I volunteer at the Tenterfield Information Centre and am often asked "where can I fish around here"? I have to direct them over the border to the two Queensland dams which are obviously benefiting while we are missing out.

If we want people to spend more time in our wonderful town, we need to take advantage of all the attractions and I believe allowing fishing on Tenterfield Dam would be a definite crowd pleaser.

In regard to Trevor Hardie’s letter about the local town dam, just a few points to ponder...

Electric boat motors only on the town water storage, daylight use only 5.30am to 8.30pm; gates locked for safety reasons at night and hoon element; CTC camera management system throughout the area along with rubbish bin access; no access to the storage via private property; maintain fenced-out areas; and, as is the case now, no camping.

Second cousin to the above is access to the local travelling stock reserves all being locked via lease holders on advice from Local Land Services officers. See Page 6 of the Country Leader January 9 (slip in newspaper, who reads it?) for the Northern Tablelands Local Lands Services chair’s January column. I would suggest you get a copy of the proposed format for the TSRs which is written up by Local Land Services and read what the chairperson Mr Hans Hietbrink has to say.

I have been advised that I need to get a key from Local Land Services to access locked gates to the river systems in our region. No camping is allowed, daylight use only, and a host of other things like no vehicle access, push you canoe or kayak by foot to access water sites.

Not to mention the fact that bird watchers, naturalists, walking groups, apiarists who use trucks, etc, are locked out of most bee nest locations or forced to find out who leased the said reserve to get access.

Could well lead to a case of class action if our recreational pursuits are restricted.

We write to remind readers that it literally only takes seconds for a child to drown.

The hotter weather is already with us and we ask all readers to take the greatest of care when children are in or around water. 

Our key message is that you must give ALL of your attention ALL of the time.

Children under 5 are the age group most at risk of drowning.

Last year 14 children in Australia under 5 drowned in a backyard pool. Between 2002 and 2015, 128 children under 5 drowned in NSW.  Sixt-five per cent of those deaths happened in a private swimming pool. In 59 per cent of the cases, supervision was completely absent.

So you have to be close to children all of the time.  A supervised child is not going to drown.

If young children are left alone temporarily, sadly this opens up massive dangers. We ask readers to make sure they are prepared for any swimming experience.

Always be close and within arm’s reach of a child.  Focus all of your attention on your child.  Watch, talk and play with them when they are in the water.

And watch all of the time.  Never leave a child alone in water – or in the care of another child. The reality is people answer doors, take a phone call, prepare food or get distracted – and that is when the most danger comes.