DEAR News Of The Area,

THANK you Colin McEntyre for your tribute to Garry Nehl.

There is insufficient room in this newspaper to list Garry’s achievements and parliamentary positions but as our local member back in the eighties and nineties he smoothed many a path for the citizens of Coffs Harbour.

As a member of the House of Representatives he caused a ripple of pride in the community (smaller then) when he became the deputy Speaker in 1996, holding this position until 2001, and Mr McEntyre quite rightly points out Garry’s crucial role in bringing the urgent need for a bypass before then Prime Minister Bob Hawke after the shocking bus crash in Cowper in 1989. Less known are the achievements of the National Marine Science Centre, a modest building in Korora and part of the faculty of Science and Engineering of Southern Cross University where staff recently took three out of four teaching awards for work on the oceans and local waterways with students of Marine Science.

Work goes on in research, courses, study tours, work experience and voluntary programs thanks to the efforts of this man.

On retirement Garry continued to serve his community and I came to know him when we both served on the board of the Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium, he as president, I as lowly staff rep.

He departed this life last year as modestly as he had lived, no fuss.

Naming the bypass after Garry Nehl would be eminently fitting.

I could go on and on and on.

To misquote Adam Bandt “Google him, Mates”.

Regards,
Margaret ENGLAND,
Toormina.