve of Everything Earthy, Christie of Studio III, Jill and Suzette from the Eden Garden Centre, Daphne Lister, Di Swane and Robert Smallwood of Eden Pharmacy for their kind donations of prizes and Leigh, Regina and staff of the Great Southern Hotel and to everyone who supported us on a very enjoyable Melbourne Cup luncheon in aid of Nullica Lodge.

Friends of Nullica

Development conditions not enforced by council

I wish to comment on the letter from Phil McManus regarding the Bega Valley Shire Council and the manner in which it handles development applications for controversial projects.

Nearly every point raised by Phil about the poor handling of the current supermarket proposals is identical to the problems that arose six years ago with the Eden Bi-Lo supermarket.

In that instance, the DA was incomplete and not displayed at the correct time.

The building design was poor and too large for the site.

It was badly located being opposite the primary school and school crossing.

The car parking space was too cramped with extremely poor access and the above ground parking area so badly designed that cars and pedestrians were constantly at risk of colliding.

The building overshadows not only the next door commercial motel premises but also the private residences located in Maling Street.

The loading bay is directly opposite and only 30 metres from these houses and the noise generated by the various truck movements is a constant inconvenience for residents.

All of these matters and many others were brought to council’s attention before the final approval was given.

Most grievances were disregarded but as a sop to residents certain Conditions of Consent were appended to the final approval documents.

These were largely ignored by the developers and have subsequently been treated with similar disdain by Bi-Lo management.

Requests to council to enforce the consent conditions seldom result in any action at all and if such action is taken it is largely ineffective.

In the six years that have passed since the Eden Bi-Lo proposal was first mooted there has been no improvement with council’s mode of operation and the development at any price mentality still prevails.

While one may approve of council wishing to broaden its rating base, poorly designed, inappropriately located buildings that are not environmentally or user friendly is not the way to go.

Council needs to look again at what is motivating its decisions and at what ratepayers and residents want for the future development of the towns in which they live.

E C Spinks

Eden

Council needs to do better

I agree totally with the letter from un-named writer in the November 5 issue.

I, like many, believe that Bega Valley Shire Council think that the buck stops in Merimbula, unless they are collecting rates.

The pot holes in the main street of Eden are a disgrace.

Every so often we get the jet spray bandaid treatment that misses half the pot holes, and we just carry the gravel off on our shoes and into shops.

There was a roadside sign painted on the strip of road on the turn at the corner of Chandos and Imlay Street, and at the time I thought it was a bit rude of the council or RTA to have it on the road, but I was politely told it meant ‘resurfacing’.

Well years afterwards, that has never taken place and I am convinced that my first thoughts on road signs were the true ones.

Wake up Bega Council, and give us a service for our hard earned dollars.

Judy Pastro

Eden

Protect marine environment, not the marine parks

I wish to respond to the letter from Lorna Tilley from Friends of Durras and her claims about the Batemans Marine Park.

I strongly support the protection of our marine environment, but I want the decisions that are made about zonings and activity restrictions in the park to be done based on sound marine science, not the political science that is pushed by the Greens and groups like Friends of Durras.

People like Lorna Tilley have tried to argue that the marine park is about the management of fish stocks.

This is simply wrong.

We have a NSW Department of Fisheries and their applied taxpayer resources for science to manage the region’s fish stocks.

The marine park should be about the conservation of biodiversity.

If there are scientific reasons for a particular species or marine ecosystem to be protected then that should happen.

The reality is that the Labor Government did no science and has now closed 16,000 hectares in the Batemans Marine Park on the basis of trying to secure Greens preferences for electoral purposes.

Can Lorna Tilley guarantee that such a closure is not leading to a high concentration of fishing effort in parts of the park that remain open? I think not.

I have never heard one concern from Lorna Tilley about the impact of land-based activities on our marine environment.

Why hasn’t there been any call from Friends of Durras for the ocean outfalls to be turned off for instance?

I make no apologies for wetting a line despite now being attacked by some for doing so - after all it is part of our great Australian tradition.

For the record in the past 12 months I have been fishing twice and caught in total six fish.

Please be assured that I shared my fish with the three other fishers in the boat and I would much sooner eat wonderful Far South Coast seafood as opposed to the frozen Mekong Delta catfish that the Greens would have us all eat.

Andrew Constance MP

Bega