New Hands On The Helm At Marine Rescue Tuross Moruya

Long- me member and coxswain Blaise Madden has been elected to serve as the unit Commander of Marine Rescue Tuross Moruya for a 2 year term. Blaise, who recently received his 10-year long service medal, takes over from Alan Blessington.

Elected with Blaise to serve as deputy unit commanders were Iain Palumbo and Darren Nicholls. “It’s an honour to be given the opportunity to lead this ght-knit unit” said Blaise

“It’s a credit to [former Unit Commander] Alan [Blessington] that the unit is now in a secure financial posi on with assets on both the Tuross and Moruya rivers. Over the next 2 years we will build upon those strengths, to become one of the most efficient response units in the region”.

Other projects on the new Unit Commander’s ‘to do’ list include maintaining and upgrading the rescue base at Tuross Head, replacing the Unit’s vehicle and introducing focussed working groups to spread the load and take advantage of the experience and interests of members within the unit. Blaise, who served as Unit Commander from 2013 to 2019, does not underes mate the challenges ahead.

“As with all volunteer organisa ons, membership is always a challenge” he said

“We welcome volunteers looking for ways to contribute to the community and learn new skills, whether that’s on the rescue boat, communica ons or as part of the support team. There’s a job for everyone”.

To find out more about volunteering with Marine Rescue go to h ps://www.marinerescuensw.com.au/becomeavolunteer/.

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.

Image: Newly elected unit commander, Blaise Madden.

Jul 15th - Sirenics at Batemans Bay Soldiers Club

Jul 15th - Steve Benic – Club Tuross (6.30pm)

Jul 15th - Soul Stories Duo – Club Malua (7.30pm)

Jul 15th - Roddy Reason – Tomakin Club (7.30pm)

Jul 15th - Tony Jaggers at Broulee

Brewhouse 1-4

Jul 15th - Corey Legge at One Tree In Tuross Head

Jul 16th - Giaan Caif at Broulee

Brewhouse 1-4

Jul 16th - ELM at Moruya Golfy 12:30pm

Jul 21st - Riff at Batemans Bay Soldiers Club

Jul 22nd - Riff at Batemans Bay Soldiers Club

Jul 22nd - CANCELLED The Vallies at Batemans Bay Soldiers Club

Jul 22nd - Chris Oconner at Broulee

Brewhouse 1-4

Jul 22nd_ Get your groove on and show off your raddest ou it because it's me to party! Join us at the Moruya Waterfront Hotel as we transport you back to the epic eras of the 80's and 90's. Don't miss out on the wicked tunes from DJs Jhay and Rawson from Canberra, who will be rocking the BoomBox inside and in the beer garden. Grab your $15 ckets online or pay $25 at the door. Get ready to live it up at the ul mate throwback bash!

Jul 23rd - Damon Davies at Broulee

Brewhouse 1-4

Jul 23rd - Goldheist of Elves & Ent’s (Magic in Music) on @ 3PM - St Johns Anglican Red Door Hall Moruya

Jul 28th - Totum at Batemans Bay Soldiers Club

Jul 29th - Min Ha at Broulee Brewhouse

Batemans Bay’s Premier Entertainment venue

Gadfly 293 By Robert Macklin

Upon taking the Speaker’s Chair each sitting day Milton Dick, the Labor MP for Oxley makes the following declaration: ‘I acknowledge the Nunnawaal and Ngambri peoples who are the traditional custodians of the Canberra area and pay respect to the elders, past and present, of all Australia’s indigenous peoples.’

It’s a 2010 addition to the opening ritual and quite a nice idea. Trouble is, since the debate about the Voice to Parliament, it’s obvious that many of Mr Speaker’s fellow MPs – yes, I’m looking at you Peter Dutton and David Littleproud – don’t share his sentiments.

It’s a rite that’s supposed to make us feel good, but if it doesn’t reflect our MPs’ true sympathies, it debases the notion to a silly fiction and makes a mockery of the Parliament.

But that’s just the beginning of the daily recitation. Milton Dick then intones something that, if you listen closely, can make your hair stand on end.

He addresses an imaginary entity he calls ‘Almighty God,’ and he ‘humbly beseeches’ said entity ‘to vouchsafe Thy blessing upon this Parliament. Direct and prosper our deliberations to the advancement of Thy glory, and the true welfare of the people of Australia.’

If you didn’t know better, you’d think Mr Dick had lost his marbles. So who is this virtual Entity and why should it be bothered with the joint Matthew Flinders christened long before the Aboriginal people even heard of its existence. Yes, I know it’s a version of the Christian ‘Lord’s Prayer’ and there are shaky claims that it was ‘written’ (in the unlikely event that he could write Greek) by the figure they call Jesus.

It found its way into the Parliamentary ritual, I discovered, when researching THE BIG FELLA – the BHP Story, which I wrote with Peter Thompson in 2009. It was introduced in 1901 by the first Member for Kooyong, a certain William Knox, the former BHP accountant.

At the time, Parliament had just passed the White Australia Policy thus alienating the Aboriginal people from the land they had occupied for roughly 60,000 years. So it undoubtedly reflected the views of the electors. And since paternalism was all the go they were perfectly happy for the Speaker to address the entity as, ‘Our Father, which are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name,’

‘Thy Kingdom come,’ Mr Speaker continues. ‘Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven!’ So, no need for an ICAC in those days. The socialists are not forgotten, as Mr Speaker says, ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.’ robert@robertmacklin.com

Forgiving trespasses has never been Peter Dutton’s favoured policy since he became a police cadet straight out of High School and a Liberal candidate at 19, but Mr Dick, has already moved on. ‘Lead us not into temptation,’ he demands (respectfully); but deliver us from evil.’ And in anticipation of a lordly nod, he wraps it up with the diplomatic niceties: ‘For Thine is the kingdom,’ he cries, ‘and the power and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.’ Okay, now it’s on with business as usual.

But wait a minute. Doesn’t the ritual offend he very basis of our democratic system which requires the clear separation of Church and State? And why exclusively Christian? What of all the other churches, mosques and temples? What of the third of us who mark ‘no religion’ on the census form?

Not good enough Mr Dick. Malcolm Fraser changed the National Anthem. Perhaps it’s time for a nationwide competition for a new Mission Statement – one that not only inspires the Parliamentarians but reflects the aspirations of the community they serve. What do you say, Albo?

A tale of two cities: It's like chalk and cheese

Dear Editor,

I read your editorial of 7th July concerning emergency preparedness in the Eurobodalla Shire Council with great interest and concern, as have many other local residents.

I then decided to follow up to see what current emergency planning documents applied in the Eurobodalla, given the current 2022-2023 Eurobodalla Shire Council Performance Plan signed off by Mayor Hatcher and GM Warwick Winn indicates one of the targets to be achieved by June 2023 is a Risk Strategy to deliver "Increased satisfaction with the long-term planning of Eurobodalla", as part of the long term goal to "Be an agile organisation that champions continuous improvement and efficiencies".

However, it would seem that ESC continues to be asleep at the wheel regarding emergency planning in our LGA, as I have downloaded both the CURRENT sub-region Fire and Flood Plans for the Eurobodalla, and they BOTH predate the Back Summer bushfires and subsequent recent floods. The Eurobodalla Emergency Plan is dated September 2019, and is required to be reviewed every 3 years, and so is already overdue for renewal. Unfortunately, it is the same substandard document that ”informed" our shambolic local response during the Black Summer Fires in 2019-2020.

In addition, the Eurobodalla Flood Plan is even more antiquated (approved in 2013!) than the bushfire plan, even though the flood plan states it is required to be reviewed every 5 years. In contrast, the local flood plans for the neighbouring Shoalhaven Council and Bega Valley Shires are both current, being signed off in 2022 and 2021 respectively.

There is also a significant difference evident in the attitude to public communication of emergency information between the Eurobodalla and neighbouring Shoalhaven shires. The Eurobodalla Emergency plan refuses to even divulge the location of evacuation centres to the community, as outlined in the following extract :

In stark contrast, Shoalhaven Council produces documents for distribution to the local community, visitors and tourist establishments which (shock, horror!) actually informs the community where evacuation centres are located, as evident in this extract from the Shoalhaven All Hazards Info Guide:

On the basis of the above, I think it is clear that ESC is not achieving the stated aim in its 2022-2023 Performance Plan to deliver "Increased satisfaction with the long-term planning of Eurobodalla", as part of the long term goal to "Be an agile organisation that champions continuous improvement and efficiencies". Council clearly needs to lift its game in this area, and not just deliver “more of the same” as our community moves into a more hazardous and threatening future.

Yours sincerely, Name Supplied

100 Years Ago 14th July 1923

Just before going to Press, the news reached us of the death of Mr. Samuel Kimpton, of Deua River, at the age of 88 years. His demise took place at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. S. Harkus, of Nelligen. The funeral will take place tomorrow (Sunday) a ernoon when the remains will be interred in the C.E. por on of the Moruya cemetery.

Stock Inspector H. L. Mater courteously phoned us on Thursday with the informa on that, through the request of a number of landowners, he has arranged with the Government to issue a proclama on to open the season for wallabies and kangaroos for one month only in the Broulee district. The proclama on was gaze ed yesterday (Friday) at 12 noon.

The ques on of depasturing milking cows on the streets has been under discussion at the Shire Council mee ngs here for some me. … It is proposed to issue iden fica on discs for ca le that are registered to graze on the streets. The discs will fulfil a dual purpose – preven ng an owner grazing more head than he registers, and to prevent confusion when unregistered ca le come to be impounded.

Eurobodalla Shire: The Council has decided to purchase a Champion steel reversible road roller for £100. The cost of the same roller a few months ago was £250; The Clerk was instructed to issue summons against all those who have not paid their rates.

Bateman’s Bay: During the week end were visited with the cyclone in common with the rest of the South Coast. Interest centred in the departure of the “Bermagui” on Sunday, and with the swell prevailing at the me, onlookers were treated to a fine bit of seamanship on the part of the captain of the boat.

On Tuesday last, Mr. C. Fletcher had a narrow escape from serious injury. He was on the roof of the new shed being erected for the Illawarra Steamship Company, fastening down the sheets of iron, when he lost his balance and fell to the ground. His fall was broken by a picket fence, and apart from a severe shaking and some bruises, he escaped injury.

For Private Sale: Five-roomed Co age, furnished, and 4 acres of land known as Mcleans, Newstead, Moruya Heads; also the Old Racecourse Paddock, containing 99 acres, and Pedro Paddock, containing 34 acres. H. J. THOMSON, Auc oneer, Moruya.

For Sale: Horse, seven years, broken to single and double harness, good saddle, also sulky and harness. Apply – METHODIST PARSONAGE.

Public No ce: H. Malone wishes to no fy the public that he is s ll running a Motor Service from Braidwood to Moruya three mes a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

FARES – Moruya to Araluen 10/-; Araluen to Braidwood 7/6; Braidwood to Tarago 10/-. ‘Phone 14 Moruya.

Extracted from the Moruya Examiner by the Moruya and District Historical Society Inc.