Shape health services in Eurobodalla for tomorrow

from Beagle Weekender Vol 314 June 9th 2023

PETER JOSEPH VASSAROTTI

Southern NSW Local Health District is invi ng the community to have their say and help shape our local health services for the future, as part of our District-wide Clinical Health Service Plan.

The District will be holding consulta on workshops in Batemans Bay, Bega, Cooma, Goulburn, Queanbeyan and Yass throughout June 2023 to help plan for future health service delivery that is responsive to the health needs of its popula on.

Southern NSW Local Health District Chief Execu ve, Margaret Benne , emphasised the importance of community consulta on and collabora on in developing our District-wide Clinical Health Service Plan.

“We need to understand the needs of our local communi es in order to improve health outcomes for all. I encourage community members to a end the workshops in their local area to have their say and help us shape the future of Southern’s health services,” Ms Benne said.

Join in for a workshop in Batemans Bay at the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on Tuesday 13 June at 5pm.

Fungi Photographers of Far South Coast

In our search for fungi on the far south coast, the Fungi Feas val has unearthed many skilled fungi photographers living locally. Teresa & John Van der Heul, Narooma-based naturalists have specialised in the study and photography of fungi for more than 25 years. This year Julie Marten’s ‘Fungi and Snail’ photograph was selected for the annual Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden calendar. Graphic designer and photographer Chris Westoll has exhibited and won awards in the Eurobodalla Garden’s annual photographic compe on with his fungi images www.iga.com.au/

Andrew Larkin grew up with cameras but started ge ng a bit more serious with photography in the mid 1980’s. He bought one of the first Canon autofocus SLRs (EOS 620) and started working digitally in the early 1990’s with scanned film and prints. Andrew bought the first of the digital SLRs to come to market (Canon EOS D30) and went through several genera ons of DSLR with Canon (10D, 5D, 5dMkII) before adding a Sony mirrorless system. Over the decades, Andrew has covered motorsports, weddings, street, landscape, and macro photography. Andrew has experience teaching photography, print making and colour management.

Andrew discovered the joy of photographing fungi and will be facilita ng two Fungi Photography Workshops for the Fungi Feas val. The ﬁrst workshop is at Bournda Environmental Educa on Centre in Wallagoot on Sunday 18th June and the second workshop is at Club Narooma on Saturday 8th July. Workshop par cipants will learn how to treat mushroom supermodels like the fungal stars they are. Andrew will induct par cipants into the advanced photography features of your DSLR or Mirrorless camera and show you how to use them to create ‘wow’ shots of your best fungi friends.

Feedback sought for Wallaga Lake Bridge work op ons

Transport for NSW is planning essen al repair and maintenance work on Wallaga Lake Bridge and is asking the community for input on the best way to deliver these repairs.

Transport for NSW Regional Director South, Sam Knight, said while the crossing is s ll safe, work is required to improve the func onality and durability of the structure to ensure it remains safe for all, including the local community and the travelling public, into the future.

“We understand there is no ideal me to carry out maintenance on Wallaga Lake Bridge, but we are commi ed to working with the community to deliver this essen al work,” Ms Knight said.

“Regular inspec ons of the bridge have iden ﬁed the need to replace the girders holding up the bridge and strengthen the piles and abutment.

“To carry out this work we will be required to close the bridge to ensure the safety of the community and our workers. We are encouraging the community to provide feedback on the two op ons we have developed to help guide us on how we deliver the work with minimal impact to the community."

Op on one would see Transport for NSW carry out the repairs from September 2023 to May 2024. During this me the bridge will be closed for four and half months and under traﬃc control and reduced speed limits for two months.

Alterna vely, under op on two, repairs would be carried out from September 2023 to August 2024. Traﬃc control would be in place for one month, followed by six and a half months of day closures between 9am and 3pm, and a two-month closure to complete repairs.

Under both op ons, the bridge would be fully opera onal across the Christmas holiday period.

Consulta on is open to the community un l Friday 23 June.

For more informa on on the op ons and to provide feedback, community members can go to transport.nsw.gov.au/wallaga-lake-bridge, email at Wallaga.Lake.Bridge@transport.nsw.gov.au, or visit in person on Saturday 17 June at Payne’s Island between 10am and 2pm.

Marine Rescue NSW urges boaters to stay safe this King’s Birthday long weekend

Marine Rescue NSW is encouraging boaters across the state to play it safe on the water this King’s Birthday long weekend.

Marine Rescue volunteers across NSW are rescue ready from the Tweed to Eden and inland on the Alpine Lakes and Murray River at Moama.

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell is asking all boaters to check weather condi ons and to be vigilant when out and about on the state’s waterways over the coming days.

“It is important at Marine Rescue that we are out there promo ng safe boa ng behaviours right across the NSW coastline and inland waterways.

“Rescues are one thing but if we can stop those happening before people get out on the water and get into diﬃculty that is a great thing for Marine Rescue and boa ng in NSW,” Commissioner Barrell said.

“Simple checks of making sure that your boat is in good working order before you leave the boat ramp.

“Checking that you have the right safety equipment and the right amount of fuel for your voyage can prevent a good day on the water turning into a bad day on the water,” he said.

Over the past 12 months, Marine Rescue NSW has seen posi ve growth in boaters using its lifesaving Log On and Log Oﬀ service.

“One simple step that any boater can take is to Log On with Marine Rescue, either over VHF marine channel 16 or via the free Marine Rescue app.

“It is a simple step and it means that if you don’t return as planned Marine Rescue will start looking for you,” Commissioner Barrell said.

Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-proﬁt professional organisa on dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and suppor ng local communi es.

Next phase of Wagonga shoreline project underway

The next phase of the Wagonga Inlet Living Shoreline project has begun, with prepara on of the site for saltmarsh regenera on work, a je y and boardwalk.

A sec on of the Wagonga Inlet foreshore, between the Narooma Swimming Centre and Ken Rose Park, will be temporarily fenced oﬀ to restore and transform the shoreline.

Eurobodalla Council’s manager of environmental services Deb Lenson said machinery was expected to be onsite, star ng next week.

“There has been some delays and a huge amount of work done in the background to get it right; this signiﬁcant project is a ﬁrst for our shire and we’re very proud to announce the commencement of stage two,” Ms Lenson said.

“We will try to minimise impacts for our locals and visitors along the foreshore, par cularly over the school holiday period in July. The foreshore will be fenced oﬀ while trucks transport ﬁll and materials to and from the site.”

“Along a 400-metre sec on of the inlet, there is a degraded rock wall that will be replaced with plants and other natural elements to prevent erosion.

“Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council rangers will be plan ng saltmarsh and terrestrial species to provide an environmentally-friendly seawall.”

Ms Lenson said a barge will be used to construct the je y.

“The je y will extend into the deep hole, where a ﬂoa ng pontoon will provide snorkel access and a place to e up your kayak,” Ms Lenson said.

Ms Lenson said sec ons of the foreshore will reopen as they are completed. She said the ﬁnal phase of the project will involve building the boardwalk and main access onto the sandﬂats as well as educa onal signage.

“We are working with local Aboriginal ar sts to incorporate their art into signage along the foreshore,” Ms Lenson said.

The Wagonga Inlet Living Shoreline project is a collabora on between Eurobodalla Shire Council and the NSW DPI Fisheries’ Marine Estate Management Strategy and The Nature Conservancy Australia. The project has been supported by funding from both the NSW and Australian government’s reef builder ini a ve.

So far, Ms Lenson said the project’s oyster reef restora on work has been an exci ng success.

“The recently seeded sub- dal oysters are growing extremely fast, and the Sydney rock oysters on the inter dal reef are con nuing to recruit at a very healthy rate,” Ms Lenson said. For updates and more informa on, visit the project page on Council’s website.