When handing out how-to-vote cards at the Towamba booth at the state election, the gentleman handing out for the Liberal candidate told me Mr Constance had visited him and assured him that the road would be sealed from Eden through to Wyndham, by Christmas. I await with bated breath to see this miracle of engineering.

Bega ratepayers are not council's ATM. I retired in 2013 and moved to Bega for three reasons. Great environment, great people and as pensioners a cost of living cheaper than cities. The cost of living theory has certainly had holes blown through it.

The rates have risen dramatically in the last six years to where they far exceed what I was paying in an affluent suburb of Sydney. When I moved here my water bills averaged $200 per quarter. They are now $500-plus.

The council's plans to charge residents to repair and maintain six pools show a remarkable lack of foresight and planning. Why was this not a recurrent budget allocation to cover this?

They have some good spin doctors though. They say this will only cost a ratepayer $2.82 a week and that it will add another $146 to your rate bill. The big question council doesn't answer is once all the pool repairs are done is whether the $146 will drop off your rates. I seriously doubt it. Will this sort of thing recur every time council come across something they forgot about?

Now to my biggest concern, the proposed sewerage installation in Nth Bega of which I am a resident.

I was told by council I would "only" have to pay for the plumbing costs on my land to connect the sewerage. Problem is my "only" consists of 105.3 metres of pipe across two paddocks through a large orchard with copious tree roots and then dig up all the concrete at the back of my house. It would cost a motza. Add to this $1300 annual sewage bill and it's a bigger nightmare. Compare all this to the $500 I pay to have my septic emptied every five years.

The sting in the tail is if I don't connect I will be charged an unconnected fee of $600pa which will only grow annually as all things council do. Phones lines and electricity lines go past my house - if I choose not to connect it costs me nothing.

Message to council "show me the money". I would like to know what happens to the money you keep taking out of our pockets?

Need a friendly visitor? In most cases, the answer is yes, especially for the aged who find it difficult to get out into the community.

Maintaining an active lifestyle can become harder due to illness, mobility issues, the passing of a partner or distance from family. Having someone to call in regularly and have a chat could help improve the quality of your life.

The Community Visitor's Scheme (CVS) can provide this connection and has been doing so in Bega Valley aged care facilities for 16 years. CVS has now extended its volunteer program into the homes of aged people living in the Merimbula, Pambula and Tura Beach areas.

If you are receiving support from a Home Care provider to keep you in your own home, you are eligible for a CVS visitor. It's a free service. More information from CVS coordinator, Greg Wollaston at cvs.sapphire@hotmail.com or text/ring on 0422 974 911. More volunteer visitors are always needed and an hour each week makes a difference.

Greg Wollaston, CVS