Dear Beagle Editor,
A great many Beagle readers with a strong interest in the welfare and well-being of our community will have some idea of a very important initiative being driven, so-far with little fanfare, by a member of our community, local agricultural consultant Rob Richmond, already known for his low profile community work.
EUROBODALLA CARES Local Drug Action Team, whilst being expressly locally based and run, is seeking to be part of a selective national network program COMMUNITIES THAT CARE developed by Deakin University Melbourne which keys into and can resource top professional expertise in the clinical and tertiary sciences field, backed up by other government agencies. Clearly this is neither a small nor simple undertaking and needs all of our support. As Rob Richmond has said “There are no CTC sites in NSW: could the Eurobodalla be the first?”
Most of us will hardly need to be told that one of the biggest and most deeply worrying elephants in the room, particularly in rural and country communities, is the growing sense of isolation and, at worst, alienation by which far too many members of our larger community, including the young, feel trapped. The wide range of disturbing and sometimes tragic social and personal consequences hardly need to be spelled out.
As those on the frontline would attest, the literal cost to our community of this burgeoning problem across all sectors is huge enough, but it is the metaphorical cost that is particularly worrying and deeply pernicious, with inevitable social and personal consequences that most of us would consider to be unacceptable in 2019 given that with a degree of positive action and concerted effort a very great deal can be mitigated and turned around.
It is hardly surprising to learn therefore that, besides an impressive roll-call of partnering organisations, the EUROBODALLA CARES Local Drug Action Team program has already attracted both initial support and some heavy hitters in the political sphere going up to the very top! But it is the local community’s support that is key and essential in every sense. We would like to ask The Beagle for its help in gathering around Eurobodalla’s LDAT mission and its advocate Rob Richmond the community support they deserve and which is so clearly merited.
To that end the community will have an opportunity to access more detailed information at a regional forum slated for Wednesday 30th October 2019, 1pm, Moruya Golf Club. We understand a number of significant participants will be in attendance. As ordinary but concerned locals, we, for one, intend to be there.
We hope many Beagle readers will feel similarly?
Sincerely,
Fitzroy and Mylene Boulting (Tuross Head).
