Editorial What’s On …………….... 15 to 20 FIND ALL YOUR DAILY NEWS @ www.beagleweekly.com.au

Welcome to this week’s editorial, As you are no doubt aware there is much being said, and very li le being done, around homelessness and housing affordability in the South East. While there have been some good ini a ves to provide short term solu ons the long term problems remain. In trying to work through possible solu ons one of the ques ons I ask myself, me and me again, is “What exactly is an affordable house?” This leads down the rabbit hole of what people find acceptable. To most of us a three bedroom, one bathroom, lounge/kitchen/dining with a laundry would describe a basic home. A roof over our head, some room outside to grow a few flowers, maybe even the luxury of a driveway to park the mandatory car that every regional Australian family needs. There is a high demand for these basic houses but alas they are in short supply in the South East. By rights these basic houses are meant to be affordable to buy or rent—but they aren’t. The rules of supply and demand have seen to that, added with the fact that mortgages have increased and as a consequence rents have risen. So if there is no basic housing stock available and if the social housing stock of 700 houses or more are full then there is li le le to do but to sleep rough in your car or a empt to make a camp somewhere where you won’t be moved on, such as the North Moruya Campground. Even there the laws say that you cannot stay indefinitely. In the past year or so we have had all manner of poli cian, bureaucrats, agency representa ves and the media come and look at our plight, shake their heads and say how sad it is that we, as a na on, have come to this, and then go away. Fi een minutes of fame, and then forgo en. With Christmas over and a New Year begun the noise of an elec on is in the air. The NSW State elec on is on March 25th, 2023. Ten weeks away. Ten weeks for those in charge of budgets, laws and policies to come up with a solu on to the fact that there are more and more South Coast families finding themselves homeless due to housing availability, rental affordability and the very real increases in the cost of living that has li le, if any, increase in wage. Local Government is right in advising the State Government that social and crisis housing is their responsibility. Coming from the other direc on the Federal Government is also very clear that such responsibility rests with the State Government. It appears that the State Government is between a rock and a hard place and it appears that they too have no solu ons. Basically there are too many people who need basic houses, and they need them NOW. But the basic house is not cheap to build. Firstly there is the issue of where to build. Social housing projects come with a s gma. They have a reputa on for having “issues”. Do we create an enclave, as has been done in the region, with mixed results or do we intersperse affordable housing into new estates. A $600,000 basic house between to $1.5m homes? Given the rising cost of land with 450m2 selling for $300,000 the basic $600,000 house to accommodate one family is approaching $1 million. Of interest is that there have also been protests of proposed affordable housing enclaves by those in the community who feel that such an enclave might devalue their property or bring miscreants and mischief. Nimbys everywhere. I o en think of the immigrants to Australia in the 1950’s who were given the most basic accommoda on to hold them over un l they could find their feet. The huts were built and supported by the government and those who were housed were thankful. The huts may well have been at a standard well below the average Australian home at the me but they offered shelter and security. A place to call home. The fact of the ma er is that the cost of a basic Australian home is rising rapidly with material costs, wages and finance rates. Maybe we need to reconsider what is affordable housing and start to consider what is acceptable housing at a me of crisis where anything has to be be er than living under a tarp or sleeping in the back of a car. Un l next—Lei

Eurobodalla Mayor Mathew Hatcher remains hopeful the NSW Government will shortly offer a solu on to the homelessness crisis at Moruya’s North Head campground. Mayor Hatcher wrote to NSW Premier Dominic Perro et in December, outlining the seriousness of the situa on and asking the Premier to urgently find housing appropriate to the needs of the people currently making the campground their home. The campground is managed by Eurobodalla Council, who is allowing the growing number of people living there to stay beyond the NSW Government’s mandated 50-day per year rule. Mayor Hatcher said Council is showing discre on and compassion in not enforcing the regula on because there is nowhere else for people living there to go. “The NSW Government is responsible for crisis and social housing, and they must step in and help us solve this issue,” he said. “These are primi ve campgrounds, meaning there is no permanent hot water or enclosed showers. They simply aren’t a suitable place for people to be living permanently.” Council has been working with local homelessness agencies and case managers are visi ng the campground weekly, where more than 50 people experiencing homelessness are currently living. “The local agencies are doing great work in terms of providing support, but what no one can offer right now is a suitable place for these people to live,” the Mayor said. “We need the Premier to act quickly. The NSW Government could buy a motel or a block of units to temporarily house people in a crisis. “The situa on has become cri cal and now is the me for the NSW Government to do something. “I don’t want people living in freezing cold tents again this winter and the local council installing temporary hot showers to provide some small comfort and dignity. “In Australia in 2023, everyone should have a roof over their head and the security of a place to call home. “I’m asking the Premier to provide this basic human right for the people living at North Head campground.”

With the paperwork done and dusted, ground-breaking work on Mogo’s new mountain-bike trails – with poten al to a ract 45,000 visitors annually – starts next week. Crew from Rocky Trail Des na on and Next Level MTB have vowed to build quality trails that appeal to all users when they bring an experienced team to establish the site and get the trail-build underway. Eurobodalla Council’s Mogo Trails manager Shane Spicer said the $8 million project would deliver 155 kilometres of track now the trail network had been finalised following years of planning and consulta on with community groups and forest stakeholders and users. “That’s building 125 kilometres of new trail and then formalising and upgrading 30 kilometres of exis ng trail through Mogo State Forest and Deep Creek Dam,” Mr Spicer said. “All the current, volunteer-built trails will remain open in the short term, but we’re asking riders to stay off freshly built trails, follow advice on safety signs, and stay away from construc on crew un l the trails are opened. “Along with the Narooma Mountain Bike Club’s new trails in the Bodalla State Forest that are expected to open early this year – and exis ng State Forest networks at Eden, Bermagui, Burrill Lake and Nowra – this hub at Mogo will see NSW’s south coast become something of a mountain bike mecca.” Council’s director of planning Lindsay Usher said the trails would inject $12 million into the local economy in the first year alone. “There’s an explosion of mountain biking in our region and across the world and we are lucky to have plenty of mul -use forest right on our doorstep. Research has shown that every dollar invested in cycling infrastructure returns almost $5 to the economy in health benefits,” Mr Usher said “Mogo and nearby towns and villages can capitalise on this growing market of enthusiasts year-round, giving local accommoda on providers, food outlets and retailers a boost through the colder months when tradi onally things are too slow.” Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said once complete, the trails would be a major drawcard for locals and tourists alike.

“It’s exci ng to see work get underway on the Mogo Trails. This project will see even more people travel to spend more me in the picturesque Eurobodalla Shire,” Mr Toole said. “Projects like these make a real difference to communi es, and that’s exactly why the NSW Government is backing Council to transform Mogo into a mountain bike mecca.” For more informa on visit Council’s Mogo Trails webpage. The Mogo Trails project has relied heavily on collabora on with Forestry Corpora on NSW and was made possible thanks to $5 million from the Australian and NSW Governments’ Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund and $3 million from the NSW Government’s Growing Local Economies Fund.

Above: Ride South Coast in Ulladulla are one of the many local businesses enjoying the increased interest in

It’s fast growing, floats and causes havoc in our waterways … salvinia molesta is a water weed you don’t want to see. Eurobodalla Council’s invasive species team spent a decade controlling the invasive weed that forms dense mats on the water’s surface, smothering and destroying habitat for aquatic animals. The team used helicopters and hard yakka by hand to get rid of salvinia. Invasive species supervisor Paul Martin said the team will be doing inspections in Sunshine Bay and Denhams Beach throughout February and March to check salvinia hasn’t made a comeback.

It was in 2011, when salvinia was first spotted in a one-hectare dam at Sunshine Bay. Mr Martin said removing it was “incredibly resource intensive, laborious and dangerous”. “We spent the best part of 10 years spraying by hand, from a helicopter, releasing biological control, removing it with an aquatic excavator, and hand-scooping it from the complex wetland environment,” Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin said salvinia would have been disastrous if it took over the shire’s drinking water supply. “There was a significant risk to our water supply if a waterbird carried salvinia to Deep Creek Dam,” Mr Martin said.

“It’s important to protect our drinking water. By doing future inspections we can make sure salvinia does not exist in our catchment.”

Landholders and Council have a legal obligation under the Biosecurity Act 2015 to stop the spread of the weed.

Landholders in the area have been notified of the upcoming inspection. Mr Martin said they will be quick and landholders’ presence is optional.

“There’s no need to be home for the inspection; our invasive species team will do a quick inspection and report back to you if we find anything of concern,” Mr Martin said. “However, we certainly welcome being accompanied. Landholders can get in touch to make a suitable date and time to go through the property together if they prefer.” The team will also check for other serious water weeds such as water hyacinth, horsetail and alligator weed. For more information, contact Paul Martin on 4474 1000 or paul.martin@esc.nsw.gov.au

There’s free entry for all to the 2023 Eurobodalla Agricultural Show at the Moruya Showground on Saturday 21 January, 2023. Eurobodalla Council’s community recovery officer Linda Wilton said the complimentary entry was possible thanks to bushfire recovery funding from the Na onal Emergency Management Agency and the NSW Government, which also funded a Community Preparedness Expo to be run in conjunc on with the show. “This is great news for our community and should encourage people to get out and enjoy our wonderful annual show, which has always been a crowd favourite and now back up and running a er a few difficult years,” Ms Wilton said. “This funding means anyone and everyone can come along for free on Saturday, from 9am to 8pm, and enjoy all the show ac vi es: from the livestock judging to sideshow alley, from the motorcycle gymkhana to dog high jump.” Ms Wilton will be coordina ng the Community Preparedness Expo during the show from 9am to 4pm and located just outside the basketball stadium. “This is an opportunity for the community to get up-to-date with personal and community preparedness around emergencies and natural disasters,” she said. “We’ll have a range of services and providers on site with informa on, demonstra ons and ac vi es. For example, the new fire-danger ra ng system, bushfire survival plans, flood awareness and how to get involved in community-led resilience. There’ll also be fun, down-to-earth or light-hearted ac vi es for kids and kids at heart, like drama games, community art installa ons, smokehouse demonstra ons and virtual reality headsets.” Free entry is for Saturday only – normal gate fees will apply on Sunday 22 January 2023. For more informa on on the Community Preparedness Expo visit www.esc.nsw.gov.au/events or contact Linda Wilton on linda.wilton@esc.nsw.gov.au

Submissions sought on Moruya rodeo licence

Eurobodalla Council is seeking community feedback on a five-year licence renewal allowing the Rodeo Associa on of Moruya to run events at the Moruya Showground. The rodeo has run for 48 years and is consistent with Council’s plan of management for the showground, and to obtain a new licence the rodeo must con nue to comply with all relevant legisla on. Council is also considering mandatory compliance with the NSW Code of Prac ce for animals used in rodeo events as an addi onal condi on should a new licence be granted. Submissions close 10am on Tuesday 31 January. For more informa on visit Council’s Public no ce: Licence for Moruya rodeo page.

U3A Batemans Bay is the largest totally volunteer run organisa on in the shire. Part of the worldwide U3A network, U3A Batemans Bay offers affordable learning opportuni es for seniors, using the skills and abili es of our members, to promote ac ve, lifelong learning and social connec on. Classes are held under the broad categories of Arts and Cra , Languages, Literature (which includes Book Groups), Physical Ac vi es, Science, Recrea onal Ac vi es, and Personal Development. New tutors are always welcome. Classes are held in Batemans Bay and surrounds, Malua Bay, Tomakin, Broulee and Moruya. U3A Batemans Bay has recently launched a new website, www.u3abatemansbay.org.au, and a new membership administra on so ware which enables members to manage their own profiles and enrolments, making them much more independent and greatly lessening the workload for our dedicated volunteers. This system is accessed through the website. Over 250 of our members have a ended training sessions and acquired the necessary skills to use this new system.

The program for Semester 1 can be accessed by clicking on the Courses tab on the website and scrolling down to Courses and Ac vi es Currently Available. You do not have to be a member to do this. Enrolments in 2023 classes open on 19 January. Members can enrol online or at Registra on Day which is being held on at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on Thursday 19 January, from 10.30am – 12.30 pm. You must be financial in order to enrol. Membership is $50 for new members and $45 per annum therea er. This fee enables members to a end as many classes as they wish. New members may join online via the website, visit the Shopfront at the Batemans Bay Library on Thursday 12 January between 10.30am and 12 noon, or join at Registra on Day. For addi onal informa on contact the President on president.u3a.bbay@gmail.com or call 82505262 and leave a message.

community Story of Narooma’s pilot sta on and marine rescue

Narooma Historical Society’s guest speaker this Sunday (15 January) is Society member Craig Pe erd, also of Marine Rescue. Craig is currently wri ng a book about the history of the Pilot Sta on and of Narooma’s marine rescue services over the years. Everyone is welcome. “The research I’ve done has been absolutely fascina ng,” Craig said. “I’ve spoken to many former members of our marine rescue services as well as delving deep into various archives.” His book will be published later this year. The Society meets this Sunday in the School of Arts’ Studios (red co age behind BP and the Kinema) at 2pm. A ernoon tea is provided.

Above: Pilot Sta on Inspec on An emergency rocket system was introduced following the wreck of the Bodalla in 1924. The idea was the rockets would fire a rope to a boat should it be stuck on rocks close to shore. The system was demonstrated during official inspec ons, as seen here in 1941. State Library NSW, Narooma Historical Society

Le : Jade Morrow has posted a truly amazing photo in Narooma History in Photos

with the following comment: "Narooma's 'original boardwalk' over Mill Bay." Be sure to follow Narooma History in Photos if you have an interest in Narooma and the history of the region. This is just an example of the gems that are discovered.

community Caught out on toilets and bins

Eurobodalla Council’s General Manager Warwick Winn has described locked public toilets and overflowing bins in Batemans Bay over the New Year break as unacceptable. Mr Winn said despite doubling the number of street bins and emptying them daily, the Batemans Bay CBD and foreshore looked a mess at mes with li er spilling out of bins, and members of the public resor ng to shopping trolleys to contain the waste.

“We thought we had it covered with ten extra bins on the Bay foreshore alone,” Mr Winn said.

“We’ve now placed 12 addi onal bins around the waterfront, but we as a Council will set about finding a be er long-term solu on.

“I don’t want to see this happen again. Businesses are doing their best to a ract visitors and the community expect their towns to present well.” Mr Winn also acknowledged issues with locked public toilets around the Bay on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. He said Council’s cleaning contractor had let them down, leaving Council staff scrambling to open the toilets a er complaints started coming through. “This is unacceptable, and we will do be er next me,” he said.

Above: Despite Council doubling the number of street bins and emptying them daily, residents and visitors were using shopping trolleys to contain li er around Batemans Bay over the New Year break.

community Support Vesna Andric a er Sur oat Tragedy

On Wednesday 4 January 2023, Vesna Andric was rowing for Tathra Surf Lifesaving Club in the iconic George Bass Sur oat Marathon.

Vesna & her Tathra ladies crew were involved in a tragic accident just off Bermagui beach.

As a result of the accident Vesna has sustained horrific injuries including a smashed pelvis, fractured ribs & internal bleeding. Vesna’s spine has been rea ached to her pelvis in surgery. As of January 13th 2023 Vesna has been transferred out of ICU onto the orthopaedic ward. However there is months of rehab ahead & more surgery but her condi on is “stable”. She is somewhat able respond to doctors now & has the bedside support of her daughter Sinead & beau ful friends Claudia & Carly. Close friends have established a Fundraiser for Vesna, calling on Surf Life Saving clubs, Bega Valley shire residents & the wider community to help their gorgeous friend through her long recovery road ahead. All funds to go directly to Vesna to aid in her long recovery & living expenses. This fundraiser is being endorsed & supported by both Tathra Surf Life Saving Club & the George Bass organising commi ee. Ves has been told of the fundraising & is completely overwhelmed at the amazing generosity & support being shown Friend, Kate, says "Vesna is the most giving, generous & loyal friend, team member & employee & much loved member of United Fitness gym in Bega. Vesna recently commenced a new job with the South East Women’s & Children’s services in Bega where she directly helps vic ms of Domes c Violence. "Vesna herself would never ask for help but we are doing it for her". h ps://www.gofundme.com/f/support-vesna-andric-a er-sur oat-tragedy

Sub Branch is holding its first mee ng of the year next Tuesday,17th January at 2p.m. in the Moruya RSL Memorial Hall 11 Page St Moruya. Don't forget the monthly mee ng is held on the third Tuesday of the month at 2p.m. We welcome any serving personnel or veterans from the Australian Defence Forces to come along to visit & join the Sub Branch. We shall be discussing our arrangements for Anzac Day as there is a lot to do. We welcome offers of help from our members so please let us know as we would be very glad of any help. The President ,Kevin Se er, has resigned due to ill health so we wish him well. The Narooma VIEW Club

Narooma VIEW Club Breakfast & Book Stall

On Saturday January 2st the Narooma VIEW Club will be hosting a book stall. Lots of interesting titles available, and all proceeds go to support The Smith Family. The first Meeting of the year will be breakfast at the Narooma Ice Creamery. Please contact Carlien 0411408269

Social Bridge/Refresher Lessons at Moruya Bridge Club Played Bridge a while ago? Or had some lessons? Would like some refresher lessons or social play? Moruya Bridge Club is offering both Every Monday, 11 am – 12.30 pm at Moruya Golf Club Star ng Monday, January 9, 2023, Cost: free Lessons from an experienced teacher

Social Bridge supervised by experienced players Bridge is a fantas c card game for all, regardless of age For more informa on, contact: rosietoth102@gmail.com

More than 200 people a ended the Narooma "What’s under the wharf" event to learn about marine life under the Narooma town wharf on Monday. Five divers from the Nature Coast Marine Group collected cri ers for kids and adults to touch and learn (they were all safely handled and released). The s ngrays put on a show and someone spo ed an octopus from above.

Above: Eurobodalla Council sustainability educa on Officer Alex King with natural resource officer James Caffery with (right) Lisa Comthwaite of Repurposing for Resilience.

community Bodalla Rectory garden reopens to public viewing

The award winning Bodalla Rectory Garden will be open this Saturday and Sunday from 11am un l 4pm and every weekend in January. The Rectory Garden will con nue to open for the months following January on dates to be confirmed.. Open weekends from 11am to 4pm. Garden closed on rainy days. No pets. Entry fee $10. Follow The Rectory Garden on Facebook or Instagram for up to date and addi onal opening dates and mes

Located at 59 Princes Highway, Bodalla NSW 2545