The Vulnerability of Modern Tech
The never-ending headline, the shortage of houses, our priority is to build more. The roadblock is the cost and the red tape, plus we don’t have enough construction workers to build a fraction of what is required.
But over to our migration policy, shocked I was to discover, to migrate to Australia, construction workers do not receive priority over, economists, actors, yoga teachers and a string of other bum type occupations, that do nothing to reduce our productivity problem, which is collapsing nationwide. But we do have the numbers already here. The growth in the public sector and all that information or should I say bullshit careers out of control. If we took the axe and reduced those numbers by just 25% forcing so many into a productivity career, a huge bonus. Currently why would anyone choose a physical career opposed to the option of a position with a government or semi government dept. The country is screaming out for physical hands-on common sense.
The national Telstra outage demonstrates just how vulnerable as a nation we have become. With the whole system now interconnected just a minor hiccup can shut the whole nation down. The railway network in Sydney and Melbourne shut down for 2 days, and I weep thinking about all those electric cars unable to get a charge stuck hundreds of kilometres from their destination. Good old oil.
Met a local couple just returning from a tour of Tasmania, claiming they never saw, scenic wise anything to compare with back home in the beautiful Bellingen Shire, so many take for granted. Near mid-July and still no frost up here and I am still mowing the bloody lawn.
Darcey Browning
Thora
Waterfall Way Centre wins nomination
Great news that the Waterfall Way Visitor Information Centre has been named as a finalist in the North coast Regional Tourism awards. However, as a volunteer at this centre it is very disappointing that neither the Mayor or the Bellingen Shire Group leader Community Partnerships thought it worth mentioning the volunteers who welcome visitors or Lea Hookway who coordinates our participation and has been largely responsible for making the Centre such a welcoming space as noted in the article. An oversight perhaps?
Amanda Jennings
Bellingen
North Bellingen Residents Gathering to Work on the New PAMP
With Bellingen Shire Council now preparing its Pedestrian Access & Mobility Plan (PAMP)
2026–2031, it is vital that residents gather in their neighbourhood groups and take part in the
consultation. This plan will guide pedestrian safety and infrastructure funding for the next five
years, and community input will directly influence where investment is directed at both a Local
Government and NSW Government Funding level. North Bellingen Action Group (NbAG) are thankful that the difficulties for Pedestrians to North Bellingen have been recognised and look forward to actively contributing to the 2026-31 Plan.
The new PAMP identifies Hammond Street as a high‑priority active‑transport corridor,
including:
• A footpath from Lavenders Bridge to Dowle Street (Score 76)
• A connecting footpath to Wheatley Street (Score 67)
• A new crossing facility (Score 66)
These priorities finally acknowledge the risks faced by North Bellingen pedestrians who must cross increasingly busy and dangerous traffic conditions in Hammond Street. Anyone needing to walk to town and walk home must cross Hammond Street twice. The new PAMP also
acknowledges the importance of Hammond, Dowle and Black Street to the Multi-purpose Centre and the need to connect Bellingen Showground.
Residents at the meeting formed a working group to prepare detailed community feedback for the new PAMP, ensuring local voices are heard during the upcoming consultation period. We are encouraging everyone of all ages to get involved and contribute. Let’s work on, “Getting Connected.”
North Bellingen has waited a long time for safer, connected walking routes. Community participation now will only improve planning and connection and will help secure the funding for upgrades that our neighbourhood urgently needs.
Caroline Joseph
North Bellingen Action Group
Forestry Plantations a perpetual industry
When I was in primary school in Dorrigo in the 1950s there was a vibrant timber harvesting industry
across the plateau. The plateau population was over 7,500.
In 2026 with timber harvesting virtually non existent the plateau population has plummeted to around 2,400.
As state forests have been closed to timber harvesting there were promised jobs in National Parks to make up for the lost forestry jobs.
However the same number of jobs never eventuated and Australian timber imports increased to where they stand in 2026 at $6.9 billion per annum.
This level of imports can only increase as governments at all levels have goals of increasing the number of new homes.
New jobs in the National Parks is not what is needed.
What is needed is the replacement of every hectare of state forest closed to be matched with the same number of hectares of plantation forests.
Jobs would be created planting the trees, clearing weeds and undergrowth, and getting rid of feral animals. Far more jobs than in the National Parks.
Jobs would also be created when the plantations are harvested and as timber is processed, imports are reduced.
The creation of plantations would not be a once up event but an ongoing industry.
Peter Feros
Heritage Hotel Dorrigo
Peaceful Protest Halts Pine Creek
In 2017 the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage mapped koala habitats across public forests, the area in Pine Creek state forest actively being logged in July 2026 is a mapped “Area of Regional Koala Significance” (ARKS).
Penny Sharpe says:
“People cannot have it both ways. They cannot say that plantation is the future and then not support the harvesting of plantation.”
The people say:
“The Minns government cannot have it both ways. Either it is a mapped area of identified koala habitat or the promise to protect local koalas in a GKNP is a Great BIG LIE!”
Meredith Stanton
Council Criticized Over Urunga Sale
To all those citizens who have been dismayed by Bellingen Council’s selling of Lot 1 Ferry Street Urunga for $1 to an affordable housing group, I suggest that this outcome was decided way back when the scheme was first proposed.
We are living through a time when the rights of minority and activist groups are being prioritised over traditional mainstream values, and any project benefitting these groups will most likely be approved, no matter the disproportionate damage done to other parties.
The Lot 1 Ferry Street case is a good example, where this delusional project has been approved by a Council which is more concerned with getting praise and acclamation from the influential virtue-signalling community, rather than sticking to their day job of improving the quality of infrastructure and living standards for ratepayers and towns in their jurisdiction.
Unfortunately this is the current trend, and although it may be slowly re-balancing, I’m afraid not quickly enough to save Lot 1. Thus, this unique and irreplaceable little asset will be lost forever to Urunga, to be replaced by the ugliest and most destructive housing development perpetrated on Bellingen Shire in a long time.
This is the legacy each current councillor will have to live with, along with the complete loss of respect from a large number of their constituents.
Peter Dingle, Urunga
Youth Hub’s Vital Work
It is disheartening how many times I have observed workplace dynamics, where different styles/strengths are not recognised for their value.
I provide Suicide Prevention workshops at the Bellingen Youth Hub and have often watched and told Michael ‘if we were paid in energy and not time, he would be a very wealthy man’
Connection is the biggest buffer against mental distress.
Over and over, I see Michael and Kylie providing presence, genuine listening, care, inspiration and hope.
This is high energy and vital for our youth.
The demands of bureaucracy are relentless, the reports, grants, obsessive data collecting, risk assessments, OHS, litigation etc, swallowing up human goodness and connection.
I sympathise with the pressure this puts on people.
However, this societal package is depressing our youth.
You might find people with thicker resumes but you won’t easily find the ‘gold’ of the social fabric, care and skill we have currently being woven around the youth, at the Bellingen Youth Hub. Jo Mason, Bellingen