Braidwood Bugle FREE Independent News for Braidwood & the District www.braidwoodbugle.com.au Number 44 24 February 2021 Founder's Day at 1st Braidwood Scouts 1St Braidwood Scouts held a ‘Bring a Friend Founders Day’ celebration on Saturday 20th February at the hall. Celebrating the INSIDE THIS birthday of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement, there was a lot of fun with outdoor activities, including WEEK: building a catapult - complete with water balloons - building a rope bridge, learning about the history of the Scouting movement and Letter to the Editor making paracord bracelets. The sun shone for the sausage sizzle, Batemans Bay Bridge opening as they all had a wonderful day at the hall, celebrating and sharing More Araluen Road repairs with friends what Scouting is all about. 1st Braidwood is Nelligen Bridge works experiencing somewhat of a renaissance with 24 youth members, 6 Re-Gen Ag 101 adult leaders and another 7 adult helpers. A further six more kids came along to try it out on Founder’s Day. News for Braidwood & the district Bugle Letters Page 2 24 February 2021 Cooling it The Facebook conundrum The difference in opinion between Roger Hoskins and If you are reading this here, you may be one of the many John Tuckwell re the QPRC Surface Heat Mapping report people who aren't actually on Facebook or rarely use it. is instructive in two ways. It's been a strange week for those of us who are regularly First, Hoskins correctly points out that a survey based on on the platform. two satellite observations conducted a year apart is not a Facebook certainly has its excellent uses, as witnessed robust experimental design. No matter which two days during the recent bushfires, and for many it was a shock were selected, by what method, that 'sample' is just too when the corporation pulled the plug on Australian news small to be representative of anything except what sites, including the Braidwood Bugle. This is due to be happened on those two days. And that's of very limited restored in coming days. value. If atypically hot days were selected (which appears From my own perspective, my Facebook feed became to have been the case) the results will merely show that rather dull, as I use it to see news items from around the on those days (under the cloud cover and wind world and many different perspectives. conditions that prevailed) exposed, treeless areas on hard After almost 4 years of the Bugle on Facebook, I now have reflective surfaces become unwanted hot spots. Those close to 10,000 followers. The platform is currently the 'common sense' conclusions aren't worth spending tens fastest way to get information out to people, whether it's a of thousands of dollars of ratepayers money to 'confirm'. water mains leak, highway closed or supercell about to hit. You'd come to the same general conclusion if you took I was urged to take the Bugle into the digital edition format your shoes off and stood on a bitumen road in a treeless by many who do not use Facebook. And the reality is, even street. Claiming that such a limited study as this can if you do, items may not come up in your feed. So you will produce detailed and accurate maps to guide future tree find things in the digital edition that have been on Facebook planting strategies across the district is to over promise. first. You'd need a much more robust research study to do The Bugle also operates as a record of what happens in that. The money 'invested' in this research would have town. A snapshot of the district that in decades to come we been better spent buying and planting trees where may look back and wonder. ground cover and trees are sparse or absent. This is I would like to thank the 100 odd extra people who jumped obviously, and correctly, what Tuckwell wants to do. But onto my webpage to subscribe to the Bugle's weekly digital because of this study's cost there will be less money when Facebook unfriended news. available to do that. There are enough guidelines and Personally I don't blame Facebook. I thank them for being knowledge already in existence to guide strategy and able to access their platform for my business. The Media planning in this area. Bargaining Code which passed the Senate tonight, will only Second, ratepayers need to keep a wary eye on how serve to prop up the big media companies. It's doubtful it governments 'use' research to support their actions. will do anything for all the smaller independent media When conducted independently and well, research is the companies that have rapidly filled the void if declining citizen's ally. When designed, or interpreted, to legitimise newspaper sales. government ideas or preferences it can be little more The Save Our Voices campaign, being promoted on TV by than propaganda (or a buck passing device) aimed to Ray Martin, is no more than a declining company asking for make politicians look good. Politicians like to say government handouts. "research says" because it adds credibility to their cause. Marcus Strom from the Media Entertainment and Arts All levels of government (including local) are increasingly Alliance this week has aired concerns "that while we using and quoting research in this way. welcome Facebook’s decision to no longer block news links That's why we need to look at research critically to in Australia following negotiations with the Federal determine what it legitimately says and not just accept Government, it is unclear what this will mean for small media what our politicians claim it says. organisations and freelancers. The government must act Tim Lenehan urgently to support small Australian news outlets who could Ballalaba be shut out of commercial deals with Facebook and Google under its News Media Bargaining Code." Today the MEAA said " We have seen no guarantees from the big media companies that money raised from the digital platforms will be spent on journalism, this money must be spent on news content, not dividends or corporate bonuses. The News Media Bargaining Code alone will not be the salvation of Australian journalism. A range of other reforms are essential to foster a vibrant and diverse media ecosystem, and to encourage new entrants." A robust free media is a key to democracy and any town is all the better for a good newspaper, digital or print. If you want a lively paper for your community, then support it with your contributions - letters, editorial, photos, tips and of course advertising. The readership of the Bugle digital edition has been growing daily and I would guess has the largest weekly readership of any Braidwood publication for many years, if ever. Alex Rea Editor Send your contributions to [email protected] Subscribe at www.braidwoodbugle.com.au News for Braidwood & the district Braidwood Bugle Page 3 24 February 2021 Barefoot Bowls at the Club for young and old Friday 19th February saw round three of the Barefoots Bowls competition. Again there were lots of family groups playing. including young Eric here (pictured). The next night will be on Friday 26th February from 5:30pm. This will be the final game for the year. Braidwood Bowling Club is an inclusive organisation and welcomes all players both social and competition players. Photos: Gary Collard. First Southern NSW health staff receive COVID-19 vaccination The first Southern NSW Local Health District staff received “The first staff to be vaccinated will be those at highest risk a COVID-19 vaccination in Sydney today, in of exposure to COVID-19 positive patients. preparation for the opening of a vaccination outreach clinic “This group includes workers in emergency departments, at South East Regional Hospital, Bega. aged care and COVID-19 testing clinics as well as Aboriginal Two nurse immunisers, one immunisation coordinator and and Torres Strait Islander staff and those older than 65 two vaccination administration staff rolled up their sleeves years of age,” Ms Ovington said. at Liverpool Hospital, as part of a comprehensive COVID-19 Liverpool Hospital will manage the outreach clinic at South vaccination training session. East Regional Hospital to vaccinate health staff from The team of five will observe and learn from their facilities based at Batemans Bay through to Eden. colleagues from Liverpool Hospital’s hub before returning Southern NSW LHD staff from Crookwell, Goulburn and home to the far south coast, to assist with the local rollout. Braidwood will be vaccinated at the Liverpool Hospital hub Southern NSW Local Health District’s COVID-19 Vaccination and staff from Queanbeyan and Yass will go to the ACT Coordinator Leanne Ovington said that staff are excited Health clinic at Garran. and relieved that the rollout has begun. Send your contributions to [email protected] Subscribe at www.braidwoodbugle.com.au News for Braidwood & the district Braidwood Bugle Page 4 24 February 2021 Drake family response to manslaughter verdict in Queanbeyan Court The trial in the Queanbeyan Supreme Court over the Andrew wasn't trying to attack anyone, he was trying to stabbing death of Andrew Drake at a home in Surfside escape Daniel Sharpe. on 13 April 2019 has concluded with Tarago man, 20- The evidence indicated that Andrew was unarmed, meaning year-old Daniel James Sharpe, cleared of murdering Mr there was no evidence at all that proved Andrew had a Drake, but found guilty of the lesser charge of knife. The only person who formally testified that Andrew had a manslaughter.