Earthquake shakes Snowy Monaro - Mayoral Column - Wednesday 2 October

Did you feel the earthquake last week? Tremors were felt across the Snowy Monaro with residents in the Berridale and Jindabyne areas experiencing the strongest shocks. The earthquake registered 3.0 on the Richter scale.

In Australia we are fortunate earthquakes don't present the constant threat that they do in other countries. Recently, our Indonesian neighbours experienced a magnitude 6.5 earthquake, killing at least 30 people.

As the weather warms up, we are reminded of the continuing dry conditions and with this, the increasing need for rain. Strong rainfall is required to support our farmers and their livelihoods. We are all reliant on the success of the region's agricultural industry.

Big news came through earlier this week with the release of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Snowy 2.0 Main Works. The EIS is out for public comment until Wednesday November 6. The suite of documents can be found at Cooma Library and online at the NSW Government’s Department of Planning. I encourage you to read through the documents (allow a week, as they're quite lengthy).

The Snowy Monaro is already benefiting from the increased employment opportunities Snowy 2.0 is generating. During the construction phase of the project, there will be some impact on the current amenity of Cooma, and possibly other towns in the region.

However, it’s important to note Snowy 2.0 is a project of regional, state and national significance. Once complete, Snowy 2.0 will supplement the National Electricity Market.

To allow more people the opportunity to have their say on heavy vehicle movements through Bombala's town centre, community consultation has been extended until Wednesday 9 October. Surveys are available at Your Say Snowy Monaro or any Council office.

The Cooma Band Shell is an important community facility and a concept design has been released, outlining plans to upgrade the band shell. Your feedback is welcomed as we endeavour to have this project shovel ready for the future.

A reminder, if you need to ring Council during or after business hours, please use the 1300 345 345 number. This number supersedes previous contact numbers for Council.

Councillor Peter Beer Mayor of Snowy Monaro Regional Council