Published: 7 November 2022

This month’s federal budget saw money flowing to our shire to help us cope better with future disasters. And it’s no accident. Councillors and staff have been advocating hard for funds to make key infrastructure more resilient, and with the support and strong voices of our local MPs – Fiona Phillips, Kristy McBain, and Michael Holland - we’ll be much better equipped next time.

We’re seeing $750,000 to fireproof the Mount Wandera telecommunications tower. I don’t think any of us who went through the fires with limited or sometimes no communications ever want a repeat of that situation. This funding is so welcome. We have fought hard for it, bending the ear of every politician and bureaucrat we could about how vital this work is for our community’s recovery and future resilience.

There’s $221,000 for South Durras so their NBN cable can be put safely underground and their timber power poles replaced with composite ones. The NBN community hub in Batemans Bay will get a new satellite connection, meaning free internet access will remain available for the community even if ordinary communications go down. Our RFS units in Batemans Bay, Moruya and Mogo will benefit from the same NBN Sky Muster technology, along with Moruya SES.

$5M has been committed for the emergency services precinct in Moruya, supplementing the NSW Government’s $15M. Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips has certainly put in some hard yards after visiting our emergency operations centre – run out of the RSL Memorial Hall on makeshift desks and chairs – during the 2019-20 fires. She brought members from the then shadow cabinet to visit Batemans Bay in the aftermath and some of those MPs are now cabinet ministers influencing budget decisions.

It’s true the wheels of government can turn slowly, and occasionally fall off along the way. But sometimes all the representation, the hard work, the advocacy pays off and these moments of success are what keep us all going.

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