Nambucca Valley News Of The Area 8 March 2024

By Mick BIRTLES

Vale Trevor Ballangarry

GUMBAYNGGIRR Elder, local councillor and Nambucca Valley identity Trevor Ballangarry passed away peacefully on 1 March 2024.

Mr Ballangarry was elected to Nambucca Valley Council as a councillor in December 2021.

“A passionate and knowledgeable advocate for the recognition and preservation of Aboriginal culture and heritage, Cr Trevor was also passionate about ensuring opportunities for all Nambucca Valley residents through job creation and support for local businesses,” said Nambucca Valley Mayor Rhonda Hoban.

“Having worked in local government

himself for more than 40 years he understood how local government works and he was a self-proclaimed expert on 'bulldust' both in political terms and unsealed rural roads.

“He was a staunch advocate for the challenges faced by our many rural residents.”

With the undaunting support of his wife Janice, Mr Ballangarry’s contribution to

the community extended far beyond his civic leadership as part of Nambucca Valley Council to include working with organisations such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service, various volunteer organisations, a directorship with the Community Transport Company and as a sports coach.

Mayor Hoban said Cr Ballangarry will be sadly missed by councillors and

Preparations for the Macksville Show get underway

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which always thrills crowds and favourites like the kids lolly challenge, tug-o-war, woodchops and of course sideshow alley will all be here to keep everyone entertained.”

Acutely aware of the impacts cost-of-living increases are having in the district, the Show team are bringing back Dinkum Dinosaurs, the reptile show and Old MacDonalds Farm petting zoo, all included with show entry.

“In the trade area of the show we are featuring the Ringers Western truck so

visitors will be able to purchase all sorts of apparel from this famous brand at great prices right here at the Showgrounds,” newly appointed Macksville Show Secretary Amy Stuart added.

“We would also like to point out to those coming to the show that there are savings to be made by getting your tickets through our website and, for

those entering events, we recommend booking your stables and making other bookings online.”

The iconic Macksville Show is made possible by the many local businesses that have got behind the event as sponsors.

“Preparation and conduct of the show is reliant on volunteers and we would love to see more volunteers; a thankless job however everyone loves doing it,” Michael Ettelson

council staff.

Council’s flags are flying at half-mast as is the protocol for the passing of a respected and distinguished Australian citizen.

A funeral will be held at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Macksville on Friday 15 March 2024, commencing at 11 am.

Vale Trevor Ballangarry (12/08/1947 – 01/03/2024).

added. For those entering items and livestock in the show this year the show program is now available online at www.Macksvilleshow.com. au, or you can pick up a hard copy at G.J. Kennedy Macksville, Inspiration Reality Nambucca Heads and the Bowraville Pharmacy.

Information relating to entry, volunteering, sponsorship or any other aspect of the Macksville Show can be found on the website.

Pathology sector seeks investment to keep vital service bulk billed

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with the cost-of-living.

To combat the issue, Australian Pathologythe peak national body representing Australia’s private pathology providers - is seeking a $630 million investment by the Federal Government, over four years, to reinstate indexation for pathology services provided under the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

“Pathology is an essential part of the nation’s healthcare system and 70 percent of all medical decisions rely on pathology,” Australian Pathology CEO Liesel Wett said.

“GPs and other healthcare professionals can’t do their job without pathology.

“But unlike other parts of the health system, the sector hasn’t seen a change to the indexation rate that applies to pathology services for 24 years.

“We’re seeking an investment of funds that will

lift that freeze, support the sustainability of the sector and help keep pathology bulk billed for local patients in Cowper,” she said.

Australian Pathology has written to Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan seeking support for the funding request, outlining that 54 pathology collection centres operate in his electorate.

Mr Conaghan has in the past advocated for increases to the Medicare Levy to help GPs bulk bill for pathology and medical costs to patients across the board.

Mr Cowper said he has repeatedly raised the topic of cost and access to regional healthcare both on the floor of Parliament and in the Coalition party room over the last four-plus years he has been in office.

“Unfortunately, these issues have only further compounded over that time,” he said.

Mr Conaghan indicated his support for Australian

Pathology’s requested investment.

“You need pathology tests to detect diseases before they take further hold.

“Prevention is not just better than cure, it’s considerably cheaper in the long term.

“Australian Pathology should not be singled out by being subjected to annual indexation changes.

“I am happy to assist in facilitating these changes in any way that I can,” he said.

Mr Conaghan is also calling for urgent changes in the general practice and mental health settings.

“A recent report by CleanBill found that at the end of 2023, not one GP practice in our electorate was a bulk billing clinic,” he said.

“While some offered bulk billing to their existing pensioner patients, every other potential patient across the electorate was being charged out of pocket costs for each consultation at an average of over $42.

“In an electorate like ours where household incomes are considerably lower than the state and national averages, this

is of grave concern.”

As of 2023, the number of Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions were cut by half from 20 to ten.

“We know that mental health has become one of the most concerning areas of our

Council document prohibits media engagement

By Ned COWIE

ON Thursday at Nambucca Valley Council’s general meeting a newly updated Statement of Business Ethics was referred to Council for approval.

The document was first presented to the members of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee (ARIC) at their January meeting.

The ARIC apparently discussed new legislation

pertaining to modern slavery, child safety and other things as reasons for amending the document, however, aside from these changes were the introduction of several phrases pertaining to ‘Suppliers and Business Partners’ of the Council.

According to this amended document, Council is now seeking to prevent all its suppliers and business partners from discussing ‘Council business or information with the media’.

In previous incarnations of this Council document,

suppliers and business partners were required to ‘Not disclose confidential Council information’; this phrase remains in the amended document as number two of the Council’s requirements.

This vaguely worded inclusion could mean that anyone who supplies or works in partnership with Council is prevented from discussing anything related to Council with media, even if it is their private view as a local citizen.

It does not make exclusions for volunteers or any other people who deal with Council and it does not qualify the rights of individual citizens to

express an opinion through media on any other Council business or information.

Some other councils in NSW have included similar text in their business ethics statements.

City of Coffs Harbour’s (Coffs Harbour City Council) business ethics statement contains eerily similar text prohibiting ‘contractors, suppliers, consultants, tenderers and business partners’ from discussing ‘council business or information with the media’.

Bayside Council says that partners must receive consent to discuss Council dealings with the media.

Georges River Council goes one step further to define its partners as ‘members

healthcare system and one that many potential patients consider out of reach due to the cost.”

Mr Conaghan is urging for the number of these subsidised sessions to be reinstated to 20.

of the public, applicants, lobbyists, suppliers, volunteers, consultants and contractors’ who ‘must not discuss Council dealings with the media’.

Some other councils, such as Clarence Valley Council, still only require that business partners and suppliers maintain confidentiality on confidential council matters, making no mention of dealing with the press.

According to their media policy, Blue Mountains City Council currently makes the following distinction.

“Volunteers, contractors, Council committee members and/or other delegates of Council are not permitted to speak with the media on behalf of Council.

“Delegates may express their views in a public debate in their capacity as a local

“We need that to happen today, particularly in the face of rising cost of living pressures.

“You should not have to choose between your mental health care and keeping a roof overhead.”

citizen, but not as a Council representative.”

Nambucca Valley Council General Manager Bede Spanagle told News Of The Area, “The intent of these words is definitely not to gag people on other issues.

“Rather this document is put together from industry standard text supplied to councils by the Office of Local Government.

”We alter these phrases to suit our circumstances.

“We are simply making sure that only those with an appropriate level of responsibility within Council handle media enquiries related to Council business.

“If anyone in the public is unsure what this means, they are welcome to contact the Council for clarification,” he said.

q Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan (centre) with members of the Rural Doctors Network discussing their Primary Health Workforce Needs Assessment.

New bridge for Apple Tree Glen Creek

A NEW and improved concrete bridge will be constructed across Apple Tree Glen Creek at Burrapine to ensure local residents, farmers and emergency services maintain continued safe and secure access.

Crown Lands in the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure is funding the $1.3 million replacement of the current timber bridge that is in poor condition and has reached the end of its life.

Apple Tree Glen is a gravel Crown road which provides access from Taylors Arm Road to rural properties to the south.

The bridge crosses Taylors Arm, a tributary to the Nambucca River, south of the intersection of Taylors Arm Road.

The existing bridge is frequently affected by floodwaters.

The replacement structure will raise the bridge to bring it to a one in 2000-

year flood event level.

The new bridge will be a single span concrete structure with a design life of 100 years, requiring minimal ongoing maintenance.

A temporary creek crossing will be installed nearby to allow for continued vehicle access while the new permanent bridge is constructed.

Waeger Constructions Ptd Ltd of Rutherford has been contracted to build the bridge following a competitive

tender.

Once completed, the new bridge will be handed over to the ownership of Nambucca Valley Council to add to its local road network.

Greg Sullivan, Crown Lands Executive Director of Land and Asset Management, said, “Residents who use Apple Tree Glen Bridge are in a rural location about 30 km west of Macksville and rely on the creek crossing as their only access route out, including in bushfires, floods or medical emergencies.

“This $1.3 million investment to build a new bridge will ensure Burrapine residents have continued safe and secure access, as well as primary producers and emergency services such as police, ambulance and fire brigade.”

q The old Apple Tree Glen Creek bridge will be replaced with an improved concrete bridge.

Committee to look into specialist health services

DO people in regional NSW areas like the Nambucca Valley have access to the health services and specialist care they need?

The Select Committee on Remote, Rural and Regional Health is investigating whether progress has been made in recent years in improving health services for remote, rural and regional communities.

The Committee has adopted its second inquiry that examines how recommendations made in a 2022 Legislative Council (LC) committee inquiry are being carried out.

The Committee is inviting stakeholders to make a submission to the inquiry.

This inquiry has a particular focus on the delivery of specific health services and specialist care in regional NSW.

It follows from the

Committee's work last year, which looked into workforce issues and workplace culture in the regional health system.

"The delivery of specialist care in regional NSW is crucial to ensuring those living in the regions are able to access specific services for their young families, their ageing relatives and those with more complex health needs," Committee Chair, Dr Joe McGirr MP said.

This inquiry will examine services such as maternity services, obstetrics and paediatrics; patient transport and paramedicine; Indigenous health services; mental health services, and drug and alcohol services; aged care and palliative care; cancer care and oncology; and other specialist care and allied health services.

"The Committee has heard about the recent work to improve the regional health

workforce," Dr McGirr said.

"Now, the Committee is looking into specialist care areas and the delivery of specific services.

“We want to know if you've noticed an improvement in these health services or if you think more progress needs to be made."

Submissions close on 12 April 2024.

Stakeholders are advised that the Committee's focus is on the implementation of the LC Portfolio Committee No. 2 recommendations in relation to specialist services, and is not seeking submissions that comment on health outcomes more broadly.

Full terms of reference for the inquiry are available at http://www.parliament. nsw.gov.au/committees/ inquiries/Pages/inquirydetails.aspx?pk=3034#tabtermsofreference.

www.nambucca.nsw.gov.au

INVITATION TO A MEETING OF NAMBUCCA VALLEY COUNCIL AT THE UTUNGUN HALL

5.30 PM THURSDAY 14 MARCH 2024

Council will be holding its next Council meeting at the Utungun Hall, 1029 Taylors Arm Road, Utungun.

The Council would be pleased to hear from any residents who may wish to raise matters concerning their community. Light refreshments will be available at 5.00 pm with the meeting starting at 5.30 pm, with up to one hour being dedicated to a community forum.

We will be pleased to hear from any resident who would like to address Council. Any person wishing to make an address is asked to contact Rochelle McMurray on 6568 0240, by 11.00 am on Thursday, 14 March with their name; telephone number; and issues to be raised so that the details can be accurately recorded in our minutes.

ENQUIRIES TO: Bede Spannagle, General Manager. Phone: 6568 0200

www.newsofthearea.com.au

q The old Apple Tree Glen Creek bridge has reached the end of its life and is flood prone.

Securing key water and

on the North Coast

THE NSW Government has announced funding for a

A total of $2.31 million has been contributed towards the newly completed $2.62 million Nambucca Drought Response project, which has delivered a vital upgrade to Nambucca Valley Council's treatment plant with a high tech disinfection system to secure the region's safe water supply.

In Kempsey, a funding partnership between the NSW Government and Kempsey Shire Council will deliver designs for an upgraded and centralised sewage treatment plant to replace the three

existing plants at West Kempsey, South Kempsey and Frederickton which are no longer fit for purpose.

$1,953,500 from the NSW Government’s Safe and Secure Water Program has now been confirmed to bring this vital piece of infrastructure a step closer to being tender ready, with the remaining $5,860,500 coming from Kempsey Shire Council.

The State Government says the proposed new Central Kempsey Wastewater Treatment Plant will be able to meet future population needs of the region and keep up with stringent national effluent quality requirements.

NSW Minister for Water and NSW Minister for the

North Coast Rose Jackson said, “Kempsey is a growing community that continues to attract thousands of visitors every year which is why the NSW Government is coming to the table to ensure the town is better equipped with 21st century infrastructure to unlock economic opportunities moving forward.

“The proposed new Central Kempsey Wastewater Treatment Plant will produce much higher quality effluent that will be maintained to the top industry standard, which is crucial in an environmentally sensitive region like the Mid North Coast."

Mayor of Kempsey Shire Council Leo Hauville

said, “The three existing wastewater treatment plants have serviced the Kempsey area for many years.

“Over the coming years they will be replaced with modern and more efficient equipment.

“Slimming down from three plants to one will provide better service to the community.

“It’s great news that our incredibly dedicated water and sewer staff will have the necessary modern facilities with sewage management for the Kempsey area at the one location.

“Planning work is already underway to ensure we are ticking all the right boxes and getting the details right from the outset.

“We’ll continue to keep locals informed every step of the way.”

The NSW Government is also funding $392,000 towards the completed $811,000 concept designs and pre-tender works for the Evans Head Sewage Treatment Plant Augmentation as part of Richmond Valley Shire Council’s long-term plans to double the plant's capacity to cater for population growth.

An additional $230,000 was pledged to drill two new bores in Bonalbo, with one already commissioned to supplement the town’s existing water supply during drought.

The funding also installed two new bores in Tabulam, ready to be commissioned if and when they’re needed.

$115,000 was provided to deliver detailed designs of the proposed Dorrigo Water Treatment Plant upgrade,

with the other funding half coming from Bellingen Shire Council, while $62,500 has been funded to bring the replacement Grafton North Sewage Treatment Plant to tender ready phase, with Clarence Valley Council funding the remaining $187,500.

"As Minister for the North Coast, it's really important to me that these regions have what they need for the future and that's what our funding is also delivering for Nambucca, Evans Head, Bonalbo, Dorrigo and Grafton,” Ms Jackson said.

"With the region already impacted by another El Nino weather pattern we’re putting our money where our mouth is and investing in work that will lock-in long term water security and quality for these towns.”

ShoreTrack assists flood-affected primary producers

By Mick BIRTLES

ALTHOUGH the lasting effects of the February 2022 floods are invisible to most of the broader Nambucca Valley community, for many of those in the primary industries the work of repairing the damage goes on.

Early last year the Macksville-based youth support organisation known as ShoreTrack, being not-forprofit, was able to secure a grant from the Early Needs Recovery Program.

This program is part of a $150 million primary industries support package funded jointly by the State and Federal Governments that provides support to primary producers in the most flood affected areas of the state.

The grant has allowed ShoreTrack to offer vital assistance to farmers in the district.

“We have had an opportunity to connect with a number of primary producers who were affected by the floods and learned that the

financial implications and loss of income as a result of the floods made replacing lost fences extremely difficult,” ShoreTrack’s Jill Ashley told News Of The Area.

“Since April 2023 our young people have become very good at fencing and have been able to replace around ten kilometres of fencing

destroyed by the floods.”

All 70 young people at ShoreTrack have had experience in fencing over the time of the program and have had the experience of helping others in the community whose livelihood had been affected by the floods while learning a range of skills valuable in the rural sector.

“Not only have our young people been learning agricultural skills that are hugely in demand, but they have been back on country which is a strong and positive wellbeing opportunity for our kids.”

With the project ending, ShoreTrack will utilise the fencing and other farm skills

learned in its Steps Program, which trains and employs young people to prepare them to move onto meaningful employment across a range of industries.

In addition to the traditional methods of fencing using hand tools and teamwork, the fencing teams have been trained in the

use of machinery and other technologies.

Through Steps, ShoreTrack also aspires to develop a cohort of youth leaders who can eventually run this private enterprise themselves and potentially train and mentor other young people.

“The

q Jaiden Blair, Aden Hillary Whalen and Noah Laird are among the 70 young people from ShoreTrack who have delivered around ten kilometres of fencing for flood affected farmers in the district. Photo: supplied.

Community views sought to protect koalas

By Andrew VIVIAN

MINISTER for Climate Change and the Environment

Penny Sharpe is encouraging community members to share their views on the best ways to help New South Wales’ endangered koala populations.

Released last week, the State Government’s ‘Reviewing the NSW Koala Strategy’ discussion paper seeks community input on current koala conservation actions being undertaken under the NSW Koala Strategy.

It invites feedback on initiatives including koala habitat protection, supporting local communities, improving the safety and health of koalas, koala monitoring and research and responses to the impact of climate change.

The discussion paper was released in the lead up to the NSW Koala Summit being held at Taronga Zoo on March 22 2024, which will bring together key stakeholders to review how actions, targets and delivery approaches are working to save koalas around the state.

The NSW Government said it is committed to protecting and ensuring the long-term survival of koalas in the wild

and the discussion paper will supplement advice from the Koala Summit on future conservation priorities.

“The NSW Government is committed to saving koalas in the wild,” Ms Sharpe said.

“This discussion paper and the Koala Summit will inform the review of the current Koala Strategy.

“In the lead up to the Koala Summit, we are launching this paper to seek innovative ideas and feedback.”

North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) spokesperson Dailan Pugh said if the State Government is serious about protecting koalas, its highest priority must be to protect koala habitat on public land.

“The Government is asking people to tell them what else they should be doing to protect koala habitat.

“Please tell them to immediately stop logging koala habitat on public lands.”

Mr Pugh noted that the NSW Government’s 2021 Koala Strategy identifies protecting koala habitat as the top priority in avoiding

the extinction of koalas in the wild by 2050.

To this end, the State Government has allocated $71 million to buy private properties and implement conservation agreements over up to 22,000 hectares (ha) of land.

So far 10,000 ha of land has been purchased to add to National Parks, with conservation agreements entered into over 7,700 ha of private land.

However, according to Mr Pugh, only part of this is high quality koala habitat.

“There are 230,000 hectares of State Forests on the NSW North Coast identified as high quality koala habitat by the NSW Government and

as Nationally Important Koala Areas by the Commonwealth Government, yet both Governments refuse to stop logging them.”

Consultation on the online discussion paper will close on April 26 2024.

Submissions can be made at www.environment.nsw.gov. au/topics/animals-and-plants/ threatened-species/programslegislation-and-framework/ nsw-koala-strategy/reviewing-thensw-koala-strategy.

“Everyone who cares about the future of our precious koalas is encouraged to provide their views,” Ms Sharpe said.

q The Minister for Climate Change and the Environment is seeking feedback about the NSW Koala Strategy. Photo: Department of Environment and Heritage.

Bellingen activist opposes industrial blueberry farming

By Ned COWIE

IN the public forum of Nambucca Valley Council’s general meeting on 29 February, Bellingen-based environmental activist Wendy Firefly presented a talk and slideshow aimed at convincing the Council to implement strong regulatory controls on industrialstyle horticulture in the region.

Ms Firefly and friend Sally Townley, the current Deputy Mayor of the City of Coffs Harbour (formerly Coffs Harbour City Council), were instrumental in bringing about a requirement for farmers to apply for a Development Application (DA) to erect netting structures over blueberry farms in the Coffs Harbour LGA.

Ms Townley was present at Council Chambers to hear Ms Firefly’s speech last Thursday evening.

Ms Firefly recommended Nambucca Valley Council emulate the example set by Coffs Harbour’s council, and change the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) to remove exclusions on horticulture within the category of intensive agriculture so that blueberry farming would

require consent in rural zones.

“I started doing this eight years ago with Sally Townley on the Coffs Coast,” Ms Firefly said.

“The community was coming to us with concerns of spray drift onto their property, water pollution, illegal dumping, bulldozing of cultural sites and wildlife corridors, oversized dams and illegal bores.

“When the national water body came to check, 88 percent of farmers were not complying with water laws,” Ms Firefly told Councillors, staff and approximately 30 audience members last Thursday evening.

“A study by NSW Public Health Unit and Coffs Harbour City Council between 2017 and 2019 tested for agricultural chemicals in private water tanks near intensive horticulture farms in the Coffs area and found that 26 percent of rainwater tanks had reportable detections of pesticides, 43 percent revealed trace amounts and eleven different chemicals were detected, including Endrin (trace amounts in six different tanks), which has been banned in Australia since 1987,” she said.

According to Ms Firefly, the journey to get Coffs’ Council on board

had been a long one, beginning with Environment Protection Authority (EPA) testing.

“It took us six years for us to get the EPA to test Hearnes Lake after fish kills and we found chemicals that had been banned in Australia.”

She argued that netting structures with an area greater than 100 square metres should be considered as farm buildings under the existing State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP) codes.

Therefore, they (netting structures) would require Council DAs as well as attracting regulations for buffer zones of 50 metres from property boundaries and natural water bodies.

She detailed some of the steps taken by Coffs Harbour City Council to bring in the requirements, including obtaining legal advice and a new interpretation made by the Land Growth Management committee of the current SEPP framework to include netting and greenhouse structures as farm buildings.

“It’s my understanding that Council’s advice (received) previously was contrary to that (i.e. netting being considered a farm building under the SEPP) but that is part of what we’ve sought legal advice on, is that correct?”

Mayor Hoban asked Daniel Walsh,

Nambucca Valley Council’s Director of Development and Environment at the meeting.

Mr Walsh confirmed that Council has applied for new legal advice on this matter which was expected to

be received by the end of February but to his knowledge had not been.

“I will follow that up again with the lawyer,” he said, “but I’m expecting it to come to a March meeting,” he told the Council.

Local's picnic plan for Dawkins Park

By Ned COWIE

YOUNG Beattie Fuller, 95, made a special trip to the fortnightly Nambucca Valley Council meeting just to find out what was happening with Macksville’s Dawkins Park.

She had heard Council was planning some work to clean it up, but for her and some of the residents of Nambucca Valley Care’s nursing home which overlooks the lake, she says it can’t begin soon enough.

“I would like them to build the bridge,” she told News Of The Area.

“Then, depending how wide the bridge is, they can take trucks over and take away all the rubbish and dead trees,” she suggested.

Beattie would like to see Council then bring in lots of topsoil, “because the soil there is no good,” and convert it into a grassed

area with tables and chairs for picnickers.

She would like to see locals and visitors able to wander over there and enjoy the lake atmosphere.

“Well, they’ve gone to a lot of trouble with the windmill and the pipes and other things, so I wouldn’t like to see it get filled in,” she said.

Beattie doesn’t think leaving any trees for the birds on either of the islands would be a good idea.

“Most people don’t see the real problem,” she explained, “because the birds are away all day.

“They fly off to the north and south at about 6 am and return at 7 pm.

“When they are all there it’s like snow on the trees but if there were no trees there then they would find other places to make their nests,”

she maintains.

Beattie is a friend of the original Dawkins family after whom the lake and park were named.

She says there is a plaque in the park dedicated to Colin Dawkins who was a local dental prosthetist (one who makes false teeth) but dedicated many hours to planting trees with the Macksville Urban Committee.

For several years from the age of fourteen, Beattie lived next to the current site of Dawkins Park which at that time was a swamp.

It wasn’t until the mid-sixties that the manmade lake was created.

Last fortnight, as reported in NOTA, Council resolved to build a land-bridge to one of the islands to make it more accessible for cleanup and bird control measures.

q Wendy Firefly and Sally Townley were instrumental in changing requirements for blueberry farmers in Coffs Harbour to lodge DAs for netting structures.

q Beattie Fuller thinks Dawkins Park’s islands should be grassed areas for picnickers.

Nine charged following cannabis investigation

NINE people have been charged after police seized more than $1.7 million worth of cannabis on the state's Mid North Coast.

Following extensive inquiries by the State Crime Command's Drug and Firearms Squad and Mid North Coast Detectives, assisted by the Dog Unit and Coffs Harbour Region Enforcement Squad, police attended two Carrai properties about 11am on Thursday 22 February 2023.

Police will allege in court that the two properties were being used for the large-scale cultivation of cannabis.

Police allegedly located and seized more than 412 cannabis plants, with an estimated potential street value of more than $800,000.

Police also allegedly seized more than 156 kg of cannabis, with an estimated potential street value of more than $900,000.

Following inquiries, nine people - five men and four women - were arrested at the properties before being taken to Kempsey Police Station.

A 66-year-old man was charged with supplying a prohibited drug, possessing an unregistered firearm, not keeping firearms safely, and

possessing an unauthorised firearm.

He appeared before Kempsey Local Court on Friday 22 February 2024, where he was formally refused bail to appear before the same court on Friday 1 March 2024.

A 39-year-old man was charged with supplying prohibited drugs, cultivating prohibited plants, and dealing with property proceeds of crime.

Two women, aged 33 and 36, were each charged with supplying prohibited drugs.

A 33-year-old woman was charged with supplying

prohibited drugs, and possessing prohibited drugs.

A 39-year-old woman, and three men - aged 35, 39, 43 - were charged with taking part in supplying prohibited drugs.

All eight appeared before Kempsey Local Court on Friday 22 February 2024, where they were formally refused bail to appear before the same court on Wednesday 17 April 2024.

Police say anyone with information about the illicit cultivation of cannabis should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Inquiries continue.

q Police allegedly located and seized more than 412 cannabis plants.

q Police also allegedly seized more than 156 kg of cannabis

NSW Fire and Rescue fleet ‘hanging by cable ties’

By Mike HELY

THE Shadow Minister for the North Coast, Gurmesh Singh, has called on the NSW Government to provide more support to NSW Fire and Rescue (FRNSW) after revelations some of the organisation’s

fleet is in disrepair.

His call followed a NSW Budget Estimates hearing, which he said showed the Government had cut $9 million from the FRNSW budget, compared to the agency’s allocation in the previous financial year under the former Coalition

q Broken down: A Bellingen Fire and Rescue vehicle sits idle after breaking down on the way to a job.

Government.

During the hearing, photographs were tabled of a broken down FRNSW vehicle at Bellingen, and a Woolgoolga vehicle with its brake lights held together by cable ties.

Mr Singh, who is the Opposition’s spokesman for

Emergency Services, said the Government must take the issue seriously.

“The NSW community expects that the fire and rescue appliance is maintained to the highest level, and cable ties holding things together is simply not good enough,” Mr Singh

q Cable ties hold the brake lights of this Woolgoolga Fire and Rescue vehicle in place.

said.

“We’ve seen a cut to the FRNSW budget of about $9 million based on what was spent by the Liberals and Nationals in the last financial year, with ongoing salary negotiations taking place with the Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU).

“Firefighters across NSW are incredibly dedicated and work tirelessly to protect residents.

“They deserve to be provided with the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.

“The Government needs to invest more in FRNSW, to ensure community safety isn’t compromised.”

The Opposition spokesman for Police and Emergency Services, Nationals MLC Wes Fang, quizzed Minister Jihad Dib on the ageing fleet during the budget estimates.

“We can’t afford to have a situation where Fire and Rescue NSW are handed duct tape and cable ties to keep their trucks together because they are not being funded properly by the Minns Labor Government,” Mr Fang said.

Mr Dib rejected the claims, saying the size of the FRNSW fleet meant there would always be some maintenance issues.

He said the Government had a fleet replacement plan that prioritised those vehicles in most need.

Mr Dib also said funding to FRNSW had actually increased by 15.5 percent in 2023-24.

The apparent $9 million reduction was due to the agency overspending its allocation in 2022-23, through one-off payments related to floods and other natural disasters.

q The cannabis has an estimated potential street value of more than $900,000.

Transgrid takes to the skies for bushfire prevention program

TRANSGRID has launched its comprehensive annual bushfire prevention program, with helicopter inspections, aerial imagery, 3D laser scanning, and thermographic surveying to ensure the safe operation of its network in the lead-up to next summer.

“Transgrid takes the risk of bushfires very seriously and the safety of our people, landowners and communities is our first priority,” Executive General Manager of Network Marie Jordan said.

“We use best-practice asset management and network safety management systems to reduce bushfire risk and potential impacts to local communities and the surrounding environment.

“A great deal of planning, analysis and modelling goes into ensuring that we right-size our program and resources to maximise effectiveness.

“In the lead-up to the 2024-25 summer period we will ensure a high level

of preparedness across more than 13,000km of transmission lines – the equivalent distance of travelling from Sydney to Perth four times.”

Transgrid’s bushfire prevention program will be undertaken from February to September and includes a 3D laser aerial survey of easements across the entire network using LiDAR technology to identify vegetation growing too close to transmission lines

q Helicopter inspections will be undertaken and aerial imagery captured to physically assess the condition of structures and lines.

Helicopter inspections will be undertaken and aerial imagery captured to physically assess the condition of structures and lines.

Thermographic surveying of transmission lines will be completed to identify and address any required asset remediation.

On-the-ground teams will carry out network maintenance and address potential vegetation encroachments.

“Specialist helicopter crews will inspect highvoltage electricity

Disaster simulation tool requested

By Ned COWIE PATRICIA Greenwood

of the Nambucca Valley Community Resilience Network (Nambucca Valley CRN) spoke at Nambucca Valley Council’s 15 February meeting, requesting Council help to bring a state-of-theart fire and flood simulation tool to the Valley.

The NV Community Resilience Network was formed in 2020 in the wake of major fires and floods in the Valley with the aim of gathering information to assist the community to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies, as well as to build long-term resilience.

A ‘Simtable’, consisting of a fire and flood simulation computer program and equipment owned by the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation (MNCJO), was available at public workshops held at Scotts Head and Valla Beach last year.

“You can actually see your local area projected down and see how a fire would affect you,” Ms Greenwood told Council.

“It was really wellreceived (in the workshops).

“People liked it.

“They could see their area and how fires and spotfires could affect them,” she said.

The program can vary outcomes depending on

inputted values for wind speeds, fuel loads and other variables.

During a Simtable workshop, up to 30 workshop participants stand in a darkened room around a large and sophisticated digital sand table where a map of the local area is projected down while possible fire or flood scenarios unfold.

This is a particularly effective tool because it makes it easy for people to visualise possible fire outcomes, Ms Greenwood explained.

Nambucca Valley CRN would like to bring more workshops out to each of the community halls this year.

“When we investigated, we found that because Nambucca Valley Council isn’t a member of the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation, we can no longer use the Simtable, so we are here to ask Council if there is a way to access the Simtable,” she told the chamber.

“It is also a recruiting tool for the Rural Fire Service (RFS), but it doesn’t belong to the RFS.

“It belongs to the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation,” she further explained.

Mayor Rhonda Hoban called for a report into costs and benefits of accessing the MNCJO’s Simtable and how this could be achieved.

transmission lines in locations including Sydney, the Central Coast, Hunter, Mid-North Coast, Murray, Riverina, Illawarra, Northern Rivers, Southern Inland, New England and Central West,” Ms Jordan said.

“The comprehensive inspections help identify any potential bushfire risks such as vegetation encroachments and assess the condition of towers and transmission lines.

“Our on-the-ground teams will then carry out any necessary vegetation management to maintain

our easement corridors and tower and line maintenance before the start of the next bushfire season.

“Our transmission lines have been safely operating for decades and we are committed to ensuring they continue to do so for many years to come as they are a critical piece of the clean energy transition.”

For more information about Transgrid’s bushfire prevention measures and helicopter inspections visit https://www.transgrid.com. au/safety/managing-bushfire-risk

q Patricia Greenwood and Jenny Zirkler of the Nambucca Valley Community Network at the recent Council meeting.

q Specialist helicopter crews will inspect high-voltage electricity transmission lines on the Mid North Coast.

Improving safety on NSW beaches

FOLLOWING a spate of fourteen coastal drownings in NSW this past summer, the NSW Government convened an expert roundtable this week to discuss improving safety on the state’s beaches.

The Coastal Water Safety Roundtable brought together rescue organisations, researchers and government agencies following a rise

in water-related fatalities in recent years, with surf lifesavers also called on to make an increasing number of rescues.

In total, 36 coastal drownings have occurred since 1 July 2023.

This follows 48 drownings in 2022-23 – a twelve percent increase on the ten-year average – and 52 in 2021-

2022.

Surf life savers carried out a total of 3,077 rescues over the busy swimming season and more than 3,750 since 1 July.

Roundtable discussions explored what occurred over the season, the actions that were taken, and how participants can work together to improve outcomes

in the future.

“Water safety is a shared responsibility that requires a united effort, and we want to identify opportunities to further reduce the number of lives lost along our coast,” Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said.

“It’s not just about better emergency response, it is also about building awareness

in communities and finding those preventative actions that might save lives down the road.

“We want every person in NSW to be able to enjoy our stunning coastline and waterways safely, and this roundtable is all about finding ways to do that as more people visit the beach every year.”

Chief Executive of Surf Life Saving NSW Steve Pearce said, “All of the

fourteen coastal drownings over summer occurred at unpatrolled locations.

“It is important we focus on education, early alerting to incidents and equipping our lifesavers with the tools they need to respond quickly.

“Lifesavers and lifeguards do an incredible job, so our focus needs to turn to how to prevent people drowning when we can’t be there to prevent these tragedies.”

Protesters continue to raise awareness of Tuckers Nob logging

By Andrew VIVIAN

RESIDENTS concerned with the protection of Tuckers Nob State Forest rallied in a ‘Koala Parade’ on Sunday March 3, crossing Lavenders Bridge in Bellingen to hang a large banner above the Bellinger River.

The group were attempting to raise awareness of nearby logging and their support for the immediate protection of the State Forest.

According to group members, the Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) has cleared 300 hectares (ha) within the last year and a half in Tuckers Nob, with the clearance of 30 ha alongside

Roses Road within the State Forest currently underway.

“Tuckers Nob is vital koala habitat, inside the footprint of the proposed Koala Park,” Friends of Tuckers Nob spokesperson Karlee Brown said, referring to the NSW Government’s touted Great Koala National Park.

“We want our forests and koalas protected, not this ever widening industrial monoculture of trees that add to the fire risk here and create an environment hostile to our koalas.”

Protesters say Tuckers Nob contains areas of remnant forest and rainforest with many original trees within the area zoned as

q Logging protesters gather on Lavenders Bridge. Photo: Friends of Tuckers Nob.

plantation.

The Friends of Tuckers Nob say a large number of ringwood trees which grow only in the Nambucca, Bellinger and Kalang Valleys add to the forest’s biodiversity and high conservation value.

Koalas are known to be active throughout the area.

Bellingen Shire Council recognises the area as core koala habitat, which serves to link koalas from coastal forests to the mountains.

“To be effective the Koala Park needs to be connected, providing habitat for koalas to move through, not just for breeding but in times of heat and bush fire they need to be able to access deeper cooler forests,” Ms Brown said.

FCNSW was invited to comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

One in three young people concerned about cost-of-living

THE State’s children are feeling more positive about their lives than they did in 2022, according to new research from the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Zoë Robinson.

The figures are based on a survey commissioned by Ms Robinson and conducted by SecNewgate Research from 23 August to 13 September 2023.

“It is encouraging to see that key measures indicate improvements over the last twelve months,” Ms Robinson

said.

“Children and young people are feeling more positive about their life as a whole and have increased hope for the future,” Ms Robinson said.

“While it is important to highlight the positives, there are still areas of concern for children and young people and we need to ensure they are not overlooked by government or policy.

“More than one in three are concerned about cost-ofliving, the same number have

experienced bullying and one in five mention mental health and wellbeing as their key concern,” Ms Robinson added.

When asked to rate how they felt about their life as a whole, 72 percent of surveyed children and young people provided a positive rating of seven or more out of ten - a significant increase from 65 percent in 2022.

Most children and young people remain optimistic about their future, with 75 percent rating a positive

seven or more out of ten on their hope for getting the education and training they need.

In 2023, the high cost of living was the number one issue highlighted by children and young people in NSW with 35 percent mentioning it unprompted, up from eight percent in 2021.

Mental health and emotional wellbeing remain a key concern with just over one in five (22 percent) mentioning either, unprompted, as areas of

media@newsofthearea.com.au

concern.

However, that number is down ten percent from 2022, when nearly a third (32 percent) mentioned it as a key issue.

In 2023, 36 percent of children and young people had experienced bullying in the past twelve months.

Among those children and young people who had experienced bullying in the past twelve months, more than one in three (36 percent) experienced bullying weekly.

“Children and young people know what will help them and want to be part of the design of solutions to ensure great results.

“This work shows what is working and where there is work to be done.”

This was the second tracking report for the NSW Strategic Plan for Children and Young People, measuring changes in children and young people’s perceptions on key issues that impacted them throughout 2023

q Logging in Tuckers Nob State Forest.

Junior cricket on the eve of semi finals

By Aiden BURGESS

ON the eve of the finals series, the latest round of Coffs Harbour District Cricket Association's junior seasons were played, with the Under 16s semi-finals decided this Friday, and the Under 14s and Under 12s semi-finals getting underway next week.

Coffs Colts became the first team to beat ladder leaders Bello/Dorrigo this season, winning by four wickets at Dorrigo in the final round of the Under 16s season.

The home side opened the batting and posted 8/68 from 16 overs.

Taylor Gilbert top scored with a knock of 37 from 21 balls, with Riley Humphreys taking 2-2 from 2 overs for the Colts.

The Colts chased down the total with four balls to spare, led home by Heath Ball who finished on 40 not out.

Alexander Dyson took 2-5 from 3 overs for Bello/

Dorrigo.

Macksville Bulls were also winners in the final round, beating Sawtell Sloggers by 39 runs at Macksville.

The home side opened the batting and finished at 9/113 from 20 overs.

Riley Symonds top scored for the Bulls with 34 not out.

Ned Keating took 3-12 from 2 overs for Sawtell, with Lexi Weiley taking 2-10 from 2 overs.

Sawtell were restricted to 6/74 from 20 overs, with Ewan Jarman top scoring with 43 off 29 balls.

Daniel Crease was the pick of the Bulls bowlers, taking 3-6 from 2 overs.

The Under 16s semi-finals are set for Friday, 8 March, with Bello/Dorrigo hosting Sawtell Sloggers at Dorrigo, and the Macksville Bulls hosting the Coffs Colts.

Sawtell Storm had a four wicket win against Diggers Cricket Club at Reg Ryan Oval, in the penultimate round of

the Under 14s season.

Diggers opened the batting and finished at 6/88 from their 20 overs.

Sawtell chased down the target in the 12th over, led home by Busby Hibberd who finished unbeaten on 45 off 23 balls.

Coffs Colts had a seven wicket win against Bellingen Blue at Jetty Oval in Round 14.

Bellingen opened the batting and finished at 8/49 from 20 overs.

Asher Heward took 2-9 from 2 overs for the Colts.

The Colts reached the target in the 11th over with James Weber retiring not out on 19.

Nana Glen Lizards had an eight wicket win at home against the Macksville Bulls.

The Bulls opened the batting and finished at 7/57 from 20 overs.

Flynn McInerney took 2-3 from 2 overs, and Thomas Craig took 2-6 from 3 overs.

The Lizards reached the

target after 9 overs, with Charlie Cameron finishing on 26 not out.

Northern Districts Rebels Blues were also winners in Round 14, beating Bellingen Green by three wickets at Woolgoolga.

Bellingen finished at 9/92 from 20 overs after opening the batting.

Gursev Singh took 3-13 from 3 overs for the Rebels, with Charley Perrett taking 2-10 from 3 overs.

The Rebels reached the winning total with three balls to spare, led home by Sahibjit Singh who finished on 28 not out.

Hannah McNeil took 2-8 from 2 overs for Bellingen, and Daniel Kelly took 2-13 from 2 overs.

Under 12s ladder leaders Northern Districts Rebels remained undefeated with a 10 wicket win against Macksville Bulls Blue at Woolgoolga, in the penultimate round of the second Under 12s season.

The Bulls opened the batting and scored 6/102 off 18 overs.

Ark Gillett finished on 44 not out off 31 balls.

The home side chased down the target after 14 overs, with William Jamieson finishing on 23 not out.

Defending premiers Bello Green maintained second spot on the ladder with a nine wicket win against Macksville Bulls White at Macksville.

The home side opened the batting and finished at 7/71 from 20 overs.

Lev Morris took 3-9 from 2 overs for Bellingen, with Lachlan Barne taking 2-8 from 3 overs.

Bellingen reached the target in the 10th over, as Tate Bailey top scored with 34 off 20 balls.

Coffs Colts maintained their place in the top four with a ten wicket win against the Sawtell Sixers at Forsyth Park.

Sawtell opened the batting and posted 3/85 from 20 overs.

Archie Peters top scored with 27 not out, with Ciaran

Duvenage taking 1-5 from 3 overs for the Colts. The Colts chased down the runs in the 18th over.

Diggers Cricket Club Red also maintained their spot in the top four with a 56-run win against Diggers Cricket Club Blue at Reg Ryan Oval.

Diggers Red scored 3/114 from 20 overs after opening the batting, with Daniel Martin retiring not out on 31.

Diggers Blue were restricted to 7/58 from 15 overs, as Sehaj singh Mahal finished on 29 not out.

Michael Nealand took 2-8 from 2 overs for Diggers Red, with Kye Leighton taking 2-10 from 2 overs.

Nana Glen Lizards kept their finals hopes alive with a six wicket win against Bello/ Dorrigo at Bellingen. The home side scored 7/76 from 20 overs after opening the batting.

Edison Hay took 3-2 from 2 overs for the Lizards, and Kade White took 2-13 from 2 overs.

The Lizards chased down the total in the 17th over.

Nambucca Heads RSL named Roosters major senior sponsor

By Mick BIRTLES

THE Nambucca Roosters Rugby League Football Club have announced that their senior team’s major sponsor for 2024 is the Nambucca Heads RSL Club.

Through the Club Grants program the Roosters have been able to secure $15,000 in sponsorship for their first grade team, which will go a long way to ensuring the town's much-loved football

club remains viable to compete in the 2024 Group 2 season.

“The club assists a broad range of organisations through the Club Grants program, such as cancer support groups and the Macksville Hospital.

“We considered that getting behind the Nambucca Roosters, a rugby league club that values inclusivity and represents our town so well, was a good fit for us,”

Nambucca Heads RSL Club CEO Wendy Mills told News Of

q President of the Board of Directors of the Nambucca Heads RSL Club, Terrie Hyslop presents a cheque for $15,000 to the President of the Nambucca Roosters RLFC, Peter Bellden.

Zero Tolerance

NORTHERN NSW Football (NNSWF) has announced its Zero Tolerance policy as a part of targeted measures to put an end to match official abuse in its competitions across the region.

The Zero Tolerance policy will be in force for all Northern NSW Football competitions.

In 2024, through the Match Official Support Standards –Zero Tolerance policy, NNSWF will introduce measures targeted at stamping out abuse and creating a safer, supportive and welcoming environment for match officials in its competitions.

These initiatives will be part of a three-pillar strategy to implement Zero Tolerance; Clear Messaging for Everyone

in the Game, Tangible Support for Match Officials and Tougher Sanctions.

CEO Peter Haynes said NNSWF was fully committed to changing the culture towards match officials in its premier competitions which would require a whole game approach to changing behaviours, attitudes and actions of players, coaches and spectators.

“The announcement of this policy is the culmination of more than six months of work from my team at Northern NSW Football,” Haynes said.

“Enough is enough.

“The time for talk is over.

“It is time for action and we are totally committed to this course of action.

The Area.

“Also, the longevity of our club is a priority for us and we hope that our link to the Roosters will assist in encouraging a younger demographic to utilise the facilities we have on offer.”

The Nambucca Roosters RLFC, reformed two years ago after a three year hiatus, has rapidly built up a solid quality player base and last year made it into the Group 2 finals series.

Nambucca Roosters RLFC President Peter Bellden told NOTA, “The last couple of years have been a big learning curve for us since we have reformed and we feel that we are now in a good place.

“We think we are poised to have a very good season and are very excited to have the RSL Club come in with this level of sponsorship that will go a long way to set us up well for this year and years to come.”

The Nambucca Roosters RLFC will field a men’s first grade, reserve grade and an

“One of the hardest things to do in any walk of life be it sport or business is changing culture.

“But we are fully committed to taking a lead role on this and driving the cultural change we want to see in our sport in our region."

NNSWF General Manager Referee Growth and Development Brad Carlin said the policy would help to provide more support and a better experience for match officials in the region.

“This policy will allow extra education to be given to match officials on how to deal with issues when they arise,” Carlin said.

“It will also provide additional support to match officials through multiple avenues including the new position of Referee Wellbeing

U/18s team in 2024, with a ladies tackle side entered into the newly formed Group 2 Ladies Rugby League competition.

Locals that come to Coronation Park for home games will be treated to four

and Support Officer that will be implemented to provide immediate and ongoing welfare support.”

NNSWF General Manager Football Operations Liam Bentley said tougher sanctions would help to stamp out match official abuse in the region.

“Zero Tolerance means exactly that,” Bentley said.

“Implementing tougher sanctions will be an important deterrent that will also serve to make an example of those who continue to engage in match official abuse in the 2024 season.”

More than 50 percent of Northern NSW Football premier competitions youth match officials stopped refereeing in the last twelve months.

At least 30 of those quit mid-season specifically

games of rugby league action.

President of the Nambucca Heads RSL Club Board of Directors, Mrs Terri Hyslop concluded, “Our Board of Directors and staff are behind our club being linked to this great rugby league club.

because of the abuse they received while refereeing.

While a number of these initiatives will have an immediate impact on the match day experience for NNSWF match officials, the

“What Pete Bellden and the crew at the Roosters have been able to achieve in a few short years is wonderful.

“We are proud of them and proud to be a part of the team in this way.”

long-term cultural change on the pitch, on the sidelines and online, to create an atmosphere where all clubs, along with Northern NSW Football, have a Zero Tolerance approach to abuse against

q Nambucca Roosters players Brody Simon, Khan Jarrett and Zac Johnson and Club President Peter Bellden meet with Nambucca Heads RSL Club CEO Wendy Mills and Board of Directors President Terrie Hyslop.

q Northern NSW Football is aiming to improve safety and reduce abuse suffered by referees.

Seniors Week

Seniors Week celebrations

THIS year Nambucca Valley Council will celebrate the 2024 Seniors Festival by holding a luncheon at the Macksville ExServices Club on 19 March.

The annual Festival is designed to celebrate the role seniors play and the contribution they make to the community.

This year’s theme is ‘Reach Beyond’, which aims to encourage seniors to seek out new experiences and make new friends by participating in the festivities.

“We’re really pleased this year to be hosting a luncheon again for up to 170 seniors from across the Valley,” said Council’s Acting General Manager Matthew Sykes.

“The event will include morning tea, served by students from Macksville High School, entertainment provided by wellknown artist Barry Noble and a luncheon,” said Mr Sykes.

The event will also include a great variety of information stands where local service providers will attend and showcase their products and services aimed at supporting seniors across our Valley.

There is no cost to attend the event, but tickets are limited.

Tickets are available from both Nambucca and Macksville Libraries and at the Bowraville Pharmacy

Livable changed my

FROM despair to receiving the compassionate care they need, an eligible home care package couple shares a lifechanging journey with local home care provider, Livable.

After enduring a disheartening experience with a previous large provider, Al and Oriana found themselves without the necessary support for two to three months.

A glimmer of hope entered their lives when they switched to Livable, a registered aged care provider that delivers home care services.

In a few short months, the couple now benefits from a dedicated cleaner, receives nutritious meals delivered by Lite n Easy, enjoys the services of a gardener tending to their outdoor space, and experiences enhanced mobility through the provision of a wheelchair.

Oriana shared her initial scepticism about welcoming others into their home, stating, “At first, I was sceptical about having people enter my house.

“But I needed to swallow my pride as I was crying out for help to care for my husband, who had been accessed at a level four home care package.

“Since switching to Livable, we can’t believe how quickly they have helped us get the care and support we need. We’re leaning on people who care about us, and it’s a relief knowing you are being heard."

Livable’s Senior Manager Aged and Disability Services Mid North Coast, Joel Aitken, said that choosing the

right provider is key to living independently in their home.

“When you first meet your home care provider, you should feel instantly comfortable,” Ms De Arman said.

“The right home care provider should listen to your needs, walk you through the process and

give you control over your daily routine.

“At Livable, we are fortunate to have experienced, caring and reliable staff from diverse backgrounds in health or hospitality that cater to a wide range of needs.

“Our clients choose their

dedicated support worker based on the tasks they require and are always included in their care,” he said. With a local office in Coffs Harbour and over 30 years of experience, Livable strives to make a positive difference to those they support.

q Livable Home Care Package Coordinator Jodey Hill with clients Oriana and Al.

Home care reform needed to support Australia’s seniors life

“We have a strong culture of caring for our community and we’re passionate about enabling people to live their best life, their way.”

For more information about our Aged Care services, contact Livable on 1800 289 927 or visit their website livable.org.au.

THE Retirement Living Council (RLC) is urging the Australian government to draw on the power of retirement communities by reimagining how it funds and delivers home care services to older Australians.

In its submission to the government ahead of the May Budget, the RLC is calling for the introduction of a ‘Shared Care’ framework, which would see retirement living communities funded to provide home care services directly to residents living in their villages.

RLC Executive Director Daniel Gannon said retirement living communities are “perfectly placed” to help provide home care services to support their residents to live healthy, independent lives for longer.

“With the number of Australians over the age of 75 set to grow by 70 per cent by 2040, it’s not possible to talk about the future of care and the demand for these services without considering the important housing and health value proposition of the retirement living industry,” Mr Gannon said.

Jumpers & Jazz Festival

“The reality is that hundreds of thousands of Aussies call a retirement community home, and the policy approach to home care should reflect that.

“We can’t address the aged care crisis by simply throwing more and more tax dollars at it, and the privately funded retirement living sector is ready and willing to play its part.

“Retirement communities can deliver better outcomes, experiences and value for older Australians accessing care – and there are benefits for government too.

“More than one million Australians currently utilise home care services, ranging from transport to personal care.

“Some of these people are waiting for up to a year to access home care funding, and sadly a third of this funding is lost to administration fees before it can be used,” he said.

Mr Gannon said the RLC has prepared a new framework – Shared Care – to deliver greater efficiencies for consumers, government, and care providers.

“This report paves a path for government to make the delivery of home care almost 20 per cent more efficient, meaning that older Australians would receive more care per dollar invested,” Mr Gannon said.

“These efficiencies would ultimately save the commonwealth up to $100 million per year, which is

a win-win for consumers and government alike.

“This ‘shared care’ approach would provide three models for retirement village operators to deliver community-based care services under the Support at Home program within the village setting, either independently or through a delivery partner.

“These models have been developed to show that significant efficiencies and savings to consumers and

government can be achieved, even at moderate levels of uptake, with no cost to government.

“This is because retirement villages provide scale for delivering these services efficiently and cost effectively by reducing travel costs incurred by service providers, increasing the frequency of service delivery, and enhancing the quality and suite of services by leveraging those already in place at these communities,” he said.

SENIORS WEEK CELEBRATION

Tuesday 19 March 2024

MACKSVILLE EX-SERVICES CLUB 10.00AM – 1.00PM Morning Tea & Lunch

ALL SENIORS WELCOME BUT TICKETS ARE LIMITED!

Lucky Door Prize Draw Information Stalls Entertainment

Bookings are essential by Friday 8 March 2024 FOR BOOKINGS AND TICKETS PLEASE CONTACT OR VISIT:

Nambucca Heads Library, 23 Ridge St. Nambucca Heads

Monday – Friday 9.30am to 5.00pm. Phone: 02 6568 6906

Macksville Library, 41 Princess St. Macksville

Tuesday -Friday 9.30am to 5.00pm. Phone 02 6568 1422

Bowraville Pharmacy, 31 High St. Bowraville

Monday -Friday 8.45am to 5.30pm, Sat 8.45am to 12.00pm Phone 02 6564 7925

“A

Thursday 25th to Monday 29th July 2024

Be immersed in Warwick’s quirky and unique Jumpers and Jazz Festival - a 20th Anniversary celebration of all that is wonderful about winter and a kaleidoscope of colour.

Duration: 4 Days & 3 Nights

$1,860 pp twin share

$404 pp single supplement

$225 pp deposit

For more information or to book:

Phone: 02 6583 3330

Email: admin@portbus.com.au

Website: www.portbus.com.au

Book Online: events.humanitix. com/jumpers-n-jazz

Vivid Sydney

Wednesday 12th to Friday 14th June 2024

Vivid Sydney is an annual creative festival that showcases the soul of the city, in collaboration with the most brilliant and boundary-pushing artists, thinkers and musicians of our time.

Duration: 3 Days & 2 Nights

$1,158 pp twin share

$1,289 pp single

$250 pp deposit

For more information or to book:

Phone: 02 6583 3330

Email: admin@portbus.com.au

Website: www.portbus.com.au

Book Online: events.humanitix.com/vivid-24

Proudly brought to you by

Coast region for over 30 years.

Waratah Respite Services provides a minimum 2 night respite stay at our unique Coffs Harbour Centre based within the Community Village. A small six bedroom Centre with individual ensuites and shared communal areas provides a supportive and engaging experience for all.

Clients are supported by qualified staff providing care 24 hours a day with clinical care oversight by Registered Nurse. Each individual needs are assessed by a Registered Nurse prior to service approval to ensure Waratah has the required skills to attend to each Individuals care needs.

By Manny WOOD

What is a wish and what is a will?

KATE makes a will, leaving $200,000 and her motor vehicle to her friend Peter.

She leaves the rest of her estate to her three grandchildren.

Six months prior to her death, Kate writes a note stating: “I wish to leave my house to Peter because he was the only one who was there for me in my times of need.”

Kate signs and dates the document.

She gives the document to Peter later that day.

When Kate passes-away, Peter seeks to have the handwritten note recognised.

Peter makes an application to the Supreme Court, conceding that although the handwritten note does not comply with the requirements of a formal will, which requires its execution to be witnessed by two independent witnesses.

It nonetheless satisfies the legislation which can give effect to an “informal” document if the Court is satisfied that the document is intended to form an alteration to a will and that it embodies a deceased’s “testamentary intentions”.

Peter is tasked with satisfying the Court “on the balance of probabilities”.

The Court accepts that the handwritten note may be seen to embody Kate’s testamentary intentions.

The Court however, notes that Kate was familiar with the legal requirements of making a formal will on the basis that she made her last will just a few years before her death.

The Court also hears evidence that Peter only occasionally assisted Kate with small tasks around the house, provided her with transportation on a couple of occasions and only rarely spoke to her on the telephone.

The Court also found that Kate’s use of the word “wish” was problematic as it did not necessarily evidence a clear intention to make a will.

Ultimately, in also finding that Kate had the opportunity to execute a formal will prior to her death, but failed to do so, the Court dismisses Peter’s claim and orders him to pay the costs of the proceedings.

Email Manny Wood, Principal Solicitor and Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates at TB Law at manny@tblaw.net. au or call him on (02) 66 487 487.

This column is only accurate at today’s date and is not legal advice

Have Your Say

Dorin’s Draws

By Paul DORIN

Responding to industry rep’s “wild assertions”

DEAR News Of The Area,

YOUR frequent correspondent and unabashed timber industry lobbyist

Steve Dobbyns’ recent letter in NOTA (1 March 2024) contains numerous wild assertions that must be challenged.

It seems Mr Dobbyns, no doubt strongly influenced by the vested interests he champions, cannot see the forest for the wood.

Like many of his ilk, lost forever in the good old days, who passionately contend that current clear-fall logging practices in our public forests do no harm, and on many metrics actually do a lot of good for native plants and animals, these advocates of ‘more of the same’ seem to assume that they have an unchallengeable right to use state forests like they always have.

They seem almost allergic to any views that offer an alternative vision.

Those of us who have seen closeup the moonscape of death and weeds left behind after one of these state-sanctioned logging operations has completely erased a native forest would beg to differ.

State forests are publicly owned and every citizen of NSW has an equal right to express a view on how they wish their public forests should be managed.

This is why governments right around Australia are increasingly setting aside public forests for nature conservation, catchment protection and carbon capture.

It is what the majority of Australian voters appear to want.

Mr Dobbyns’ outrageous claim

that the Black Summer bushfires were “allowed to burn for weeks and months” is an appalling slight on our fire management agencies and those brave souls who protect the public from threatening bushfires.

Such a statement is not only malicious and demeaning, it is just plain wrong.

All wildfires in NSW are almost instantaneously responded to by an active and coordinated network of firefighting agencies, and containment and suppression plans are developed and implemented as soon as the fire’s location is confirmed, often within hours of them being discovered.

They are never ignored and “allowed to burn”.

Mr Dobbyns’ claim that “noone knows how species are faring in the National Parks estate” is so untethered to reality it is laughable.

Many of our most rare and precious native species in our conservation areas, from rare orchids to the Wollemi pine, from Gould’s Petrel to the Lord Howe Island Wood Hen, from the Koala to rare butterflies, are closely and routinely monitored and their conservation status expertly managed and wherever possible improved.

His claim that the Superb Parrot’s calamitous decline is “a direct result of the creation of new national parks” is also demonstrably fallacious.

Recent peer-reviewed scientific papers on this rare and beautiful native parrot have identified

On theCouch

DEAR Jasminda,

I FIND it very unfair that the smokers in our workplace get extra breaks.

I'm stuck at my desk all day apart from the fifteen minutes I get for morning tea and the thirty minutes I get for lunch.

It's like they're being rewarded for a bad habit.

Julia R.

Dear Julia,

Although many would envy my work-from-home life, there are numerous things I miss about working in an office.

Observing people in their unnatural environment is akin to a very warped David Attenborough series.

One of my former colleagues, who requested we call her 'The High Priestess of Information Technology' , was a chain smoker.

Her impressive ideas only materialised after nicotine hits.

She would frequently say, 'Come outside and have a cigarette,' to which I'd reply, 'I don't smoke.'

Not to be deterred, she'd say, 'Come outside and watch me smoke.'

I'll probably die of heart disease caused by passively inhaling her brilliance.

Still, I reckon she was far more productive than

continued logging of its core breeding habitat as the primary threatening process leading it ever-closer toward extinction.

While NOTA should be applauded for continuing to provide a valuable forum for a lively public debate on the future of our region’s magnificent native forests, it’s a bit rich to

the woman who (I'm sneakingly suspicious) carried around the same folder of documents for the 18 years we worked together.

She would flit from room to room having casual conversations and then dash (always with a manilla folder under her arm).

I still have no idea what was in that folder, or how she was on a higher pay level.

In terms of productivity, social media addiction would arguably outweigh all other workplace distractions.

The downtime caused by inattention is frightening.

There are many experts paid a lot of money to ensure we are constantly distracted by our mobile technologies.

Returning to smoking, a study by the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London, found that social media multitasking decreased IQ at a higher level than smoking weed (not that I'm suggesting this as a replacement for Casual Dress Fridays).

The point is, worry less about the smokers and focus on your own output (if any of us can focus these days).

Your colleagues will probably lose those cigarette break gains in the long run when they prematurely succumb to the longest break of all.

Carpe diem, Jasminda.

offer up half a page to such a clearly biassed and unhinged advertorial from a company man cheering on a failing industry.

Council decision made with ‘gun to the head’

DEAR News Of The Area,

THE decision to grant approval for the construction of a four story unit block at number 3 High Street, Nambucca Heads, as reported in your paper of 23 February 2024, was made “with a gun to the head” of Councillors.

The gun to the head was the threat of being sued by the developer for a breach of agreement to sell a parcel of land, a road reserve, an agreement that was signed by the former General Manager of Nambucca Valley Council and in the words of the Mayor Rhonda Hoban, “has caused me much angst”.

The Mayor has previously stated that, had she been there on the night, the resolution to close the road and agree to sell to the adjoining neighbour and to enter into an agreement to sell the land would

probably not have been made . We believe that you cannot agree to sell a parcel of land over which you have no jurisdiction.

As it turned out the road was probably a Crown Road and had to be gazetted by Council to bring it under their jurisdiction.

That parcel of land increased the developer’s holding by a whopping 25 percent, allowing a substantial increase in the size and scale of the unit block that could be built.

For this piece of land, the developer will pay the princely sum of $50,000, a gift when you consider that he had paid in excess of $1.4 million for a block that he could do very little with.

We believe ratepayers have been short changed by not realising a fair and proper value for the land.

In spite of all of the above, Council

on 15 February 2024, approved the construction of a four storey unit building on the combined site, a building we believe is grossly outside of the Council's DCP.

Previously, other new developments in the street that are single dwellings have been forced to comply with the Council regulations, particularly regarding setback of the building and setback of car park entries.

Perhaps Council’s Manager of Development and Environment, Mr Daniel Walsh, can explain to your readers, why every other new development in the street has been made to strictly comply with the DCP.

He might also explain how an independent assessor, engaged by Council, was able to apply such flexibility without reference to Council staff, raising the question, is the independent assessor independent?

What we have now is the building that will set a precedent for the construction of unit developments in the Nambucca Shire.

Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club

By Geoffrey McCANN

BY the time you read this, our Greens Team and volunteers will have already replaced the turf on some of the heat damaged greens and implemented other corrective measures – they will be back to normal in no time! There will be very little impact on your game, and only a small number of Greens have been badly affected. Thank you to this week’s featured sponsor –Drew Walker Plumbing.

Tuesday’s “Island Challenge” continues to grow in popularity – one of the few Stroke events available in the area mid-week, and where a player’s best 5 scores during the year count towards winning a Golf,

Drive, Stay & Play package to Cypress Lakes – all thanks to sponsorship from Toyota Genuine Service! A close finish for round 2 with Scott Burley (19) and Baker Houston (30) both scoring net 67, Scott winning on countback. Gross winner was Graham Watson 82. Best Lady player was Henny Oldenhove (17) net 74. Others to play to their handicap or better and win a sleeve of golf balls were Urpo Ylinen & Allan Woolmer from Charlestown. NTP winners were Joey Franck (Sawtell) on 5, Rhonda Rowe on 7, Henny Oldenhove on 8, Allan Woolmer on 13 and Urpo Ylinen on 18.

The women played a 4BBB stableford on Wednesday. Winners were Maxine Townsend & Marilyn

McNally with 47 points from Deidre Fletcher & Cheryl Gilmour 42 and Donna Easey & Jennifer Ainsworth 41. The Ball Rundown to 37 points. NTP’s to Maxine Townsend, Debra Gersbach and Jennifer Ainsworth on 5, Sue Seymour on 13 and Jennifer Johnston won the Pro Pin Jackpot on 18.

Thursday was our monthly “Dolphin Day” sponsored by Nambucca RSL Club. Best overall score of the day and winner of the sponsor’s Dolphin Day shirt was John Morgan with 40 points, 2 points ahead of his nearest rival! Division 1 (0 to 17) winner was Garry Johnston (13) with 38 points from Stephen Carr (4) on 37 points. Division 2 (18 to 23) winner was Paul Reid (21)

with 36 points on c/b from Neil Duffus. Division 3 (24 to 45) winner was Edward Beaton (24) with 36 points from Don Wills (25) on 33 points. Other good scores from Philip Mander & David Mattacott 36 points. The Ball Rundown to 31 points on c/b. Neil Duffus canned the Longest Putt on 2, other NTP’s to Geoff Goesch on 5, Phillip Frost on 7, Bruce Silvia (Urunga) on 8, Micah Trivett (Coffs Harbour) won the “Pizza This” voucher on 13, Garry Johnston got Stu’s ball on 15 and David Hagarty (Coffs Harbour) won the Pro Pin Jackpot on 18.

Saturday’s was Men’s Monthly Medal, sponsored by Nambucca Local Liquor. Drew Glasson (11) won “A” Grade (0 to 12) Medal with

net 67 from Edward Penrose (9) net 72. Gross winner Stephen Carr 75. Darren Allie (13 - Ocean Shores) won “B” Grade (13 to 18) from Medal Winner Geoff McCann (18) net 72. Gross winner Garry Johnstone 85. “C” Grade (19 to 36) Medal Winner was Gregory Lucas (27) net 68 on c/b from Geoffrey Harris (20). Gross winner Andrew Mackinnon 92. The Ball rundown to net 74 on c/b. Drew Glasson won the Longest Putt on 2, other NTP’s to Norm Devereaux on 5, Allan O’Brien on 7, David Wilson on 8, Phillip Frost won the “Pizza This” voucher on 13, Steve Frost got Stu’s ball on 15 and Philip Mander won the Pro Pin Jackpot on 18 with 23cms.

The afternoon thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon certainly put a dampner on the “Island

Sunday” Mixed 4BBB

Stableford sponsored by Briony & Chris Brownlie. Glenys Thompson & Geoff McCann combined well to score 48 points to win from Rhonda Rowe & Peter Dawe 46 points. The Ball Rundown to Kerrie & Neil Eichorn 44 & Henny Oldenhove & Urpo Ylinen 40 points. NTP’s to Elizabeth & Karl Hobday on 5, Peter Dawe on 13, Dianne O’Leary & Ray Guiana on 18.

Bookings are now open for the Easter Bowl, 36 Hole Stableford for Men & Women on Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st March – book early through member’s Portal or at Pro Shop, as a big field is expected. Bookings also open for “Darcy’s Dream Day” –4 person Ambrose Sunday 14th April - check flyers for full details.

See you on the Island.

Young Nambucca athlete scouted for European tour

By Ned COWIE ELEVEN-year-old

Sophia

Welsh has been chosen to be part of a seventeen-day soccer tour with the Australian Wanderers to compete in games with schools and clubs in England and France.

Wanderers Australia is a tour operator offering international sports and school tours.

Each year they put together teams in junior and open categories across sports such as soccer, netball, hockey, AFL, cricket and football.

“Sophia was competing in the State Championships at the PSSA (NSW Primary School Sports Association) in August and a scout saw her.

“We got a letter of offer soon after,” explained Mum, Jenna.

The local student attends Nambucca High School in

Year 7 and enjoys many other sports.

“She participates in whatever she can to keep active,” said Jenna of her all rounder daughter.

When NOTA spoke to the family recently, young Sophia was playing touch football in Dubbo.

Ever since she was eight-years-old, Sophia has

participated in the North Coast Football (SAP) skills acquisition program aimed at developing the skills of young footballers.

In their youth both Sophia’s mother and father were keen sportspeople with her father exhibiting skills, like Sophia, across a wide range of sports.

Sophia is also a fan of cars,

in particular V8s, according to her mother.

“Her bedroom is filled with anything related to Sam,” explained Mum.

Sophia is also a fan of cars, in particular V8s, according to her mother.

“She’s a real rev-head,”

North Coast boxers have successful Gold Coast outing

By Darrell WALLBRIDGE

A LARGE contingent of boxers from Zion Boxing Coffs Harbour fought at the Croatian Sports Club Gold Coast last Saturday with much success.

This group of North

Coast athletes, led by trainer Josh Sykes, performed above expectations.

Nambucca Heads boxer Luke Smith (82 kg) looked very strong in his win over another strong man James Williamson (81 kg) from Armidale.

Super Heavyweight Mica

Caravello made a successful debut against stocky Samoan Johnathon Semau.

Caravello used his height and reach advantage to win a unanimous decision from the judges.

Fifteen-year-old Koby Werner (51.3 kg), undefeated with three wins, entered the ring against seventeen-yearold Gold Coast boxer Jesse Wicks (53.6 kg) with a prefight record of five wins, two

Grand final spots up for grabs

By Aiden BURGESS

GRAND final spots will be up for grabs this weekend as teams play off in Coffs Harbour District Cricket Association’s Preliminary Finals.

Sawtell play host to the Northern Districts Rebels in their two-day match at Richardson Park, with

the winner to play Valleys Cricket Club in the first grade grand final.

Sawtell and the Rebels had one win each and a tie in their three meetings this season, with the Rebels winning their two-day match.

Second grade minor premiers Northern Districts Rebels host the

Coffs Colts in their oneday Preliminary Final at Woolgoolga.

The winner earns the right to play Sawtell in this season's grand final.

The Rebels won two of their three meetings against the Colts this season.

Sawtell and Bellingen/ Dorrigo play off in the third grade Preliminary Final at

losses.

said Jenna with a laugh.

Sophia’s tour begins in January next year and the young athlete will have a support crew with her on her travels including her grandmother, mother and sister.

Jenna has organised a Go

Werner didn’t get the win but he is sure to go on to bigger and better things.

Charlie Rutherford (59 kg) and Kaleb Pallas (52 kg) both came home with first up wins while Jayce Palmer (62 kg) looked impressive in his first up loss.

He is one to watch.

The main event featured Armidale boxer Lindsay Frizell (63 kg) against Tweed Heads fighter Stefan Lipski (64.4 kg).

The impressive Frizell almost stopped Lipski in every round.

He has to be one of the hardest hitters in

Toormina Oval, with the winner to face the Nana Glen Lizards in the grand final.

Sawtell won two of their three meetings against Bellingen/Dorrigo this season.

Nana Glen Lizards host the Northern Districts Rebels in the fourth grade Preliminary Final, with the winner moving on to play the Coffs Colts in the grand final.

The Lizards won two of their three meetings against the Rebels this season.

Coffs Harbour District Cricket Association’s grand finals are scheduled to be played on the weekend of 16-17 March.

Fund Me page to help with costs for Sophia’s trip.

A search of her or her daughter’s name, Sophia Welsh, on Go Fund Me will lead donors to the page or visit www.gofundme.com/f/ sophia-travel-to-englandand-france.

his weight division.

Frizell is made for professional boxing.

Lipski can be proud he went the distance with him.

The next North Coast fight night will be at the South Grafton Ex-services Club on Saturday 18 May.

q Sophia’s sport-loving Nambucca Valley family. (L-R) Jenna, Maddison, Sophia and Ricky Welsh

q Nambucca Heads High student Sophia Welsh with her certificate from the NSW PSSA.

q Sophia in action on the field.

Macksville Country Golf Club

By Max TURNER

THE monthly Medal and Spoon event sponsored by HLV Partnership saw Steve Ellis maintain recent form to win the Medal (net) with Brad Fortescue winning the Spoon (gross).

These Stroke events require consistency as one

poor hole can put you in with the "also rans".

With Steve and Brad (A) grade winner and runner-up, Phil Bambury won (B) grade from Jo Montague returning to form being runner up.

C grade went to junior Cohen Welsh with Dave Poole runner up.

Straight shooters were

Cricket finals series gets underway

By Aiden BURGESS

COFFS Harbour District Cricket Association’s finals series got underway last weekend, with some matches affected by Saturday’s wet weather.

The first grade Qualifying Final between Valleys Cricket Club and Sawtell at Phillip Hughes Oval was abandoned.

Valleys Cricket Club earnt hosting rights to this season’s grand final by virtue of finishing as minor premiers.

Sawtell opened the batting and was 8/127 after 48.5 overs.

Jamison Dawes was the pick of the Valleys bowlers taking 4-26 from 11 overs.

Kurt Stennett took 2-29 from his 11 overs, with Toby

Bailey top scoring for Sawtell with 45.

The Northern Districts Rebels kept their season alive with a three wicket win against the Coffs Colts in their Elimination Final at Fitzroy Oval.

The Rebels won the toss and elected to bowl, and bowled out the home side for 128 in the 51st over.

Rebels captain Anu Grewal took 4-41 from his 13 overs, with Humraj Singh also having a top spell taking 3-45 from 19 overs.

Chasing 129 for victory, the Rebels finished at 7/130 in the 31st over.

Taj Dosanjh led home the successful chase finishing on 42 not out.

Sawtell earnt hosting

Steve Ellis (A), Jo Montague (B) and Greg Zirkler (C) grade.

Jeff Gore, never far from the leaderboard, won the Mid Week Competition with Graham Everett runner up.

Helen Ferrero was winner of the ladies Tuesday competition with Cheryl Fortescue runner up.

rights for the second grade grand final, after a 26-run win against the Northern Districts Rebels in their Qualifying Final in Woolgoolga.

Sawtell was sent into bat and bowled out for 139 in the 38th over, with Dave McCormack top scoring with 48.

Nathan Handley and Angus Rissel had top spells for the Rebels, with Handley taking 3-25 from 8 overs, and Rissel 3-31 from 8 overs.

Needing 140 for victory, the Rebels were bowled out for 113 in the 32nd over.

Daniel Maguire was the pick of the Sawtell bowlers taking 3-30 from 8 overs.

Scott Griffiths took 2-19 from 6.3 overs, and Zachary Levy 2-7 from 3 overs.

Coffs Colts kept their season alive with a seven wicket win against Bellingen/ Dorrigo in their Elimination Final at Dorrigo.

q Dale Bunton, Jack Ireland, Tanah Bradshaw and Steve Hunt only one hole away from drinks and little chance of collecting any prizes.

The Colts won the toss and elected to bowl, with the home side finishing at 9/74 from 40 overs.

Jake Creenaune was the pick of the Colts bowlers taking 3-10 from 6 overs, with teammate Heath Ball taking 2-15 from 8 overs.

Third grade minor premiers Nana Glen Lizards will host the grand final after their Qualifying Final against Sawtell was abandoned.

Sawtell finished at 9/126 from their 40 overs at Nana Glen.

Matthew Benfield was the pick of the Lizards bowlers taking 4-18 from 8 overs, while Kelvin McMillan top scored for Sawtell with 37.

Bellingen/Dorrigo lived to fight another day after

their Elimination Final against Diggers Cricket Club was abandoned.

Diggers won the toss and elected to bowl at Bellingen, with the home side scoring 9/117 from 40 overs.

Brendan Cunningham had a top spell taking 4-28 off 8 overs, with fellow Diggers bowler Lachlan Richardson taking 2-32 from 8 overs.

Diggers were 3/56 when the match was abandoned in the 11th over, with Mitchell Williams finishing on 33 not out.

Fourth grade minor premiers Coffs Colts will host this season's grand final, after their Qualifying Final against the Nana Glen Lizards was abandoned.

The Lizards won the toss

and elected to bat at Jetty Oval, and scored 5/172 from 35 overs.

John Tarlinton retired on 40 not out, and Charlie Cameron finished on 27 not out.

Colts were 4/53 after 12 overs when it was abandoned, with Flynn McInerney 2-24 from 4 overs.

Northern Districts Rebels progressed to the Preliminary Final after their Elimination Final against Sawtell was abandoned.

Sawtell won the toss and elected to bat at Woolgoolga, and were 5/106 after 25 overs.

Rodney Sawaya finished on 32 not out, and Denzel Wynne-Primus 26 not out.

Funeral

Late of Yarranbella. Beloved husband of Janice. Dearly loved father and father in law of Dean and Suzie, Shane and Stephan & Bree. Loved Pop of Aimee, Mitchell, Teegan, Lachlan, Arabella, Bailey and Braxton and Great-Pop to Charlie. Cherished brother and brother in law to Richard (dec), Angela, Louis (dec), Kevin “Porky” (dec), Beverly (dec), Raylene (dec), Patricia & Tony, Jenny & Max (dec) and Maurice (dec). Will be missed by all his extended families.

Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend Trevor’s Funeral Service at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Macksville on Friday 15th March, 2024 commencing at 11:00am. Followed by interment in the Eungai Cemetery.

Bernard Laverty Funerals

Tel: 6568 1555

Quilt Show 2024

Draft Native Vegetation Regulatory map expanded release for Central West, Central Tablelands, North Coast and Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Regions

The Local Land Services Act and Regulation require preparation and publication of a Native Vegetation Regulatory Map.

For Sale

A staged

The draft NVR map is a tool landholders can use when considering how best to manage native vegetation on their land. It does not impose any new legal obligations. The map provides certainty when determining whether an approval is or isn’t required.

A free review of the draft map as it relates to your land is available now or at any time in the future. The review will normally be completed in 40 days. Landholders in all regions can request a free map review at any time, even when the map is finalised. Information about and access to the draft Map is available at: environment.nsw.gov.au/native-vegetation-regulatory-map.

Landholders with any enquiries about the map can submit an online enquiry form via the website, email map.review@environment.nsw.gov.au or call our staff based in regional NSW on 1800 001 490

17th March. 10am to 4pm Everyone Welcome, Admission $5.00 Verandah Post Patchworkers Inc & our sponsor Hanging By A Thread proudly support Nambucca Valley Cancer Support Group Inc Public Notices Public Notices To place a notice on the classifieds page please call 02 4981 8882 between 9am - 2pm on Mon, Tues, Wed or Fri Positions Vacant Family Store Nambucca River Salvos Monday to Friday 9-5 25 Cooper Street Macksville Nambucca River Salvos Family Store Would you like to join our Family Store as a Volunteer? Scan the QR code and apply today SOLD Camper Trailers Become a donor today. Give life. Give blood. A new donor is needed every four minutes Public Notices SB1473

Music Tuition

Zac Zirkler Pro: guitar, uke, bass banjo, harmonica mandolin, keyboard vocals. Macksville Ph: 0422 056 671

Pets

MALTESE Shih Tzu puppies. 1 boy, 1 girl. Available from 26/2. Located in Port Stephens BIN# B000616552 Call or text 0474 378 452

Crafty Recyclers

Selling 2nd hand goods

Clearance of all stock from all yards

9.30am

to 2pm 7 Newcastle Dr

CARGO Barrier to suit early Nissan X-Trail Milford brand. $50. Ph 0421 750 592

KCARE Premium seat walker, exc cond. Little use. $50. 0401 573 040

LA-Z-BOY leather elect lift recliner chair, plum colour, VGC. $600. 0409 514 506

TANDEM Holstar Grand Tourer bike, exc cond $1200. 0458 274 319

TAPESTRY, Glass framed and wall hung $95. 0422 440 802

Motors For Sale

2008 VW Golf hatch auto, 244,307km, 6 mth rego. $6,000. Ph 0477 990 446

Boats

ABROCKET twister exercise waist and abdomen trainer Brand new in box $35. 0490 161 119

ANALOG clock and tide clock mounted on 900yr old Cedar. Made by mens shed. 45cmL x 20cm H. $60 Photos avail. 0490 161 119 F271023

ANTIQUE red cedar bookcase $80. 0400 976 080

10FT Cartop Tinny $150 Parson 3.6 outboard Little use. $250. 0401573040

TIMBER

putt putt boat. 1934 provenance Chapman Pup 3HP motor. Quality reg trailer $7,500 ono. 0402 054 207 leave msg.

Trevor Patrick Ballangarry Aged 76 years.

Valley Council

Lily:

Lily is a 2 year old female red Australian Cattle cross. Lily loves interactions with people and enjoys a game of tug-o-war. Lily has basic training, and associates well with children. Lily would prefer a loving home where she is the only dog in the household.

Adoption fee for 2023/2024 is $200 and this includes microchipping, vaccination, desexing & lifetime registration.

Please visit Councils website to view the full list of animals available for adoption or lost. For any adoption enquiries please contact Council on 6568 2555.

12.05

12.55

BEST ON THE BOX

SATURDAY

MINISERIES: LIFE AFTER LIFE

ABC, 7.30pm

British novelist Kate Atkinson’s sweeping novel is adapted into a poetic four-part series, led by luminous Kiwi Thomasin McKenzie (TotallyCompletelyFine). Narrated by Lesley Manville and also starring Fleabag’s Sian Clifford and KillingEve’s Sean Delaney, it’s a beautifully haunting tale that glides into the depths of life’s greatest questions. That feeling of déjà vu is given a mind-bending sense of meaning through the story of Ursula Todd. Born in 1910 and strangled by her umbilical cord, her existence is reborn again and again, leaving her with a strange feeling of memories she can’t grasp. Faithfully retold, it’s a fantastical journey that lingers after the final scene.

MONDAY

THE OSCARS

SEVEN, 10am Live (Encore at 8.30pm)

“I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times,” joked comedian Jimmy Kimmel when he was announced as the emcee of this showy movie awards for the second consecutive year. Apparently, the excitement with hit phenomenon convinced him to front up for the tough gig again, which is renowned for its dazzling red carpet outfits as much as lulling its nominees into a sleep-like state with it stretching to around four hours. Aussie Margot Robbie’s stirring performance as the iconic doll isn’t nominated, but it’s up for Best Picture along with Oppenheimer Things, Maestro Killers of the Flower Moon. Don’t miss this lavish Monday distraction.

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Destination Flavour. (R) 9.10 Woman. (PGa, R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 WorldWatch. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Entanglement. 3.00 NITV News: Nula. 3.30

The Cook Up. (R) 4.00 I Want To Make A Film

About Women. (PG, R) 4.10 Light Years: Olive

Cotton. (R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00

THURSDAY

GRAND DESIGNS NEW ZEALAND

It’s like nothing before. Unique

tonight’s uplifting, inspiring build, which is buoyed by the sunny disposition of its owner and architect Tessa Kingsbury who is giving an old Sunday school in smalltown Dunedin a different lease on life. Host Tom Webster has seen his fair share of special homes, but this one gives him a little twinkle in his eyes as he eagerly surveys Tessa’s grand ideas and the heritage building’s progress. With a smallish budget and an emphasis on greenery, it’s the sort of build that not everyone could comfortably live in, but everyone can take delight in as it comes to fruition. In this unconventional restoration, even Tessa’s pet is one out of the box.

Julee TOWNSEND

11.35 Sex And Sensibility. (MA15+ans, R)

12.25 A Way Of Seeing. (R)

12.50 Cycling. UCI World Tour. Paris-Nice Race. Stage 6. 2.50 Exit. (MA15+dl, R) 3.45 Going Places. (PG, R) 4.45 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show. (PG) 11.30 Seven Morning News.

12.00 MOVIE: Broken Ties. (2023, Mav)

2.00 House Of Wellness. (PG)

3.00 The Chase. 4.00 Seven News At 4.

5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Better Homes And Gardens. Johanna Griggs and Charlie Albone travel from Cairns to the Cassowary Coast.

8.30 MOVIE: Runaway Bride. (1999, PGls, R) A sacked newspaper columnist goes to find the thrice-bolting bride who cost him his job. Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack.

10.50 King Con: Life And Crimes Of Hamish McLaren. (Mal, R) Chronicles the crimes of con man Hamish McLaren.

12.50 The Arrangement. (Mav, R)

2.00 Home Shopping.

4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R)

5.00 NBC Today.

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra. (PG)

11.30 9News Morning.

12.00 MOVIE: The Wedding Fix. (2022, PGa, R)

2.00 Pointless. (PG)

3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 9News Afternoon.

5.00

6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Rugby League. NRL. Round 1. Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers.

9.55 Golden Point. Post-match NRL wrap-up.

10.45 MOVIE: Lethal Weapon. (1987, Mdlv, R) Two detectives pursue drug traffickers. Mel Gibson.

1.00 Tipping Point. (PG, R)

2.00 Pointless. (PG, R)

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

4.00 Postcards. (PG, R)

The Bush Kangaroo. (R)

6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by Grant Denyer.

6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news.

7.30 Ready Steady Cook. (Return) Hosted by Miguel Maestre.

8.30 The Graham Norton Show. (PGls, R) Graham Norton is joined by Diddy, Ashley Jensen, George Mackay, Chris and Rosie Ramsey and Jessie Ware.

10.30 Fire Country. (Mv, R) A difficult rescue goes awry.

11.30 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news.

12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) Hosted by Stephen Colbert. 1.30 Home Shopping. (R)

6.00 Australian Story: Driven –Minjee And Min Woo Lee. (R)

6.30 Back Roads: East Arnhem Land, NT Pt 1. (PG, R)

7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day.

7.30 Miniseries: Life After Life. (Mas) Part 1 of 4.

8.25 Endeavour. (Mav, R) Part 3 of 3. Thursday discovers that Endeavour’s problems are greater than anybody could have suspected.

9.55 House Of Gods. (Ml, R) A man vies to lead his mosque.

10.50 Midsomer Murders. (Mav, R)

12.20 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

6.00 Morning Programs. 11.00 The Story Of Ramadan. (R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Cycling.

UCI Women’s World Tour. Strade Bianche Women. H’lights. 3.00 Gymnastics. Trampoline World Cup Series. H’lights. 4.00 Joyful. (PG, R)

4.10 Portillo’s Greatest Railway Journeys. (PGa, R) 5.05 Where Are You Really From? (PG, R)

5.35 WWII Women On The Frontline.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Britain’s Most Beautiful Road. (PG)

8.25 Scotland’s Scenic Railways.

9.20 The Wonders Of Europe. (PGav, R)

10.25 Those Who Stayed. (Ml)

11.05 The City Of Art. (Mln, R)

11.25 Cycling. UCI World Tour.

Paris-Nice Race. Stage 7. 1.25 Face To Face. (Ma, R) 2.25 Exit. (MA15+adv, R) 3.20 Going Places. (PG, R)

4.20 Bamay. (R) 4.45 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (PGaw, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

VICELAND

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise.

10.00 The Morning Show: Weekend. (PG)

12.00 Horse Racing. Randwick Guineas Day and Flemington’s Super Saturday.

5.00 Seven News At 5.

5.30 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. (PG, R)

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Football. AFL. Opening Round. GWS Giants v Collingwood. From Giants Stadium, Sydney.

10.30 AFL Post-Game Show. Post-game discussion and interviews taking a look back at all the action from the game.

11.00 The Irrational. (Mav, R) A professor investigates a murder.

1.00 The Arrangement. (Mav, R) Megan hopes to gain the upper hand on Terence as they begin intensive one-on-one sessions.

2.00 Home Shopping.

4.00 Get Clever. (R) The wonders of science are explored.

5.00 House Of Wellness. (PGa, R)

6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Space Invaders. (PGa)

8.30 MOVIE: Spectre. (2015, Mv, R)

A cryptic message sends Bond on a trail. Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz.

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6am Alone

In Space. Continued. (2018, PG, Swedish) 6.30

Weekend At Bernie’s. (1989, PG) 8.20 Paris Can

Wait. (2016, PG) 10.00 A Star Is Born. (1976, M) 12.35pm

Designs NZ. (R) 4.40 Extraordinary Escapes. (PG, R) 5.30 The ABC Of... (PG, R)

6.00 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (PG, R)

6.30 Compass. (PG)

7.00 ABC News.

7.30 Death In Paradise. (PG) The team joins Naomi in Saint Barnabas.

8.30 House Of Gods. (Ml) Ramadan sees large donations come into the mosque, solving Isa’s immediate cash flow problems.

9.30 Silent Witness. (Mal, R)

An investigative journalist is found dead.

11.25 Harrow. (Mav, R)

12.20 Significant Others. (MA15+s, R)

1.10 Sanditon. (Final, PG, R)

2.00 Rage Vault. (MA15+adhlnsv)

4.00 Catalyst. (R)

5.00 Insiders. (R)

6.00 Morning Programs. 11.00 Ireland’s Secrets From Above. (PGa) 12.00

WorldWatch. 12.30 PBS Washington Week With The Atlantic. 12.55 Range Of Motion. (R) 1.00 Speedweek. 3.00 Surf Life Saving. NutriGrain Next Gen Series. H’lights. 5.00 Grand Tours Of Scotland’s Rivers. (PGa, R) 5.35 WWII Women On The Frontline. (PGa)

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Mystery Of The Puzzling Pyramids Egypt. (PGa)

8.20 Odysseus Returns. (PG)

10.20 The Day The Rock Star Died: Buddy Holly.

10.50 Mother Tongue. (R)

11.05 Cycling. UCI World Tour. Paris-Nice Race. Final stage.

1.05 Coastal Ireland With Adrian Dunbar. (PGa, R)

2.55 Chernobyl: The New Evidence. (PGa, R) 3.50 21 Kids And Counting. (PGal, R)

4.45 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 Al Jazeera.

VICELAND

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise.

10.00 Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 House Of Wellness. (PG, R) 1.00 To Be Advised.

3.30 Border Security:

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Australian Idol. (PGl)

8.30 Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt For MH370. (PGa) A look at the disappearance of Flight MH370.

9.50 What The Killer Did Next: Sabina Nessa. (Mav)

10.50 Soham: Catching A Killer. (Mav)

11.50 Autopsy USA. (Mad)

12.50 MOVIE: Jesse Stone: Stone Cold. (2005, Masv, R)

3.00 Home Shopping.

3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R)

4.00 NBC Today.

5.00 Seven Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.

6.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) Narrated by Mark Coles Smith.

7.30 The Dog House. A man is hoping to find a best friend.

8.30 Ambulance Australia. (Ma, R) Follows NSW Ambulance on the longest night of the year, the end of daylight saving.

9.30 Ambulance UK. (Mad, R) An asylum seeker struggling with isolation causes concern for the whole service.

10.30 So Help Me Todd. (PGa, R)

11.30 FBI: International. (Mv, R)

12.30 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power.

6.30 The Sunday Project. A look at the day’s news.

7.30 Australian Survivor. A group of Australian castaways battles it out on the beaches of Samoa as they vie to become the sole survivor.

9.00 NCIS: Hawai’i. (Mv, R) When Jesse sets out for a day sailing with his daughter, pirates seize their yacht, take the passengers hostage and attack him, leaving it up to his team to quickly find and rescue his daughter.

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

12.00 Home Shopping. (R)

4.30 CBS Mornings.

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Not Without My Daughter. (1991, M) Midnight Late Programs.

Northern Rivers Titans too good for North Coast Bulldogs in Round One of the NSWRL Country Championships

FROM Page 24

demonstrating discipline in ball handling and on the penalty count, the Northern Rivers Titans took the game, defeating the North Coast Bulldogs 36-6.

The best player on the paddock for the afternoon was the Titans’ Hezekiah McKenzie, however Matt Hyland for the Bulldogs was a tireless workhorse through the afternoon, only missing 10 minutes on the paddock.

The standard of play he demonstrated bodes well for his home club the Macksville Sea Eagles in the 2024 Group 2 season.

This game was preceded by the Round 5 Laurie Daley Cup

U18s clash between the Northern Rivers Titans and the North Coast Bulldogs.

In an exciting game of rugby league that showcased some of the rising stars of the game the Titans came out on top, defeating

the Bulldogs 44-2.

Macksville’s Rielly Laverty and Nambucca’s Toby Batten were impressive for the Bulldogs, both contributing to their team’s point score.

R) 2.00

Brush With Fame. (PG, R) 2.30 Back Roads. (PG, R) 3.00 Cook And The Chef. (R) 3.25 Tenable. (R) 4.15 Antiques Roadshow. (PG, R)

5.15 Grand Designs. (PG, R)

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Peer To Peer. (R)

9.30 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 10.20 Kew

Gardens: Season By Season. 11.10 Food Markets: In The Belly Of The City. (R) 12.10 WorldWatch. 2.10 Death Of The Pyramids. (R)

3.00 Mastermind Aust. (R) 3.35 The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 The Swap. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Sunrise. 9.30 Oscars Red Carpet. (PG) 10.00 The Oscars. (PGalv) 1.00 To Be Advised.

Coastwatch Oz. (PGa, R)

6.00

7.00

And Away. (PGad)

7.30 Australian Idol. (PGl) A nationwide search for the next singing superstar continues with the top 8 performers.

8.30 The Oscars. (PGalv, R)

A ceremony honouring achievements in filmmaking over the past year, from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

12.00

6.00 Deal Or No Deal.

Hosted by Grant Denyer.

6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news.

7.30 Australian Survivor. A group of Australian castaways battles it out on the beaches of Samoa as they vie to become the sole survivor.

8.40 FBI: Most Wanted. (Mv, R) The team hunts for a young man who used napalm-style bombs to attack his targets.

11.30 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news.

12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

SBS MOVIES (32)

6am Philadelphia. (1993, PG) 8.20 Complicity. (2018, PG, Japanese) 10.25 A Beautiful Mind. (2001, M) 1pm Husbands And Wives. (1992, M) 3.00 The Man Who Knew Infinity. (2015, PG) 5.00 Asterix And Obelix: Mission Cleopatra. (2002, PG, French) 6.55 Comeback. (2015, M, Danish) 8.30 Gandhi. (1982, M) 11.55 Mr Jones. (2019, MA15+) 2.05am Styx. (2018, M) 3.50 Room. (2015, M)

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.20 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 10.10 Kew Gardens: Season By Season. 11.00

Food Markets: In The Belly Of The City. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.10 The 2010s. (Ma, R) 3.00 Mastermind Aust. (R) 3.30 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. (R) 3.35

The Cook Up. (R) 4.05 The Swap. (PG, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

Australia. (PG, R)

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(PG, R)

11.05 Blackout: Tomorrow Is Too Late. (Malv)

12.00 Miniseries: Bonnie And Clyde. (MA15+v, R) 12.35 Trom. (Mv, R) 3.10 22 Kids And Counting. (PGl,

6.00

SBS MOVIES (32)

6am The Movie Show. 6.30 Comeback. (2015, M, Danish) 8.05 Asterix And Obelix: Mission Cleopatra. (2002, PG, French) 10.00 I’m Your Man. (2021, M, German)

Noon Room. (2015, M) 2.15 Philadelphia. (1993, PG) 4.35 The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir. (2018, PG) 6.25 Charade. (1963, PG) 8.30 8 1/2. (1963, PG, Italian) 11.00 Fellinopolis. (2020, PG, Italian) 12.30am Late Programs.

10.10

6.00 Deal Or No Deal.

Hosted by Grant Denyer.

6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news.

7.30 Australian Survivor. Presented by Jonathan LaPaglia. 8.30 NCIS. (M, R) Gibbs and McGee head to Alaska as the team works to uncover the conspiracy behind the serial killer.

10.30 NCIS: Los Angeles. (Mv, R) A CIA officer and three others are killed.

11.30 The Project. (R) A look at the day’s news.

12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

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WEDNESDAY, March

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Destination Flavour. (R) 9.20 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 10.10 Kew

Gardens: Season By Season. 11.00 Food Markets: In The Belly Of The City. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.00 Dateline. (R) 2.30

Insight. (R) 3.30 The Cook Up. (R) 4.00 The

Swap. (PG, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00

6.00 Seven News.

7.00

11.00 Blinded. (MA15+s)

Late.

11.55 The Wall: The Chateau Murder. (Malv)

3.15 22 Kids And Counting. (PGa, R)

4.10 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. (PGa, R)

4.40 Bamay. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

12.00

Grand Designs. (R)

SBS MOVIES (32)

6am Charade. Continued. (1963, PG) 7.30 The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir. (2018, PG) 9.20 The Cup. (2011, PG) 11.20 Gandhi. (1982, M) 2.45pm The Movie Show. 3.15 Comeback. (2015, M, Danish) 4.50 Fellinopolis. (2020, PG, Italian) 6.20 Little Women. (1994, PG) 8.30 The Quiet Girl. (2022, M, Gaelic) 10.20 Wildhood. (2021, M) 12.20am Late Programs.

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.20 Make Me A Dealer. (R) 10.10 Kew Gardens: Season By Season.

11.00 Food Markets: In The Belly Of The City. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 2.10 Curse Of The Mummy. (PGa, R) 3.00 Mastermind Aust. (R) 3.45 The Cook Up. (PG, R) 4.15 World’s

Most Scenic Railway Journeys. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! (R) 5.30

6.00 Mastermind Australia. (PG, R)

6.30 SBS World News.

7.35 Bettany Hughes: Treasures of Oman.

8.30 Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy. (PGl)

9.20 The Vanishing Triangle. (Malv)

10.15 SBS World News Late.

10.45 The Spectacular. (Malv)

11.45 Unseen. (Mals, R)

3.20 22 Kids And Counting. (PGal, R)

4.15 Bamay. (R)

12.10

12.55

1.45

4.50 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

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6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by Grant Denyer.

6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news.

7.30 Ambulance Australia. (Mad) Crews race to a call for a slashed throat.

8.30 FBI: International. (Md) When an American basketballer suffers a heart attack in a Belgrade strip club, the FBI fly team investigates the possibility of foul play with Zoey McKenna, a new agent appointed by US legal attaché Dandridge.

11.30 The Project. (R)

12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

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6.00

6.00 Deal Or No Deal.

Hosted by Grant Denyer.

6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news.

7.30 The Dog House Australia. Narrated by Mark Coles Smith. 8.30 Gogglebox Australia. TV fanatics open up their living rooms to reveal their reactions to popular and topical TV shows.

9.30 Law & Order: SVU. (Masv, R) Benson and Stabler join forces.

10.30 Blue Bloods. (Mv, R)

11.30 The Project. (R)

12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.

SBS MOVIES (32)

6am Fellinopolis. Continued. (2020, PG, Italian) 6.10 Little Women. (1994, PG) 8.20 8 1/2. (1963, PG, Italian) 10.50 Wildhood. (2021, M) 12.50pm Sacro GRA. (2013, M, Italian) 2.40 Lola. (1961, PG, French) 4.15 The Cup. (2011, PG) 6.15 A River Runs Through It. (1992, PG) 8.30 Driving Miss Daisy. (1989) 10.20 Selma. (2014, M) 12.40am Cordelia. (2019, M) 2.20 Late Programs. 5.50 A River Runs Through It. (1992, PG)

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Country Champs

By Mick BIRTLES

THE North Coast Bulldogs took on the Northern Rivers Titans on Sunday 3 March in Round One of the NSWRL Country Championships at the Port Macquarie Regional Sports Stadium.

The immaculately maintained playing surface was not affected by recent rain and a moderate breeze throughout the afternoon took the edge off the hot and humid conditions that were just bearable for playing footy.

Both sides had opportunities for early points however penalties and errors with the ball worked against the Bulldogs, who were not able to capitalise on good field position when in possession during the opening few minutes.

q

for the North Coast Bulldogs in Round One of the NSWRL Country Championships against the Northern Rivers Titans on Sunday at the Port Macquarie Regional Sports Stadium.

A disciplined Titans outfit put pressure in attack on the centre of the Bulldogs defence and an Adam Walker try, converted by Toby Marks, had the Titans up 6-0 at the 12 minute mark.

The response from the Bulldogs was impressive and crowd expectations of a tight match-up grew when

three minutes later the Bulldogs answered their opposition’s try with Old Bar’s Simon Wise crossing the line.

The try was converted by Nambucca’s Tyronne Roberts Davis, taking the score to 6-6 only 15 minutes into the game.

Three minutes later the unfazed Titans stuck to their game plan and responded with another converted try which seemed to set the tone for the rest of the half.

The Bulldogs, giving away too many penalties in defence and seemingly lacking confidence, were unable to stop a relentless Titans attack.

The half time score was 30-6 in favour of the Northern Rivers Titans.

Three minutes into the second half disaster

struck for the Bulldogs when Tyronne Roberts-Davis was hurt in a tackle and left the field, not to return for the remainder of the game.

The loss of Roberts-Davis seemed to galvanise the North Coast Bulldogs and they began to demonstrate discipline and consistency in both defence and attack.

The Bulldogs were to suffer another blow when Macleay Valley Mustang Ethan Thompson had to be stretchered from the field.

Despite two of their stars now sidelined the Bulldogs were able to hold out the Northern Rivers attack, only conceding one try in the second half and came close to crossing the line a number of times in the closing 10 minutes.

Remaining calm and

CONTINUED Page 21

Macksville’s Matt Hyland was a workhorse