Patricia Hellier - 9 September 2025
Patricia Hellier presented to Council at the Public Access Session on 9 September 2025.
Good Morning Mayor, Councillors, General Manager, Staff, Gallery and those comfortable zooming from home. My name is Patricia Hellier from Batemans Bay.
Councillors I ask that you indulge me for a minute as I will get to my subject that being a proposed Moruya By Pass.
My Dad was a keen fisherman every year we would make a track down the Clyde Mountain. As a very young child in the late ‘50’s I have strong memories of our car driving onto the punt to cross the Nelligen River. We would then cross what was then the new (now demolished) Batemans Bay Bridge to make camp at Hanging Rock camp ground.
I have many memories of the campground, especially the memory of one of the female showers, if you didn’t have a dry face washer on turning on the tap you would get an electric shock.
I remember climbing the large rock known as Hanging Rock.
On many occasions if the fish weren’t biting in Batemans Bay we would relocate to the camp ground at Riverside Camp Ground at Moruya.
We holidayed for many years on the coast and in year 2000 we moved to just north of Batemans Bay.
Over many years I have seen a lot of changes and growth in this area.
In the frightening Black Summer Bushfires the residents of Eurobodalla experienced the feeling of isolation when we could not escape north or south of the shire.
I like everyone would have been shocked to wake up last Thursday 4th September with the devastating news of the disastrous fire of some businesses in Moruya. The loss of the buildings and the loss to the businesses is devastating
Unfortunately there were further consequences to this fire that being the disruption not only for the local traffic of Moruya but the highway in general.
Traffic, including large truck were line up both north and south of Moruya. On social media there were many people who had appointments in Moruya were desperate to find out if they were going to be able to get to their appointments, staff were reaching out to their employer to see if they could get to work.
Whilst it was great to see that eventually an alternate route was organised again it highlighted how vulnerable we are.
Councillors we are all aware of what was known as “The Proposed Moruya By Pass” various coloured lines drawn on a map and the call went out for Public Submissions. This proposed Moruya By Pass was suppose to go hand in hand with the new Level 4 Hospital being constructed south of Moruya.
Some of you may remember my statement at the last Council Meeting on the Mayoral Minute in relation to the Batemans Bay ED that being I felt that the Mayoral Minute did not go far enough and one of the additional point I believed that Council should be advocating for an update on the Moruya By Pass.
I have listened to the Local Member Michael Holland speak on radio in relation why we can not keep open the Batemans Bay Ed.
I also note Michael Hollands comments in relation to last weeks devastating fire.
The silence is deafening from Michael Holland in relation to the Moruya By Pass.
We have travelled north of Sydney all the way to Queensland basically on a 2 lane highway, and yet for some reason this end of NSW through to the Victorian border seems to be unknown to many Politicians and this was certainly highlighted when the Minister of Health Ryan Park made his statement on the Win News a few weeks ago in relation to the Batemans Bay Ed.
I am now calling upon you to advocate to the NSW State Government and the Federal Government in relation to escalating funds for a Moruya By Pass. Last weeks fire again highlighted just how vulnerable we are and if for any reason the Moruya Bridge was hit by one of the many extra large trucks that cross this bridge every day the consequences would be disastrous.
Councillors, you were elected to represent the residents of Eurobodalla I ask that you take my presentation seriously and after this meeting do not just walk into that Committee Room and forget my statement. Don’t allow this issue which would have once be lost under a mountain of paper, now lost somewhere out there in Cyber space never to be res erected again.
Thank you,
Patricia Hellier