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When you look beyond face value, When you look beyond face value, you can truly see the worth of a home. you can truly see the worth of a home.
Number of bedrooms, property size and location are just the starting point. Here at P. Smith and Son we also analyse the desirability, market trends and community infrastructure to uncover a home’s true value. These crucial insights are the P. Smith difference. :H XVH D VSHFLDOLVW SURJUDP 53 'DWD WR UXQ VSHFLÀF UHSRUWV IURP $XVWUDOLD¡V PRVW FRPSUHKHQVLYH XS WR GDWH DQG DFFXUDWH SURSHUW\ GDWD 7KHVH ÀQGLQJV FRPELQHG ZLWK RXU ORFDO NQRZOHGJH HQVXUHV \RXU KRPH¡V WUXH PDUNHW YDOXH LV LGHQWLÀHG We’ve been selling houses in Tweed since 1876 and our agents all have immense local knowledge. This only adds further insight to the data. Without this knowledge, your property may be overvalued, leading to no interested buyers; or under valued, leaving you short changed.
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LOCAL NEWS
Thursday November 5, 2015
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Responsibility for comment is taken by Stacks Law Firm
Council to do more on climate change and in particular to revise its divestment policy. The event was organised by Tweed Climate Action Now and the Caldera Environment Centre in the lead up to a midday rally in Knox Park on November 28. Rallies will be held around the world on November 28 to urge real action at the United Nations emissions summit in Paris. Greg Reid, a spokesman for Tweed Climate Action Now said there was no hero coming to the rescue on climate change. “This problem will only get worse until ordinary people take the lead and demand real action,” he said. Independent scientific analysis of current emission policies has warned that global warming will go far beyond the internationally agreed, two degree limit. “Greenhouse gases persist a long time in the atmosphere and accumulate heat,” Mr Reid said. “This means it is the choices we make now that will affect us for decades to come.” In Murwillumbah the average number of days over 35 degrees has quadrupled since the 1960s and official estimates project this will double again by 2050 and triple by 2070 as the climate becomes increasingly unstable and extreme. YOUR THOUGHTS: Are you concerned about climate change? Send your letters to editor@theweekly.net.au
“People are really concerned about this issue.” Ken Rippin, manager of the Regent Cinema said. “There was more than triple our usual numbers despite clashing with the Tweed Valley Festival. I will also schedule extra screenings for those who missed the film.” Attendees signed a petition urging the Tweed Shire
“Why are we waiting?,” Tweed NBN is coming TWEED REISDNETS waiting
The roll-out will be the first Fiber to
businesses across Australia by 2020.
Planning for the NBN roll-out will start for some areas in the Tweed as early as this year with construction in 2017. Tweed Shire Council’s General Manager Troy Green, said the announcement was brilliant news for the Tweed. “This will significantly increase the telecommunications infrastructure and allow for high speed broadband for most residents and businesses,” Mr Green said.
more remote and rural areas in the Tweed, offering rural residents faster broadband speeds than traditional ADSL technology. With FTTN now included in the plan and the successful launch of its first long-term satellite, the NBN is well positioned to allow most premises in the Tweed to access high speed broadband. NBN CEO Bill Morrow said this was another big step toward the goal of connecting eight million homes and
and towns added to construction. Access to fast broadband can provide a range of benefits for homes and businesses such as improved opportunities to work from home, better access to online education tools and more options for on-demand entertainment.” The full list of areas included in the plan and when construction is due to start is available at www.nbnco.com. au/3yearplan
“Today we have provided forecasts for the National Broadband the Node (FTTN) technology offered in the Tweed by the NBN. for the next three years of the build,” Network to reach their homes can The NBN is currently commissioning Mr Morrow said. expect planning and building to fixed wireless technology in some “This is exciting news for the suburbs start next year.
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ithin weeks of this column highlighting the unfair difficulty faced by injured workers whose condition worsens after they have received a lump sum compensation payment, the state government has acted. Four weeks ago lawyer Erin Woodward, workplace injury compensation specialist at Stacks Law Firm, said in the Legal Light that the government’s legislation was working against supporting workers injured in the workplace. Her comment came after a decision in the NSW Court of Appeal that could prevent thousands of seriously injured workers obtaining a second lump sum compensation payment if their condition worsened over time. The judges ruled in the landmark Cram Fluid Power v Green case that under the 2012 amendments there could be only one claim for each injured worker even if their condition substantially worsened over time after the initial lump sum compensation payment. This could happen in particular with spinal injuries that can worsen over time, even after an operation. Ms Woodward called on the government to amend the Workers Compensation Act so that if an injured worker’s condition worsened they should be assisted and compensated to adjust to this new level of disability caused by the original work injury. On October 26 the Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, Victor Dominello, announced legislative changes that will enable injured workers who made a claim for lump sum compensation prior to 19 June 2012 to make one further claim if their condition significantly deteriorates. “The Government has acted to clarify the law, providing certainty for injured workers whose claims are affected by the Cram Fluid decision,” Mr Dominello said. The new regulation, which commences in November, will address a potential disadvantage for injured workers who made a claim prior to 19 June 2012, on advice that they could make a further claim if their condition deteriorated. “Injured workers within this cohort will be able to make one further claim. There is no time limitation for making the claim or restriction on minimum increase in a claimant’s level of permanent impairment,” Mr Dominello announced. Ms Woodward said this was good news for injured workers, and anybody in this situation should seek legal advice from lawyers specialising in workers compensation. “The government has recognised the terrible impact the 2012 amendments to the Act had on injured workers whose condition deteriorated after their initial compensation payment,” she said. “These people need ongoing and often increasing levels of assistance and it was not fair to cut them off and ignore their worsening disability.”
IT WAS a packed house at the Regent Cinema on Saturday, November 31, for a screening of ‘This Changes Everything’, a film about global action on climate change.
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Justine Elliot federal member for richmond
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Justine lives locally with her husband Craig and their two children. Justine is passionate about the North Coast and is working hard to make our community an even better place to live, work and raise a family. As our local Member of Parliament, Justine understands the North Coast and is always fighting to make sure we get our fair share.
justine.elliot.mp@aph.gov.au twitter.com/jelliotmp facebook.com/JustineElliotMP
Justine fights for us Before becoming our local MP, Justine was a police officer and cares about justice in our community. Justine supports a Gas Field Free North Coast and continues the fight against the Nationals’ pro-CSG policies. Justine fights for us in Canberra against the Liberal and Nationals’ agenda of unfair cuts, broken promises and cruel tax increases.
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Authorised by Justine Elliot 107 Minjungbal Minjungb Drive Tweed Heads South
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Justine Elliot gets results for our community including: $900m for Pacific Hwy upgrades from Banora Point to Tintenbar; $115m invested in 205 projects in 90 local schools; Sporting projects: Tweed’s Arkinstall Park ($5m), Byron’s Regional Sports Complex ($9.5m), Casuarina’s Surfing Centre ($2m); and Community projects: Jack Evans Boat Harbour ($1.8m), Lennox Head Community Centre ($2.7m), Margaret Olley Centre ($1m), Murwillumbah Community Centre ($1.5m), GP SuperClinic ($7m).
LOCAL NEWS
Thursday November 5, 2015
11
Bumper harvest as sugar market sweetens THE CANE crushing season from some of our recent seasons industry was bouncing back from is running smoothly across the Tweed with predictions for a bumper harvest, according to Sunshine Sugar CEO Chris Connors.
Speaking with The Weekly, Mr Connors said he expected the Condong Mill to crush about 550,000 tonnes by November 25. He also highlighted a strong season compared to past crops and a positive future ahead for the Sunshine Sugar company. “It has been a very positive season compared to more recent crops that were affected by extreme weather events. The 2012 season yielded only 300,000 tonnes.” he said. “The overall crop for Sunshine Sugar looks to be getting close to 2.15 million tonnes, again a big change
(900k) which was the worst on record. We expect that crushing will finish at Condong this month and Broadwater and Harwood on December 17.” Mr Connors said there were already positive signs for next season (weather permitting in 2016), including an end to some of the worst growing conditions on record. “The growers and businesses resilience, through what has been some of the worst growing conditions on record, certainly deserves the reward,” he said. Clarence Cane Growers and NSW Cane Growers manager Pat Battersby said Tweed cane farmers were upbeat for the first time in a long time. “We’re about 75 per cent through the harvest and farmers are positive,” he said. Mr Battersby said the Tweed cane
Tweed sugar ships to Asia
Sugar prices recover
THE PRICE of sugar continues to show signs of recovery, according to Sunshine Sugar CEO Chris Connors, who said quality and sustainability remains high on the company’s agenda.
“Raw Sugar prices have been in doldrums for the last twelve months dropping as low as ten cents a pound but we have seen some recovery in the recent months with the March expiry now trading at over 14 cents a pound which is an increase of over $140 a tonne since August,” he said. “Our marketing and hedging program has again been a positive part of our business and we will again deliver well above our benchmark against Queensland Sugar (QSL).” Mr Connors said the sugar market has been extremely competitive with imports and aggressive marketing campaigns from competitors. “The domestic market has been impacted over the last two years initially by imports when the dollar was high and an aggresive marketing campaign by our competitors Sugar Australia (Wilmar),” he said. Sunshine Sugar is 100 per cent sustainable and Mr Connors said the only 100 per cent certified growing, milling and refining sugar operation in the world. “Customers know that from the grower to their door they are dealing with a quality controlled product – it’s something we are very proud of,” he said.
THE TWEED Shire Council has given a green light for the Condong Mill to increase truck loads by five per cent, which Sunshine CEO Chris Connors said was supporting the business in a competitive market.
“The whole business is continuing on its efficiency drive through our continuous improvement programs,” Mr Connors said. “One of the important parts of those programs was the recent approval by Tweed Shire Council of a concessional mass management scheme (five per cent). We were looking for a scheme to put us on a level playing field with our Queensland counterparts who have a 10 per cent concession. Councils approved delivering a system that supports the local industry rather than impeding its sustainability and supports its efficiency drive.” Mr Connors said there had been some positive outcomes following a restructure at Sunshine Sugar, in which the milling and refining operations were merged. “The exchange of technology and knowledge with Manildra (50 per cent partners) has been enlightening and we are both learning a lot from each other.” In further news, Sunshine Sugar is exporting sugar to China and Japan. “For the first time for over ten years we have exported raw sugar through the Brisbane terminal with cargo going to China and Japan,” he said. “The FTA with Japan has been quite beneficial. Even in dealing with these export cargoes we have tried to be different bringing customers into the heart of our business meeting our growers out in the paddocks and getting the real feel of who they are dealing with.”
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Sunshine Sugar Condong Mill employees (left) crushing operator Chris Hicks and crushing assistant Craig Willis.
three consecutive January floods. “A lot of farmers will take years to recover, but they’re upbeat about the current season and future,” he said.
www.tweedvalleyweekly.net.au
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I’m very proud to work with our community and represent your local concerns in the Federal Parliament. This has seen more than $1.5 billion in federal funding delivered for our region with me as your local MP. This includes; • $7m for the South Tweed GP Superclinic • $5m for the Arkinstall Park Sports Centre • $1.5m for the Murwillumbah Community Centre • $349m for the Sexton Hill Highway upgrade • $1.8m for the Jack Evans Boat Harbour • $1m to build the Margaret Olley Centre • $3.3m for the upgrade of Kennedy Drive
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