The Northern Rivers Times Edition 131

By SAMANTHA ELLEY

Crowds would have easily numbered around the 5,000 mark when including the number of adults and children at Evans Head’s Buckin’ by the Beach event, according to organiser Jackson Felton of J & J Rodeo.

“We were getting phone calls from people in Brisbane, down to Grafton, up to Ballina, Casino, Kyogle and Lismore all saying they were coming to the event,” he said.

“The whole night was a buzz with plenty of action.

“We had a local bullock ride for the football clubs, and they were pretty good.

“One guy dressed up as superman and when thrown he had his arms out and looked like he was fying.”

Sponsored by the Richmond Valley

Council, the rodeo was a unique event for the seaside town.

“By all accounts the inaugural Buckin’ by the Beach was a huge success,” said an RVC spokesperson.

“We can see this event growing so are pleased Richmond Valley Council was able to provide seed funding under the NSW Government’s Reconnecting Regional NSW – Community Events Program.”

Janaya Felton, the other half of J&J Rodeo, said the success ensured the rodeo in Evans Head would become an annual event.

“We got really positive feedback, and everyone had a good time,” she said.

“We didn’t expect it to be as big as it was.

“Next year we will look at putting in more seating and a big screen.”

Despite J&J Rodeo running the night as their business, there were many in the community

who benefted, according to Janaya.

“The Stan Payne Oval committee ran the bar and there were eight different food vans,” she said.

“Northern Rivers Jumping Castles were in charge of the mechanical bulls and a number of rides for the kids.

“Sam Handford from 2UP entertainment handled the preperformance and intermission with equine demonstrations and trick riding.”

NEWS BRIEFS

Aged fitness grants

People aged 60 and over in the Northern Rivers will soon have more options to help them stay fit, with applications now open for the ‘Active Ageing’ grants program.

Active Ageing grants are now available to support exercise providers and fitness leaders to provide lowcost exercise programs for people over the age of 60 in the Northern Rivers.

Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) is providing eight grants of $500 to support existing group exercise programs and five grants of $800

to help start new group exercise programs.

The exercise programs must be delivered in the NNSWLHD footprint (the areas covered by Ballina, Byron, Clarence, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed Councils).

Applications close on January 27. To apply, or for more information visit: healthupnorth.info/ activeageinggrant

Holiday fun for free

The holiday fun continues in the Clarence Valley this week with free activities available for your people aged between

12-18.

On Thursday from 10am to noon there is a skate workshop at the Wooli Skate Park/ Bookings are essential. Contact 0432 049 408 or go to https://www. yambaskate.com/events

Stand up paddle boarding is available at Whiting Beach Yamba on Thursday and at Charlie Ryan Park (the Bay) Iluka on Friday. Times are 9am to noon both days. Bookings are essential. Contact 0447 693 863.

Prince St widening Parking in Grafton’s Prince St has been disrupted due to road

widening work which began this week.

Work has begun to widen footpaths, install plants and trial front to kerb parking between Fitzroy and Pound streets.

No parking available on western side of Prince Street between the two pedestrian crossings (Cotton On to Flame Trees Café) from Monday Friday January 13.

From January 13-20 on the eastern side of the street between the two pedestrian crossings (Harveys Arcade to Best & Less) there will be no parking.

Prince Street will remain open to traffic and

pedestrians.

These latest works are part of the Rediscover Grafton project funded by the NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces program.

Archibald action

The Grafton Regional Galley is making the most of the visit from the 2022 Archibald Prize entrants.

Locals can see it for $5 as park fo the Summer Splash Program with vouchers available at the council office at 2 Prince St, Grafton. General admission is $12.

On Saturday January 21, visitors can meet

the subject of the 2022 winning entry, Karla Dickens at an ArchieTalks session from 11am.

The renowned artist sat as the subject for the Archibald Prize 2022 winning artwork Moby Dickens, painted by Blak Douglas – the first time a portrait of an Aboriginal woman has been awarded the prize.

Book your ticket at https://www. eventbrite.com.au/e/ artist-talk-karla-dickenstickets-488315233007

The rodeo was promoted as a family event with children

under 12 allowed in free and the support shown by the community and

surrounding towns, means it will defnitely be back next year.

Photographer is Hollie Mariconte

Photographer is Hollie Mariconte

LOCAL TRIBUTES FOR COFFS PILOT KILLED IN GOLD COAST CHOPPER COLLISION

By MARGARET DEKKER

The senior pilot killed in last Monday’s horror mid-air collision above The Broadwater on the Gold Coast is being remembered this week by Northern Rivers communities as a hero of last February’s food response.

Ashley “Jenko” Jenkinson – originally from Coffs Harbour - was one of four people killed when two helicopters, each carrying joy fight passengers, collided mid-air moments after take-off as the other chopper was landing. Both wrecks ended up on a sandy knoll just metres from Sea World headquarters.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is now investigating what caused the mid-afternoon crash approximately 200 feet above ground in clear conditions.

ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus

Mitchell said they had no preliminary theories about the cause of the accident and it was still very early in the investigation to start speculating.

“Exactly why this occurred, what the range of visibility was for both the pilots, what was happening inside the cabins at the time – they are the things that will help us piece together potentially what might have been a contributing factor here,” Angus Mitchell Chief Commissioner ATSB said.

Ritchie Gregg of Bundall, friend and colleague of Ashley Jenkinson, spoke of the experienced pilot who leaves behind fancée Kosha and 1-year-old son Kaden.

“He was not only one of my mates but a partner, father and an integral part of the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers Community, working to serve and

help others, always.

“This year he poured his heart into the Northern New South Wales food relief work where he spent countless hours supplying and rescuing those in need that otherwise would never have received any help. He also worked hard throughout the

Australian bushfres and conducted numerous animal rescues. He is our hero and has a huge heart,” Ritchie Gregg friend said.

Volunteer Deanie White, who was at the helm of Ballina’s emergency response, spoke of her sadness and sorrow to ‘be the

bearer of terrible news’ to the community that their own rescuer in the February foods, had tragically died.

“If you heard my call and brought supplies to Kingsford Smith Park to be choppered out to food survivors, Ash few them there. If you received bags of food and loo

paper and nappies via helicopter from Ballina, Ash brought them to you.

“He was a kind, generous man. If it wasn’t for Ash, those fights would never have happened,” Deanie White posted to local social media.

“I thought he was invincible,” Deanie White added.

As others shared condolences and shock at the loss of the 40-yearold, at the top of his game.

“Often good die younger. We are grateful for this caring, thoughtful human,” one woman posted.

“So sad so tragic RIP and thank you for helping when it was needed the most. True Aussie Legend ..”

“I can’t imagine what you are all going through. Thank you, Ash, for your selfess actions in the Ballina/Lismore area ..”

Originally from Coffs Harbour, chopper pilot Ashley ‘Jenko’ Jenkinson

DRIVERS HEADING OFF ROAD TO MISS POTHOLES

By TIM HOWARD

Users of a vital rural road accessing Clarence Valley farming communities say the the road surface has become so bad drivers drive on the grass verge rather than use what remains of the bitumen surface.

Lower Coldstream Rd resident Ken Cowan described the state of the road as “post-pothole”.

‘It’s a disgrace,” he said. “Since the foods nearly a year ago the council has done nothing to repair the road.

Mr Cowan, who is also a relief school bus driver on the road, said the February/March food last year did a lot of damage, but the surface had deteriorated since then.

“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle,” he said. “And every time a car, truck or bus goes over it more pieces come loose.

Mr Cowan said there was more than 2m of foodwater over the road in the last food and when it receded the road was badly damaged, but usable.

“There were potholes, but they weren’t too big and there were sections of the road that were not too badly damaged,” he said. “If they could have patched them up early on, they could have avoided what’s happening now.”

Mr Cowan said the council had not “seemed interested” in the state of the road.

“I called them to see when they might send someone out and they took my details.

“But when I asked if someone could give me a call back, the said: ‘council does not do callbacks’.”

He said residents who

used the road, which winds from Calliope, along the western bank of the Coldstream River and emerges on the Big River Way between Cowper and Tyndale, fear for their safety and other road users.

“As a bus driver, I’m worried when I get too far off the road to avoid some bad sections of road, the bus could slide down an embankment into a drain.

“If I go through a pothole I can feel the bus lurch down and the skid plate hits side of the

councillor Steve Pickering to discuss the state of the road.

“The councillor was surprised at the lack of repairs when he heard the road was a bus route,” he said.

“He told me school bus routes were had priority when it came to road repairs.”

But Mr Cowan said there had not been any work done on the road since the food.

“Even the council staff know what should be happening,” he said.

should have been fxing the roads and not the working on a drain.”

Cr Pickering said he was disappointed Lower Coldstream Rd had not been repaired.

been a massive issue for the council since the foods.

on the books doing road works.”

He acknowledged the road repair issue was enormous across the state and a massive issue for the many councils dealing with road repairs after wide spread fooding in the past two years.

Mr Cowan was also aware of the scale of road repairs for the council.

“I understand that they have a lot on their plate,” he said. “But if they had just been able to do a little bit straight away it might have made a difference.

“And when you ask them to keep in contact and they say ‘we don’t do callbacks’, it just makes you shake your head.”

An audit has shown there were 3378 road and stormwater defects across the 10,000 square kilometre Clarence Valley region after the foods last year.

The audit showed the Clarence Valley road network consisted of 1041 sealed roads more than 1136km in length plus an unsealed road network of 441 roads more than 1270km in length.

pothole.

“For smaller vehicles, like our little Mazda, it really knocks them about.”

He said the road was regularly used by trucks up to semi-trailer size servicing the many farms and villages in the area/

In October Mr Cowan contacted Ulmarra-based

“A couple of weeks ago a truck turned up with some digging equipment and I thought ‘at last they’ve come to fx the roads’.

“But they’d only come to clear a drain, which is practically meaningless out here now.

“When I talked to one of the workers he said they

“As a school bus route, it’s supposed to be a priority road for repairs,” he said.

“I referred my conversation with Mr Cowan on October 30 to the director works and civil, Jamie Fleeting.

“I will speak to him about Mr Cowan’s issues and the state of the road.”

He said road repair has

“We saw from the recently released fndings of the council’s customer satisfaction survey that roads were the number one issue for ratepayers,” he said.

“In the past week the State Government has announced a $500 million food repair program,” Cr Pickering said.

“I understand we will get about $4 million of that to spend on our roads.”

He said the council has 20 private contractors

“The extreme weather events – which have been the highest rainfall since records began – have had a serious impact on our roads,” Mr Fleeting said in a council press release from April last year.

“Repairing these defects is a major undertaking and we ask that the community please be patient while our road crews and operational staff continue the task of fxing the damage.

“We anticipate it could take at least 12 months to restore the road network and we have had to bring in external contractors to help us get the job done.”

Calliope resident Ken Cowan shows the depth of a pothole in Lower Coldstream Rd that has developed in front of his driveway since last year’s foods.

‘Like a jigsaw’. Calliope resident Ken Cowan’s description of how the road surface of Lower Coldstream Rd has broken up since the foods last year.

Three locations along a section of Lower Coldstream Rd, Calliope, where potholes have forced drivers to leave the road surface to get past them.

NSW Govt announces dates for STRA public hearing

TWISTS AND TURNS CONTINUE IN EFFORT TO REBUILD TYALGUM ROAD

By MARGARET DEKKER

The NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has announced the dates for its hearing into the Byron Shire Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) Planning Proposal.

The public hearing will be held from 21 to 23 February 2023 and the IPC is currently accepting submissions from the public.

The closing date for submissions is 2 March 2023.

People can also register to speak at the hearing. Registrations open on Monday 16 January and close at 5pm on Friday 10 February.

“This IPC hearing is the opportunity for Commissioners and the NSW Government, to hear directly from Council, stakeholders, and our articulate and informed community about their views on short term rental accommodation and its impact on the Byron Shire,” Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon, said.

“Our desire to see STRA limited to 90 days in the majority

of the Byron Shire is balanced and reasonable.

“This is about mitigating the impacts of short term rental accommodation on permanent rental housing supply, as well as preserving the amenity and character of our towns and villages and communities.

“I believe it will also allow for a diverse and sustainable base of tourist accommodation to support our economy,” Mayor Lyon said.

“This is about finding a balance for our community, our businesses and the STRA sector where our community comes first, where visitors have somewhere to stay, and where workers, including those who service the tourism industry, have somewhere to live,” he said.

Information about making a submission or registering to speak at the public hearing is on the IPC website https://www. ipcn.nsw.gov.au/ projects/2022/12/ byron-shire-shortterm-rental-pp

Almost a year after flooding rains and two landslips destroyed sections of Tyalgum Road – the main road connecting Tyalgum village - Tweed Shire Council has agreed to let staff negotiate directly with tenderers for the huge repair job, estimated at costing in the order of $15-million dollars.

At an Extraordinary meeting of Council held just before Christmas, Council resolved it would “go on to negotiate with tenderers or with other companies” on both ‘design and value for money’ to try and meet Transport NSW’s capped funding for the urgent works.

Councillors agreed with a recommendation to authorise Council’s General Manager Troy Green to delegate authority to the relevant Council department, which will allow final discussions on design and construction to be held without having to go back to the Councillors for further approval.

The move will allow Council’s flood recovery team to work through various issues connected with restoring Tyalgum Road, the site of the Tweed’s largest and most complicated landslip caused by the 2022 floods.

“Not accepting the tender today leaves us in

a position to be able to make sure we get the best outcome in the long run for Tyalgum, so I hope the people of Tyalgum

it is a slower process,” Council was advised.

Tim Mackney, Manager of Infrastructure Delivery with Council said

this year.

Reserve Creek Road works finally begin

At the same Extraordinary meeting, Council awarded original Tweed construction firm, SEE Civil Pty Ltd the $6 million tender ($5,978,367) to design and construct the repair of Reserve Creek Road between Cudgera Creek and Murwillumbah which suffered a significant landslip in the February flood.

“I’m sure they (local residents) will be very excited to see these works start, and begin over the Christmas period,” Cr Chris Cherry Tweed Mayor said.

Tim Mackney said awarding the Reserve Creek Road tender and Council’s approval to finalise the contract for Tyalgum Road are both very welcome and good news.

can have a little more patience as we organise that,” Cr Chris Cherry Tweed Mayor told the Extraordinary Meeting of Council on December 22.

“This is an incredibly important tender to go forward,” she said.

The Northern Rivers Times understands tenders reached the upper limit of the funding cap for Tyalgum Road and applying for more State funding would only draw out an already long process.

“There is a pathway to get extra funding, but

the complexity of the Tyalgum Road slip had been a huge challenge for contractors bidding for the work and analysis of the site had taken considerable time.

“We have had positive discussions and consultations with the contractors, but there are still some issues which have to be resolved to ensure the restoration work is appropriate,” Mr Mackney said.

It is hoped negotiations with bidders on the Tyalgum Road landslip will be completed early

“We appreciate this has been a difficult period for residents at both sites, but Reserve Creek Road and Tyalgum Road have presented significant engineering and marketbased challenges and we thank the communities for their patience,” Tim Mackney, Manager of Infrastructure Delivery TSC, said.

Locals who’ve previously relied on Reserve Creek Road, will welcome SEE Civil’s creation of temporary access roads early in the reconstruction phase.

Tyalgum Road, connecting isolated Tyalgum village, remains impassable

An aerial photo taken in February shows the scale and fragile nature of the landslip around Tyalgum Road Source: TSC Facebook

Diary of a Flood Survivor Part 23

The numbers on the letter box are still holding.

We just haven’t received any mail yet.

I went to our local interim post office, which is in a shed used for boxing classes, at the back of the actual post office building still in a state of flood disrepair.

The post lady was very obliging and helped me to organise for our mail to come back to our house.

Our poor longsuffering friends who took us in for seven months, can now stop holding our mail.

This is a big step to feeling established at home, also it was my birthday in the past week, and I didn’t want to miss out on the tsunami of cards coming my way…haha.

Actually, the number of Facebook messages, telephone calls and visits I received more than made up for that inevitable year closer to 60.

All tradies have been on holidays over the Christmas, New Year break so it’s been quiet around the place, and I am still clocking up steps on my Fitbit as our only toilet is downstairs in the laundry.

So, I am excited to get the workers back, if only to see our vanity

area completed and going to the toilet in the middle of the night no longer a harrowing experience.

The count so far is two frogs in the toilet and two in the laundry on our middle of the night excursions.

Maybe I should stop drinking herbal tea before I go to bed!

Our plans for this year include more work on the house, as we have not touched downstairs, other than to gurney the walls of the laundry and put in electricity.

We want to see what La Niña has in store for us this year before we commit to any renovation’s downstairs.

We do plan to get our back deck up to scratch so we can get some nice new outdoor furniture, a barbeque and enjoy our views of the cane once again.

THREE GENERATIONS LOST TO ’54 FLOOD

By SAMANTHA ELLEY

In the tiny office of the Evans Head Presbyterian church, a small plaque is attached to an old hymnal board. It glints as the sunlight hits it where it rests against the wall. It reads:

“Presented by Mrs Walter Golding in loving memory of her husband, daughter, son-in-law and their three children, Mr and Mrs David Chapman and family. Drowned at Kyogle, 20th February 1954.”

This small plaque is a reminder of a tragic tale that unfolded during one of the region’s worst natural disasters back in 1954.

In the wee small hours in the morning of February 21, 1954 the village of Kyogle,

trees, being that of the Chapman family, who eventually all drowned. They were Walter Golding, 67, his daughter Isabel Chapman, 28, her husband David, 34 and their sons Walter David, 7, Ian, 4 and Geoffrey, 16 months.

Three generations in one family swept away by the dangerous torrents.

then entered the flood waters from the railway station but was instantly swept away. The line became tangled in the debris and he was forced under. A new device on the reel - a quick release pin - helped him escape the vest and he managed to get clear of the floodwaters.

The Chapman family

floods, ABC Local, acessed 16th November, 2022,

• ‘SPECIAL

REPORT: Memories of ‘54 and how the flood changed us’, The Daily Telegraph, accessed 16th November, 2022, https:// www.dailytelegraph. com.au/news/nsw/ lismore/special-report-

located in the northeastern corner of New South Wales, was inundated with a wall of water that showed no mercy. It left behind a devastating result, which saw the loss of 10 lives, including six people from the same family.

Witnesses recounted the cries of people who were caught in nearby

The unfortunate family had no time to escape their inundated home and found themselves trapped on the roof.

Evans Head Surf Club member Matt Doughtery of Kyogle attempted to rescue the family members and nearly lost his own life.

He roped himself to a surf rescue reel and

was by this time swept away, the only survivor being grandmother Helen Golding who presented the plaque as a reminder of her family.

Walter and the Chapmans are all buried in Kyogle cemetery.

References

• ‘60 years on: Kyogle residents ‘will never forget’ 1954

memories-of-54-andhow-the-flood-changedus/news-story/8265a2d9 5a899a94f8a2a091121f4

67e

• ‘Twenty-one lives lost in NSW Floods’, Cairns Post, Tuesday 23 February, 1954, Page 1

This story first appeared in talesfromthegrave.org

The NSW Government is helping reduce your cost of living by giving you more ways to save, including:

• Up to $285 Low Income Household Energy Rebate

• $150 Back to School NSW Vouchers

• $100 Creative Kids Voucher

Join the millions who have saved and use the Savings Finder to see all the vouchers and rebates you are eligible for.

Kyogle flood. Three crosses show where houses once stood. Courtesy ABC website and Kyogle Historical Society

Walter Golding

Walter Golding

A vanity in progress with makeshift mirror and unplastered walls

Driver backs into .. a parking fne

By MARGARET DEKKER

A visiting female driver has been fned $120 dollars and left confounded after she wrongly reverse-parked into a Byron Council carpark at Main Beach Byron Bay over the New Year’s period.

The woman took to social media to vent her dismay at being fned for the local offence by a Council parking offcer.

She had missed the small print on the parking sign – easily done from a distance or moving vehicle - which stated: FRONT IN AT ALL TIMES. VEHICLES

UNDER 6M ONLY.

“Can the small print perhaps be put at the top?” she put to social media.

“Can someone please explain to me why it’s now illegal to reverse into a park? Here we are paying to park and getting fned for it $120. Just awesome!” she added.

Byron Shire Council explained the reason behind its ‘no reverseparking rule’ at the iconic beachfront location is to keep drivers from parking rear-in, opening their boots and leaving them up all day over the adjacent public footpath, making it diffcult for others to walk by.

“Like every other road

rule, this one represents a basic courtesy to other people,” a Council statement read.

As public debate raged online - with everything from cries of ‘Council revenue raising’ to support for the 13-year-old local rule - one person saw the funny, albeit sorry side to the situation.

“They should change the name of the town to Byron Pay!”

Correct way to be ticked off .. Freeze it Don’t Squeeze it!

NSW Labor to abolish or discount stamp duty for first home buyers

LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed NSW Labor’s plan to abolish stamp duty for first home buyers buying a home worth up to $800,000 as taking real action to make housing more affordable for singles, couples, and families.

“This fresh initiative, combined with other measures to ensure more fairness for renters, is good public policy and even better regional and rural public policy,” Ms Saffin says.

“How long have we waited for this? It is fantastic.

“Given the target is $800,000 or below that would cover people in the Lismore Electorate and the regions who need to have stamp duty waived to allow them to get into their first home.

“Under our plan, an estimated 46,500 future homeowners in NSW will be paying no stamp duty or be able to claim a heavy discount over the first three years of a Minns Labor Government.

“We will provide this much-needed stamp duty relief by scrapping Premier Dominic Perrottet’s dreadful land tax on the family home.”

of Labor’s changes, 27,700 first home buyers would have paid no stamp duty whatsoever. An additional 18,800 first home buyers would have paid a discounted rate. This means that an estimated 95 per cent of all first home buyers in New South Wales will pay no tax or a reduced rate when they buy their first home.

With more housing policies still to be released, a Minns Labor Government has already committed to:

and universal housing;

• Provide longer term funding certainty for homelessness and housing support organisations and tenancy advocacy services dealing with the fall-out from the housing crisis

• Create a Rental Commissioner;

• Protect tenants from unfair evictions by requiring them to be given a lawful reason for terminating their lease;

Northern New South Wales Local Health District is urging locals and visitors alike to familiarise themselves with the correct way to remove a tick if it burrows into the skin.

While myths abound, the medical advice is simple:

“There is a right and wrong way to remove a tick. Remember to always freeze it, don’t squeeze it. Don’t squeeze the tick as it can make

the bite worse, making it more likely to inject its saliva into you,” Northern NSW Health advises.

User-friendly ‘tick freeze’ sprays can be purchased over-thecounter at any Northern Rivers chemist.

“Freeze the tick by spraying it with a product that contains ether .. Hold the spray about 1cm above the tick and spray 5 times.

“The tick should die after 5 minutes. It should

then drop or be easily brushed away,” Health authorities advise.

Northern NSW Health also advises if the tick doesn’t drop off or for whatever reason can’t be reached to be frozen, leave it in place and seek urgent medical assistance for its professional removal.

More information can be found at www. healthdirect.gov.au/ tick-bites

NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns and NSW Shadow Treasurer Daniel Mookey today jointly announced that Labor will abolish stamp duty outright for first home buyers buying a home worth up to $800,000, while offering a concessional rate to first home buyers purchasing a property up to $1million.

Independent modelling by the Parliamentary Budget Office shows that within the first three years

• Remove or reduce the stamp duty tax burden from 46,500 first home buyers over the next three years;

• Abolish the NSW Government’s forever land tax on the family home;

• Introduce a mandatory requirement for 30 per cent of all homes built on surplus government land to be set aside for social, affordable

• Banning the practice of secret rent bidding, which pits tenants against each other in bidding wars;

• Implement a Portable Bond Scheme to allow tenants to apply their current bond to their next lease;

• Make it easier for renters to have pets in their homes

• Host a renters’ roundtable to hear from stakeholders and community groups.

LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin

Freeze the tick with spray, don’t squeeze it with hands or tweezers

The devil’s in the detail; expect a fine for reverse parking at Main Beach Byron Bay

BOWLING FOR 100-YEAR-OLD LIFE SAVING CLUB

By SAMANTHA ELLEY

For the last 100 years, Evans Head-Casino Surf Life Saving Club has been saving lives at Main Beach, Evans Head.

This last weekend, many came to enjoy the annual fund-raising barefoot bowls day at Evans Head Bowling Club to ensure this important service continues.

“The money we raise will go towards important life-saving equipment,” said president, Avan Christie.

“We have a proud history for a small town, as we are the third club in our branch to get to 100 years of service.”

In fact, the club recently celebrated their centenary, with a special commemoration of the tragic event that occurred, leading to the formation of the surf club on Boxing Day, 1922.

“(This most recent Boxing Day) we paid our respects to Miss Gladys Morrow, who was only 16 years old when she lost her life here in the surf at Evans Head Beach on Christmas Eve, 100 years ago in 1922,” said Avan.

“We paddled out and did the sign of crossed arms showing where

someone was last seen.”

The Centenary was also a weekend of celebration with a meet and greet at Friday night drinks.

On Saturday morning there was a raising of the flags for all clubs in the region.

“It was the biggest turnout in many years with the RAAF doing a guard of honour,” said Avan.

“Saturday night we had a dinner at the surf club

with speeches, followed by a barbeque on Sunday morning.”

Many a story was swapped and friendship renewed.

“We had one lady who came and said she was saved by one of the guys about 40 years ago,” said Avan.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the success of the club and more are desperately needed, according to Avan.

“ We need patrolling members,” he said.

“You don’t need to be a great swimmer as we

need radio operators and even just an extra set of eyes on the beach.

“We provide all necessary training.”

With a number of patrolling members clocking up from 28 to 42 years, the club is on

the search for new blood. If you have a heart for community service, contact the club today.

The Charity Bowls Day managed to raise around $8,000 which will go towards ensuring no more tragedies like that

of Gladys Morrow from Kyogle, happens again.

Loud shirts were the order of the day at bowls

Teena Redman, Lucy Ellis and Donna Rodda running the Charity Bowls day

Lined up and ready to bowl

Commemoration on Boxing Day 2022 of the loss of 16yo Gladys Morrow from Kyogle, whose death initiated the start of the Evans Head Surf Club

More outstanding bowls gear

PRE-SEASON TRAINING

The Casino Lions are looking for players to join us for our upcoming 2023 season in the AFL North Coast Competition coming off the back of the club’s first grand final win

Training is on Tuesday afternoon from 6:00pm at jubilee Park, Casino. We welcome new and experienced players to join us.

EOI for a women’s team too, so come along ladies!

BYO drink bottle, joggers, and footy boots. We are also looking to fill some volunteer roles, so if you have any spare time to help out, get in touch.

Message us on our socials for more information or email casinolionsafl@gmail. com

Applications open for Active Ageing Grants

People aged 60 and over in the Northern Rivers will soon have more options to help them stay ft, with applications now open for the ‘Active Ageing’ grants program.

Active Ageing grants are now available to support exercise providers and ftness leaders to provide lowcost exercise programs for people over the age of 60 in the Northern Rivers.

Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) is providing eight grants of $500 to support existing group exercise programs and fve grants of $800 to help start new group exercise programs. NNSWLHD Acting Manager Health Promotion Graeme

Williams said preventive healthcare plays a vital role in the health system.

“Having access to affordable exercise programs is one of the key things we can do to support people in the Northern Rivers region to stay active and well as they age,” Mr Williams said.

“Exercise groups are a great way for older

people to come together to build their strength, balance and endurance and to connect with others socially.

“Through the grants program, we are particularly interested in supporting new exercise programs for older people in locations where there may not already be many existing opportunities.” The

exercise programs must be delivered in the NNSWLHD footprint (the areas covered by Ballina, Byron, Clarence, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed Councils).

Applications close 27 January 2023. To apply, or for more information visit: healthupnorth.info/ activeageinggrant

EVERY PERSON IN NORTHERN NSW EXPERIENCING BREAST CANCER IN NSW TO HAVE ACCESS TO A BREAST CANCER NURSE UNDER A MINNS LABOR GOVERNMENT

NSW Labor have today announced a Minns Labor Government will ensure New South Wales will become the frst state in Australia where every person experiencing breast cancer will be able to receive the free care and support of a breast cancer nurse, committing $19.5 million over three years to fund an additional 29 McGrath Breast Cancer nurses to support people right across New South Wales.

This announcement is particularly supported by Member for Lismore Janelle Saffn and NSW Labor Candidate for Ballina Andrew Broadly as this funding will provide an additional nurse for the Northern NSW Health District.

Breast Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in

women, with 20,428 women and 212 men being diagnosed annually in Australia.

Currently, eight Breast Care Nurses are funded by the NSW Government, but there is no certainty of their future funding past this

fnancial year. Eight more were previously funded by the state government but the funding was cancelled in 2021. This included one nurse in Macksville who lost government support. They are now forced to rely on donations.

McGrath Breast Care Nurses are registered nurses, specially trained to provide invaluable physical, psychological and emotional support, from the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment throughout the course of their treatment. To date 48,000 families across New South Wales have been supported by a McGrath Breast Cancer Nurse.

A McGrath Breast Care Nurse in a full-time position supports on average 100 patients per year, with 90 per cent of women in Australia living within 75km of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse.

Research shows that getting early access within the frst weeks to a dedicated nurse signifcantly improves the experience and outcomes of a person

with breast cancer, including a reduction in emergency department presentations, reduction in clinical consulting time, and improved medical appointment attendance.

The key is that patients have access to the same nurse throughout their treatment.

Labor’s commitment today will provide access to this life saving care for all breast cancer patients in Northern NSW and across NSW, and we are proud to be the frst state in the country to make this a reality.

Janelle Saffn, Member for Lismore said: “I am extremely proud of this announcement. We know that the North Coast suffered a diffcult year in 2022, the foods greatly impacted access to essential services and continue to have

devastating impacts on our community’s day to day lives.

‘This announcement offers residents come certainty that if they are diagnosed with breast cancer in Northern NSW, they will have access the specialised care and support.

NSW Labor Candidate for Ballina Andrew Broadley said: ‘We know that the care that McGrath Breast Care Nurses offer is life changing.

‘Not only do they play an integral role informed by their medical training but most importantly they offer vital emotional support for those enduring cancer.

‘I’m proud that if a Minns Labor Government is elected, that support will be offered to Northern NSW cancer patients.

Located in the highly sought-after estate of Gays Hill, you’ll find this truly unique, newly renovated 5 bedroom home that is a class above the rest!

It’s not hard to fall in love with this property as you enter through the front doors with all the features that transform this house into a home. Starting with the 5 spacious bedrooms all boasting built-ins, with the guest room coming with a walk-in wardrobe and the master featuring an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe as well.

The stunning, completely renovated kitchen is an open plan area which features top of the range Smeg appliances, induction cook top, designer range quartz countertops and finishes with a large walk-in pantry.

The kitchen adjoins the dining room which is complete with a brand new woodfire heater and flows into the cosy lounge room area.

The bathroom has been beautifully renovated and designed to suit all with a large open rainfall shower and free-standing bath.

The large entertaining back deck is a hidden gem of this property. Overlooking the backyard, the inground pool area and the breath-taking views of the surrounding farmlands, this veranda is perfect to sit and watch the afternoon sunset with a co ee or have a BBQ with a few friends.

The large brick shed/man cave is a great additional to this home as it would be perfect to be transformed into a pool house, granny flat or

Locally owned and operated with the support of a national brand. Ray White Livestock Casino/Kyogle is able to provide a tailored campaign with national exposure to sell your livestock for more.

NSW Labor Candidate for Ballina Andrew Broadley

LETTERS, FEEDBACK AND OPINION

This material from the originating organization/author(s) may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s).

The Northern Rivers Times, management and staff will not be responsible for comments made by the author.

Defamatory comments will not be published and the author will be banned and blocked from sending further letters. Letters over 300 words will not be published.

FIRE, FLOOD AND PANDEMIC

As we welcome a new year in the Clarence, we can finally say goodbye to a difficult year for many of us. It has been quite a season of many disruptions since the drought and bushfires in 2019 saw many of our own residents ‘holding a hose’ to keep our communities safe.

One thing we have learned through these

upheavals of fire, flood and pandemic, is that we need our government to be capable of responding when we need them.

Whether it is to deploy rescue and emergency management services or to provide fast and targeted financial assistance, government plays a vital role in keeping our communities safe and on track for speedy recovery.

During 2022, we were

disappointed to find that government in NSW was slow to respond or unavailable in our time of need. The NSW Flood Inquiry that was conducted after the devastating events of February and March last year concluded that the NSW government had failed to ensure that service providers on the ground had the information and resources that they needed to do their job.

Tragically, lives were lost, and the recovery from the devastation has been slow and complicated by trauma as a result.

The overwhelming sense is that the NSW Government of the past twelve years has become tired. In key areas of government responsibility, we have stalled or gone backward during this time. TAFE graduations for apprenticeships are at their lowest in decades.

Teacher shortages now have reached the crisis level that was predicted

by the Auditor General in 2012. Our health services are barely coping with demand due to severe staffing shortages as well. These issues are not going to resolve themselves. We need to elect fresh and energetic leaders in March to take our state and our region forward. It’s time for a change Clarence, not more of the same old tired approach.

Doug Towner Maclean

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

I have to say I was questioning the style of the NRTimes after reading Luke O’Neill’s letter & I agree with Jeff Johnson about the terminology used by letter writers. Idiots, dole bludgers etc are totally unnecessary & misogynistic comments are only fit for the bin. Thanks for clarifying.

P.Wright Wardell

TIME FOR CHANGE. Suddenly there are faces on the street, babies to kiss, farmers to meet, it must be election time again.

So much money and effort spent to convince us of their achievements, yet these promotional stunts in fact surpass any achievements attained in the last 12 years by this Liberal National government.

Our district of Clarence has fallen way behind, with a major health crisis due to the broken promise of a new Grafton Hospital, a drastic teacher shortage and indeed a shortage in all professional arenas, including trades and services.

Regional districts have always struggled to find adequate personnel, with inadequate funding and with ever more razored budgets each year our district falls further behind.

Of course if our representatives could see around their primary priorities of city demands, we might achieve some parity, but this won’t happen under the current government.

The National Party claims to be working

for the regions but if that were really so we would not have seen the sad decline we have in standards across the board. Time for a change.

Donna and Hugh Kelly Lawrence NSW

FINALLY A GOVT. GOVERNING

As we enter a brand new and hopefully better New Year it is so heartening to know that we now have a Federal Govt that is actually governing for everyday Aussies, and we finally have a PM who calls the facts as they exist. After a decade of Coalition lies and failed trickle-down policies that benefited no-one but the wealthy; Albo is now redressing the huge imbalances deliberately created by those powerful Conservative forces. The first line of business was to call the bluff of the three big gas companies and make them finally agree on a price cap and a guaranteed supply for domestic use. It didn’t take long for the predictable howls of outrage and doomsday threats to emerge, “Soviet style crisis”, “socialism”; the poor dears cry foul while their windfall profits are at record levels; It must have brought tears to the eyes of small businesses and wage earners paying huge energy bills from wages that have been stagnating for years; there is only one way to respond to big bullies. Another Albanese election promise aimed at vulnerable people doing it tough became reality from Jan.1

where various welfare payments- including carers, students on Youth Allowance, Austudy, people struggling on Disability Support Pension and single parents- received a boost. Also, from Jan.1 the single most significant price reduction to the cost of medicines came into effect since the PBS was introduced 75 years ago, the cost of prescriptions reduced from $42 to $30. There are certain people who constantly complain and whinge about the Govt not doing enough for pensioners, but what we are all witnessing is a Govt that has inherited a massive Lib/Nat debt doing its best to help genuine Aussie battlers. It was “enlightening” to hear that Joff Johnson is still fighting “lefties” but is coming to terms with a Federal “socialist Govt” and has kept abreast of all the latest nonsensical conspiracy theories being peddled by those rightist drongos on Sky News. These rightist neo-cons still don’t get it, as to why the Conservatives are being thrashed all around Australia, maybe they should spend more time listening to real political commentators on real news outlets instead of the vile rightist propaganda being dispensed on behalf of vested interests by Murdoch’s morons. Happy New Year Joff and watch your blood pressure.

Keith Duncan Pimlico

Kay Len Jean

Ron Clarke as Santa Claus

My friend ‘Treasure’ invited me to her house the other day. (‘Leemo Cat’ here).

At her house I looked about for the bed in their lounge room and was most perplexed there wasn’t one? Is ‘Treasure’s’ family so poor they don’t have a bed so I asked her. She told me her family’s beds were in rooms called bedrooms.

Oooh, so how come ‘Mum Jane’ has her bed in our lounge room along with SO many other things? A TV, stereo, lounge chairs, a coffee table, prints & mirrors, 9 big plants, a desk, a computer & chair, fling cabinet, side tables, lamps, photos, ornaments 100’s of books & more. I discerned quickly ‘Me & Mum’ are unmistakably not living in a proper home environment. How distressing is this for me? I can never invite ‘Treasure’ to our house, ever, not ‘til things change. So, being a forthright & articulate feline I spoke up as soon as I got home. ‘Mum, please move your bed to a bedroom immediately ‘cos I want to have ‘Treasure’ over to visit. I don’t want her thinking I live in a most oddly furnished home.’ I awaited a response & out it came in a shouty tone. ‘NUP, I most certainly will not Leems, so suck it up. If your friends think your house is not as it should be according to their perceptions, well, they are not proper friends..gottit?’ Hmmm,

I’ll dive right into the ‘I’m in strife’ deep end. ‘Urrrm, Mum, there are other things about you that bother me’. (Her demoniacal ‘stare glare’ bored into my skull…ooow, hurtie!)

‘OK Leems, get on with whatever nonsense you want to sprout.’ ‘Well, Mum, what about your inclination to rake leaves at night? Your ‘colour coded’ hanging of clothes? Your propensity to clap when something you like is on our TV?

Rushing home from work at lunch time ‘cos your bed wasn’t made?

Underlining words in books? HAVING to have a clean, ironed hankie and Holy beads in your pocket when you go out? ‘Snappy bad temper’ just before full moon. Like you’re a Werewolf! (I should have added, an erratic one at that!) Ironing tea-towels & pillow cases? Cutting your own hair. (it shows!)

Mum, I believe you need to change your behaviours for your own well being ‘cos I’m sure some people consider you quite ODD, OK?’ Omigosh, she was actually quite calm and said quietly.

‘Leemo, pray tell, is there anything I do that you might consider un-odd about me?’ Her tone was quiet, but ominous. Shiver brrrr!! ‘Errrm, Mum, you make fne jelly, fuff my blankets, tidy my room, brush me daily, sing me lullaby’s, buy me tasty treats, wash my bowls, let me climb trees and….AAARGH, she interrupted…loudly.

‘Leems, nothing you’ve listed makes me feel that in my 73 years I have NOT accomplished anything of great worth…making jelly indeed, you ridiculous cat. ALL you’ve listed is about YOU except jelly. I’m most disappointed in you Leems, I bought you up to be accepting and considerate of the foibles of all others, including MY OWN!!

Go outside and stare at grass or something, I’m making a delicious curry and you are getting NONE!’ I’m outta here.. pleease send me many prayersies, Leemo.

RASF BRINGS PALLETS OF CHRISTMAS JOY TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS NSW

The RAS Foundation (RASF) joined forces with charitable organisation Good360 late last year to provide $150,000 worth of much-needed goods to showgrounds and community halls across food-affected areas on the mid-north and north coast of New South Wales.

Just in time for Christmas, twenty-three pallets flled with a variety of goods, including Lego, children’s toys, cleaning products and kitchen goods, were transported to Taree and Kyogle Showgrounds to be collected by surrounding show societies.

Products and gifts were shared with the local community by each show society, with many running small Christmas gatherings or distributing packages to help alleviate the pressures during the Christmas period.

“We are delighted we could connect with

Good360 again and deliver these goodsin-kind right in time for Christmas,” RASF Manager Cecilia Logan said.

“Christmas can be such a joyous time, but it can also create a lot of stress for families, particularly those who have already lost so much through the fooding last year. Although small, we hope these items helped alleviate some of these pressures and provided needed products for local showgrounds who are rebuilding.

“A big thank you to the Sydney Royal Easter Show and AgShows NSW teams who volunteered their time to help us pack all of these pallets.”

Benefting communities were:

• Camden Haven Pastoral Agricultural Horticultural & Industrial Society

• Bangalow Agricultural and Industrial Society

• Wauchope

Show Society

• Wallamba District Agricultural & Horticultural Association

• Coffs Harbour Show Society

Agricultural Society

• Woodenbong Show Society

• Comboyne A & H Association

Come and see our amazing collection when you’re on holidays in the New England Area

Specialising in Antique, Estate, Art Deco and Reproduction Jewellery Peberdy House, 182 Rouse Street (New England Highway)

Phone: 02 6736 1213 Fax: 02 6736 4545 Mobile 0429 727 075

• Nimbin Agricultural & Industrial Society

• Bonalbo Show Society

• Mullumbimby Agricultural Society

• Manning River Agricultural & Horticultural Society

• Tweed River Agricultural Society

• Kyogle P A & H Society

• Gloucester Agriculture Horticultural and Pastoral Association Incorporated

• The Nambucca River District Agricultural Association

• Maclean Show Society

• Alstonville

• Wingham Show Society

• Casino Show Society

• Central North Coast National Agricultural Society (Kempsey Show)

Since connecting, the RASF has delivered over $1.8 million worth of goods to regional communities in New South Wales.

Aiming to bridge the gap between organisations with excess products and those in need, the RASF frst partnered with Good360 in 2018 to ensure communities in regional and rural areas could beneft from the program.

“Leemo has views on just about anything”

Ooooh.. ‘Mum Jane’ is assuredly Idiosyncratic..

SUMMER HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT AT THE GOONELLABAH LIBRARY AND LISMORE POP-UP LIBRARY

presented by Sydney Puppet Theatre – 10am at Goonellabah Library.

• Monday, 9 January – Rock Decorating – 2.30pm at Lismore Pop-Up Library.

• Tuesday, 10 January – The Wildlife Twins – Junior session at 10.30am, Youth session at 2.30pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Wednesday, 11 January – Big Screen Gaming – 2.30pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Thursday, 12 January – Sand Art –10.30am at Lismore Pop-Up Library.

January – Big Screen Gaming – 2.30pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Thursday, 19 January – Claymation Magic – 10.30am at Goonellabah Library.

• Thursday, 19 January – Creating Manga Workshop –2.30pm at Nimbin Mobile Library.

• Friday, 20 January – Circus Arts – 2pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Monday, 23 January – Storytelling Workshop – 2.30pm at Lismore Pop-Up Library.

The program has a great mix of activities and entertainment designed to suit kids of all ages. It is proudly supported by the Office of Regional Youth through their NSW Holiday Break Program.

Activities will take place between the Goonellabah Library at 27 Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah and the Lismore PopUp Library at 146 Molesworth Street, Lismore.

With the excitement of Christmas and New Year’s Eve now in the rear view, the challenge of keeping the kids busy during the school holidays begins.

The Goonellabah Library and the Lismore Pop-Up Library have developed a jam-packed

holiday program to keep kids busy and entertained. The program features great shows from nationally recognised entertainers and workshops to teach kids new skills.

The program runs throughout January and includes:

• Thursday, 5 January – In Search of the Giddy Gird Bird, presented by the Sydney Puppet Theatre – Junior session at 10am, Youth session at 2pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Friday, 6 January – Make a Marionette in a Day,

• Friday, 13 January – Song Writing Workshop – 2pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Monday, 16 January – Astronomy – 2pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Tuesday, 17 January – Gravitrax – 2.30pm at Lismore Pop-Up Library.

• Wednesday, 18

• Tuesday, 24 January – Show-Offs Drama Workshop, presented by Madeleine West – 2pm at Goonellabah Library.

• Wednesday, 25 January – Paddle Pop Cats – 2pm at Lismore Pop-Up Library.

• Wednesday, 25 January – Big Screen Gaming – 2.30pm at Goonellabah Library.

All activities are free; however bookings are essential. For more information and to book click the QR Code below

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

“There is beauty in truth”, said José N. Harris, “even if it’s painful. Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak. But lies only strengthen our defects. They don’t teach anything, help anything, fix anything or cure anything. Nor do they develop one’s character, one’s mind, one’s heart or one’s soul.”

And therein lies the chaffing spiritual and emotional rub of the shallow, brittle ramifications of the compulsive liar. Not being upfront and honest in life comes at such a cost to the weaver of ‘porky pies’ that the joke is eternally on them, regardless of what they seem to pull off, or get away with through being very elastic with what they think and say.

The Nobel Prizewinning author and mathematician, Bertrand Russell once confided: “A certain native pride and integrity is essential to a splendid human being, and where it exists lying becomes impossible... I would have my children truthful in their thoughts and words, even if it should entail worldly misfortune, for something of more importance than riches and honours is at stake.”

Thus, for mine, if getting what you want is achieved through lying and deceit, promising others the world without any intention of delivering: then the attainment of your wants are as cheap and foul smelling as a truckload of offal in the summer sun.

The American author, Dorothy Allison, once very succinctly said: “Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with

lies.” Just ask popular culture’s most prolific liar, Pinocchio – who was the invention of a Carlo Collodi in 1883, having created him as a warning to children against the perils of straying into mistruth. None of which were more apparent than our little wooden protagonist’s nose expanding each time he told a lie.

If only such cues were evident in real-life, but that said, there are ‘tell-tale’ signs that liars display when they air their deceits. According to studies, liars use fewer exclusionary words like – not, nor, except or but; they talk with their hands far less than those being honest; are far more likely to use negative and critical words like worthless and loser. On top of this, they are more likely to correct themselves mid-sentence; and rarely, if ever, reference specific details or conversations (that never took place).

Relatedly, in typical Mark Twain fashion, he once professed: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything,” because there is frankly nothing you need to consciously retain, cover for or keep making up, as opposed to effortlessly recalling all the things that actually did unfold as fact.

It is ironic that those afflicted, albeit propped up by the fake disposition of being a liar, can be smarmy and convincing up to a point, but their ruse always comes crashing down in ways even they never see coming. Or as Ally Carter once noted: “It is an occupational hazard that anyone who has spent their life learning how to lie eventually becomes bad at telling the truth.”

After a two-year hiatus

Falls Byron returned to North Byron Parklands (Dec 31- Jan 2) for its 8th iteration. The festival wrapped up a great success with organisers praising the relaxed, friendly crowd and thanking the team of volunteers, service personnel, staff, and artists.

The event attracted close to 20 000 patrons with over 10 000 camping onsite. “There were no delays getting campers on to the site on Dec 30 nor during exit on 3 January, with all campers exiting the site by 10:30am and the grounds left in impeccable condition thanks to the campers and workers,” said Festival Director Brandon Saul.

Overall Falls Byron enjoyed spectacular weather with some rain on the 30th having no serious impact on the site or festival operations. Patrons took advantage of the many activities the festival had to offer including 8 above ground pools (reflled each day using rainwater harvested from the site), beach volleyball and ping pong tables under a big top tent. Falls Byron also featured a number of smaller venues including

the ‘Byron Bay Brewery’ that featured local bands.

Falls Byron highlight acts included Lil Nas X who rang in the New Year with a spectacular show with 8 dancers and multiple costume changes. Earlier in

and UK rockers The Arctic Monkeys closed the festival on Monday night, performing to a large and appreciative crowd.

Falls Byron continued with a policy of not selling plastic water

the amount of waste generated as well as the workload of our cleaning staff. We’d like to thank our patrons for embracing this initiative so wholeheartedly,” said Brandon Saul, Director Falls Festival Byron.

“A huge amount of effort went into creating this festival and we would like to thank all the artists, staff, service personnel, stall holders and the large contingent of volunteers. The police, security and Red Frogs volunteers did an excellent job of keeping our patrons safe. The festival patrons should be congratulated for making the 8th Falls Byron such a great experience, and the local community for being such a gracious host.”

Festival Director

the afternoon, the OG (original) Wiggles lineup had the thousands strong crowd singing and dancing the ‘Hot Potato’. DJ Peggy Gou, Jamie XX, Spacey Jane and Amyl and the Sniffers all attracted large crowds

bottles at the festival. Patrons reflled their own water bottles from free drinking water stations throughout the festival. “Not selling plastic water bottles at the festival has a very positive impact on

Brandon Saul also gave particular thanks to ‘’the wonderful people at Brunswick Visitors Centre, Brunswick Heads Surf Life Saving Club and Byron Council for partnering with Falls Byron to make the ‘Taking Care of Bruns’ initiative such a success. Our patrons loved visiting Brunswick Heads, being greeted by friendly and informative volunteers, being fed at the SLSC sausage sizzle and exploring everything Bruns has to offer.”

New Years Eve with Lil Nas X at Falls Byron. Photo Joseph Mayers

Happy crowd at Falls Byron. Photo Kurt Petersen

Keeping cool at Falls Byron. Photo Kurt Petersen

Written by Caroline Fisher

Pumpkin & Watermelon

At Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery, we o en meet people starting from scratch in the garden with very little knowledge, just the hope to green a little corner or grow some healthy food. Inspiration is so important in creative pursuits. Gardeners need it in spades!

So, whether you’re a grower of giant vegetables or a grower of many small ones, the gathering together of gardening enthusiasts at the Summerland Giant Pumpkin Competition is bound to motivate.

largest range of fruiting plants in the country - from ultra-tropical plants for our Queensland customers, and subtropical plants ready for most any weather in the Northern Rivers, to temperate plants more suited to our customers with long cool winters.

So if you want to grow some herbs, berries or a fruit tree or two in some pots, or go all out with a Food Forest forti ed via the underground network of fungal mycorrhizae, Daleys can help you get started with the plants you need. We deliver to your door.

Visit www.daleysfruit.com.au or scan the QR code on this page.

However, Giant Pumpkins are serious business and size is everything. Some people have spent the better part of a season feeding, weeding and coaxing the vines along. So it’s a great thing to celebrate. Best of luck to everyone stepping up at the comp. At Daleys, we are passionate about growing food and helping people to regenerate landscapes. We stock the

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST MULTICULTURAL MENTAL HEALTH LINE LAUNCHED

People from diverse communities in NSW needing mental health support are set to benefit from an Australian-first multicultural mental health phone line service covering up to 30 different languages.

Recently launched by the NSW Liberals and Nationals in Government, the service is staffed by registered bilingual mental health professionals covering languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Korean, Vietnamese and Ukrainian.

Minister for Mental Health Bronnie Taylor said this new phone

line would support people from diverse communities who are struggling with their mental health to access appropriate services.

“While there is a wide range of mental health services available to all NSW residents, language and different cultural understandings of mental health can act as a barrier for people when accessing services,” Mrs Taylor said.

“This new phone line will support people to get the help they need, with a specialist team of health care professionals ready to provide care and connect people with the

appropriate services.”

Available Monday to Friday between 9:00am to 4:30pm on 1800 648 911, the Transcultural Mental Health Line improves access to mental health care and support for diverse communities.

Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said this initiative once again shows the NSW Government’s commitment to supporting the state’s rich multicultural society.

“We understand that finding the right words to express how we are feeling can be hard, let alone for people that

might struggle with English,” Mr Coure said.

“This new service makes mental health support more accessible, and will give people the peace of mind to speak freely in a language they are more comfortable with,” Mr Coure said.

The Transcultural Mental Health Line joins a host of services, programs and initiatives the NSW Government is funding to support the mental health of people from diverse communities. This includes the funding of STARTTS, which offers a 24/7 counselling service for people that

have experienced trauma related to war and violence overseas.

If you, or someone you know, is in a life-threatening situation please seek help immediately by calling 000. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide or experiencing a personal crisis or distress, please call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. The NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 is a 24/7 service that can advise you on appropriate local mental health services for you or a loved one.

For multilingual mental health resources, visit the Transcultural Mental Health Centre website via https://www. dhi.health.nsw.gov.au/ transcultural-mentalhealth-centre

The $3.2 million investment over four years is part of the $130 million COVID-19 Mental Health Recovery package and builds on the $2.68 billion 2022-23 NSW Mental Health Budget, the largest mental health investment in the state’s history.

INTERNATIONAL STARS CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF THE PARKES ELVIS FESTIVAL

Five days of incredible live entertainment ft for the King will mark the 30th anniversary of the Parkes Elvis Festival, thanks to a $243,500 investment from the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the funding boost from Round Two of the Regional Events Acceleration Fund would help the festival build on its success as one of the largest events in regional NSW.

“With the biggest names in Australian Rock and Roll, vibrant costumes and music memorabilia it’s easy to see why the crowds can’t stop falling in love with the Parkes Elvis Festival,” Mr Toole said.

“In its 30th year this new funding has taken the festival to the next level, supporting the cost

of high-profle artists and activities across the event and assisting efforts to improve accessibility so

Acceleration Fund is supporting the growth of existing regional events and attracting new major domestic and international events to regional NSW.

“The fund has already supported more than 100 events and attracted an estimated one million visitors to the regions.”

Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the iconic Parkes Elvis Festival would see the town’s population double in size and millions pumped into the local economy.

“It has become a must-see, must-do event for tourist from around Australia and the world. The Liberal and Nationals Government is proud to fund this outstanding event,” Mr Franklin said.

which is why we’ll continue to support events like the Parkes Elvis Festival, so that local regional businesses and communities reap the economic benefts.”

The $40 million Regional Events Acceleration Fund is part of the $3.3 billion Regional Growth Fund,

designed to support growing regional centres, activate local economies and improve services and community infrastructure for regional communities.

For further information, including program guidelines and eligibility criteria, go to: www.nsw. gov.au/REAFund

even more fans can fock to Parkes”.

Mr Toole said the Regional Events

“We’re committed to ensuring rural and regional NSW stays number one in Australia,

Jack Gatto- Elvis impersonator performs at the Cooke Park Main Stage

Following the launch of the annual summer Australian Lamb ad, Aussie Lamb is back to challenge the term “UnAustralian” and remind the world that it’s all our differences, along with our delicious lamb, that unites us.

Research conducted by Australian Lamb found that almost half (45%) of Aussies have been called out for an “Un-Australian” act, while over half (52%) have used the term to describe someone or something. It seems it is most popular amongst Millennials, with the majority (60%) having called someone or something “Un-Australian” or been called it themselves (59%).

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the rise in living costs over the last 12 months have dominated the list of the most “Un-Australian”

things to have happened in 2022. However, aside from the lettuce hitting the headlines, it’s the $34 watermelon causing the most uproar (55%), above both rising rent / property prices (36%) and rising interest rates (32%).

Now though, it seems that these call outs have gone too far.

More than half (53%) of Australians believe that the term “UnAustralian” has become so overused in 2022

– it’s hard to know what is or isn’t Australian anymore. Interestingly, more men than women (61% versus 46%) believe this to be the case.

The latest advert from Australian Lamb imagines an alternate reality which sees people being called out for being “UnAustralian” before being banished to “UnAustralia” – an infinite cultural exile.

In the lifeless desert,

Free solar - savings up to $600 on electricity bills

The NSW Government is ofering a new way to assist people on low incomes with their power bills by installing free solar systems for eligible households in place of their Low Income Household Rebate. This program aims to improve energy afordability by helping households unlock long terms savings on their electricity bills. While this means you will no longer receive the $285 annual rebate on your electricity bill, you could receive up to $600 in savings per year from your new solar system!

The ofer is only available to households that live in the specifed regions and meet the eligibility criteria. When participating in this program households will receive a free, fully installed 3kW solar system in place of their Low Income Household Rebate.

SAE Group are the approved provider, designing and installing solar systems to eligible homes in your region.

To be eligible you must:

- Currently be receiving the Low Income Household Rebate

- Agree not to receive the rebate for ten years

- Own your own home

- Not already have a solar PV system

- Hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card or a Department of Veteran Afairs

Gold Card

- If you are not the registered homeowner, but your spouse is, you may be considered eligible collectively as a household

A 3kW system is designed to generate an average of 12.6kwh per day, which will deliver electricity savings depending on each household’s energy consumption. Managing Director of SAE Group Glen Ashton comments “We know electricity bills continue to place a lot of pressure on households, and we are pleased to be working with the NSW Government to help ease the pressure on low income households.”

SAE Group are an Australian owned and operated organisation with over ten years’ experience in the solar industry. SAE Group are a Clean Energy Council Approved Retailer, and hold accreditations ISO 9001, ISO 45001 for safety and quality systems. Safety is paramount to us, and it our goal to ensure we provide quality solar systems to eligible households that will deliver ongoing savings for many years to come.

Want to fnd out more?

Visit: https://energysaver.nsw.gov.au/solar-low-income-households to check your eligibility and apply online or visit www.saegroup.com.au or call us on 02 66 389 439. The Solar for Low Income Household Ofer is supported by the NSW Government.

we meet Aussies who’ve committed offences from switching off the test cricket, eating a meat pie with a knife and fork, to not knowing the second verse to Khe Sanh. When Lambassador Sam Kekovich appears in a cloud of smoke, alongside a sizzling BBQ and perfectly searing lamb, it’s clear all this “Un-Australian” accusing has gone too far.

Graeme Yardy,

Domestic Market Manager at MLA says:

“The use of “UnAustralian” has got out of control, everything from how you eat your pie to having a wedding on Grand Final day is on the chopping block. Chances are you’ll be viewed as “UnAustralian” by someone! What makes Australia great is that we celebrate our differences. Lamb is famous for bringing Aussies together, so what better way to cut through this division and help us come together over these collective differences than with a good lamb BBQ.”

“As ever, this campaign is topical, tongue in cheek and positions lamb as the meat of choice to unite us.”

The research confirmed that our national foods and eating habits are also sacred, with a Bunnings

with no sausage sizzle (28%), eating a pie with a knife and fork (27%) and toasting fairy bread (24%) all being called out as “Un-Australian”. Our behaviours are also not exempt from scrutiny, with some of the top actions deemed “Un-Australian” being:

1. Admitting to not knowing who Shane Warne is (47%)

2. Having a wedding on Grand Final Day (44%)

3. Supporting New Zealand against ANY other team (39%)

4. Not knowing who’s playing State of Origin (30%)

This years’ ad launched across free to air and subscription TV nationally last night. You can watch the film via the Australian Lamb Facebook and YouTube page or view the content and access delicious lamb recipes at www. australianlamb.com.au.

FRIDAY

THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE

SBS VICELAND, 9.20pm

Can love blossom if you don’t speak the same language? That’s the question posed by this surprisingly charming bilingual dating experiment in which British and Spanish singletons pair up at an estate in Andalucia

MONDAY UNDER COVER

ABC, 8.30pm

The statistics are devastating: women over 55 are the fastest

FRIDAY

JACK REACHER

NBN, 8.30pm

Tom Cruise plays author Lee Child’s titular cop-turneddrifter who becomes part of the investigation when a former army sniper takes the rap for gunning down ve innocent people. But as defence lawyer Rosamund Pike quickly discovers, Reacher may prove to be more trouble than he’s worth. Directed and adapted from the ninth Reacher novel One Shot by Oscar-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects), the rst movie outing for Child’s vigilante hero should do for Cruise what Taken did for Liam Neeson.

FRIDAY, January

6.00 News. 9.00 News. 10.00

For Superhuman. (PG, R) 11.05 Australia Remastered. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Les Misérables. (Mv, R) 2.00 London Zoo: An Extraordinary Year. (R) 2.45 Back Roads. (R) 3.15 Gardening Aust. (R) 4.15 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.00 Aust Story. (R) 5.25 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) 5.55 Old People’s Home For 4 Year Olds. (R)

7.00 ABC News. Takes a look at today’s top stories.

7.30 A Grand Royal Design. An inside look at the restoration of Dumfries House, a rundown estate in one of the most deprived parts of the UK.

8.25 Endeavour. (Mav, R) Part 1 of 3. Endeavour plays bodyguard to a soccer star who has been threatened by the IRA, while also getting caught up in an investigation into a bomb attack at an Oxford college that has political rami cations.

9.55 Miniseries: The Accident. (Mals, R) Part 2 of 4.

10.45 ABC Late News.

11.00 Miniseries: Us. (Ml, R)

12.00 Unforgotten. (Mal, R) A corpse is discovered in a scrap yard.

12.50 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)

6.30 SBS World News.

7.35 Engineering Reborn: 747 Jumbo Jet, Marcel Hotel, National Gallery Of Singapore. (PG) A look at a project involving an old 747.

8.30 Inside Central Station: 3801 Launch. (PGal, R) Narrated by Shane Jacobson.

9.25 How To Build A Nuclear Power Station. (R) Part 1 of 2.

10.35 SBS World News Late.

11.05 Gomorrah. (Malv, R)

1.50 The Kimberley Cruise: The Full Journey. (a, R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 7News Local. 6.30 7News @ 6:30.

7.00 Better Homes And Gardens Summer. Johanna Griggs catches up with Aimee Stanton, a former House Rules contestant who builds tiny homes. Adam Dovile builds a sur oard rack. Ed Halmagyi prepares a beef tagine.

8.30 MOVIE: The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King. (2003, Mv, R) The quest to destroy the One Ring nears its end with Frodo, Samwise and Gollum entering the land of Mordor. Their companions have their own challenges to face, as they try to rally the free races against Sauron. Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin. 12.30 Home Shopping.

This emotional documentary from director The Coming Back Out Ball ) reveals the faces behind these alarming numbers. Narrated by homegrown Hollywood star Margot Robbie, it’s a compelling, heartbreaking insight into the often secret lives of a diverse group of 10 women from around Australia. Shattering myths and misconceptions of homelessness, it opens viewers’ eyes to life’s complications and how society has let these women down.

6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current A air.

7.30 Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo: Halloween. (PG) Zoo’s sta x-ray an elephant’s feet.

8.30 MOVIE: Jack Reacher. (2012, Mlv, R) A former US Army military police o cer investigates the shooting of ve innocent civilians by a sniper. Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Jai Courtney. 11.00 Council Of Dads. (PGa) 11.50 Tipping Point. (PG, R) 12.40 It’s All Greek To Me. (PGl)

1.05 The Garden Gurus Best Of.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Take Two. (R) 4.30 Global Shop. (R) 5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 5.30 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)

6.30 The Project. Special guest is Cosentino.

7.30 The Graham Norton Show. (R) Graham Norton is joined on the red couch by actors Jamie Dornan and James Norton.

9.30 Just For Laughs Australia. (Mls, R) Stand-up comedy performances from comedians from around the world, including Harley Breen, Cassie Workman and Bev Killick, recorded at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre. Hosted by Nath Valvo.

10.00 Just For Laughs Uncut. (MA15+ls, R) Hosted by Nikki Osborne.

10.30 Steph Tisdell: Identity Steft. (MA15+l, R) A performance by Steph Tisdell. 11.30 The Project. (R)

12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 6am

6am Morning Programs. 8.30 Million Dollar Minute. 9.00 DVine Living. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon Emmerdale. 12.30 Coronation Street. 1.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 The Great Australian Doorstep. 2.30 Million Dollar Minute. 3.30 Medical Emergency. 4.00 Surf Patrol. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Border Security: International. 8.30 Escape To The Country. 10.30 Australia’s Big Backyards. 11.30 Late Programs.

6am TV Shop: Home Shopping. 7.00 Cre o Dollar Ministries. 7.30

6am Home Shopping. 8.00 Healthy Homes Australia. 8.30 Roads Less Travelled. 9.00 iFish. 9.30 Reel Action. 10.00 The Love Boat. 11.00 Star Trek: The Next Generation. Noon MacGyver. 2.00 Diagnosis Murder. 3.00 Bondi Rescue. 3.30 The Love Boat. 4.30 Star Trek: The Next Generation. 5.30 JAG. 6.30 Scorpion. 7.30 Bull. 8.30 NCIS. 9.25 NCIS: Los Angeles. 10.20 Evil. 11.15 Star Trek: Discovery. 12.45am Shopping. 2.15 Late Programs.

11.30 Nadiya’s Time

Noon Gok Wan’s Easy Asian. 12.30 Choccywoccy. 1.30 From Scratch. 2.30 Cook’s Pantry. 3.00 Food Lover’s Guide. 3.30 Simply Raymond Blanc. 4.30 Hairy Bikers Choc Challenge. 5.30 Cook And The Chef. 6.30 Come Dine With Me Daytime. 7.00 The Cook Up. 7.30 Rick Stein’s Cornwall. 8.00 This Is Mexico. 8.30 Heston’s Feasts. 9.30 River Cottage Australia. 10.30 The Wine Show. 11.30 Late Programs.

Late Programs.

Colbert.

NBL Slam. 7.30 Seinfeld. 9.00 Becker. 10.00 The Middle. 11.30 The King Of Queens. 12.30pm Frasier. 1.30 Seinfeld. 3.00 The King Of Queens. 4.00 Becker. 5.00 Frasier. 6.00 Friends. 8.00 The Big Bang Theory. 9.30 Two And A Half Men. 10.30 Nancy Drew. 11.30 Frasier. Midnight Home Shopping. 1.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. 2.30 James Corden. 3.30 Becker. 4.30 Shopping. 5.30 Joseph Prince.

(53) NITV (34)

MARGARET ROLLINGS STORY PART 3

coninued from ED128 (22/12/2022)

It was sometime after this trip to Victoria that Mum mentioned to dad, “When we build a house, I would like it to be just like the one I saw when we visited Victoria”.

In 1949, and now a family of four, mum’s wish for her own home was realized. Our property was to be named ‘Flemington’, a blend of mum’s maiden name ‘Fleming’ and the famous race course in Melbourne, ‘Flemington’, no doubt due to the fact that the admirable, Chester Manifold was such a prominent fgure in the racing industry. To this day the (Sir) Chester

along with services.

Beautiful grounds in a charming setting made Kyogle Memorial Hospital a standout feature. The Kyogle Council Chambers was,

symbol of the formidable team that mum and dad made in the dairy industry and life in general.

Parents continually

of-the-art public building set amid green lawns and decorative fowering trees thus making a handsome contribution to our burgeoning town

The newly opened Kyogle High School, offered me a second to none senior secondary education. The school motto, nihil sin labore, translating to nothing without hard labour reinforced what we were taught at home. A second European language, French, was available with Latin for the top rung students. I opted for Mathematics III, a watered-down version of the traditional Mathematics I and II.

The sporting highlight of the year was the Kearney Cup (a tripartite event between Kyogle, Mullumbimby and Ballina High Schools). Sport was given top priority and participation by all was highly encouraged, not only by gifted students.

pony club, rodeos, as well three-day events, and dressage (often described as ‘horse ballet’) competitions. I considered myself very fortunate to be given the opportunity to attend the inaugural Dressage/ Three Day Eventing

knowledge of English, he was responsible for the long and laborious process of translating the horse Manual on Classic Riding Principles from German to English.

Continually on the look-out for a good sort, our dear friends, George

Manifold Stakes are held annually on 6th January at ‘Flemington’ Racecourse.

Kyogle at the turn of the twentieth century mushroomed into existence, almost with the rapidity of a gold rush settlement. Post Second World War saw Kyogle in its heyday, the period of great growth, popularity, vigor, and prosperity. It was booming. The infrastructure had improved enormously

and still is an impressive public building, the rooms of which are ftted with red cedar and other beautiful Big Scrub timbers for which the Shire is so justly famous.

I am sitting reminiscing, committing to paper, this brief recount of my life, with my grandparent’s intricately carved, late Victorian pine mirror back sideboard rising behind me. Perhaps as a

remind us, “Schooldays are the best days of your life”. Unfortunately, this does not become apparent until they’re over! Leaving school for Ann and I, without completing the Leaving Certifcate was nonnegotiable, at the newly opened High School (in 1955) with 321 students and headmaster, Mr. John Galbraith at the helm. Yet another state-

Debating activities provided a great way for students to develop self-confdence, respect for others and improve their general knowledge. Although, not on my agenda, I marveled at my classmate’s ability to express themselves clearly and succinctly, enjoying the lively interaction between the opposing teams.

Like my mother before me, I was ‘born on a horse’. As a result, academic pursuits were tempered with attendance at agricultural shows,

Clinic in Quirindi (over 500 kilometres from Kyogle) under the instruction of the very gifted Hungarian instructor, Mr. Kalman de Jurenak. Kalman, fondly referred to as Karl, who arrived in Australia after the Second World War. He was a genius at his craft. With a very limited

and Flory Clark from Smiths Creek offered us a big chestnut we christened Red. The only problem was he had developed very nasty saddle sores. Following a long ride home from Smiths Creek bareback by me, Big Red joined our stable. No sooner said than done, our friend, the local doctor,

Photograph copied from the 1956 publication “Kyogle” with the Latin proverb ‘Progredere ne Regredere’ meaning ‘forever forward, Never back’ on the banner beneath the Kyogle crest. This was a proud moment for our family. – photo by Parker Studios, Kyogle

Margaret on ‘Blue Dandy’, leading Arabee, both successful Trustum-bred ponies.

Kyogle High School “A” Grade Hockey Team. I went on to play in the Armed Forces Team in Singapore

Kyogle memorial Hospital

and wartime hero for his role in the Dam Busters, Dr. John Binnie, expertly performed surgery and Red was quickly on the road to recovery.

Meanwhile I was approaching my fnal year at school and Red was showing potential as a show jumper, so we offered him to Casino’s well known and successful

into the Queensland Equestrian Hall of Fame in Toowoomba. Congratulations Guy. “Education is the key to success” was dad’s catch cry. Never actually verbalized, it was made very clear to Ann and me that a career away from the farm was mandatory! Add to that the captivating stories of my sister Ann’s new

local Kyogle Examiner. An advertisement calling for applicants to enlist in the Women’s Royal Australian Naval

myriad of application forms necessary and was soon off to the Naval Recruiting Offce, Kangaroo

and security clearances happening in the background.

The navy was all that I had imagined and

unyielding discipline did not faze me. The twelve-week basic training completed with fying colours and I was

show jump rider, Guy Creighton who took us up on the offer, changed his name to Sundowner and as they say, the rest was history. Sundowner went on to win many accolades and in 2018 Guy received the honor of being the frst person inducted

career in nursing and exciting away-from-thefarm entertainment she was bringing home from the big city, and I wasn’t going to miss the boat, or the ship in my case.

The Year is 1962 JOIN THE NAVY, were the words that leapt off the page in the

Service. Seriously serendipitous, for a teenager like me, who rarely picked up a newspaper. I decided then and there that this was to be my career path.

I set about flling in a

Point, Brisbane to sit exhaustive face to face interviews with 4 poker faced naval recruitment staff, wade through puzzling aptitude tests, be subjected to prolonged health checks, character references

more! Basic training for a probationary period of 12 weeks at HMAS Cerberus on the Mornington Peninsula was full on.

Transitioning from growing up on a dairy farm to a military institution based on

on my way to hone my newly acquired morse code skills at HMAS Harman, Queanbeyan, near Canberra. However, change was in the air.

Continued in the next edition (ED132) of The Northern Rivers Times.

In the same vein as the naming of our property ‘Flemington’, my frst show pony was called ‘Chester’, a blend of Chester

Guy Creighton on Sundowner, winning the Puissance in Hobart with the height at six feet four inches.

Margaret jumps Blue Dandy under Jim’s watchful eye at ‘Flemington’

Copied from this year’s front page article in the Adelaide Advertiser commemorating ANZAC Day featuring an interview with Ann about her tour of duty whilst enlisted in the RAANC to Vietnam, 1969.We are all very proud of Ann’s achievements.

In Darwin playing hockey for the Armed Forces Team, 1966.

A BUMPER YEAR FOR BIOSECURITY

Once again, it has been a busy year on the frontline for Australia’s biosecurity system, with over 238,000 biosecurity risk items intercepted at airports and an additional 32,800 biosecurity risk items stopped in mail centres.

Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Australia’s Director of Biosecurity, Andrew Metcalfe AO, said it was important to check what is safe to bring into Australia when going on holidays overseas or buying goods online.

“If there’s one thing we’ve seen this year, it’s that Australians care about biosecurity and want to do the right thing to keep our country safe,” Mr Metcalfe said.

“This Christmas, we are asking that Australians continue to do the right thing at the border.

“If you have friends or family overseas who want to send gifts, make sure they know the rules as well. And if you’re not sure, declare it or don’t bring it in.

“Our frontline biosecurity offcers and our biosecurity detector dogs go above and beyond to protect Australia’s agricultural industries, our food supply chain, and our unique way of life.

“I want to sincerely thank our offcers who work day and night to keep this country safe.”

Deputy Secretary

of Biosecurity and Compliance, Dr Chris Locke, said serious penalties applied to those putting Australian biosecurity at risk.

“There have been six visa cancellations on biosecurity grounds across our international airports and 861 international travellers were issued with high penalty infringement notices of $2,664 for not declaring high biosecurity risk items,” Dr Locke said.

“Biosecurity offcers have introduced new biosecurity risk measures to help keep Australia free from diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD),

African swine fever (ASF), and lumpy skin disease (LSD).

“Some of the risk material people tried to bring into the country through the post included a whole leg of ham with the trotter still on, live leeches, a wooden cricket bat with live borers and wallaby meat.

“Our biosecurity offcers also found brown marmorated stink bugs in the mail and in people’s luggage, and live khapra beetle larvae on cardamom pods.

“This year we celebrated 30 years of our detector dog program, and in the 2022-23 budget the

Australian Government committed $11.7 million dollars to the program.

“This extra funding will allow for 20 detector dogs and 20 handlers, who will be on the frontline of our biosecurity system across travellers, mail and cargo.

“And it’s a worthy investment. This year our detector dog teams intercepted around 21,000 biosecurity risk items from travellers and in the mail.

“While most people do the right thing and either leave their risk items behind or declare them on arrival, there are some people who are prepared to threaten

Australia’s biosecurity by trying to conceal high risk goods.

“The Australian Government takes these threats to our biosecurity very seriously. Recently, the Biosecurity Act 2015 was amended so the penalties and sentencing ft the crime.

“People who attempt to conceal high risk goods, including within their luggage, could face civil penalties of up to 1,200 penalty units, or $266,400. If hit with an infringement notice, they may have to pay up to $4,440.

“Operators and persons in charge of aircrafts and vessels who do not comply with the

requirements will be subject to sanctions of up to $222,000 for an individual or $1.1 million for corporate bodies.”

Fast facts:

• Visa cancelations included two international visitors who arrived in Perth.

• One of the travellers failed to declare 240 grams of non-commercially packaged beef, 1890 grams of shrimp with chili paste, 395 grams of dried shrimp, 75 grams of powdered shrimp, 360 grams of fsh noodle paste, and 750 grams of other plant and fruit materials in their luggage.

• The second traveller failed to declare 490 grams of beef, 350 grams of chicken, 210 grams of dried fsh, 150 grams of chili onion paste and 625 grams of unknown materials with dry chili.

• Both received $2664 infringement notices and had their visas cancelled.

• Another passenger had their visa cancelled and received a $2664 infringement notice after attempting to bring eggs, a cob of corn and home-grown dried vegetable material into Australia, hidden in commercial packaging.

• Penalty units will increase from 1 January 2023, which will see an increase to all infringement notices issued.

Wallaby meat

PROPERTY MARKET BRACING FOR CHINESE INVESTMENT SURGE

Chinese investors lose confdence in chinese property market

An Australian property leader says Australia is about to be hit with a new billion dollar round of Chinese property investors feeing the freefall in the Chinese property market and the end result will be bad news for Australia’s rental market.

Kevin Young says his Chinese property connections –established over the last 40 years – say economic uncertainty in the Chinese property market in 2022 is driving Chinese investors to Australia.

Kevin Young is President of Property Club (established 1994) Australia’s largest independent property advisory membership group with over 20,000 members Australia wide.

The Chinese Government poured 2.6 trillion yuan (A$551billion) into propping up major Chinese property developers like Evergrande in 2022.

“The problems in the Chinese property market are far from over,” Mr Young said.

“Chinese property investors want out and they are also concerned that the Chinese Government has not been able to sort its COVID problems and the threat of war against Taiwan.

”The new round of Chinese investors in 2023 will drive up prices

and that means they will drive up rentals prices.”

With Australia gaining more than 500 overseas migrants every day at a time when the rental housing market is nearly at breaking point in nearly all major capital cities, Mr Young is calling on Federal politicians to establish an inquiry into Australia’s interim and long-term migration needs.

“The average national

rental vacancy in Australia is just 1 per cent and in some capital cities such as Perth it has fallen below 0.5 per cent.

“In addition, the latest national rental fgures show that average asking rents in Australian capital cities have surged by more than 20 per cent during the past year.

“Rental prices in even regional towns are on the rise and this will only get worse because of

the recent boost by the Federal Government to the migration program means that nearly 200,000 additional migrants for this fnancial year.

“This fgure is nearly double the average annual intake of overseas migrants during the post war migration program from 1946 to 2006.

“Over 100000 of these new migrants are expected to arrive in

Sydney and Melbourne where the rental markets are beginning to tighten.

“There will also be a signifcant infow of new migrants to other cities such as Adelaide, Hobart, Perth and Brisbane where the rental market is already fercely competitive because of a lack of housing supply.

“Property Club believes that this increase in migration will

undermine Australia’s quality of life by making it much harder for people to fnd an affordable rental property.

“Having a roof over your head is the basic requirement of a developed country but unfortunately too many Australians are effectively homeless because they cannot fnd an affordable rental property.

“Increase migration will also put further pressure on demand for hospital beds and school places as well as infrastructure that will again undermine Australia’s quality of life.

“Property Club is calling for a national debate on migration and the establishment of a Federal Parliamentary inquiry.

“We would recommend that the Federal Government can establish a bi- partisan enquiry into the issue. If they fail to do so, then the Opposition can establish an enquiry in the Senate” he said.

OVERSEAS NET POPULATION GAIN 2021/2022

NSW – a net increase of 62,210 people Vic. – increase of 55,630 Qld – increase of 23,430 SA – increase of 12,080 WA – increase of 9,500 Tas. – increase of 2,740 NT – increase of 2,130 ACT – increase of 3,120

COOL NEW KONA BREAKS COVER

A BATUR WAY TO PRODUCE GOLD

By CHRIS RILEY

We’re not huge fans of the current Hyundai Kona, with its abundance of plastic cladding -but the next one looks amazing.

Hyundai says the futuristic design is derived from EVs, with a front dominated by what it calls a ‘Seamless Horizon Lamp’ which stretches right across the top of the bonnet and in the EV version s pixelated.

There’s another one at the rear, along with a high-mounted stop light that is integrated seamlessly with the satin chrome moulding of the spoiler.

Despite its futuristic appearance, however, Hyundai says the all-new Kona is still very much the SUV.

The dynamic styling is accentuated by bold sculpted wheel arch cladding that incorporates the headlights and tail lights, reinforcing Kona’s robust underpinning.

The style varies depending on the powertrain, with EV, Hybrid, and conventional ICE powered versions.

The EV gets pixel graphic details on the

intake grille and rear bumper, a pixel-inspired 19-inch alloy design, black embracing line and optional black side mirrors and roof.

The ICE and HEV versions share a bold and rugged bumper and skid plate design, and black wheel arch cladding.

N Line boasts optional black side mirrors and roof, wing-type spoiler, more aggressive front, and rear designs with wing-shaped bumper to emphasise a lower stance, distinctive 19-inch alloys, twin muffer and silver side skirt.

Hyundai’s SangYup Lee said Kona had evolved in every respect to embrace a wider range of diversity, to become a true lifestyle supporter.

It is a larger yet still urban-centric SUV with bolder styling that conveys a more dynamic road presence and drivercentric interior.

To provide maximised ‘living space’ for customers, the all-new model is 150mm longer

and 25mm wider, with a 60mm longer wheelbase (distance between axles).

The latter should deliver more rear legroom.

Unlike most vehicles with a variety of powertrains, Kona was designed from the ground up as an EV and the design was then adapted for the ICE, HEV and N Line models.

This unconventional approach allowed Hyundai to bring techcentric design thinking to all Kona versions.

The EV-derived universal architecture accommodates a sporty layout with foating horizontal C-Pad to emphasise Kona’s slim and wide interior, providing a versatile space for driver and passengers.

Dual 12.3-inch displays and foating module impart a hi-tech impression, with ambient lighting to enhance the user experience and convenience.

With the column type shift-by-wire relocated from the centre console to behind the steering wheel, it provides an uncluttered layout and additional space for belongings in the central tunnel.

The second-row Curve-less Bench Seat reinforces Kona’s 21st century urban design aesthetic.

This living space offers a unique experience with maximum usability, comfort, and convenience. Behind the second row is a maximised cargo space.

That’s all the detail we have for the moment, but the new model is expected to arrive sometime in 2023.

By CHRIS RILEY

Solid gold parts have been 3D-printed for use in the exclusive Bentley Mulliner Batur.

It’s believed to be the frst time the process has been used in the automotive industry.

The ‘additive manufacturing’ (AM) technique adds up to 210 grams of 18ct yellow gold to the coachbuilt coupe, the fastest Bentley in the company’s 103-year history.

The W12-engined Batur is restricted to just 18 examples, all of which have already been sold to Mulliner clients at £1.65m each (excluding taxes and options), almost $3 million Australian dollars.

The optional, 3D printed gold includes key driver touch points, such as the Charisma Dial, encircling the start/ stop button and used to change driver modes.

Gold is also applied to Bentley’s iconic Organ Stop vent controls on the dashboard, as well as a gold insert marker on the steering wheel itself.

Bentley Mulliner has worked with renowned goldsmiths Cooksongold to craft the unique Batur parts.

A member of the Heirmerle + Meule Group, Cooksongold is based in the historic Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham, England, where jewellery has been made for centuries.

The special collaboration highlights Bentley’s ability to combine new, advanced manufacturing technologies with more

traditional materials and fnishing techniques.

All the sustainably sourced gold is 100 per cent recycled from old jewellery, ground into a fne powder needed for the 3D printing technique.

Recycling ensures there is no environmental impact from mining for new precious metals. It also refects Bentley’s commitment to a more sustainable future and is in line with the company’s Beyond100 strategy, to be end-toend carbon neutral by 2030.

Every 3D gold part in the Batur is digitally designed using CAD models, before a printing process with laser melting printers. Each is then hand fnished by skilled artisan jewellers, using traditional techniques to achieve the polish and quality that is synonymous with a Bentley.

All parts produced for the Batur are hallmarked in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter as a sign of having solid material authenticity.

Additionally, any parts manufactured in 2022 also receive the Jubilee hallmark, celebrating the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee year.

In February, Bentley committed a further £3

million investment to double AM capacity at the Crewe factory, converting 3D CAD models into physical parts.

Future applications will facilitate more low volume manufacturing components and bespoke customer personalisation - including the pioneering use of 3D printed gold in a range of new generation models.

Batur’s 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine generates more than 544kW, with chassis technology that includes eLSD, four-wheel steering and 48V electric active anti-roll bars to match performance.

The coupe offers an endless array of options, including parts crafted in titanium, sustainable Natural Fibre composites and even low-carbon leather sourced from Scotland.

Member of the Board for Research and Development at Bentley Motors, Dr Matthias Rabe, said Bentley’s approach to additive manufacturing is industry leading, evident through our pioneering use of a luxury metal in the design and development process of the Batur.

New Mulliner Batur is the most powerful and most expensive Bentley coupe yet

New Hyundai Kona has been given a major styling makeover

CUPRA V OFFERS BETTER VALUE TO ITS LEON RANGE

MORE POWER, LESS FUEL FROM NEW HAVAL JOLION S

By ALISTAIR KENNEDY

Spanish-based carmaker, Cupra, has added an entry level variant to its Leon hot-hatch range. Priced at a recommended $43,990, the new Leon V undercuts the previous cheapest VZ variant by $9000.

The Cupra brand is still largely unknown in Australia. A Volkswagen affliate it’s the highperformance division of SEAT and was established in 2018 as a stand-alone brand.

Initially there are three models in the Australian line-up: Formentor crossover SUV, Ateca SUV and Leon hatchback.

The Cupra Leon V will be available to order in January ahead of frst deliveries during the frst half of 2023.

The Leon V is powered by a 140kW / 320Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, with a sevenspeed Direct Shift

Gearbox (DSG) automatic transmission.

The more powerful Leon VZ and VZe variants get 180kW with the high-performance VZx reaching 221kW.

Despite its lower price equipment levels in the Leon V are impressive and LED headlights, fog lamps with cornering function, rear tinted windows, rear spoiler, keyless entry / start, heated power folding mirrors, black interior headliner, ambient light interior, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, sports seats, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, illuminated scuff plates, light and rain sensor and three-zone climate control.

Infotainment technology includes a 12-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation

and a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit as well as wireless phone charging, wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and four USB-C ports.

Safety technology includes Light Assist (automatic high beam), Travel Assist incorporating semiautonomous Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Assist, Park Assist, Side Assist, Driver Fatigue Monitor, Emergency Assist and rear camera.

Driveaway pricing is available at $47,990.

Options include a $2450 Leather and Sound Package, powered sunroof ($1800) and premium metallic paint ($475).

All Cupra models get a fve-year, unlimited kilometre standard warranty.

By ALISTAIR KENNEDY

Chinese carmaker GMW / Haval has added a new variant to its Jolion small SUV that provides extra grunt but uses less fuel than the other models in its range.

The new Jolion S gets these twin benefts a new 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine which delivers 130kW and 270Nm, a 20kW / 50Nm increase over the rest of the Jolion range.

The new engine is mated to GWM’s seven-speed dual clutch transmission and provides combined cycle fuel consumption of 7.5 litres per 100km, an improvement of 0.6 litres per 100km compared to the current 1.5L turbocharged engine.

Jolion S also gets a new independent multilink rear suspension to replace the existing torsion beam setup in the other Jolion models.

Updates for the Jolion S go beyond what’s under the skin with the adoption of unique exterior design elements,

FJ HOLDEN

The FJ Holden was launched in October 1953, and although not the frst Holden but an updated version of a car that was nearly fve years old it has become the icon of Australia in the 50s and 60s. The FJ introduced the long-running Holden policy of facelifting. No glassware or external sheet metal was changed, the main styling changes being a new grille, different hubcaps and bumper bars and more chrome on the body.

Few changes were made to the mechanics; both engine and gearbox from the 48-215 were retained

but some suspension improvements were made by replacing the leveraction cast-iron shock absorbers at the rear with a more durable telescopic type, adjustable differential centre and new axle shafts. Many of the limitations of its predecessor were retained including the 6-volt electrical system, manifold vacuum-operated windscreen wipers (with no washers), no demister, no heater, no blinkers, an ornamental handbrake and so on. Other items we today consider as standard such as a radio and instrumentation for oil pressure,

temperature, etc were still listed as add on accessories even in the so-called FJ Special or deluxe model.

In spite of this in just fve short years it had become the almost universal choice of the most demanding buyers of all: taxi drivers, commercial travellers,

farmers and tradesmen. Sedans came in three versions; the Standard, Special and Business sedans. By the end of 1953 these were joined by a coupe-utility and a panel van body style. The wagon was not included in the range even though

including black alloy wheels, black door mirrors, black roof rails, black side garnish and blacked-out lower front and rear bumpers.

In response to customer feedback, the Jolion S has now adopted hard buttons for AC controls making it easier to adjust cabin temperature while on the move. All other features are consistent with the Jolion Ultra on which the Jolion S is based.

Jolion S, which is based on the ongoing Ultra variant but with a $3000 price premium, comes with new hard buttons for the air-con controls.

It also gets the same list of advanced safety features which are standard across the Jolion range, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and crossroads detection, lane keep assist and departure warning, lane change

assist, blind spot detection, forward collision warning, and traffc sign recognition. New Jolion S is available in fve exterior colours: Hamilton White, Golden Black, Mars Red, Azure Blue, Smoke Grey and the new Tropical Green.

The new Haval Jolion S is priced at $36,990 Driveaway and like all GWM products, is backed by a seven-year / unlimited km warranty with fve years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing.

MODEL RANGE

Jolion 1.5 Premium: $28,490

Jolion 1.5 Lux: $30,990

Jolion 1.5 Ultra: $33,990

Jolion 1.5 S: $36,990 Jolion 1.5 Ultra Hybrid: $40,990

Note: These are driveaway prices and include all government and dealer delivery costs.

prototypes were produced as the factory was fat out keeping up with the demand for the available range. Those who wanted a wagon had to buy a panel van and a conversion kit which contained windows and a rear seat in a sort of D-I-Y wagon deal.

The FJ was the frst Holden to be exported with 100 per month going to NZ by 1955; by the early 1960s Holdens were going to over 50 countries, including Japan with one in every four earmarked for export. The FJ offered a greater list of options than its predecessor including a

range of 12 colours, a more elaborate interior with dualcoloured door trims on the Special which also featured armrests and a cigarette lighter. It also came in a two-tone exterior colour scheme with more chrome inside and out.

Although now looking dated compared with newer models from other manufacturers, it still offered great value for money, an unbeatable reputation for ruggedness and continued to sell well until July 1956 when it moved over for the more modern, Oz-designed FE model.

Cupra Leon V is an affordable new option for hot hatch buyers

New Haval Jolion S features black exterior design elements

The iconic 1953 FJ Holden

CHAOS WALKING (M) 120m

Thu: 12:40pm, 3:10pm, 5:20pm

Fri, Sun: 12:10pm, 2:45pm, 7:35pm Sat: 12:50pm, 3:45pm, 8:20pm Tue, Wed: 1:00pm

CRISIS (MA15+) 130m

Thu: 10:40am, 2:50pm, 7:25pm

Fri, Sun: 10:10am, 2:20pm, 7:20pm Sat: 10:45am, 1:15pm, 6:00pm Tue, Wed: 10:40am

NOMADLAND (M) 120m

Thu: 10:30am, 1:00pm, 7:35pm Fri, Sun: 10:00am, 12:30pm, 7:10pm Sat: 10:30am, 1:30pm, 6:15pm Tue, Wed: 10:30am, 1:00pm

RAYA & THE LAST DRAGON (PG) 125m

Thu: 10:30am, 3:15pm, 5:35pm

Fri, Sun: 10:15am, 3:15pm, 5:00pm

Sat: 11:00am, 3:10pm, 5:40pm Tue, Wed: 10:45am

THE LITTLE THINGS (M) 138m

Thu: 12:45pm, 5:10pm; Fri, Sun: 12:40pm, 4:40pm Sat: 3:40pm, 8:00pm; Tue, Wed: 12:40pm

WRONG TURN (MA15+) 112m Thu: 7:50pm; Fri, Sun: 5:30pm; Sat: 8:30pm RATINGS: TBC:

Evans Head

On the water

Water is a way of life in this sleepy town. e calm waters of the estuary that divides the town are ideal for kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding. Inexperienced surfers will love Evans Head Beach because it’s protected from southeast swells that generate big waves elsewhere. In the right conditions the breakwall creates a good wave.

Airforce Beach is a long stretch popular with 4WD enthusiasts, beach anglers and dog owners. Another popular waterway for paddling is Jerusalem Creek, in the Bundjalung National Park on the

southern side of town. ere’s a local shing eet, so you can buy fresh caught prawns, crabs and sh every day from the Evans Head Fishermen’s Co-op near the marina.

National parks

Evans Head is surrounded by national park – Broadwater to the north and Bundjalung to the south. ere are walking trails, freshwater lagoons, sprawling wetlands and thousands of birds. Keep an eye out for koalas in the treetops on the Gummigurrah walking track, a 3.3km loop in the Bundjalung National Park.

ere are spectacular coastal views from Razorback Lookout and Goanna Headland, which has a deep spiritual connection with the local Aboriginal people. You can spot humpback and other whales during their annual migration, and pods of dolphins frolic in the waves along the sandy beaches.

Local favourites

e area’s ne shing is celebrated at the Evans Head Fishing Classic, a tournament held every Winter school holidays that attracts shers of all ages and experiences. Check out the events calendar for more fun,

including the youth festival Crankfest and aviation shows.

You’ll nd fascinating military heritage here too. e heritage-listed aerodrome was one of the largest Royal Australian Air Force training bases in World War II. A collection of military aircra is in the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Museum and you can explore the history further at Evans Head Living Museum.

Koinonia by the Sea Hotel Illawong

First Japanese encephalitis case this summer identified

Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus infection has been identifed in a Lake Cargelligo resident, the frst NSW case of JE this mosquito season.

The case is in an older man from Lake Cargelligo who is likely to have acquired the infection in early November. He is continuing to recover at home from an unrelated illness.

NSW Health Executive Director, Dr Jeremy McAnulty said the detection of JE in the Lachlan Shire is a timely reminder to locals and visitors to the area to be especially vigilant and safeguard themselves against mosquito bites this summer.

“Mosquitoes in NSW can carry a range of viruses, including Murray Valley Encephalitis virus, Kunjin virus, Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, as well as JE virus.

BOWEN THERAPY

For further information on JE virus and ways to protect yourself visit: Mosquito borne diseases

to spending time enjoying the outdoors it is vital everyone takes action to prevent mosquito bites by applying repellent regularly to all areas of exposed skin, wearing loose, long-sleeved, light-coloured clothing and covered footwear when outside, staying indoors at dawn and dusk and mosquito proofng homes.”

eucalyptus re-applying repellent regularly, particularly after swimming, being sure to always apply sunscreen frst and then apply repellent using insecticide sprays, vapour dispensing units and mosquito coils to repel mosquitos (mosquito coils should only be used outside).

Vaccine is only available for JE, so avoiding mosquito bites is the most important way of preventing these infections,” Dr McAnulty said.

“As the summer holidays approach and people look forward

Dr McAnulty also reminded the community that people aged two months or older who live or routinely work in at risk Local Government Areas are eligible for free vaccination if they are regularly outdoors for long periods or assisting with the food clean up. Everyone staying in the community is urged to take actions to prevent mosquito bites to protect against all mosquito-borne viruses. Protect yourself and your family by: covering openings such as windows and doors with insect screens and checking there are no have gaps in them removing items that might collect water (such as old tyres, empty pots) outside your house where mosquitoes can breed improving drainage on your property so that water does not become stagnant wearing light, loose-ftting long-sleeved shirts, long pants and covered footwear and socks, especially around dusk and dawn applying repellent to all areas of exposed skin, using repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon

NSW Health is working with the local council to resupply the community with insect repellent and ensure signage and local mosquito control measures are put in place where necessary. Local recreation services have been supplied with additional repellent.

JE vaccination clinics are being planned by the Murrumbidgee Local Health District for Lake Cargelligo in early January. The district will work closely with the local general practitioner and keep the community advised.

Supply of JE vaccine continues to be severely constrained in Australia. Nevertheless, people who are eligible for vaccination in the 41 higher risk LGAs are urged to speak to their GP or pharmacist about vaccination with the supply available.

Additional vaccines are expected to arrive in the frst part of 2023

Grape Expectations by Max Crus

Talkin’ about a resolution

“Wow”, we always say at new year, “hasn’t it gone quickly”.

2022 is over and you still haven’t fnished everything you set out to do, maybe not even started some, not the least last year’s new year’s resolutions, which is a blessing because you can now just trot them out and try again. Who will know? Indeed YOU probably don’t even remember what they were.

But that’s irrelevant, you must still try.

Pretty sure last year’s resolution in our household was “waste less food”.

Judging by the state of the fridge now, we have failed miserably, perhaps even gone backwards.

Where’s a National Party PR person when you need them?

However, while the situation is undoubtedly worse – for our household and the Nationals – I have identifed the real issue and it’s not with

insuffcient recipes for leftovers, which certainly has become harder since we frst identifed the problem.

Sure, soggy, limp herbs disappear magically in a curry, as do soggy, limp vegetables which blend seamlessly into juice quite quickly, and the cheese is fne if you leave a big margin when excising the mould, much as you would a melanoma.

The soggy, limp crackers you put it on are only slightly less easily tolerated, and to be honest they’re probably best just left there to see what happens or blended with the soggy, limp cashews to bolster the hummus which is only a couple of weeks out of date and still looks fne if you scrape the crust off.

You can slow roast soggy, limp carrots and celery and then spray them with that oil that’s only a year out of date before grilling them to harden

them up to dip in that hummus too.

Yes, okay, using up stuff is shutting the fridge door after the horseradish has moulded, and the smarter way to attack the issue would be at the source; Ms L. herself and her relentless need to snaffe up supermarket bargains before they go bad and get thrown out, an irony not lost on the rest of us.

However as everyone knows, since the government reduced the number of free visits to mental health professionals, another recipe book would be far cheaper.

So New Years was at our place this year, you were all invited and there was no need to bring a plate, there was was plenty to go ‘round.

Jansz Tasmania Vintage Rosé 2018 $54

One of the most reliable and best value pink bubbles, if not any bubbles, on the shelf. Those addicted to NV champagne because of the name should wake up to themselves and get two bottles of this instead.

Hancock and Hancock McLaren Vale Sparkling Shiraz Cuvee NV, $22.

There’s nothing better with which to show off on New Year’s Eve than a red bubbles, except another red bubbles. Just aim the bottle away from anything white. 9.2/10.

Margan Wines Hunter Valley ‘La Nina’ Sparkling Rosé, $35. How brave is that, putting La Nina on a label, but they’re unlikely to sell any in food affected areas, which is just about everywhere at the moment. Just the right amount of confection and a lovely wine with which to celebrate La Nina’s passing. 9.4/10.

Shaw Wines Canberra Sparkling Cuvée 2021, $32. Quite sharp and bright unlike many things from Canberra, but the ideal thing with which to celebrate the change of pace brought about by the election of our current PM. Or if that’s something to commiserate, ohh, diddums, suck it up. 9.3/10.

Paracombe Adelaide Hills A Trio of Pinots (Gris, Noir, Blanc), NV $28. This is an out-there pinot in a number of ways, well, two as

it happens. It’s likely a unique combination of grapes in a bubbly and it tastes unique too. The result is uniquely interesting and at $28 is pretty cheap for such a unique experience.

9.4/10

Meerea Park Hunter Valley Bottle Blonde NV Sparkling, NV, $28.

Suitably frivolous label to be clear in its intent, this is a wine for fun times, like street parades from the balcony with food and friends, yet smart enough to be salubrious too.

9.1/10.

Now, what bubbles go best with soggy and limp?

Max Crus

ACROSS 1 Ponti  (4) 3 Railway vehicle (10)

Ghost (7)

Traditions (7)

Music-writer (8)

Member of a Jamaican religious movement (5)

Modern Persia (4)

Large warship (10)

Thin spaghetti (10)

Beatles song, Hey – (4)

Of the sun (5)

Calculated quantity (8)

Consisting of birch wood (7)

Make better (7)

Impeded (10)

Minute particle (4) DOWN

Sit for an artist (4)

Extinct ying reptile (9)

(9)

False gods (5)

Simple (a saying) (4,2,3)

(4)

SUDOKU

1 The stationery company Staedtler is based in which country?

2 In fan ction, what does OTP stand for?

3 Vanessa Hudgens (pictured) plays how many characters in the lm The Princess Switch: Switched Again?

4 What is the literal translation of ‘curriculum vitae’?

5 Such a Fun Age (2019) is the debut novel by which US author?

6 The ENIAC was the world’s rst what?

7 Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched which website in 2001?

8 Tom Canty and Edward VI are characters in which Mark Twain novel? 9 Nephology is the study of what?

10 As of December 2022, which AFL club has the youngest average age (at 23.5 years)?

InInMemoriam Memorial In Memorial

Funeral Notice

John Tabor Galvin

Late of Kyogle. Formerly of Glen Innes and Mudgee.

Passed away peacefully on Wednesday 04 January 2023, aged 82 years.

Dearly loved Husband of Lorraine. Much loved Father and Father-in-law of Wayne & Vanessa, Paul & Kelly and Alan & Penny. Cherished Grandfather of Wyatt, Pippa, Esther, Peter and Patrick.

Much loved Brother of Elizabeth, Sally, Jane (dec.) and Jim (dec.)

Family and friends are warmly invited to attend John’s Graveside Funeral Service to be held at Kyogle Cemetery on Friday 13 January 2023 at 10:30 am.

will be missed

Life is like a Box of Chocolates Love you Dad

PUBLIC NOTICES

Notce of an applicaton to register an area agreement on the Register of Indigenous Land Use Agreements in New South Wales

Notfcaton day: 18 January 2023

NI2022/002 Widjabul Wia-bal Goori naa Land Use Agreement ILUA

Descripton of the agreement area:

The agreement area covers about 1,620 sq km extending north of Lillian Rock and Mount Nardi into Mebbin, Nightcap and Mount Jerusalem Natonal Parks, east of Goonengerry and Alstonville to Montecollum and Possum Creek, south to Ruthven and Bagotville, and west of Bungabbee State Forest and Cawongla

Relevant LGAs: Kyogle Council, Lismore City Council, Richmond Valley Council, and Ballina, Byron and Tweed Shire Councils

The agreement contains the following statements: [Explanatory notes in brackets inserted by the Natonal Natve Title Tribunal]

5.6 Sectons 24EBA(1)(a)(i) and 24EBA(3) of the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth), Regulaton 7(5)(d) of the Natve Title (Indigenous Land Use Agreements) Regulatons 1999 (Cth) and secton 30 of the Natve Title (New South Wales) Act 1994 (NSW) apply to validate all future acts (other than intermediate period acts) atributable to the State that afected natve ttle afer 1 January 1994 and before the date this Agreement is registered on the Register of Indigenous Land Use Agreements.

5.11 Secton 24EBA(1)(a)(i) of the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth), Regulaton 7(5)(d) of the Natve Title (Indigenous Land Use Agreements)

Regulatons 1999 (Cth) and secton 30 of the Natve Title (New South Wales) Act 1994 (NSW) apply to validate all public works atributable to the State that were constructed or established before the registraton date (other than intermediate period acts), and such public works have extnguished natve ttle in relaton to: (a) the land or waters on which the public works were, or are, situated; and (b) adjacent land or waters, the use of which is or was necessary for, or incidental to, the constructon, establishment or operaton of the public works; except those public works situated on the land or waters covered by the agreement as to the operaton of secton 47C of the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth), when an approved determinaton of natve ttle in relaton to that area takes efect.

5.12 All public works that were constructed or established on land or waters in the natve ttle area on and afer the executon date and before this Agreement is registered are valid, to the extent they are constructed or established invalidly because of the existence of natve ttle, provided that they are constructed or established in accordance with the procedures set out in this Agreement or in the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth).

Schedule C

[21.1 For the purposes of secton 24EB(1)(b) of the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth), the following future acts or classes of future acts may be validated, subject to conditons as specifed in clause 23: (a) transfer of land to Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC; (b) appointment of a Crown land manager (including the appointment of Widjabul Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC as a Crown land manager); (c) the additon or amendment of a reserve purpose; (d) the grant, renewal, transfer or extension of: (i) a lease for a term of up to 20 years (including a lease with optons up to a maximum of 20 years); (ii) a lease with a principal term of up to 20 years, with an opton for up to a further 20 years, on the conditon that Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC needs to consent to the exercise of the opton; (iii) a licence for a term of up to 20 years (including licences for shorter terms with subsequent renewals or extensions out to a maximum term of 20 years); (iv) a licence or permission at will, on the conditon that if Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC revokes consent then the licence will be terminated within six months of revocaton (or less tme if that is a conditon imposed by the RNTBC); or (v) an easement that contains a sunset clause under which either: (A) the easement will terminate afer 20 years; or (B) the easement will terminate within 18 months of Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC revoking consent (or less tme if that is a conditon imposed by the RNTBC when giving the original consent); (e) environmental and conservaton agreements; and (f) excluded commercial actvites that would have been a future act under reservaton but the area is covered by the agreement as to the operaton of secton 47C afer the approved determinaton of natve ttle has come into efect]. 21.3 For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Part 3 (Future acts by consent) prevents the grant of an interest covered by subclause 21.1 to Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC.

23.1 For the purposes of secton 24EB(1)(b)(ii) of the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth), the partes consent to the future acts listed in clause 21 (Classes of future acts which require consent) on the conditon that: (a) the State agency provides Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC with notce in writng in relaton to the proposed act and seeking the RNTBC’s consent to the future act; (b) Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC provides notce in writng to the State agency that the RNTBC consents to the proposed future act, which may be given on conditons; or (c) where the proposed future act is a licence for a term and Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC provides its consent to a licence for a term, the duraton of the consent of the RNTBC is to be for the duraton of the term. 23.2 If the conditons are not acceptable (whether immediately or afer engagement between the partes), the relevant party may: (a) choose to validate the future act: (i) under Division 3 of Part 2 of the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth); or (ii) by registraton of a further Indigenous land use agreement which Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC is a party; or (b) elect not to do the proposed future act. approved determinaton of natve ttle means the recogniton of Widjabul Wia-bal’s natve ttle by the Federal Court, as varied from tme to tme, in relaton to: (a) the natve ttle determinaton applicaton (NSD 1213/2018); and/or (b) any natve ttle determinaton applicaton made on behalf of Widjabul Wia-bal in relaton to the non-determined part of the agreement area.

charitable purpose has the same meaning as the Charites Act 2013 (Cth). community purpose means any purpose which may beneft the community or a part of the community and includes: (a) religious purposes; (b) educatonal purposes; (c) charitable purposes; or (d) sportng purposes; whose dominant purpose is non-commercial.

Crown land has the meaning given in Division 1.3 of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW) and includes: (a) any land dedicated for a public purpose; or (b) any land dedicated as a State Forest under Division 1 of Part 3 of the Forestry Act 2012 (NSW). environmental and conservaton agreements includes any of the following: (a) a conservaton agreement under the Natonal Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW); (b) agreements under Part 5 of the Biodiversity Conservaton Act 2016 (NSW), including biodiversity stewardship agreements and conservaton agreements; (c) a wilderness protecton agreement relatng to land under the Wilderness Act 1987 (NSW); and (d) carbon sequestraton or carbon credits agreements. excluded commercial actvity means a dealing by a State agency where that agency receives income for the provision of goods or services or where rent is paid for the grant or creaton of an interest in, or right in relaton to, land which is not an included commercial actvity. [included commercial actvity means any of the following: (a) a dealing where rent or fees: (i) are charged solely on a cost recovery basis; or (ii) are less than $1,000 per annum (adjusted over tme for CPI); (b) a dealing which is granted or issued solely or primarily for: (i) research purposes; (ii) environmental purposes; (iii) community purposes; or (iv) public health or public safety; (c) a dealing for: (i) apiary (beekeeping) purposes; or (ii) charitable purposes where all the profts from the dealing go directly to beneft that purpose; or (d) a dealing which is granted or issued to: (i) Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC; or (ii) a State or local government instrumentality or agency; (e) any of the following: (i) any fee or charges payable for entry into the natonal park estate; (ii) a consent to: (A) occupy a campsite or other accommodaton; or (B) hire a hall or training room for a community purpose or social event; or (iii) a licence to operate commercial tours granted by the Natonal Parks and Wildlife Service; (iv) flming and photography licences granted by the Natonal Parks and Wildlife Service which are under $5,000 per annum (adjusted over tme for CPI) and include an acknowledgment of Widjabul Wia-bal country; (f) a lease of a stock watering place; (g) any dealing in relaton to the secton 47C agreement area; or (h) any interest in land granted or conferred in relaton to the area of Tweed Byron Hinterland Trail].

interest includes any licence, permit, agreement or other authority granted by the State, but does not include the following: (a) any rights or interests granted under the Mining Act 1992 (NSW); (b) any rights or interests granted under the Petroleum (Onshore) Act 1991 (NSW); (c) any other interest which confers a right to mine; (d) a perpetual lease; or (e) an estate in freehold.

[non-determined part of the agreement area means those parcels of land and waters which were excluded from the original natve ttle determinaton applicaton on 6 July 2022 and excluded from the amended natve ttle determinaton applicaton on 19 October 2022.]

[State agency means relevantly: (a) the Minister administering the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW); and (b) the Minister administering the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (NSW); (c) Forestry Corporaton of NSW in relaton to Bungabbee State Forest before that land is transferred to Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC; or (d) the Minister administering the Natonal Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW); and (e) North Coast Local Land Services in relaton to local land services]

Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton RNTBC means the registered natve ttle body corporate identfed in the approved determinaton of natve ttle that holds Widjabul Wia-bal’s natve ttle in trust.

Partes to the agreement and their contact addresses:

Atorney

c/-

Objectons to the registraton of an ILUA where the applicaton for registraton has been certfed: This applicaton for registraton of an indigenous land use agreement (ILUA) has been certfed by NTSCORP Limited, the representatve body for the area. Any person claiming to hold natve ttle to any part of the area covered by the ILUA may object in writng within the notce period to the registraton of this agreement if they think that the applicaton to register the ILUA has not been properly certfed. If you wish to object to the registraton of this agreement (and you hold or claim to hold natve ttle in any part of the area covered by the agreement) you may only object for one reason: in your view, the applicaton to register the ILUA has not been properly certfed, as stated in secton 203BE(5)(a), (b) and (c) of the Natve Title Act 1993 (Cth). You must make this objecton in writng and send it to the Natve Title Registrar, Natonal Natve Title Tribunal, PO Box 12440 George Street Post Shop, Brisbane QLD 4003 by 18 April 2023. Generally, procedural fairness will require that the material you provide is given to certain other persons or organisatons for comment. It may also be taken into account in the

Details of the terms of the agreement are not available from the Natonal Natve Title Tribunal. For assistance and further informaton about this applicaton, call Sylvia Jagtman on 07 3052 4248 or visit www.nnt.gov.au

registraton of other ILUAs and claimant applicatons and thus be provided to relevant persons or organisatons for comment.

Reginald King, Michael Ryan, Queenie Speeding, Ashley Moran, Jenny Smith and Lois Johnson as the Applicant in proceedings NSD1213/2018 and on behalf of the Widjabul Wia-bal; Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporaton (ICN 9856) c/- NTSCORP Limited Level 1, 44-70 Rosehill Street, Redfern NSW 2016

General of NSW; Minister administering the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (NSW); Minister administering the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (NSW); Minister administering the Forestry Act 2012 (NSW); Minister administering the Natonal Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (NSW); Secretary of the Department of Planning and Environment; Chief Executve Ofcer of the Forestry Corporaton of NSW; Chief Executve Ofcer of the Local Land Service

NSW Crown Solicitor’s Ofce, GPO Box 25, Sydney NSW 2001

TRADES, SERVICES

COMMUNITY NOTICES

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The noticeboard is a place for residents and community organisations to fnd the latest news from community and social services in The Northern Rivers.

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Photos will not be accepted.

AGM’s (annual general meetings) are not part of the community pages and if required to be published you must submit your AGM for the Classifeds Section of the newspaper, an advertising fee will be charged. Call Sharon on 02 6662 6222 for all AGM’s.

The Northern Rivers Times management has the right to refuse and/or not publish any content not following the above guidelines.

ALSTONVILLE

ALSTONVILLE BRANCH OF THE RED CROSS

The Alstonville Red Cross branch meets on a monthly basis in Alstonville. As meeting dates sometimes vary, please call Carol on 0424 742 774 for details of our next meeting.

ALSTONVILLE PLATEAU HISTORICAL SOCIETY

At its next monthly meeting at 2pm on Sunday 15th January, Alstonville Plateau Historical Society will proudly present “Introducing Ballina’s Most Recent Settlers”. Stanley Yeo and Ruth Henderson will introduce us to Ballina’s newest settlers, brought to Australia through the Community Refugee Settlement Program. The meeting will be held in the Community Resource Centre at Crawford House Museum, 10 Wardell Road Alstonville. Visitors are very welcome; entry is free and no booking is required. Enquiries (02) 6628 1829, aphs2477@ yahoo.com.au or www.aphsmuseum.org.au.

ALSTONVILLE PROBUS

As our following meeting date falls on Australia Day, the frst formal meeting will be on 23 February 2023. The Club will have some activities during this break.

ALSTONVILLE QUOTA CLUB

A local women’s service club that meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month at the Plateau Sports Club. Quota is committed to supporting and improving the physical and mental wellbeing of the disadvantaged in our community through local projects.

Contact: quotaalstonville@gmail.com for more details.

CRAWFORD HOUSE MUSEUM

The theme of the latest exhibition at Crawford House Museum is the natural world – celebrating the natural environment around us. It features all new works by members of the Lismore Branch of the Embroiderers Guild and showcases creative interpretations of not only the theme but also members’ responses to challenges, workshops and competitions. The exhibition runs until Sunday 29th. January 2023. There are also new books – “Happy 21st Alstonville Plateau Historical Society” and “I Found It in

the Pioneer” – and commemorative wineglasses and keyrings for sale.

The museum is at 10 Wardell Road Alstonville and is open Fridays 10am-4pm and Sundays 1pm-4pm or at other times by appointment for groups. Enquiries (02) 6628 1829, aphs2477@ yahoo.com.au or www.aphsmuseum. org.au. By the way, we always need volunteers – if you’re interested, visit us at the museum or phone or email us.

MCLEANS RIDGES CRAFT GROUP meet at the McLeans Ridges Hall, Cowlong Road, McLeans Ridges on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Scrapbooking, card making, paper craft, knitting whatever takes your fancy. Come along for an enjoyable day. Bring your own morning tea and lunch. Coffee, tea, milk provided. A small fee to cover hall hire. Ph 0401 047 513.

SQUARE DANCING

Summerland Larrikins Squares Alstonville, Fridays 7.30pm-9.30pm at Uniting Church Hall, 59 Main Street, Alstonville. Contact 0407663017 for further information. New dancers welcome.

BALLINA

BALLINA ARTS & CRAFTS CENTRE INC. (BACCI)

We are a diverse group of Artists and Crafters that participate in wonderful group exhibitions. Over 50 members are from all over the Northern Rivers. Meetings are usually on the 1st Monday of every month at the Cherry Street Sports Club. Social gathering at 5, for a 5.30 start.

For more information - info@bacci.com. au or phone Deb on 0432105540

BALLINA BRIDGE CLUB

“Social play every Monday 9-11.30am”. Sessions for all levels of players on Mon, Wed, Sat from 1pm to about 5pm. Be seated at 12:45. Restricted session (under 300 Masterpoints) Thu 1pm – about 5pm. Friday mornings – Help with Play – open to anyone who would like some help with their game from teachers on duty. 9am to about 11:15pm. Sessions are $5 for members and $7 for visitors. Everyone entering the club must be fully vaccinated. 13 North Ck Rd, Ballina Please call Judy Forsyth (president) on 0407664337. www.ballinabridge.org.au

BALLINA COUNTRY MUSIC CLUB

The Ballina Country Music Club’s “LIVE COUNTRY MUSIC DAYS” are scheduled for the frst Sunday of the Month. After an 8 week break our next “LIVE MUSIC DAY” is SUNDAY 5th February 2023 at THE BALLINA RSL CLUB, Grant Street BALLINA. To hear the best of Live Country Music be there at 10.45am and share part of the afternoon with Special Guest Artist the ever popular local “Jeff Massey” There will be our fabulous “WALK UPARTISTS” and with Santa Claus back in the North Pole we will be looking to hear some original Australian Country styles, so it’s gonna be a great Australian Country Music Day. Backing band for the day is the Northern Rivers ever popular “ANN, BILL and the 2J’s” back from Surfboard Riding and Fishing.

BALLINA CWA

Ballina CWA Handicraft and Friendship mornings have commenced from 9.00 am until 12 noon, in our rooms on River Street (Next to the RSL). Why not come along with or without your handicraft to have a chat and enjoy morning tea for $3. For more information, please ring our Handicraft Offcer, Barb on 0428116668. Our CWA Branch meeting will be held on Monday January 16th at 9.00am. All are welcome to attend. Mahjong is being played in our rooms from 12 noon on Wednesdays and Thursdays at a cost of $4. For more Information, please ring David 0473587412.

BALLINA EVENING VIEW CLUB

Meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Ballina RSL Club at 6.30 for dinner at 7pm - Guests are always welcome. Our members support the education of disadvantaged children in Australia by fundraising activities and social events in our local community for The Smith Family - by sponsoring 5 Learning for Life students. Contact President Julie Stephan 0434988770.

BALLINA SENIOR CITIZENS CLUB

Has activities every day for Senior Citizens. Monday – Line Dancing 9:30am, Art 1 pm. Tuesday - Line Dancing 9:30am. Wednesday - Tai Chi 8:30am, Bridge 1pm, Ballroom

Dancing 6:45pm. Thursday – Yoga 7:30am 4. Line Dancing 9:30am, Indoor Bowls 1pm. Friday – Nothing as yet. Saturday - Bridge 1pm. Contact Bonnie 0414927361

BALLINA TOY LIBRARY

Welcomes families from Ballina Shire. 9 Regatta Avenue, Ballina. Open Tuesdays 1pm - 3pm, and Saturdays 10am - 1pm.

Ph. 0411 719 074 for enquiries

ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT RETIREES

We will convene again on the frst Friday in February 2023.

Any enquiries to John Ritchie, President/ Secretary, Fart North Coast Branch, 0437509618.”

FREE COMMUNITY BRUNCH BALLINA

We are now pleased that our hot brunch centre can be held twice a month, the 1st and third Saturday.

Everyone is welcome, so come and enjoy a free sausage sizzle, hot dogs, tea, coffee or juice or just come for a chat.

This is held at the Ballina Presbyterian Church Hall, on the corner of Cherry and Crane St 10am to 12pm for more information call Chris on 0411510430

IN FOCUS TOASTMASTERS CLUB

How about trying something different?

If you would like to improve your communication and leadership skills or simply make new friends and have fun, you are warmly invited to attend the In Focus Toastmasters Club. We meet the 3rd Wednesday evening of each month.

You may attend either from the comfort of your own home via zoom or join us in person at the Cherry Street Sports Club, Ballina. For more, contact our President via email at: president-3209990@ toastmastersclubs.org or our PR offcer at: vppr-3209990@toastmastersclubs.org

NORTHERN RIVERS NAVAL & MARINERS ASSOCIATION

This association was formed to attract veterans for companionship, wellbeing and to supply advocacy to veterans. We hold an informal gathering every Friday, 2.30pm at Ballina Angling Club (families are welcome). Contact Allan Watt for more information on 0402 749 582 or email jakknco@bigpond.net.au

PROBUS CLUB OF BALLINA WATERS

The Probus Club of Ballina Waters will hold its next monthly meeting on Wednesday 18th January at the Cherry Street Sports Club commencing at 10.00 a.m. There will be an interesting guest speaker, and proposed activities for the 2023 year will be foreshadowed.

An Australia Day morning tea will be held on the 26th as the frst social function for the year. This will be followed by a luncheon on Friday 27th. This club is a mixed club and both men and women are invited to join us for a range of interesting social functions.

Further information is available from the President Brian on 0432277170.

CASINO

CASINO R R COUNTRY MUSIC CLUB

will be holding a special CHRISTMAS social upstairs at the Casino RSM Club on Sunday the 16th of January from 10.00am - 4.30 pm.

Come along and enjoy some great country music and take advantage of the meals & drinks offered by the RSM Club.

New Artists always welcome.Free entry, raffes and lucky door prizes More Info contact Carole 0438641500

CASINO & BONALBO UPPER

CLARENCE LIONS CLUBS

Casino Lions club now meets each 4th Wed at the RSM.

CASINO COMMUNITY MEN’S SHED

Mon, Tues, Wed, attendance limited to 50 members, 8am-1.30pm. Contact 66626423 DH or casmenshed@live. com.au

CASINO CWA

The Casino Day CWA Our next meeting will be Thursday 16th February 2023. Everyone is welcome. Enquires Margaret Good 66621746, Jennifer Baker 043892060.

CASINO & DISTRICT FAMILY HISTORY GROUP INC

We are open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 2 pm Wednesdays from 12pm to 4pm and 3rd Saturdays from 9am to 11.30am.

We are in Room 5, upstairs in the School of Arts Building, Walker Street, Casino. Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of each month, at 10 am. Closed: late January (can open then by appointment).

Memberships: January to December: single $40, family $50 (2 people same address), student $30, pensioner $35, pensioner couple $45.

Address: P.O. Box 586 Casino, NSW, 2470. Phone: 6664 1118. Email: casinofhg@gmail.com Website https://sites.rootsweb. com/~auscdfhg/index.htm

CASINO GALLERY ART at the CASSINO GALLERY. The Casino Art Group meets here every Saturday 10am - 3pm. The Gallery is also open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 3pm. Interested in promoting YOUR medium? Come to the gallery for information. Cassinoartgallery@gmail.com

CASINO HOSPITAL AUXILIARY needs volunteers to work in the hospital kiosk. Roster days are negotiable and can be discussed with the Kiosk Supervisor by contacting Barbara on 0439607788 or phoning the hospital kiosk during the day on 66600539.

CASINO LADIES AND FRIEND CRAFT GROUP Meets 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month. Bring your own morning tea. Names to be in by lunch time Monday. Phone Vivian on 66621838 or Jan on 66626424.

CASINO MEALS ON WHEELS If you would be interested in volunteering your time to help with meals on wheels give the offce a call on 66621217.

WEEK 3 MONDAY V.Gray & N.Nowlan J.Lindsay TUESDAY D.Coleman M. Newstead WEDNESDAY J.Connell N.& K.Ryan THURSDAY B. Bennett FRIDAY Richmond Valley Council B & H.Elford

CASINO MINI RAIL Every Sunday 10am to 4pm. Weather permitting. West Street Casino. Phone 0472638044.

CASINO MIXED PROBUS CLUB Meeting 4th Thursday of the month. For more information call the secretary on 0419886119. New Members most welcome. Call Fran on 0419 886 119 for more information.

CASINO VIEW CLUB Monthly luncheon meeting at Casino RSM Club at 11am, second Thurs of every month. Contact Jan on 0418715374.

AA-LIVING SOBER MEETING is held every Tuesday 12:00-1:30pm At the Casino Baptist Church Cnr. West & Canterbury Streets Casino Each week the group will discuss a chapter on living sober out of the AA Living Sober Book. Contact George on Ph: 0427133372 (due to so many scam calls) please leave your name and number and I will call you back.

LINE DANCING CLASSES

Beginners are welcome – Casino, every week Weds 5pm. All interested phone Lorraine 0418264489.

Line Dance Intermediate Classes onlyEvery Monday night

LION’S CLUB CASINO Lion’s Club meeting is held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday each month at Casino RSM Club from 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start.

Secretary: Denise Green 0448014682 Email: deniseg.vip@outlook.com

LISMORE CASINO NAVAL ASSOCIATION

Meets bi-monthly at Casino RSM, new members welcome. For more information phone Chris 66293269 or Jim 0427400625.

THE PLATYPUS RSL DAY CLUB operates every Tuesday at the Community Centre from 10am to 2pm. The day consists of gentle exercises, mental stimulation, games and entertainment. Members are asked to pay $7 for their morning tea and lunch.

Transport can be provided within the town limits. If you are feeling socially isolated or just need a day out, please contact Robyn on 66623871. New members are welcome.

EVANS HEAD

EVANS HEAD CWA BRANCH meets every third Tuesday for lunch at noon. New members welcome. More info Roz 0427825560

EVANS RIVER RSL DAY CLUB

The Evans River RSL Day Club meets each Monday in the Remembrance Room at Club Evans RSL Evans Head from 10am until 2pm Cost $10 includes Morning Tea and Lunch. We have several vacancies for volunteers and members, anyone who is feeling in need of some company are welcome to attend. Come along and join in the fun. Contact Merilyn on 0401493316 for more details.

EVANS HEAD SEAGULLS CRAFT & QUILTERS GROUP Meet every Tuesday 9am-12noon in the Recreation Hall (opposite the Kiosk). We invite you to join us for a relaxing morning of crafting, friendship and sharing ideas. Beginners are very welcome. Finishing UFO’s, Embroidery, Gold Work, Hexagons, & Group Projects are just some of the crafts done. Our frst meeting for 2023 is on 7th February @ 9am.

GOONELLABAH

TABLE TENNIS AT GOONELLABAH

Tuesday and Thursday mornings social playing: 9am-12noon; Monday and Wednesday nights social playing: 7-9pm; Training Monday mornings: 9am-12noon; Junior coaching after school Wednesday 3.30pm-4.45pm, $6 a session. Everybody is welcome – all levels. Phone centre on 66251602. MonThurs 9.00am-1.00pm or visit website www.fnctabletennis.com.au

THE PROBUS CLUB of Goonellabah meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Workers Sports Club in Oliver Ave. All welcome. Goonellabah Probus is solely a social club. We have a guest speaker each month and go for outings throughout the year. Meetings on Thursday commence at 10am and fnish at midday. For further information, please contact Gloria Francis on 02 6629 1442.

GRAFTON

GRAFTON AND DISTRICT GARDEN CLUB

Happy New Year.

Our next meeting is on Thursday 2nd February at the Joan Muir Centre, 194 Turf St Grafton. 10am to midday. $2 entry at door to cover the venue. Please bring morning tea to share if you are able.

We will have our Bring and Buy table so if you have some plants or cuttings or produce you would like to donate, they are greatly appreciated.

Our guest speaker will be Annette Cook who will be giving a presentation on creating and maintaining habitat gardens. Hope you can make it. Jane Rhodes

Publicity Offcer 0438 593032

graftondistrictgardenclub@gmail.com

GRAFTON’S MIGHTY CLARENCE TOASTMASTERS CLUB

Perhaps it’s time to fnd out what it’s all about! If you would like to improve your communication and leadership skills. Make new friends and have fun, you are warmly invited to attend the Mighty Clarence Toastmasters Club. We meet on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday evening of each month. You may attend either from the comfort of your own home via zoom or join us in person at the Joan Muir Community Centre: 194 Turf Street, Grafton. For more information please contact: Vice President on email Jan Coleman janetlcoleman@gmail.com or Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/graftontoastmasters

GRAFTON SENIOR CITIZENS

“After a recess of 4 weeks, most Grafton Seniors activities will resume week commencing 16 Jan,2023. Memberships: still $10, can be paid any time after that date. New members: welcome to come along on Thursday, 19 Jan, between 9am & I l.30am, to join up, or any Thursday after that date, or meeting day. Next meeting: Tuesday, 14 Feb, 10.30am. No meeting in January. Bus trips: frst for new year Friday, 24 Feb, to Bellingen

area, still spare seats. Enquiries: Sandra 6642 7720, or 0417 464 946;’

GRAFTON SENIORS

BE FIT EXERCISE CLASSES

Every Friday at the Uniting Church, Prince Street

Join us for gentle exercises designed for Seniors We meet at 10.30 a.m. for a cuppa and a chat with the exercises commencing at 11.

All equipment is provided and there is no cost to the participants

Further information can be obtained from Joan or Brian on 6644 7347 or 0416 067 315, or from Dot on 66423248 or 0477 213 017

GRAFTON VIEW CLUB

Grafton VIEW Club meets on the 4th Tuesday each month at Grafton District Services Club, Mary Street, commencing at 10.30am. Please come along, enjoy yourself with a tasty meal, a motivated guest speaker & ultimately disadvantaged children will be helped. Please phone Vorna at 66424719 for catering purposes no later than the Friday before the meeting. As well, a social outing is held each month. You are warmly invited to come along to the next meeting to have some fun & help disadvantaged children. See you there!

CLARENCE RIVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY

“Schaeffer House Museum at 190 Fitzroy Street, Grafton. We will open with a great display of vintage clothes in 2023

Our contact number for special openings is 6642 5212”.

Should you wish to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to contact me on either (02) 66425212 or 0406397404.

HASTINGS POINT

HASTINGS POINT

HASTINGS POINT COMMUNITY CHOIR

Do you enjoy singing. Our repertoire covers a variety of music styles – both unison and part singing We would love you to join us. New members needed. You will be made most welcome

When: Tuesday Evenings from 7pm – 8.30pm Where: Tricare Residential Village Community Room Tweed Coast Road, next to Shell Petrol Station. For more information, contact Jean Berry 0414 794 380

PROBUS CLUB OF HASTINGS POINT

The Probus Club of Hastings Point Tweed Coast meets at 10am on 3rd Tuesday each month, in the residents’ lounge at Hastings Point Tricare. Retirees and seniors are welcome to join this happy social group. Phone the Probus president 0409872773 for additional information.

KINGSCLIFF

KINGSCLIFF

HOSPITAL AUXILIARY MEMBERSHIP DRIVE AT KINGSCLIFF

The Tweed Hospital, it recognises that the new hospital will be located south of Tweed Heads and residents in those areas may be interested in volunteer work when the new hospital opens. The branch welcomes the opportunity to talk to those who are retired, unemployed or simply looking for a chance to give back to one of our most critical services – our hospital.

There is a range of jobs that can be performed. The branch runs raffes, a gift shop, fashion parades, jumble sales and luncheons. People with cars are very important to the running of these operations to transport material to the various venues. The branch meetings are held monthly, and the cost of membership is only $5 per year. There are some procedures that must be processed, such as police checks. Full vaccination is required for those volunteers who are working in the hospital. So, the public in the Kingscliff area and surrounds are invited to talk to our volunteers about our UHA branch of The Tweed Hospital. For more information contact John on 0421085985.

KYOGLE

KYOGLE SUNSHINE CLUB

Meets every Thursday at 9.30am. For more details contact 0499824274.

KYOGLE TIDY TOWNS FARMERS MARKET Held every Saturday morning in Stratheden Street from 8am -12. Come

GRAFTON

BALLINA

GOONELLABAH

EVANS HEAD

along grab some local fruit & veggies, experience all Kyogle has to offer. New Stall Holders welcome. Enquiries Anne 66321851

LINE DANCING CLASSES

Beginners are welcome – Kyogle every week Friday 5.30pm. All interested phone Lorraine 0418264489.

LION’S CLUB OF KYOGLE

Meeting is held on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month at the Kyogle Lion’s shed from 6.30–7pm For more information contact Neville Moon on 0448222334.

RICHMOND RIVER BEEF PRODUCER’S ASSOCIATION

Meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at Kyogle Showgrounds in the luncheon room at 7pm. For more details Phone Jan on 0427293455.

LENNOX HEAD

LENNOX HEAD CWA

Handy Craft Mornings on Mondays

9.30am-12noon in the community centre at Lennox Head. Call Jan on 66816150.

LENNOX HEAD DAY VIEW CLUB

The Lennox Head Day VIEW Club meets on the frst Monday of each month at the Lennox Head Community Centre with the meeting starting at 11am and includes an interesting speaker and concludes with a light lunch. An informal Coffee and Chat meeting is held on the third Monday of the month. The Club sponsors three students through The Smith Family Learning for Life scholarship program that provides educational items for disadvantaged Australian children. New members and guests are most warmly welcomed, and enquiries may be made to Enid 047187511 or Dawn 0466717435.

LENNOX HEAD EVENING VIEW CLUB

Meets on the second Tuesday of each month upstairs at the Lennox Hotel at 6.30pm for dinner at 7pm. Guests are welcome. “VIEW members support the education of disadvantaged Australian children by raising much needed funds for The Smith Family. Through fundraising activities and social events in local communities, members raise money that goes directly to The Smith Family’s learning and mentoring programs for disadvantaged students.” Lennox Head Evening VIEW Club currently sponsors two Learning for Life students. Contact Sue Brennan 0409728814.

LENNOX HEAD LIONS CLUB

New members welcome to join our close-knit club where the emphasis is on community service in a fun environment. Meetings are on the frst and Third Wednesday of each month at Club Lennox starting at 6.30pm. Members do what they can, when they can to facilitate the needs of our club.

PROBUS CLUB OF LENNOX HEAD

Meets 9.30 for 10 at Club Lennox, 10 Stewart Street, on the frst Thursday of each month. Visitors are welcome, also retired or semi-retired people wishing to join our non-service club to hear interesting guest speakers and to join in trips and outings are invited along. Phone Jan 66876859.

LISMORE

LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL AUXILIARY

Lismore Base Hospital Auxiliary are inviting you to a MEET and GREET Morning tea on the 2nd of February 2023 at 10am at Oak Tree Retirement

Village Community Hall,17 Mackellar Place Goonellabah.

At the morning tea you will have the opportunity to meet our volunteers,fnd out what we do and see if you would like to join our Auxiliary.

We are a team from all walks of life,making a difference and having fun. Some of our activities that might interest you include cooking, sewing, making craft items, working in our Hospital Shop or helping at our craft markets and events.

All money we raise goes towards buying equipment for Lismore Base Hospital which will ultimately help our families,friends and members of our community.

We would love to see you on 2nd February and love it even more if you decide to join us... Please contact me Rhonda on 0427251600 if you have any questions.

LISMORE CITY CONCERT BAND Rehearsals are held during school terms on Mondays, 6.15-7.45pm at Southern Cross University. If you can play a concert band instrument: brass, woodwind, or percussion, please come and join us! All ages welcome. We have some instruments available for loan. For more information, Tel: 0432575911 visit: www.lismorecityconcertband.org. au, and our Facebook and Instagram pages.

LISMORE CWA IT’S ‘23’ SO COME AND SEE what being a member of the Lismore CWA DAY BRANCH could mean to you. We would like YOU to join us for the opportunity to be involved with a truly friendly group of fun, diverse & interesting women of all ages. You will make new friends who will support you, plus you’ll be part of contributing to the lives of Women and Children in our area through our fundraising endeavours. PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT! Why not come along as a ‘guest’ to see how you feel, and experience the difference being a CWA Member could bring to you and your life. We meet on the frst Thursday of each month at 9:30am for a 10am start. Our 2023 meetings commence in February. FOR MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION call our President Aliison Kelly on 0428 216 079. We also run CRAFT meetings each Friday.

You’ll learn new things, once again meet new friends and enjoy creating beautiful craft in great company.

FOR CRAFT INFORMATION call Vicki Boyle on 0437 465 642. WE LOOK FORWARD SO MUCH to meeting you.

LISMORE EMBROIDERERS GROUP

Lismore and District Embroiderers 2022 Exhibition. By special request from Crawford House this exhibition has been extended until the end of January 2023. This will allow those who missed out on seeing the exciting range of embroidery art works in November to now have more time to plan a visit.

Theme: The Natural World – celebrating the natural environment around us.

Venue: Crawford House Museum, 10 Wardell Road, Alstonville. Date and times: December 2022 and January 2023. Fridays 10am-4pm and Sundays 1-4

LISMORE MEN & COMMUNITY SHED

President: Don Abrahams 0437576837

Vice President: Bob Greig 0404860504 Email: lismoremcs.contact@gmail.com

Opening Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9.00am – 3.00pm

We are a community based non-proft organisation. Everybody is welcome: men, women & people with a disability of all ages. We encourage social inclusion. Our aim is to promote the mental, physical & emotional well-being of people in our community.

Shed Activities

Members work on their own projects

Mentoring is available

General woodworking Welding & light engineering Repair & restoration of items for the public

Constructing projects, of items for the public

Constructing projects for preschools, hospitals & other organisations

Assembling fatpack

Minor maintenance work for the elderly & disabled

Working with the disabled

Talking with other members or simply having company

Memberships: $40-year

Attendance Fee: $3 tea/coffee

Location: 15 Industry Drive East Lismore

LISMORE ORCHID SOCIETY INC.

Lismore Orchid Society now meets 3rd Wednesday each month, 1:30pm to 4:00pm at Goonellabah Community Centre in the Goonellabah Public Library, 27 Oliver Ave Goonellabah . . .’

Contact Bev on 0400326289

LISMORE PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP

“Lismore Regional Parkinson’s Support Group will meet at Summerland House Farm on Friday, Jan, 20th, at 10am. This will be a planning meeting and all members of the Parkinson’s Community, family and friends are invited to come along, meet with our Parkinson’s Nurses and have a say in the type of guests you would like to see and opportunities you would like the group to offer throughout 2023 to assist us to live well with

Parkinson’s. Looking forward to seeing you all there. For further information phone Di : 0423941119”

LISMORE SENIOR CITIZENS

Meet at the Goonellabah Community Centre every second Thursday starting at 9am where we have morning tea followed by games bingo how etc we play cards Monday and Friday and play bowls Tuesdays and craft every second Tuesday afternoons come and join our friendly group you will be very welcome

LISMORE SPINNERS & WEAVERS

Please join us…... Weaving, Spinning, Felting, Dyeing, Knitting, Crochet, Workshops, Chat…. Sharing Craft & Ideas.

From 10am, on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Fridays of each month. (Formal business meeting is 10.30-11.30 every 1st Friday) McLeans Ridges Hall Cnr Cowlong and McLeans Ridges Rds (off Bruxner Hwy) Morning Tea provided. Bring your lunch (and a mug)

Contac: Kim- 0423935060 Linda0419489987

Email ~ lismorespinnersandweavers@ gmail.com

LISMORE TARGET RIFLE CLUB

for .22 calibre rifes, meets Wed nights from 6.30pm & the 1st & 3rd Sat of each month from 1.00 pm. Air rife shooting for .22 & 177 air rifes will also be available at the Saturday shoots. For more information, please phone Derek on 66282082 (ah).

EAST LISMORE BOWLING CLUB

Community Bingo Tuesday night 7.30pm start. 20 games of bingo + progressive jackpot Neilson Street East Lismore. Everyone Welcome

MAINLY MUSIC

Fun, interactive, music sessions for young children [birth to school age] and their parents/caregivers in a relaxed setting on Tuesdays starting at 9:30am during School Terms. Children will be introduced to music, creativity and more. They will develop gross motor skills, as well as socialise with others in a loving, shared family environment. Morning tea with snacks included. Mainly Music at Lismore Anglican Parish Centre, 10 Zadoc Street, LISMORE. T: 0266213200

NR U3A LISMORE INC. (UNIVERSITY OF THE THIRD AGE) Retired? Make new friends, gain knowledge, laugh and learn, enjoy a richer retirement. U3A offers over 30 classes and activities each week. One yearly fee of $50 entitles you to attend all classes/activities of your choice. Interested? Check out our webpage http://www.u3anriv.org.au for course list, times and venues or contact 66227408 Follow us on Facebook.

PROBUS

CLUB OF LISMORE HEIGHTS

Our mixed group meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month at the Lismore Heights Bowling Club in High St. Our brief meeting is followed by morning tea and a guest speaker. Senior’s lunch for $15 at noon is optional. Guests and visitors are welcome. Ring/text Pam on 0418766247 for details of our other monthly social gatherings and outings.

ROTARY CLUB OF LISMORE NETWORKING

Want to be part of an innovative, interesting and inclusive networking group who meet fortnightly to share ideas, meet other professionals and work together to make a difference in your community? Then Rotary Club of Lismore Networking could be the answer for you! Meets fortnightly at The Sherwood Hotel (75 Molesworth Street Lismore) on Wednesdays at 5.30pm. For more information contact Rita on 0413300578 or Gae 0412742095.

ROTARY CLUB OF LISMORE WEST INC

East Lismore Bowling Club each Thursday at 6pm. New members would be made most welcome. Further information available on 0428151934.

ROTARY CLUB OF SUMMERLAND SUNRISE

Interested in contributing to community?

Local and international?

The Rotary Club of Summerland Sunrise meets every Friday at 7.05am for Breakfast at Options Cafe, Main St. Alstonville until further notice. Join us at Options please. Phone 0435 990 919 for more details.

SPRUNG

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Sprung!! is a registered charity and a not-for-proft community organisation that offers Dance, Theatre & Movement workshops and training to people with disabilities. We are currently looking for volunteers to assist our organisation in a number of ways including supporting our Tutors and Disability Support Workers; transcribing; catering; professional skills; technical support and backstage support. Our workshops and performances run in Lismore, Mullumbimby, Tintenbar and Lennox Head expanding to Ballina and the Tweed. Any interested volunteers can reach us here and for general information please contact us on info@sprung.org.au

SUMMERLAND AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

Meetings of the club are normally held on the second Sunday of each month at the clubrooms: 412 Richmond Hill Road, Richmond Hill at 1pm. Visitors are welcome. The clubrooms are usually open on Sunday afternoons from about 1pm onwards. We are primarily amateur radio enthusiasts and welcome persons interested in radio, electronics, astronomy and similar subjects. For more details about the club and its activities see the club’s website: https:// sarc.org.au/

MACLEAN

MACLEAN VIEW CLUB

Monthly meetings the 3rd Thursdays of each month at 11am. Contact Ruth Toyer on 0409844212 by Mondays, no later than 7pm. Numbers are required for catering purposes

MURWILLUMBAH

COMMUNITY PRINTMAKERS

MURWILLUMBAH

Fine art printmakers. Meet at studio space 224 Stokers Rd, Stokers Siding. Prints, gallery, workshops and more! E: cpmmurwillumbah@hotmail.com - T: Peter 0498399640 or Sue 0408493253. Find us on Facebook & Instagram.

MURWILLUMBAH COMMUNITY GARDEN

Members and visitors are invited to join the group for activities and gardening tips most Sundays. Time 3-5pm (NSW time), street parking, BYO, covered footwear, comfy clothing, hat and water. Children ok with strict supervision. Covid plan operating. Enquires: phone Bob Johnson (02)66225792.

POTTSVILLE

POTTSVILLE FUN CROQUET CLUB

Meets at Black Rocks Sports Fields on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8.30am. New members are welcome to come and join us for a hit and a bit of fun. For any further enquires please call Jean on 0431606375. We will have a new starting time at the end of daylight saving. We play at Black Rocks Sports Field. New members are welcome. For further enquires please ring Jean on 0431606375.

POTTSVILLE LADIES LIFEBALL

Every Thursday morning 9.30am to 11.30am. Pottsville Community Hall, $5 per session includes morning tea. No joining fees. For enquiries, please call Jan 0431909760.

TWEED HEADS

Poets and writers on the Tweed meet every Tuesday at the South Tweed Sports Club 1.30-3.30pm. Beginners welcome. Phone 0755248035.

TWEED HEADS PROBUS CLUB

Probus Club, Coolangatta/Tweed Heads. Be at Club Tweed at 10-00am on the frst Wednesday of the Month. Visitors and new members are very welcome.

TWEED PATCHWORK GROUP

Meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at South Tweed Community Center from 9-1pm at 18 Heffron Street Tweed Heads south all beginners welcome phone Moira on 0418686643. A friendly group of people with common interest in seeing, quilting and related craft.

TWIN TOWNS DAY VIEW CLUB

The club meets at the South Tweed Sports Club on the frst Thursday of the month 10.30 for 11am DST with regular guest speakers for further information please ring President Kathie on 0407 709 629. … Thank you. Freda Shaw: 07 55 41 357

TWIN TOWNS & DISTRICT GARDEN CLUB

Twin Towns and District Garden Club meets every second Monday of the month. Meetings Venue: Tweed Heads Civic Centre Auditorium next to Library, Brett Street, Tweed Heads.

Guest Speaker January - Tropical Fruit World “Growing Tropical Fruit”

• We offer raffes, lucky door prize, presidents award, trading tables, cuttings table, members prize draw, Benching of plants and fowers and foral art both novice and senior. Begonia Society, Social Morning teas, bus trips and best of all friendship.

• Come along, bring a mug to share a coffee or tea with likeminded gardeners. See you there, bring a mug.

Gwen: 0468 872 199, (leave a message please).

WOLLONGBAR

WOLLONGBAR

PROBUS CLUB

Wollongbar Probus Club is meeting for an informal luncheon at the Wollongbar Tavern at 12 noon on the 19th Jan.

YAMBA

YAMBA DAY VIEW CLUB

Yamba Day View Club’s monthly luncheons are held at Yamba Bowling Club on 3rd Monday of month, starting 10am for 10.30am. Acceptance and apologies to President Lyn 66463164 by Friday prior to luncheon for catering purposes. We hold a monthly social outing either for lunch or morning tea and visitors are always welcome.

YAMBA LIONS CLUB

Yamba Lions Club’s meetings are held 2nd & 4th Thursdays of month at Yamba Bowling Club, commencing at 7pm for 7.30pm. For further information, please contact the Secretary Peter 0417546097. Social outings also held at various time and visitors and new members welcome.

ALL NORTHERN RIVERS

NORTHERN RIVERS BUSHWALKING CLUB

Are you interested in exploring the beauty that our region contains. The Northern Rivers Bushwalking Club offers a variety of activities for people of all abilities and ages in bushwalking, cycling, kayaking, abseiling, qigong and social interaction. Visit our Facebook page or our website nrbc.org.au for more information.

NRCF WOMEN’S GIVING CIRCLE

The Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRFC) is inviting Northern Rivers women to play an active role in empowering vulnerable women and girls in our region. The newly formed NRFC’s Women’s Giving Circle brings Northern Rivers women together to achieve equality and human rights for women and girls in our region and enable them to realise their full potential. Visit the Women’s Giving Circle nrcf.org.au/ women’s-giving-circle/ on the NRFC website for more information and to join the Women’s Giving Circle.

murbahcommunitygardens@gmail. com - follow us on Facebook

#MurwillumbahCommunity Garden

The NORTHERN RIVERS HASH HOUSE HARRIERS is a non-proft community group that is part of a worldwide organisation. The Hash House Harriers meet every Monday at 6pm for a run/walk from various locations around Lismore, Alstonville and Ballina. The run/walk lasts for approximately an hour, followed by friendship, banter and grub. We are very friendly and welcome new members. For more details email: nrhhh@freelists.org.

NORTHERN RIVERS PARKINSON’S

SUPPORT GROUP

Covering Wollongbar to Ocean Shores. Meets 2nd Friday of each month at Summerland Farm, Wardell Road, Alstonville. A general catch up & chat with the opportunity to join in a casual Q&A session with Rebecca, our Parkinson’s nurse. She will be there to answer any questions that you may have about anything to do with living with Parkinson’s or supporting or caring for a loved one. Maybe you want to know about symptoms, medication, treatments or services etc.

Rebecca is there to support us and help you manage your disease so that you live your best life. All those living with Parkinson’s Disease or those supporting them are most welcome.

Please RSVP Cheryl 0428286753.

POTTSVILLE

MURWILLUMBAH

LISMORE

LENNOX HEAD

YAMBA

MACLEAN

TWEED HEADS

ALL NORTHERN RIVERS

WOLLONGBAR

Northern Rivers District:

Partly cloudy. Light winds becoming southerly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then tending southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day.

Thursday. Partly cloudy. Slight (20%) chance of a shower. The chance of a storm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Northern Tablelands District:

Sunny. Winds easterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light during the morning then becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon.

Thursday. Partly cloudy. Medium (40%) chance of showers in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a storm. Winds east to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending northwest to

The chance of a shower in the east, mainly along the southern coast. The chance of a shower or storm about the southern ranges and northern inland in the afternoon. Fine and mostly sunny elsewhere. Daytime temperatures above average in the west and below average in the east. East to southeasterly winds, fresh at times along the northern coast. Winds tending northwesterly about the western slopes in the morning and southerly in the far west during the afternoon.

Thursday. Possible showers and storms developing along the ranges and western slopes, as well as across the northern inland, during the afternoon and evening. Fine and mostly sunny in the southwest. The chance of morning fog in the southeast. Daytime temperatures above average, mainly across the southwest. Northeast to southeasterly winds, tending

southerly in the southwest. Winds freshening near the coast in the afternoon.

Byron Coast:

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Southeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres inshore, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres offshore. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Coffs Coast:

Winds: Southerly 15 to 20 knots turning southeasterly 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon. Seas: 1 to 1.5 metres. Swell: Southeasterly 1.5 metres inshore, increasing to 1.5 to 2 metres offshore. Weather: Mostly sunny.

Gold Coast Waters: Winds: Southerly 10 to 15 knots turning southeasterly 15 to 20 knots during the afternoon. Seas: Around 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 1.5 metres inshore during the afternoon or evening. Swell: Southeasterly 1.5 to 2 metres, decreasing to 1 to 1.5 metres during the morning. Weather: Partly cloudy.

Low:10:05am0.7m High:3:46pm1.2m Low:10:05pm0.4m

southwesterly during the morning then tending east to southeasterly during the day.

New South Wales:

BRITTEN WINS SUPER DIRT SERIES AGAIN

from back page..

THE second running of the Super Dirt Series attracted some of the country’s best V8 Dirt Modifeds over the Christmas-New Year period at Hessions Auto Parts Grafton Speedway and it saw Brisbane’s Kevin Britten score the top honours for the second year in a row. Britten, the fve-time Australian V8 Dirt Modifed Champion, managed to successfully defend his Super Dirt Series crown by virtue of being the form driver throughout the twonights of action.

In what was a hard-fought battle throughout the Super Dirt Series deciding feature race, Britten kept his nerve around the 400-metre Grafton Speedway track, and it saw him lead the entire 30-lap distance and be rewarded with the best possible result.

At the fall of the chequered fag, Britten was joined on the podium by Mitchell Randall in second and Victorian visitor Todd Hobson in third. Local Joshua Rose fnished just off the podium in fourth ahead of Brayd Stephenson, Chris Corbett, Luke Dunn and Brock Gardiner. The best of the Sportsman category was V8 Dirt Modifed newcomer Brock Armstrong who fnished ninth outright.

The previous night’s preliminary feature races for the Super Dirt Series resulted

in the twin feature races shared between Stephenson and Britten.

In the opening 15-lap feature race, Stephenson led a local lockout of the podium ahead of Dunn and Rose, while in the second feature race, Britten outpaced Randall and local Andrew Firth to the chequered fag of the 15-lap journey.

In the AMCA Nationals action, current Australian Champion Steve Price visited from Queensland, and he managed to make this appearance a victorious one. Price put in a solid performance during the feature race and went on to score the win ahead of Tony Blanch and Paul Reeves in second and third place respectively. The previous night, Blanch took out the feature race and, on this occasion, defeated Price and Tim Gamble.

Adrian Williams picked up the RSA Street Stockers feature race spoils following an impressive drive.

Brenden Hayes, who had won the previous night’s feature race ahead of Connor Reeves and Shane Carlson, ended up fnishing second behind Williams, while the podium was completed by Greg Dickinson in third.

The other classes over the two nights of action resulted in feature-race wins shared between Zac MacDonald and Geoff

Hayes (Production Sedans), Brodie King and Jeremy Wade (RSA Four Cylinder Sedans), Brock Stubbs (SSA Junior Sedans x 2) and Wyatt Lawler (RSA Junior Sedans x 2).

The next meeting on the 2022-23 season calendar for Grafton Speedway is going to be on the Saturday night of January 21. The NSW V8 Dirt Modifed Title, which will double as the opening 5 Star Dirt Series, headlines the action, while the support classes are going to include the RSA Street Stockers, SSA Production Sedans, RSA Four Cylinder Sedans and Junior Sedans.

Grafton Speedway would like to thank Hessions Auto Parts for their support throughout the 2022-23 season. Based in Grafton, along with their nearby Coffs Harbour location, Hessions Auto Parts stock a wide range of parts and accessories at competitive prices.

To fnd out more about Hessions Auto Parts, contact them on 0266 423 085 (Grafton) and 0256 456 361 (Coffs Harbour) or visit their website at hessionsautoparts.com. au.

For more information, contact Grafton Speedway promoter Mick Corbett on 0427 310 009. You can also visit their website at graftonspeedway.com. au or LIKE them on Facebook by searching Grafton Speedway.

BALLINA MAHJONG 30TH DECEMBER 2022 Jan Small 1, Shirley Atkinson 2, Jeanette Henwood 3, Pauline Bolte, Ronda Taylor 4, Pam Farrell 6, Pauline Kearney 7, Susan Allan 8, Vanessa Reynolds 9, Jan Henley 10, Lynda Lovett 11, Gladys D’Anna 12, Joy Lowien 13, Lorna Simpson 14, Lisa Wong 15, Bev Lasater 16, Gail McDonagh 17, Cindy Smith 18, Shirley Henry 19, Susan Scott 20, Barbara Ellan 21, Sally Lowry 22. Mahjong is played on Friday at 12:30pm at the Ballina Bridge Club North Creek Road. Enquiries for new players phone Vanessa on 66874181.

CHERRY STREET CROQUET CLUB SPORTS RESULTS

RICOCHET CROQUET : P.Scott 18 d J.Hannigan 14 R.Poynting 9 d J.Doust M.Russell 5 R.Chapman N.Poynting 16 d P.Doyle D.Scott 12 H.Young J.Hannigan 11 d J.Doust R.Allen 10 D.Scott 20 d R.Chapman 7 R.Poynting N.Poynting 14 d P.Scott M.Field 11

TWILIGHT GOLF

CROQUET:

R.Poynting 10 d J.Taylor J.Hamilton 2 A.Mangan N.Alfonso 5 d F.Duncan M.Rennie 3 J.Huxley C.Woodlands 5 d M.Maloney B.Taylor 4 J.Hannigan 8 d C.Edlund 3 N.Poynting 7 d J.Bate 5 F.Duncan J.Taylor 4 d C.Edlund J.Bate 3 R.Poynting C.Woodlands 6 d J.Hannigan J.Hamilton 3 J.Hannigan 6 d J.Bate N.Alfonso 4 A.Mangan B.Taylor 4 d M.Maloney G.Porter 4 M.Rennie J.Huxley 6 d N.Poynting N.Alfonso 5 R.Poynting M.Rennie 6 d C.Edlund 3 A.Mangan J.Taylor 7 d M.Maloney J.Huxley 2 C.Woodlands N.Poynting 4 d F.Duncan B.Taylor 3 All new players very welcome Ph 04 39240251 Cherrystreetcroquet@yahoo. com

CHERRY STREET CROQUET CLUB SPORTS RESULTS

ASSOCIATION CROQUET: P.Waters 10 d G.Drew 4 R.Chapman 18 d G.Porter 16 RICOCHET CROQUET : P.Scott M.Russell 15 d N.Barnes P.Doyle 10 J.Doust N.Poynting 11 W.Gilmore R.Poynting 6 G.Kerr D.Scott 14 d R.Chapman 14 G.Porter 14 d P.Scott 9 R.Chapman 14 d D.Scott 8 R.Poynting 11 d J.Doust P.Doyle 7 C.Woodlands N.Poynting 15 d B.Wellings N.Barnes 9.

TWILIGHT CROQUET : J.Hannigan J.Taylor 6 d J.Huxley A.Du Preez 3 R.Poynting B.Bill 6 d H Young M. Maloney 3 J.Gilhooly 6 d N.Poynting 5 C.Edlund 6 d B.Liebmann B.Taylor 3 F.Duncan B.Bill 6 d C.Woodlands J.Hamilton 3 J.Gilhooly N.Poynting 5 d A.Du Preez R.Poynting 4 B.Liebmann J.Huxley 4 d M.Maloney N.Alfonso 2 N.Alfonso F.Duncan 4 d C.Woodlands N.Barnes 2 N.Barnes J Hannigan 6 d C.Edlund H.Young 4 J.Taylor 4 d B.Taylor 4

C.Woodlands H.Young 6 d J.Taylor B.Taylor 2 A.Du Preez M.Maloney 5 d B.Bill C.Edlund 4 J.Gilhooly F.Duncan 5 d B.Taylor J.Hamilton 3 N.Poynting 7 d J.Hannigan 5 J.Huxley N.Barnes 5 d R.Poynting N.Alfonso 3. All new players very welcome contact : Cherrystreetcroquet@yahoo. com Ph 04 39240251

EAST LISMORE BOWLING CLUB RESULTS

A GRADE SINGLES G Stewart 25 def S Clarke 23

Social Bowls results

J McRae, G Donnelly, R Nind 20 def M Rodgers, M Harding, T Cheli 19

L Softley, T Gibson, N Scandrett 18 def E Schumacher, R McInnes, P Russell 17 R Prior, R Parkes, M Prior 19 def M Smith, GT Scotcher, S Wade 14 J Cooke, Rocco, J Olley 35 def D Smith, J Carrall, G Finigan 8 T Alcorn, N Harding 23 def G Revis, G Pollard 13 G Sharp, T Prior, B Griffn 25 def A Carrall, B Lee, W Morrissey 15 G Painter, B Adams 27 def

T Heffernan, S Clarke 9

J Burbidge, P Campbell, S Gregory 25 def M Smith, A Maslen, A Gaggin 15 A Gaggin, J Olley 21 def T Gibson, N Scandrett 12

J Carrall, G Finnigan, B Adams 23 def C McKenna, B Lee, B Griffn 19 G Painter, S Gregory 39 def D Smith, M Smith 11 M Harding, R Parkes 23 def G Pollard, R McInnes 17 G Donnelly, P Russell 18 def R Davison, T Cheli 15

BALLINA MAHJONG 6TH JANUARY 2023

Lorna Simpson 1, Kath Hubbard, Ronda Taylor 2, Susan Scott 4, Jan Small 5, Shirley Atkinson 6, Janene Jarvis 7, Coral Lavelle 8, Wendy Thornton 9, Margaret Bryant 10, Pam Farrell 11, Joy Lowien 12, Pauline Bolte 13, Pauline Kearney 14, Lesley Richie 15, Gail McDonagh 16, Shirley Henry 17, Kathy Pickles 18, Sally Lowry, Valda Mclerie 19, Gladys D’Anna 21, Bev Lasater 22, Cindy Smith 23, Jeanette Henwood 24, Vanessa Reynolds 25, Lynda Lovett 26.

Mahjong is played on Friday at 12:30pm at the Ballina Bridge Club North Creek Road. Enquiries for new players phone Vanessa on 66874181.

CORAKI VETERANS GOLF RESULTS

THURSDAY 5/1/23

January Monthly medal had a smaller feld than expected because of rain early, Winner G Evans Vets Winner L Clark, 2nd B Micheal free game J Sauer, chicken/ball winners D Bullock, S Reddell, K Osborne, G Gibson, N Reeves, R Rodda, R Earnshaw. Nearest Pins 3rd/12th B Micheal 6th/15 N Reeves.

See you all there this Thursday for an 18 hole single stableford commencing with a shot gun start at 8-00am.

USUAL TILL THEN GOOD GOLFING Max

Photo courtesy of Butcher Photography