Sapphire Coast News

The past year has brought the global financial crisis, a worsening drought, shifting interest rates and other troubles for people in our community and as Christmas approaches our thoughts go out to all of the people who have been affected.

However, the year has also brought good news by way of major development activity in several of our towns and of funding allocations to the Shire from both State and Federal governments for infrastructure projects large and small.

Communities in every town and village in the Shire have benefitted in some way from the infrastructure funds and many have “value added” by carrying out some of the work themselves.

These infrastructure projects have helped strengthen communities and bring people together when other factors could have brought them down.

As we move into 2010 we will see many of those projects completed and in use, further enriching our communities.

We also expect to see work begin on major retail developments in Bega and Merimbula, the Bega bypass and progress on the new regional hospital, all of which will set the scene for great change into the next decade.

We are all very fortunate to live in such a wonderful part of the world and we welcome the many visitors who come to the Valley to holiday where we are fortunate enough to live year-round.

On behalf of the Councillors and staff may I extend Christmas wishes to the people of the Bega Valley Shire for a happy, holy and safe Christmas and a very successful new year.


Tony Allen
Mayor