The whole street is now a safety hazard, for drivers having to avoid people crossing everywhere along the whole length of the area and the people attempting to cross avoiding all the distracted drivers. This appears to be a systemic standard for this council.

I brought up this same issue as per the retirement village across from the Woolies at Tura Beach as there is no pedestrian crossing for the retirees and the response was a blindfolded response to go to the RMS. Until I responded it is a local road, I was ignored.

I hear the council advertise on the radio as how they are looking after road safety (not). Pedestrian (lolly pop) crossings are one of the simplest safety devices for people and drivers, require no electricity, are painted in easily to see bright yellow and yet they are the hardest thing to locale anywhere in this area. Why?

David Attenborough has described climate change as mankind’s “greatest threat in thousands of years”, warning it could lead to the collapse of civilisations. But who is listening?

The Liberals have their heads in the sand and their hands in the pockets of the coal lobby.  Their acolyte voters, who read inaccurate rubbish published by fossil fuel promoters, have no interest in learning the facts endlessly produced by scientists.

Children, the next generation, are screaming for their future to be protected but no-one responds. Soon it will be too late.

From Little Things Parklands (FLT) isn’t just an urban farm or a beautifully made farmers market built by members of our community. It is more than an educational parkland or green space in the centre of town.

It is a platform that will bring our entire community together, to make us stronger and more resilient to an uncertain future. Around the globe today there are major problems which make us want to turn away from our TVs and smart phones.

Why is that? Because it’s too big and too much for any one of us individually. Globally, we are small. Globally, it’s overwhelming to think of how we can make a change or have any sort of impact.

But, with the help of our neighbours, friends and families we can make a change here. We can protect our little slice of paradise and make it stronger, more community driven, eat our own fresh produce, and stimulate our own economy. We can make sure our business owners feel supported, we can make sure that anyone who is having a hard time knows they aren’t alone. All the while setting a positive example for other communities to make a change and ensure the next generation is resilient and ready for whatever the future might hold.

I would like to thank everyone who made this fundraiser possible to help FLT launch into its next stage. On Saturday we celebrated and Sunday the work began on our new farmers market. The FLT Farmers Market aims to bring some charm to Merimbula to create a space for our community to come together, to connect, buy wholesome produce and learn. Our aim is to give our primary produces an out let with some soul. Where people know all of their hard work goes back into feeding there community as well as supporting their family.

FLT would like to work closely with the community and producers to create this space. So, if you have an idea, an opinion, skills that could benefit, two hands that are willing to work or a fat wallet now’s the time to bring them forward. This market should be built by Merimbula for Merimbula so that all of us can be part of the change.