Grave concerns for fund
I note that "Allocation of Phase 1 Bushfire Community Resilience and Economic Recovery Fund" is on the agenda for the council meeting on February 19.
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I note council officers suggest "Council officers have been engaging with a range of community groups, businesses, business chambers and local tourism organisations over the past month with a consistent theme of supporting local business, events and marketing emerging as key needs in the immediate term". I would appreciate details of exactly which community groups and businesses have been consulted.
I also note with grave concern that not a single dollar is being directed to specifically assist local businesses. Instead $95,000 is proposed to be being directed to Event Development and Coordination, $95,000 is proposed to employ a Business Recovery Officer, and $60,000 is proposed to be directed to Tourism Destination Marketing Support.
I ask you to seriously reconsider this allocation, to ensure that the money is directed, as it is intended, to directly and immediately support individual local businesses that have been affected by the recent bushfires.
Local businesses know their own markets and know how to best promote them. The money should and must be directed to support their immediate recovery - not directed, for example, to council to employ a Business Recovery Officer (who may or may not achieve anything) or for Tourism Destination Marketing Support (which may or may not achieve anything).
Peter Lacey, Quaama
Unspoken threats
The coronavirus is the worst epidemic the world has faced since HIV and before that the plague. What worries me are the things no-one is talking about.
Firstly the papers are full of photos of airports and arrivals being tested. However nowhere is anything mentioned about the arrival by sea of passengers and crews who may have come from China and whether the same precautions are being taken. Secondly China has an epidemic of swine flu and has 700 million pigs. Is there a connection as with the AIDS virus and monkeys?
Thirdly are "all" the containers arriving from China subject to severe scrutiny? Back in the old days the plague was brought to our shores by rats that started arriving with the First Fleet. I hope somebody has all the answers because I don't
Frank Pearce, Bega
Shifting priorities
An Australian farmer has ordered a new 4wd. She and her husband run a very successful farm, survived the drought, and can afford a new vehicle. The old one still goes okay, but why not?
That was last month, and last week the bushfire took all they owned - home, sheds, cattle...the lot. Of course the new vehicle will be postponed ("put on the back burner" is the phrase we use! An intentional joke).
Multiply a few million times and Australia has an order for submarines to the value of $225 billion (underwater tin cans) - are these value for money? Will they save us, the most difficult country in the world to defend,with the next war being run by computers?
Gladys, I am sure that stadiums and two new museums are a fine idea for $3billion approximately total, notwithstanding blowouts of a billion or so, but thousands of people struggling to rebuild their homes and lives will not put going to the footy games no matter how beautiful the stadium is.
Tathra is small community, slowly rebuilding lost homes. How long will it take to rebuild the hundreds of homes from Queensland, NSW and Victoria? Throw in Tassie and South Australia, even Western Australia. Do we have enough builders? Should we be spending some of the money on training, say, builder's labourers for example. Just a few thoughts from an elderly Australian who won't live long enough to see the country back on its feet.