Sports

from The Northern Rivers Times Edition 128

The Northern Rivers Times Edition 128

(far left) Omar Dutton, Andrew & Sarah Monaghan and Connections (left) omar dutton sarah monghan 2nd swish jedda cutlack 3rd pan’s rose malcolm ross

Funding welcome for cycling safety campaign

By Tim Howard

Grafton Midday Rotary Club president Lee Taylor has plenty of reasons to make sure drivers know just how much distance they must allow when they pass a bicycle on the road.

As a regular bike rider, Ms Taylor is well aware of the 1m below 60kmh and 1.5m above that distance cars must allow bicycles when they pass.

But experience tells her that it is a road rule a lot of drivers don’t know, or just ignore.

“I’m out riding at least four days a week,” she said. “And nearly every time I will have cars almost on top of me when they go past.”

Ms Taylor has gathered up the stats that show her experience is widespread among cyclists.

“From 2005 to 2021 173 bicycle riders were killed and 29,442 were seriously injured on NSW roads,” she said.

“Bicycle riders represent about 2.7% of NSW road deaths and 17% of serious injuries.

She said the Minimum Passing Distance road rule said drivers must give bicycle riders at least 1m of space when passing when the speed limit is 60kmh or less and at at least 1.5m when the speed limit is more than 60kmh.

It was something her Rotary club was not prepared to let slip.

The club partnered with a Grafton youth garage project Changing Lanes, Changing Lives to come up with an interactive bicycle display called One Meter Matters, which they hope will help improve driver behaviour.

“The intention of this interactive display is to educate motorists and bicycle riders what the minimum distances are,” Ms Taylor said.

“Bicycle riders have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists and

SPORTS RESULTS

Cherry Street Croquet Club Sports Results: ASSOCIATION CROQUET:

P.Waters G.Drew 26 d C.Woodlands 8 D.Scott 12 d R.Chapman 11 G.Drew 15 d L.Sampson 14

RICOCHET CROQUET:

N.Poynting 12 d J.Hannigan 11 J.Doust 10 d W.Gilmore 9 P.Scott W.Gilmore 13 d M.Field N.Poynting 9 D.Jones 14 d J.Doust N.Barnes 14 R.Poynting M.Russell 12 d G.Kerr D.Scott 9 R.Chapman N.Barnes 19 d P.Doyle G.Kerr 14

TWILIGHT GOLF CROQUET:

J.Huxley C.Lane 5 d J.Taylor B.Taylor 1 F.Duncan E.Astley 5 d J.Hamilton M.Rennie 5 E.Astley C.Lane 4 d C.Edlund L.Whiteman 2 N.Poynting B.Taylor 5 d M.Maloney F.Duncan 3 W.Gilmore R.Poynting 5 d J.Huxley M.Rennie 2 D.Jones 6 d J.Taylor M.Russell 3 J.Huxley M.Russell 3 d M.Rennie 2 B.Taylor 2 d F.Duncan 2 J.Taylor R.Poynting 5 d W.Gilmore C.Lane 1 N.Poynting 4 d L.Whiteman D.Jones 2 D.Jones N.Poynting 11 d R.Poynting C.Edlund 2 M.Maloney M.Russell 5 d L.Whiteman W.Gilmore 4.

All new players very welcome Phone O439240251 cherrystreetcroquet@yahoo.com

BALLINA MAHJONG 16TH DECEMBER 2022

Margaret Bryant 1, Gail McDonagh 2, Valda McLerie, Wendy Thornton 3, Jan Small 5, Vanessa Reynolds 6, Lorna Simpson 7, Shirley Coleman 8, Sally Lowry 9, Susan Allan 10, Carol Meyer 11, Coral Lavelle 12, Val Heinritz 13, Pam Farrell 14, Susan Scott 15, Bev Lasater, Jeanette Henwood 16, Cindy Smith 18, Ronda Taylor 19, Joy Lowein 20, Janene Jarvis, Kathy Pickles 21, Pauline Kearney 23, Pauline Bolte 24, Deborah Green, Lynda Lovett, Shirley Atkinson 25, Diana Auret , Gladys D’Anna 28, Barbara Ellan 30, Lisa Wong, Yvonne Weddup 31, June Greenaway 33, Jan Henley 34, Shirley Henry 35. Mahjong is played on Friday at 12:30pm at the Ballina Bridge Club North Creek Road.

Enquiries for new players phone Vanessa on 66874181.

we both need to look out for each other’s safety.

“I am hopeful this initiative will make a real difference in road safety in our local community.”

It has passed the politician test with Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis directing $4900 from the NSW Government Community Road Safety Fund to the project.

He said the funding from the Community Road Safety program directly supports practical grassroots road safety solutions in the local community.

“Grafton Midday Rotary Club has collaborated with local youth leaders behind the ‘Changing Lanes Changing Lives’ initiative to come up with an interactive bicycle safety display to educate road users on the minimum passing distance rule,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“They propose to deliver a series of displays and presentations on the laws of the minimum passing distance rule at the popular monthly local car meet in Grafton.”

He was delighted with the intergenerational nature of the collaboration.

“Changing Lanes Changing Lives is a youth-driven community garage project in Grafton that uses cars as a vehicle to engage and mentor young people, and the Rotary Club support them at their meets by cooking a barbecue,” he said.

“Local people understand local problems and I think it’s terrifc to see the local Rotary Club brainstorm community safety initiatives with young people and unite to come up with interactive tools such as this to improve driver behaviour.”

Changing Lanes, Changing Lives co-ordinator Zac Masters said the answer to the problem was in the name of his group.

“It’s simple,” he said. “You have to change lanes to overtake a cyclist.

“Even if it’s a double yellow line, you can cross to avoid a cyclist, as long as the oncoming lane is clear.

“That’s something a lot of people don’t know and we will make clear in our program.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said 11 local community groups in regional NSW received a share in $158,250 to help fund their proposed road safety initiatives.

“Every death on our roads is one too many, it’s more than a statistic. In the bush it is someone’s family member, it’s our friends, it’s someone from our community,” Mr Farraway said.

“The impacts of a fatality ripples through our communities. Everyone has a role to play in road safety and we’re backing in the not-for-proft groups in the regions to spread the message and support initiatives that make a difference to driver behaviour in their community.

“Locals are in the best position to understand local road safety issues and we want to work with them to help us reach our goal of zero trauma on our roads.”

More information about the program and a list of grant recipients can be found at: http://roadsafety. transport.nsw.gov.au/aboutthecentre/ communitygrants/

Clarence Valley cricketers head to their Christmas dinners with the CRCA Premier League table looking more competitive than it did a month ago.

Competition leaders GDSC Easts collapsed against Brothers at Ellem Oval on Saturday losing by 31 runs while Tucabia routed Souths/Westlawn by 64 runs at Lower Fisher.

The result put Tucabia and Brothers on 28 points, chasing Easts on 37 leaving Souths/ Westlawn languishing on 19 points.

Brothers middle order batter Jamie Firth rescued his side with a dazzling innings of 77 after Easts had ripped out the top order.

Firth pummelled eight fours and a six as he score more than half his team’s total of 9/152 and dominated the two partnerships that took his team out of danger.

Sean Walters, 11, held up an end in a ffth wicket partnership that too the score from 4/44 to 98. Guy Shipman, 17, joined Firth and together they added another 43 runs to get the score into competitive territory.

Easts skipper Shannon Connor, 3/20 and fellow opening bowler Riley Wondergem, 4/28 created havoc, but Easts support bowlers were punished, conceding 69 runs from 14 overs in the middle of the innings.

Easts looked to have made a mockery of the 153-run chase with Connor and opening partner Chris Chamberlain treating the Brothers opening attack with disdain in a 44-run opening stand.

Things didn’t improve for Brothers when Chris Brophy joined Chamberlain in another enterprising stand, broken when fourth change bowler Guy Shipman bowled Chamberlain for 23 with the score on 83.

But from then on it became a procession with no other Easts batter reaching double fgures.

Opening bowler Dylan Lucas came back for a second spell and picked up three wickets to fnish with 3/32.

And left-arm spinner Luke Shipman did some great work taking key wickets in the middle of the innings to snare 3/23.

At Lower Fisher Park Tucabia all-rounder Andy Ellis top scored with 29 and more

importantly snaffed six wickets to lead his team to victory over Souths/Westlawn.

While no batter topped 30, most reached double fgures as Tucabia scored 170 on a wicket that gave the bowlers some help.

Skipper Brad Chard was next best with 19 and Jay Yardy got 18.

Souths new ball attack was blunted, but skipper Dylan Cleaver was on song, taking 4/20 from his eight overs.

In reply South was scoring at seven an over with open Anthony Dickson 18 and Cleaver 34 going strong.

But the introduction of the left-arm spin of Ellis put a stop to it.

He bowled Cleaver and the Souths innings proceeded to fall apart.

Ellis claimed six wickets, four bowled, two lbw, to send Souths/Westlawn crashing from 3/74 to 106 all out.

Wet weather has disrupted the season, albeit unevenly. Easts were able to win games in rounds where the other game was washed out.

Brothers have been the improving team in the competition.

Bowled out for 31 on the opening day of the competition, they have bounced back with some stunning batting from players of the calibre of Mick Summers, Jaimie Firth and Jake Kroehnert scoring big runs.

Souths have struggled to get its best team on the paddock, with key players having work commitments that stop them playing regularly.

On strength and on song, they’re a hard to team to beat.

So far they have not performed consistently, despite some good scores from opening bat Anthony Dickson and skipper Cleaver.

Tucabia has also had its troubles getting its best team on the feld, although it has the luxury of being able to drag some well-performed veterans like Chris Adamson and Bob McKenzie out of retirement to fll in.