I was resisting commenting on council affairs but the issue of school bullying seems to have got off track and it’s too important to ignore.

Most people don’t realise that statistically children who are bullied at school are A) more likely to become criminals, B) more prone to domestic violence, and C) much more likely to commit suicide or be involved in substance abuse, so the facts show that reducing bullying in schools has a positive impact on our community.

The program known as “Safe Schools Coalition” introduced by a councillor focuses on LGBIT bullying and has come under fire for social engineering children’s sexuality with age inappropriate material, but I am going to leave those aspects aside and deal with the needs of our community.

Statistically one in three children experience bullying at school (one in four regular bullying) and one in five children experience cyberbullying. 

LGBIT related bullying affects about one in 120+ students, so to be serious about this issue we should focus on all bullying, including LGBIT but not limit any program to that smaller demographic.

Published last week was an emotional letter from a reader in Candelo who was concerned about LGBIT suicides, however the increased suicide risk is across all bullying victims, not exclusively LGBIT, which reinforces the need for us to care about all the young people in our community.

Finally, research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies tells us that “Universal preventive intervention” such as the “Safe Schools Coalition" are not as effective and new research shows that identifying and working with specific students and their families achieves much better results.

Clearly the controversial program initially approved by council does not meet the needs of our community, but that doesn't mean it’s not a noble cause. 

I publicly offer to chair or sit on a committee to recommend an appropriate anti-bullying program that meets the needs of our community and I invite the reader from Candelo to also participate in the committee and be a part of the solution.

It was the wonderfully wise and funny comedian Groucho Marx who said: “Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.”

Given his apparent ability to uphold that tradition, there can be little doubt that former journalist and newly-elected Councillor Mitchell Nadin will make a fine Australian politician.

In his letter to the editor published just three weeks ago, Cr Nadin argued vigorously that the issue of bullying in schools “is not within the local government purview” while this week he has reportedly been involved in the drafting of a motion to be put to council which achieves exactly the opposite outcome.

It would seem that those who aspire to a successful career in politics in the post-modern world of “new truth” must be capable of appearing to be all things to all people.

The amount of drowning deaths in Australia this summer has been nothing short of horrendous. 

Lucky our council has leapt into action to prevent this happening here.

A nice big pumpout from the sewerage plant has generated so much algae sludge in the ocean zone from Pambula Beach to the Rivermouth that no one can actually sink. 

This zone is now the South Coast’s answer to the Dead Sea and we all know what a tourist winner that area is.

You just would not know how many lives council is going to save.