If they could contact Batemans Bay Police and quote E73237356 it would be much appreciated.

To all who care to listen: can (authorities) please explain how they are going to compensate the shire residents whose homes are now burning because they were not allowed to clear trees on there own property or adjacent public land?

Our place is surrounded by trees overhanging the house and filling our gutters to a point I've given up cleaning them. When our house goes up and it may already have, we are going to hold (authorities) responsible.

We and our neighbours have even had threats to the tune of $100k fines about pruning such trees and the council has refused to clear so much as one one tree or cut it back.

These fires are a result of politics and policies that have put the whole shire at risk. How many trees and wildlife have now been lost? You have even lost towns!

Even the Broulee RFS brigade is surrounded by gum trees. The Batemans Bay SES carpark is burning!

This has been an own goal! Absolute incompetence.

I want to comment on "Awash with Marine Park Misinformation" (Dr Philip Creagh, Bay Post/Moruya Examiner, January 1).

As one of many environmentalists living and working in the area over 40 years, we have always fought for sanctuary zones because they enhance the marine biodiversity and help create a stronger marine ecosystem in general.

This attribute will flow on to fish sustainability.

Dr Creagh says NSW fishing is " sustainable and well managed". This is simply historically wrong.

Simply counting the number of fishing boats working out of South Coast communities now, as compared to 30 years ago, will give you the answer. Dr. Creagh says that marine pollution is a problem. I agree with him on this point but he is obviously unaware of the multitude of land-based work done by environmentalists and conservation groups in the last 40 years to attack this issue. What have the fishing groups done to attack land pollution in that time span? Sanctuary zones are one arrow in a quiver to protect marine diversity and sustainable fish stocks into the future. They are one important practical step and should be kept and enhanced for a better marine future for our children.