Editorial What’s On …………….... 20 to 23 FIND ALL YOUR DAILY NEWS @ www.beagleweekly.com.au

Welcome to this week’s editorial, The elec on hasn’t been called but you wouldn’t know it. Across the media the Prime Minister is on the hus ngs and the campaign is well under way to promote his Blue team and to denigrate anyone else who might want to stand against him. The tac cs are already pre y poor. Trucks with placards showing the Chinese leader vo ng for Labor are apparently allowable by the Australian Electoral Commission on the proviso that the box has a “1” in the box and not a “ ck” that might inadvertently advise someone to a vote that would be deemed informal. One would hope that any poli cian standing for Parliament was required to be truthful and honest in their campaign and accountable to a governing body such as the Australian Electoral Office. But it turns out that the Australian Electoral Commission has no power to limit the spread of misinforma on because the AEC is bound by the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, which does not cover the actual content of poli cal adver sing. The AEC was made aware this week that the Queensland Liberal Na onal Party had acquired the domain name of albanese.com.au and redirected the domain to the Liberal Party website. This is illegal. But the AEC couldn’t do anything and it was le to the controllers of .com.au domain names to act, pulling down the website. In coming weeks the shire will be li ered with corflutes, as was the case during the last State elec on. You could protest to the AEC but they will simply flick it back. It has long been considered that poli cians are not to be trusted. There are endless jokes made about them and a trillion anecdotes that offer up stories of poli cians lying, feathering their own nest, feathering their friends nest and basically looking a er their own self interest rather than represen ng the electorate. Unfortunately, in the melee we are witnessing in the leadup to the elec on being called, the voices of good people are not being heard. There are worthy candidates to represent us fairly in parliament. Intelligent well -serving people who believe that they can make a difference to lives and willing to stand and make our voices heard. Sadly these good people do not have the millions of dollars being thrown around by the current government, hell bent on blowing smoke up their own bo oms. Instead they door knock, they appear at fetes and markets and walk the main streets of our towns. Come elec on day we must consider our vote carefully and weigh that vote with Integrity, Truthfulness, Willingness and the reality of what might be promised against what can be met. For too long we have been governed by poli cians who become masters of double speak. They have become unaccountable and excel in weasel words and failed promises. Our society however relies on the system of democracy where we vote for our leaders. Maybe this me around we might make the effort to weed out the liars, the self servers, the connivers, the mediocre, and instead vote in those who represent who we are and understand what we need as a community and a country to at least survive with dignity. Un l next—lei

Community Significant Rare Earth Element (REE) Results Iden fied at Batemans Project

Mitre Mining Corpora on Limited has announced that it has achieved significant inroads on the explora on program of work over the Batemans Project (EL9146). Clinton Carey, Mitre Mining CEO, says, "The field teams have worked systema cally to map and sample the explora on area. The Company has gathered a comprehensive suite of explora on data from which to make more detailed, future explora on decisions. Results to date have shown that the Batemans Project has significant rare earth occurrences and strong silver showings. The next stages of work will further inves gate the major structural and altera on zones known to be associated with rare earths and possible gold, silver, and base metals." In a statement issued by the company they say: Over 2,700 portable XRF (pXRF) readings incorpora ng 39 different elements (>105,000 data points) have been acquired to date across the Batemans Project (EL9146). Over 420 pXRF samples returned Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) results >500ppm based on five elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd and Y) of the 17 rare earth elements (which are classified as the 15 Lanthanides + Scandium + Y rium). The highest TREO result recorded to date was 2,218 ppm. Full suite analy cal results will be acquired for some higher-grade zones to capture the other 12 REEs not picked up by the portable XRF (opera onal constraint of the pXRF). The plo ed analy cal results for the TREOs revealed significant geochemical trends with the TREOs associated with extensive altera on zones and major faults, which have been observed from mapping along the margins of the granodiorites. Mul ple anomalous zones have been traced for strike lengths greater than 4km and up to 800m wide, poten ally even more extensive. To obtain bulk samples and further characterisa on work, trenching (costeaning) will commence across the higher-grade zones.

Community Seniors Card now digital for those who choose to opt in

NSW seniors can now access their Seniors and Seniors Savers Card digitally via the Service NSW app for the first me since its introduc on in 1992. The rollout follows a successful pilot with 4000 par cipants, with the vast majority giving it the thumbs up. This now brings this service, which has been beneficial for easing the cost of living for seniors since 1992, into the 21st century. When this ini a ve was first introduced 250,000 seniors had access to discounts and rebates from 320 goods and service providers. Now, it is one of the largest programs of its kind in Australia, with 1.8 million seniors able to access discounts and rebates at more than 6500 shops, travel, entertainment and professional services. The digital cards will be opt-in only and customers will con nue to receive a physical card. To find instruc ons on how to add a digital Seniors or Senior Savers Card to the Service NSW app or to learn more

visit service.nsw.gov.au/campaign/nsw-seniors-card-program

Fit 4 Life program extends thanks to grant

The Fit 4 Life program is currently running at Moruya High School in partnership with the Clontarf academy staff Dane Kennedy & Anthony Terare. The program is funded by NSW Club Grants which has enabled organisers to run Fit 4 Life at Batemans Bay High each Monday, Moruya High each Tuesday and Mogo Primary School each Thursday. Fit 4 Life co-ordinator, Senior Constable Greg Curry says, "The program is a great way to get young people ac ve in life before school with fun spor ng ac vi es, followed by a nutri onal breakfast to give the par cipants a great start to the day."

Consulta on Set To Open On Moruya Bypass Moruya and surrounding communi es will soon have the opportunity to provide more feedback on the Moruya bypass, a key element of the NSW and Federal Government’s $1.9 billion Princes Highway upgrade. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said community members have requested further technical informa on and more detail about the shortlisted corridor op ons – Purple, Orange and Yellow. “I was recently in Moruya and met with a range of community members, businesses and Eurobodalla Shire Council, and it was clear there is an appe te to be er understand the project, and provide more feedback, on the preferred corridor,” Mr Farraway said. “The community’s input is crucial to make sure we get this project right, ensure it delivers the best outcome for everyone, and minimises any poten al impact on the liveability and natural beauty of Moruya. “We now want to hear what the community has to say on the three shortlisted bypass corridor op ons. “Addi onal consulta on will help ensure the best overall outcome is reached for Moruya and nearby areas. The consulta on period will open 4 April 2022 and be open for 60 days to ensure the community has enough me to consider all available informa on and provide feedback on the corridor op ons. “Transport for NSW staff will be out and about across the community mee ng with businesses, community groups and offering drop-in briefing sessions,” Mr Farraway said. “I encourage everyone to have their say.” More informa on on the bypass op ons and how to have your say will be available on the Transport website: www.transport.nsw.gov.au

www.iga.com.au/catalogue

Community Are you insured against extreme weather? New survey suggests a lot aren’t

Only three days ago we warned of a new round of extreme weather to ba er the Central and South Coast – and that’s on the back of wild weather going around since January this year. We’d all like to think our home insurance covers us against floods and cyclones – but a new survey commissioned by Savvy suggests 22% of New South Wales and Queensland residents don’t have insurance against extreme weather events. This is despite many people in the Central and South Coast experiencing extreme weather recently. The survey, which polled 1,000 NSW and Queensland residents about their experiences with extreme weather events and insurance claims showed that 133 NSW residents in the poll said that extreme weather caused enough damage to their property they were forced to make an insurance claim. 55 of those residents said they claimed for flooding; 80 said they claimed for storm damage. The increasing nature of extreme weather events may mean a similar increase in the price of insurance premiums. Overall, 61% of those surveyed said they fear ongoing weather events having this exact impact. 16.4% respondents said that their premiums have already risen by over five percent, with the same number saying their premiums have increased by ten percent. 214 respondents with Home & Contents insurance said they pay between $1,001-$1,500 for their premiums. 124 pay between $501-$1,000, with 100 spending $1,501-$2,000. The risk gap widens The survey also shows that there is a no ceable gap between the actual risks recorded by insurance companies and what residents believe are the risks. In the Insurance Australia Group report on natural disasters, 44.1% of survey respondents said they lived in a “Low” risk area for floods – though the IAG differs on their assessment, showing a “High” to “Medium” risk in NSW metro and regional areas. A gap between perceived and actual risk may lead to homeowners underinsuring their property – or not insuring it at all. Just over half of respondents said (54%) they are covered by Home & Contents insurance; 8% only cover their homes, and 15.5% only cover their contents. This could poten ally devastate families if they were to experience extreme weather and property damage. What’s to blame? The young say climate change

The survey also polled opinions about what is driving the frequency in extreme weather events. 35% said that human-caused climate change is to blame, with the 18-24 age bracket more inclined to finger climate change as the culprit (45.9%). Of the 190 25–34-year-olds surveyed, 43.7% iden fied climate change as the most likely cause.

27.3% said it’s due to Australia being in the midst of the La Niña “cool” phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscilla on. During the La Niña phase, tropical cyclones and rainfall likelihood increases to above average levels, par cularly along the Eastern seaboard of Australia. 22.8% of respondents said it was just due to “unpredictable extreme weather.” 33.1% of older (45-54 years old) NSW and Queensland residents surveyed (n=172) agreed that La Niña was the main driver of the extreme weather events. 37% of women iden fied climate change as the cause, compared with 33% of men. No ma er the cause, the fact 22% of residents aren’t insured against extreme weather at all – and if you are unsure if you are insured against extreme weather events, you should contact your insurance company or broker immediately to find out where you stand; otherwise, you could be in store for a rude awakening.

Community Australian Democrats announce candidate for Eden Monaro

The Australian Democrats have announced their candidate to contest the Federal seat of Eden Monaro in the coming elec on. Greg Butler, a local Murrumbateman resident, will be vying to win the seat from the Labor incumbent when voters go to the polls in May. Greg is a Professional Engineer with a long career in rail construc on and management throughout Australia. He has an extensive record of community involvement and volunteer work, represen ng his community twice as a Shire Councillor. He is a founda on member of the Australian Democrats, and has long campaigned to bring the Democrats principles of honesty, tolerance and compassion to the forefront of Australian poli cs. “There needs to be a voice in the Federal Parliament that rises above the squabbling of Labor and Liberal, that gives a vision of a more just, fair and sustainable society, and that moves us towards a be er future for us, our children, our grandchildren, and the genera ons to come. We should expect a naturally clean, healthy and sustainable environment to live in and enjoy.

Australians deserve an economy that supports all of us, not just the majority of us, and that does not mortgage or sell our future. We should have a solid high technology diverse manufacturing base, and resilient rural communi es. Nobody in our affluent society should be living in poverty. We should all expect access to adequate quality health care and to world class educa on. We need secure affordable housing for all, from the me we are children, through becoming parents ourselves, then into our old age. “The current Government have had ample opportunity to achieve these outcomes. They have failed to deliver. Labor have had past opportuni es, when in government, to deliver, but they also failed. Labor has been ineffec ve in arguing for change when in opposi on. Parliament, apart from the handful of independents, has become mired in pe y party poli cs. And Australia has suffered. “I am asking the people of Eden Monaro to think about their choice at this elec on. Do you really want to vote for a Labor or Liberal representa ve, knowing that this will let them con nue to waste precious me and opportuni es while they bicker over triviali es? Or should you decide that now is the me to vote for a change that will elect parliamentarians focussing on making your Australia the be er country that you know it can become?” Greg has been a resident of Murrumbateman for over 20 years. His mother’s family are the Anne s from the Adelong area. His childhood home was at Bega, and he commenced his educa on at what was then the Bega Infants School.

Community 2022 Federal Budget- a climate shocker

The South East Climate Alliance have issued a statement following the federal budget, calling it a 'climate shocker'. SECA spokesperson, Allan Rees, said "The South East Climate Alliance* are local community members – many of us directly affected by the black summer bushfires. We want a na onal government to step up and do more to seriously tackle climate change. "Despite all the recent extreme weather events and destruc on caused to people's property and lives, the Morrison Government delivers a budget that cuts funding to climate ac on.

While at the same me significantly increasing funding for fossil fuels which will accelerate global warming and increase the frequency of extreme weather events – floods, bushfires, heatwaves, strong winds, storm surges. The South East Climate Alliance representa ve said “it is par cularly disappoin ng that the budget includes: ● cu ng 35% of the funding for the Federal Government's clean energy agencies over the next 3 years. Investment in renewables drives down electricity costs. ● $0 for the electrifica on of transport – electric trucks and cars to drive down transport costs. ● Zero $0 for energy efficiency measures including rebates for upgrading appliances from gas to electric (hot water heat pumps, reverse cycle air condi oners) to realise significant energy savings”. "The only posi ve climate announcement was $148.6m for community solar and wind microgrids in areas too remote to have access to the power grid. “Unbelievably the Federal Budget included another $300m for the gas industry. This includes gas pipelines, storage infrastructure, and new gas extrac on projects across Victoria, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. The funds will support the ongoing development of new gas projects in the Beetaloo, Surat and Bowen gas basins” said Allan Rees. "This is on top of the up to $600m the Federal Government has allocated to build a new gas fired power plant at Kurri Kurri. It is expected to be powered ini ally by diesel – an even more expensive and pollu ng fuel – before receiving its gas supply. "Gas emits about half the carbon dioxide released from coal when burned, but Global Energy Monitor, a US research and advocacy group, found the role of fugi ve methane emissions from new gas developments in global hea ng was likely to be as large as the expansion of coal power. Methane lasts in the atmosphere for only about 12 years but is much more potent than carbon dioxide. "SECA demands an end to subsidies for destruc ve fossil fuels, support for renewable energy and assistance for communi es affected by the transi on.

Community Regional Connec vity Program delivers $1.43 million for Bay to Ulladulla mobile service

A er strong advocacy by the Federal member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips the good news of April 8th 2022 is the announcement that $1,436,400 has been allocated to Telstra who will deploy two new macro mobile sites in Termeil and Cullendulla providing improved coverage to sec ons of the Princes Highway between Ulladulla and Batemans Bay. The funding, under the Regional Connec vity Program (the RCP) is a grants program for the delivery of 'place-based' telecommunica ons infrastructure projects to improve digital connec vity across regional, rural and remote Australia where be er connec vity and increased data have a clear benefit to a local region. The Federal Member for Gilmore has been a strong campaigner to see improved mobile across the region saying "Reliable, quality, high speed internet is not a luxury or a nice-to-have — it’s essen al 21st century economic infrastructure." “I have been working with people across the South Coast through our mobile blackspot survey and with Telstra to improve mobile coverage across the electorate, including the construc on of the new Clyde Mountain Mobile Tower, improved ba ery backup at mobile phone towers and adding my support to Telstra’s submission to the federal government to fix blackspots along the Princes Highway.”

New No ceboard for South Durras

Council has given approval and landowners consent for the Durras Community Associa on (DCA) to install a new no ceboard/blackboard at the junc on of Durras Road and Durras Lake Road, South Durras to replace the exis ng blackboard located there. Trevor Daly, President of the DCA said "The exis ng board is rusty and has reached the end of its useful life. The new no ceboard will be larger than the exis ng blackboard but occupy the same general footprint next to the footpath. It will be much more a rac ve, func onal and more solidly built than the current no ceboard and contain more blackboard space for use by the community. See a ached plan below. "The DCA will be working with local volunteer builders to construct the new no ceboard with the Eurobodalla Woodies supplying mber and local ar sts making the mosaic Durras sign. The DCA will be covering all the costs for materials etc. using funds previously raised for this purpose. Thanks in advance to all those assis ng with this project." "We hope to have it built by mid 2022 depending on the weather.

Community Smart Drumlines Deployed In Eurobodalla For The First Time

15 new SMART drumlines are being deployed at Eurobodalla this week for the first me ever as part of the NSW Government’s Shark Management Program, Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders announced today. Mr Saunders said shark interac ons are always possible, regardless of the technologies deployed but it is cri cal for the NSW Government to do everything possible to reduce that risk to the millions of beachgoers who hit the water every year. “I’m thrilled the NSW Government is deploying these brand new SMART drumlines in Eurobodalla for the first me, from Surf Beach to Broulee, to make these beaches as safe as possible for local swimmers and surfers,” Mr Saunders said. “SMART drumlines are state-of-the-art technology used to catch and tag sharks safely, and are set approximately 500 metres offshore from beaches or at the back of the surf break each morning. “We know sharks can be extremely dangerous and aggressive, but they’re also a cri cal part of healthy marine ecosystems, so we need to make sure we con nue to have state-of-the-art technology in place to allow them and beachgoers to coexist.

The Moruya markets are on tomorrow, but as usual it’s up to the stallholder to a end if there’s rain around

Neva, a 5 year old female Malamute, desexed, gentle, friendly, house trained, walks well on lead.

Neva needs a secure yard and ideally there will be no other pets in the household. There are no costs involved and full support is provided. For more informa on, please ring Louise at RSPCA Eurobodalla on 0429 488 200.

allow more kids to experience the amazing, unique and fascina ng wildlife that calls Mogo home.

Simply purchase an full-priced adult, concession or senior cket from www.mogowildlifepark.com.au or at the park, and you’ll get up to 4 children into Mogo Wildlife Park for FREE!

Mogo Wildlife Park is a wildlife experience not to be missed– eyeball a gorilla, hear lions roar metres away, watch graceful giraffes graze, and incredible primates – from marmosets to lemurs - many you’ve never seen before! Keeper talks are back too - ask our team when you visit.

At Mogo Wildlife Park, you can leisurely stroll along flat pathways, transpor ng you on your very-own South Coast safari through to Australia’s most diverse home of wildlife.

There’s nowhere else in NSW where you can get faceto-face with gorillas, lemurs, marmosets, tamarins, a snow leopard, red pandas, lions, gers, giraffes and so much more in one home.

Plan your road trip today! Mogo Wildlife Park has been commi ed to the care of rare and endangered wildlife for over 30 years, and we look forward to school holidays and the opportunity to inspire and engage you, your children and grandchildren to share our passion for wildlife.

Save more – Discover NSW, Dine NSW and Parent NSW vouchers are accepted and you’re welcome to use them to save more on admission ckets, annual passes, encounters and purchases at the café and our Mogo Gi Shop.

real estate OUT NOW—your latest Beagle Abode : Eurobodalla’s leading real estate guide

The beagle abode is an online weekly Eurobodalla real estate guide showcasing the current Eurobodalla market and our many realtors.

The beagle abode is the new addi on to the South Coast Beagle that owns The Beagle and the South Coast Travel Guide: The Nature Coast of NSW : from Durras to The Tilbas The Beagle Abode has been established to provide that service while also providing our readers with a glossy overview of latest proper es on the market each week. You can find Beagle Abode on the Beagle website under REAL ESTATE

The latest Beagle Abode lis ngs are also available each week as a FlipBook on the website and also distributed to readers via our social media pages and our twice weekly mailouts. CLICK HERE: h ps://www.beagleweekly.com.au/real-estate

South Coast Property Specialists (Carlene Franzen) Tips #1091: The Budget Part 2 and Budget Reply

Last week we reviewed the specific details that the Treasurer announced in the budget that specifically relate to the property market. This week we review the industry’s reaction to the budget and what Anthony Albanese did (and didn’t) cover in his budget reply speech. As a side note, we have always found it curious that the Treasurer deliver’s the government’s budget while the opposition leader (and not the opposition Treasurer) delivers the reply. In summary, the real estate industry had mixed reactions to the budget, liking the extra investments such as in the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation but also thinking it was a missed opportunity to look at long term solutions for our looming housing crisis. Hayden Groves, president of the Real Estate Institute of Australia described the budget as “a reassuring budget 2022 for home ownership and all consumers or aspiring consumers within the property market”. He believes it was “a great budget for home ownership”, he did, however, flag that “more needs to be done to set Australia up for future success”. “This is obviously something that needs to be tackled in future budget cycles with all three tiers of governments as until this is addressed, the right supply mix within our existing housing stock and new homes affordability is unlikely to improve in the near term.”

Ken Morrison of the Property Council of Australia warned that the budget offers no real solutions to two big challenges facing Australian real estate and property: impending population growth and a looming housing supply crisis. “While the HomeBuilder scheme saved jobs and delivered great benefits to households, the record pipeline of work it created will come to an end just as our population begins to recover, which will intensify the supply crunch we know is coming,” he warned.

The Housing Industry Association applauded many measures announced with managing director Graham Wolfe saying that the expansion of the Home Guarantee Scheme would support more Australians to gain the security that comes with owning their own home.

The budget reply speech unfortunately had very little detail that specifically relates to real estate as it focussed mainly on the big picture issues of growth and prosperity, aged care reforms, subsidised childcare, more opportunities for training and the creation of jobs and wage rises. However, over the past few months, the Labor party has made specific announcements such as:  To maintain the current First Home Loan Deposit Scheme as implemented by the current government, with the addition of an extra 10,000 places for regional residents.  That there will be no changes to the negative gearing policy.  The creation of a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which according to Mr

Albanese, “will build 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in its first five years, and create thousands of jobs”. In addition, investment returns from this fund would be transferred to the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation to pay for social and affordable housing projects. By the time this article goes to air, it is highly likely the election would have been called (or is about to be) and no doubt more and more pieces of the jigsaw will start to be put in place.