Business as usual, despite the warnings

In NSW "many coastal councils have traditionally been little more than subsidized development clubs," says Professor Brendan Gleeson, the director of the urban research program at Griffith University.

He has certainly hit the nail on the head when one looks at the Central Coast.

Despite dire warnings about global warming, shortage of water, the vulnerability of our coastline and polarization of our society, it is business as usual.

We seem to only face our problems when they reach crisis point e.g. insufficient water for the increasing population.

We only consider greening our streets in an effort to keep up with the Jones's [Japanese], not because of any true commitment.

We are clearing the bush around us at an alarming rate and covering the area with concrete, seemingly unable to see the connection between this and climate change and the shortage of rain and/or flooding or silting of our waterways.

We hasten to dig bores on the Peninsula, at the same time as we continue to kerb and gutter and remove trees on this same sand-spit.

We endeavour to remove any small parks within easy walking distance and thus force people into their cars and onto the roads, seeing no connection with unhealthy children, traffic jams and accidents, quite apart from the unnecessary use of depleting fossil fuels

We rush to build de-salination plants as a quick, easy option, disregarding the expense and the enormous use of energy.

As a distraction, there is talk of building another dam and power station; in fact it is anything to prevent people from facing the reality of the problems which face us and the planet.

Is it Utopian to hope for some new power brokers; people who are ahead of the pack and well informed; real leaders, instead of the present lot, who think only of money and development and retaining power?

If a Council can make a real difference in Bega, why not here?

Why can our new surf clubs not generate their own electricity?

Why can buildings like the Outrigger and the future Tesrol Development, at Ettalong, not collect their own water to top up their swimming pools and cover them, to stop evaporation.

Why use our town water when we are facing Level 5 water restrictions?

Businesses as well as we, the general public, must learn to curtail our needs and be responsible for our own energy and water requirements.

It is surely only by treading more lightly on this planet now, that we can hope for any future for our children.

Have we all forgotten that many great civilizations before us have come and gone?

Margaret Lund Woy Woy Bay