Patricia Hellier - 2 July 2024
Patricia Hellier presented to Council at the Public Access Session on 2 July 2024.
Good morning Mayor, Councillors, General Manager, Staff, Gallery and those comfortable zooming from home my name is Patricia Hellier from Batemans Bay.
Councillors today I would like to address two issues – My first issue is as follows:-
At a Council meeting the 19th December 2023 - “Council endorsed to investigate all aspects of Camping at Moruya Showground”.
Given that some 6 months has past since the Councillors endorsed this proposal I am here today to ask what progress has been made, I understand that the Showground Committee fully support the approval to provide camping facilities at the showground outside their normal events.
Councillors you have one more meeting until this Council goes into “care taker mode”. I have been advocating at Council Meetings since 2012 for the Moruya Showground to be open for Camping. Through out this period I have presented to the Councillors figures of the number registered Caravans, Motor Homes, Camper Trailers, 5th Wheeler’s etc. In 2019 these registered vehicles increased by 21%.
I believe every day we are losing tourism dollars, those dollars are heading north and south of this shire.
To the North there are Showgrounds at Milton, Nowra & Berry, to the South there is the Bega Showground, these Councils are all benefiting from the tourism dollars that these form of travellers bring to their shire.
Many business in this shire are struggling. In our travels we stop at showgrounds, we stock up on groceries, we purchase our petrol, we are always looking for that special gift and we always check out the many tourist attractions that shire offers.
Recently I had a discussion with a Secretary of a showground, at this showground they have a box and they ask those who book into the showground to drop any dockets from anything they have purchased in their shire, at the end of each month they calculate how much has been spent – on average the shire has benefited between $10,000 and $12,000. I will add within a 30k radius of this showground there are 2 other showground that also provide camping facilities as well as a number of caravan park -some are Council owned.
This whole situation to me is a “no brainier” - there are towns who have Showground Committees organising and running the showgrounds - they don’t need consultants, they have “can do people” who recognise the benefit of this form of Tourism Dollars.
Clr Harrison has experienced “life on the open road” he knows the benefit that small towns have benefited from by opening up their gates of their showgrounds. Word of mouth is all that is needed by these form of travellers.
Councillors I do not want to be sitting here addressing the 2024-2028 group of Councillors on this issue and potentially I do not want to see tourism dollars escape this shire due to the fact that our Council has not seen to provide this benefit to this form of traveller.
My 2nd issue is Surfside – a few weeks ago I received a copy of an email from a concerned resident who lives at the north end of Surfside. I decided to access this end of the beach from the carpark, unfortunately I could not access the beach due to the debris at the access point, I could see there was a number of trees lying on the beach which was directly behind homes.
I am aware the Director of Infrastructure has also inspected the area. Councillors the facts are the Councils CMP has failed addressing the many issues at Surfside.
For years a number of credible residents have raised many issue at Surfside. There was a $5M grant for the CMP and a further announcement of $12,0007,632 this equates to approximately $18M. Councillors ask yourself where is this money been spent on – I firmly believe a large sum of this money has been spent on consultants it certainly has not been spent on re nourishing of the dunes at Surfside or protecting the homes of Surfside Residents. There has only been $1.5M allocated to Surfside and I believe this is to protect a Council road.
For a number of years Mr Russell Schneider President of Eurobodalla Coastal Alliance, Mr Ian Hitchcock who was the representative on NSW Coastal Alliance, Mr Viv Sethi and other members of the Surfside Community had raised their concerns about the erosion at Surfside and the affect on the dunes especially given the affect from the extra pylons from the new BB Bridge.
Recently I had a discussion with a Captain of the Merinda who expressed concerns about the change of the seas and indicated that the area needed a break wall.
Councillors on the 13th December 2022 you Councillors adopted the CMP – I ask you to take the time and access and read the Public Forum presentation by Mr Graeme Shoebridge and Mrs Rosemary Deadman. Take the time to google the many of articles on Surfside these articles continually refer to the damage that has occurred and is still occurring at Surfside.
I believe any monies should be allocated to protection of Surfside Residents homes and not for the engagement of more consultant.
Thank you,
Patricia Hellier