Polling places can bring out cordiality and bonhomie in party supporters and volunteers gathered for election day. They can also loosen tongues beyond their normal points of elasticity. Overheard at the Batemans Bay Community Centre, being said by a very well connected father-in-law, was this little gem, which may go some way to revealing what OTOS has suspected all along in relation to who made the decision to demolish the Batemans Bay Olympic Swimming pool: "Oh yes, if I want something done down at Nelligen, I only have to ring up... (naming a Council Director)!" All boasting and self-aggrandisement aside, this is a strange comment to make in public. It flies in the face of recent strident assurances by Councillor Lindsay Brown, that it is the 9 councillors at Moruya who call the shots and make the key decisions, not individual staff members. One would certainly expect a Council Director would have been called upon to provide his assessment of the existing pool back in 2016/17 or earlier and ensure he did not exercise undue personal influence or bias in recommending that the 50m pool be demolished. Even if he had, Council could have managed this whole fiasco much better by taking the community into its confidence (perhaps with sound and factual information provided) and explain very early, why the pool simply had to go, instead of the devious and misleading plan that was hatched, seeking letters of support from individuals and community groups who were kept in the dark about the fate of the 50 metre pool. Many of those individuals and groups withdrew their previous written support, once they were properly informed. While on the subject of Polling booths it was disappointing and even embarrassing to hear that a Liberal supporter, handing out how to vote leaflets in Moruya, resorted to harassment and bullying of others causing confrontation that fortunately for her and her other supporters did not result in police being called. Anecdotally this one passionate Liberal supporter made an ass of herself at several polling booths during the pre-election weeks and also at the Member for Bega's campaign launch in Moruya that unfortately and needlessly put an otherwise sour note to what was seen as a pretty happy election for all involved irrespective of the outcome.
Above: Labor liberal and Animal Justice Party show goodwill to each other Name and address supplied
