Dear Editor

During the last week of February I visited Harrington / Crowdy Head for the first time since I moved away in November 2016 and it was very disappointing  to see the lack of general maintenance carried out in these areas which I believe are of a safety issue to the residents and visitors. Listed below are the areas of concern: 

• Tree and branches hanging very close to the edge of Harrington Road between the Colonial C/Park and the roundabout at Josephine BVD – NO footpaths in this area.

• Bushes hanging over grass verges, on both sides of the road, between Josephine BVD. and The Boulevard – cannot walk on grass footpaths / verges’.

• Dead trees and branches hanging over gopher / cycle way which runs from Gordon Smith Reserve to Club Harrington – if dead branches / trees were to fall at any time they could injure a person – needles have fallen from pine trees and lay on pathway.

Where are Council up to with the Wards Creek project which is proposed to widen the bridge area, connect up the pathway and widen the entrance into the actual creek to improve the water quality?  Currently if 2 large caravans were to have an accident on the Wards Creek bridge there would be NO access into and out of the village and of Harrington and Crowdy Head!

Maybe the Council should reconsider the information they have stated in the March issue of the TellEverbody about the dredging of the backwater and where they are going to place the dredged sand!  Gerard Tuckerman says the sand will be placed on the sand spit at the north side of the mouth of the entrance to the river which might benefit the beach nourishment of Old Bar Beach!  Old Bar is south of the entrance to the Manning river and sand is supposed to flow from south to north?

The Harrington Lions Club is to construct play ground equipment in the Gordon Smith Reserve which is to be fenced which is a great idea.  A number of years ago the Action Group requested that Council fence in the play ground equipment in Oxley Reserve next to the bowling club close to the road and opposite the service station but they said that they did not fence such areas! It would be great if Council now considered fencing in the play ground equipment in Oxley Reserve – better late than never!

Last but not least Crowdy Head School and the Fish CO-OP are a disgrace even though they have Aboriginal Land claims on them they could have been put to a very good use by Government Departments working together and using the current facilities until such times the claims were sorted out!

Joan Hall

Jervis Bay