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THE TWEED SHIRE Volume 1 #47 Thursday, July 30, 2009 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
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Kitchen
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Mayor fronts conduct panel Ken Sapwell
Photo Jeff Dawson
Harvey plays a helpful role Roxanne Millar
Gazing into the trusting eyes of family pet Harvey, Murwillumbah mum Emma Allder can hardly believe how a little sausage dog has changed her daughter’s life. Three months ago Sienna Allder, 3, was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and ADHD and was struggling to cope with the bewildering outside world. Asperger Syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder characterised by communication difficulties, problems interacting socially and anger when things do not go to plan. ‘She gets very emotional, throws full-on tantrums, has a very busy mind and is very active. Socially, she finds it hard to relate to kids her own age,’ said Emma. After researching various treatment options, Emma decided to buy Sienna a dog in the hope it might provide
her with companionship and responsibility. Sienna already had two rats, but Emma felt the demands of a dog might affect a greater change in Sienna. She was right. Cuddly dachshund Harvey has been a member of the Allder family for two weeks and has already completely changed Sienna’s life.
Happiest ever ‘Sienna is the happiest she has ever been and all of our friends and family comment on that,’ she said. ‘Her verbal skills have become clearer and she has calmed down a lot since getting Harvey. ‘He sleeps in her room and for the first time ever, she now sleeps through the night. I think it must be reassuring for her to have him nearby. ‘Her morning tantrums have stopped now that she has a routine
with the dog and she gets more physical activity, which is great because she is so busy herself.’ Dogs have long been praised for their health benefits, with scientific studies showing dog owners generally have lower blood pressure and cholesterol than cat owners. But it has only been in recent years that dogs’ impact on autistic people has been noted. Schoolteacher and dog trainer Jacky O’Neill of The Canine Coach, who has been working with Sienna and Harvey, said dogs are an uncomplicated friend to autistic or Asperger children. ‘You and I rely on facial expressions to communicate, but Asperger children don’t work like that,’ said Jacky. ‘With a dog, the child is not pressured to relate to it like a normal person and they can form a very strong relationship.’
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20 YEAR
GUARANTEE
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Tweed Mayor Joan van Lieshout has been forced to front a conduct review panel because of media interviews where she disclosed details of a behind-the-scenes request to council boss Mike Rayner to quit the board of Rally Australia. Veteran councillors Dot Holdom and Phil Youngblutt have lodged formal complaints with the panel, citing an Echo article and others in which the embattled mayor’s statements allegedly contravened the council’s code of conduct. Cr van Lieshout, who appeared before a three-person panel last Thursday to answer the charges, is awaiting a verdict and possible punishment if found guilty, which could include a suspension from duties. The complaints, coming from members of both factions, is a clear signal that her colleagues are preparing to dump her at next September’s mayoral elections despite her apparent popularity with the wider electorate. The Echo understands Crs Holdom and Youngblutt took exception to recent media statements by Cr van Lieshout, including in The Echo three weeks ago when she talked of a campaign by some senior staff and councillors to undermine her position. In the article, Cr van Lieshout linked the campaign to her request several months ago to Mr Rayner to quit his controversial role on the board because of emerging concerns about a potential conflict of interest. She also revealed relations with Mr Rayner and colleagues had taken a dive and she was considering working
from home because of security and privacy reasons. She said she made a behind-thescenes approach to Mr Rayner with the backing of other councillors but it was rejected after an informal poll of her colleagues indicated he had their support to stay. Cr van Lieshout put forward a mayoral minute at last Thursday’s council meeting to rescind his board appointment but it was voted down without debate – with only Katie Milne supporting the move. Cr van Lieshout this week confirmed she had been asked to appear before the panel but felt restricted in what she could now say in her defence following last week’s radical changes to the council’s media policy.
Truthful answers ‘I think I can say that the disclosures I made were truthful answers in response to journalists’ questions,’ she said. ‘As mayor I was under a lot of pressure from people in the community to reconsider our decision to appoint Mr Rayner to the board. I eventually asked Mr Rayner to consider resigning for the sake of transparency. ‘I only approached him after getting the go-ahead from other councillors. After informal discussions failed I moved to resolve the issue in open council but didn’t get support and as far as I was concerned that should have been the end of the matter.’ Cr van Lieshout said she was saddened that two councillors had decided to take it further by lodging complaints. continued on page 2
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