Open invitation to the Tuross Head Community from John Tilbrook, Secretary of the Tuross Head Progress Association As Secretary THPA I am seeking to expand our membership base throughout the Township so that our Association is much more demographically inclusive when promoting issues to Council. Our membership numbers have dwindled slightly in 2017, and now stands at 141 members, due. in main. to the sad passing of some stalwart members, and others relocating due to changed circumstances.
The benefits of being a member enables you to have your opinions considered and of being kept informed of the THPA inter-action with Council on a wide range of issues affecting all residents. Membership is only $5 per year. To avoid having to draw on monies from the community funds (Cycle/walk Account etc) the total THPA membership target really needs to be at least 200 financial members so as to defray the ongoing administrative costs which are always increasing, noting that since the beginning of FY17/18 the Council also requires not-for-profit Community groups to pay Hall hire fees for its activities.
The mandatory annual DFT Incorporation Fee ($45) & annual Public Liability Insurance Premium ($410) is due on 31 Mar 18 which totals $455, which in financial expenditure terms represents the membership fees of 91 members (91 x $5 = $455). Since the closure of the Opportunity Shop more than a decade ago which was run by the THPA members in the Evans Road Shopping Centre to raise funds for the Cycle/walk around Tuross, the THPA has not engaged in other community fund raising per se, however, consideration may need to be given to conducting larger scale formal raffles to realise the additional funds needed for the completion of the “missing links” in the Cycle/walk, as well as new Tuross History plaques to be installed along the Cycle/walk for the interest of locals and visitors to our Town.
Come along to the next THPA meeting on 1 Feb 18 at the Kyla Hall at 2pm - it might to encourage you to becoming a new member.
GENERAL BUSINESS of the upcoming meeting:
THPA SUGGESTION FOR NAMING OF KYLA PICNIC RESERVE
An aboriginal name has been suggested, aka “BRINJA YUIN” but Kathy Arthur in Council has advised that there is a something of a debate among the local aboriginal groups as to whom (what Aboriginal people) it should be named after. This issue is to be resolved for the Council in 2018 by the Eurobodalla Aboriginal Advisory Board chaired by Aboriginal Elder Patricia Ellis (Brinja Yuin).
THPA SUPPORT FOR ANY THFC BID GRANTS FUNDING FOR NELSON PARADE BOAT LAUNCHING RAMP
President THFC (Max Castle) and the President THPA (Gary Cooper) are working together on approaches to the Council seeking improvements to the current launching ramp & a floating pontoon jetty extension. Max Castle has been trying to arrange a meeting with the Mayor but has not been successful, perhaps early in 2018?
Concept & suitable location for a Heritage Park & SUITABLE LOCATION FOR Heritage Park IN Tuross:
The President has spoken to Council on the Heritage Park. It is estimated there should be 20 plaques at a cost of $40,000. They are now making larger plaques, up to A1 size which contain more information at a cost of $4,000 each. The electronic version of the plaques is about $14,000 each. There is to be a meeting with Council as Council originally would have preferred the plaques to be sited along the cycle path. However, the proposed number of information plaques would significantly block the view. We have told them we would prefer the plaques concentrated on one location located near the main town area.
Suitable location for a Heritage Park
The Tuross Lakes Preservation Group (TLPG) wrote to the THPA outlining its objections to this proposal, and instead put forward three other alternative sites,
Evans Park
2. Adjacent and north of the Stafford Dixon Bench Seat on the Cycle/walk opposite 73/75 Tuross Boulevarde and
3. Opposite the over 55’s Townhouse complex on the Boulevarde.
Highway “T” Intersection road safety Upgrade.
On 18 Jan 18 the Secretary THPA received email advice from the RMS Program Delivery Officer (Claire Harris) that the Tuross Head “Black Spot” road safety upgrade will be dealt with in a telephone conference with the respective Commonwealth department in the first week of February, so hopefully the $100k in funds will be released to enable completion of the concrete median island at the entrance to Hector McWilliam Drive before the end of FY17/18.
COILA Lake Boat Launching Pad.
THPA is seeking details of the works planning/work program schedule for the proposed upgrade of the Boat Launching Pad for launching into Coila Lake opposite Kyla Hall, and the defining of a car & boat trailer parking area as mooted by Warren Sharpe? This project should also encompass public safety measures to enclose the Picnic Reserve/Playground with a barrier reaching into the water out to the low tide mark of Coila Lake to prevent vehicles and boat trailers from parking along the lake foreshore in this Reserve, and transiting through this Reserve.
Fishing platform for Tuross Lake or Coila Lake.
A fishing platform was constructed on the right bank of the Moruya River in Russell Martin Park in December 2017. Council should consult with the President THFC (Max Castle) to consider a similar construction on either of the Lakes foreshore in Tuross in Council’s forward work plans and work budget estimates.
Upgrading of “Cycle/walk” missing link
The section of the foot pad following the Coila Lake foreshore between the end of the concrete Cycle/walk at the bottom of Anderson Ave and its re-connection with completed Cycle/walk some 150 meters west of “Buchan Bridge” is sorely in need of an urgent earthworks upgrade as the pathway is littered with deep holes and loose which poses a public risk to walkers and cyclists, especially after rain which causes large ponds of water to form, and when drying out these low lying areas turns into slippery mud.
The long history of inactivity on the part of the land developers who the Council holds responsible for the delivery of the missing section of pathway is well known, but given that there is no foreseeable prospect of the Developers delivering the completed pathway, could the Council consider action for remedial earthworks to create an all-weather pathway and have this surfaced with bitumen asphalt? There is sufficient stockpiles of earth and stones on site in the Council’s soil dump adjacent to Kyla Oval.
It is suggested that Mayor Liz Innes & the Divisional Manager Recreational Services – Mr Mark Upson should be invited to walk along this section, bearing in mind that this is the sole pathway route to connect pedestrians and cyclists between the eastern and western sides of the Township, and noting that most of the Tuross Head population of 2,200 are elderly - with the median age of residents being aged over 60 years of age.
Rainwater tank for Kyla Hall – Storage of dedicated water supply for firefighting purposes.
Tony Swallow, Divisional Manager – Works is strongly opposed the THPA and KHMC attempts to justify the expenditure of Council funds to supply and install a rainwater tank at Kyla Hall on the basis that in his experience there is a low risk of fire in that precinct (the last wild grass fire that burnt
through the area right up to the rear fences of Lake St occurred in the late 1970’s).
The local RFS brigade raised the suggestion with the THPA for a 22,500 litre rain water tank to harvest rainwater from Kyla Hall roof to be permanently stored as a dedicated on-hand supply of water for firefighting purposes in an emergency, given that the nearest Fire Hydrant is located 330 metres away in Lake Street, there will be an inherent time delay experienced in deploying fire hoses from the Fire Appliance after its arrival on scene in response to Triple Zero call-out.
The RFS on-site technical inspection has assessed that the medium fire risk to the Hall stems from three potential ignition points, those being the outdoor timber deck, the leaf litter on the roof from the adjacent grove of gum trees and casuarina trees, and inherent the risk of fire associated with kitchen appliances inside of the Hall.
The THPA has canvassed the local suppliers, and a 22,500 litre PVC Water Tank can be supplied and placed into position (as dictated by the RFS) for the sum of $2,853 (including 10% GST). The THPA has already voted to donate the estimated $500 plumbing cost to engage a local plumber connect the rain water tank to the Kyla Hall guttering given as this Hall represents the most valuable Council owned community asset in the Township. The local RFS has also offered to install a ‘STORZ’ fire hose fitting to the rain water tank at no cost to Council or the THPA.
The present KHMC Account balance (derived from Hall hire fees) as at 31 Dec 17 is $26k, therefore expenditure of less than $3k for the provision of a rainwater tank for fire-fighting purposes represents value for money in the event of a fire at the Hall or in the vicinity Kyla Hall (Oval toilets/change rooms/canteen & adjacent BBSC & TCG Storage Shed).
Directional signage – Tuross Head Shops & Medical Centre
The issue of the need for additional more succinct directional signage from the Hector McWilliam/Allenby Road “T” intersection was raised with the THPA by the Queen Street Medical Centre in Evans Road Shopping Centre (Ms Criss Higgins). THPA submitted a CSR with Council (Engineering Administration) on 3 Aug 17, and this issue was dealt with in subsequent emails (Council letter 24 Aug 17, THPA email 15 Sep 17, THPA email 21 Sep 17).
The Council undertook to resolve concerns and erect the “missing link” directory signs (E80.0051-4836.17 & EO2.6197 refers). As action to install the additional required signage (3 x signs?) has yet to be undertaken, Criss Higgins approached the THPA on 15 Jan 18 to raise this matter again with Council for resolution.
Design & manufacture of new History Plaques
Given the foreseeable delay in the creation of the proposed Heritage Park, the Secretary THPA proposed that the Meeting should approve the initiative to design, manufacture and finance the following three new History Signs to be installed along the cycle/walk route, in in the near vicinity, for the information of visitors to Tuross.
George Bass landing 1897.
Un-marked Graves Site – 5 known graves
The History & official opening of the Cycle/walk & Boardwalk.
Thanks to the ongoing research efforts, Dr Carlene Winch has now managed to identify the Five drowning victims who were interred in the now un-marked graves in Bridges Reserve. The victims to be recognised in a Tuross History Plaque are as follows:
2 x un-identified Sailors (oyster gatherers) were drowned when their Schooner HOPE was wrecked on rocks at Broulee Dec 1866.
George Magill & Thomas Mahon when their small boat was washed out to sea in raging floodwaters and drowned off Tuross entrance 25 Mar 1867 with their bodies found washed up on Coila beach on 29 Mar 1867.The body of a 3rd victim in another boat that washed out to sea, a Frenchman named Frederick Maaessy, was never recovered.
Captain Louis Strom drowned whilst engaged in cargo unloading operations in heavy seas from the SS Meeinderry in the ship’s long boat off Coila Beach 18 Feb 1891 (ship was owned by Patrick Mylott).
THPA Petition to establish majority opinion of Tuross Residents concerning the preservation of self-sown Norfolk Pine trees sprouting along the foreshore of Hector McWilliam Park
During the Mirror Bush eradication program in July/August 2017 it appears that the Green Army had been instructed to remove the young Norfolk Pines. The TLPG has advised the THPA that it played no part in the removal of any self-sewn Norfolk Pines during its own invasive species weeding working bees. It was suggested from the floor of the 7 Dec 17 THPA Meeting that the seedlings and seeds be collected as a project and be sold at the Market. It was moved that the matter be investigated. Action by??
