THIS WEEK
Our guest speaker at Thursday’s Rotary Business Breakfast is Carrie Taylor, a local Tilba resident and business owner. Carrie is the project manager for developing and delivering the Tilba District Strategic Plan for the Tilba District Chamber of Commerce.
Carrie is delighted to be able to share the outcomes of the Tilba Plan to date with us, highlighting where key focus areas and initiatives may align with the great work already underway under the Narooma Community Plan with Narooma Chamber, businesses and local residents.
Bookings essential. Please by emailing Andrew by Monday night (our time). Cost $10 cash. On Thursday, 7am sharp.
Andrew’s Thoughts
President Andrew’s thoughts are, of course, far away… but he reckons he is thinking of us.
He was taken to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the weekend for the first time ever as his birthday treat – all Lawsons are Spurs fans (in the genes). But 62,000 fans saw them lose.
The Week that Was
The Rotary Easter Races
Fine weather plus good crowds turned out for the annual Rotary Charity Race Day. This involves Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma Rotary Clubs with David Ashford of Batemans Bay Rotary the overall coordinator. Thanks to Julie Hartley and John Rungen who represented our Club by collecting donations from the fairly constant stream of racegoers as they arrived to park. With so many Club members away over Easter, we were glad Julie and John could fly the Club flag.
Some months ago the presidents of the three clubs got together to discuss who should be the beneficiary of our fundraising efforts. At the time, President Andrew said he would like to use the money to help establish the Prostate Cancer Support Group, while Moruya initially chose to direct funds towards the proposed new Eurobodalla Hospital Carers accommodation project. Moruya’s President Chris writes this week that because the new hospital is still some way off it, Moruya decided to follow Batemans Bay’s suggestion of donating a new vehicle to the Palliative Care Support team attached to Moruya Hospital.
Chris and Mike volunteer for Tilba
Both Chris O’Brien and Mike Young answered the call to assist the Tilba Festival organisers on Easter Saturday because so many volunteers were off with Covid. Chris was glad she contributed and was asked to stay an extra hour to marshall at the bus stop. Mike intended to help, but when he got there found car parking impossible. The Festival sounds like it was a big success.
Garden Sheds for bushfire victims
The Rotary Club of Liverpool has donated approximately 100 garden sheds of various sizes to bushfire affected residents in the Eurobodalla. These sheds are currently in storage in Batemans Bay. In the week or so after Easter, Moruya and Narooma Clubs have been asked to assist with delivery mainly to residents in their areas, in our case around Bodalla. David Ashford has offered to drive the six or so destined for Bodalla-Nerrigundah to Tuross if we can pick them up from there and deliver them to the respective people. Does anyone have a Ute or trailer and can help? they would also need help with the loading and offloading.
Out and About
Rotary assists students’ Challenge
Bega, Merimbula and Pambula Rotary Clubs were involved in organising the recent Science and Engineering Challenge in the Bega Showgrounds Pavilion, hosted by the University of Newcastle. The Challenge is a nationwide Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics outreach program presented by the University of Newcastle in partnership with communities, Rotary clubs, universities and sponsors.
Ninety Year 9 and 10 students attended from Bega High School, Eden Marine High School, Sapphire Coast Anglican College, Lumen Christi Catholic College and Bombala High School. Teams from each school test themselves in fun and hands-on challenges against the other schools, competing to go into the State Final and then a National Final. Eden Marine High won.
The Challenge is in its 22nd year. A representative from the University of Newcastle said, “It’s all about helping students understand the engineering and science opportunities that are available to them in their community. We give them basic materials like paper, string and cardboard and they get to build things like a Mars Rover, bridges and water turbines and relate it to real life so they can learn about possibilities within science and engineering beyond the classroom.”
Bega Rotary organised the event with the support of Pambula and Merimbula Rotary, Pambula and Merimbula Lions, Bega Cheese, Bega Valley Shire Council, GHD Engineering and the University of Wollongong. Bega Cheese, GHD and Bendigo Bank were the major sponsors. From Bega and Merimbula RC webpages
NEXT WEEK 28 April
Our dinner meeting next week will feature guest speakers Bill Barker and Fiona McCuaig who will talk about Bateman’s Marine Park. The Park has been protecting our local marine environment for 15 years, but they are concerned about its future with the NSW Government pursuing a review that could affect the Park’s future, while meanwhile reducing resources available for Marine Park activities.
Fiona and Bill will bring us up-to-date as well as mentioning plans for the oyster reef restoration in Wagonga Inlet, rehabilitation of rocky reefs ravaged by urchin barrens, and a proposal to establish a Marine Science and Education Centre in Narooma. Please bring family and friends. Bookings to John by 4pm Tuesday.