NSW Farmers has fronted a Senate Inquiry to call for the proposed biosecurity tax on farmers to be scrapped, with farmers already paying their fair share of biosecurity dues. NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said despite a last-minute redesign, farm leaders remained opposed to the biosecurity levy bill and would continue to urge parliamentarians to vote against the levy’s introduction over the coming weeks. “Farmers are already paying significant amounts of money in levies to fund biosecurity efforts in Australia, so asking them to pay millions more is utterly unfair when importers – as the real creators of biosecurity risk – are left free to operate without the burden of this bill,” Mr Martin said. “Our farm leaders have spoken, and our message is clear: this levy is totally flawed and unfair, and we need to review and renew our biosecurity funding models so we can ensure passengers and products entering Australia are being adequately charged for the costs of the risks they create.“The creation of a container levy is a key way that risk creators can contribute to the biosecurity cause and ensure fair biosecurity funding moving forward.”With an additional $51.8 million to be collected from farmers under the proposed levy bill, Mr Martin said farmers would be extremely disappointed to see the bill pass Parliament.“There is no clear or logical plan to collect this levy, let alone a clear and logical outline of what biosecurity measures this massive tax will actually fund, and yet we have just eight weeks until it is meant to be introduced,” Mr Martin said. “Farmers have many questions about this proposed levy, and tokenistic attempts to consult us at the eleventh hour just aren’t going to cut it when the stakes are this high.“We’re all for keeping exotic pests and disease out of our country, but why double tax farmers when we are already stricken with huge pressures on production and when we are already significantly contributing to funding for Australia’s biosecurity system?”

People across NSW are being urged to protect themselves against serious illness by booking in for their influenza vaccine ahead of the 2024 flu season. The latest respiratory surveillance report shows more than 4,700 people in NSW were diagnosed with influenza in the last four weeks, a 16 per cent increase compared with the previous year. NSW hospitals received 480 influenza-like illness admissions between the 6 January and 14 April 2024. This is compared with 284 during the same period in 2023. The NSW Government is encouraging people to book in for the influenza vaccine through a local GP or pharmacist ahead of winter. People who are considered to be at higher risk of severe illness from influenza are eligible for a free flu vaccine. Priority groups include:Children aged 6 months to under five yearsPeople aged 65 and overAboriginal people from 6 months of agePregnant womenThose with serious health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, immune disorders, obesity, severe asthma, kidney, heart, lung or liver disease. NSW Health also recommends considering getting a COVID-19 booster at the same time as the flu vaccination. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s latest COVID-19 vaccine advice recommends:a COVID-19 vaccination every six months for all adults aged 75 years and over,a COVID-19 vaccination every 12 months for adults aged 65 – 74 years, and adults aged 18 – 64 with severe immunocompromise; these people can consider a vaccination every 6 months,a COVID-19 vaccination every 12 months can be considered for all other adults aged 18 – 64 years, and those aged 5 -18 years with severe immunocompromise. Some steps to help protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19 and flu include:Stay up to date with recommended influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations.Stay home if you have cold or flu symptoms and wear a mask if you need to leave home.Gather outdoors or in well-ventilated indoor spaces.Talk with your doctor now if you are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or influenza to make a plan about what to do if you get sick, including what test to take, and discussing if you are eligible for antiviral medicines.Don’t visit people who are at higher risk of severe illness if you have cold or flu symptoms or have tested positive to COVID-19 or influenza.Consider taking a rapid antigen test before visiting vulnerable loved ones, particularly when COVID-19 transmission is moderate or high in the community. More information on influenza and the COVID-19 booster vaccines can be found on the NSW Government website. Premier Chris Minns said, “Influenza is highly contagious, and it can be life-threatening, especially for vulnerable groups such as young children, pregnant women, older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions. “Getting the flu jab is the best way to protect yourself and the wider community.” Minister for Health Ryan Park said, “Influenza has started to increase in some parts of Australia, and it’s expected to start to increase across NSW soon, so it is very important you get vaccinated to protect yourself and others as you don’t want to end up in hospital or put vulnerable community members at risk. “Everyone six months and older is recommended to get a flu vaccine and these are available through GPs for any age group, as well as through pharmacies for everyone aged five years and over.” Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said, “Last year, we saw an increase in ED presentations among young children with some being admitted to intensive care with life-threatening complications from the flu. We don’t want to see a repeat this year, so we are reminding families to book their children aged under 5 years in for their free flu vaccine now. “It is a very quick and easy process to book in with your local doctor or pharmacist who can also administer your COVID-19 vaccine at the same time if recommended. This simple act can help you and your family stay healthy this winter.”

Police will be out in force on the state’s roads to remind motorists of their responsibility to drive carefully ahead of the ANZAC Day NSW Police traffic operation.Operation ANZAC Day 2024 will launch at 12.01am tomorrow (Wednesday 24 April 2024), with double demerit points in place until 11.59pm on Sunday 28 April 2024, coinciding with the end of the school holidays.The reminder comes after 111 people lost their lives so far this year, compared to 100 in the same period last year.Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said police will be highly visible across the state this ANZAC Day weekend.“Every driver has a responsibility to themselves, their passengers and other road users. Drive responsibly and drive to the conditions to ensure everyone arrives safely at their destination.“Anzac Day is a time to reflect on and commemorate our veterans. I want to thank the NSW Police Force for working around the clock to help keep the community safe this long weekend,” Minister Catley said.The high-visibility policing operation will involve general duties officers, assisted by specialist police, including the Public Order and Riot Squad, Operations Support Group, Mounted Unit, PolAir, Licensing Police, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and Police Transport Command.Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden, said the appeal to road users is to do the right thing before they head out, rather than have regrets when it’s too late.Police will be targeting high-risk behaviours such as excessive speed, alcohol and drug driving offences, illegal use of mobile phones and not wearing seatbelts.“The goal is preventing injury and death. Tragically this year, 111 people have died on NSW roads – a concerning increase of 11 deaths compared to this time last year."Speeding is a major contributor to fatal road crashes, and police will take action against road users who think they can speed and put themselves and others at risk," Assistant Commissioner McFadden said."A decision to speed could result in a fatality in a split-second. Think about your choices and how they impact you and others around you. Share the road and make sure you arrive to your destination safely.“We remain committed to ensuring public safety over the ANZAC Day weekend, and we’re asking all motorists to do their part as well – especially as we expect more cars on our roads with school holidays coming to an end,” Assistant Commissioner McFadden said.Transport for NSW Director of Road Safety Policy, Louise Higgins- Whitton said it was important that all road users obey the rules so everyone makes it home safe.“Double demerits will be in place for all speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences, we want everyone to follow the rules and do the right thing,” Ms Higgins-Whitton said.“Whether it’s a short trip to the local shops or you’re heading home as school holidays end, please make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep yourself and others safe.”“Simple things everyone can do include wearing a seatbelt, putting the mobile phone away, sticking to the speed limit, ensuring you’re well rested before you set out on your journey and never driving if affected by drugs or alcohol,” Ms Higgins-Whitton said.

The large Bruxner Highway development, now referred to as Harmony Estate, is currently on display on Lismore City Council's 'Your Say Lismore' webpage.The development proposal is asking for resident feedback on land rezoning from rural/agricultural to general residential (R1), mixed use (MU1), industrial (E4) and public recreation (RE1). Residents can have their say until 5pm Wednesday, May 1, eight days away.One resident, Janet Bailey, and her husband own Glenpar Plantation, a macadamia farm that directly borders the south and east of the proposed new development. It has been an operating macadamia farm for over 25 years.Janet does not have an issue with the residential lots of the proposed site, in fact, in a letter to Janelle Saffin and Lismore City Councillors, she says, "We wholeheartedly support a residential development that provides much needed housing for Lismore's flood-impacted residents, as well as new workers and families to the area."However, Janet does have some concerns over the amount of land allocated to residential blocks, "around one-quarter of the land" with the rest to be mixed-use, commercial and industrial sites."Specifically, we have serious concerns about Precinct 5, the ‘General Industrial’ zone (defined as potentially either light or heavy industry). Our concerns focus on the size, placement and scale of this development and the impact this will have on the amenity and liveability of both our own property and the surrounding properties and community; our ability to continue viably farming the land bordering the industrial development; and the environmental impacts," Janet's letter says.Janet feels the industrial land covers one of the highest points in the proposed site, creating a 'shameful eyesore at the gateway to Goonellabah', which contradicts council's intent to 'provide a positive scenic vista along the Bruxner Highway'. This land should be replaced by residential homes.Another concern is how council will ensure water quality is maintained after a 500 cubic metre holding tank and biotreatment pond is built and a heavy rainfall event could wash potential pollutants into the pond creating a "toxic waste pond and then flowing into the dam and creeks beyond". The Tucki Tucki Creek flows through the established Goonellabah industrial site and the proposed site.Janet also asks why there is no 'vegetated buffer zone around the industrial areas to protect people in the workplace."We cannot see how we can possibly continue to farm and manage our land appropriately without incurring issues from the future industrial businesses just a stone’s throw away, with only a road separating us. Furthermore, we and our neighbours are currently not being afforded any consideration as to the loss of amenity, with no inclusion of visual screening of unsightly industrial buildings that will scar the currently beautiful area in which we live. We also need to be protected from the impact of industry including threats to biosecurity, odour, dust, noise, smoke, risk of fires as well as other nuisances such as stray dogs and trespassers.""I request that you please look into the issues raised above, that will impact not only our property, our business and our way of life but also that of many residents in the area. I believe it is critical that these issues be addressed now at the re-zoning stage of the process and not left for developers to interpret and leverage at the DA stage."The Lismore App contacted Lismore City Council for a response to Janet's concerns and received the following reply to specific questions from a spokesperson:Why does the Bruxner Highway plan include land zoned industrial when it is near macadamia farms?There is a significant regional demand for flood-free industrial land. This site represents a logical extension of the existing Goonellabah Industrial precinct and detailed evidence demonstrating the strategic merit of the use of the land for industrial purposes was required by the Department of Planning and provided by Lismore Council as an addendum to our Growth & Realignment Strategy (link gars-addendum.pdf (nsw.gov.au))Is there a buffer area between the industrial site borders and the macadamia farms?Council’s Development Control Plan (DCP) Chapter 11 (Buffers) sets out the requirements for where new industrial land adjoins residential land. It requires a mounded and densely planted screen, as well as the following buffer distances.There are no specific buffer distances required between industrial land and intensive horticulture (macadamia farms) as the potential for land use conflict is considered to be less than areas where people are living. It should be noted the structure plan for the site has a road on the southern side of the proposed industrial land bordering the macadamia farm, creating a clear buffer at the interface of the two different land uses.What type of industrial businesses can be built in that area? Is any type of business excluded from being built and operated?The permissible and prohibited uses within the E4 General Industrial Zone are set out in Council’s LEP (Link provided below). All future uses will be subject to development application approval.https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/epi-2013-0066#pt-cg1.Zone_E4What safeguards are in place to protect Tucki Tucki Creek from industrial water run-off?Tucki Tucki Creek and its riparian areas are all above the proposed industrial land and will be zoned RE1 (Public Recreation) to create a public green space running through the site.The full plans for Harmony Estate are on display and available for comment at Your Say Lismore until 5pm Wednesday, May 1 2024.

The Lismore App is publishing a series of news stories titled 'Flood Readiness - Are We Better Prepared?'Twenty-six months after the 28 February 2022 natural disaster redefined our way of life in living with floods, we are looking into different sectors and organisations to see what changes, if any, have been made to make them better prepared when the next big flood hits.Yesterday, we looked at the electricity supply with Essential Energy Flood Readiness: Are We Better Prepared? - Part 1 Essential Energy. Today's story is about Communication.This story will be split into two parts as there are a lot of communications providers. This series covers key organisations that play a vital role in pre-flood warnings and in the rescue & recovery after a major flood. We are asking those organisations to let us know how the 2022 floods and Flood Inquiry have changed their procedures and processes so people will experience better outcomes.So we know what to expect when the unexpected happens next.***The first thing we tend to do when things start to go awry is to look at our phones. Check the weather, call on loved ones, look up the calendar and check the socials to see how everyone else is going, bolster spirits and maybe have a chuckle before, or in case things get real.As weather events worsen, our dependency on the ability to contact others deepens. When we are cut off, we are cut adrift. Reliance on self and immediate resources and the risk becomes paramount so when the loss of communications comes, it is in our best interest to re-establish it as quickly as possible.The vital capability and response of telecommunications companies puts us in touch, reduces anxiety and saves lives.So let's begin by looking at their ability to communicate with us… We reached out to Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom (Vodafone), as well as NBN to get a rounded sample of what you can expect.Ironically, we found that not all communication is considered equal. TELSTRATelstra has the largest customer base in Australia, so they play a vital role during disasters. Telstra seemed to miss the point of the questions - they sent information but did not answer the questions necessarily in the spirit of what was asked of them.Instead, a Telstra Spokesperson confirms what we know:“The severe weather and flooding that hit northern New South Wales in 2022 was like nothing these communities had experienced before, cutting power, access and utilities to a number of communities for weeks. “We have a significant local presence in the Northern Rivers and we had a team of technicians out restoring services as soon as it was safe to do so. “All telecommunications providers need access and power to bring services back online and assess whether there has been any damage to our network. “Many of our network sites have backup generators or batteries that can keep services online for a period when power is cut but many areas were inaccessible or without power for several days, even weeks. “We worked with power companies and local authorities to access the affected areas so we could get to work to bring services back online. We also worked with nbn co to ensure our nbn customers’ services were restored as soon as possible. “We have temporary mobile facilities available that can be used in appropriate situations, and we deployed a number of them to affected northern New South Wales communities, including Woodburn and Uki, to ensure customers had some mobile coverage while repair work was undertaken in the area. “Temporary mobile facilities do have the same limitations of requiring power and access to an area in order to be deployed and we carefully and constantly assess where and when they may be able to help.”When asked about how the many recent investments from the government have been spent, we were told, “Regarding our mobile investment and co-investment in the Northern Rivers:“Since FY20, Telstra has invested more than $23 million in our mobile network in the Richmond & Page electorates, as well as co-invested with the Federal Government to deliver 39 additional projects across the region.“We continually investigate new opportunities to further expand our mobile coverage and we have several projects between Pottsville to Coffs Harbour in the pipeline that will provide additional coverage across that stretch of the M1 as well as townships such as Bangalow and Newrybar.”Telstra provided two links to information. One from March 2022, explaining how they rebuild their network after disaster strikes. This is a little before the 2022 Flood Inquiry, so one can only assume their latest information or response does not consider the region's experience in disaster. It’s a 3 minute read if you would like to understand more.The second link was written in November, 2023 on how they are supporting us this disaster season. They do provide us with some ideas and projects they are working on that may improve the communications services, for example, emergency roaming. This means that when an emergency strikes, no matter who your service provider is, your phone will be able to access any mobile network available. Testing was happening, as of late last year, but no progress update was included.Also discussed was a provision for 100GB of extra data to those in disaster areas, upgraded payphones (which are now free), a new Telstra Response team and or Telstra Disaster team, portable generators and the use of Elon Musk’s Starlink service by these teams.More updated information on these support services has been requested.(Telstra Response team using Starlink)OPTUSAustralia's number two communication carrier by customers is Optus. Optus NSW Territory General Manager, Chris Simon, said, “Optus appreciates how important connectivity is for our Northern Rivers communities, including Lismore.” “Optus’ priority during a natural disaster is the safety and wellbeing of our customers and people.”Mr. Simon also informed us that Optus liaises with “the BOM and emergency services crews ahead of any serious impending weather event and prepares for potential natural disasters by moving personnel, equipment such as fixed generators, trailer-mounted generators and SatCats into impacted areas, however particular details on how many, when and where were not included.“Ahead of a natural disaster, Optus stages generators, checks Sat Cats, resupplies fuel as needed and engages with local disaster management groups to consult on preparedness.“Our field staff are trained in power recovery and use of equipment, and will work closely with the relevant emergency services to get safe access to affected sites and restore services.”In regards to future safeguards, Mr Simon states, “Optus has upgraded the NSW Northern Rivers network system after the 2022 Northern Rivers Floods.“A unique backup battery solution, called Critical Power eXtenders, has also been rolled out to the community. This will:o  Ensures mobile sites have mains power and remain connected.o  Ensure mobile sites can operate for an additional 10 to 20 hours of service if the transmission hub’s power grid fails.o  The extra 10 to 20 hours gives power authorities the critical time needed to restore services or allow Optus to access a site safely with a portable generator, especially if the area is impacted by extreme weather or natural disaster.“New or updated Optus sites that were impacted by water in the devastating floods have now newly installed equipment stilling higher up on the equipment to provide height protection from floods.”Mr Simon also includes the following tips on how to stay connected in an emergency:·         Simple, but most important – make sure your phone is fully charged.·         Conserve battery power where necessary.·         Keep your phone in power saving mode.·         Charge any battery packs for extra back-up charges.·         Back-up your data in the cloud so you don’t lose important personal photos and data.·         Have your emergency phone numbers saved in your phone or written down.·         It is ideal to communicate before a weather event hits to someone outside of the impacted area, letting them know if you have plans to stay or evacuate, and their exact location if they plan to stay.As we know, communication is a vital means of personal safety both before and after a major natural disaster.In Part 2 tomorrow, we look at the responses from TPG Telecom and NBN.

A man has died in hospital following an E bike crash at Byron Bay earlier this month.About 7:30pm on Saturday, 13 April 2024, emergency services were called to Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay, following reports of an E-bike crash.A 30-year-old man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics and airlifted to Gold Coast Hospital.No other vehicles were involved in the crash.Officers from Tweed/Byron Police District attended the scene and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash.Police have since been notified that the man died in hospital on Thursday (18 April 2024).A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan today acknowledged Northern Rivers School Leaders for the important role they play in school life. “It was great to have close to 300 students and parents here today,” Mr Hogan said. “I would also like to thank my guest speaker Lyn Larsen AM who gave a very inspirational speech.” “Lyn is a former NSW and Australian cricketer. She debuted for Australia on the tour of India in 1984, and 2 years later at 22, found herself named as Australian captain, the youngest ever at that time. Lyn went on to play 49 ODI’S for Australia, including captaining Australia to victory at the 1988 World Cup at the MCG, and 15 tests, 10 as captain.” “Lyn’s contribution to the game of cricket has been recognised by being named a Member of the Order of Australia; induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1999; the NSW Hall of Champions in 2000; the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame in 2010, and the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in January 2024.” "It is always an inspiring event to witness the passion and dedication of our young leaders." “These students play an important role in the life of their school community and it’s important to recognise them and thank them.”

The Northern Rivers Peace group, Remembering and Healing, invites all community members to a peace gathering on the eve of ANZAC Day (24th of April) from 5.30pm at the Red Dove Centre, 80 Keen Street, Lismore. Note, this is an accessible venue.Remembering and Healing (also known as RaH) meet annually at this time to remember the suffering war brings on all sides, and to make a strong commitment to peace and non-violence both locally and globally. In something new, this year, the group invites people from all nations, cultures and faiths to bring bread or something you serve with bread from your culture to share together in the traditional sign of hospitality, cooperation and connection.RaH has partnered with local Sandra Handley, who will be launching Peace in our Lifetime, a global peace campaign that aims to use the collective power of imagery and its ability to unite people and cultures by blanketing the world with peace signs.So, along with music by local, Mish Songsmith, a poem by Vincent Stead, peace speakers, lighting candles for peace and sharing food and conversations, attendees will have the opportunity to decorate peace signs that will be placed publicly around Lismore.“World peace seems impossible but if we start in our own hearts, homes and communities, it can spread,” said Jenny Dowell, RaH’s Patron and MC for the evening.“We must give peace a chance, and when we stop, and really listen to each other across cultures, religions, generations or whatever divide that we might imagine, peace can grow.”  RaH can be contacted on [email protected] or just go along - everyone is welcome.

The children of East Lismore Community Preschool are appealing to the Northern Rivers Community for help. They need donations so they can rebuild the community’s preschool – or as they call it their ‘forever home’. Like so many places, East Lismore Preschool, which has educated the children of our community for almost 50 years was destroyed in the floods. They want to rebuild and have designed a great new preschool – designed to withstand any flood.The NSW Government had agreed to fund the new centre. But because of the rising cost of building materials between the grant application, the council development application and the builder’s capacity to start due to a saturated market post flood, there is now a large funding gap.Preschool Director Sonya McPherson said they have chosen Bennett Constructions to do the build, however, each month they wait to start construction is another 1% in material increases. Hence why the cash shortfall,“Bennett’s have been in this community even longer than we have. We are committed to our community, and we want this building to be strong – choosing Bennett was a no-brainer for us," Sonya said. But the only way to get the preschool rebuilt is with donations. “Like so many, even with insurance, the rebuilding was such a bigger cost that could never have been foreseen. Now we can make sure we are never impacted again. We know there have been lots of appeals in the community, but we will literally not be able to proceed unless we get much-needed funds. Bennetts are working hard with us trying to find ways we can reduce costs in any way we can, they’ve been fantastic to work with. With the communities help, Bennetts can start work.” The East Lismore Community Preschool has another DA before council to put in a footbridge over the drain at the back of the preschool going to, what will be the new Wade Park. It forms part of the evacuation route in case of another big flood.(DA approved The East Lismore Community Preschool, and the new footbridge awaiting approval) The Preschool hopes that even if people only have a small amount to give, they realise every cent helps. People might also know somebody in the community who can also help too. East Lismore Preschool has been operating out of temporary premises on the school grounds of Wyrallah Road Public School since the floods. But as Sonya says “The children just want to go back to our old preschool. That is impossible but we can get them into a new building on our old site – they deserve and need to have a forever home. Now we can only provide half the places we used to while we are in a temporary building”. If people wish to make a donation, the Preschool’s building fund bank account is BSB 082-707 Account Number 24-222-7400 Account name: East Lismore Community Preschool.  For more information about the project and how you can help, contact Sonya McPherson on 0429 107 762 or email [email protected].

Twenty-six months after the February 28, 2022, big flood destroyed Lismore and the Northern Rivers; what lessons have we learned? If another major flood was to hit tomorrow would we be better prepared than in the past?As a city, what we experienced was unprecedented. It was the most costly natural disaster in Australia's history and as we are learning, the recovery and rebuild will take a decade.The Lismore App has written a series entitled Flood Readiness: Are We Better Prepared?This series covers key organisations that play a vital role in pre-flood warnings and in the rescue & recovery after a major flood. We are asking those organisations to let us know how the 2022 floods and Flood Inquiry have changed their procedures and processes so people will experience better outcomes.Generally, a lot has been going on behind the scenes, and in this series, we pull back the curtains to reveal the improvements - so we know what to expect when the unexpected happens next.In Part 1, we look at Essential Energy.***On the night of February 28, 2022, many people only discovered how bad the flood was going to be in the early hours of the morning. Electricity was already gone, and immediate action was required to get themselves to safety. Without power, the frenzy of first responders was only made more chaotic. It makes response slower and recovery vastly more difficult to coordinate. Power can make all the difference.In their response during the floods, Essential Energy’s daily reports showing where they were and what work had been done, displayed a high degree of accountability. They had to be among the first services to be on the scene when the waters receded, and their transparent updates went a long way to keeping the Northern Rivers community informed about the progress made. (The Essential Energy power station in South Lismore on March 7, 2022)There were still delays and not everyone in Lismore was happy with the speed at which results were available, so we asked this critical organisation what happened and if it is possible for a quicker fix in the future.  An Essential Energy spokesperson said, “Essential Energy engages in an ongoing process of review to ensure it can respond to any emergency situation on our network.” “The two floods in 2022 impacted customers from Tweed Heads to Coffs Harbour. In total, 69,603 individual customers were impacted by power outages during the two events. In Lismore, the entire underground power network was underwater for days. “The Essential Energy network is resilient to heavy rain and minor flooding, however, the flood events experienced in 2022 were the worst the area had seen. “The Lismore CBD was a key focus area for Essential Energy. Every electrical asset needed to be checked, tested, repaired or replaced. This also had to be repeated across the overhead network, which is unique in the Lismore CBD as it is positioned under building awnings and required specialist teams to undertake the work. “More than 50 padmount, chamber stations, switching units and cabinets were tested, repaired, or replaced along with 98 underawning main boxes and cubicles. “As Essential Energy made repairs and power was being slowly restored across impacted areas in early March, the community was flooded for a second time. Although this flood was not as high as the initial flood, it still broke previous records and again devastated the areas with clean-up and repairs needing to start all over again.  “Additionally, this work occurred while operating from a temporary hub at the Goonellabah Sports Club, as the Essential Energy depot was significantly affected by flood waters. “During a flood event, restoration times are based on a few factors. This includes when the water fully recedes, and when emergency services provide permission for Essential Energy to access impacted areas, ensuring it is safe for Essential Energy crews. The extent of damage to the network, how long it takes to clean or repair equipment, access and whether specialised equipment or teams are needed also has an impact. “In many areas of the CBD, power was available in the street and often to the customers’ point of common coupling, however the owners of the premises often needed to undertake substantial repairs and testing to ensure safety and integrity before power could be reconnected.“ The flood updates Essential Energy provided in the days and weeks following the floods, had a level of detail and statistics that provided people assurance that things were happening. The following is a snippet of information released by Essential Energy in early April, 2022: “A CBD Business Information Hub has been underway for two weeks so business customers can get personalised information. To support local businesses who are ready to open but unable to connect to the network, Essential Energy is supporting eligible businesses with alternate power solutions.“Key statistics as at 4.30pm Friday 8 April:●     More than 4,700 customers’ premises have been re-energised following safety approval●     279 customers currently without power in North Coast flood-affected areas●     More than 210 operational local field team members and an additional 215 field team members travelled from more than 30 locations across NSW to assist●     71 specialised underground crew supported rebuilding underground network●     348 fleet vehicles deployed for the response” (Essential Energy workers fixing the power lines on Woodlark Street in March 2022)We asked Essential Energy what measures they have taken to improve the response to emergency flood situations, and how the findings of the flood inquiry had impacted their response.“Essential Energy has attended several post-flood events and presentations to help communities understand flood-preparedness.  “Essential Energy initiated and hosted a joint NSW Government Resilience Forum on Wednesday, 3 April 2024 between telecommunications and power companies, with a focus on greater resilience on services most critical to customers when impacted by major events such as floods, storms and fires.  “The group agreed to formalise and continue this collaboration through a Terms of Reference which will help address previous recommendations of natural disaster inquiries relating to collaboration between government, power, and telecommunication organisations. “The 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry | NSW Government also made recommendations to minimise disruption to essential services (see recommendation 9 – impact to essential services). “Further initiatives include generic posters during emergencies, so that customers can click on a QR code and easily gain information or request to be contacted. “During devastating events such as floods, Essential Energy also offers support packages to customers which includes:●     waiving reconnection fees for customers who have had to be disconnected from the network for safety reasons  ●     pausing all disconnections for non-payment in flood affected areas while a natural disaster continues ●     repairing or replacing private assets damaged or destroyed by flooding on a like-for-like basis at our cost●     providing fuel or generators as appropriate to support the community throughout the response.” When researching Essential Energy's commitment to ongoing maintenance and emergency services, their bushfire preparation inspections peaked my interest, so I asked them about its ability to help in flood preparation. “Essential Energy’s Bushfire Risk Management Plan outlines how it proactively manages the electricity network to avoid inadvertently causing a bushfire and how it manages the risk of bushfires impacting the network. The plan focuses on inspecting the equipment on the network that needs repair and the potential impediment or impact of vegetation growth on or near the electrical assets.  “Essential Energy provides a vital service of electricity delivery to residential and business areas that may be impacted by floods. While work is undertaken to construct electrical assets outside of potential flood zones, flood events such as that experienced in 2022 may result in higher than predicted flood levels.“ Many organisations have or have developed a disaster management plan for their organisations. We asked Essential Energy about theirs, “Essential Energy has its own disaster management plans that we implement to ensure a safe, steady and sustainable response for our customers, communities and employees. “Since the floods, Essential Energy has turned its attention to the lessons learned and adaptive planning to build a more resilient network to withstand the increase of network events on its assets, while ensuring a safe and reliable supply for its 890,000 plus customers across regional, rural and remote New South Wales and southern parts of Queensland.” So what differences will we see in future flood events from Essential Energy? “From the Lismore flood experience, Essential Energy identified that providing customers the ability to have face-to-face conversations when in distress, is invaluable. As a result, we have uplifted our on-the-ground customer and community support response team and established a Major Event Response Team which can be called on at short notice to assist with an on-ground response. “This team provides trained Essential Energy employees who can answer questions on our response, including power restoration timings, reconnection of power, support and services, all located in evacuation centres and pop-up hubs across the impacted areas.  “Essential Energy is also part of a Crisis Incident Management Team, which includes the NSW Rural Fire Service, emergency services and police which meets regularly to ensure readiness when needed for an emergency. “Essential Energy is also exploring options to relocate the Lismore depot and South Lismore Zone Substation from their current flood-affected location in South Lismore.” Essential Energy recommends, “The community should only call Essential Energy on 13 20 80 to report an outage or instances such as fallen powerlines, network damage, fires or trees contacting power lines. Call Triple-0 if the situation is life threatening.” How is Essential Energy helping you with your ability to be prepared? Have a look at this information: Essential Energy WebsiteEssential Energy Flood Safety adviceEssential Energy contact information

Lismore City Council is hosting a number of community meetings this week that may be of interest to our readers. They include a climate conversation on energy, a community get together at Goolmangar Hall and a Wildlife Ways event dedicated to urban biodiversity and wildlife conservation.CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS - ENERGYCouncil is hosting a series of monthly Climate Conversations, with the primary focus on listening to the community's concerns, needs and aspirations. This month, they will be discussing all things energy: energy efficiency, reducing your bills, electricity, electrification, solar and anything else you may want to chat about.When: Wednesday, 24 April from 10am - 12pmWhere: Upstairs meeting room in Lismore Central, 44 Carrington Street, LismorePhil Ridler, NetZero Officer for the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation and Seb Crangle, a local Home Energy Advisor, will both join the conversation to provide expert insight and resources.The conversation will take place across from the Children's Library and we warmly welcome children to join in. Beverages will be provided from Ciao Belli Cafe downstairs in Lismore Central. Please bring your own keep cup and arrive early to get your drink.Climate Conversations are free events open to the entire community. There's no need to book – just drop in and be a part of the conversation.For more details about Climate Conversations go to https://yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/climate-conversations.COMMUNITY GET TOGETHER AT GOOLMANGAR HALLOn Friday, 26 April from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, join council for an evening of discussion, music, dinner and mapping at Goolmangar Hall.You will hear from speakers representing the Red Cross, DPI Recovery Support Services, SES and Local Land Services. They will engage in discussions centred around the impact of floods on soils, sharing valuable insights and information.The SES is looking to gather local knowledge and experiences to enhance their understanding of flooding in the area. Your contributions are valuable. You are encouraged to bring pictures with dates and times, flood heights on local landmarks and personal flood experiences.Enjoy a complimentary dinner as you mingle and share your insights with fellow community members. It's a great opportunity to connect and learn together.WILDLIFE WAYS: BIRDS, BEES, TREES AND WEEDSThe free Wildlife Ways event is dedicated to urban biodiversity and wildlife conservation on Saturday, 27 April. Council and South Lismore Duck Pond Landcare invite you to a day filled with expert presentations, native species showcases and hands-on planting sessions.Learn from professionals like Brendan Cox from River Ecology to talk about the importance of wetlands, Steve Maginnity on bee conservation and Laura Noble on managing invasive species. Dive into bush regeneration techniques with Patrick Lennon and explore Ngulingah Nursery's native plant showcase.Contribute directly to enhancing urban biodiversity with our public planting session. All nature enthusiasts, families, students and community members passionate about preserving our natural heritage are welcome.This is a free event, however bookings are essential. To book go to https://lismore-events.bookable.net.au/....

It will be a wet Sunday for Lismore and the Northern Rivers, and outdoor activities will be curtailed in the middle of the school holidays. Rollerworld in North Lismore is open to keep the kids amused.Families who love riding their pushbikes will be happy to learn that the Lismore to Bentley Rail Trail is on track for unveiling towards the end of 2024.The Casino to Bentley leg, running 13.4 km, was open to the public on March 23, while the Lismore to Bentley leg will be 16.3km. That is nearly 30km of family fun.Lismore City Council said that 10km of the track is already completed and two-thirds of the gravel has been laid. "We're well on our way to connecting to Bentley," council said.At the Lismore Railway Station, the transformation of the old rail tracks has commenced, and construction progress continues where deviations are required to improve user safety and accessibility.For further information and project updates, visit the Northern Rivers Rail Trail page on yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/

The Water Northern Rivers Alliance have accused Rous County Council (Rous) of being 'wrong' concerning heritage protection, water security and governance.The accusation comes as Rous has commissioned a heritage and biodiversity study in the Rocky Creek valley between Dunoon and The Channon."However, this time, Rous’s heritage study is specifically seeking to excavate the registered, ancient, and sacred Widjabul Wia-bal cemetery," says the Alliance.The Alliance also states that, for the first time, landholders are now ‘locking their gate’ by not allowing Rous or their consultants (Everick & Ecosure) physical access to their properties. Jan Petroff is refusing access to her property: “Considering there have already been extensive studies into the biodiversity and cultural heritage aspects, we regard this (the 2024 study) as a totally unnecessary waste of taxpayers’ money and a great inconvenience to all concerned, as this has already been going on for close to twenty years now. Widjabul Wia-bal elders have made it very clear that they regard any intrusion or destruction of their sacred burial grounds as completely unacceptable. My family and I respect this, and will not be willing to allow access to Rous Water on our property now or in the future”.(Jan Petroff on her property at Dunoon. Photo: supplied)According to the Alliance, Rous’s tender document (p5) claims they received a request from Widjabul Wia-bal People to commission an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment for the proposed Dunoon Dam project area.However, the following statement has been provided from the Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporation on behalf of Widjabul Wia-bal: “Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC strongly oppose the Dunoon Dam project. Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC do not support Rous County Council engaging Everick Heritage to undertake a further Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Survey of the area. If a further Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Survey is undertaken by Rous County Council, this must be done in direct consultation with Widjabul Wia-bal Gurrumbil Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC and adopt all recommendations made by the RNTBC on behalf of Widjabul Wia-bal.”The Water Northern Rivers Alliance says: “There is no support from Traditional Owners nor is there a social licence. We now challenge Rous to show our whole community justcause as to why they’re prepared to waste more of our public funds on a dead-end pipe dream. We believe this is yet another shameful waste of public resources in a long liturgy of abusing cultural heritage”.The Water Northern Rivers Alliance are asking Rous to please explain, so the Lismore App approached Rous County Council for that explanation.Rous' spokesperson Tanya Burle, said the new assessment, dates back to a council motion in February 2022 when a motion was moved to "undertake a comprehensive cultural heritage and biodiversity assessments for the proposed Dunoon Dam.""This has really been in response to that. I think it's also important to note, that while council has requested this, they have also been partly informed, by correspondence that council received from NTS Corp, who are the representative body that are acting on behalf of the Widjabul Wia-bal Native Title Claim group, specifically requesting that the council undertake a cultural heritage assessment. They wanted another one done by appropriately qualified archaeologists."This was communication that was sent through to council in June of 2021. So these assessments have been on the cards for a couple of years now. So really, it is now just getting that process going. They commenced in March of this year, and they'll be going for approximately 12 months, at which point comprehensive reports will be provided to the counsellors, and they will use those to help inform their decision-making from there."Tanya explained the complex structure around the NTS Corp request."When a native title claim group is going through a process of getting a representative body corporate, up until the point that they have an appointed representative group that's been nominated and elected and all of that, we are directed under federal court legislation to actually deal with the representative body. And that representative body up until that point is NTS Corp. Now, in terms of the level of relationship, agreement, and consensus between all of the members of the native title claim group and NTS Corp itself, I'm not in a position to comment on. But from the perspective of an organisation taking directions, we are required to respect the directions that NTS Corp provide to us on behalf of that claim group."As far as the Dunoon Dam itself is concerned, Tanya explained that it is one of a number of options that are on the table for Rous to explore in ensuring water security for our region."It is in the stage three options, of which also extended groundwater, desalination and purified recycled water are also part of the mix. We are at the absolute beginning of this. There is absolutely no decision that's been made at this point. This is the very, very initial stage of getting some assessments done, and even if there was any sort of result from that that might show an interest in having more information to work with, the subsequent investigations and studies are really very exhaustive, we're talking years.""I think the other thing worth noting here is that in that (Water Northern Rivers Alliance) article, there was specifically a reference made to test excavations. I think it's really important for the community to know that any comprehensive cultural heritage assessment always has the scope to undertake test excavations. It is one of the many options open to the archaeologists, but it is by no means saying that that is going to happen.""So, does a cultural heritage assessment provide scope for that? Yes, it does. But it definitely is not saying that we're certainly going to do that. It is going to be very much dependent on all of the information that's gathered.""The other thing I think is important for the community to be aware of, is there's actually a specific permit process required if there was a decision that some test excavations are required. So, commencing the assessment does not mean that you automatically can go and do excavations anyway. There's an additional permitting process that would be required and very strict regulations, codes of practise and guidelines that surround this that mean that it wouldn't actually be disturbing the direct burial artefacts themselves as well." "There's a lot more to this, and I think, that it's unfortunate that the way that it was framed in that article, it seems to be indicating that this is definitely going to happen and that it's actually directly impacting potentially the remains of people that could or could not be present in that location."

Two years ago, Emma Jacobsen lost her mother and her home. Since then, she has led an unsettled existence, couch surfing and making ends meet the best she can. But after working with Social Futures, things are turning around, and she is about to move into her own place.Emma describes her relationship with her mum, “We were like two peas in a pod. She was my best friend as well as my mum. We would do everything together, we wore the same pyjamas, had the same hair, we even have three tattoos that are the same!” Emma makes a convincing case of the void that the loss of her mother made.Lucie White, the manager at Social Futures working with youth homelessness services, reports that the situation Emma finds herself in is not uncommon. “Social Futures have 5 case workers, currently working with 16 or 17 young homeless people each. We have helped 431 young homeless people this calendar year.” The age range is 16 to 24.“A lot of young people couch surf, stay with family, friends, friends of family, and sometimes they put themselves in risky situations. They are disadvantaged due to their age, limited income and lack of rental history.”Since the loss of her mother, Emma has been in a hard situation, and really appreciates the network she has generated, “I have met so many new people - I have made such a good support system. But I don’t rely on anyone after mum passed away. I can’t rely on anyone but myself. My friends support me, but I can only rely on myself.”Having a safe and secure place to live is something most people have as a baseline to operate from. Lucie is making the call to all real estates to, “give young people a go, give them a chance to get their foot in the door so they can get a house and security for their futures.”One real estate agent, Andrew Gordon from R. Gordon and Son Property Management has not only accepted the call, but speaks passionately about what it means for society, “We have an obligation as a community to make sure everyone gets a start. To have a roof over their head.”“If we don't give them the chance to stay here, then they move onto the next market and we loose them. One of the drivers of people moving out of town is there is no opportunity to stay.”Andrew sees a coupe of large problems. The first is the amount of homes available, “I have 600 to 700 properties and only two available.” Which he points out is a fraction of 1.08% that is the region's low average rental availability.This lack of housing is due, in part, to the list of issues experienced in the area that make it hard to build or find builders - drought, fire, covid, floods. Andrew also sees a different reason, “The idea of investment has changed. People aren't investing like they used to. They are happy with a house, a car and a nice holiday each year and are not interested in buying further investment. It's a different mindset.”Andrew also confirmed, “the first thing an agent looks for is previous rental history. If you haven't rented before, you have none, and that’s a barrier straight away. Young people are given the chance to get around it with Rent Youth Choice - it's the vehicle to make sure they can meet their obligation.”Lucie describes how this path works, “Connecting Home has some transitional properties that we put young people in where they learn to become a great tennant. Learn living skills, budgeting, management of their life with support.”“We work hard to build their capacity to get a rental history from us.”Emma didn’t necessarily find this step easy, “When I first moved into transitional housing, after being in homes with family and friends, it was pretty scary being completely by myself, hearing stuff at night time. As the months went past, it got easier.”The subsidy system gives a homeless person the ability to get a three month rental contract where up to 75% of their rent is covered. “This can be extended up to 18 months, depending on the situation.” Lucie says.“The majority of young people are a success in the program.”Andrew is a strong advocate of the system, “The people of Lismore really need to get on board with these initiatives. If you are an individual who lives in this community and you want good service and you want shops to be open, then you need to support things like Rent Youth Choice.”Emma is really looking forward to her own place and chasing her future. She has a job, “I am a delivery driver and I love it! I also help in the shop, I have been offered a supervisory position, but I am not ready to take it on - it's a bit of responsibility.”“I want to save up for a couple of years, get a good rental history and in about 5 years move to Toowoomba - in my own place, and be near my brother.”The plans for this move are ready and Emma is pleased to say,“I have all my furniture sorted and I have saved up my bond.”Asking Emma how she will spend the first night in her own apartment, “I want to decorate - I have a whole box of decorations and I want to make it home.”There are many specialist homeless services available that help young people in vulnerable situations. For more information, contact Social Futures on 1800 719 625.

Jyllie Jackson has pushed the button and started the countdown to the 2024 Lismore Lantern Parade event."Dear Friends and acquaintances of the fabulous Lismore Lantern Parade," Jyllie began, "It is less than 10 weeks to go before the iconic Lismore Lantern Parade celebrates its 30th Anniversary!!"The theme for the 30th anniversary is Memories."Tell us your stories about the lovely Lismore Lantern Parade. Look out for the MEMORIES postcards around town, the Lismore Square and the pop-up Museum in Molesworth Street. Then drop off your written memory at the Museum, the place where you picked it up or post it to LightnUp Inc!"If you have wanted to be part of the Lantern Parade, there are so many ways of becoming involved. School workshops, forming a dance troupe or band to walk in the parade, booking a food or craft stall or running fun activities for festival goers. Check out 'To Be Involved' on the Lantern Parade website.The SCHOOL LANTERN WORKSHOPS – BOOK NOWCommencing right after the holidays! Hurry up and get your booking in or contact us for more info [email protected] or ring us on 0412732102.The workshops finish June 5. ENCHANTED WINDOWSDecorate your business or shop window with a lantern parade theme in June, for more info and to register see www.lismorelanternparade.com.au. VOLUNTEERSThe Lismore Lantern Parade is a not-for-profit community organisation, the heart of the festival are the fabulous volunteers, we need your help! Register on www.lismorelanternparade.com.au If you have any questions, give the team at LightnUp Inc a ring on 0412732102 or email [email protected].

Luke Patch is a local on a mission. His passion for endurance cycling is akin to Forest Gump. Two weeks ago, Luke cycled his way across from the country, starting at Fremantle and ending at the Sydney Opera House.Luke covered approximately 5,500 kilometres and finished third out of 36 participants in the annual Indian Pacific Wheel Ride or Race, which starts on the third Saturday in March. Luke was really satisfied with his third place because he is not yet at his endurance peak at 34 years of age."Most of the people who ride this race are between 40 and 50," Luke explained over a beer at the Northern Hotel this week. "Often with endurance sports, as you age you get better if the body can handle all the training."Participants do not compete for prizemoney; they compete for personal pride. All contestants ride at their own pace. The winner was Omar Di Felice with a time of 19 days, 1 hour, 15 minutes and 50 seconds. Luke's time was 22 days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and 4 seconds.The Indian Pacific Wheel Ride is ridden on 100% sealed roads but is regarded as a very dangerous race. There have been two deaths. The first in 2017 and the second this year, when a road train hit a competitor at Madura Pass (190km from Madura) around 6am on Thursday, April 21. Luke said he was about 20 kilometres ahead of him when the incident occurred.The annual route took Luke from Fremantle, across the Nullarbor Plain, through the Barossa Valley, along the Great Ocean Road, then up through the mountains on the Alpine Road and the Snowy Mountains to Canberra before the final ride to the Sydney Opera House.(Luke after arriving at his final destination 22 days, 2 hours, 6 minutes and four seconds after leaving Fremantle W.A. Photo: supplied)As you would expect, the planning and the training regime needed to be thorough. Luke's bike normally weighed about 20 kilos during his 22 days in the saddle but when fully laden with water, it weighed closer to 30 kilograms."I started with a good base. My coach and I worked together for 20 hours a week for six months before the ride. We did about 80% long endurance rides and then 20% high intensity rides. Together, that training increases your endurance. I won't go into the science of it but you are trying to increase the mitochondria in your blood."There are many lonely days and nights on the Indian Pacific Wheel Race, as competitors spread out as the days go by. However, the annual race attracts a huge amount of fans across the country who can monitor a rider's journey through a Facebook page and website as all riders carry GPS tracking. There were many times when Luke had members of the cycling fraternity riding with him or lining the streets clapping and urging him on."When we left Perth, there was 36 of us, but when we started we had about 300 people who rode out of Perth with us. We literally shut down the whole city, people got out of the way and we ran every red light in Perth (Luke laughs).""And when I rode into Melbourne, all these people just came out to the side of the road and rode with me into Melbourne and then out of Melbourne.""Other people would stand on the side of the road and cheer us on, while some would give us food. They knew our names. It felt really good."(Luke and some home cooking on the run. Photo: supplied)"I had one experience when riding through the Koorong when I ran out of food but I knew there was a cafe about 30ks down the road. I camped for the night and road to the cafe in the morning, but when I got there he was shut. So, I only had two or three Mars Bars to get through the next eighty (80) ks. By the time I got there, the damage was done and my body was suffering from calorie deficiency."As you can imagine food intake is vital for each rider to tackle every kilometre of the 5,500 to finish the race. Luke's bike had a bivvy bag, sleeping bag and a mat to sleep on, one casual outfit, his riding clothes and plenty of water. Across the Nullabor, when shops and cafes are few and far between, Luke carried seven (7) litres of water which he reduced once that leg was over. Food is consumed on the way at various shops and cafes or "Dots", this is what fans of the race are called."I was still fatigued (from running out of food), and then I finally got to a town called Beachport where some some dots gave me somewhere to stay. They made this huge bowl of pasta and I sat and ate this pasta for an hour or so. It wasn't until I had eaten the whole bowl when the lady said, "Oh Luke, that was for the whole family, not just for you (laughs)."There is some friendly rivalry that drives you forward during the ride. For Luke, it was with Geoff Belt. They rode together for five days after the tragic death of Chris Barker until they got to the Barossa Valley when they went their separate ways, however, the friendly rivalry spurred Luke on.(Geoff and Luke rode together for five days then spurred each other on until Sydney. Photo: supplied)"From then on, he passed me the next night and from then on it was a race between me and him. I finally caught him at Torquay in Victoria about 1500 ks after that. He was a really nice guy. A really good person to ride with."Luke said he put everything he had into that ride. There were highs and lows, so how did he feel when he could see the Sydney Opera House and complete the Indian Pacific Wheel Race?"People always ask me that. I wasn't sure at the time, but now I feel so satisfied. I pushed myself harder than I thought I could, operating off about three to four hours of sleep every night."(Luke said this summed up how he felt after the ride. Photo: supplied)Now, back at his home in Lismore Heights, Luke is planning his next rides. There is no sitting still. The Race Across America ride, where the distance is similar, but the landscape is not as remote, so more opportunities to stop and less danger is of interest.Until then, Luke is chasing a local sponsor to help fund his cycling endeavours around the world. If you could help out, you can reach Luke on his Facebook page.Luke was also raising money for Motor Neurone Disease Research for his Indian Pacific Wheel Race. You can still donate to his charity by clicking here.More stunning photos of Luke's ride across our sunburnt country:

Last night's storm was a sign of things to come, weather-wise, for Lismore and the Northern Rivers over the weekend.The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting more rain and, potentially, more thunderstorms across the weekend. So, it is looking likely to be a wet couple of days which may continue into next week, with less rainfall. The range is 3-15mm for Saturday and 5-30mm for Sunday.A quiet weekend is ahead, which may be good considering the weather.The Lismore Farmers Market is a popular place to meet friends and family on a Saturday morning (7:30 to 11:30) at the Lismore Showgrounds in North Lismore.In addition to the fresh fruit and vegetables for sale, Raymond has some spectacular orchids. The Lismore Region Refugee Settlement is selling books to raise money, and the CWA Evening Branch will be selling ANZAC biscuits, Mother's Day gifts, and baked items.The Heritage Park Miniature Railway will be running between 10:30am and 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.Goolmangar is having a market day on Sunday between 9am and 2pm. It is a 'Trash and Treasure' market with funds going to the community hall for further repairs. Head along to browse through plants, books, bric-a-brac, second hand clothing, locally handmade items and more.983 Nimbin Road, Goolmangar is the address. Here are some events to put on your calendar for May:Nimin Mardigrass May 3 to 5Gemfest May 18 & 19Casino Beef Week May 18 to 25Primex May 16 to 18It was a win and a close loss for Lismore teams in the NRRRL opening round last weekend.Northern United had an impressive 40-24 win against Kyogle but face a tough test against last year's Premiers, Cudgen, at home on Sunday with a 2:45 kick-off.The Marist Brothers Rams went down to Ballina at home last week 18-22, but will look to enter the winners circle when they travel to Mullumbimby on Sunday.Football Far North Coast kicks off tonight when South Lismore tackle Mullumbimby Brunswick Valley at 8pm along with Ballina and Byron, also at 8 o'clock.On Saturday, Richmond Rovers, coming off an opening win last week, take on Bangalow at Nielson Park, East Lismore at 3pm and Goonellabah host Maclean at Weston Park, also at 3pm.Sunday's game will see Alstonville, last week's big 10-1 winners, travel to Lennox Head for a 2:30 p.m. start.In the Women's Premier League, Ballina and Byron Bay begin the weekend's matches in Ballina tonight at 6pm.Sunday has Bangalow and Alstonville clashing at 12:30, and last week's two winners, Richmond Rovers and Lennox Head, battle it out at from 2:30pm at Nielson Park.A bit of a price rise for fuel this weekend compared to last week. Here are your cheapest locations to fill up over the weekend:E10 is 196.7 at the new 7-Eleven in South Lismore, 195.9 at The United and the NightOwl Puma on Johnstone Street in Casino with the Metro on River Street, Ballina the cheapest at 193.9.Unleaded 91 is 197.9 at the new Astron on Ballina Road, 196.9 at the North Casino Mini Mart and 196.9 across Ballina.U95 is 206.7 at the Independent on Wyrallah Road, East Lismore, 208.9 at the Independent at 169 Canterbury Street, Casino and 206.9 at the Shell at 323 River Street in Ballina.U98 is 214.7 at the Liberty on Union Street, Lismore, 218.9 at the United on Johnston Street in Casino and 214.9 at the Shell at 323 River Street, Ballina.Diesel is 205.9 at the new Astron on Ballina Road, 211.9 at the United, the Casino Roadhouse and the Ampol on Dyraaba Street in Casino and 203.9 at the Metro in Ballina.Have a great weekend!

A major whole-of-government response is urgently needed to stamp out red imported fire ants in Australia, according to a Senate Inquiry report handed down on Thursday. Describing fire ants as one of Australia’s greatest biosecurity challenges, the report recommended state and federal governments provide uninterrupted funding to eradicate the pest within Australia by 2032. NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin welcomed the findings of the inquiry, which confirmed the need for further funding and support to prevent the spread of the pests nationally.“Fire ants should have been eradicated 20 years ago, but successive governments have failed to act quickly, decisively and effectively to stamp them out,” Mr Martin said. “If these pests infest the whole nation, it is estimated that 83,100 Australians could need medical attention for fire ant attacks each year, while our agricultural industry could see its output reduce by up to 40 per cent.“As well as being potentially deadly to humans, fire ants can sting native and domestic animals, harm livestock, ruin our natural environment and wreak havoc on fruit trees, beehives, pastures and crops.“This is not just any another ant, and we have no choice but to eradicate these pests and fast if we want to spare our nation ongoing and serious pain.”Moving forward, Mr Martin said it was critical both state and federal governments heeded the report’s recommendations and scaled up biosecurity funding and efforts to eradicate the ants before it was too late.“We are calling on the state and federal governments to use every resource it has to stamp out these ants while we still can,” Mr Martin said. “The potential costs to the nation are too high and the risk to human health is too great – we simply cannot sit by and let this insidious pest take over.“If we don’t throw everything we can at fire ants to stop them in their tracks, we will be left with land and water that we cannot use to produce the food that feeds our nation, and a deadly pest that is changing our way of life in our communities.“Clearly, this is not a fire drill, and there is no room for inaction or error when it comes to a threat as significant as this.”

 Lifeline, a leading provider of suicide prevention and support services, has opened the doors of its new Northern Rivers warehouse and Lifeline shop in the industrial estate in Goonellabah.The store will showcase antiques, vintage, quirky and collectible goods, quality furniture and homewares, offering a unique shopping experience for customers while supporting vital suicide prevention services in the local community. The new warehouse will be open to the public 7 days a week, and will provide customers with the opportunity to browse and purchase a diverse selection of affordable pre-loved goods. Proceeds from sales at the store will directly fund Lifeline's local suicide prevention initiatives and crisis support in the Northern NSW region. Ruth Marshall, Area Manager, commented that it was a milestone moment post-floods to have a warehouse to service the Northern NSW shops once again, stating, "The warehouse provides an easy central and convenient point for the drop-off of donations seven days a week, which we will then distribute to Lifeline shops across the region.” (from left - Lifeline's Murray, Ruth and Julian inside the new Goonellabah Warehouse)“With the rising cost of living, Lifeline is excited to offer another option for used furniture and pre-loved goods, complementing the recently expanded shop in Magellan Street in the Lismore CBD, as well as retail outlets in Casino, Ballina and Byron Bay."By shopping at Lifeline, customers not only gain access to quality products at great prices but also contribute to life-saving services in their community”. Ms Marshall highlighted the importance of community support in meeting the growing demand for Lifeline's services, encouraging individuals to consider volunteering at the new Goonellabah warehouse or one of the five shops in the region."Volunteering is a meaningful way to give back and support Lifeline's mission," said Ms Marshall. "Whether it’s assisting customers, organising displays, or working in the warehouse sorting donations and driving trucks, every contribution makes a difference in saving lives." With the Goonellabah store marking Lifeline's fifth op shop in the Northern NSW region, the organisation continues to expand its reach and impact in the community. Residents are encouraged to visit any Lifeline Shop to shop, donate, or volunteer, knowing that their involvement supports the provision of Lifeline’s crisis support telephone, SMS and webchat services. For those interested in visiting the Goonellabah shop, it is located at 29 Lancaster Drive, Goonellabah, and is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to 4pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.Donations and volunteering inquiries can be made in-store or by calling 1300 152 854. Additionally, a furniture pick-up service is available by calling (02) 6621 8516. As suicide remains a significant public health concern, Lifeline remains committed to providing support and hope to those in need. Nine Australians die every day by suicide, and more than 65,000 Australians make a suicide attempt each year.For local information, visit NorthernNSW.lifeline.org.au .