The majority of high income earners who commute to Bega mostly live in Merimbula, Tura , Pambula and Tathra, therefore taking their wage home and spending in your shops. Be careful biting the (Bega) hand that feeds you .

Andrew Warby, Jellat,Jellat

Having spent 10 years holidaying in Merimbula we eventually bought a house here and lived in Merimbula for 23 years.

Merimbula offered a variety in shopping, entertainment and a beach environment. However as we got older the hassle of finding parking and shopping in Merimbula, when tourism was at its highest we looked to shop elsewhere.

The Tura Beach development was the best decision by council, offering some choice and only 4kms out of Merimbula. We drove out to shop at Tura or to Bega to escape the hustle and bustle that tourism provided.

Eventually we even bought a house at Tura and totally love the ambience and the opportunity of shopping where most of the things we require are close by - supermarket, chemist, coffee, newsagent, nursery, library.

We enjoy visiting the clubs or picture theatre on occasion but don't venture into Merimbula unless we have to, (even though it's only 4kms) especially when it's cold and because most things that are offered are not high on our list of wants and needs.

As for all the empty shops perhaps the owners need to rethink. Look at the shops which have closed or moved - Millers, Sundeck, Double Shot, Jason Harley, Elders. Tura Beach is not responsible for the decline in shoppers because if there is something that people want they will travel to Merimbula (which is as I've already mentioned only 4kms) for their purchases.

Perhaps the intersection from hell may have some impact on people's reluctance to shop in Merimbula.

Helena Campbell, Tura Beach

I believe it is important in our democratic society, that people expressing a political view in the public arena should declare any political associations they may have.

However, yet again, Jon Gaul has written a party-political letter (Merimbula News 19 June 2019) and failed to disclose his role as a senior office bearer in the Liberal Party.

He is notorious for trying to represent himself as 'Joe Average', as we saw when he made an oral submission to the 'Inquiry into the implications of removing refundable franking credits' public meeting held in Merimbula. 24 hours later he was outed as a Liberal Party stooge by the national media who had subsequently made some investigations into his background.

Interestingly, Jim Molan's personal campaign to seek Senate re-election, to which Mr Gaul refers, was contrary to the pre-selection agreement the Liberal Party had with their Nationals coalition partners.

Those in the Liberal Party who acted contrary to the direction of Head Office could be the subject of severe sanctions or even expulsion from the Party. Is this perhaps why Mr Gaul has failed to disclose his Presidency of a local Liberal Party Branch?

David Neyle, President, Tathra Branch, NSW Labor Party

I agree with former Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs about "Israel Folau's right to express his religious view", albeit irrational, hurtful and based on fairy tale beliefs, comfortably sitting in his luxurious pad. However he conveniently omitted to mention the liars, cheats, charlatans, impostors, sociopaths, phonies, tricksters, exploiters and most of all the paedophiles, rife (but mostly hidden) within the churches including his own.

Bernard Lagarenne, Merimbula