LETTERS AND OPINIONS

Kingscliff - It takes a village.

We bought a lounge and ottoman on the day Salvos closed in December for the year. It reopened on 2nd January with Arrangements made that we would pick them up on 2nd January.

Sydney with a friend and a hitch-hiker who would later help him when he nds himself in an awkward situation.

e struggles Graham experiences and the moral courage he has to show, all while dealing with the normal angst of his teenage years, are told in this very honest and open story.

As the circle nally closes, Graham knows he has changed and despite all his struggles, it is for the better. is book is touted as essential reading for anyone who has experienced childhood trauma as it is a powerful testament to the strength and resilience of survivors of child abuse.

It will let the reader know they are not alone in their experiences.

Graham Robinson is passionate about telling the stories that need to be heard, acknowledged and understood.

To get your copy of Pain, Loss & Desire go to grahamrobinsonbooks.com or order from amazon.com.au

My daughter and I, aged 79, borrowed a camper van and drove from Brisbane to transport the lounge and ottoman. On arrival at Salvos Kingscliff, we were shocked to discover Salvos only had two 70-year-old volunteers working. I asked the pool men next door would they be able to help, but wondered if it might be too much for them. Then I went to the friendly bottle shop, who suggested I try Security. Security kindly agreed to help and phoned another security offcer working outside who agreed to join him. When I got back to the campervan, the pool men had managed to manoeuvre the lounge and ottoman into the small space in the campervan. Kingscliff must be a wonderful place to liveit takes a village to help two desperate women from interstate.

I hope the helpful locals gets the recognition they deserve.

- Marion Muche

To Residents of the Northern Rivers.

As November draws to a close, and the date for the submission of tenders to manage the Northern Rivers Stock Exchange (NRLX) is upon us, it is timely to provide you with an update of events which have occurred over the last month.

Our primary goal, established in early September, was to see the NRLX, closed by the Richmond Valley Council (RVC) on June 30, reopened immediately. However, we were unable to convince the Mayor and Councillors to offer a viable short-term solution to reopen the NRLX while a long term plan could be thoroughly investigated. The cost of failing to reopen the NRLX for six months runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars in both revenue lost and funds fowing out of the Casino Community. The social cost of the closure is immeasurable. We are disappointed for the ratepayers and local businesses of Casino who have directly suffered signifcant fnancial losses over this last six months, and now leading into Christmas, and will continue to do so, until a fully operational selling complex is realised. The RVC’s lack of motivation and action to avert this situation arising, is beyond comprehension.

We also hoped the RVC would present to the community at a public meeting a cost-beneft analysis showing a range of options for the future of the NRLX, including details of the advantages and disadvantages of each. This was not forthcoming. With the RVC determined to pursue tendering the NRLX, our only option was to compete in the tender process.

To this end, we thoroughly explored the option of forming a Co-Op as has been successfully modelled by numerous groups across Australia, including in the Northern Rivers.

As we proceeded, it became obvious the complexity of the tender could not be addressed in the time frame given. Many aspects of the process required signifcant input from accounting, legal and industry experts. Given time, these could have been addressed, and although we requested an extension, our request was denied.

We are committed to the belief the NRLX could be successfully managed at the local level. We know local expertise exists and there is considerable community attachment and fnancial dependance on a fnancially viable, locally managed NRLX.

Our worst-case scenario is that the NRLX, developed with millions of dollars of Federal and State Grants to beneft employment and growth of the Northern Rivers Community, is not handed on a platter to a proft motivated multinational corporation who will take money out of our local community to serve their shareholders.

Our best hope at this stage is for local stock agents, who have served producers and buyers of cattle and provided employment and support to residents of the Northern Rivers for over one hundred years, submit a successful tender.

In the case that the RVC fnds all tenders submitted unsuccessful, we hope the RVC consider adopting a team of local experts to form an advisory committee, and reviewing the management model. We know a new generation of savvy, future thinking agricultural experts are emerging across the Northern Rivers who are deeply invested in the success of the NRLX. Let’s give them a chance to apply their expertise to the next phase of the NRLX.

We would like to thank all of those people who have provided assistance and encouragement as we have attempted to fnd a commonsense solution for the reopening and future of the NRLX and the Northern Rivers Beef Industry.

- Regards - Allan Berry, Kasee Estreich, Neil and Penny Schneider, Roger Bailey, Bruce Lyle and Jenny Handford

To the Minister for Local Government the Honourable Ron Hoenig MP.

Dear Minister, Under your tenure Local Government integrity has been ruined by the clandestine wilful actions of the Kyogle Council Mayor and several elected Councillors.

The mayor has acted secretly to premeditate the demise of the Kyogle GM using local government ordinances & law to affect his immediate dismissal at the cost of $330,000 to council funds.

This action with absolutely no consultation or discussion with the community or remaining elected councillors managed to terminate instantly a veteran valued General Manager with decades of experience & reputation of good standing in one un-debated shock motion in a council meeting.

No explanation was given by abusing the “No Fault” clause in his contractual arrangement with a replacement GM recruited & waiting to step immediately into the role proving the calculated premeditation.

Councillors of integrity appalled with what was occurring walked out of the meeting in protest. This action with its premeditation & absence of any transparency whatsoever clearly indicates that the mayor & the councillors involved are not worthy of the offce of local council.

If these actions remain unchallenged by you as Minister of Local Government, then you will be responsible for permitting the darkest chapter of wanton corrupt behaviour in Australia’s Local Government History to occur.

A majority of our community is absolutely appalled & completely disillusioned with the GM treatment. They are appalled that this action with absolutely no transparency, consultation or justifcation offered to the community has also cost $330,000 of council’s funds to pay the contractual obligated remuneration for the GM to terminate him immediately.

We need your immediate intervention to rectify this appalling immoral & unethical abuse of power occurring at the highest level of Local Government.

- Sincerely - Roger Gaudio

“Leemo has views on just about anything”