You may say I have a vested interest as Chris performed a total knee replacement last November and I haven’t looked back.

Chris is a brilliant surgeon and to see him treated in this manner is appalling.  What has he done apart from stick up for the rights of both patients and colleagues?

I wonder if the question of vested interest has been asked...who on the management committee wants to replace Chris with some friends mate, son or whatever?

I think the community and the Health Minister need to question the motives behind this ridiculous decision.

After the decision by council last week to give $150,000 to the Pambula Merimbula Golf Club (PMGC) for its irrigation system, we thought it appropriate to explain to the ratepayers of the shire why we voted against this motion.

Council delivers water to each ratepayer and they pay for this water.  What the ratepayer does with that water is up to them – it is their choice and, importantly, their cost.

In relation to the PMGC (and many other golf clubs and the turf club), council delivers recycled water to the clubs for free. In the case of PMGC this saves it roughly $400,000 per year. This helps the clubs and also ensures less recycled water is heading out into the beautiful waters of Merimbula and Pambula. It’s all free water. In the long term, council needs to put in a new ocean outfall with the cost being around $30million. 

This decision needs to be seen in context.

The Bega Valley has a large number of sporting and recreational clubs that were formed and operate on the basis of maintaining their own facilities without ratepayer support, including PMGC.  In our view, the ratepayers of the shire should not be asked to financially contribute to this process and, particularly, not be responsible for “picking winners”.

After much consideration we decided it was not appropriate to put ratepayers’ funds into an asset they themselves are duty bound to maintain. If we do this for PMGC we would be duty bound to do it for all – and there lies the problem.  We decided it was not in the interest of the ratepayers and it set a dangerous precedent. Now council’s just spent $150,000 and opened Pandora’s Box.

On Friday, February 17, my wife and l were on the coast highway between Merimbula and Tathra and on a steep incline near the Bournda National Park, when we had a massive engine failure, loss of all power and were very lucky to get the vehicle and caravan off the roadway to avoid a danger to ourselves and other road users.

The purpose of this email while waiting for the NRMA, is to acknowledge the large number of motorists travelling in either direction who offered us assistance. This varied from storing our caravan over the crest of the hill on his property until our vehicle issue was sorted; tow our caravan to Tathra, our intended location; or stay with us for support and protection. 

There are too many other offers to mention, but all very genuine – even a P plater who leaned out his window asking if we needed a taxi. Young Aussie humor...

This incident has restored our faith and warmed our hearts that the Aussie spirit and overwhelming offers of support, is very much alive and well, by your locals and interstate travellers alike.

People are very quick to complain, criticise and knock fellow humans when they feel they are poorly treated, but l hope you would afford us the privilege of publishing this notice as a way of thanking all the lovely road users of how sincerely their offers of assistance were greatly appreciated.