The Northern Rivers Times Edition 133

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

Murwillumbah SES unit commander Grant ‘Jack’ Frost

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,

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:

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.

• Citizen of the Year

• Community Event of the Year

• Art and Culture

• Sport Achievement (Individual and Group)

• Volunteer of the Year – (Individual and Group)

• 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

- 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

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.

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.