The RSL organisation has the tradition of respecting the achievements of the past but in this case seems to have scant regard for an important piece of Merimbula’s history.

It was always understood that the house built by John McIlwraith-Smith, and the garden in which it stands, would be preserved as a memorial to the foresight and generosity of the family which gave the vast tract of land to the Anglican Church and started the building of the retirement village, which was a new concept at that time.

John and Kathleen’s ashes are interred in the garden and it had been hoped that those of another family member could have been placed there too.

There is no doubt that construction standards of the 1940s are not acceptable now and that years of neglect have damaged the structure but preservation of  buildings of historical significance always entails expense and adaptation to different uses needs imagination.

Owners of items of heritage value have the responsibility, and privilege, to look after them on behalf of the community.

Our heritage is priceless and the whole community is the richer when old buildings are maintained and open spaces used to provide passive recreation, in this case for the residents of Bimbimbie.

The Historical Society also has the responsibility to safeguard significant buildings and their curtilage for the future, so is asking that more consideration be given to this matter rather than the easy option taken of demolition for short term gain.

Shirley Bazley, Merimbula-Imlay Historical Society

The absence of a strategic thinking capability, real commercial acumen and any sense of urgency is not a good look for the Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC).

The commencement of the Rawson supermarket development in Main Street, Merimbula and the resultant imminent loss of about 180 car spaces, coupled with the recent significant loss of parking in the Palmer Street carpark due to the bypass construction, will simply add to the town’s already acute parking problem.

Add to this the fact that council has done almost nothing to create additional parking in Merimbula for more than 30 years and the town’s capacity to service the tourism industry and its economic viability are in serious jeopardy 

Council’s best response has been to claim that it is looking at the possibility of “expensive” high-rise or underground expansion of existing parking facilities in Alice and Palmer Streets and that it is also talking to the RSL Club about its plans.

So, having done nothing to address the growing problem for decades, the best council can suggest is to still do nothing until after the bypass is finished and then they’ll start working-out how to respond.

In the meantime, the great minds at Zingel Place persist with their efforts to sell the old Main Street Library site, notwithstanding the acknowledged lack of market interest or the fact that it potentially represents a “ready-made” opportunity to at least partially alleviate the parking crisis council has created.

The BVSRRA believes that, even if only as an interim measure, the old Library site coupled with adjoining council-owned land, could be readily used to compensate for up to 120 of the car parking spaces that will be lost as a result of the Rawson redevelopment, at a fraction of the cost of the alternatives it claims to be considering.

Unless and until council acts to address the parking crisis it has created, the new road seal to the bridge won’t be the only thing that gets “pulled-up and replaced”.

John Richardson, Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association