To Pambula Rotary and the Down South Jazz Club for organising the more than 100 volunteers who kept the festival venues and the jazz office running smoothly.

Also to the small and overworked Jazz Festival Committee who contribute hundreds of hours to the organisation and operation of the festival. Visitors often express their amazement that such a large well run festival is organised by so few people.

The committee is always looking for new faces so why not volunteer and help organise one of the longest running music festivals in Australia? You can contact us at info@merimbulajazz.org.au. 

After a short break we will be planning and organising next year's festival. Thank you all and we look forward to another great Festival in 2019.

As a Christian and as a 83-year-old male I feel I must comment on the behaviour of a young man from Bega. Where have we gone wrong? Every newspaper, every TV screen, every day we see examples of behaviour that is totally out of the mind of an average Australian. 

We are told over and over again to love your brother and sister, and when I was younger I stopped on all occasions to help a motorist in need – it was the Australian thing to do. Today you dare not stop for fear you will be car jacked or attacked. 

This case in Bega on Friday, June 1, is a example of this culture and we must rise to the occasion and wipe it from our culture. It is the responsibility of all, including churches, organisations, governments – state, federal and local councils – to see a change in the behaviour of this generation.

It is hard to believe, but it is happening day after day, night after night. We must all come together to change this horror that has become a part of civilisation and a part of our daily lives.

Two years ago Dr Lynn Simpson, a veterinarian reported on the atrocious conditions she observed on a ship exporting cattle. She made the mistake of backing up her report with photographs of the undeniably disgraceful conditions.

She was sacked by her employer, The Department of Agriculture, which was pressured by the Australian Livestock Exporters Council who claimed they could no longer work with her. Fired for doing the job she was expected to do.

Fast forward two years, and we have the gross sight of sheep dying in their thousands in the same conditions. By ignoring this courageous woman’s report, and listening to the self-serving promises of the Australian Livestock Exporters Council, the Dept of Agriculture has contributed significantly to the ghastly deaths of thousands of animals.

Dr Lynn Simpson, who I believe no longer practices as a vet, deserved so much better from the federal government.

Working Guide Dogs experience high levels of every day distractions from pet dogs, including attacks – overwhelmingly from off-lead dogs. These distractions can cause handlers, who are blind or vision impaired to experience anxiety, a loss of confidence, and have their safety and independence compromised.

We’re encouraging pet owners to keep their dogs on-lead when out in public and follow simple Guide Dog etiquette, to reduce these distractions. By keeping control of your own dog, you can help create a safe community, not just for Guide Dogs and their handlers, but for everyone.