The decision for a woman to have an abortion has absolutely nothing to do with politicians.

I had an abortion in the mid 70s, a decision made by me and my husband.

A qualified doctor performed the procedure after quite a lengthy discussion. All good, no regrets, and my husband and I will celebrate our 54th wedding anniversary early next year along with our four daughters and eight grandchildren. I am sure, and I think many people would agree, politicians have far more important issues to be thinking about.

Loretta Thornton, Batemans Bay

Your opinion article ignores the fact that we are terminating a human being, not a rabbit or turtle. From the moment of conception you have all the ingredients of your future brother, sister, wife,husband etc. Sorry, can't do it!

Owen Roe, Batemans Bay

I am a mother of four and a grandmother of 13.

I wholly agree with Alex Crowe's stand on abortion. I take this as not so much a moral decision but a right to decide; my right to choose how to live, how to die and whether I require an abortion for my own personal reasons. Our politicians are pushed by churches, right-to-lifers and money. I vote for my rights. I hope our MP looks at that.

I write regarding the motion declaring a climate emergency in the Eurobodalla Shire. This declaration would be an extremely positive step in leading our community into the future.

I am a resident, rural landowner, father of three young children and GP anaesthetist. I have spent 20 years studying and working in an environment where strong scientific research and evidence-based methodology is the foundation of practice.

As a global community, we have been given irrefutable and overwhelming evidence that we are currently in a climate crisis. Over 99 per cent of scientists worldwide agree climate change is real and it is man-made. Unless real and meaningful action is taken immediately, our crisis will deepen and lead to irreversible changes.

No longer can we tolerate the mutterings of ill-informed sceptics, who profess their anecdotal experience with the weather disproves the evidence from the worlds most informed and intelligent minds. Whether you wish to believe the sceptics or the scientists, moving towards a zero-carbon society is undeniably the healthier option.

I wish to acknowledge the efforts council has already made to reduce emissions. Yes, we are doing a lot, but are we doing enough? Every council in Australia should urgently review all their programs and ensure they align with the global consensus of measures to mitigate and adapt to this crisis.

It is my duty of care to my patients to inform them of any threat to their health and how best to manage this. I believe your duty of care is to inform our community of the threat before them.

Declaring a climate emergency is not scare mongering and does not impose further anxiety. It serves to inform, educate and rally the community.

Across the country doctors are uniting to see acknowledgement of climate change as the greatest threat to human health.

The Royal Australian College of GPs and the Australian Medical Association urge us to advocate to protect human health from risks of climate change at local, state, national and international government levels.

Its critical to highlight health impacts at a local government level. These are detailed in reports published by the Doctors for the Environment, Medical Journal of Australia and the Journal of Australian General Practice.

The reports have found, as global temperatures rise; we will see more extreme and frequent heatwaves. They're silent killers, but are linked to death and disability especially in the elderly, children, the mentally unwell, pregnant women and outdoor workers. Heatwaves reduce school and academic performance, affect productivity and increase violence.

The increase in the severity and frequency of droughts, unseasonal and severe bushfires, floods and cyclones creates direct damage to health, affecting livelihoods and increasing psychological distress. A study of farmers in NSW from 1970-2007 found an increased suicide rate by 15 per cent as droughts worsen. Water insecurity is a reality for many NSW towns. During floods or at severe low levels of storage, water can become unsafe due to contamination, leading to waterborne diseases.

This is happening now. These health outcomes can no longer be someone else's problem.

Each of us can drive change in our families, streets, communities and shires. Local government has a critical role to play in mitigation, adaptation and protection of our communities.

Acting now may bring about the biggest health achievements of our time. Low-carbon communities are fitter, more connected, healthier and happier.