Unsightly graffiti on the bridge structure at East Parade Sutherland. Picture supplied

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GRAFFITI REPORTS IGNORED

There is increasing graffiti on the abutment of the bridge at East Parade Sutherland. It is unsightly and downgrades our beautiful Shire.

I have used the Snap Send Solve ap to report it with no success. I have contacted the department of transport with no success.

Perhaps the Leader can be more successful?

Michael Rogers, Sutherland

E-BIKE VANDALISM

The disgraceful e-bike vandalism at Dunningham Park + coming not long after similar vandalism at Cronulla Golf Club, highlights the folly of the government's wet lettuce leaf solution of number plates and registration.

These riders have no regard for the law or law-abiding citizens. In fact they're "flipping the bird" at all of us.

Their continued blatant vandalism, thuggery, harassment and injury of pedestrians leaves the government no choice: declare the bikes illegal, confiscate them and crush them.

Dunningham Park vandalised by e-bike riders last week. Picture supplied

The upside will be no more of the aforementioned issues. And have no doubt - there is no downside.

Hopefully the riders will learn that actions have consequences and their actions over a long period of time now are not acceptable in a civilised society - hence justifying declaring their machines illegal and destroying them.

And those who have sold and serviced these illegal e-bikes have been complicit in these actions and deserve no sympathy.

We are writing to voice our concern about the proposed redesign of the Shelly Beach Ocean Pool and changing shed adjacent to the pool.

While we support the idea of inclusive access to pools in the Sutherland Shire, we have a number of issues with the proposed plan.

Our primary concern is the construction of the large accessibility ramp along 3/4 of the length of the northern wall of Shelly pool.

1) destroy the varied marine life that exists along the entire length of the northern wall

2) be unsafe to use in high tide and/or large swell conditions as the prevailing wave action is from the south east (people have actually been washed over that northern wall in high tides)

3) considerably reduce the width of the pool and as a result, the length of the swimming lanes which are from North to South in Shelly pool (people swim across the pool at Shelly)

4) pose a danger to swimmers due to collisions with the new solid wall (to be built inside the pool parallel with the existing northern wall) particularly in rougher conditions and in times of poor water visibility

5) change the water flow in the pool which could compromise the natural cleaning process that occurs at high tide

6) change sand deposits in the pool which could lead to shallowing of the pool

7) provide an easy way for small children to enter the pool into deep turbulent water

8) require regular cleaning to remove algal growth on the submerged sections (if this is not done, the ramp will be a slip hazard to users).

Disabled access to the pool shallows could be improved with new ramps and would be a safer option than the proposed deep water ramp. This would have a minimal impact on the ecology and hydrodynamics of the pool while enhancing accessibility for the disabled.

The proposed shed redesign is our secondary concern as the Art Deco shed is a real meeting place for so many people both in the Shire and beyond. What makes the shed special is that it is a sun trap with magnificent views to the North. Reducing the size of the shed and positioning the doors to face south would be such a loss for the Shelly Beach community.

Shelly pool is a wonderful place to swim. It has a unique setting together with a diverse marine ecology. It has been there for nearly 100 years and is listed by the National Trust. It is however, quite a rough pool at high tide with an uneven sandy bottom. We think that the ocean pool located to the northern end of Cronulla Beach is a much better candidate for an inclusive deep water access ocean pool.

Cronulla Beach pool is directly accessible from the train and The Esplanade. It is a concrete bottomed pool and the swimming lanes are along the length of the pool (not the width). The pool is regularly cleaned so very little marine life grows along its walls. Therefore, a disability ramp could be constructed along the entire length of the western side of that pool without compromising the length of the swimming lanes or destroying the pool's marine ecology.

Suitable inclusive change room facilities could be constructed in the Cronulla Beach pavilion or in the nearby park.

PERPLEXED BY PROPOSAL

As an octogenarian who has been swimming laps at Shelly Park Ocean Pool for over 12 years now, I'm perplexed at the reasoning for installation of a ramp down the northern wall of the pool. Surging swells can make it extremely turbulent at times, not to mention the restricted access that will be created for the swimming community, many of whom rely on "Dr Shelly" for their daily ongoing exercise, health and wellbeing.

This pool self-cleans at each high tide providing a unique opportunity for many, as we age, to enjoy the health benefits of ocean swimming in a safe environment among the living marine habitat including the many octopus camouflaged within the pool floor.

The construction of a ramp could become a hazard as it may become slippery with wave action along the northern wall, potentially increasing turbulence, trapping sand thus impacting the natural flushing required to maintain water quality.

Losing access to the pool, even temporarily, for unnecessary structural changes would be devastating to many, particularly if those changes eventually impact the safely, useability or natural character of the pool. Inclusivity can be provided by less intrusive matting ramps that are less invasive to marine life and can be readily adjusted when erosion deposits occur along the beach.

HAVE YOUR SAY: leaderletters@theleader.com.au