Council received compliments for its maintenance of the area. Photo: Ann Espinoza, via Narooma School of Arts/Facebook.
Eurobodalla Shire councillors received several compliments at a recent councillor catch-up in Narooma.
One resident with decades of experience in local government in Sydney commended council staff for being so proactive. He said staff very quickly cleared fallen trees in Narooma after a recent storm.
Another said the standard of the shire’s parks, reserves and amenity blocks was much higher than in affluent parts of Sydney where councils had a much higher rate base and less assets to maintain.
Mayor Mathew Hatcher appreciated the recognition because “if a service isn’t here, council gets pushed into it”.
“We have a youth team, an employment team and provide community transport,” he said. “We get all these roles pushed onto us by the NSW and Federal governments, but they only fund it for two or three years and then there is a new government.”
A relative newcomer came to the catch-up to tell councillors that he was living in such a beautiful place. “Whatever council has been doing, it is good.” As a horticulturist he said council’s gardeners clearly went above and beyond.
He also praised Narooma’s Landcare group and noted during the peak tourism period that Narooma residents picked up litter off the streets as they went about their business.
There was general agreement that Narooma’s natural beauty should be protected.
That theme was picked up by two residents with years of experience in the building industry. They had a long conversation with Mayor Hatcher about how development in Narooma should not spoil the environment.
One was concerned that people were parking too close to beaches and estuaries, meaning king tides spread residual petrol and other pollutants.
“Do we want to be like Lakes Entrance and Byron Bay and go down that pathway or be economically viable and protect what we have,” she said. “I think we need to look at our public spaces and headlands. I want formalised planning 80 years ahead.”
Mayor Hatcher said the state government funding specified that the Batemans Bay and Moruya masterplans must be completed before Narooma’s masterplan.
The resident said development in Bathurst’s town centre, while modern, sat comfortably with the original buildings.
Mayor Hatcher said development was inevitable. Wagonga Inlet. Photo: Eurobodalla Shire Council.
The other building industry professional said while Narooma’s housing did not have a particular feeling or style, it was important to protect the setting.
“I don’t want to see that lost, but when the new hospital is built that will bring people here,” he said.
“Development is going to happen and come to Narooma whether we like it not,” Mayor Hatcher said.
One woman was less happy regarding the apparent lack of progress with the upgrade of the shire’s animal shelter in Moruya and said she had been told it was one of the worst in NSW and compared very unfavourably with the one in Shoalhaven.
“We have been promised a new pound for 12 or 14 years and then something happens and it gets put back again,” she said.
She said the rangers working with the animals were amazing, but council should do more advertising on social media to help rehome animals.
“A lot of councils have animals desexed before they rehome them but here they are only microchipped and not vaccinated or desexed,” she said.
Another woman spoke to councillors Mick Johnson, Phil Constable and Laurence Babington about Riverview Road. She said once away from the built-up residential area close to the highway, the road used to have a 100 km/h speed limit. The signage now is that the 50 km/h speed limit has ended and to drive to conditions. Many wallabies and kangaroos live in the vicinity.
The woman said people were driving very fast along the road near the Oyster Farmer’s Daughter. She said the eatery was allowed nine car spaces but she has video footage of 42 cars parked along the road on the crest of a hill.
“We have cars and caravans doing U-turns in the middle of the road and people wandering down the middle of the road after a few drinks,” she said. “Our concern is whatever happens if there is a fire. On one occasion a tractor was unable to get access to a property.”
People can report issues such as potholes and illegal parking to council via the snap send solve app.
