This generous and sensible act is a perfect example of the action citizens can take when governments fail to make decisions that are in the best public interest. It is also a great way to give industries like oil and aluminium the royal finger and say “no we do not want to take the by-products of your processes off your hands to increase your profit margin”. 

Bundanoon recently placed a ban on plastic bottles in their area, Mallacoota declares it is plastic bag free. I commend John in his actions and hope that the rest of the Bega Valley Shire can use their power at the checkout to avoid plastic and fluoride.

On Saturday, March 25, I had the misfortune to stub my toe on a loose paver near Subway, resulting in a heavy fall on my operated hip. Two men, breakfasting with their wives, came to my rescue and I asked them to lift me upright in one movement as I feared the worst for my prosthesis.

Whilst I stood on one leg, they supported me, one each side, for 50 minutes until the ambulance from Eden arrived. This was quite a task for these men, supporting a “dead weight” so to speak.

I do not know the names of these two wonderful men from Tura Beach, as it was not a social occasion however, I do wish to publicly thank them and their patient wives. My thanks also to my lovely friends who stayed with me, Helen, Meryll, Ann, Maureen and Anna and Shane from Booktique for their assistance, Kathy for making the phone calls and others as yet unnamed. 

My injury resulted in a fractured pelvis and four days in the wonderful new Bega Hospital.

The Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association (BVSRRA) has observed frustration in the community at council’s mismanagement of the fluoridation issue due to a misunderstanding as to the role of the company Hunter H2O, originally engaged by council to mount an information campaign intended to inform the community on the supposed merits of fluoridation, in conjunction with NSW Health.

Council and Hunter H2O decided to use the website built for that purpose as with a feedback facility, which became available in late 2016 and was promoted under council’s “have your say” slogan, creating the impression that community feedback was being assessed by council.

Some community members were advised that feedback was being directed to Hunter H2O and concerns were further aroused when it became apparent that Hunter H2O was also in the business of supplying fluoridation infrastructure, prompting many to conclude that it had a perceived conflict of interest inappropriate for managing the community feedback process.  

Council and Hunter H2O decided to communicate with residents whose water supplies would be impacted by fluoridation, sending a message to the rest of the community that their views weren’t important.

Confusion and concern could have been avoided had council recognised the importance of the feedback process being kept separate and independent to the promotional campaign being pursued by Hunter H20.

It is crucial for council to take back direct control of the feedback process.

The association is not expressing a view on the merits of fluoridation but wonders about the state government’s capacity to prioritise investment for the shire, when it is prepared to spend upwards of $1m to introduce fluoride into the shire’s drinking water, allegedly to improve public health, but does nothing to address the real dangers to our health by refusing to fund filtration systems on all of the shire’s water supplies.