Connec ng Nelligen to safe and secure water supply

Construc on of the Nelligen Water Supply and Sewerage Scheme is well underway, with work on the pipelines set to begin along Kings Highway this month.

The $25 million project will link the Nelligen village to exis ng water supply and sewerage systems in Batemans Bay.

Council’s water and sewer engineer Billy Alves said the project has been a long me coming and will benefit residents, visitors and the environment.

“The project will reduce the environmental impacts of exis ng on-site sewage management systems as well as improving the quality and reliability of drinking water for the Nelligen community,” Mr Alves said.

Mr Alves said work has been progressing well and the Nelligen community should have access to the drinking water supply and sewerage services by late 2024.

Leed Engineering and Construc on is currently construc ng two large concrete water reservoirs and were recently awarded the contract to build pump sta ons and pipelines required for the scheme.

“Over the next 12 months, water and sewer pipelines will be installed along the Kings Highway from Nelligen to Batemans Bay, and temporary speed reduc ons will be in place in some areas,” Mr Alves said.

The final phase of the project will involve contractors installing water and sewer mains throughout the Nelligen village, water and sewer connec on points on 160 proper es and a pressure sewer system on each developed property.

“The pressure sewer systems will replace exis ng on-site sewage management systems such as sep c tanks, aerated wastewater treatment systems and pump-out systems,” Mr Alves said.

“A lot of proper es don’t have suitable space or soil for on-site sewage disposal systems – which can be harmful to the environment. The pressure sewer systems will make a posi ve difference.”

With the new reservoirs and pipelines connec ng the Nelligen village to Eurobodalla’s water supply, Mr Alves said the community will have peace of mind knowing they have access to quality water and more of it.

“The Nelligen community currently relies on tank water, with many proper es not being able to collect and store sufficient rainwater during dry periods,” Mr Alves said.

“The new infrastructure has been designed to ensure there’s also enough water for firefigh ng purposes, even during mes of peak holiday demand.”

“As we reach project milestones, we will keep the Nelligen community updated with regular le ers on what to expect or whether there will be any disrup ons.”

For more details visit the project page on Council’s website.

The NSW Government has provided $3.5 million through the Safe and Secure Water Program, with Eurobodalla Council funding the remaining required funds.

The NSW Government’s Safe and Secure Water Program has also contributed over $25 million towards the Southern Water Supply Storage project and $762,000 towards the Akolele Sewerage Scheme, being delivered in partnership with Council.

South East Set To Benefit From Uncapped Satellite Broadband

Locals living in Eden-Monaro and Gilmore can order uncapped satellite broadband services from today, following a successful trial of NBN Co’s new Sky Muster Plus product to boost internet speeds in rural and regional areas. The new Sky Muster Plus Premium service will provide customers with unmetered data 24 hours a day and faster speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

The service responds to increasing demand for more data and faster speeds from satellite users caused by the growing use of video streaming, and people working and studying from home

The product launch follows a trial over 10,000 Sky Muster Plus customers earlier this year that reported greater user satisfaction when customers could access increased evening speeds and uncapped data. The unmetered service has been enabled by the Federal Government’s $480 million investment to upgrade NBN Fixed Wireless services that is moving around 120,0000 premises from satellite to fixed wireless, freeing up capacity on Sky Muster.

The launch of the new product complements the Government’s commitments to improving NBN technologies in regional areas, including by investing $2.4 billion to expand full-fibre NBN to an additional 1.5 million premises – 660,000 of which will be in regional areas. Further information about the new product is available at www.nbn.com.au/skymusterplus.

Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP said “Whether you live in a capital city or out in the bush, access to fast, reliable and affordable broadband has never been more important.

“I’m excited to launch this new Sky Muster product today which will allow thousands of Australians to access unmetered NBN data for the first time in Australia. It’s a gamechanger for regional communities.

Fiona Phillips Member for Gilmore said of the announcement: “Today’s announcement is fantas c news for the locals who rely on satellite broadband to stay connected and informed. I would encourage anyone currently on a satellite or ADSL plan to contact their service provider to see if they can upgrade their plan. 3000 more homes in Gilmore will now be able to access unmetered satellite broadband. This is fantas c news, because the data will be uncapped, and the speeds will be higher.”

“I’m proud to belong to a Government that is improving connec vity and ensuring the South Coast communi es like ours are not le behind”.

The Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, and Member for Eden-Monaro, the Hon Kristy McBain MP added “I heard from many people in Eden-Monaro during the pandemic that working from home and having kids learning from home meant that they might have just 10 days of internet before they reached their data cap.

“We know that this is just not good enough, which is why we continue to make significant investment towards improving the NBN to ensure regional communities like ours are not left behind.

“The uncapped satellite broadband service will be available to 15,000 premises in Eden-Monaro, and will mean that locals can access better connectivity to work from home, study from home, stream their favourite series and keep in touch with family and friends.”

Rangers help cut costs for pet owners

Pets and their owners are invited to a microchipping and adop on day at the Eurobodalla Animal Shelter on Saturday June 10.

From 9am-2pm, Eurobodalla Council Rangers are teaming up with volunteers of Animal Welfare League NSW – Eurobodalla Branch, to offer free microchipping, discounted desexing and vaccina on vouchers as well as advice from an expert dog trainer.

Senior ranger Mitchell S rling encouraged the community to come along, save money and look a er their pets.

“Rangers are called to collect hundreds of lost and wandering animals each year,” Mr S rling said.

“Pets that are microchipped help us iden fy the owner and return them home safely.”

Under NSW legisla on, it's mandatory to have your pet microchipped by the me they reach 12 weeks of age.

Microchipping can cost up to 80 dollars, says Mr S rling. To book your pet in to receive a free microchip on Saturday 10 June, call Council Rangers on 4474 1019

“It’s a quick procedure – we’ll insert a microchip the size of a grain of rice into the scruff between their shoulders,” Mr S rling said.

Aside from microchipping, Mr S rling encouraged owners to desex and vaccinate their pets.

“Desexing can be expensive; depending on the size and sex of your dog the cost can range between 250600 dollars,” Mr S rling said.

“To help with the cost, come and meet the lovely AWL volunteers who’ll be giving out desexing and vaccina on subsidy vouchers.

“There will also be dogs and cats available for adop on – you never know, you might meet your new best friend.”

Mr S rling said all dogs are welcome to visit on the day.

“Izabela from Woo is a qualified trainer who will be there offering free ps and advice also,” he said.

The Eurobodalla Animal Shelter is located on the corner of Shelley and Pollwombra roads, Moruya. For more informa on on pet registra on, microchipping and desexing, visit Council’s website.

Marine Rescue Tuross/Moruya congratulates their newest rated crew member

Marine Rescue Tuross/Moruya congratulates Andrew Meznaric. Andrew joined Marine Rescue in late November 2022 and qualified as a member of the boat crew on 24 April 2023. This gives Andrew the unit record for comple ng crew training in the shortest me. “Ge ng crew ra ng in 5 months is quite an achievement” said unit training officer Blaise Madden.

“To earn crew ra ng a volunteer has to demonstrate their boat handling skills, complete training in radio opera ons, first aid, firefigh ng and survival at sea as well as the various du es involved in search and rescue. It’s a credit to Andrew and the team that he has been able to complete all of that in just 5 months.”

For each Marine Rescue vessel there is a minimum number of rated crew that must be on board before the boat can depart to perform its vital search and rescue role. Another qualified crew member in Tuross/Moruya ensures we can meet those crewing requirements. “I love being on the water” said Andrew

“and volunteering with Marine Rescue Tuross/Moruya is a great way to contribute to the community. The training opportuni es have been great, and I look forward to training for ra ng as Leading Crew as the next step with the unit.”