The Northern Rivers Times Edition 133

By TIM HOWARD

People wanting to take in the 2022 Archibald Prize exhibition at the Grafton Regional Galley have only days left to do it.

The exhibition, which opened on December 17, winds up on Sunday 29 January and has been stunning success, said gallery director Niomi Sands.

Ms Sands people from all over Northern NSW have come to the Gallery to take in the exhibition which is touring 6 galleries around Australia.

“The exhibition has encouraged people to come to the Clarence

viewed the exhibition in Sydney have come to see it again while they have holidayed in the Clarence.

The 2022 Archibald has special signifcance for Northern Rivers residents after the judges awarded the $100,000 frst prize to Aboriginal artist Blak Douglas for his portrait of fellow First Nations artist Karla Dickens.

Titled Moby Dickens, the larger than life size painting was inspired by the tragic foods that hit the Northern Rivers in February and March last year.

Ms Sands said many people from Lismore

Lismore than any other artwork,” she said.

“And it’s so much

Valley during the summer holidays,” Ms Sands said.

“Some people who

came specifcally to see that painting.

“The artwork means a lot more to people from

better to come and see it hanging in the Gallery than so see it in reproduction.”

Ms Sands said the Archibald exhibition demonstrates the of the capacity of new Gallery extension to host major touring exhibitions.

She said it allowed the Gallery to comfortably exhibit all the paintings from this year’s award as well as exhibit all the entrants from the Young Archie award.

“We have paintings from 120 local school children on show,” she said. “It was such a

young artists

This year’s Archibald fnalist exhibition also includes fve works from Studio A, a Sydney collective of artists with intellectual disability who have had their most

successful

her niece as often as she liked and was delighted the Archibald had included one of her works.

First awarded in 1921, the Archibald Prize was established following a bequest from former Art Gallery trustee and founder of The Bulletin magazine, JF Archibald (1856-1919), whose aim was to foster portraiture, support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australians.

The open competition has been awarded annually (with two exceptions: 1964 and 1980) to the best portrait “preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in arts, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’.

McGuinness took the opportunity to visit her “second aunt” Grafton resident Ann Muldoon for the exhibition.

Mrs Muldoon said she didn’t get to see

Entries to the Archibald Prize must be painted in the past year from at least one live sitting.

Archibald Prize fnalists are also eligible for the Packing Room Prize and the ANZ People’s Choice.

joyfulexhibition and a great way to celebrate the creativity of our

year to date. One of the Studio A artists, Catherine

Northern Rivers artist and art dealer Robert Bentley casts a professional eye over the Anh Do portrait of Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett at the Archibald Prize exhibition at the Grafton Regional Gallery.

Rob and Ella Davies made the trip from Lennox Head to take in the Archibald Prize exhibition at the Grafton Regional Gallery. The humour in Avraham Vofsi’s portrait of John Safran as David and Goliath appealed to Rob, but Ella’s favourite was the Anh Do portrait of Peter Garrett.

The Archibald Exhibition enable a finalist in the artists with an intellectual disability category, Catherine McGuinness to visit her aunt, Grafton resident Ann Muldoon. Ms McGuinness painting is of Sydney artist Rosemary Deacon, dressed as a seagull and titled Rosary with the Seagull.

The 2022 Archibald Prize winner, Blak Douglas, and his sitter Karla Dickens, with Grafton Regional Art Gallery director Niomi Sands at an artist talk at the gallery on Saturday. The winning entry is hanging behind them.

BLAZEAID FINALLY FAREWELL NORTHERN RIVERS

BY SAMANTHA ELLEY

As quickly as they were told they had another six months to stay in the Northern Rivers, community volunteer group BlazeAid has left the area, after spending the last couple of years helping farmers recover frstly from fres and

then foods.

The group had been given until January 20 to vacate their premises at Rappville and as reported last week in the Northern Rivers Times, had been offered some spaces at the Lismore Caravan Park by Lismore City Council.

“We couldn’t go as it was going to cost too

much for the council and Resilience NSW,” BlazeAid spokesperson Cindy Lusted said.

“Every space we took up at the caravan park was a site that would cost them.

“We tried really hard to fnd a place, but it wasn’t to be.”

Lismore City Council general manager, John

Walker, confrmed the diffculty in fnding BlazeAid a semipermanent home.

“Lismore City Council was asked to act as a third party to help BlazeAid lease a new location for them to carry on their important work,” he said.

“However, working with BlazeAid, Council

BOAT BLESSED FOR THE WATERS

By SAMANTHA ELLEY

When Heather Stacey and her husband Reg Ross came to Evans Head and joined the local Marine Rescue

with the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, Steph Cooke to commission ‘Evans Head 31 - Heather Stacey’ to the waters, the sun shone down and the wind blew as if

save lives in situations where every second counts,” Ms Cooke said.

At $556,000 the rescue vessel is one of 38 new boats delivered through a $37.6 million NSW Liberal and Nationals

over our Unit’s former boat. With improved handling and manoeuvrability and greater volunteer comfort, our crews are able to operate more safely for longer periods and in a wider range of weather and sea conditions,” Mr Blackburn said.

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said ‘Evans Head 31 –Heather Stacey’ is a valuable investment in the safety of the area’s boating community and its many visitors.

was unable to fnd a suitable location within the funding provided by Resilience NSW.”

Ms Lusted said two volunteers, Mike Evans and Marie Cameron were staying to help fnish what jobs they could.

“Mike has set up a GoFundMe page as they need a ute and trailer to

carry their equipment to be able to fnish the work,” said Ms Lusted.

To donate to the GoFundMe page go to www.gofundme.com and search ‘Helping Richmond Valley Farmers’.

TWEED SENIORS FESTIVAL BACK WITH BUMPER PROGRAM

Unit in 1995, she would have had no idea that 27 years later they would be naming their new vessel after her.

“I have just always been treasurer for the unit and been very happy to do my bit for the community,” she said.

“I am very humbled.”

As the heads of Marine Rescue NSW gathered

anticipating the newest arrival to the Evans Head Marine Rescue family.

“With powerful Suzuki engines, specialist Raymarine navigation equipment, radar, sonar and night vision capability, this 10-metre vessel has the speed and technology our volunteers need to undertake rescues and

Government investment. Commander of the Marine Rescue NSW Evans Head Unit, Greg Blackburn, thanked the local community for its generous support of the Unit’s fundraising efforts to contribute 20 per cent of the cost of the new vessel.

“The new vessel is a significant improvement

“Evans Head is in an enviable position on the North Coast with access to both inland and offshore waters, and our boaters can rest a little easier knowing that this state-of-the-art vessel is ready should they run into trouble,” Mr Gulaptis said.

With a blessing from Marine Rescue’s padre, Ms Stacey and Minister Cooke washed the bow with champagne, preparing it for all who sailed on her and those who will benefit from her capabilities.

Tweed seniors, you have reason to celebrate. This year’s festival, which runs from 1 – 12 February is our biggest yet, with a full program of more than 40 exciting events just for you!

The festival’s theme for 2023 is Celebrate Together, a wonderful theme that promotes our goal of fostering an inclusive community where we care for each other.

The festival will showcase a range of community groups, services and fun activities that allow people to learn a new skill, enjoy themselves and socialise with others. It also involves our Local Achievement Awards, which celebrate seniors in our community who have gone above and beyond to help make the Tweed a diverse, active, and inspiring place to live.

The opening ceremony for the festival will be held on Wednesday 1 February at the Murwillumbah Civic and Cultural Centre Auditorium from 10 am –11.30 am.

The ceremony is a free event, open to all in the community, and will include music by the Murwillumbah Philharmonic Choir and Coolangatta Ukulele Player, followed by a presentation of our Local Achievement Awards.

A morning tea will be provided at the ceremony by the Murwillumbah Country Women’s Association. There will also be information from service providers related to

programs and services for people aged 65-plus.

Transport to the event on the day will also be available from Tweed Heads and Banora Point.

Other events throughout the festival include morning tea and tours of Tropical Fruit World, chair yoga, indoor bowling, croquet - even a country music concert!

There will be bus day trips, art-making sessions as well as volunteer opportunities.

Council’s Community Care Coordinator Joanne Watters encouraged all local seniors to join in the fun.

“The Tweed Seniors Festival is all about celebrating our community and the diverse range of opportunities we have open for seniors in the area,” Ms Watters said.

“You can come and meet other seniors in your area, socialise, learn something new or just have fun with like-minded people.”

Every year, the Tweed Seniors Festival is run in conjunction with the NSW Seniors Festival – the biggest celebration of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

For more information and a full program, please visit Council’s website at Tweed Seniors Festival | Tweed Shire Council (nsw. gov.au).

To book a spot at the opening ceremony (and transport) please contact communityservices@ tweed.nsw.gov.au or phone 07 5569 3110. You can also book via Eventbrite at tweed_seniors_2023. eventbrite.com.au.

Minister Steph Cooke and Heather Stacey christen the Evans Head 31 - Heather Stacey Photos: Samantha Elley

Marine Rescue padre’s blessing Photos: Samantha Elley

An Open Day at FABS (Fun Activities for Banora Seniors) at Banora Point Community Centre is included in the program of this year’s Tweed Seniors Festival. Pictured here are fabulous FABS participants Katrina Cornell, Val Hayward and Carol Price.

DIARY OF A FLOOD SURVIVOR PART 25

HOPPY DAZE FOR NORTHERN WILD LIFE CARERS

By TIM HOWARD

When an amphibian biologist, a wildlife vet and a craft brewer join forces, the frogs of the Northern Rivers’ world heritage rainforests couldn’t be hoppier.

Yes, it’s fertile territory for dad jokes and good news for those of use afficted with croaky throat, that Seven Mile Brewing Company, Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, Southern Cross University and Amber Gillett Art have teamed up to produce a distinctive new brew, the Knee Deep ginger beer.

As a ginger beer, the only hops in this brew come from Amber Gillett Art’s lifelike rendering of a Red Eye Tree Frog emblazoned on the can.

the launch there was also some time for the serious stuff.

Amphibian expert at Southern Cross University

There is a growing need for dedicated services to treat and rehabilitate all types of wildlife.

“’Drink beer, save

number-1 in the wildlife series.

Learn more about the University’s Gondwana Rainforests Amphibian Survival Program, aka Project GRASP, at www. scu.edu.au/GRASP

By SAMANTHA ELLEY

It never ceases to amaze me how resilient people are.

It has now been 11 months since the February flood and in that time, we have had a second flood at the end of March, another major flood warning for the area, a shortage of materials and tradesmen, making it harder to rebuild and yet, I see constant evidence of people getting on with their lives.

Each morning when I walk the dog, I am heartened by evidence of houses that have stood achingly empty for months, now being gutted out, overgrown foliage removed and lawns mowed,

in preparation for renovations to start.

Each time I visit the shopping areas, there are new shops opening up.

The general consensus seems to be that as the holidays near an end and the year starts in earnest, people are finding their feet and their purpose.

On one of my walks, I came across what I think is one of the best representations of how the flood-affected communities have rallied against the aftermath of the worst flood in Northern Rivers history.

A small green blade of grass growing despite its concrete surroundings.

It may be a slow process, but every step takes us nearer to our goals and our new normal life.

Little steps.

But the taste testers have given the recipe, brightened with the inclusion of local fnger limes, a thumbs up.

“It’s not one of those sweet, forally, craft brews,” said a punter at the launch of the brew earlier this month. “This is a proper ginger beer and the addition of the fnger limes have given it that bit of extra punch.”

Hopping down to your local for a taste test will do much more than quench your thirst.

A donation $1 from each can will go towards raising awareness and funds for research and conservation of frog populations and wildlife care across the Northern Rivers region.

The limited-edition brew, number-5 in the wildlife series, was unveiled at the Ballina-based craft brewery with the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital’s ambassadors, musician Tex Perkins, actor Joshua Sasse and journalist and meteorologist Magdalena Roze, lined up to lend their support.

Amid the festivity of

Dr David Newell said the outlook was not bright for native frogs, with many along Australia’s east coast being wiped out by disease, while locally habitat is shrinking for the unique Gondwana rainforest mountain species.

“Alongside multiple research projects, SCU has started a captive husbandry program dubbed project GRASP with the aim to undertake conservation translocations to bolster remaining populations,” Dr Newell said.

Dr Stephen Van Mil, Founder and CEO of the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, said Australia’s native wildlife was not limited to cute and cuddly koalas and kangaroos.

“Our veterinarians are treating native frogs injured by cats and dogs.

wildlife’ is our motto, knowing that by consuming this beverage (responsibly of course) you’re contributing to improving outcomes for our native fauna.”

Seven Mile Brewing co-founder and managing director Lou Wilson said he was thrilled to grow the range of special edition charity beers.

“For Knee Deep, we’ve taken our Wildling Ginger Beer and added a native twist,” he said.

“Inspired by the humble Green Tree Frog, which we are especially fond of, we’ve added some local green fnger limes into our blend to help cut through the sweetness and give a well-balanced zing.”

To coincide with the launch of Knee Deep, Seven Mile Brewing is also re-releasing its popular Koala Lager,

In other local craft brewing news Grafton’s Bent Bridge brewers have announced they are in the fnal stages of reviewing and testing their latest offering.

Inspired by the support of local sporting clubs they have come up with the Everlasting Mid - Session Ale, due for release in February/March this year.

The name is a tribute to the wetlands of the Clarence region and in particular the spectacular Kakadu in the Clarence, the Everlasting Swamp, north of Grafton.

Tasters to date say the brew ticks all the boxes of a quality sessionable mid: 1 can = 1 standard (3.5%ABV), fresh, crisp and in this case, enough hop and malt presence to keep things interesting.

And the team at Bent Bridge promise fans of the India pale ale brew they have something special in the pipeline.

A post on social media revealed there were two IPA recipes in the pilot tanks, duelling for supremacy, although there was no release date included.

Janelle Saffin MP

International Actor and Wildlife Ambassador Joshua Sasse, journalist, meteorologist and wildlife ambassador Magdalena Roze and Australian musician and wildlife ambassador Tex Perkins at the launch of Knee Deep at Seven Mile Brewery in Ballina.

Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital launch ‘Knee Deep’ ginger beer, #5 in the Limited Edition Wildlife Series brewed in collaboration with Seven Mile Brewing Company, Southern Cross University and Amber Gillett Art. To coincide with the launch of Knee Deep, Seven Mile Brewing is also re-releasing its popular Koala Lager, number-1 in the wildlife series.

SITE SELECTED FOR GRAFTON EMERGENCY HUB

BUSINESSES INVITED TO REGISTER INTEREST IN PARTNERING WITH NEW RAIL TRAIL

A new Fire Control and Emergency Operations Centre will be built at Clarence Valley Regional Airport thanks to an $8.5 million investment by the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke joined Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis and Rural Fire Service

NSW and Police are able to respond to fres, foods, storms and a range of other emergencies,” Ms Cooke said.

“It will provide our volunteers and staff with modern, purpose-built facilities essential to the coordination and management of hazards to keep Grafton and the surrounding

region is no stranger to natural disasters, with the ferocious fres early in the 2019-20 Black Summer as well as last year’s fooding having a devastating impact on lives, livelihoods and the environment.

“Some of our State’s most experienced emergency service volunteers and staff are based in our

art facility.”

Acting Deputy Commissioner Quandt said said the new facility will replace the existing Fire Control Centre at Ulmarra, which is no longer ft-for-purpose.

“When a major disaster strikes, it is critical all the relevant agencies can come together to coordinate their activities to protect and assist the community,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Quandt said.

“The new centre will ensure the more than 1,100 volunteers from Brigades across the RFS’s Clarence Valley District have access to the latest technology and equipment to support their work.”

Design work is now underway and construction will commence later this year.

Tweed Shire Council is calling for businesses to register their interest in joining the Rail Trail Partner Program in advance of the 24km Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail opening in March. Council and its tourism partner The Tweed Tourism Company will work with operators interested in commercial partnerships to offer guest experiences across the areas of:

• Taste (food and beverage)

• Stay (accommodation)

• Move (travel and transport options)

• Explore (education and recreation)

• Enjoy (entertainment and events). Manager Destination, Communication and Customer Experience Tiffany Stodart said adjoining landowners and businesses who want to be part of the region’s newest must-do experience should register their interest now.

“We are ready to hear from our business community, adjoining landowners and those interested in making the rail trail a great experience,” Ms Stodart said.

type of experience

businesses are offering, and a summary as to how they will align with the trail’s values of Discovery, Connection, Freedom, and Fun.

“This call out for businesses to register their interest is aimed at attracting a wide range of operators, to ensure the rail trail provides quality guest experiences,” Ms Stodart said.

Register your interest in becoming a business partner of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail at northernriversrailtrail. com.au/register-interestpartner-program-tweed.

A new and comprehensive rail trail website also is on track to launch in early February 2023 and will provide a wide range of trail information and experiences. The new site will replace the existing page at northernriversrailtrail. com.au.

(RFS) Acting Deputy Commissioner Kelly Quandt to unveil the Centre’s location.

“Having a Fire Control Centre and Emergency Operations Centre co-located will make an enormous difference to the way our emergency services personnel from the RFS, but also other agencies including the SES, Fire and Rescue

communities safer and stronger into the future.”

Once construction is completed, the facility will consist of:

• An operations and logistics centre;

• Administration offces;

• Training rooms;

• Storage space; and

• Vehicle bays.

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said the

community and they deserve the very best facilities and resources, which I’m proud the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is delivering,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“I want to thank Clarence Valley Council who have worked with the RFS to identify the best potential site for develop this state-of-the-

In response to the independent Bushfre Inquiry following the Black Summer fre season, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has invested $71 million in eight new Fire Control Centres in high fre risk areas across the State.

“The opportunities are many - cafes and coffee, ice cream and gelato, gourmet hampers and picnics, bike hire and shuttle services, education, recreation and cultural tours and so much more.”

The Rail Trail Partner Program provides adjoining landowners and businesses the opportunity to progress to commercial partnerships to make the most of the economic benefits of the rail trail.

The easy-to-use online form requires basic business details, what

Funding for the Tweed section was provided by the Australian Government under its Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Package Fund, and from the NSW Government under its Restart NSW fund.

To stay informed, subscribe to the rail trail’s news and follow Northern Rivers Rail Trail on Facebook and Instagram.

For enquiries regarding the operations of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail call 02 6673 0404 or email hello@ northernriversrailtrail. com.au.

Clarence Valley Fire Control Centre Grafton

Clarence Valley Fire Control Centre Grafton plan

Businesses are invited to register their interest in participating in the Rail Trail in categories including Taste (food and beverage), Stay (accommodation), Move (travel and transport options) Explore (education and recreation), and Enjoy (entertainment and events).

CASINO SUPER SUNDAY FUN DAY

Photos supplied by Daniel Keogh Photography

NEWS BRIEFS

DRONE LASERS TO PINPOINT BUSH FIRE THREATS

Fire and Rescue NSW’s drones are now equipped with state-ofthe-art colorized laser technology, allowing firefighters to identify bushfire threats more accurately.

The Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors provide precise, three-dimensional data, helping to map bushland density and target areas with higher fuel loads.

The technology can also be used during flood recovery, helping to determine the volume of debris and target clean-up efforts.

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN REGIONAL AND RURAL NSW

The NSW Government has launched a new round of the Future Women Rural Scholarship Program to help women in regional, rural, and remote areas achieve their goals by developing their leadership skills.

The program offers 24 scholarships valued at over $6,000 each, including a place in the Future Women Platinum+ Program, mentoring, digital learning opportunities and attendance at the Future Women Leadership Summit on 6 and 7 March 2023.

Applications are open until February 16 for women aged 18-39 living in regional, rural, and remote areas, who can apply or nominate someone at futurewomen.com.au.

STRA PUBLIC HEARING

The IPC is holding a hearing for the Byron

Shire Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) Planning Proposal from 21-23 February 2023.

Public submissions are currently being accepted and speakers can register for the hearing.

The hearing aims to find a balance for the community, local businesses and the STRA sector.

GET READY TO VOTE

The NSW Electoral Commission is reminding voters to check their enrolment for the upcoming State election on 25 March.

NSW residents can quickly and easily update their enrolment online by visiting elections.nsw.gov.au.

More than 100,000 people in NSW are eligible to vote but are not currently on the electoral roll, and the commission is encouraging residents who have recently moved to update their details and be ready to vote.

LISMORE THEATRE COMPANY TO PREMIERE ‘Hungry Ghosts’ play Lismore Theatre Company is preparing for the premier of James May’s play, Hungry Ghosts.

The play, set in Sydney in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics, exposes the addictions and obsessions that torture the lives of those on the fringe of society.

The show will run Friday and Saturday nights, as well as matinees on April 28, 29, 30 and May 5, 6, 7. Tickets can be purchased online at www.

lismoretheatrecompany. org.au.

NEWS BRIEFS

FATAL SINGLEVEHICLE CRASH IN STATE’S NORTH

Two people died in a single-vehicle crash on the Bruxner Highway in Boggabilla, New England region.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, January 17th, 2023, around noon.

A 26-year-old woman and a four-year-old girl were found deceased at the scene, while two boys aged 9 and 1 were injured and transported to the hospital.

The police have set up a crime scene and are investigating for the coroner.

YOUNG PERSON ARRESTED AFTER SPATE OF ALLEGED VEHICLE THEFTS

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with 26 offenses, including break-ins, car thefts, and drug possession, after an investigation in the Tweed/Byron area.

The teenager was arrested on Tuesday, January 17th, 2023, after police found stolen items and a stolen vehicle at his Kingscliff property.

Detectives from Tweed/Byron Police District are continuing their investigation and the boy was granted conditional bail to appear in court on February 22nd.

RIVER STREET DUPLICATION:

STAGE 2 WORKS

BEGIN IN BALLINA

Ballina Shire Council will begin Stage 2 of the River Street Duplication project from Henry Philp Avenue to Tweed Street in Ballina on January 23rd.

The stage is expected to continue until July 2023 and will include duplicating both west and eastbound lanes, installing new traffic lights, renewed pedestrian footpaths, and upgrades to stormwater services.

NEW TASKFORCE TO ADVOCATE FOR REGIONAL YOUTH

18 young leaders from regional NSW, including Genevieve Collins and John Palencia, have been selected to form the new Regional Youth Taskforce.

The taskforce will advocate for their peers and provide policy and operational advice to the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government to advance the needs of young people in the regions. The taskforce members will meet throughout the year and join senior representatives from the government and its agencies to discuss services, programs and infrastructure.

LAST CALL FOR BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE SAVINGS IN 2023

The NSW Government is encouraging parents of primary school-aged children to download the $500 Before and After School Care voucher by January 31st, 2023.

More than 305,000 vouchers have already been downloaded by parents. These vouchers can be used until June 30th, 2023.

To apply or find out more, visit www. service.nsw.gov.au/ basc-voucher.

BALLINA TO BENEFIT FROM NEW PUMP TRACK

The Stronger Country Communities Fund

Ballina bike and scooter enthusiasts of all ages will soon have a dedicated space to test their skills and enjoy the outdoors at Kingsford Smith Park, thanks to Round Five of the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said a $733,345 grant will support Ballina Shire Council to construct an asphalt pump track for bikes and scooters where children and families can meet to enjoy the outdoors.

“Thanks to the Stronger Country Communities fund, young people and

their families will have a new space to gather and enjoy the outdoors in Ballina, and it will make Kingsford Smith Park an even better place to visit,” Ms Mitchell said.

“The new pump track will create opportunities for locals and visitors to the region to gather with friends and put their bike and scooter skills to the test, especially during school holidays.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said regional NSW communities will benefit from a record number of projects and enjoy new or upgraded sporting facilities, social infrastructure and improved community

programs, under the $160 million Round Five of the fund.

“Whether it’s community hubs, town halls, pathways, recreation areas, playgrounds, or creative and training programs, the Stronger Country Communities Fund is making regional NSW an even better place to call home,” Mr Toole said.

“The first five rounds of the fund are making a real difference to people right across regional NSW, with work commencing, underway or completed on more than 2,530 projects in every local government area across regional NSW.”

Round Five of the

Stronger Country Communities Fund will support local community and sporting infrastructure projects, street beautification, public programs and events that display the best of local character and community spirit.

The $660 million Stronger Country Communities Fund is part of the NSW Government’s $3.3 billion Regional Growth Fund, designed to support growing regional centres, activate local economies and improve services and community infrastructure in the regions.

For more information, visit: nsw.gov.au/sccf

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AWARDS TO CELEBRATE THE AUSTRALIAN SPIRIT FOLLOWING A TOUGH YEAR

2022 Volunteer of the Year Jack Frost is Tweed’s Australia Day Ambassador

The Tweed community will reflect, respect and celebrate what it means to be part of the unfolding national story on Australia Day next week.

The Tweed Shire Australia Day Awards, set to be held in Murwillumbah on Thursday 26 January, will recognise outstanding achievements by members of the community.

This will be followed by a citizenship ceremony which will see 35 residents from 17 countries – from as far afield as Finland, India and Brazil – become Australian citizens.

As in previous years, this is an invitation-only event for recipients and their families. A number of public community events are also being held across the Tweed, at Tumbulgumand Tyalgum.

The ambassador at this year’s Tweed Shire Australia Day official ceremony will be State Emergency Services (SES) volunteer Grant ‘Jack’ Frost.

Mr Frost was the winner of the Volunteer of the Year – Individual Award at the 2022 ceremony.

Jack spent more than 4 decades in the aviation arena, first in the Royal Australian Air Force and then as an international commercial pilot. Now retired, he spends a significant portion of his spare time as a NSW SES volunteer.

Jack has been a member of the SES since 2014 and before that a volunteer member of the Kingscliff Coast Guard.

As the Unit Commander of SES Murwillumbah, Jack is involved with the leadership, training, preparedness and operational capability of the local SES unit and its volunteers.

Last year’s Tweed Shire Citizen of the

Year Amanda Philp will visit a local Australia Day community event at Tumbulgum. She is an Australian Seabird Rescue volunteer and Marine Science graduate.

Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said Australia Day 2023 would provide an important opportunity for the Tweed community to reflect on the challenges of the past year, particularly the unprecedented flooding of February-March 2022.

“It’s a time to come together to reflect on what a supportive and vibrant community we have here in the Tweed and to celebrate the incredible achievements of members of our community,” Cr Cherry said.

“We reflect on our nation’s past, which began more than 65,000 years ago and the impact of European settlement on the First Australians,

• Citizen of the Year

• Community Event of the Year

• Art and Culture

• Sport Achievement (Individual and Group)

• Volunteer of the Year – (Individual and Group)

- Village People v. North Tumbulgum Cavaliers.

At Tyalgum, Australia Day activities begin at 9.30 am at the Tyalgum Community Hall with a flag raising and Acknowledgement of Country, followed by a decorated bike parade and community awards

NEWS BRIEFS

WARM WEATHER BRINGS ALGAL BLOOM TO LOCAL WATERWAYS

Ballina Shire Council is warning locals and visitors to avoid areas where blue-green algae, or trichodesmium, is blooming in local waterways.

The blooms, which occur naturally but can have a strong odour, can be mistaken for oil slicks or other pollution.

Pets and seafood should also be avoided in affected areas, according to the council.

RECREATIONAL FISHERS TO BENEFIT FROM TWO NEW OFFSHORE ARTIFICIAL REEFS

Two new artificial reefs will be built in Coffs Harbour and Ballina under the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government’s commitment to sustainable recreational fishing.

The Offshore Artificial Reefs (OARs) will provide high-quality fish habitats and boost recreational fishing, which contributes $3.4 billion to the state economy each year.

The new reefs, set to be completed in 2024, will bring the total number deployed to 13, spanning waters from Tweed Heads to Merimbula.

COMMUNICATIONS BOOST FOR RESCUE VOLUNTEERS

The Volunteer Rescue Association of NSW (VRA) will soon have access to seamless communications coverage across the state thanks to a $4.7 million investment by the NSW Liberal National Government.

The funding injection will overhaul the VRA’s radio network to bring it into line with other emergency services, giving the VRA

access to a consistent and reliable radio network that is compatible with other agencies and guarantees their ability to communicate anywhere in NSW.

The funding will provide for 421 new radios and equip 100 vehicles with Vehicle as a Node technology, which integrates radio, mobile phone and satellite networks to provide a communication system that is resistant to ‘blackspots’.

VIRAL GASTROENTERITIS ON THE RISE IN NSW

NSW is experiencing a rise in cases of viral gastroenteritis, particularly in young children.

Rotavirus is a common cause and testing data shows notifications at some of their highest levels in the past decade. The public is urged to take precautions to reduce the spread of the virus, such as maintaining good hand hygiene and keeping children home when they are unwell, before schools return in the coming weeks.

PLAN TO ABOLISH STAMP DUTY

A Minns Labor Government plan will expand the number of first-home buyers paying no stamp duty or who can claim a steep discount.

The plan will abolish stamp duty outright for first homebuyers buying a home worth up to $800,000, while offering a concessional rate to firsthome buyers purchasing a property up to $1,000,000. This means an estimated 95% of all first-home buyers in New South Wales will pay no tax or a reduced rate under Labor’s plan.

the world’s oldest continual culture.

“Australia Day is also an opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity and rich migrant heritage which is very much part of our unique Australian identity, and we look forward to welcoming 37 new citizens in the Tweed.”

Winners of the Tweed Shire Australia Day Awards will also be announced at the ceremony. The categories are:

• Young Achiever of the Year

Council-sponsored events at Tumbulgum and Tyalgum will feature community awards and family-friendly activities.

The Tumbulgum festivities begin at 8am in the Rangers Sports Club with a traditional Aussie barbecue breakfast, followed by music, local awards and children’s craft sessions. Finish the morning cheering along players in the village’s traditional cricket match

at 10 am. Visit What’s on Tweed for details of community events.

To give something back to the community, Council is also offering FREE access to the Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre’s Murwillumbah pool, from 2 pm to 5 pm. Check in at reception. No tickets required for the afternoon session. Come and enjoy Australia Day with us!

For more information on Australia Day in the Tweed, visit tweed.nsw. gov.au/AustraliaDay.

More than you imagine

Murwillumbah SES unit commander Grant ‘Jack’ Frost

The ambassador for this year’s ceremony will be State Emergency Services (SES) volunteer Grant ‘Jack’ Frost (left and insert), winner of the Volunteer of the Year – Individual Award at the 2022 ceremony.

SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY in Lismore teaching young local

dancers.

The prestigious Sydney Dance Company joined forces with NORPA last week to mentor young dancers from the Northern Rivers in a week-long dance intensive held at Southern Cross University in Lismore.

Working with Sydney Dance Company’s Teaching Artists, 30 local dancers aged 13-18 years from across the region were taught Sydney Dance Company choreography and repertoire as well as learning how to develop and express their own experiences through contemporary dance.

Justine Turner, Sydney Dance Company’s Learning Manager said “The Creative Youth Dance Intensive provides tenacious and talented young dancers with an opportunity to connect to their creativity, express themselves and allows them to explore a new way of creating movement. We are delighted to partner with NORPA to connect with emerging dancers in the Northern Rivers Community.”

Julian Louis, NORPA’s Artistic Director said “The Northern Rivers has a very strong dance scene and this has been a great opportunity for young and emerging dancers to get first-hand experience with one of Australia’s best dance companies.

We’re thrilled to have collaborated with Sydney

Dance Company to make this once in a lifetime experience available to aspiring young dancers in the Northern Rivers.”

The Creative Youth Dance Intensive, supported by the Office for Regional Youth in partnership with Create NSW, culminated on Friday afternoon with an informal performance for family and friends as well as special guest, the NSW Minister for Arts and Regional Youth, Ben Franklin.

Minister for the Arts and Regional Youth Ben Franklin said the arts can be transformative for children and young people, providing a sense of community and belonging.

“The Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to providing more opportunities for young people to not only access and experience arts, screen, and culture but to explore and develop creative skills alongside professional artists and mentors,” Mr Franklin MacKinnon Connolly from the Lismore area was one of the participants. MacKinnon said of the experience, “ This experience has been so valuable. Different perspectives in dance allowed me to challenge myself on a creative

FREE ALCOHOL AND DRUG TREATMENT PROGAM COMMENCES IN LISMORE ON MONDAY 13 FEBRUARY

The drug, alcohol, and mental health treatment organisation, The Buttery is offering a free 6-week non-residential program to assist people with alcohol and substance use. The face-to-face program commences on Monday 13 February and includes aftercare services for participants.

The Community Rehab program (CORE) is an evidence-based model of intensive rehabilitation which has revolutionised the practice of addiction treatment.

CORE Program Coordinator, Tanya Magnay, said, “Many people who would benefit from a long-term stay at The Buttery are unable to do so due to personal circumstances, such as parenting or carer responsibilities.

CORE is delivered faceto-face during school hours from 9.15 am to 1.00 pm from Monday to Thursday over six weeks. Participants who would like to maintain their pharmacotherapy medication and abstain from other substance use are suitable to attend the core program.”

CORE addresses lifestyle issues such as nutrition, exercise, stress management, mental health, and budgeting. It also offers opportunities for social connection in a safe and caring online environment to address the social isolation that many people experience.

Assessment of potential

participants is currently taking place for the 13 February intake.

To find out more about the program visit The Buttery or call:

Tanya Magnay: 0477 016 030

The Buttery Intake: 02 6687 1111

REGIONAL SENIORS TO SAVE $250 AS APPLICATIONS FOR POPULAR TRAVEL CARD OPEN

Seniors across regional NSW could save $250 on the cost of travel thanks to the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s Regional Seniors Travel Card.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said applications for the latest round of the highly successful program are now open and encouraged eligible seniors to cash in on the initiative.

“We know how much seniors value this card – it can mean the difference between an extra few trips to visit grandkids, the ease of seeing friends locally or

just getting to the shops or attending medical appointments,” Mr Toole said.

“The figures speak for themselves - more than one million cards have now been issued injecting $196 million into regional economies and we want even more seniors and local businesses to reap the benefits of this card in 2023.

“The massive take-up from seniors across our regions shows why only the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government can be trusted to deliver the services and investment our regions deserve – we continue

to roll out programs that make a difference to the daily lives of everyone in the bush.”

The $250 pre-paid Visa card can be used on fuel, taxis, electric charging stations, pre-booked NSW TrainLink regional train and coaches, helping those eligible with the cost of getting from A to B.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said he wanted the number of cards issued to eligible seniors in 2023 to break the 2022 record when 362,000 seniors benefitted from a boost to their hip pocket.

“The NSW Liberal and

Nationals Government understands the cost of living pressures our seniors are facing in the bush which is why we pushed for this scheme,” Mr Farraway said.

“I really encourage all eligible seniors to get their applications in and save themselves $250 on travel costs for this year.

“It’s disappointing that there’s been squat from Chris Minns and Labor on how they will help our seniors in the bush deal with the cost of living. Labor actually opposed this card when we first announced it and then they did a U-turn and wanted the card for people in the city.”

Photos by Kate Holmes

SITE SELECTED FOR GRAFTON EMERGENCY HUB

A new Fire Control and Emergency Operations Centre will be built at Clarence Valley Regional Airport thanks to an $8.5 million investment by the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke joined Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis and Rural Fire Service (RFS) Acting Deputy Commissioner Kelly Quandt to unveil the Centre’s location.

“Having a Fire Control Centre and Emergency Operations Centre co-located will make an enormous difference to the way our emergency services personnel from the RFS, but also other agencies including the SES, Fire and Rescue NSW and Police are able to respond to fires, floods, storms and a range of other emergencies,” Ms Cooke said.

“It will provide our volunteers and staff with modern, purpose-built facilities essential to the coordination and management of hazards to keep Grafton and the surrounding communities safer and stronger into the future.”

Once construction is completed, the facility will consist of:

• An operations and logistics centre;

• Administration offices;

• Training rooms;

• Storage space; and

• Vehicle bays.

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said the region is no stranger to natural disasters, with the ferocious fires early in the 2019-20 Black Summer as well as last year’s flooding having a devastating impact on

lives, livelihoods and the environment.

“Some of our State’s most experienced emergency service volunteers and staff are based in our community and they deserve the very best facilities and resources, which I’m proud the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is delivering,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“I want to thank Clarence Valley Council who have worked with the RFS to identify the best potential site for develop this state-of-theart facility.”

Acting Deputy Commissioner Quandt said the new facility will replace the existing Fire Control Centre at Ulmarra, which is no longer fit-for-purpose.

“When a major disaster strikes, it is critical all the relevant agencies can come together to coordinate their activities to protect and assist the community,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Quandt said.

“The new centre will ensure the more than 1,100 volunteers from Brigades across the RFS’s Clarence Valley District have access to the latest technology and equipment to support their work.”

Design work is now underway and construction will commence later this year.

In response to the independent Bushfire Inquiry following the Black Summer fire season, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has invested $71 million in eight new Fire Control Centres in high fire risk areas across the State.

Free Artist Talk and Improvised Sonic Performance at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery this January

The Northern Rivers Community Gallery (NRCG) launches its 2023 Public Programs this January with a free after hours inconversation event with exhibiting artist Marian Tubbs and ABC Radio National presenter Daniel Browning. This will be followed by a live improvised sound performance by Eora/ Sydney-based electronic and mixed-media artist Laura Hunt.

Commencing in the Gallery at 3pm on

Saturday 21 January, Bundjalung and Kullilli man Daniel Browning – an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, documentary maker, sound artist and writer, will provide unscripted insight into Marian’s exhibition Reversible Destiny, on display at NRCG from 11 January

until 5 March 2023, and delve into her practice and career.

This is the frst solo exhibition Marian has held in the Northern Rivers since moving her practice to the region in 2019. Since relocation she has participated in multiple themed exhibitions, curated exhibitions of

emerging artists and has overseen three graduation exhibitions as Course Coordinator of the Bachelor of Art and Design at Southern Cross University.

The artist talk will be followed by a live, improvised, ambient, sonic performance by electronic musician and mixed media artist, Laura Hunt. Building on her fve-year relationship of creative and technical collaboration with Tubbs, Hunt will draw samples from the soundtrack to Marian’s video work, and perform a live, improvised collaboration within the

Gallery space.

Tubbs and Hunt met in 2017 whilst DJing at an art festival in Tasmania, and since then have formed a collaborative relationship across forms and creative mediums, exhibiting together, swapping creative and technical expertise, and learning about permaculture farming in the Northern Rivers.

Date: Saturday 21 January 2023 Time: 2.30pm (doors open) 3.00pm In Conversation with Marian Tubbs and Daniel Browning 4.30pm Sonic Performance by Laura Hunt Where: NRCG, 44 Cherry Street, Ballina Ages: All welcome Cost: Free (registrations not required)

Marian Tubbs

Laura Hunt

Daniel Browning

CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY ABOUT RECOVERY AFTER THE

FLOOD – WITH DAVID YOUNGER

David Younger, one of Australia’s leading clinical and consultant psychologists specialising in disaster recovery, is coming to the Northern Rivers from 31 January to 4 February 2023. Ten free 2-hour sessions for Community, Business Owners, Council and Recovery workers will be held throughout the Northern Rivers to support our recovery from the devastating foods in 2022, particularly as we approach the one-year anniversary.

Red Cross in collaboration with headspace is bringing David Younger, one of Australia’s leading clinical and consultant psychologists specialising in disaster recovery, to the Northern Rivers.

Over four days, David Younger will be holding 10 sessions to support the community in the lead up to the anniversary of the food. Community Recovery sessions will be held in East Lismore & Girards Hill, North & South Lismore, Nimbin, Woodburn, Coraki, Wardell and Tweed Heads. There will be a session specifcally for Business Owners in Lismore and two sessions for Council and Recovery Workers in Lismore and Murwillumbah. There will also be a special session for SES and Red Cross volunteers.

Local Red Cross Recovery Offcer, Charmaine Scherrer said, “While the events of 28 February have irrevocably changed and deeply affected communities across the Northern Rivers, we have also seen an incredible community response and solidarity both in rescues and throughout the past year in recovery.”

“Australian Red Cross Disaster Recovery mentors say that recovery is more than just rebuilding physical structures. Though this is an important part. Recovery is also coming to terms with the disaster, managing the challenges and changes caused and creating a “new normal”. Recovery

isn’t a linear process, it is infuenced by various factors, like the disaster itself, strength of community connections, socio-economic factors, support during early and longer-term recovery, and community dynamics.”

“Disasters can have a profound effect on the mental health of individuals and communities. David Younger’s sessions will explore themes of resilience, recovery and growth, and provide opportunities for community members to share experiences, seek advice and learn techniques to assist recovery.”

“In each of the sessions, David Younger will cover personal and community recovery after a natural disaster. He will discuss what you can do to maintain your overall health and wellbeing, including recovery related tips and strategies. Also, David Younger will talk about how communities can best support themselves, recognising that communities have been working since Day 1 to provide recovery support to each other throughout our region.”

“The Business Owners Recovery Session scheduled for 1 February in Lismore is aimed at supporting the business community in their recovery journey. It will provide the opportunity for all business owners to come together to share their unique circumstances and to

learn strategies that will help navigate the path ahead.”

David Younger is experienced in working with and supporting communities and organisations throughout the country to recover from natural disasters. In 2009, the Black Saturday bushfres came close to where David was living and working, and as a result he became deeply involved in treating and supporting survivors of natural disasters.

When asked about his upcoming visit, David said, “I am looking forward to coming to the Northern Rivers, spending time with the different communities and connecting with them. I hope to understand the unique lived experiences of the communities in the area following the 2022 foods.

With my experience, I hope that I can provide support, understanding and offer suggestions about how to set yourself up for the best personal recovery possible.”

David works using a strengths-based approach, embedded with a message of hope, and lived experience stories.

This series of events is a collaboration between the Australian Red Cross and headspace, National Youth Mental Health Foundation and is proudly funded by NSW Government.

Tuesday 31st January 2023 10:30am – 12:30pm:

Council and Recovery Worker Recovery Session – Lismore & Surrounds, Lismore Heights Bowling Club, 181A High Street, Lismore Heights https:// www.eventbrite.com. au/e/512548806277

6:30pm – 8:30pm: North & South Lismore Community Recovery Session, Winsome Hotel, 11 Bridge Street, North Lismore https:// www.eventbrite.com. au/e/512569768977 Wednesday 1st February 2023 7am9am: Business Owners Recovery Session, Aardvark Brasserie (Old Uni Bar), Southern Cross University, East Lismore https://www.eventbrite. com.au/e/512578645527

2pm – 4pm: Nimbin Community Session, Nimbin Town Hall, 45 Cullen St, Nimbin https://www.eventbrite. com.au/e/512590159967

6:30pm – 8:30pm: Woodburn Community Session, Woodburn Memorial Hall, 127 River Street, Woodburn https://www.eventbrite. com.au/e/512624984127

Thursday 2nd February 2023 9:30am – 11:30am: Wardell Community Session, Wardell CORE, 3 Sinclair St, Wardell https://www.eventbrite. com.au/e/512641503537

1pm – 3pm: Coraki Community Session, Coraki Uniting Church, 5/15 Adams St, Coraki https://www.eventbrite. com.au/e/512650289817

5pm – 7pm: East Lismore, Girard’s Hill & surrounds Community Recovery Session, Presbyterian Church Hall, 10 Park Ave, East Lismore https:// www.eventbrite.com. au/e/512597301327

Friday 3rd February 2023 9:30am –11:30am: Recovery workers, Social ervice sector and Council staff – Tweed & Surrounds, Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium, 10-14 Tumbulgum Rd, Murwillumbah https:// www.eventbrite.com. au/e/512560320717 2 - 4pm: Tweed Heads Community Recovery Session, Tweed Civic Centre Auditorium, Cnr Brett St and, Wharf St, Tweed Heads https:// www.eventbrite.com. au/e/512669487237

LOCAL BRIEFS

MUSEUM TO HOST ROAR-SOME STREET PARTY

The Tweed Regional Museum in Murwillumbah is hosting a “Megafauna party” on January 28th, featuring roaming giant Diprotodon puppets, activities, live music, food and drink stalls, and prizes.

The event is inspired by the Capturing Nature exhibition, which tells the story of early natural history and science research in Australia through photographs and specimens from the Tweed Regional Museum’s collection.

Attendees can participate in workshops, visit the Museum on Wheels, and enjoy performances by Dead Puppet Society and local musicians.

FIREFIGHTERS

RECEIVE FIRST NATION WELCOME A team of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters received a traditional “welcome to country” ceremony upon arriving in Western Australia to aid in flood relief efforts.

The FRNSW team, consisting of logistics, safety, and resource management experts, is providing support to Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services in the Kimberley region.

The FRNSW team was greeted with a traditional smoking ceremony and thanked the local elder with a special “Challenge” coin from the Fire and Rescue Emergency Services Academy in Sydney.

MAYORAL FUND GRANTS AWARDED TO 9 SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

The Mayoral Fund of the Byron Shire Council has announced the winners of its grants, with nine schools and community groups sharing proceeds from the fund.

Recipients include Bangalow Public School, Brunswick Heads Public School, Byron Bay High School, and Main Arm Upper Public School.

Mayor Michael Lyon expressed his pride in being able to support these local schools and community groups and announced that applications for the 2023 Mayoral Fund will open in August.

THOUSANDS

OF WOMEN TO RECEIVE FERTILITY TREATMENT REBATE

The NSW Government has announced $80m IVF rebate expansion for families.

Coffs Harbour Member Gurmesh Singh welcomes the announcement of an Australian-first rebate for IVF or other assisted reproductive technology, which will make NSW one of the most affordable places in the world to have IVF treatment.

The initiative will also increase the number of IVF treatment places in publicly supported clinics and increase fertility preservation services for patients with a medical need.

FILM STUDENTS GAIN INDUSTRY SKILLS

Value Imagery, a local Northern Rivers video production company, partners with SAE

Creative Media Institute to provide industry experience and skills to film students.

Former student and editor, Charlotte MorrowSmith, now works at the Channel 7 Network in Sydney, thanks to the hands-on experience she gained at Value Imagery under the guidance of Creative Director, Alexander Sharkey.

The partnership provides students with real-life client projects and opportunities for paid work after their placement.

LISMORE EMPLOYMENT ACCELERATION PATHWAYS PROGRAM LAUNCHES

Lismore City Council launches the annual Lismore Employment Acceleration Pathways (LEAP) program to create employment opportunities for those starting or changing careers.

The first intake includes 15 people who will undertake traineeships in horticulture, civil construction, water and sewer, libraries, finance, and the customer contact centre.

The program offers a range of apprenticeships, traineeships, and training opportunities to candidates in line with their areas of interest and is designed to grow youth employment and develop skills in the region.

David Younger

LETTERS, FEEDBACK AND OPINION

graze contently besides cattle, birds and other animal life flourish, trees provide shelter, as a bonus cattle keep fuel loads down so fires are less intense.

Gary Verri Willsons Downfall

QUESTIONABLE?

In response to recent articles and statements regarding the Northern Rivers rail trail I am writing to clarify some points and also question some others.

public was very much based on the statement that the rail corridor would remain in public hands, which has been consistently stated over the years. If it is leased out for 30 years to businesses it is no longer in public hands. Also, in the same statement, Iain said it would mean that there could be no rail services returning in the future (because basically the corridor would be lost, to private interests).

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

METHANE & COWS

Sometime in the near future our Federal Government will impose some form of a C.F.T “cow fart tax” on cattle producers, the Prime Minister has agreed to reducing methane from animal production, like with the GST rural Australia will be the big looser as is the case with all ideological driven agendas by ill-informed inner city voters.

Fact, cattle produce methane so do termites and a lot of other organisms. We should be looking at the big

picture, the world needs protein, grass fed cattle are 800 times more efficient in converting low quality feed “grass” to protein than any other domestic animal is capable of.

While it takes ten times the amount of land to produce one ton of cow protein compared to vegetable protein, the big difference is producing a ton of vegetable protein requires the production area to be turned into a “biological desert”, whereas the area required to produce the ton of cow protein, marsupials

Iain Lonsdale, the manager of the Tweed Shire rail trail, has recently stated that there is no funding for the maintenance of their soon to be opened rail trail. However, an announcement was previously made by Rail Trails: ‘Great news for Tweed section of the rail trail, with Ben Franklin announcing $200,000 per year for 3 years to maintain the trail. Moving forward!!’

By now saying that Tweed has no maintenance funding, Mr Lonsdale is justifying leasing off the rail corridor! The acceptance of the rail trail in our region by the general

As several local railway companies are working hard to bring rail services back to the Northern Rivers there is great concern at these statements, that go against even the Tweed mayor, Chris Cherry’s: “Yes, we had a loss,” (Mayor Cherry has been very supportive of the rail with trail beside it option),”but we are going to retain the heritage trail line land and it can be returned to public transport in the future if we need it.” How does this gel with Iain Lonsdale’s statements and actions?

Byron Shire Councillors and Transport for NSW as well as Sam Farraway,

the NSW Regional Transport Minister, have all stated that multi-use of the rail corridor, with rail and bike path together, will apply in the future for Byron Bay to Mullumbimby and probably Bangalow, and the Northern Rivers Rail Trail are amenable to this as well. Extending a regular train service to Mullumbimby, and up to Yelgun (to help transport problems for Splendour and The Falls Festivals) as well as to Bangalow, would greatly help our local transport problems.

The Big Picture for the Northern Rivers is to extend solar train

services to the whole region incorporating the multi-use option. Less than 30% of the power generated by the Byron Solar Train system is used to run it, so over 70% goes back into the grid. If we are really concerned about climate change the best thing we can do is to extend solar train services throughout!

Please go to: www. northernriversrail.com. au to fill in our survey to help planning for future NR rail.

Lydia Kindred, Secretary, Northern Rivers Rail Ltd

The final stage of the Lismore Base Hospital redevelopment is now complete, with the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government delivering a world-class hospital and community health campus that will provide the highest standard of healthcare for patients in a growing region of NSW.

Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor and Duty MLC for Lismore Ben Franklin officially opened the new buildings today, capping off almost a decade of construction throughout the many stages of the $312 million project.

Mrs Taylor said the new health facilities will allow for contemporary models of care that clinicians and staff are excited to deliver in their local community.

“Lismore Base Hospital is a world-class facility with incredible health staff who provide care to more than 35,000 people every year,” Mrs Taylor said.

“This major redevelopment has brought the health campus up to the highest standard and ensures patients can continue to access the health care they need close to home.

“A big thank you to the incredible hospital staff for their involvement and patience throughout this redevelopment. You have continued to go above and beyond for your patients during this period, particularly through some really challenging times for the Northern Rivers.

Member of the Legislative Council, Aileen MacDonald,

welcomed the completion of the redevelopment.

“The completion of this redevelopment means that residents of Lismore and surrounding regional areas have access to world-class medical care locally, without having to travel to the major cities,”, Mrs MacDonald said.

“This government is working hard and making the necessary investments to ensure that health infrastructure, particularly in rural NSW, is of the highest standard.”

Stage 3C of the Lismore Base Hospital redevelopment includes:

• A refurbished medical ward with stroke, acute delirium beds and general medical beds with a gym and an activities of daily life

kitchen

• new outpatients department

• a new cardiology unit, with co-located coronary care beds and step-down cardiology beds in the one unit, making it easier for staff to provide ongoing care to these patients.

• Community Health facilities on the main hospital campus

• an auditorium

• a new front entrance and reception area

• a new library, education centre, meeting and training rooms

Mr Franklin said the new dedicated health spaces were a welcome boost to both patient care and to the ongoing development and training of the health workforce.

“The additional outpatient clinic capacity will allow the health

service to expand the specialist outpatient options beyond what was possible in the previous site,” Mr Franklin said.

“The co-location of the community health services on the hospital campus enables staff to provide greater continuity of care and better support patients as they move from acute hospital care back into the community.”

The $312.75 million redevelopment began in 2013 with the construction of a new Pathology Department, followed by the Emergency Department and multi-storey carpark which opened in 2016. The Stage 3 redevelopment also included a new Renal Unit, Women’s Care, Paediatrics, Operating Theatres, medical

imaging, pharmacy and inpatient wards.

The redevelopment was jointly funded by the NSW and Australian Governments.

The Lismore Base Hospital redevelopment is part of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s record $11.9 billion investment in health infrastructure over the next four years to 2025-26, with nearly a third of the capital allocation in this financial year going towards regional and rural health facilities.

Since 2011, the NSW Government has delivered more than 180 health capital projects across the State , with more than 130 projects currently underway –more than 90 of which are in rural and regional areas.

WHILST “seeing is believing” might be one of humanity’s oldest adages, it is also one that succinctly reflects the way our minds actually work. According to science, half of the human brain is dedicated to making sense of what we see, and about 80% of what we learn is the result of perception, a complex apparatus that is largely determined by our sense of sight.

Little wonder that we are creatures so impressed, albeit mesmerised by our obsessive penchant for looks. It might sound superficial, but there is research that suggests the better looking you are, (rightly or wrongly) the more money you will earn. One UK study of MBA graduates discovered there was a 10-15% difference in earnings between attractive individuals and those less endowed with let’s say – more aesthetically pleasing surfaces.

It’s no stretch of one’s interpretive capacity to say, human beings aren’t by and large the deepest of interactional creatures. We judge and think often no further than with the simple sweep of our eyes. That the beauty industry generates an estimated $500 billion worldwide each year is testament to how obsessed we are with such things. The company L’Oreal alone rakes in a staggering $35 billion dollars in global sales.

Not being immune to the essentially depthless pull of trying to improve upon our appearances, Australians spend a ballpark $22 billion each year on beauty enhancing products and procedures.

With Queenslanders apparently topping the average spending with $989 per person, closely followed by South Australians ($986) and

those of us in New South Wales ($934).

All this would be the impetus for a lighthearted dismissal along the rosy cheek lines of mirth if it weren’t for the rather disfiguring fact –only 29% of Australia’s tax paying population made any tax-deductible donations to charity.

According to the ATO, only $3.85 billion of funds were given by us in the financial year of 2019-20. Compared to what we spent in the name of vanity – we can’t be that self-invested and conceited can we?

Which raises the ageold conundrum – what constitutes beauty? Is it determined by external appearances, or by much deeper things that can’t be so superficially discerned? Or as the doyen of angelic-ness herself, Audrey Hepburn once suggested, “For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For poise, walk with the knowledge you never walk alone.”

Short of utterly rewiring our brains or reversing thousands of years of inclination and development, we can decide each day to put matters of the spirit above those of the spine. Beauty is far more than skin deep or pedantically attained at the end of a surgeon’s scalpel. Through conscious choice we can elevate substance over style, style being the most replaceable and ephemeral commodity there is.

Somehow, we have to heed the prompt and follow the lead of Drew Barrymore, who once said, “I think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness.”

STUDENTS RECOGNISED WITH NATION-FIRST RESPECT AWARDS

Ten students from Government, Catholic and Independent schools have been recognised for high standards of respectful behaviour, inclusiveness and community-mindedness at the State’s frst Premier’s Respect Awards.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the aim of the new annual awards is to lift student behaviour in schools by giving respectful conduct the same high regard and prestige as academic achievement.

“I am in awe of the nominations we received for our frst Respect Awards. It’s such an honour to recognise these extraordinary young people who are having such a positive impact on our school communities every day,” Mr Perrottet said.

“I’d like to congratulate all students who were recognised and thank their teachers, principals and school support staff for their efforts putting forward nominations.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the awards are an initiative to recognise and encourage high standards of behaviour in schools.

“Respect is an important component of developing a student’s interpersonal relationships and personal identity,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Being respectful is something we all should do in our daily lives, and it is important that as a society we are proud of and celebrate respectful behaviour from our students.”

All 3,165 schools across NSW were invited to nominate a student in recognition of their respectful conduct. Each nominated student received a certifcate

at their school, with ten exemplary students recognised yesterday at the frst NSW Premier’s Respect Awards Showcase.

Applications were reviewed by a panel chaired by Emeritus Professor Judyth Sachs and representatives from the Association of Independent Schools NSW, Catholic Schools NSW and the NSW Department of Education.

NSW PREMIER’S RESPECT AWARDS

2022 WINNERS:

• Ethan Cheal, Year 11, Minerva School, Sutherland (NSW Government School)

• Jorja Croese, Year 7, Arise Christian College, Metford (Association of Independent Schools NSW)

• Gianfranco Dabbene, Year 11, Freeman Catholic College, Bonnyrigg Heights (Catholic Schools NSW)

• Kobe Erickson, Year 6, Narellan Vale Public School (NSW Government School)

Aisha Hookey, Year 1, Toongabbie East Public School (NSW Government School)

• Jade Kearney, Year 5, Broadwater Public School (NSW Government School)

Maram Robi, Year 10, Al-Faisal College Liverpool (Association of Independent Schools NSW)

• Hemakesh Saravanan, Year 10, St Francis Catholic College, Edmondson Park (Catholic Schools NSW)

• Arly Seaton, Year 2, Lightning Ridge Central School (NSW Government School)

• Tyrone Vatubuli, Year 11, Kildare Catholic College, Wagga Wagga (Catholic Schools NSW)

If looks could kill…by Nigel Dawe

Jade Kerney - Broadwater PS

The Tenterfeld Show is on this weekend, 27th and 28th January.

FREE entry before 4pm Friday, so get in early and start enjoying the fun.

There’s a lot to look forward to including the ring events, show jumping, prime cattle judging, junior and senior showgirl, freworks and much, much more. It’s a great couple of days full of family fun.

Our rides, food and bar are open till late and cater for the whole family. Enjoy free live entertainment, free activities for the littlies, live music, fashion parade to name a few.

Tenterfeld is only a 3hr 30min drive from Brisbane and 70min from Glen Innes.

There are plenty of accommodation options that suit everyone’s needs - from campgrounds, Bed & Breakfast, motels, and historical cottages.

Not only can you enjoy the show, but you can also see what our beautiful town has to offer. Step through history and take a walk down the streets to see our heritage listedbuildings, then off to a winery or enjoy some amazing outdoor adventures.

We’d love you to linger a little longer in Tenterfeld.

HOW COME Cowboys didn’t have cats?

Howdy, it’s ‘Leemo Cat’ back. I had a question for ‘Mum Jane’. ‘Mum, did cowboys have cats?’ She peered over her book. ‘OMG, a most excellent question Leems..does this mean you’ve actually been reading? OK, I’ll tell you, but only what I’ve read.’ A critter known as the ‘Ringtailed’ CAT, the Wild West’s most unusual pet, was found to be easily tamed and was used to chase mice. HOWEVER, it turned out Leems that the ‘Ringtail’ was not related to cats at all… they were related to Racoons and Coatis. Gottit? AND Leems, my curiosity is most piqued by your question?’ ‘Well Mum, I’ve watched cowboy movies with you lots. I really truly love them, but never once have I seen a Cat gracefully strolling around a campfre being patted and given treats by Cowboys, & sleeping on a bear-skin blankie under the stars. That’s why I asked.’ (Hmmm. That mouldy brain of hers was pondering.)

‘Leems, pray tell me what possible use a rough tough brave cowboy might have for a cat like you, specially when he’s on the trail, ‘cos I don’t reckon he’d have time brush you 3 times a day. As an illustration, do you truly believe Leems, that you could herd cattle for days at a time? Could you protect the nice cowboys from Rattlesnakes & Water

Moccasins, Bears, Wolves & Mountain Lions? Swim rivers? Chase cattle rustlers? Could you catch, kill & cook your own food?’ (NUP, no ‘Felix’ in those days Leems!!)

AS USUAL, she’s gone and spoiled my aspirations of being a ‘Cowboy Cat’ with a hat & stuff. Let me think on this. AHA, a light bulb moment! ‘BUT MUM, the cowboys in ‘Lonesome Dove’ took their pet pigs with them over 2500 miles from Texas via Wyoming to Montana on their great cattle drive, get my drift? Why not a cat as brave and fearless as myself? If pigs can do it, I reckon I can.. WELL Mum?’ She signalled for tea & cake. Done! ‘Sit and listen Leems. PIGS are pretty special, and in fact are ranked as the 5th most intelligent animal in the whole world. On that journey, those pigs killed poisonous snakes, kept up with the cowboys and the wagon, and always maintained a most sense excellent sense of humour. They can SWIM & organise their own food just by ‘snouting’ around, ‘cos they have a sense of smell 2000 times more sensitive than humans. They also have the capacity to feel the same emotions as us, like happy stuff, excitement, fear and anxiety, and, they are MOST gentle creatures. SO, Leems, that’s why the pigs were allowed to go on the journey with the cowboys. I really don’t believe you would have enjoyed it at all Leems. There would have been no 22 hours sleepies a day, most meagre rations, no brushes, your soft paws would have been ruined, no ‘Bluey’, no PBB, & so on.’

Oooh, YUK! Hmmm. I guess Mum’s right (for a change) which is why I haven’t seen any cats in Cowboy movies. We cats are sensitive, cultivated souls who need our rest, nutritional treats, brushes & things into order to maintain our equanimity with life. Not to worry. Perhaps I could be a ‘Knight of the Round Table’ & just sit around eating? Purrsies, Leemo.

Flood Recovery Fund

$70m for damaged community assets

Additional funding is now available to help repair social and community infrastructure damaged by the foods last year.

Under the $70 million Community Assets Program, councils can apply for between $100,000 and $7.5 million for projects that support the repair of parks, playgrounds, walkways, places of cultural heritage, and other community assets like libraries, pedestrian bridges and communitybased pre-schools.

The program, jointly funded by the Federal and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), will be available to the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Lismore, Richmond Valley, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Ballina,

Byron, Tenterfeld, and Tweed.

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said nearly a year on, there was still work to be done to fully restore our communities to the way they were before.

“Parks and playgrounds in particular are important community hubs that bring people together,” Mr Hogan said.

State Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said the funding would provide further help to councils to restore some of the social and community infrastructure that remained damaged by fooding in 2022.

“The Community Assets Program is not just about building back for now – we’re building back better for the future by improving the resilience

of these essential assets,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“This package, part of more than $3.5 billion we have committed to support communities affected by foods in 2022, builds on the Government’s response to the Independent Flood Inquiry, which ensures emergency services are better equipped to respond to future disaster events and support impacted communities during recovery.”

Applications for the Community Asset Program will open Friday 20 January 2023. More information will be available at: www.nsw.gov. au/2022CLIRP.

One year after natural disaster

REFLECT, REBUILD Lismore

To mark the one-year anniversary of the 28 February natural disaster, Lismore City Council is holding a series of events to allow our community to refect on the catastrophic food and to look forward as we rebuild our City.

Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg said REFLECT, REBUILD Lismore will give residents the opportunity to once again come together to refect on the past 12 months, reconnect, heal and hopefully enjoy some entertainment to mark the city’s new beginning as we rebuild.

“While the morning of 28 February dramatically changed our city, it also

revealed the best of our nature with stranger coming to the aid of stranger, neighbour helping neighbour and our whole community standing as one,” he said.

REFLECT, REBUILD Lismore is funded by the NSW Government.

The frst event is a Service of Refection and Healing for our whole community to come together at Mortimer Oval from 6pm with the service between 6.30pm and 7.30pm. Prior to this a private event will be held to recognise members of the Tinny Army who saved countless lives on that fateful morning.

Running from Tuesday, 28 February to Sunday,

19 March, REFLECT, REBUILD Lismore also features a Community Concert at the Turf Club on Sunday, 5 March for those in the Lismore LGA, an open CBD Gathering on Saturday, 4 March with CBD businesses, food vendors, local artists, roving entertainers and four live music stages around the block which will be closed to traffc.

Other events include a Wellbeing Hub at the Quad between Tuesday, 28 February and Sunday, 5 March, a welcome party for the Bowilzilla Skate event at Nimbin on Thursday, 2 March and a Flea Circus Skate event at GSAC on Friday, 3 March.

The two fnal events are a Community Cricket 20/20 with former Australian Test cricketers, led by Adam Gilchrest, playing with local senior and junior cricketers at Oakes Oval on Saturday, 11 March and an Opera in the Gardens at the Lismore Turf Club on Sunday, 19 March with well-known international performers and orchestra.

A free bus shuttle service will be available for some events. Those who need transport to other events can contact Hart Services service on 1300 874 278 which is kindly providing a free pick-up.

Full details: www. visitlismore.com.au.

“Leemo has views on just about anything”

‘MUM,

Get your mullet tossin’ skills ready

At OSCA’s last World Championship Mullet Throwing competition in 2020, Damian Mowbray Senior Men’s

mullet a whopping 45.2 metres.

Champions in each category will be awarded a trophy, with a medal each for the two runners up.

Rainer and Morris will be there with our popular Aussie Singalong. The Australia Day Ambassador will cut the Giant Lamington and award the trophies.

The Ocean Shores Community Association (OSCA) Mullet Throwing goes back 22 years to 2001. A disastrous fsh kill in Waterlily Lake following bushfres and drought drew attention to the Ocean Shores Estuary of Marshall’s Creek and four smaller coastal creeks.

Return of the Mullet Throwing Championships It is on again at the Ocean Shores Public School 166 Shara Boulevarde from 3 pm on Australia Day Thursday 26th January. There are 6 categories plus the open pre-school event where all throwers get a prize. Categories are: Senior Men, Senior Women, Senior Boys, Senior Girls 16 and under, Junior Boys, Junior Girls 10 and Under. Competition is open to all.

Champion threw the industrial grade rubber

The school community at the time had to be evacuated, homes in danger.

During foods the creeks could not escape to the ocean. They

were blocked by a high gravel road built by sandminers from about 1930 along the coastal dunes to Wooyung.

As well from the 1960’s training walls at the mouth of Marshall’s Creek blocked foodwaters and the normal fow of waters to the ocean causing sand siltation and a build up of vegetation in the creeks.

The community realised there had to be guardianship and an awareness of the need to protect the local area. The mullets remind us of all that.

The event is sponsored by Byron Shire Council, the Australia Day Council and the Ocean Shores Community Association.

For further details go to the OSCA website or call 0431 477 445.

Council welcomes additional funding

Resilience at heart of food recovery and restoration

Incorporating resilience into Council and community infrastructure is key to the Tweed’s food recovery restoration work planned for 2023. Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry welcomed a joint announcement today by the Australian and NSW Governments to offer an additional $70 million to help foodaffected communities across the State, including the Tweed, repair community infrastructure.

“The devastating foods of 2022 impacted a wide range of community infrastructure, Council buildings and facilities across the Tweed, but plans are well underway to build back better this year,” Cr Cherry said.

“This additional funding will certainly help in the repair of these vital community facilities which play such an important role in the lives of so many people and which have been missed since they were

Water safety lessons for Active Kids vacation care participants

In response to the high rate of drownings in Australia, GSAC is offering free water safety lessons to children participating in the Active Kids vacation care program.

Over the summer holidays GSAC staff saw a need for water safety lessons when several children from the Active Kids vacation care program could not swim 25 metres unassisted, a requirement to participate in the

obstacle course activity.

The children who could not swim the distance were offered free water safety lessons by the GSAC Swimsations team. The lessons are designed to build skills and confdence in the water.

Lismore City Council General Manager John Walker said ensuring children within our community can learn to swim is very important.

“With the disruptions local families have faced

over the past two years from COVID-19 and the natural disaster, it is great to see initiatives like this teaching vital skills to our young people,” he said.

The Federal Government estimate that more than 12 million swimming lessons were missed across Australia throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Royal Life Saving Australia has reported 39 drownings this summer alone, nine of which are

aged 0-17.

The GSAC Learn to Swim team is working hard to make up for lost time. Attendance numbers are on the rise, with 711 attendees currently enrolled in lessons.

Swimsations at GSAC is a fully accredited swim school with qualifed and welltrained staff who teach people of all ages.

damaged in the food.

“To see them being brought back into operation will certainly give us much to cheer about.”

Among Council’s top priorities for restoration of community facilities is the repair of Murwillumbah Community Centre (MCC) with work anticipated to start later this month.

The service has been operating on a temporary basis out of Council’s Coolamon Centre since its headquarters in Knox Park were inundated last February. To ensure better protection during future food events, repair works will build in greater food resilience through measures such as raising power and data points, installing more cement sheeting walls and replacing timber doors, cabinetry and carpets with more waterproof materials.

Other community facilities due for food

restoration work include the Tweed Heads Library, several community halls, the Murwillumbah saleyards, the Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre (TRAC) and the fre control centre in Murwillumbah used by the Rural Fire Service (RFS).

The Tweed’s sporting community will also have reason to cheer with work schedules for reconstruction being developed with many different sports clubs.

More than $1.5 million has already been secured to help clubs reinstate and repair clubhouses, restore lighting, repair courts, playing surfaces and implement resilience practices such as relocating electrical boxes to higher locations.

The work will be across several different sporting codes including rugby league, AFL, hockey, netball, soccer, touch football, cricket and tennis.

Helping households reduce their landfill waste

The NSW Government has committed $6.2 million in funding to divert waste from landfills by expanding the food organics and garden organics (FOGO) collection service.

The service, which is currently offered in 42 council areas, will now be available in 56 council areas, covering almost 290,000 households.

Minister for Environment James Griffin said that FOGO has been successful in preventing more than 26,000 tonnes of food and garden waste from going to landfill in the first 18 months in Randwick alone.

FOGO is part of the NSW Government’s $46 million Go FOGO grants program, which aims to divert organic waste from landfills, reduce emissions, create a valuable resource, and save money on landfill disposal costs.

The program is expected to divert an

estimated half a million tonnes of waste and turn it into compost that can be used in large-scale agriculture, parks, and gardens, improving soil health and boosting yields. The funding will be used by councils to purchase bins and caddies, conduct audits, trials, and education, and roll out a successful weekly FOGO kerbside service.

The Go FOGO program is funded through the government’s $356 million Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and is helping the state reach its target of net-zero emissions from organic waste in landfills by 2030.

The government has also invested in a complementary infrastructure program that supported the construction or upgrade of 30 waste processing facilities, increasing NSW processing capacity for food and garden waste by 600,000 tonnes a year.

$800,000 AWARDED TO SIX FIRST NATION PROJECTS

Six projects proposed by local Indigenous groups have been approved and funded to the tune of just under $800,000 dollars, Nationals Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis and local Indigenous leaders announced in Yamba on Tuesday.

The courage, creativity and initiative of Aboriginal people in the Clarence should be encouraged and supported and that is why my North Coast

Nationals friend and NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Ben Franklin and I are so excited about these new grants,” Mr Gulaptis said.

$450,000 will be invested in projects in the Yamba area: the Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation will buy a bus to help locals get around and will also receive funding for an exciting cultural education and employment training initiative, while the Birrigan Gargle Local

Aboriginal Land Council has been awarded funding for a bus to support their members for transport to functions ranging from medical appointments to funerals.

Two other buses will be bought for the Gurehlgam Corporation and the Jana Ngalee

Local Aboriginal Land Council, solving a multitude of transport issues in the community, in particular the two remote communities of Malabugulmah and Baryulgil.

Mr Gulaptis said the

Baryulgil Cemetery was a special place for local Indigenous people and $85,000 would be invested to build a shelter and storytelling place there.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Ben Franklin, who is a North Coast-based Nationals Member of the NSW Legislative Council, said that working hand in hand with Aboriginal people since he had been appointed as the Minister representing them in the NSW Government was a huge privilege.

New Director of Regional Development appointed

The Hon Don Page, Chair of Regional Development Australia

Northern Rivers is pleased to announce the appointment of Nathan McGrath to the position of Director of Regional Development, RDA Northern Rivers.

Nathan brings over 25 years of business and advisory experience to the role and looks forward to continuing working with Northern Rivers business and industry and key agencies to advance economic and employment opportunities in the region.

“Nathan has a wealth of commercial and business experience together with a deep knowledge and understanding of our region.

“His strategic thinking, analytical ability and communication skills with stakeholders will be an enormous asset to RDA-Northern Rivers and the community generally,” Mr Page said.

“The Board and I look forward to working with Nathan to increase employment opportunities and further reduce our unemployment rate, which I’m happy to report has halved across the region in the past fve years.”

His career extends across corporate and SME environments,

along with consulting programs with the federal government.

He brings a strong commercial background with demonstrated success across multiple industries including distribution, manufacturing, and consulting services.

Having grown up in the Northern Rivers and returned to the

area in recent years Nathan holds strong feelings regarding the development and opportunities available to our region.

“I have worked with Regional Development Australia Northern Rivers in a stakeholder capacity over the pasts 10 years and have seen the important role it plays with employment, industry, and our regions communities.

“I look forward to working with the Board to continue delivering on RDA’s charter across the Northern Rivers,” he said.

Chair of RDANorthern Rivers, The Hon Don Page thanked Tim Williamson for his contribution to creating employment opportunities in the region over the past fve years.

“We were fortunate to have Tim as Director of Regional Development and the Board is excited to have Nathan McGrath take over that role.”

Man drowns in surf rescue at Lennox Head

A tragic incident occurred at Lennox Head’s Seven Mile Beach on Wednesday evening, where a 45-year-old man drowned while attempting to rescue his 11-year-old daughter from the surf.

The State Operations Centre was alerted to the incident around 6.30pm, and the Lennox Head-Alstonville SLSC Emergency Call Out Team, Far North Coast Branch Duty Officers, Lifeguard Supervisor and UAV Coordinator were immediately activated.

The man’s daughter was able to return to shore with the help of lifeguards and paramedics, however, despite efforts to revive the man, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

This is the third bystander drowning for the summer in NSW and the tenth coastal drowning incident in the state this summer.

Seven Mile Beach, where the incident occurred, was not patrolled at the time of the incident.

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce has urged beachgoers to swim at patrolled locations between the red and yellow flags.

“The huge number of rescues our volunteers have performed in just the last few weeks demonstrates that even good swimmers can get into trouble very quickly in the surf,” he said.

“Our message all summer has been that if you’re visiting the coastline, swim at a patrolled location between the red and yellow flags.”

This is a tragic loss for the family and community, and the police have alerted the Irish Consulate of the man’s death.

A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner.

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.

FLOOD RECOVERY NEEDS A BETTER SENSE OF URGENCY, BETTER COMMUNICATION: MP SAYS

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has urged the NSW Government to increase its sense of urgency and improve communication with local residents who are awaiting decisions about the Resilient Homes and Resilient Land programs.

According to Ms Saffin, while she has had a positive working relationship with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC), their main issue is one of communication.

She reports that she is receiving a constant stream of questions from residents who are uncertain about their individual housing situations and are unsure of what actions they should take while they wait for voluntary buybacks, house raising, or retrofitting.

Ms Saffin also highlights the larger plan of assessing Expressions of Interest for securing suitable

flood-free land that can be offered to those who receive buybacks, which includes relocatables.

As the first anniversary of the 28 February 2022 flood approaches, she continues to have many emotional conversations with her constituents about their flood

recovery efforts.

In early December, Ms Saffin requested a detailed briefing from NRRC Chief Executive David Witherdin about the corporation’s work on the Resilient Homes and Resilient Land programs, as well as other related projects.

She believes that improved communication is necessary in order to address concerns such as the immediate release of coloured zone maps for voluntary buybacks, voluntary house raising, and retrofitting, which should be made

available to the public.

Other issues that Ms Saffin believes require better communication include information about the flood heights used for mapping, a potential date for the first approvals under the various categories, the total number

of registrations for expressions of interest, the number of case managers, the average value of a buyback offer, and progress with land acquisition and land swaps.

Additionally, she has requested information about the NRRC’s staff, their annual budget, and their program and jobs undertaken.

Ms Saffin also wants a summary of the NRRC’s Community Consultations and Conversations, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding with Landcom, which should include information about all seven LGAs and the projects under consideration.

Furthermore, she has requested information about the findings and recommendations from the road damage survey, a report on the remediation of landslips, and progress on the riparian restoration program.

FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, VEHICLES, AND CANNABIS SEIZED IN STATE’S NORTH

On Tuesday, January 17th, 2023, police simultaneously executed search warrants at two properties in Stockyard Creek and Woodenbong.

At a property on Lindsay Street in Woodenbong, a firearm, ammunition, and 442 grams of cannabis leaf were seized.

At a property on Stockyard Creek Road, five firearms, 37 grams of cannabis, and 14 cannabis plants were found and seized.

The property owners, a 61-year-old man and 59-year-old woman, were arrested at the Stockyard Creek property and taken to Grafton Police Station.

The man was charged with possession of unauthorised firearms, possession of ammunition without a license, possession of

prohibited drugs, and cultivation of prohibited plants.

The woman was charged with possession

of unauthorised firearms, cultivation of prohibited plants, and possession of prohibited drugs. Both were

refused bail and are set to appear in court today.

After executing the search warrant at the Stockyard Creek

property, investigators discovered cannabis plants growing on an adjacent property.

A crime scene was

established, and the property was searched by police. Four firearms, ammunition, 223 cannabis plants, 350 grams of cannabis leaf, a small cannon, and a range of allegedly stolen vehicles and other items, including a caravan and tractor, were seized.

A 49-year-old man was arrested at the property and taken to Grafton Police Station. He was charged with 19 offenses including possession of unregistered firearms, not keeping firearms safely, possession of ammunition without a license, supply of prohibited drugs, cultivation of cannabis, possession of stolen vehicles and receiving stolen property.

He was also refused bail.

Smaller towns lead the way

House prices dip in capitals

Home values in regional Australia have been on the decline since April 2022, following an unprecedented surge during the pandemic. According to property tracking frm PropTrack, prices have fallen by 2.2 per cent in the past few

months, as the demand for properties in regional towns has decreased.

Senior Economist Eleanor Creagh believes that despite the current dip in the market, regional house prices are likely to remain buoyed by shifting lifestyle

priorities, migration trends and affordability advantages. Interstate Queensland was the most sought-after location for potential buyers, with 31 per cent of all online property searches in Australia looking for houses in regional QLD.

Properties in regional South Australia and Western Australia were also popular, consistently outperforming properties in regional New South Wales and Victoria. Overall, Creagh believes that regional house prices will continue

to outperform those in the capital cities. “Regional markets are likely to continue to exhibit a slower pace of price falls compared to capital cities,” she said. The current drop in house prices in regional Australia is an indication

of the changing housing market, as people re-assess their housing needs in the midst of the pandemic. Despite the decline in demand, regional house prices are still expected to remain relatively high compared to capital cities.

Rents increasing slower than last year’s 10% jump, CoreLogic reports

Australian landlords raised rents to a record high in 2022, and tenants are unlikely to see relief in the near future.

Rents have increased more slowly in the last half-year, while rental vacancies remain very low (1.17% in December). Last month saw the highest number of new rental listings in 10 months.

Renters in Australia have been feeling the pinch in recent years, with the nation’s median rent jumping by a “record high” 10.2 per cent to $555 per week in 2022, according to property analysts CoreLogic. Brisbane and Adelaide had the largest rent increases (with a roughly 13 per cent hike), followed by Sydney and Perth (up by around 11 per cent over the year).

When COVID-19 frst struck in early 2020, rents plummeted as Australia’s economy briefy fell into recession (like many other nations), sparked by lockdowns to prevent a surge in infections and deaths. At the time,

it was easy to score a bargain and rent a CBD apartment for much cheaper rates.

This was particularly true in Sydney and Melbourne — the two cities that were hit especially hard by the exodus of foreign workers and international students when Australia’s borders were closed. But, from September 2020, the rental market began to recover. In just over two years, the median rent has surged 22.2 per cent. One silver lining is that the rents have recently been rising at a slower pace.

In the December quarter, rents increased by 2 per cent (compared to a 2.3 per cent rise in the September quarter), according to CoreLogic’s numbers.

Rental vacancies are still very low (1.17 per cent in December), and new rental listings hit a 10-month high last month. However, the number of listings is still 13.8 per cent lower than the previous fve-year average for this time of year. The situation is unlikely to ease

signifcantly for tenants in coming months, as approvals for new dwellings are down 15 per cent year on year, meaning there will be fewer houses being built as migration rebounds and more people start to call Australia home.

Homelessness Australia chief executive Kate Colvin said families are being pushed to the brink and many have already become homeless. Last year homelessness services had a 9.2 per cent jump in people seeking help because of

fnancial and housing issues.

Ms Colvin said governments could do a lot more to get affordable rentals on the ground, and to soften the impact on renters by increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance. This sentiment was echoed by Maiy Azize, national spokesperson for the Everybody’s Home campaign, who hears regular reports of people living in tents, sleeping in cars, or couch surfng for months and years on end.

Ms Azize said the government should raise rent assistance so that it keeps up with the cost of rent and expand it so that goes to more people in need. She also said the government should build more social housing, as the private sector will only build when it’s proftable.

The government has committed to a massive boost in the number of social housing dwellings it will build, promising to construct 20,000 in coming years. However, this is still hundreds of

thousands of “units” of housing less than demand.

Renters in Australia are facing a diffcult situation, with rents rising at a slower pace but still at a record high. Rental vacancies are still very low, and new rental listings hit a 10-month high last month. Approvals for new dwellings are down 15 per cent year on year, meaning there will be fewer houses being built as migration rebounds and more people start to call Australia home.

The government has committed to a massive boost in the number of social housing dwellings it will build, but this is still hundreds of thousands of “units” of housing less than demand.

Homelessness Australia chief executive Kate Colvin and Maiy Azize, national spokesperson for the Everybody’s Home campaign, have both called for the government to take greater action, such as raising rent assistance and expanding it to more people in need.

SATURDAY

NCIS: LOS ANGELES

TEN, 7.30pm

MONDAY AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR

TEN, 7.30pm

Many people shun reality-TV competitions, but Survivor shouldn’t be thrown into the same pile as every other gimmick. As Americans gear up for their 42nd series of the beloved franchise, anyone who has bypassed this spectacle should really give it a chance … After all, now that Mike White, the creator of smash-hit proudly outed himself as a superfan (he even competed with his dad on the series and came second), Survivor and cool. Tonight, host Jonathan LaPaglia (pictured) kicks o 10th season of this Aussie version with a mix of new and returning players. Buckle up for plenty of strategic manoeuvres with a heroes versus villains theme.

THURSDAY TASKMASTER AUSTRALIA

TEN, 7.30pm

Britain’s hilarious

in for the British hit, Gleeson sums the show up quite succinctly as “comedians humiliating themselves… that’s kind of our whole deal!”.

Featuring contestants Julia Morris (above), Luke McGregor, Jimmy Rees, Nina Oyama and Danielle Walker, along with Gleeson’s sidekick Tom Cashman, tune in for the silly, head-scratching and gleeful challenges, which will see one comedian emerge as the victor. It’s a delightfully silly distraction.

This long-running spin-o of NCIS continues to bring the drama as our tight-knit group of federal agents apprehend criminals who pose a threat to national security. In “Flesh and Blood”, Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) is reminded of the most challenging period of his life when a woman is seen eeing the scene of her husband’s murder. Guest star Pamela Reed (Parks and Recreation) plays Deeks’ mother Roberta, who comes to town to meet Rosa (Natalia Del Riego), the teenage foster daughter of Kensi (Daniela Ruah, above) and Deeks. But is it too much for Rosa, a young woman adjusting to life with a new family in an unfamiliar country? 2701

FRIDAY, January 27

Studio 10.

10 News First: Midday. 1.00 Dr

6.00 The Drum. Analysis of the day’s news.

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

7.30 Monty Don’s Adriatic Gardens: Croatia. Part 2 of 3.

8.30 Endeavour. (Mav, R) Part 3 of 3. In the midst of the winter of 1971, Endeavour and Thursday’s relationship is shaken when Thursday discovers that Endeavour’s problems are greater than anybody could have suspected.

10.00 Miniseries: The Accident. (Mal, R) Part 4 of 4.

10.50 ABC Late News. Detailed coverage of the day’s events.

11.10 Parkinson In Australia. (PG, R) Presented by Michael Parkinson.

11.55 Unforgotten. (Mal, R)

12.45 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R) 6.30 SBS World News.

7.35 Scotland: A Wild Year.

8.30 Inside Central Station: T4 Line. (PG, R) It is almost Christmas and the sta are working around the clock to keep trains on track and on schedule.

9.25 Undeniable: The Truth To Remember. Hosted by Julianna Margulies.

10.20 SBS World News Late.

10.50 Gomorrah. (MA15+v, R)

1.45 The Kimberley Cruise: The Full Journey. (R)

4.35 Bamay. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

(PG, R) 3.00 The Chase. (R) 4.00 Seven News At 4. 5.00 The Chase Australia. (R)

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

7.00 To Be Advised. 11.00 MOVIE: The Book Of Eli. (2010, MA15+v, R) In a post-apocalyptic future, a lone man ghts his way across the US to protect a sacred book that he believes holds the secrets to saving humankind. Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis. 1.30 Home Shopping.

6.00 NBN News.

7.00 Australian Open Tennis Pre-Show. Reviews, previews, interviews, highlights and opinions from the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

7.30 Tennis. Australian Open. Night 12. Men’s singles semi- nal. From Melbourne Park. Hosted by James Bracey.

11.00 New Amsterdam. (Mamv, R) A burst pipe plunges the ED into chaos.

12.00 Family Law. (Ma, R)

1.00 Our State On A Plate.

(PG) Cassandra Charlick learns how to make beer.

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)

(PGal, R) 2.00 Jamie’s Ultimate Veg. (PG, R) 3.00 Ent. Tonight. 3.30 Judge Judy. (PG, R) 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Bold. (PG) 5.00 News.

6.30 The Project. Hamish Macdonald, Georgie Tunny, Michael Hing and Julie Goodwin take a look at the day’s news.

7.30 The Graham Norton Show. Graham Norton is joined by actors Michelle Williams, Helena Bonham Carter and Brendan Fraser, screenwriter Russell T Davies and talent show judge Oti Mabuse. Music from singer-songwriter Cat Burns. 9.30 Jimeoin: Ramble On. (Mls, R) Stand-up comedy performance by Irish comedian Jimeoin featuring his clever and quirky observations on everyday suburban life in his trademark devil-may-care style.

11.00 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news and events.

12.00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) Late-night talk show. 1.00 Home Shopping. (R)

Million Dollar Minute. 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 Better Homes. 5.00 Escape To The Country. 6.00 Bargain Hunt. 7.00 Better Homes And Gardens Summer. 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 TV Shop: Home Shopping. 10.30 Seaway. 11.30 My Favorite Martian. Noon The Young And The Restless. 1.00 Full Bloom. 2.00 The Baron. 3.10 Antiques Roadshow. 3.40 MOVIE: The Big Job. (1965) 5.30 Murder, She Wrote. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Queens Of Mystery. 8.30 MOVIE: Rob Roy. (1995, M) 11.20

6am Home Shopping. 8.00 Australia By Design: Innovations. 8.30 Australia By Design: Architecture. 9.00 Escape Fishing With ET. 9.30 iFish. 10.00 The Love Boat. 11.00 Star Trek: The Next Generation. Noon MacGyver. 2.00 Diagnosis Murder. 3.00 Waltzing Jimeoin. 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 MacGyver. 12.15am Shopping. 2.15 Late Programs.

Programs.

Dine With

Daytime. 1.30 Lidia’s Italy. 2.00 Australia’s Food Bowl. 2.30 Cook’s Pantry. 3.00 Food Lover’s Guide. 3.30 Simply Raymond Blanc. 4.30 Destination Flavour China. 5.00 Railway Vietnam. 5.30 Eat China. 6.00 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. 10.35 The Wine Show. 11.35 Late Programs.

(53) NITV (34)

6am

MOVIE: Emu Runner. (2018, PG) 9.10 First Nations Bedtime Stories. 9.20 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. 10.20 The Song Keepers. 11.50 Late Programs.

9LIFE (84)

7.00 House

Bryan. 6.00

7.30 Yard Crashers. 8.30 O The Grid On The Beach. 9.30 Building O The Grid. 10.30 Lakefront Bargain Hunt. 11.00 Late Programs.

6am Morning Programs. 9.00 News. 10.00 AM Agenda. 11.00 NewsDay. Noon NewsDay. 1.00 Chris Kenny Tonight. 2.00 Afternoon Agenda. 3.00 Paul Murray Live. 4.00 Afternoon Agenda. 4.30 Business Now With Ross Greenwood. 5.00 Erin. 6.00 Peta Credlin. 7.00 The Rita Panahi Show. 8.00 The US Report. 9.00 The Media Show. 9.30 NewsNight. 10.00 NewsNight. 11.00 Late Programs.

January. The yarding consisted of a good supply of young cattle along with a fair penning of cows. Vealers and weaners made up the majority of the young cattle, along with several pens of yearlings. Quality was mixed with several runs of well fnished steers and heifer, along with some plain conditioned calves, and there were a few less light weight vealers offered.

Cow prices held frm on last week averaging 261c/kg and

WARWICK

MC DOUGALL & SONS SHEEP & LAMB REPORT

Agents today yarded 2232 head for the weekly sale, the yarding was very mixed with a few runs of good fed lambs intertwined with some nice paddock run lambs. The Market was not kind with the average price falling to a total of $105.64/head. This is following the trend of the cattle markets and we see the effect of the change in the markets as the Holiday season changes to back to work and school. Lambs topped at $210 to average $134.60($10down), hoggets topped at $110 to average $71.19 ($18down), ewes topped at $120 to average $30.38($37down), wethers topped at $120 to average $99.29($1down), rams topped at $60, to average $30.88($60down), lamb rams topped at $170 to average $59.17($9down), ewe lambs topped at $174 to average $141.23($10up). The total yarding averaged $105.64 a drop of $15/head.

Allan & Vicky Schroder sold Dorset lambs off the paddock 51.3kg to Thomas Foods for $170

Warren & Wendy Schelbach sold Dorper lambs 45.2kg to Jock Young Meats for $175

Vermont Past Co sold Dorset x shorn lambs off feed 53.3kg to Thomas Foods for $180, 51kg to Thomas Foods for $170, 49.1kg unshorn to Thomas Foods for $150

Stillwater sold Dorper lambs 45kg to Leslie Lamb for $149, 40.8kg to GR Prime for $126

Lloyd & Desley Mauch sold Dorset lambs 62kg to Thomas Foods for $194

Whetstone Organics sold Dorper lambs 50.3kg to Elliots Butchery for $180

Greg & Clancy Mc Gahan sold Dorper lambs 51kg to Elliots Butchery for $179

Andrew Clark Dickson sold Dorper lambs 50.2kg to Warwick Meats for $155, ewes to Eversons for $42

Bill Pentecost sold Dorper lambs 36.4kg to restockers for $85, ewe hoggets 62.5kg to restockers for $110, ewes to restockers for $120

Kellie & Cameron Gillam sold South down x lambs 41.5kg to GR Prime for $130, ewe lambs 42.5kg to restockers for $160, 37.1kg to restockers for $114, ewes been running with Southdown rams sold to retockers for $60 and $18

Mt Pleasant Primary Production sold Suffolk lambs 70kg to restockers for $100, rams to Take IT Easy Meats for $55, ewe and lamb units to restockers for $175

260c/kg and 625kg. Lighter steer prices saw an increase with stock up to 250kg averaging 482c/kg and reaching a top of 576c/kg. Heavier steers over 250kg were slightly down averaging 410c/kg and topping their market at 540c/ kg. A small number of bullocks sold on the day averaged 321c/kg and reached a top of 348c/kg.

Vealer prices were softer averaging 403c/kg and 218kg and reaching a top of 568c/kg.

Ray White Rural held a store sale at the NRLX on Friday

TENTERFIELD

MARKET REPORT 16TH JANAURY 2023 SUPPLIED BY HAROLD CURRY REAL ESTATE AND BUSINESS BROKERS PH: 02 6736 1344

Heifers sell to $2,278.00

Sale Date: 16.01.2023 Number Yarded: 292 292 head were yarded for the frst Tenterfeld sale of 2023 with a mixed quality yarding seeing prices cheaper across all classes, in line with other selling centres. A small yarding of steers sold to 462.2 cents, while bullocks reached 306.2 cents.

In the cow section, heavy weights sold to 307.2 cents, medium weights reached 290.2 cents, while light cows topped at 240 cents,

Vealers Yearlings Heifers

Light Strs. 332.2 av. 332.2 Steers 4 43.2 av. 398.6 348.2 av. 323.3

Hfrs. 400.2 av. 364.6 Heifers 443.2 av. 342.6

Heavy Strs. 458.2 av. 384.7 (200 to 280kg) 478.2 av. 454.7 (280kg plus)

Hfrs. 422.2 av. 396.5 (200 to 280kg)

WARWICK

LIVESTOCK MARKETS W/E 20/01/2023MC

DOUGALL & SONS

Opening sales for the year are really not a god indication as to where the markets are heading. The cattle market lacked numbers the opening week of trade, whereas the sheep and lamb numbers soared, and the markets were relatively stable compared with the end of last year.

A week later with no more moisture and the reality of another dry spell occurring the numbers for the livestock sales were very similar with cattle tripling numbers and

sheep keeping to nearly the same numbers.

Vealer steers averaged 420.6c/kg topping at 510.2c/ kg or $1062.25 to $1560.09

Vealer heifers averaged 377.1c/kg topping at 484.2c/ kg or $993.32 to $1492.43

Feeder steers averaged 378.3c/kg topping at 468.2c/ kg or $1508.62 to $1852.50

Feeder heifers averaged 371.4c/kg topping at 440.2c/ kg or $1287.24 to $1662.29

Yearling steers averaged 405.8c/kg topping at 482.2c/ kg or $1280.75 to $1959.36

Yearling heifers averaged 385.5c/kg topping at 496.2c/ kg or $1276.12 to $2151.17

Steers averaged 339.9c/ kg topping at 390c/kg or

T&W McCormack and Ramsey & Bulmer will hold a store sale this Friday 27 January with 1,500 head expected. Further bookings are welcome. This Saturday 28 January will see the annual Hannigan Family Breeder sale held at the NRLX for the very frst time. With 700 quality cows & calves, PTIC heifers and unjoined heifers going under the hammer, this is a sale not to be missed.

heifers sold to 348.2 cents.

In the trade section weaner steers topped at 478.2 cents, while the heifer portion reached 422.2 cents, both returning to the paddock.

A large yarding of bulls sold to 280 cents.

TOP PRICES

BULLOCKS: NM & K Rhodes $2283.89

STEERS: BE & FD McCowen $1555.26

COWS: NW & SG Grogan $2030.00

HEIFERS: Robert Bailey $2278.00

YEARLINGS: Darryl McCarthy Building Co $1757.50

VEALERS: Mike Petrie $1470.00 BULLS: Applebutt P/S $2747.52

Steers up to 400kg Steers 400-500kg Steers 500kg plus 462.2 av. 391.8 369.2 av. 346.5 No Quote

Cows Bulls 600kg+ Bullocks 540kg +

Light 240.0 av. 218.5 280.0 av. 228.4 306.2 av. 300.7

Medium 290.2 av. 252.9 (280kg plus)

Heavy 307.2 av. 293.8 (200 to 280kg)

$1896.59 to $2402.17

Heifers averaged 316.4c/ kg topping at 370c/kg or $1456.31 to $2222.16

Manufacturing Steers averaged 310.1c/kg topping at 330c/kg or $1364.55 to $2178

Cows averaged 258.1c/ kg topping at 318.2c/kg or $1414.08 to $2294.00

Sheep and lamb numbers were on a par with the previous week with a few more mutton sheep yarded.

Lambs topped at $210 to average $134.60 a drop of $10/head, hoggets topped at $110 to average $71.19 , a drop of $18/head, ewes topped at $120 to average $30.38 a drop of $37/head,

wethers topped at $120 to average $99.29, par with last week, rams topped at $60 to average $30.88 a drop of $60, lamb rams topped at $170 to average $59.17 a drop of $9, ewe lambs topped at $174 to average $141.23 up $10. The total yarding of 2232 head was down $15/ head week on week.

Sows sold to $346, Light Pork sold from $140 to $195, stores sold from $119 to $174

Guinea fowl sold to $30, Ducklings to $15, Duck & Ducklings to $45, Drakes to $32.50, Ducks to $20, Hens to $35, Roosters to $20

$2 MILLION PAVES THE WAY FOR LATEST ROUND OF CATTLE UNDERPASS SCHEME

The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has committed a further $2 million to help keep dairy farmers and their livestock safe when crossing busy roadways.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government made the decision to extend the scheme following positive feedback from dairy farmers after the frst round.

“Our Government understands the importance of our $647 million dairy industry to the state’s economy. That’s why we’re further investing in this scheme to help dairy farmers protect their cattle and protect their livelihood,” Mr Farraway said.

“An underpass means dairy farmers can move their livestock safely

between paddocks that are separated by a road, keeping cows off that road and keeping motorists safe.

“The additional $2 million builds on our election commitment of $3 million in 2015 which saw over seven projects, including underpasses and warning lights, funded, all of which have been completed.”

Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said the latest round requires a co-contribution from dairy producers to assist with construction costs of an underpass.

“We know that dairy farmers in NSW have had it tough over the last few years, with drought and food posing signifcant challenges,” Mr Saunders said.

“That’s why the NSW Liberal and Nationals have amended the guidelines so dairy farmers in any disaster declared LGA since 2019 will

be eligible for up to 70 per cent of related underpass costs.

“Underpasses increase productivity and make life much easier for our cattle farmers, so I’m thrilled to see this latest round of funding announced.”

Grants are available for 50 per cent of the cost of an underpass, up to a maximum of $100,000 plus GST (previously $70k) and for 50 per cent of the cost of signs and fashing lights, up to a maximum of $20,000 plus GST (previously $10k).

eastAUSmilk Co-CEO Shaughn Morgan said the industry will appreciate this announcement.

“There is no doubt that dairy farmers have been some of the worst affected by the foods we’ve seen over the past year, and we still have a long road to recovery ahead of us,” Mr Morgan said.

“It’s positive to see ongoing support from the NSW Government; announcements like these remind us that we are not alone in this recovery process.”

Chair of the NSW Dairy Industry Action Plan Rob Cooper said he was pleased to see the additional support from government for this essential program to assist dairy farmers effected by road crossings near their farms.

“Many dairy farmers across the state need to move stock across roads every day to get to milking facilities – not only do cattle underpasses save them time, they also reduce the risk of any accidents and provide more safety to our farmers.”

Interested producers can fnd out what is required to apply and lodge an application at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ cattleunderpass.

MARGARET ROLLINGS STORY PART 5

from ED134 (02/02/2023)

On 1st January 1976 the family celebrated New Year with the timely arrival of our frst-born son, christened Alexander “Sandy” after his late grandfather. It had been almost thirty years since the pitter patter of tiny feet had been heard at ‘Riverdale’ and ‘Flemington’ so the euphoria was intense. The devoted grandparents, Lil and Jim (Hall), relished their new role as routine babysitters, as did my aunty and uncle, Mary and Alan (Fleming). They were always on call. No sooner had we become adjusted to being a family of three than we joyfully welcomed the arrival of another little bundle of joy, Angela, because that’s what she was. It was time to move again and in 1982 we sold ‘Riverbend’ and changed over to bulk milk but this time on ‘Riverdale’ and ‘Flemington’, back where it all began. In many ways the seventies were the glory days of dairy farming accompanied by the changing face of farming. Individual farmers, who had survived the dramatic change from supplying cream to bulk milk, were forced to implement stringent measures to

combat the crippling disease in dairy herds, mastitis, costing the dairy industry millions of dollars every year. With bulk milk production, diagnostic tests were introduced to record the cow herd’s level of infection by a Somatic cell count reading with the farmer’s monthly cheque adjusted to refect this. This was groundbreaking technology.

In addition, access to the Sydney Liquid Milk Market had been denied to suppliers outside the Sydney Metropolitan Area since before The Second World War. The discrimination was obvious and resulted in gross inequality in income received

by dairy farmers outside the Milk Zone compared to their city counterparts. This iniquitous scheme of protecting farmers in the Milk Zone had the potential to cripple the already foundering Norco. Not the types to walk away from a fght, Norco leaders Roley Johnston, Alex Armstrong and Jack Hill took up the fght on behalf of non-Milk Zone Suppliers and in late 1975 the ‘Milk War’ boiled over.

With this changeover to bulk milk, farmers were encouraged to produce more milk, which required knowledge of up-to-date pasture improvement techniques and a

greater understanding of the herd’s nutritional requirements.

Providing a properly balanced diet, consisting of pasture and supplementary rations such as silage, concentrates and molasses to meet individual circumstances required expert advice.

To compensate for this untenable situation, enter the Norco advisor, the man with a ready smile and bubbling good humour, the late Dennis Lambourne, a practicing veterinarian, and family man from Kyogle. Dennis was ably assisted by the equally charismatic Norco Advisor, Ray O’Grady, an agronomist who came with excellent qualifcations and who had graduated with a Diploma in Dairying from the University Queensland Gatton College. A formidable team. As newly registered dairy farmers as well as newcomers to the industry we welcomed this invaluable service and source of information provided by Norco. In order to be viable, increased milk production was imperative. To achieve this, the two Norco Advisors, Dennis and Ray joined forces with Col Griffths and Kerry Moore, Department of Agriculture, Kyogle in, amongst other things, coordinating monthly farm walks for local

farmers, seminars with motivational guest speakers, social events such as the Norco Ball and succession planning advice.

Hectic? Yes! Dull? Never! Life couldn’t get much better. But it was about to.

If life was hectic in the seventies, it was about to get a whole lot

away from teaching French and other European languages in secondary schools to Asian languages. It was not until 1987 that Australia had developed its frst national policy on languages in which Indonesian was considered a core language and in need of considerable federal

more hectic. Towards the end of the 1980s there was a drift

funding support.

In 1994 the Keating Government introduced

The late Denis Lambourne, Norco Consultant during the 1980s

coninued

Margaret, John, Angela and Sandy Rollings, 1984.

the frst major initiative in which Indonesian was specifcally identifed as a priority language together with Japanese, Korean and Chinese which was to be accessible throughout a student’s primary and secondary school life, depending on the resources available. Each of these countries mentioned represented Australia’s largest trading partners in the Southeast Asian region. I could not help but wonder who was going to deliver these Indonesian language lessons to the students and what materials and resources were available. And so, my second career with Indonesia was born, as a classroom teacher, teacher/trainer, author of Indonesian Language Training Materials and educational kits for use in primary schools, and tour group leader on excursions to Indonesia.

A career in Indonesian as an adjunct to owning/operating a dairy farm and rearing

time, suffce to say that it has taken me places I would never have otherwise ventured.

which in turn affected my job tenure with the Department of Education. In Bali, I celebrated the New Year and welcomed in the New Millennium and looked forward to new horizons.

On 31st August 1999, violence erupted in Timor-Leste when 85% of the people overwhelming voted for independence from Indonesia and it subsequently became

aircraft, nicknamed ‘The Pencil’ (due to its long, slender fuselage) to Dili, capital of Timor-Leste, to take up my new position as Indonesian Language Interpreter/ Translator in the Land and Property Unit. The careful balancing act was thrown to the wind also, as it was impossible to maintain over a distance of some 4,000 kilometres. Dili and the majority

programmes and cost of production would be replaced by terms such as certainty of tenure, national recovery strategy and abandoned buildings”. I loved my challenging new job, so much so, that I did two more missions to Timor-Leste, one with the United Nations in the Serious Crimes Unit, investigating Human Rights abuses alleged to have been committed in East

the children required a careful balancing act, but the seed was sown. Much can be said about kick starting my career in Indonesian language for a second

Unfortunately, the nineties brought funding cuts within the Department of Education which affected the delivery of language programmes,

the frst new nation to be established in the 21st century.

Wanted: Australian born Indonesian interpreters/ translators for duty in the Land Titles Offce in the newly independent TimorLeste.

New millennium, new job! Throwing caution to the wind, no sooner had I applied for this position than I boarded the cramped Ansett Australia propeller

of Timor-Leste had endured a period of immense upheaval and brutality following the referendum.

Up to as many as 1,500 independence supporters are reported to have been killed at this time. The Indonesian military and pro-Indonesian militia had torched houses on a large scale. My usual, terminology linked to the dairy industry, such as synchronization of heats in dairy heifers, quality assurance

Timor by Indonesian and pro-Indonesian military forces during 1999. The second, delivering Leadership and Management Courses to newly appointed staff in the Timor-Leste Public Service. By 2003 the United Nations was planning their fnal withdrawal of its resources over a 12-month period.

Continued in the next edition of The Northern Rivers Times.

Beekeeping Supplies

Margaret and John Rollings, Norco Ball, 1990

Margaret and John Rollings make the front page of the Dairyfarmer magazine, 1990.

Dili, 2002

TAFE NSW HELPING NORTHERN RIVERS FARMERS HARVEST SUCCESS WITH FEE-FREE CHEMICAL COURSE

$70 MILLION FOR FLOOD-DAMAGED COMMUNITY ASSETS IN NSW

Additional funding is now available to help repair community infrastructure damaged by the foods in February and June last year.

Under the $70 million Community Assets Program, councils can apply for funding to repair parks, playgrounds, walkways, places of cultural heritage, and other community assets like libraries, pedestrian bridges, and community-based pre-schools.

TAFE NSW is supporting the Northern Rivers by offering farmers an opportunity to renew a compulsory licence – online and at no cost - allowing them to use chemicals on their property.

TAFE NSW has recently made its Statement of Attainment in Agricultural Chemical Skill Set fee-free to eligible locals, including farmers and any other worker with a requirement to use pesticides and herbicides on the job.

According to a report by Deloitte, almost 70 per cent of crops grown in Australia are attributed to pesticides with farmers required to renew their licence to use chemicals every fve years.

TAFE NSW primary industries teacher Kelly Upton said the fee-free course applied to a number of different professions in the

community.

“There are literally thousands of workers in the primary industries sector that need this licence, and also many people that work in parks and gardens,” Ms Upton said.

“By offering it fully online, TAFE NSW is allowing workers to access the course when and where it suits them best, negating the need to travel to a TAFE NSW campus at a specifc time.”

Ms Upton said students had a three-month window to complete the course once they enrol.

The course, which normally costs $350 to study at TAFE NSW, includes two units of study: transporting and storing chemicals, and preparing to apply chemicals to control pests, weeds and diseases.

The program, jointly funded by the Federal and New South Wales Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), will target the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Camden, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Glen Innes Severn, Hawkesbury, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Muswellbrook,

Nambucca, Narromine, Richmond Valley, Singleton, Tenterfeld, and Tweed.

Acting Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Catherine King, said while all NSW disaster-declared LGAs from the February and June 2022 events are eligible, funding would be targeted to those councils that had experienced the greatest damage.

“The foods last year were signifcant, and nearly a year on, we understand there is still work to be done to fully restore communities to the way they were before,” Minister King said.

“Parks and playgrounds in particular are often important community hubs that bring people together.

“The Albanese Government continues to work

with all levels of government to make sure that support continues to be extended.”

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said this funding would help councils restore some of the community infrastructure that remained damaged by fooding in 2022.

“The Community Assets Program is not just building back for now – we’re building back better for the future by improving the resilience of these essential assets.”

“This package, part of more than $3.5 billion we have committed to support communities affected by foods in 2022, builds on the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s response to the Independent Flood Inquiry, which ensures emergency services are better equipped to respond to future

disaster events and support impacted communities during recovery.

“I encourage eligible councils to make the most of this opportunity to help their communities bounce back better and stronger than ever.”

Applications for the Community Asset Program will open Friday 20 January 2023. More information will be available at: www.nsw.gov. au/2022CLIRP.

Eligible LGAs: Councils from non-targeted LGAs that were disaster declared under AGRN 1012and/or AGRN 1025 in 2022 may be considered for funding if they can demonstrate need and support for a project in their community with robust alignment to the program criteria.

Beekeeping Supplies

Comprising:

Cows & Calves

180x180 Angus heifers & calves

40x40 Angus Shorthorn heifers & calves

50x50 Angus Hereford X cows & calves

30x30 Brangus heifers & calves

20x20 Roan Red Shorthorn X heifers & calves

10x10 Santa Hereford X heifers & calves

10x10 Brangus Hereford heifers & calves

30x30 Charbray heifers & calves

Heifers PTIC To Angus Bulls 100 Angus heifers 40 Angus Hereford X heifers 90 Santa Hereford heifers 60 Brangus & Hereford Brangus X heifers 70 F1 Hereford Brahman X heifers 30 Simbrah heifers 12 Speckle Park X heifers 10 Charbray heifers

Unjoined Heifers 50 Angus unjoined heifers 25 Brangus unjoined heifers 25 Brahman X unjoined heifers 30 Hereford unjoined heifers + 3 Angus Bulls, 2.5 years old

Agents Comment:

This years draft of heifers have been selected to provide the breeder not only the best genetics but also for their milking performance. This top quality draft will see around 300 calves on the ground by top quality sires. Calves are by Hazeldean & Medlyn Bloodlines and heifers have been station mated with the same sire. This sale provides the opportunity to secure top quality heifers that will provide more performance and more returns for your future beef operations.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR PINKEYE IN LIVESTOCK

Following increasing cases of pinkeye in cattle, Local Land Services is reminding producers to keep an eye out for the early signs of the infection throughout summer.

The bacterial infection is highly contagious in cattle, causing infammation and sometimes ulceration of the cornea. Sheep and goats also get pinkeye but it is caused by different bacteria and they usually recover quickly.

North Coast Local Land Services District Veterinarian Jocelyn Todd said pinkeye is most likely to occur in summer, when conditions are drier and more fies are present.

“Pinkeye is a painful, debilitating condition that can severely affect animal productivity and can lead to temporary and permanent blindness,” Dr Todd said.

“The frst sign of pinkeye is when the eye

starts to weep and as the infection progresses, the membranes of the eye become red and swollen, eventually causing the eye to become cloudy and ulcerated.

“Flies are attracted to the watery eyes, feeding on the infected secretions and then

ROAD REPAIR FUNDING WELCOMED

they move from animal to animal, which can spread the disease very quickly through the herd.

“When identifed early, treatment of pinkeye is generally successful and should be started as early as possible to minimise adverse animal

welfare outcomes and limit the spread though the herd.”

Pinkeye treatment can include antibiotics in the eye, injectable anti-infammatories and sometimes injectable antibiotics, depending on the severity and stage of the infection.

Dr Todd said there are also a number of ways producers can lower the risk of pinkeye in their livestock.

“There are many factors that increase the likelihood of pinkeye, such as microorganisms and eye irritation from dust, thistles, fies and

bright sunlight,” Dr Todd said.

“Producers should consider reducing fy numbers, treating cattle with fy repellent pour-on treatments of insecticidal ear tags, controlling thistles and other abrasive grass seeds and minimise yarding during dusty periods.”

A vaccine is available to assist with preventing and minimising the impacts of pinkeye infection in herds but requires 3-6 weeks after use to provide immunity.

To discuss pinkeye prevention, treatment options and vaccination program, contact your local veterinarian.

More information about the infection is also available on the Local Land Services website - www.lls.nsw. gov.au/help-and-advice/ livestock-health-andproduction/diagnosinglivestock-diseases/ pinkeye.

FIRST TRAVELLER HIT WITH TOUGHER PENALTY FOR UNDECLARED SNACKS

The Albanese Government’s tougher infringements for travellers who fail to declare biosecurity risk items have taken effect, with one overseas traveller already paying the price.

frst person to have his visa cancelled and fned $3300 for carrying over a kilogram of undeclared raw pork meat and cheese in his luggage. Previously, a 12-penalty point infringement was $2,664.

“I hope this man regrets his actions - his visit to Australia was over before it even began, and he’s been sent packing with a hefty fne,” Minister Watt said.

NSW Farmers has welcomed more than $20 million of fasttracked funding from the state government to repair food-damaged roads.

The advanced funding, announced by NSW Regional Transport Minister Sam Farraway on Friday, will go to 17 Local Government Areas impacted by devastating foods at the end of last year.

NSW Farmers Regional Service Manager Frank Galluzzo said some of the roads he had driven on were in desperate need of work, and both farmers and community members would welcome the news.

“These roads are in a pretty ordinary state in some places, particularly out in my area, so it’s good to see this extra funding come forward,” Mr Galluzzo said.

“People have been telling me it’s not just slowing them down, the potholes and ruts are actually damaging vehicles – busting tyres, buckling rims, playing havoc on suspension.

“The quicker we can get these roads back up to scratch – and rebuilt to withstand this sort of fooding in the future – the sooner we can get on with growing the food and fbre that feeds and clothes us.”

Travellers trying to enter Australia with prohibited food products in 2023 are being hit with the country’s toughest biosecurity infringements to date as the Albanese Government continues to protect Australian agriculture from foot and mouth disease and other threats.

Last October, the Government announced it would increase the infringement amounts for people caught with banned items, to stop diseases and pests entering and establishing in Australia.

Since the increased infringements were introduced on January 1, a 20-year-old Spanish man has become the

Offcials stopped the man in Perth last Tuesday, and discovered 275g of non-commercial pork pancetta, 665g non-commercial of pork meat, and about 300g of goats’ cheese in his luggage which was not declared.

Travellers who have their visa cancelled are removed from Australia on the earliest available fight and can face an exclusion period of three years before they are able to reapply for a visa.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt said it was a strong reminder that travellers will be caught and punished for breaking Australia’s tough biosecurity laws.

“We are serious about keeping foot and mouth and other diseases out of the country, and travellers need to remember that when they’re trying to enter Australia.

“This was a serious breach of Australia’s biosecurity laws and could put Australia’s agricultural industries at risk, as well as our environment and international trade reputation.

“I’d encourage all international passengers to think carefully about their passenger declarations, and if in doubt, just declare it.”

name like Tank,

By CHRIS RILEY

Bet you didn’t see this one coming.

The Tank 300 is Great Wall’s answer to the Jeep Wrangler and recently released Ford Bronco, although the latter is not coming here.

It was originally sold under the Wey premium brand as the Wey Tank 300.

Great Wall is apparently planning to turn Tank into a standalone brand with other off-roaders to follow.

The Tank 300 Hybrid is a real 4x4 powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged hybrid powertrain, together with a 9-speed auto -- reportedly it puts out a combined output of 225kW.

And here’s the best bit, it’s on sale now and priced from $55,990 driveaway.

This latest addition to the GWM range brings the brand’s NEV (New

Energy Vehicle) count to three, including the Haval Jolion Hybrid and Haval H6 Hybrid.

Great Wall says the Tank (what a fantastic name) offers buyers unbeatable levels of toughness and sophistication.

Sitting on a ladder chassis, Tank is 4760mm long, 1930mm wide and 1903mm high, with a 2750mm wheelbase, fve doors and seating for fve

occupants. That’s a bit shorter than a Wrangler.

The advanced hybrid powertrain combines

a petrol engine with 180kW at 5500-6000 rpm and 380Nm at 1700 -4000 rpm, together with an electric motor that adds 78kW and 268Nm -- for a combined output of 225kW.

It has a torque on

demand four-wheel drive system, with a front diff lock for the higher priced Ultra grade.

Towing capacity is 2500kg.

Great Wall says Tank is a strong option for

those looking to explore Australian roads, tracks and beyond.

It will be available in two grades: Lux and Ultra, priced from $55,990 and $60,990 driveaway respectively.

There’s a choice of fve exterior colours: Lunar Red, Hamilton White, Dusk Orange, Fossil Grey, and Crystal Black.

Tank is backed by a seven-year /unlimited kilometre warranty together with fve years of roadside assistance and capped price servicing

Great Wall’s rugged Tank.

NEW CAR SALES UP IN 2022 DESPITE SUPPLY ISSUES

UPGRADE ADDS EXTRA FEATURES TO HYUNDAI VENUE

By ALISTAIR KENNEDY

The Federal Chamber Of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has released the fnal Australian motor vehicle sales fgures for 2022.

Despite demand exceeding supply as a result of the usual suspects, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, the Australian automotive market still recorded sales of 1,081,429 new vehicles – an increase of 3% over 2021 sales.

For the 20th straight year Toyota was Australia’s top selling car brand with 231,050 units, an increase of 3.3%. Although Mazda sales declined by 5.3% it remained in clear second place with 95,718 sales, with Kia fnishing third (its

highest-ever position) with an increase of 15.3% and overtaking Korean sibling Hyundai (5th) for the frst time.

MG (7th) continued to grow strongly with an increase of 27% over 2021 sales while Isuzu UTE (9th) made the top ten for the frst time.

SUVs and light commercials accounted for 76.8 per cent of sales and comprised eight of the top 10 vehicles with only Toyota Corolla (6th) and Hyundai i30 (10th) preventing a cleansweep.

For the seventh straight year the topselling Australian vehicle was Toyota HiLux with 64,391 sales, well ahead of Ford Ranger (47,479) and RAV4 (34,845).

Battery electric vehicles accounted for 3.1 per cent of total

sales with a total of 33,410 units, well up on the 5,149 in 2021. Add 81,786 Hybrids and 5,937 Plug-In Hybrids (PHEV) and the future is clear.

FCAI Chief Executive Tony Weber said the pathway through COVID recovery, microprocessor shortages and bottlenecks due to global shipping issues had created great challenges for car makers and their dealer networks in 2022.

“While 2022 has been a year of resilience and recovery, 2023 is shaping up as one of the most signifcant in recent history, particularly in terms of the development of policies that set the direction for the future decarbonisation of the light vehicle feet.

By ALISTAIR KENNEDY

Hyundai has given its Venue small SUV its frst upgrade with a number of new and improved features across all three models in the range.

Very much a cityfocused SUV/hatchback crossover, Venue has been in Australia since July, 2019 with steady sales keeping it around the middle of the highly competitive compact SUV market segment.

Externally there are no changes to Venue‘s conservative and functional styling, apart from the previous shark fn external aerial that has been replaced by a pole-style aerial.

Leading the way in the upgrades is the Bluelink connected car system which is being progressively rolled out across the entire Hyundai range.

Standard on the Venue Elite, Bluelink introduces features such as Automatic Collision Notifcation, Natural Voice Control and segment-frst remote vehicle control functionality via the

Bluelink smartphone App.

Bluelink and the accompanying connected car services are provided free of charge across the fveyear warranty period.

All Venue models also now come with a smartphone wireless charging for compatible Qi-standard devices. The charging pad is located in a dedicated recess in the front centre console and also has a cooling fan to help prevent the device from overheating while charging.

A new 4.2-inch LCD instrument cluster display is now featured as standard across all 2023 Venue grades. It includes a standard digital speedometer and tachometer and is customisable with three colour scheme selections through system settings.

In addition to the previous USB-A multimedia port the MY23 Venue range now also has a USB-C type charging port in the front centre console. The Elite variant adds a pair of USB-C type charging ports for the

rear seat passengers including a small storage compartment suitable for mobile phones.

Also new in all variants is Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) which detects the entry of occupants via the rear doors opening and closing. When this happens, the system sends an audible warning chime and prompts the driver with a visual warning message to ‘check rear seats’.

All models now come with Hyundai’s latest revised steering wheel remote control button layout, improving ease-of-use. The new “Custom” button (denoted by a star) allows the driver to program their desired function, ensuring that their most-used vehicle functions are just at their fngertips.

Elite also gets a new auto-dimming rearview mirror (ECM) as standard.

The MY23 Hyundai Venue is on-sale now although new orders could take between three and six months to be delivered.

FINE RELIEF FOR SAFE MOTORISTS

A re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will waive the fnes on a range of minor driving offences for motorists who have a three year clean driving record.

From 3 April, eligible motorists will be able to apply to have the fne waived for low level offences including speeding offences under 10km/hr or driving in a bus or transit lane.

School zone, heavy vehicle, red light, mobile phone and speeding offences above 10km per hour will not be eligible under the scheme given the serious safety risks involved.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the initiative struck the right balance, recognising safe driving by providing the one-off waiver for the lowest

range road offences.

“For those motorists who have a history of safe driving, this initiative will save them potentially hundreds of dollars if they commit a minor road offence,” Mr Perrottet said.

Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said enhancing road safety was at the core of the policy.

“To be eligible, motorists have to have a clean driving record for three years. This Liberal and Nationals policy rewards good drivers and provides a real incentive to put safety frst, unlike Labor’s policy which focuses on helping serial offenders at risk of losing their licence,” Mrs Ward said.

Minister for Finance Damien Tudehope said

greater awareness of the scheme will encourage positive behaviour change.

“Receiving a fne can come as an unwelcome shock but under this policy, motorists will have cause to refect on how an extended clean driving record can bring relief,” Mr Tudehope said.

“The average NSW licence holder drives

12,000 km per annum and maintaining a clean driving record over three years should be recognised and rewarded.”

In 2021, there were 227,500 fnes issued for low level offences to motorists with a three year clean driving record, totalling $39.2 million in fnes.

Toyota HiLux is Australia’s biggest-selling vehicle for the 7th straight year

Hyundai Venue has compact styling with touches of small-SUV in its details

HYUNDAI PALISADE IS BIG AND BOLD Hyundai Palisade stands out from the SUV crowd

By ALISTAIR KENNEDY

Launched in late 2020 it was given an upgrade in May 2022 with updated exterior and interior design elements, improved safety and tech features.

Palisade comes in two equipment levels, Elite and Highlander, each with the choice of 3.8-litre petrol FWD or 2.2-litre diesel AWD. Prices range from $65,900 for the Elite petrol 2WD to $79,900 for our test vehicle, the Highlander diesel AWD.

STYLING

Not only is Palisade a large vehicle but it has styling that accentuates its bulk, starting from the front with a huge version of the parametric grille that’s being progressively rolled out across the Hyundai range.

The grille is fanked by vertically stacked triple LED headlights, together with similarly shaped taillights, that emphasise the height of the Palisade.

The Highlander variant that we tested came with exclusive design touches, including a satin chrome fnish for the grille with matching badge and skid plate fnishes. There are hidden-type turn signals, body-coloured cladding and exclusive 20-inch wheels with a 15-spoke turbine design.

ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS

The 3.8-litre petrol V6 generates 217 kW of power at 6000 rpm and 5200 Nm of torque with standard unleaded fuel.

The 2.2-litre CRDi diesel has less power (147 kW at 3800 rpm) but extra torque (440 Nm between 1750 and 2750 revs).

Both have a recently updated eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

The diesel AWD uses an active on-demand HTRAC system.

INTERIOR

Inside, Palisade comes with a full-width front air vent and a great-looking and feeling four-spoke steering wheel capped off in Highlander with a

two-tone fnish.

A foating centre console angles up to merge with the dashboard, with a large space below for outof-sight storage as well as a USB-C and 12V sockets. There’s plenty of additional storage space at the rear of the centre console with two adjustable drink holders and another pair of USB and 12V jacks.

Palisade comes with two seating options, the more conventional 3-3-2 eight-seat family-focused arrangement or an executive 3-2-2 sevenseater with a pair of individual captain chairs in the middle row.

The boxy styling of Palisade means there’s excellent headroom in all three seat rows. Legroom is also good with the centre row seats able to slide back and forwards to cater for both easier access and extra comfort to third row passengers.

Highlander also gets heated and ventilated front and second-row seats in both seven- and eight-seat variants as well as quilted seat inserts, quilted and perforated door trim inserts, suede headlining and stainless-steel front speaker grilles.

With all seats in place there’s a reasonable 311 litres of cargo space, expanding to 704 litres with the third-row seatbacks folded and a van-like 2447 litres with all rear seats down.

SAFETY

All variants come with seven airbags including

one between the front seats, full-length curtain ‘bags, and lap-sash safety belts for all occupants rather than the normal lap-only belt in the centre-rear spot.

Other advanced safety features come with the Hyundai SmartSense system and include Blind Spot View and CollisionAvoidance Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Forward and Rear Cross-Traffc Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Following and Lane Keeping Assist, and Safe Exit Assist.

Highlander adds a Blind-Spot View Monitor, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist and Surround View Monitor.

Palisade is the frst model in the Hyundai range to get the company’s Bluelink Connected Car system with safety features that include automatic collision notifcation and emergency call function.

Other convenience features provided by Bluelink include remote unlocking, climate control setting and engine start.

INFOTAINMENT

Standard in both Palisade models is a 12.3-inch high-defnition touchscreen multimedia system. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired), six USB-C and one USB-A ports, Bluetooth message playback, embedded satellite navigation with live traffc updates, Qi standard wireless

smartphone charging, and a voice memo function with up to 70 minutes recording time.

A second, fully-digital, 12.3-inch screen in front of the driver displays the instrument cluster as well as blind spot view monitors, activated with the turn indicators on either side.

Both variants come with a 12-speaker Infnity premium audio system.

As well as the previously mentioned safety features, Bluelink Vehicle Reporting allows owners to check a number of features on their smartphone including tyre pressures, fuel level and range.

Through the Bluelink Send To Car feature, satellite navigation directions can be pre-set on a smartphone and synced to the car before departure.

DRIVING

Initially, the large dimensions can be a bit intimidating when you frst get into the Palisade but the various assistance features together with its high driving position and excellent visibility help to quickly overcome these concerns.

Also, with its comparatively tight turning circle of 11.8 metres it can handle the average shopping centre with room to spare although the backside tends to jut out.

While other eight-seat SUVs are based on a heavy-duty four-wheeldrive ‘ladder frame’ chassis, the Hyundai Palisade is built like a car.

That means its centre of gravity is lower and steering and suspension should be more like the average passenger vehicle. Travelling in stop-start city low-speed conditions, this is the

case.

Out on the motorway the Palisade cruises smoothly and quietly with little clue that it is powered by a diesel. Most of our time was spent with either one or two occupants on board but it felt that it would have no trouble coping with the maximum eight people.

The steering is wellweighted and gives good feedback.

Combined cycle fuel consumption is listed at 10.7 litres per 100 kilometres with the petrol engine and 7.3

L/100km from the diesel. We averaged 8.7 L/100km during our test.

SUMMING UP

Hyundai Palisade is an impressive vehicle that combines the practicality of an SUV while coming close to being car-like in the way it drives.

It’s reasonably priced and comes with plenty of safety and tech equipment.

Palisade comes with Hyundai’s standard fveyear, unlimited warranty. Bluelink is also free for the same fve-year period but incurs a charge from then onwards.

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:

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

Chicken cacciatore

Grape Expectations by Max Crus

Gotta’ know when to hold ‘em, Dictator Dom

It will come as little surprise that between obfuscation and obstruction in the dictionary is the proper noun, Coalition.

First it was the republic referendum – “Let’s ask a completely obscure and irrelevant question so a ‘Yes’ vote sounds like a ‘No’, a ‘No’ sounds like a ‘Yes’, and “hang on, what are we voting for, and how can I get a knighthood without a monarchy?”

Then it was banking - “Nothing to see hear, and anyway, we couldn’t investigate banks even if there was because it would undermine the whole system which would then collapse under uncertainty”, so the Coalition voted against the Royal Commission…26 times!

Climate change – “This is a piece of coal. Don’t be scared of it”, and “we only contribute 2 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases so why bother?” “Electric vehicles will kill the weekend and Australians need cars with grunt”, conveniently forgetting that trains, for instance, are propelled

by diesel-electric motors.

More recently it’s been the Voice. “Let’s ask 15 stupid questions that are already answered that, again, people won’t really know what they are voting for. Indigenous people haven’t had a voice thus far and they don’t need one now. Parliament doesn’t need advice on how its decisions might affect them, we’ll be the judge of that thank you very much.”

On a more local level it’s poker machines and the cashless gaming card – “There are more forms of gambling than just pokies you know, so let’s not do anything”, to paraphrase outgoing pollie, David Elliott, Minister for Transport, Veterans, Obfuscation and Dobbing, and he should know given he has worked for the NSW Hotels Association, is on the board of a club and has a son working for the biggest gambling company in the world. Why wouldn’t you ask an expert like that?

The Nationals agree, “The cashless gaming card will kill country clubs and life as we know it in the bush”,

and again, “there’s other forms of gambling…and we’re not doing anything about them either”.

You’ve got to hand it to the Coalition, which is possibly where their problems began, it’s always been handed to them, along with their fancy dress outfts.

Poor Dom, just when he was on a sausage roll, his own party pours sauce on it. What are the odds?

Oh well, what’s a nice wine to go with sausage rolls, obstruction, obfuscation, pokies…and schadenfreude?

Another valiant effort to jump on the bandwagon of zero alcohol beverages and equally serviceable as its sister above. Bubbly, a tad sweet and, again, not a million miles from apple

Moppity Vineyards Murrumbateman ‘Tristis’ Shiraz 2021, $45.

Tristis is the name of the artwork adorning the label, but how apt to have an ACT wine (well, almost) to enjoy beside a political spat? This is a bit of an Albo wine, lightweight, yet powerful without being big and brash. 9.5/10

Moppity Vineyards Hilltops Shiraz 2021, $35.

This too is on the light side of the alcohol spectrum, but no less punch in the favour stakes, which would make a great name for horse race. Sorry to bring gambling into it. Gamble and drink responsibly. 9.4/10.

Ox Hardy Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2021, $38. The pink of the label text was my favourite colour as a child until I was bashed for it. We’ve moved on from there and moved on from chardonnay of that era too. Very modern stuff for new age afcionados and others who don’t mind a bit of pink in their palate/palette. 9.5/10.

Ox Hardy McLaren Vale Upper Tintara Vineyard Fiano 2022, $27. These guys really got their colour

palette right and if you bought it just for that you’d get one of the better fanos going around, a grape that really should replace pinot grigio. 9.3/10

Bird Dog Wines (South Eastern Australia) Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Alcohol Removed). Amazingly refreshing and drinkable stuff… just don’t expect sauv blanc as we know it. More akin to apple juice or even some tropical fruits as the label suggests. Very drinkable, so lucky there’s no alcohol. 9.1/10.

Bird Dog Wines (South Eastern Australia) Sparkling Cuvée NV (Alcohol Removed).

cider. 9.0/10.

“This is a piece of coal. Don’t be scared of it”

Max Crus

CHATGPT AND THE FUTURE OF MARKETING: WHAT TO EXPECT?

Report Highlights Widening Wealth Gap as Billionaires Get Richer

A new report released by Oxfam reveals Australia›s billionaire wealth has swelled by 61% over the course of the pandemic, prompting renewed calls for a rethink on the government’s Stage 3 tax cuts ahead of the May federal budget.

economists and tax experts signed an open letter, printed as a full-page advert in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reconsider the tax cuts.

1.

2.

3.

4. Google has updated its Webmaster Guidelines with a warning that websites could be penalised if found to be producing automatically-generated content ‘without regard for quality or user experience’.

5. AI is set to change the future of marketing, and ChatGPT will be at the forefront of this transformation.

Since the launch of ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) at the end of November 2022, the marketing industry has been abuzz with speculation about what the large language model developed by OpenAI could mean for the future of marketing.

While opinions are mixed, most marketers agree that while it might not replace the need for marketers, it could be used as an extra tool to enhance the service they provide. Marketers believe that AI will make them more effcient by allowing them to scale and become more

effcient in their research, briefng and writing.

However, they also believe that the divide between mediocre and extraordinary marketers will only get bigger, as those who want to remain irreplaceable will need to become more creative and embrace the skills that make them uniquely human. ChatGPT could also help give customers a better, more personalised experience through the use of chatbots.

This human-like interaction can be provided 24/7 and across all marketing channels, meaning customers can

get instant replies to their queries wherever they are in the world and on whatever platform they use to engage with businesses. Brands will also have to humanise their content if they want to stand out from the sea of duplicate information created by ChatGPT. This means they will need to focus on producing opinion pieces, telling stories, embracing video content and anything else that will make them stand out. Despite its potential, marketers and businesses should be aware of some of ChatGPT’s drawbacks before relying on it for

anything important.

Open AI CEO Sam Altman recently tweeted that “we have lots of work to do on robustness and truthfulness”, while Google has updated its Webmaster Guidelines with a warning that websites could be penalised if found to be producing automatically-generated content ‘without regard for quality or user experience’.

It’s clear that AI is set to change the future of marketing, and ChatGPT will be at the forefront of this transformation. So, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

The analysis found there are 11 more billionaires in Australia today than in 2020, with Australia›s richest 1% pocketing more than $2500 per second, or $150,000 per minute, over the past decade.

Oxfam Australia program director Anthea Spinks told Crikey the fndings should be used to open renewed debate over the introduction of the Stage 3 tax cuts, set to take effect from July 2024, and broader tax reform to tackle income inequality in Australia.

These cuts will do away with the 37% tax bracket altogether, lower the 32.5% bracket to a fat 30%, and raise the threshold for the top tax bracket from $180,001 to $200,001.

This means those with an annual income of $200,000 will end up paying the same rate of tax as someone earning little more than the minimum wage.

In December, more than 100 leading

The signatories included Nobel Prizewinning economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz, former Reserve Bank of Australia governor Bernie Fraser, former ACCC chair professor Allan Fels AO, and tax expert professor Miranda Stewart.

Fraser said at the time: “The choice ahead for Labor could not be more clear-cut: it can stick with its [politically] ‘phoney’ commitment to Stage 3, or it can choose not to go down this path and channel the substantial savings involved to the many very valuable — but very expensive — social reforms promised in the lead-up to the last election.”

Despite this, the government has so far shown no sign of wavering in its support for the package or of any potential redesign of the suite of reforms.

The upcoming May budget will likely be an important indicator of how the government intends to proceed.

Rebel, Supercheap Auto Under Fire from Fair Work for Alleged Underpayments

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has started legal proceedings against Super Retail Group, the owner of popular local brands such as Rebel Sport and Supercheap Auto, alleging serious contraventions of the Fair Work Act when it underpaid staff across its brands.

The regulator confrmed on Friday morning it had taken action in the Federal Court, focusing on 146 employees who were allegedly underpaid around $1.14 million between January 2017 and March 2019.

The FWO alleges that the underpayments occurred because Super Retail paid staff annual

salaries that failed to cover their minimum legal entitlements, given they performed signifcant amounts of overtime. “The breaches alleged in this case – inadequate annual salaries for employees stretching across multiple years – have become a persistent issue for businesses across many industries,” Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said.

The court action is against SRG Limited as well as four of the group’s subsidiaries: Super Cheap Auto Ltd, Rebel Sport Ltd, Macpac Retail Ltd and SRG Leisure Retail Limited, which trades as BCF and Ray’s Outdoors.

It’s claimed that the underpayments ranged from small amounts to $34,500.

Super Retail Group selfreported the underpayments to the regulator in 2018 and commenced a program to deliver backpay. On Friday, the company said this process had been “substantially completed” and that it had paid $52.7 million to current and former employees.

However, the FWO alleges that Super Retail Group’s methodology has resulted in only partial back-pay for workers. The regulator also claims the company and its subsidiaries knew that a failure to pay correct

overtime to staff was likely occurring from April 2017 but failed to take action until January 2018.

Super Retail’s managing director Anthony Heraghty said the company restated its apology to team members affected and said since 2018 the group had changed its processes to ensure staff are paid correctly. “We note the allegations in the proceedings and reiterate our view that this matter represents a regrettable chapter in our company’s history.

It is unacceptable and contrary to the company’s values for any team member not to be paid

correctly,” he said. This case is the frst time the FWO has taken a holding company, SRG Limited, to court over the actions of its subsidiaries.

“Holding companies who allegedly knew or reasonably should have known of underpayments within their group will be held to account,” Ms Parker said. The ombudsman will allege that some of company’s breaches, including failing to correctly pay workers for preparing new stores or refurbishing existing ones between September 15, 2017, and January 1, 2018, amount to “serious contraventions” of the Fair

Work Act. These breaches carry a maximum penalty of $630,000 each, ten times that of the usual penalty.

“Super Retail Group will review the proceedings and continue to engage with the FWO on these matters,” the company said in a statement to the ASX.

A direction hearing for the case in Sydney is yet to be scheduled. Super Retail Group shares have risen 16.6 per cent year-todate to close at $12.56 on Thursday, with the share price jumping after the company revealed strong sales across its brand portfolio in the six months to December 2022.

ChatGPT could help give customers a better, more personalised experience through the use of chatbots.

Brands will need to focus on producing opinion pieces, telling stories, and embracing video content in order to stand out.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has tweeted that “we have lots of work to do on robustness and truthfulness”.

1 Which species has a larger nest, bumblebees or honey bees? 2 In which country would you nd the world’s only alpine parrot, the kea?

3 The Boer War took place in the area that is now what country?

4 What is geochronology?

5 In what year was the rst King James Bible published: 1522, 1611, 1619 or 1699?

6 Clint Eastwood (pictured) rst found fame in his role as Rowdy Yates in which 1960s TV series?

7 In the human body, which organ stores bile before it is released into the small intestine? 8 Is denim made from cotton or polyester? 9 Who did artist Salvador Dalí collaborate with on the lms Un Chien Andalou and L’Age d’Or?

10 The high-speed railway lines of Japan are known by what name?

In Memoriam

ALLAN ROBERT OLIVER VIRTUE

1/1/1944 - 7/2/2019

No longer in our lives to share But in our hearts you are always there Missed by your family who love you Dawn, Allan, Jayne, Craig and Mark

Death Notice

Ian Robert Higgins Aged 76

Passed away at home in Ballina on the 11 January 2023 with family by his side.

Loving husband of Mary and father of Jason, Joanne, Andrew and their families

Privately Cremated

Mary and family sincerely thank the Ballina Community Nurses, the palliative care team and family and friends for their dedicated care and support, compassion during this sad time.

Death Notice

JACKSON, Mark John

Late of High elds and formerly of Keerrong Road, Lismore, “Atholwood” Bonshaw and Glen Innes, passed away peacefully on 15th January 2023.

Aged 78 years.

Dearly loved Husband of Marion. Much loved Father and Father-in-law of Lachlan and Jane; Allison.

Grandfather to Alex, Charlie, Lindsay and Audrey.

A funeral service for Mark was held in Toowoomba on Tuesday, 24th January 2023.

Toowoomba Qld 07 - 4636 9600

In FuneralMemoriam Notice

“Smokey Joe”

Joseph Charles Farrugia

15.12.1962 – 30.12.2022

Joe passed away peacefully on Friday, the 30th of December 2022, aged 60 years. Late of East Lismore, formally of Rooty Hill & Federal. Loved son of Colleen & Joseph (dec). Cherished brother and brother-in-law to Louise, Je ery & Kate, Anthony, and Greg & Peta. Loving uncle to Jake, Grace, Brooke, and Samuel.

Forever in our hearts

Family and friends are warmly invited to attend Joe’s funeral service to be held at Parkview Funeral Home, 43 Holland Street Goonellabah, on Friday, the 3rd of February, commencing at 12:00 pm, followed by a burial at Lismore Memorial Gardens. Following the service, everyone is welcome to join family at the Goonellabah Sports Club for a celebration of Joe’s life

Funeral Notice

Funeral Notice

Ray passed away peacefully in the company of his sons Warren & Graeme on Tuesday 17th January at Ballina Hospital late of Tullera.

Dearly beloved husband of Dorothy (deceased). Father of Warren, Wayne (deceased) & Graeme; grandfather of Heidi, Tammy, Jay, Kirby, Kara, Lily & Mia; great grandfather to Eva, Jada, Elmedina, Talis, Lincoln & Sadie.

Family & friends are invited to St Andrews Anglican church for the funeral service to be held at 10am on Friday the 27th of January 2023.

A er the service a family only committal service will be held at the Dunoon cemetery.

You will be missed

EVERINGHAM RAYMOND GEORGE

Santa Gertrudis Heifers (Unjoined) 18-24 months old A/c Darby Downs - Shannon Brook 1 Angus Bull - Yearling

A/c Lagoons Grass - Lismore 40 Brangus Cows & Calves - 2nd Calf With Limousin Calves at Foot 20 Brangus Cows - PTIC In Calf to Limousin Bull - 2nd Calf

A/c Leacrister - Coraki 25 Santa Hereford Heifers & Calves 5 Santa Heifers & Calves 5 Brangus Heifers & Calves 5 Charbray Heifers & Calves

A/c Cheviot Hills Station - Drake 30 Brahman X Weaner Steers

A/c P & L Hannigan - EU Accredited 125 Charolais Angus X Weaners Mixed Sex - Palgrove & Ascot Bloodline

•

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Please read

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

All content is submitted by community organisations. The Northern Rivers Times provides the noticeboard facility and approves submissions before publication.

All Notices submitted must be no longer than 300 WORDS MAX and supplied via email on an attached word, pages or PDF document.

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.

NOTE:

All Community Notices

• Cherry Picker • Stump Grinding

ALSTONVILLE

ALSTONVILLE

ALSTONVILLE BRANCH OF THE RED CROSS

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

ALSTONVILLE PROBUS

Our next meeting day, 26 January 2023, falls on Australia Day, so it has been agreed that, rather than change the day, our Club would celebrate Australia Day. Our frst meeting, therefore, for 2023, will be held at the Alstonville Plateau Bowls & Sports Club, Deegan Drive, Alstonville, on 23 February at 10.00 am. The guest speakers for this meeting will be four of our own members who will be telling of a special time or event in their lives. All visitors or new members are welcome.

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

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 UP-ARTISTS” and with Santa Claus back in the North Pole we will be looking to hear some original Australian Country styles, so it’s going to 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

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

BRUNSWICK VALLEY VIEW CLUB

Brunswick Valley VIEW Club’s monthly luncheons are held at Brunswick Heads Bowling Club on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 10.30am for 11am. The frst meeting for 2023 is on February 9. It will be followed by the AGM. Casual members need to advise if they are attending. Apologies to Wenda on 0449 563 580 or email wjhunt@yahoo. com no later than the Monday before. VIEW stands for Voice, Interests and Education of Women. The club supports seven disadvantaged students in The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program. Info: view.org.au, call 1800 805 366 or email view@ thesmithfamily.com.au.

PROBUS CLUB OF BALLINA WATERS

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

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, 8am1.30pm. 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

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 clubs frst grand fnal 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 womens team too, so come along ladies!

BYO drink bottle, joggers and footy boots.

We are also looking to fll 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 casinolionsaf@gmail.com

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 R R Country Music Club

will be holding their next social upstairs at the Casino RSM Club on Sunday the 19th of February from 10.00am - 4.00 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 prize

More Info contact Carole 0438641500

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 D.Clarke & D.Allen J. & J. Whittaker

TUESDAY

D.Coleman K.Evans & K.Rowse

WEDNESDAY L.Douglas K.Bratti & own help

THURSDAY

M.Goodlad & own help H.Mofftt & J.Hanna FRIDAY L. Dorrington & S.Forrester P.Plunkett & Own help

CASINO MINI RAIL

Every Sunday 10am to 4pm. Weather permitting. West Street Casino. Phone 0455673722.

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 12:001:30pm 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 only- Every 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

COMMUNITY NOTICES

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

helping the local community, creating a network of support and meeting together in towns and cities, and lobbying for change. The CWA raises funds for disaster relief such as the drought and foods, and also for medical research. Last year Grafton CWA raised money for Ovarian Cancer research at our Tarts Afternoon Tea.

As members of Grafton CWA, we enjoy getting together and meeting other members. We also enjoy outings to events run by other local community organizations, also events organized by other CWA Branches. Other activities planned for this year include our Tarts Afternoon Tea to support medical research, events for CWA Awareness Week, and our Morning Tea on Jacaranda Thursday. Every year in CWA, we learn more about a type of fauna and fora, in 2023 these will be native bees and warrigal greens. We also look at a foe, which this year is feral cats. We study a country and in March we will be having an international lunch with food from Latvia.

HEAD SEAGULLS

CRAFT & QUILTERS GROUP

Meet every Tuesday 9am12noon 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. Mon-Thurs 9.00am1.00pm 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 CWA

Grafton CWA meets on the 2nd Friday of each month in CWA rooms, corner of Duke and Pound St - morning tea at 9.30am, followed by the meeting at 10am. Craft mornings are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays. Everyone can bring along their own craft and enjoy a chat and morning tea. This year we will also be holding short cooking demonstrations on some of these craft mornings.

The CWA is the largest women’s organization in Australia and aims to improve conditions for country women and children. That aim is reached in various ways including

If you are looking for a new interest and enjoy meeting other people and being involved in the community, why not come along to our next meeting on 10th February, new members are always welcome.

GRAFTON AND DISTRICT GARDEN CLUB

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

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

EVANS HEAD

GOONELLABAH

GRAFTON

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

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

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 Country Musics next day is on KYOGLE BOWLING CLUB Sunday 12th February. at 11am we have our AGM followed by General Meeting. Music should be underway before 12 noon. All Welcome, this is a fully catered event with Lunches available.

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 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 Allison 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 10am4pm and Sundays 1-4

LISMORE FRIENDSHIP FESTIVAL INC

Lismore Friendship Festival Inc is hosting a community entertainment BEYOND VENICE with a celebration of entertainment with an Italian twist. Enjoy a welcome opportunity for locals and visitors to return to a great night out that has been on hold because of Covid. It’s time to party!

Beyond Venice is a fun flled masquerade dance party on Saturday, February 18, 2023 (6.30 p.m. – midnight) at the SCU Lismore campus Deck and Lounge. Come dressed for the carnival of masks for prizes and good times with friends.

For information and ticket bookings (essential) contact Julie at 0493631611. Price ($75 per person) includes 3 course dinner, an open bar and dance music by popular Domenico and his Latin Mafa Band!

The event is a fundraiser for the free family friendly LisAmore! day of celebration on Sunday, June 18, 2023, at the Lismore Turf Club. There guests will be able to enjoy special kids’ activities, great stalls of yummy Italian food, entertainment, games, dancing, and a chance to learn more about Lismore’s sister city links to cities in Italy.

Lismore Reunion Past and Present of Caroona Staff from all areas

Friday 10th February At 12 noon for 12.30 Lunch

Lismore Workers Sport Club

Oliver Ave Goonellabah Contact Jane 66290211

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 nonproft 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 REGIONAL PARKINSONS SUPPORT GROUP: CHANGE OF VENUE Lismore Regional Parkinson’s Support Group will meet at South Lismore Bowling Club, 25 Wilson St, South Lismore, at 10am, Friday the 17th of February. All members of the Parkinson’s Community, family and friends are invited to come along, meet with us.

Parkinson’s Nurses and share in a positive, confdential, and supportive setting. Tea and Coffee will be available for a gold coin donation. Bring snacks if you wish to eat. 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 Linda- 0419489987 Email ~ lismorespinnersandweavers@ gmail.com

LISMORE TARGET RIFLE CLUB for .22 calibre rifes, meets

LISMORE

LENNOX HEAD

HASTINGS POINT

KYOGLE

KINGSCLIFF

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)

Have you retired or just about to, from the workforce?

Are you looking to exercise your mind and body and keep both well oiled?

Well, Lismore U3A [university of the third age} could be just the place for you. This worldwide organisation has been running in Lismore for the past 30 years and thousands of local people have benefted from its programmes. It’s a great place to meet like-minded people and make new friends.

The last three years have been diffcult for us as they have for everyone, and we are on a recruitment drive to meet and greet you!

We start 2023 with a choice of at least 30 classes, which include, Languages, Photography, Science, History, Qigong, Genealogy, and many others. We also have a social calendar each term. All our courses are listed on our website www.lismoreu3a.com.au

U3A is entirely run by volunteers, with the committee and tutors coming from our membership. The joining fee Is $50 for 1 year and entitles you to attend any course you choose throughout the year; you can go every day if you wish. Why not peruse our site to see if there is a course that would be of interest to you.

There is an online enrolment form that you can complete and any queries you have can be directed to our secretary, Pat, McLarenSmith Ph. 6622 7408 We look forward to meeting you.

On behalf of Lismore U3A committee.

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

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).

TWIN TOWNS DAY VIEW CLUB .... January 20th, 2023 VIEW is not a ‘camera club’! Heralding the year ahead for the TWIN TOWNS DAY VIEW

CLUB will be the all-important ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING being held on Thursday February 2nd. at the South Tweed Sports Club 10.30 for 11am. followed by lunch at the club bistro or bar. Our VIEW Club is starting off on the front foot by being in the envious position of having at least three new members eager to step up and take on a position thereby ensuring a full committee WOW! – During the Christmas/ New Year break members and their friends have enjoyed socials at local clubs by keeping joyful friendships up and it has been wonderful not to have a lull in activities by always having something to look forward to as many of our members have lost their partners and/or their families are rightfully living their own busy lives. VIEW is not a ‘camera’ club, but is a shortened version for VOICE, INTEREST, EDUCATION of WOMEN and our aim is for the better education for children as we work in with our sponsor The Smith Family who nationally help children with their Learning for Life program in which we, Twin Towns Day VIEW Club happily contribute towards seven children. We look forward to 2023 which will be our 55th year and celebrations will be upcoming in May. For further information rejoining our wonderful club please ring President Kathie on 0407 709 629.

Island resident and will be talking about her life there as well as her frst feeter Lydia Munro. All Visitors are welcome.

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.

WOLLONGBAR

WOLLONGBAR

CLUB

PROBUS

Wollongbar Probus Club is meeting for an informal luncheon at the Wollongbar Tavern at 12 noon on the 19th of 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

CLUB

BUSHWALKING

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.

NORTHERN RIVERS FIRST FLEETERS GROUP

The next meeting of our local Northern Rivers First Fleeters Group will be held on Australia Day at the Cherry Street Sports Club in Ballina at 10.30. Our guest speaker is an ex Norfolk

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.

NORTHERN RIVERS EVENING PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

The frst meeting of the Northern Rivers Evening Prostate Cancer Support Group for 2023 is to be held on Wednesday February 1st7pm until 9 pm at the LISMORE WORKERS SPORTS MAIN CLUB – 202 OLIVER AVENUE, GOONELLABAH – Meals available at the Club if requiredMen previously and newly diagnosed with prostate cancer are urged to join with the group to experience the personal cancer stories told which give a great opportunity for all to share, learn and beneft from each otherPartners and Carers are also most welcome to attend as family are very much involved with the process and treatment of those with this diagnosis –This will be an evening of quality sharing on health and wellbeing updatesEnquiries phone Bob Johnson (02) 6622 5792 -

MACLEAN

MURWILLUMBAH

POTTSVILLE

YAMBA

TWEED HEADS

ALL NORTHERN RIVERS

WOLLONGBAR

Northern Rivers District:

Partly cloudy. Medium (40%) chance of showers. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming east to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Thursday. Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog in the north. Slight (20%) chance of a shower. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening.

Northern Tablelands District: Partly cloudy. Slight (30%) chance of a shower. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming northwest to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then tending northeast to

southeasterly during the afternoon. Thursday. Partly cloudy. Slight (30%) chance of a shower, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a storm. Light winds becoming northwest to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon.

New South Wales:

A shower or two and possible storm about the coast and ranges, and parts of the northern inland. Some storms may be severe in the northeast. Fine and mostly sunny elsewhere. Daytime temperatures well above average in the far west, and near or above average elsewhere. Northeasterly winds near the coast, freshening in the afternoon, tending light and variable inland. Thursday. The chance of a shower or storm in the east, chiefly about the ranges. Fine and partly cloudy in the west. Daytime temperatures above average, most notably in the far northwest

and about central parts of the coast. Northeast to northwesterly winds, shifting cooler southerly in the south and west.

Byron Coast:

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots tending northeasterly during the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to around 1 metre during the afternoon or evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a storm.

Coffs Coast:

Winds: Northerly 10 to 15 knots tending northeasterly during the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: Easterly 1 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to around 1 metre during the afternoon or evening. Weather: Partly cloudy. The chance of a storm.

Gold Coast Waters:

Winds: East to southeasterly below 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots during the day. Seas: Below 1 metre. Swell: East to southeasterly 1 to 1.5 metres. Weather: Partly cloudy.

High:4:38am1.4m Low:11:08am0.7m High:4:21pm1.0m Low:10:24pm0.5m RiseSet Sun6:10am7:46pm Moon9:34am10:27pm

BALLINA MAHJONG 20TH JANUARY 2023

Lisa Wong 1, Vanessa Reynolds 2, Carol Meyer 3, Lesley Ritchie 4, Jeanette Henwood, Susan Scott 5, Barabara Ellan 7, Ronda Taylor 8, Yvonne Weddup 9, Gail McDonogh 10, Bev Lasater 11, June Greenaway 12, Sally Lowry 13, Jan Boardman, Janene Jarvis, Kathy Pickles 14, Joy Lowien, Rosemary Russell 17, Linda Lovett, Shirley Coleman 19, Pauline Kearney 21, Lorna Simpson 22, Velda McLerie 23, Val Heinritz 24, Margaret Bryant 25, Jan Small 26, Deborah Green 27, Gladys D’Anna 28, Shirley Atkinson 29, Jan Henley 30, Pam Farrell 31.

Mahjong is played on Friday at 12:30pm at the Ballina Bridge Club North Creek Road.

Enquires for new players phone Vanessa on 66874181.

CASINO RSM WOMEN’S BOWLS RESULTS

2022 winner of the Major singles club champion & queen of the green: H. Lavelle with Runner Up: D. Skinner. (pictured)

Wednesday 18/1/23:

For the ladies it was return to bowls today for another year of enjoying bowls with a great group of ladies. Results for today.

Winners of the day were:

J. Dwyer & I. Watson def C. Doyle & M. Hellyar

It was a very close game with the winners winning by 1 shot. Other rink winners were: J. Carthew, N. Moran & M. Mead def D. Grice, J. Creighton & D. Skinner R. Skirrey & K. Jonsson def C. Haynes & A. James

Club four championship games start on Wednesday 1/2/23.

CHERRY STREET CROQUET CLUB SPORTS RESULTS ASSOCIATION CROQUET : P.Waters L.Sampson 13 d G.Porter 12 C.Woodlands 10 d G.Drew 10 L.Hardy 12 d B.Hardy 11 L.Sampson 19 d R.Chapman G.Porter 9 M.Gidding 26 d D.Scott 4 RICOCHET CROQUET : P.Scott M.Russell 12 d N.Poynting P. Doyle 8 R.Poynting 17 d M.Field N.Barnes 9 J.Hannigan 15 d R.Allen H.Young 14 B.Wellings P.Scott 14 d J.Hannigan 8 R.Poynting 14 d J.Doust N.Poynting 12 N.Barnes P.Doyle 12 d N.Watts B.Waters 9 P.Waters R.Chapman 10 d G.Kerr D.Scott 7 J.Doust D.Scott 9 d G.Kerr N.Watts 8

TWILIGHT CROQUET : C.Edlund J.Huxley 7 d M.Maloney J.Hamilton 2 R.Poynting B.Bill 4 d C.Gale J.Hannigan 3 M.Russell 3 d J.Hannigan 2 R.Poynting 5 d N.Alfonso N.Poynting 3 F.Duncan M.Maloney 5 d W.Gilmore M.Rennie 5 J.Saunders 5 d J.Huxley C.Gale 2

C.Edlund 6 d B B.Bill 4

J.Hannigan 8 d W.Gilmore N.Alfonso 5 C.Edlund B.Bill 4 d C.Gale F.Duncan 4 R.Poynting J.Huxley 5 d M.Maloney M.Russell 3 F.Duncan 3 d J.Saunders N.Alfonso 2 N.Poynting 8 d G.Porter 5 M.Russell 5 d W.Gilmore M.Rennie 3 M.Rennie N.Poynting 8 d J.Hamilton J.Saunders 3

Tournaments: Australian Under 21 Golf Croquet Titles. A.Matthews 1, E.Gumbrell 2, C. Mead 3, T.Wright 4, J.Wombwell 5, F.Wright 6, P.Crook 7, G.Walker 8, D.McLean 9, M.McLean 10.

All new players very welcome Ph : 04 39240251

Cherrystreetcroquet@yahoo.com

CORAKI VETERANS GOLF RESULTS THURSDAY 19/1/23 49 players contested an 18 hole two man ambrose, Winners P Martin J Nilsson, 2nd B McDonald T Doyle, then came, P Bruggy T Perkins, R Rodda, K Osborne, S Dawson, N Cuppit, S Smith J Kelly, P Brophy G Gibson, R Webber G Tait. Nearest pins 3rd/12th S Ormond, 6th/15th D Bullock. This Thursday will be an 18hole single stableford commencing with a shot gun start at 8.00am

Ray Chamberlain & Hudson Barry