Awful outfall
Why must we further pollute the pristine ocean waters and fish of the Sapphire Coast with sewage effluent and treatment chemicals by building an “ocean outfall”?
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What do they do in Albury, Bendigo, Ballarat or Alice Springs? After more than 40 years of dumping our effluent into the bay through the sand dunes, council should find a decent 21st Century sewage solution.
Hands off the ocean!
Jon Gaul, Tura Beach
Fluoride debate
One consequence of a successful campaign to prevent local fluoridation will be for council to miss an opportunity to improve the health of low income groups within our community.
There is no debate that poor dental health contributes to poor overall health and that dental treatment is beyond the financial means of many families, particularly those with single incomes and the indigenous community.
The recent comprehensive, scientific and unbiased report by Australia’s peak National Health and Medical Research Council confirms what has been patently obvious for years. Fluoride in the water supplies is safe and significantly improves dental health, especially among young people.
Why council has not grasped this nettle and supported the health of disadvantaged groups in the Bega Valley Shire escapes me.
Robert Bain, Eden
Water pipes
So, Bega Valley Shire Council claims the nearly 20 per cent or 117 kilometres of pipes servicing the shire’s drinking water network is being renewed and replaced “in accordance with our Water Asset Management Plan 2015” (BDN, 31/10). Maybe I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but having waded through the impressive 75 page Water Asset Management Plan 2015, I couldn’t find a skerrick of information detailing a timeline for the replacement of the aging pipes.
And while council’s respected manager of water and sewerage services, Jim Collins, says that “the weight of evidence indicates ingested asbestos is not hazardous to people’s health”, he didn’t comment on the ongoing potential impact on the health of residents of consuming a cocktail of chemicals contained in our drinking water, that may include chlorine, iron and lead, as well as fluoride and asbestos.
What council’s plan does acknowledge is a glaring lack of financial resources necessary to sustain the capital and maintenance requirements of the shire’s water system which, coupled with its ongoing deterioration, must mean that the already poor quality of the shire’s drinking water will only continue to deteriorate.
It is way past time that council pursued the state government for a genuine financial commitment to address this most basic of community services.
John Richardson, Wallagoot
Main St land
Several months ago I wrote to you in regard to the land that the BVSC was “marketing” (I use the term very loosely) in Main Street Merimbula.
I noted that the display board reflected that tenders for the property closed in February 2016. I now note with interest that the property has been sold but still the display board remains on the property calling for tenders which close in February 2016.
Is it that the BVSC is waiting for the second anniversary of the close of tenders or is it with all the money that the management is paid that they can’t afford a sold sticker?
As a ratepayer and by proxy a shareholder in the land I think it is absolutely appalling that we are putting up with this. Imagine that a developer comes to Merimbula wanting to invest in our town and sees this board. No wonder they drive further up the highway to look for a more vibrant real estate market. Who is responsible for this debacle? Come on BVSC lift your game.