My son Brendan saw your place at Kiah some time ago where there was an open day. Pleased you are updating the wharf area and great to see your passion about Eden. Here's to many more memories.

Michael Britten (Letters, Magnet 13/2) laments that a lack of "financial common sense" in "land management" has increased fire hazard.

If we had "financial common sense" in "land management" we would not have native forest logging. It is economically marginal, usually makes losses for NSW taxpayers, bludges off local government rate payers with rate exemptions. It damages local roads, waterways (just ask the oyster industry) and destroys top soils. That's before we even start counting the environmental damage to wildlife and the climate.

It would not exist today without generous taxpayer subsidies. And of course, 50 years of intensive woodchip logging have made this region's forests drier, of even height and denser and consequently more fire prone. It is anything but common sense.

Hazard reduction can be used as an effective way to keep us safe. Key infrastructure must be looked after in the future.

Towns and things like electrical power stations and communications must be afforded the protection of hazard reduction.

Its crazy that in our dry sclerophyll forest type it's illegal to do burning hazard reduction within a 15-year period of a hazard reduction and, on the north coast of NSW, in the wet sclyophyl forest, every 30 years.

This is thanks to the Carr government's Native Vegetation Act and Wilderness Act and of our present governments unwillingness to change the Acts.

Do trees know not to drop leaves with a 15 or 30-year period?

I note that "Allocation of Phase 1 Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund" is on the agenda for the council meeting on February 19.

I note council officers suggest "Council officers have been engaging with a range of community groups, businesses, business chambers and local tourism organisations over the past month with a consistent theme of supporting local business, events and marketing emerging as key needs in the immediate term". I would appreciate details of exactly which community groups and businesses have been consulted.

I also note with grave concern that not a single dollar is being directed to specifically assist local businesses. Instead $95,000 is proposed to be being directed to Event Development and Coordination, $95,000 is proposed to employ a Business Recovery Officer, and $60,000 is proposed to be directed to Tourism Destination Marketing Support.

I ask you to seriously reconsider this allocation, to ensure that the money is directed, as it is intended, to directly and immediately support individual local businesses that have been affected by the recent bushfires.

Local businesses know their own markets and know how to best promote them. The money should and must be directed to support their immediate recovery - not directed, for example, to council to employ a Business Recovery Officer (who may or may not achieve anything) or for Tourism Destination Marketing Support (which may or may not achieve anything).