The Northern Rivers Times
November 2, 2023
2 NEWS
JACARANDA KING CROWNING A FESTIVAL FIRST By Tim Howard The Jacaranda Festival has a crowned a king for the first time in its history, with 22-year-old Toby Power accepting the honour on Saturday night. Grafton country music legend Troy Cassar Daley crowned Mr Power, who was sponsored by his employer Dougherty Property, Joining Mr Power in the 2023 2023 Royal Party were Junior Jacaranda Princess Millie Lloyd, Junior Jacaranda Queen Holly Cooper and Jacaranda Princess Tilly Sparrow It’s not the first time males have entered the quest. In 2003 a far less tolerant Jacaranda City was happy to see the back of Wayne Herbert and Scott Kelly when they entertained thoughts
The Jacaranda Party, along with guests line up for the first of what will be many photo shoots in the coming days.
Grafton country music legend Troy Cassar Daley makes Jacaranda Festival history, crowning Toby Power the first Jacaranda King in the event’s history.
of running. The local newspaper of the day reported their interest recording r Kelly have partnered two Queens vying for the title in the past and wanted to be a king. Mr Herbert, then the manager of the
city’s Gay and Lesbian Resource Centre, was happy to be a Queen, but was forced to pull out when he found he could not donate his fund raising effort to a charity of his choice. Traditionally the quest entrants’ fund raising
went to ward funding the Jacaranda Festival. But Mr Power took a different approach when he entered the contest/ “I became a Jacaranda candidate originally to service my need to explore the unknown,” he said earlier this year. “As soon as I found out that it was possible to enter as a male, the expression ‘why not?’ popped into my mind, so
I entered. “It is something which I think a lot of guys would love to do, however, most are probably too scared to take the first step. I am happy to do that.” Jacaranda Festival manager Mark Blackadder said the Mr Power’s win was an incredibly positive step for the festival and the community.
“It’s a first for the festival and is a wonderful boost for inclusivity and diversity,” he said. After a packed weekend of events, including the Troy Cassar Daley and Don Walker Concert on Friday night, Saturday’s Crowning and Retrofest on Sunday, attention now turns to Jacaranda Thursday, this week.
VALLEY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR TIMBER INDUSTRY
By Tim Howard
The Clarence Valley has shown unequivocal support for continued native forestry logging, despite calls to transition to more sustainable practices. At Clarence Valley Council’s October 26 meeting, councillors voted three times to scrap a move to have council lobby the state government to phase out logging native forest in State-owned forests. And for the second time in as many months councillors began the meeting in front of a packed gallery, this time consisting of timber industry supporters. In June the council, after receiving a report from its Biodiversity Committee, resolved to seek comment from Local News Rural Entertainment Puzzles/Horoscope TV Guide
the timber industry and community on the practice. In response the council received 2464 submissions from the public with almost all of them supporting continued forestry. But there was some dispute about what those numbers represented with Cr Greg Clancy pointing out 2358 submissions were form letters following six templates prepared by timber industry supporters. “if you take out a large number of form letters that were sent, and there were large numbers of them,” Cr Clancy said. “There were 41 written submissions supporting the industry and 65 written submissions supporting the recommendation. 2 23 25 26 27
“I just wanted to find out that there are people in the community who do have concerns about threatened species, about the loss of biodiversity.” But Cr Karen Toms said there was no difference. “Just because somebody writes a form letter doesn’t mean they don’t understand the motion before them,” she said. Even before the debate began the motion was in trouble. Cr Debrah Novak moved a foreshadowed motion that council: 1: Note the 2464 submissions received on this matter and thank those who contributed to it. 2: note the support for the native forests sustainable harvesting industry in the Clarence
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Valley and its significant economic contribution directly and indirectly . 3: acknowledged the importance of the International ecological values of the Clarence Valley’s biodiversity and native forests. 4: invite State member Richie Williamson to facilitate a workshop with Regional Development Australia, Northern Rivers, the Clarence Valley timber industry, the Clarence River Environment centre and other interested groups . 5: establish terms of reference for a new council agriculture forestry and fishing advisory committee and report back to council no later than February 2024 meeting. Cr Ian Tiley was more succinct. Wine Cooking Health/Seniors Gardening Funerals
His foreshadowed motion read: given the native forests logging importance to the Clarence Valley economy, and noting the long term environmentally responsible approach of the Clarence Valley industry, this council supports the continuation of selected harvesting and take no further action in this matter. And it quickly became apparent this had majority support, but it took an hour of debate to finally reach a vote on it. Cr Clancy began the debate arguing his motion was not a danger to the timber industry. “The motion is not about closing down the timber industry in the Clarence Valley or anywhere else, he said. “The motion is to call 42 43 44 46 47
on the state government to actually develop a plan for the future of the timber industry and the future of the forests and that future would be by moving into sustainable plantations.” But that cut little ice with other councillors. Some councillor including Mayor Peter Johnstone, Cr Toms and Cr Steve Pickering, were concerned the council was becoming involved in areas in which it had no control. After defeating Cr Clancy’s motion, 8-1, it also dismissed Cr Novak’s motion 6-3. It’s position was clear when Cr Tiley’s motion came to a vote, carried 7-2.
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