2EC Mornings

Dr Michael Holland is currently the sitting member for the seat of Bega in the NSW Parliament. He has a long and respected career in the world of medicine and hopes to bring his expertise in that regard to improve health services in the region. He will be down in Eden this weekend for the opening of the 'Grand Old Lady'- The Australasian Hotel , an important historical building in the area. 

After several years of sustained economic pressures, the costs to maintain services by local councils across Australia has reached a tipping point. The Bega Valley Council has recently been consulting with the community about the need to increase rates in order to keep the current services intact. One of the proposed increases is a 90% rate rise. The CEO of the Shire Anthony McMahon joins Bertie to explain why such a steep rate rise in necessary.  

Anna Lindstrand is the director of the native animal sanctuary located 8 km north of Merimbula- Potoroo Palace. The park has garnered a reputation as a successful example of educating the public about the need to protect our native animals. Their slogan is conservation, education and community. At the park is are a wide range of animals including dingoes, wombats, wallabies, and many reptiles and birds. Their most recent success includes the successful breeding of a very rare and endangered Bush Stone Curley.  

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action group was formed after the Tathra District Fires in 2018. Founder and President Jo Dodds has been instrumental in the groups success in challenging the NSW Government and the NSW EPA to consider climate change in their policies. They recently had a landmark victory in the courts which has proven just how much change grassroots local campaigns can have at the state and national level. Jo is about to take her message to COP 27 in Egypt which gets underway in November. 

Reboot in Bermagui is Back ! One of the most family friendly, fun-filled community events on the coast returns for its seventh year. Everything from fun runs, swims, stand uo paddle boarding, surf-lessons, tug-o-wars, barefoot bowls, the festival will have it all. In this episode I chat to Julie Rutherford who is one of the wonderful and generous humans helping organsie the big event. 

The Bega Valley Innovation Hub, along with other major partners including Bega Cheese, are striving to make the Bega Valley a truly sustainable local regional economy. They are doing this by aiming to become a 100% circular economy. In support of this idea they are reaching out to the public to come up with good idea. This is called  the Bega Circular Valley Challenge and has a prize pool of $35000. Samantha Avitaia explains. 

South Coast health Sustainability Alliance (SHASA) are a grass roots, community orientated organisation that aims to make the Eurobodalla a better place to live work and play. They do this by championing renewable energy, sustainability and community resilience projects  across the coast. Kathryn Maxwell is the president of the organisation and she talks about SHASA's latest project involving a mobile power generator assisting with power requirements for bushfire rebuilds, power outages and extreme weather events. 

The issue of logging our native forests has never been more controversial. Forestry Corporation is under immense pressure after posting consecutive annual losses and attracting millions of dollars in fines. Environmentally, the practice threatens our native species such as the koala who are critically endangered. In this conversation, Dr Holland outlines his thoughts on the issue before the matter is brought before parliament next month. 

Dr Matthew Nott is a Bega Valley orthopaedic surgeon and  also the founder of clean energy for Eternity. The idea for this organisation occurred on Tathra's hottest ever day in January 2006. It has since grown into a fully fledged and well supported community organisation that assists local groups and homes tap into renewable energy. On October 16 they are putting on a 9 hour music festival in Matthews home town of Tathra to raise money for further investment in the local community. 

Astronomer at ANU, Dr Brad Tucker travelled to the South East over the weekend to view the discovery that sheep farmers Mick Miners and Jock Wallace made at Dalgety and south of Jindabyne. He says the space junk reportedly from a SpaceX mission are some of the largest pieces of space junk to ever be found in Australia.

Damien 'from Bermagui' is Bertie's rugby league guru. Normally Damien provides Bertie and his listeners with the tips for each round. But as he previously played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Damien is in a unique position to comment on the controversy surrounding the Sea Eagles and their decision to include a 'proud jersey' this weekend to celebrate diversity. Damien talks about this, and also about his brothers and father where rugby league runs deep in the blood. 

The Bega Valley Mayor talks about what is being done to combat the housing crisis, and previews the upcoming Sapphire Coast Art Month which kicks off this weekend at the Nimo Motel in Eden. 

It has been an issue increasingly at the forefront of local and national news. Continuing logging of native forests in NSW is seen by many as an absurd thing to do in light of our declining environment and the destruction of crucial habitats for endangered species. The release this week of the 5 year State of Environment report highlights the urgency of the situation. Coastwatchers Association are supporting a petition currently circulating that aims to garner 20,000 signatures before the end of the month so that this issue may be debated on the floor of the NSW parliament. 

Glenn Morton is  a well known Australian artist and on Saturday 6 August he is putting his artistic skills towards raising money for Can Assist Bega. He will be painting in front of a live audience at the Wheelers Seafood Restaurant in Pambula while they wine and dine on a 4 course meal. Can Assist is a wonderful organisation that raises money for people living with cancer and it helps them with their treatments and day to day living expenses. The artwork will be auctioned off at the end of the dinner to a great cause. Tickets are still available. Listen here to find out more. 

Michael Collins and a few of his friends have done great things for men's mental health in this country. A few years ago they started what has become a unique safe environment for men to share openly about their lives, their challenges, their highs and lows. After successfully setting up groups in Bermagui and Bega this year, the group is coming to Batemans Bay on 12 July. They will meet at the Salvation Army Lifestyle Centre from 6.30pm.  

Phil Shorten is a driving force of the South Coast Health and Sustainability Alliance, otherwise known as SHASA. They are working in conjunction with the Australian National University to study the feasibility of regional communities creating and storing their own power. They are known as 'microgrids' and could be the solution to the increasingly fragile national energy market that we have seen erupt in recent days.  Eight sites in the Eurobodalla have been chosen in this study. 

In our weekly catch up- the Eurobodalla Mayor discusses how entrenched the homelessness problem is on the south coast. Despite agreeing that there is no easy fix to this problem, Mathew remains hopeful that his Council can work with the State Government to help reduce the numbers of people currently sleeping rough in the shire. 

Homelessness is a real problem on the South Coast. Combined with the effects of a housing crisis, the situation is critical. The Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast have been in overdrive since last winter trying to find temporary and permanent accommodation for the hundreds of people displaced by the fires and those otherwise down on their luck. Gavin Bell is the Co-Chairman of the organisation and explains to Bertie what is going on. 

Bertie is joined in this episode by meteorologist Jonathon Howe. Jonathon works at the Bureau of Meteorology and predicts a wetter than usual winter. The Indian Ocean Dipole combines with the La Nina on the East Coast to continue our record breaking rainfall. When will it end ? Listen and find out !

The mayor of the Bega Valley joins Bertie for his weekly catch up about the goings on around the Shire. Both the Mayor and his councillors have implemented a community catch up program where they meet on a regular basis with the local constituency. This week it is happening in Merimbula. Russell also talks about the ongoing repairs to the roads caused by the recent and devastating weather events. 

Richard Van Piljen is walking from Sydney to Perth in an effort to raise money to plant 1 million trees ! After watching a TV program about the plight of Australia's Koala population he decided to take matters into his own hands. He has teamed up with Landcare Australia to find suitable areas for planting the trees and sourcing the saplings. He cane be found on Insta @freewayricardo and if you see him walking along the highway , feel free to give him a big hoot of support. 

Damien Nable once played for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. The once frantic pace of rugby league has given way to a peaceful retirement as a fisherman in Bermagui. These days Damien spends his time lolling in the Bermi sunshine, but he still loves his league and is the Morning shows resident tipster. This week he joins he Bertie to give his tips for round 9 of the NRL. 

John and his wife Christina are two old time Merimbula locals who share a love for the ocean and for historic boats. They stumbled across "Alma Gray" back in 2008 and have lovingly restored the Couta boat to it's former glory. The boat used to be owned by Jack Gray, who fished the waters of Merimbula since 1945.  The boat belongs to a class of boats that were designed and built specifically for the purpose of fishing barracuda and originally come from Port Phillip Bay. This is a wonderful story about an old sea dog and a very rare and beautiful boat that oozes elegance and grace. 

There are many many people on the Far South Coast who qualify as unsung heroes. These people typically prefer to fly under the radar and avoid the public limelight- such is their humility. Now is the time to recognise some of these 'Local Heroes'.  The Eurobodalla Council has opened nominations for this prestigious award, so if you know anyone who might qualify please don't hesitate to put them on the list. I spoke to the newly minted Eurobodalla Mayor Mathew Hatcher, a previous recipient of the award himself, about the wonderful and generous heroes of the south coast. 

Most people have heard of 'Meals on Wheels'. It is a much loved and respected organisation that serves over 200,00 older Australians with social support, meals and with their overall health and well being. There are over 45,000 incredible volunteers supporting the organisation,  and they are always looking to recruit more people into the fold. This week is Seniors Week and The Eurobodalla  Meals on Wheels are doing everything they can to help older Australian's reconnect and regain what was lost during the loneliness that came with Covid and lockdown. 

After a torrid run of covid, floods and fires it is a heart warming to see many community events taking place again. This year celebrates the 90th anniversary of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Moruya is celebrating it's role in the building of the nation's most iconic bridge. The Moruya quarry provided the granite that was used in it's construction. This weekend the quiet south coast town will come alive with a street parade, live music, and a light festival on the picturesque river. Gary Traynor is the event coordinator and he speaks to Bertie about this upcoming weekend. 

Jane Cay is a successful businesswoman and the proud sponsor of 2EC's Ladies Day Out promotion. Jane is helping us celebrate International Women's Day by inviting 10 lucky women from the South Coast to visit her award winning retail and fashion store in Cooma. Since launching her retail business Birdsnest in 2008, Jane has expanded her store into a successful online operation which caters to women of all shapes and sizes. She employs over 140 locals in a town of 7,000.  Jane has demonstrated how inclusivity and friendliness should be the benchmark on how women's fashion and retail business should be run. 

Melissa's personal story closely echoes that which she writes about in her best selling crime stories. Melissa's cousin mysteriously disappeared from Kings Cross in the late 1980's. Melissa never gave up hope and persevered with determined resolve to keep public scrutiny on Ursula's disappearance.  "Search for Sky" is her much awaited sixth novel and is a classic Australian crime fiction inspired by real life events. 

Valentino Guseli is fast on his way to being a superstar. At only 16 he has competed in the worldcup for snowboarding with a semi-final finish, been invited to compete at the prestigious x-games and gone higher in the air on his snowboard than any human being before him (breaking the world record at 7.3 metres!) . Most recently, he proudly represented Australia and the South Coast at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. He was welcomed back to the coast with the most rousing of receptions held at the Narooma Golf Club. Hundreds of locals turned out to welcome him home. A true blue, dinky di, home grown hero ! 

Are you concerned about your memory or worried someone you know might have dementia ? Dementia Australia is offering support in Batemans Bay between 23-24 February 2022. Barb Williams talks to Bertie about the various courses available for people living with dementia, their carers, family and friends. The courses are free and are a great opportunity to connect with others who may be struggling with the same issues.

Work is about to begin on a world class mountain bike trail in the Mogo State Forest. Martin Wisata, director of the company contracted to deliver the trails, Rocky Trail Destination, speaks to Bertie about this enormous project. It is expected that approximately 155km of trail will be built stretching from Mogo to Batemans Bay and back again. It will be a world class destination and should deliver over 25 jobs to young people in the area. 

Brendan Constable was one of three South Coast locals who recently completed an arduous and heroic  journey across Bass Strait in a surf boat. The boys hit the water at Port Albert in Victoria, and eight days later, after camping at various islands along the way, arrived at Little Musselroe Bay in Tasmania. It was all in an effort to support the Humour Foundation which aims to provide Clown Doctors to hospitals across Australia to entertain sick children.  

Tony has spent more than 37 years as part of the lifesaving community on the South Coast, and as part of the recent Australia Day honours list was awarded the prestigious Emergency Service Medal. Tony credits surf lifesaving and specifically his beloved Tathra Club as being an integral part of the community in the way it brings people together from all ages and shapes and sizes. He has lived through many tragedies and is a very brave and courageous man totally deserving of the recognition of one of Australia's highest medals.  

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer likely to affect Australian men, with more than one in six expected to become a victim of the disease in their lifetime. Julie Hartley was a recent organiser of the Great Rotary Australia Day Duck Race, which raised money for the newly formed group and for cancer research. Julie's husband died of prostate cancer and she is determined to help as many people as she can. 

Chris recently visited the South Coast to endorse his candidate for the seat of Bega, Dr Michael Holland. The main issue he explored while down here was the state of health care in the region. In this conversation he speaks candidly with Bertie about this and other issues affecting the region, including the housing crisis and the controversial logging of state forests. 

Jess Taunton runs Navigate Expeditions which has teamed up with Australian Geographic to promote eco-tourism on the Sapphire Coast.  The business is all about promoting the natural wonder of the Far South Coast while causing no harm to the environment at the same time. To this end, Navigate Expeditions works with other like-minded business such as the Tanja Lagoon Camp, uses electric vehicles and plants native trees for each guest that comes their way.  

Our region has wonderful produce, some of the best in Australia. But unfortunately it remains hidden to much of the world. To change this , Fiona Kotvojs established the Gourmet Coast Trail in order to raise the profile of the region and increase the number of tourists visiting the region outside summer. Everthing from the world's best Gin, and Kelp used in gourmet recipes are part of the trail and business across the coast are now diving in to join this revolution. 

Emma Lawrence is the daughter of famous swimming coach Lawry Lawrence. Together they are saving lives across Australia by educating both adults and children about water safety. This month is National check-your-pool-gate Month and Emma talks to Bertie about this campaign and the famous 'Kids Alive Do the Five'. 

Filming of an award winning film titled 'Life Class 1920' wrapped up recently on the South Coast. It was directed by veteran filmmaker, Tom Cowan, and is a remake of 'Life Class' which was shot down here in 2013. Tom has a long and distinguished career in cinematography beginning with the  ABC in the 1960's before being based in London, where he was part of a group known as the Larrikans of London- a group of Australian artists and filmmakers including Martin Sharp, Richard Neville, Phillipe Mora, Germain Greer, and Clive James.  Tom is back on the South Coast which he thinks, quite rightly, has a wonderful creative community. The filming took place in Candelo and Tilba and other towns around the coast. 

The Reverend Tim Costello is leading the charge to reform laws surrounding gambling in Australia. Australians spend an eye watering $25 billion a year on gambling and most of this is spent on the pokies. Tim has been campaigning hard to help Australians caught in gambling addiction and to address the very real social issues caused by it. In this conversation with Bertie he highlights the difficulties facing the movement to reign in the very powerful gambling lobby. 

The Bega River has been transformed from a once narrow and deep pristine waterway revered by the local Aboriginal peoples to a choked , sandy weedy trickle of a stream. However, as as result of the hard work of a few local volunteers the river is now reclaiming some of it's former glory. On the banks of the river grow some ancient and sacred Oak trees that are hundreds of years old. Chris Allen is the President of the Bega River and Wetlands Landcare (BRAWL), the organisation responsible for the river's regeneration. In this conversation with Bertie he talks about how the diligence of just a few can have profound positive effects for the entire river system. 

Bega Cheese is one of Australia's most iconic companies. Barry Irvine is the Executive Chairman of the company and is 5th generation dairy farmer. He knows cows intimately and describes how well looked after they are at Bega Cheese. Barry is also a recipient of the Order of Australia Medal for his contributions towards children's disability services and dairy farming. This is a wide ranging conversation including Barry's commitment to introducing a 'circular economy' to the region. 

Despite falling crime rates, imprisonment inside Australia is at a historic high. A report released by the Productivity Commission looks at the reasons for this and examines the benefits and costs of imprisonment and what, if any, are the alternatives. Commissioner Stephen King talks to Bertie about this issue. 

Cathy is a councillor on the Bega Valley Shire Council. She is a member of The Greens and fights hard for the environment, social justice, affordable housing and the vibrant local arts community on the Far South Coast. She joins Bertie to talk about these issues and her achievements during her time on the Council. 

When Andrew joined State Parliament as the Member for Bega in 2003 he was the youngest member of parliament aged only 29 years old. Fast forward to today and he has been serving his community for almost two decades inside the Bear Pit.  In this conversation with Bertie, Andrew reflects on his achievements as a Minister and MP, and explains his decision to throw his hat into the ring for a tilt at Federal Politics for the seat of Gilmore. 

With so many different opinions clouding the space, it's time to speak to an expert. Lewis Tyndall is a pioneer in the creation of environmental solutions in Australia. Before co-founding GreenCollar, Lewis founded the Climate Roundtable in 2006. He has been a lawyer for over 20 years, practising in equity, commercial and environmental law. Lewis practised at the NSW bar and holds a Master of Laws with a major in environmental law. Today he is one of Australia's leading business and environmental figures and proves the point that humanity can thrive without destroying the environment. He speaks to Bertie about the Glasgow climate talks and the opportunities for farmers to profit while helping the environment at the same time. 

Kristy is not only a politician, but a loving mother, wife and friend to many. She deeply cares about the issues affecting the Eden-Monaro and gives voice to the electorate in Parliament. In this conversation she shares her disappointment with the Government that money set aside to help regions has instead been funneled into the cities. She also speaks candidly about climate change and the reopening of state borders with the end of lockdown. 

Coles will source 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of the financial year in 2025. How good is that ! The milestone comes as Coles was ranked second out of 62 food retailers globally for sustainable business practices in the World Benchmarking Alliance's 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark. 

The Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips joins Bertie to talk about many of the issues affecting the South Coast and what she is doing to effectively represent the constituency. Fiona is a born and bred South Coast local and is working hard to ensure the region is well represented in the Australian Parliament. 

Around 1.6 million Australians are involved in the care of people living with Dementia. Maree McCabe AM is the CEO of Dementia Australia and is doing her best to make sure that people are better educated about this largely misunderstood disease. She is also passionate about looking after the people who care for Dementia sufferers. October 10- 16 is National Carers Week and if you know someone who has is a carer you might benefit from what Maree has to say.