Belinda Thewes - 12 August 2025
Belinda Thewes presented to Council at the Public Access Session on 12 August 2025.
Good morning Mayor, Councillors and Staff
My name is Belinda Thewes, I’m also known as Belinda Bain.
I am vice president of the CCA, and have lived in Congo for over 20 years.
I am delivering this presentation in the public interest.
I have heard councillors and council staff explain the decisions that have been made about Congo Rd as ‘business decisions’ or ‘economic decisions’,
I am here today to consider the broader economics, in particular the socio-economic impact of the road closure.
I have worked as a clinical psychologist in the area for over 20 years. I am a carer of an elderly person, and a frequent user of our local health system. I also have a background in research and a professional interest in health economics.
I begin by reminding you on 23rd March 1999 this council passed a motion to acquire land to formalise the Congo Road between Moruya and Congo for the creation of a permanent public road. All land holders initially agreed, and the landowners of Lots 24 and 181 (adjacent to Lot 197) were awarded compensation under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991.
To date this motion has not been completed.
Previous attempts to resolve the matter have included testing an unprecedented use of the Roads Act in the Supreme Court. Whilst this could have been substantially cost saving if the gamble paid off, testing an unprecedented law when an entirely legal and established mechanism exists seemed a risky manoeuvre, which ultimately did not pay off.
We appreciate that council has previously taken action which it believed was saving the public purse, but there is an old saying “Pay Cheap, and Pay Twice”.
Past attempts to solve the problem (and the current stalemate) only defer the costs to the community, delay the problem and amplify the costs of a solution in the longer run.
We acknowledge that Council needs to keep its costs low for ratepayers and maintain affordable local sources of sand.
However ESC’s policies state (and I refer to page 5 of 6 of the Procurement Policy dated August 2022) that “procurement of goods and services must be fit for purpose”
Where ‘fit for purpose’ is
“Suitability of goods and/or services for the desired Council outcome including consideration of performance, cost, safety and the “triple bottom line”.
A triple bottom line includes
1. economic
2. social and
3. environmental impact
I would like to focus on the broader socio-economic impacts of the road closure.
The trip from my house to town used to be 8 kms and it is now 17kms. Our family operates 3 small businesses and 3 vehicles. According to the ATO it costs 88 cents per kilometer to run a car, so for my family alone who operate 3 cars and drives at least once per day into Moruya and back during the week (sometimes many more) that is an estimated additional cost of over $3500 per year in extra running costs, per vehicle. Multiply that by every car in Congo and we are talking about very large sums of money every year.
I don’t need to remind anyone that we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis. Based on the census data 73% working adults in Congo commute to work and back in cars as the main driver, and the median weekly income of Congo residents is $805 per week.
All of Congo is carrying these additional costs - every car, every day.
People using Aged Care and NDIS services pay on average around 89 cents per kilometer and around $50-60 per hour from packages for support workers. Assuming a support worker visits 5 times a week, that is an additional direct travel and support worker cost of $8580 per participant. One per person, one package, one year.
Whilst Eurobodalla Shire Council is not paying these costs directly, they contribute to the cost of living for local residents, the exponentially growing costs of Aged Care and NDIS, and inefficient use of funds designed to support a better life.
Last year ESC spent considerable time and money clarifying its strategic plan in a report titled "Our Eurobodalla 2042". A pillar was (and I quote)
“To create a future for Eurobodalla that is
Liveable: Fostering a healthy community with opportunities to participate in social life and care for one another.”
Congo is a community without any public transport. We are an aging community with 20% of Congo’s population aged over 65 and 40% aged over 55.
The social isolation caused by the road closure is acute, and it is taking its toll especially on our older and vulnerable residents.
As a carer of an elderly person in their late 80’s who lives alone in Moruya I am constantly backwards and forwards to town delivering meals, solving problems, going to appointments and responding to medical issues. The road closure makes what is an already a challenging role even harder.
Loneliness and social isolation have direct health economic costs. Many people in Congo are seeing friends less often, not coming into town as often, some no longer feel confident to drive via the highway into town. Aging in place is no longer an option for our elderly residents who lack support.
Social isolation is invisible, insidious and costly.
It impacts the liveability and connectedness of Congo.
We deserve the same rights as other ratepayers, and we should not be made to pay for past errors.
All parties publicly have stated they want to find a solution to the problem of Congo Rd, but let’s get real, what is holding up this process is money.
Please consider the broader costs of council inaction and
Remember “Pay cheap and pay twice”.
We have received independent advice including from planning law experts, already provided to this council, that there are low-cost precedented solutions.
The community is a key stakeholder in these negotiations.
We stand ready to work in a constructive manner and help council fulfill its obligations to:
a) consider its triple bottom line and
b) complete this unfinished business.