Councillor Connect – 9 July 2026 – Councillor Peter Haggar Politics is the way a group of people make decisions about things of shared concern. Governance is the set of rules (both written and not written) which establish the way people go about making those decisions and are the result of laws, power relationships, communication, historical practices … all operating within a shared material reality.
Councillor Connect – 25 June 2026 – Cr Tony Allen After many years around the Council table, you pick up a fair bit - some lessons the easy way, some the hard way. One thing I’ve learned is there’s often a misunderstanding about what a Councillor actually does. We’re not here to fix every problem that comes our way and we certainly can’t make everyone happy all the time.
Councillor Connect – 18 June 2026 – Councillor David Porter If you ask residents what they want Council to focus on, most will give the same answer: roads.
Councillor Connect – 11 June 2026 – Councillor Helen O’Neil Volunteers are an amazing energy source: their energy powers our community services, charges our celebrations and cultural events, and renews itself so we can deal with good times and bad.
Councillor Connect – 4 June 2026 – Councillor Peggy Noble I heard a bumper crowd showed up at the Bega Sporting Complex last Saturday to check out the new facility. I couldn’t make it but from all reports everyone is happy to see it finally completed and excited to put it to good use.
Councillor Connect – 21 May 2026 – Clair Mudaliar Since joining Bega Valley Shire Council, I’ve been amazed at how much sits behind the scenes of everyday life in our community. Most of us interact with Council in simple ways like putting the bins out, driving on local roads, visiting a playground or borrowing a library book - but the scale of what Council manages across the shire is enormous.
Councillor Connect – 14 May 2026 – Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick As councils across NSW place their budgets and Long Term Financial Plans on public exhibition, I encourage people to take a close look at the real financial position facing most regional councils.
Councillor Connect – 7 May 2026 – Councillor Peter Haggar Recently Councillors attended a presentation from staff on Waste Behaviour and it set me thinking about waste. What is waste today as opposed to a generation ago and what do we need waste to mean in the future.
Councillor Connect – 30 April 2026 – Cr Simon Daly Strategic planning is one of the most important ways communities shape their future. Whether it’s improving roads, upgrading sporting facilities, supporting housing development, or planning new community infrastructure, the community and council staff play a crucial role in balancing community expectations with practical realities.
Councillor Connect – 23 April 2026 – Cr Tony Allen Next month we’re holding a Volunteer Expo at the Oaklands Event Centre in Pambula (Saturday 16 May). It’s a popular event for volunteers and not-for-profit organisations, to showcase the great work they do and try to increase their volunteer base.
Councillor Connect – 16 April 2026 – Councillor David Porter Across the Bega Valley Shire, I am regularly hearing from many landowners who are seeking answers to a simple but important question: What rules apply to my land, and how can I get the facts on how I can use, manage and develop my land?
Councillor Connect – 10 April 2026 – Councillor Helen O’Neil The best part of being a Councillor is meeting people. It is an enormous pleasure to listen to the community and represent you at Council - not to mention it’s my statutory responsibility as an elected Councillor. The way to do that well is to get out of the Civic Centre and drive - from one end of the shire to the other.
Councillor Connect – 2 April 2026 – Councillor Peggy Noble We’ve all seen it. You’re cruising along and notice rubbish dumped where it shouldn’t be, a sign’s hanging off its post or the playground’s half busted. It’s annoying and you just want someone to sort it.
Councillor Connect - 27 March 2026 - Councillor Mitch Nadin As high petrol prices continue to hit hard, Council is not immune and has also been forced to contemplate the significant impact on our business.
Councillor Connect – 19 March 2026 - Councillor Clair Mudaliar A few weeks ago, ahead of our February Council meeting, I joined my fellow Councillors, the Mayor and senior staff at a welcome morning tea for Council’s newest cadets, apprentices and trainees. These eight new team members are stepping into a wide range of roles, from communications trainee to apprentice diesel mechanic and it was wonderful to meet them as they begin their journey with Council.
Mayoral Connect - Russell Fitzpatrick - 12 March 2026 At the end of last year, Council adopted a new set of values which are Teamwork, Accountability and People. These values underpin a new vision for how Council can support our community...
Councillor Connect - 5 March 2026 - Councillor Peter Haggar Congratulations to all the wonderful Bega citizens who received acknowledgement in this year’s Bega Valley awards.
Councillor Connect - 26 February 2026 - Councillor Simon Daly Each year, every council across NSW undertakes a process known as the Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) cycle.
Councillor Connect - 19 February 2026 - Councillor Tony Allen As the summer season draws to a close, we are seeing a change of pace with visitors to our region...
Councillor Connect - 12 February 2026 - Councillor David Porter Local government is the closest and most practical level of democracy in Australia...
Councillor Connect - 6 February 2026 - Councillor Helen O'Neil Merimbula is a town that needs a plan...
Councillor Connect - 29 January 2026 - Councillor Peggy Noble Australia Day has come and gone for another year, and I hope everyone managed to mark it in a way that felt right for them...
Councillor Connect - 15 January 2026 - Councillor Clair Mudaliar What a summer season we are having! It feels like the busiest we’ve had in a long time, with things flat out everywhere...
Councillor Connect - 18 December 2025 - Councillor Peter Haggar At the November Council meeting a design for a replacement bridge at Cuttagee was chosen from three options...
Councillor Connect - 11 December 2025 - Councillor Simon Daly Across nine Councillors there is almost always a range of views being put forward on important issues facing our community..
Councillor Connect - 5 December 2025 - Councillor Tony Allen As the weather starts to warm up you will see plenty of action at our six pools across the shire...
Councillor Connect - 27 November 2025 - Councillor David Porter Decision-making as a councillor is one of the most important and demanding parts of the role...
Councillor Connect - 20 November 2025 - Councillor Helen O'Neil When I stood for Council, I promised "Leadership that Listens". So, I listened to community views about renewal of the Cuttagee Bridge on our tourist road between Tathra and Bermagui...
Councillor Connect - 13 November 2025 - Councillor Peggy Noble The new skatepark at Ford Park is getting plenty of use, with kids of all ages (and many adults) enjoying the latest addition to Merimbula's recreation facilities...
Councillor Connect - 30 October 2025 - Councillor Clair Mudaliar I've always loved collaboration - people, groups, organisations or businesses working together for the good of themselves or their organisation ultimately leads to something good for our community...
Councillor Connect - 23 October 2025 - Councillor Peter Haggar Recent discussions between your elected councillors and council staff have focussed on how your council examines risk and attempts to assess the organisations appetite for risk...
Councillor Connect - 14 August 2025 - Councillor Tony Allen Sport plays a central role in the social glue that holds communities together...
Councillor Connect - 16 October 2025 - Councillor Simon Daly A couple of weeks ago it was my absolute pleasure to join thousands of locals and visitors at Wanderer Festival..
Councillor Connect - 9 October 2025 - Councillor Tony Allen One of the great privileges of being a councillor is seeing important infrastructure projects come to life...
Councillor Connect - 3 October 2025 - Councillor David Porter I often get asked, "How do councillors actually get stuff done?"...
Mayor's Message - 27 February 2025 - Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick Welcome to our new fortnightly Mayor's Message update. Each fortnight, Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick shares his insights on his community conversations, ongoing project progress, events and activities. Stay connected and collaborate to share the future of our community.
Councillor Connect - 31 July 2025 - Councillor Helen O'Neil I came indoors to write this piece after pulling out yet more fireweed and blackberry around our place, reminded again of the challenge of caring for our bushlands and seashores...
Councillor Connect - 25 September 2025 - Councillor Helen O’Neil With maybe a third of local renters facing pressure on rental costs, this month Council took a small but significant step towards addressing the housing crisis...
Councillor Connect - 18 September 2025 - Councillor Peggy Noble Local councils like ours spend a significant amount of time and money applying for grant funding...
Councillor Connect - 4 September 2025 - Councillor Clair Mudaliar One of the most rewarding parts of being a Councillor is the opportunity to serve on committees and boards that help shape our region...
Councillor Connect - 28 August 2025 - Councillor Peter Haggar At the August Council meeting, Councillors voted 7:1 to extend the Merimbula Airport runway...
Councillor Connect - 21 August 2025 - Councillor Simon Daly Council is responsible for a lot of infrastructure across the shire, more than I realised when I started as a Councillor...
Councillor Connect - 7 August 2025 - Councillor David Porter Most people think of Council as the organisation that collects bins, fixes roads and keeps the local area running...
Councillor Connect - 24 July 2025 - Councillor Peggy Noble There's been a lot of talk about council rates lately, so let me be clear: No, we are not putting your rates up by 50%, that's simply not true.
Councillor Connect - 10 July 2025 - Councillor Clair Mudaliar n recent weeks I attended the National General Assembly (NGA) in Canberra, hosted by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA)...
Councillor Connect - 10 July 2025 - Councillor Peter Haggar As your Councillor, as a Greens representative and as a resident and business owner in the Bega Valley Shire I am committed to helping our shire become better at reducing waste and learning to live ecologically...
Councillor Connect - 26 June 2025 - Councillor Simon Daly After seeking community feedback, this week Council approved important planning and budget reports known as the 'Integrated Planning and Reporting' or IP&R documents...
Councillor Connect - 19 June 2025 - Councillor Tony Allen One of the things that often goes unnoticed is how complicated our water supply across the Bega Valley is and how much work our Council has done over a number of decades to secure and protect our water supply...
Mayor's Message - 19 June 2025 - Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick shares his insights on his community conversations, ongoing project progress, events and activities. Stay connected and collaborate to share the future of our community.
Councillor Connect - 12 June 2025 - Councillor David Porter People often ask me, "Why would you do it?" The truth is, being a Councillor isn't always easy - but it's incredibly rewarding...