Richmond Tweed Regional Library is proud to announce that Lauren Tearle, Trainee Library Assistant, has been recognised for exceptional dedication and achievement in both their studies and professional role as the recipient of the 2024 USU New Gen Committee and Active Super Apprentice/Trainee of the Year Award. Lauren has recently completed Certificate III in Library and Information Services, demonstrating a strong commitment to her future in the library profession through her outstanding performance in this degree. Beyond their academic accomplishments, Lauren has made a significant impact in the workplace. As a young union member, their exemplary work ethic and proactive attitude have earned them widespread recognition. Lauren's award nomination received overwhelming support from colleagues with six nominations submitted—double the required number. Lauren’s nominators said, “Lauren is an enthusiastic and willing worker, happy to accept any challenge with a positive attitude. She is fun to work with, has great customer service skills, and a strong willingness to learn”, and “Lauren brings a positive outlook to the workplace. She is a keen, fast learner with excellent people skills and has quickly become a favourite with customers”. The United Services Union New Gen Committee, in partnership with Active Super, recognised Lauren as a very deserving recipient of this prestigious award. Lauren’s contributions and dedication exemplify the values of both the union and Richmond Tweed Regional Library. Lauren will continue to make a positive impact on the library service, having secured a permanent position as a Library Assistant.

MISSING PERSON – Have you seen Drewe MOORE.Police are appealing for public assistance to locate Drewe Moore from Lismore.Drewe, aged 25, was last seen in Lismore about 8.50am Wednesday, 9 October 2024. At the time he was thought to be heading to the Tenterfield area.Efforts to locate the missing person by family since this time have not been successful. Officers attached to Richmond Police District were notified and have commenced inquiries into the whereabouts of the missing person.Drewe is known to frequent the Coolangatta/Tweed, Byron Bay and Nimbin areas.Drewe is described as been of Caucasian appearance, thin build about 180-185cm tall, blonde/fair hair with green eyes.Anyone with information into his whereabouts is urged to call your local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 and quote Event E83897555.Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence.The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

Road safety benefits will be evaluated when a trial of average speed cameras for light vehicles is conducted next year.Previously, average speed cameras have only been used in NSW to monitor the speed of heavy vehicles.Legislation passed by the NSW Parliament has enabled their use for all vehicles, bringing the state into line with all other Australian mainland states and the ACT, where the technology is an integral part of their speed enforcement programs.The NSW Government will now trial the lifesaving benefits of average speed cameras as part of efforts to combat the rising road toll, which yesterday stood at 271 – two more than at the same date in 2023.The average speed camera trial will build on road safety initiatives introduced by the Minns Labor Government, including:Seatbelt enforcement by the existing mobile phone camera detection networkRemoving a loophole to force all motorists driving on a foreign licence to convert to a NSW licence within six monthsThe demerit return trial that rewarded more than 1.2 million drivers for maintaining a demerit-offence-free driving record during the initial 12-month period up to 16 January 2024Doubling roadside enforcement sites used for mobile speed cameras, with the addition of 2,700 new locations where a camera can be deployed. Enforcement hours will remain the sameHosting the state’s first Road Safety Forum of international and local expertsSigned National Road Safety Data Agreement with the CommonwealthSpeeding is the biggest killer on NSW roads, contributing to 41 per cent of all fatalities over the past decade.Regional NSW is home to a third of the population but is where two-thirds of all road deaths happen.Two trials will be conducted on limited stretches of highway in regional NSW to assess whether these measures reduce speeding at these locations, improving safety and preventing injuries and fatalities. The trial areas are:Pacific Highway between Kew and Lake Innes (Port Macquarie) – 15kms between camerasHume Highway between Coolac and Gundagai – 16kms between camerasThere were a combined total of six fatalities and 33 serious injuries between 2018 and 2022 at these locations.Road safety experts have backed the use of average speed cameras and the NRMA will be part of the assessment process to ensure drivers have a voice in the review of the trial. Transport for NSW will now work on the technical elements and deliver a communications campaign to inform motorists about the trial to begin mid-2025.Trials are proposed to begin with a 60-day period in which speeding drivers will receive a warning letter rather than a fine before normal enforcement, including fines and demerit points, begin.Minister for Roads John Graham said, “This is the right time to investigate whether lives can be saved by the use of average speed cameras for all vehicles, not only trucks.“This technology has been found to be effective in other states and in the UK, Norway, Italy and the Netherlands.“It is our responsibility to properly evaluate whether they are effective in preventing another family and another friendship circle from being devastated – which is the sad result every time someone dies on NSW roads.“Before trials begin next year, the NSW Government will conduct a comprehensive awareness campaign so the public is aware of average speed cameras and a 60-day warning letter period will give motorists time to adjust to their use in these limited locations.”Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said, “In 2023, over two-thirds of the deaths on our roads were in regional NSW. Our goal is to assess how effective the cameras can be in changing speeding habits and reducing needless deaths.“The NSW Government will continue to inform all drivers but particularly the regional communities around these trial sites about how it will work.“Unfortunately, on Tuesday night we saw Nationals in the Legislative Council cynically voting against the average speed camera trial, putting politics above the safety of the people they purport to represent.“There have been a few times in this Parliament that the Leader of the Nationals has torched the Coalition agreement allegedly on a matter of principle – but saving lives on our roads in the bush? The Nationals are clearly confused about what is important.”

Healthy North Coast has announced a $350,000 initiative aimed at improving health and wellbeing for patients as they begin to age by building the capacity of nurses working in general practice across the North Coast.The investment, funded as part of the Australian Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care via the Primary Health Network (PHN) program, is designed to equip nurses in general practice with specialised education and coaching, enhancing skills in chronic disease management and early intervention, to help older people in the region live and age well.Monika Wheeler, CEO of Healthy North Coast, highlighted the critical role nurses will play in the future of health care on the North Coast.“With one in three residents projected to be over the age of sixty-five on the North Coast in less than a decade, our health system will face enormous pressure if we don’t start to shift the dial in healthy ageing and reducing chronic disease prevalence.“This investment will enable practice nurses to operate at the top of their scope, empowering them to provide comprehensive care and support older people in managing their health proactively. It’s a vital step to ensuring that our workforce is prepared for the challenges ahead.”The education program, which is being trialled in a pilot involving six general practices across the North Coast, will support nurses to deliver extended patient appointments, allowing for more time to focus on healthy ageing strategies and the management of chronic conditions.The six practices selected for the pilot range from Lakewood in the south to Mullumbimby and Kyogle in the north.Nurses in these practices will receive training and support to strengthen their ability to support patients in healthy lifestyle, the dementia journey, end-of-life planning and support, and multimorbidity management. These additional skills will allow nurses to offer compassionate, comprehensive care much earlier to people on their ageing journey, contributing to increased confidence in self-managing age-related conditions and the ability to live quality lives for longer.The $350,000 pilot is part of a larger investment of $650,000 into the older person’s nursing workforce as identified in Healthy North Coast’s Healthy Ageing Strategy, which addresses the critical need for a sustainable and capable primary and aged care workforce across the region.Other initiatives as part of this package include programs for nurses in Residential Aged Care and the development of new healthy ageing HealthPathways to assist practitioners at the point of care.Dr Tony Lembke, partner GP at Alstonville Clinic, is a member of the Specialist Nurse Education consortia that were awarded the contract to design and implement the education package for participating nurses:“Promoting healthy ageing is a key role of general practice. This new program allows our highly skilled practice nurses to take a lead in developing innovative ways of partnering with patients in all stages of their health journey.”Amanda Moss, Practice Nurse at Woodburn Health, was thrilled to be announced among the successful applicants:“The professional development for practice nurses is an exciting opportunity, as it will ensure that our team is better equipped to meet the complex needs of our aging population, giving them confidence and contributing to a more coordinated and holistic approach to care.”Participating nurses will commence the pilot education program in the coming weeks. After that, the program’s tools and supporting resources will be available to all practices across the North Coast in a region-wide rollout.

You have to love spring. The events just keep rolling on. Having finished the 2024 Elders Lismore Show for another year, we roll into the 2024 Nimbin Roots Festival this weekend.There is a huge lineup of acts, both new and known, with some extra spice thrown in this year. A large group of naturalists will be joining the festivities, revealing all for the Peace and Love Parade through the streets.Organiser Lou Bradley and husband Phil started the festival in 2016. Now in its ninth year, the festival will not disappoint. Local fave, the Hussy Hicks, will be there, as will headlining acts Ross Wilson (Daddy Cool and Mondo Rock), Good Corn Liquor, Pierce Brothers, The Leads and local fun family band, the Buckleys.Lou is really excited about the festival this year. She says, “Nimbin roots is really up close and personal. Even with our headlining acts, it's the same - it's so great. “This is the reason why people like Ross Wilson want to come back and Dog Trumpet with Reg Mombassa and his brother. They loved it so much last year they came back to play. And Reg helped with the poster artwork.“They think it's their favourite festival.”The festival is held in various venues. Your ticket includes a wristband that gives you admittance to any of the venues. “The Nimbin School of Arts Hall is the main venue; it's a nice, vibey venue.” It is the admin area, so get your tickets and wristbands sorted out there.“The bowlo is what I call the really naughty, fun venue because it's always really packed, and people dance; it's great.“Every year, I have a parade. It's a bit lame, but people really like it. We always meet at the back of the hall in the car park, and then we go and walk 200m down the street and sing. “People dress up, and have flags and stuff, and we sing, “All You Need Is Love”, over and over again. It's called the Peace and Love Parade.”If you want to join in, just show up behind the hall at 3.15pm. If you are getting body painted, you can get that done at the Fig Tree from 2pm.The final venue has a bit of a story behind it. Lou explains…“This year, I've been paying a bit of attention to some campaigning that was going on, particularly around the Free The Nipple campaign. “It's illegal for women in New South Wales to be topless in public. I didn't think that was a thing. I didn't know it was illegal.“That pricked my ears up a bit,” and after some discussion, Lou was approached by the Queensland Naturalists Club (QNA).“They started talking to me about the ethics and the story behind being a nudist. The body's a vulnerable thing, and it kind of fits to me.”The third venue is clothing optional. It’s called the Fig Tree and will be held at Djangbung Gardens.QNA is well-equipped and excited about this opportunity. “They've organised private nudie camping, which has nothing to do with us, but they've organised that in a secret location, which apparently sold out!”Curiosity peaked for those interested; we discussed the logistics of joining in.“They come in special clothes that are easy to take off. They're all prepared. And there's all these ethics that go along with that. “You have to bring your own towel. So you can't sit on a seat unless you put your towel down. “There are naturist rules; you can't touch each other and behave in a sexual manner. These rules keep it clean and respectable.”They will have signage available with the guidelines for those willing to get involved.Lou talks about the roots of the Roots Festival. She has been writing and playing for over 20 years, “We raised our kids being full-time musicians in the hills of Nimbin.“We wanted to make a roots event in the sense that it was for artists, singers, songwriters, or performers that were really just trying to get their music heard and not have to worry about being famous or applying for big festivals.”In the beginning, not many acts were known. It was about getting together to share talents with other like-minded people. That ethos still exists, but with the newcomers, some older names joined the playlists.“We've experimented with nostalgic style headline acts, we feel are true to their roots. Meaning they perform really regularly.”Lou feels strongly about keeping the creative spirit in the region invigorated, “It is important, especially as things become more gentrified around the area.“Often, people are attracted to artistically appealing places. It's why they come here in the first place. But then it kind of just gets snuffed out. It's really strange; the thing that people love about the area the most gets killed off.”While Lou and other like-minded artists are around, that won't happen lightly. The plans for the 10th Nimbin Roots Festival are already underway.  “At the festival this year, I'm announcing the date for next year. I'm going full circle. The 10th is going to be really super indie.”Lou has a couple of surprises in store for that announcement, so you will have to wait for more.As we wrap up the interview, I enquire as to potential involvement with the QNA crowd, Lou says, definitively, “I'll be keeping my clothes on. I'm a grandma. I'm not going topless. My poor children would have heart failure!”If you are coming from Lismore or Mullumbimby on Friday or Saturday, a bus has been arranged. Be at the Northern Rivers Hotel in Lismore at 10.30am ($10) or the Mullumbimby Civic Hall at 9:45am ($20). They both return at 11pm. For more information on the festival, go to the website www.nimbinrootsfest.com.Please note the Fig Tree had a late venue change last week from the Nimbin Bush Theatre to the Djangbung Gardens. Don’t show up at the wrong place with the wrong outfit!

Federal Member for Lismore Kevin Hogan and Shadow Minister for Regional Development Darren Chester met with the six mayors in the Page electorate yesterday to talk about the priorities they have for their respective LGAs (local government areas) and what funding they will need to make those priorities a reality.The discussion also revolved around the lack of projects announced for the Growing Regions Program in the last two and a half years, plus flood mitigation and insurance following the release of the 2022 Flood Insurance report."Well, there's no question that all politics is local, and it's so important that as a federal government, and the coalition took this approach when we were in government, is that we have willing partners at the local level. We want to work with local councils right across Australia because we believe in localism," Mr Chester said."We believe that local communities are best placed to make good decisions for the future of those communities. I want to work with local councils right throughout regional Australia to identify their local priorities and then work in a productive, practical and constructive way to ensure that those projects are delivered in a cost-effective manner."What we're seeing right now is really an investment strike by the Labor Party when it comes to regional areas. There is no pipeline of projects. We haven't seen a single project start yet under the Growing Regions Program."I'll say one other point, regional Australia is a great place to live, to work, to visit and to raise a family. With a little bit more investment from the Commonwealth, our communities will be even stronger in the future. We need to work with local councils to make sure we help local regional areas achieve their full potential."Mr Chester was asked if it was important to separate regional infrastructure funding and disaster recovery funding."As someone who comes from a disaster prone area in Gippsland, I'm very familiar with the impact of fires and floods and storm events, and droughts as well. We need to be front-ending funding for our regional communities towards resilience and mitigation prevention works. Natural resource management through practical environmental works, whether it's hazard reduction, whether it's levy banks, whether it's flood mitigation dams, these are all things that can reduce the impact of our natural disasters on our communities."We need to remember that our regional communities generate the wealth that pays for everything in this nation, whether it's through the mining sector, the agricultural sector, it is the regional communities who are creating the wealth that pays for the universities, for the hospitals, for the major transport projects in our cities."It isn't much to expect that the Commonwealth work with those local communities to help prevent as much as possible those natural disasters and minimise the impact on our families and our regional communities."The recent federal inquiry into how insurance companies responded to the 2022 floods made 86 recommendations. One of those recommendations was for the government to intervene in the development of areas within a 1-in-100-year flood risk. Mr Chester and Mr Hogan both made points about how that relates to Lismore and the other local LGAs."Well, there's a few points to make in particular. First of all, we are already one of the most, if not the most, urbanised nation in the world. We need people living in our regional communities to generate the wealth of those urban centres need. So we need our farmers, we need our regional centres, we need our mining industry, and we need those people to have houses in those communities," Mr Chester said."We need to work with those communities to find ways to ensure that we're mitigating and preventing disasters in the first place. Simply evacuating from regional communities is a stupid idea. We need to ensure that those regional communities are as safe as possible, that we minimise risk for those communities, and that we invest in those communities on the mitigation and prevention measures. And I think that's the most appropriate approach."Mr Hogan made the point that no one is talking about building on the floodplains once again."We're not talking about building more homes on a flood plain; we're not talking about building new industrial estates or a CBD on a flood plain. The situation that we're dealing here with locally is we're here. So the Lismore CBD is where it is, North and South Lismore are where they are. Our industrial estates are where they are, as are the villages down river."This is solvable. We can grow. A new development can happen in higher places and flood-free land, which we should obviously encourage. We want our communities to grow in population. We want more jobs for our young people. So we should be able to do that, and we can do that here in this region."What we're talking about, given we exist on flood plains or flood affected areas, what we have to do is flood mitigate. And that's not rocket science. There are many precedents to do this. Most capital cities around the world would be flooding if it wasn't for serious flood mitigation work that they've had done for those cities."So, what we're talking about when we talk to the CSIRO and we talk to others, they're talking about maybe a $2 billion spend will take a metre or a metre and a half off a flood in our region. Now, if we took a meter and a half off a flood in this catchment, we have a future, and we would be able to get cheaper insurance, and people would reinvest in their businesses in the CBD and the industrial estates."INSURANCEWill we need insurance in flood-affected LGAs to be underwritten by the Federal Government?"I think two things have to happen," Mr Hogan answered, "One is, at the moment, we are flood-affected. There are certain houses where flood insurance is unaffordable, right? So we needed one of the recommendations, it wasn't in the report, which I was disappointed in, which is why we did a dissenting report, is that we should insist that insurance companies offer insurance to people and they can opt out of flood cover. So, if you live in North or South Lismore, one of the villages that were flood-affected, you want to insure for fire and or theft, but don't want flood insurance because you can't afford it, understandable. But if you don't get offered the option to insure against fire, and you don't get the option to insure against theft, that puts you in a whole new area. "That's not good if you've got a house that you can't insure for anything. That's not good for your community, it's not good for your house, and it's not good for your neighbours. So, I very much want the fact that you can opt out of flood insurance so you can afford that. "Secondly, going back to mitigation. If we did some serious mitigation work here, the insurance companies would look at that and go, okay, this place isn't going to flood anymore. That area will probably never flood again. Or a flood here will be two metres lower, a meter and a half lower; we're happy to take that on or give a much cheaper premium to do that insurance."While the thinking is good, the solution may be five to ten years away because building serious mitigation solutions will take time."Yes, there will be a lag, but the CSRIO report will be handed down next year, and that will be a whole lot of hydrology options. It'll be a hydrology report. If you do XYZ, that means ABC. But to build those options, that will be a multi year event. Yes, that's right."That's a whole other thing because that will be a national offering. We're not the only area affected by disasters. You have Far North Queensland with cyclones, and you have other areas affected by flood. So we'll see what the government does with the report. I mean, that's more complex, but yeah, there are other options about how you can underwrite that, which should be looked at."LISMORE'S WISH LISTWhen it came to passing on Lismore's wish list as part of the Growing Regions Program, Mayor Steve Krieg said five key points were resolved by council during last year's meeting."Number one is a study around flood mitigation and water security. We need to determine an area of growth, which we are encouraging actively. We want people to move to this region. How do we give them fresh, clean water? "Then, we look at things like our bridge to bridge plan, beautifying our river and making it a real asset, a tourist attraction rather than people being scared of our river. Obviously, the rail trail continuation right through to Booyong from Lismore is another thing."But there's a lot of work to do here. We were still very much in the early stages of flood recovery. We, as a council, just rolled out the tender for the $ 500-odd million dollar road repair project. So, there's some really exciting times ahead in the city of Lismore and the Lismore LGA, as there are right across the region with the seven local governments represented in our meeting today."Mayor Krieg was asked about the lack of projects in the Growing Region's Program."The statistics have been so damning today. You know, as mayors, we're not across so much of what the federal government rolls out, but to hear that there's not one new infrastructure project being funded over the last two and a half years is a pretty damning statistic. Obviously, we need ongoing infrastructure upgrades and new infrastructure to be built. We really need help from every level of government to maintain the region's base so that we can provide for those growth areas that we want in the Northern Rivers. "We know the Northern Rivers as a region is one of the highest growth areas in the country. So we need to be able to provide the parks, the toilets in the parks, and the sewage treatment works. Richmond Valley has got some serious concerns in and around their infrastructure for what is potentially one of the big growth areas in our region and in our country, and they need the infrastructure support to be able to encourage that and make it happen. "There are a lot of big issues. And you know, I'm not here to say, vote one or vote the other. We just need the money to flow and not be stop/start, not be bound up by bureaucracy. We all know that Sydney and Canberra love their paper shuffling. We just need the money to trickle through and make the regions the best place in the world to live."On that note, Kevin Hogan mentioned the coalition's newly announced Housing Fund."So, that is a $5 billion fund that is going to be given to local governments to build the infrastructure to support the houses we need. So that is money. I've spoken to all the mayors about it today. We want to be first in (line) for this. This will build roads, this will build the water infrastructure, the electricity infrastructure and the sewage infrastructure. We want to get our fair share of that."

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan was joined by Shadow Minister for Regional Development Darren Chester at the Bruxner Highway/Sneaths Road intersection at Wollongbar to call on the Federal Government to reinstate the $6.8 million that was cut from the road safety program for one of the busiest roads in the Northern Rivers."I wanted to show him (Darren Chester) the road behind us too. We all know, of course, that the Bruxner between Wollongbar and Lismore is a very busy road, up to 10,000 car movements a day. $6.8 million was pulled from this piece of regional infrastructure about two years ago. "What that $6.8 million was going to do was do a study into this to come up with solutions to make this all safe. This road has eight times more serious accidents and or fatalities than other roads of a similar size and similar traffic numbers. So this is dangerous, and to have that money pulled was quite devastating to our community, and I really wanted Darren to eyeball this today."Shadow Minister Chester claimed the Albanese Government has given up on reducing road trauma in regional areas at a time when we have seen an increase in road fatalities of 23% across NSW and 11% across Australia."That is not the time to cut funding for Road Safety. Now under the previous coalition program, called the Roads and Strategic Importance, which was designed to work with state governments to do corridor studies then do major safety improvements to improve the conditions for people who live and work in our regional communities." "What's really concerning about the Albanese government's approach to regional road funding is we used to provide 80% of the funding and 20% from the States. Now, the Albanese government has cut it to 50/50. That means there'll be less road projects done outside our urban areas."In government, the coalition was working with states on an 80/20 funding basis that allowed us to get more projects done."(Darren Chester and Kevin Hogan at the Sneaths Road exit from the Bruxner Highway)When asked if the road funding balance will be reversed if the coalition is successful at next year's election, Shadow Minister Chester said, "There's no question that going into the next election, we'll have a plan for reducing road trauma and investing in regional road projects."We know that you have to make safer roads, better roads to reduce road trauma. It's not just about driver behaviour; it's also about investing in the road surface and reducing the number of dangerous intersections. We can't expect motorists to do all the heavy lifting here. State and federal governments need to work together to invest in improved, safer roads on our major arterial links." Mr Hogan then outlined the black spots on the Bruxner Highway between Lismore and Ballina."Look, I think there's two. One is the intersection behind us. We've seen some serious accidents on the one behind us. The other one that I think is quite major, and I was doing it every day for about two years when I was in a different office, is the from Richmond Hill turning onto the Bruxner. You have to cross both lanes to get onto that. It's a very dangerous section of the road. "And what this study was about was just looking at the best options. These are not the only ones. There's the sharp bend, too, near where Bob Barnes lives, where we had that big accident with the chicken truck that overturned. It's a really busy road, and as we said earlier, eight times more serious accidents, critical and or fatal accidents, than similar roads around the state. So this road needs work done on it. We need to know what the best available options are on some of those intersections as well." Mr Hogan and Mr Chester were meeting with the six Page electorate mayors to discuss what their major funding needs are for the next four years.

The North Coast community and businesses got behind this year’s Elders Love Lismore Show with a record number of entries in the Fine Arts competitions and more exhibitors than ever, North Coast National Elders Love Lismore Show Vice-President Ron Chittick said.“There was a lot on offer at this year’s show, with new attractions and rides,” he said.“The new PopZone and Cosplay competition were hugely successful, with the community embracing the new concept, and the fact that we had record entries across many categories, shows that the Show remains the heart of our community.“More than 20,000 people came to the Show, which is less than last year’s record-breaking crowd, but perfectly understandable given the cost-of-living pressures, which is why the Show committee decided not to increase the cost of entry.“Those who came were treated to some great entertainment, including the always popular Monster Trucks, FMX Motor Cross and the TNR Fireworks. You wouldn’t see any one of these anywhere else for less than the cost of entry, let alone all three plus more.“We also hosted our first Australian Woodchop Championship in a long time, as well as two State Championships, thanks to our sponsor Hurford’s Hardwood.“And I cannot remember the last time our Car Pavilion was so full.“With warm temperatures, particularly on Saturday, our new low-sensory Chill and Charge Café proved a popular place to seek refuge from the heat.“We also had more than 350 head of cattle at the Show, and our Equestrian and Show Jumping events drew healthy entries.“There is a year’s planning and a lot of work that goes into putting the three days of the Show together, and it’s all done by volunteers. On behalf of the Show Committee, I would like to thank our Stewards and all the volunteers for their time and effort to ensure everyone enjoys their time at the Show.“I would also like to thank our naming rights sponsor Elders, which has given us great support and thank you to all our other sponsors, big and small. Without our sponsors we simply could not put on the Show, so please support them.”Now that the 2024 Elders Lismore Show is over, major works will be completed in the next 12 months before the 2025 Lismore Show.North Coast National has secured significant funding for significant capital works to the showground, which includes the grandstands and cattle yards.

This week is Aboriginal Languages Week with communities, schools, and organisations around NSW celebrating languages and recognising their importance to Aboriginal culture and identity. The theme this year ‘Languages Alive, Culture Thrives’ recognises that revitalising and sustaining languages will ensure they are maintained for future generations. NSW is the only jurisdiction in Australia to enact legislation that recognises the importance of Aboriginal languages and establishes mechanisms and investment to help strengthen them.This second annual Aboriginal Languages Week runs until Sunday, 27 October, commemorating the anniversary of that legislation being enacted in 2017.The growth and strengthening of Aboriginal languages and culture is a key outcome for Closing the Gap, a national commitment to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people.  The week will feature community events and schools activities in metropolitan and regional centres across NSW.The NSW Government, via the Aboriginal Languages Trust, has provided $80,000 in grants to support organisations and groups hosting events during Aboriginal Languages Week.Schools and organisations seeking to celebrate Aboriginal Languages Week can download resources, posters and games and general information via the Aboriginal Languages Trust website: https://www.alt.nsw.gov.au/whats-on/nsw-aboriginal-languages-week/.Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said, “I am proud that NSW is the only State or Territory in Australia to enact legislation to recognise the importance of Aboriginal languages and we continue to lead the way with the establishment of a dedicated week to shine the spotlight on this crucial element of Aboriginal culture.“The Minns Labor Government is strongly committed to supporting Aboriginal Communities to reawaken and reclaim languages.“Language means everything to Aboriginal Communities who have kept their languages alive despite significant barriers to ensure they are celebrated and preserved for the future."Deputy Chairperson, Aboriginal Languages Trust Cathy Trindall said, “Aboriginal languages play a central role in strengthening our Cultural identity by connecting Aboriginal people to one another other, and to our ancestors and Country.“The Trust is passionate about supporting community to celebrate and promote the incredible range of Aboriginal language activities underway across NSW.“Aboriginal communities work tirelessly to keep languages alive, and the Trust wants to see their achievements celebrated. I encourage Aboriginal communities across NSW to celebrate and showcase their languages during NSW Aboriginal Languages Week 2024.”

Young male motorcycle riders are dying at almost twice the rate of other groups, with the NSW Government issuing a call for caution from riders and other drivers on the road this Motorcycle Awareness Month.The proportion of motorcycles involved in road crashes has hit a ten-year high in 2024, with 50 of the 258 deaths on NSW roads as of 8 October 2024 being motorcycle riders or their passengers.Motorcycles make up just 3.8 per cent of registered vehicles in NSW but have accounted for 19.4 per cent of deaths so far this year. Over the decade 2014-2023, a total of 590 fatalities involved motorcycle riders or their passengers, with young people over-represented.There were 142 riders aged between 20 and 29 who died in motorcycle crashes – 63 more fatalities than the next age bracket of those aged 30-39.The skew is heavily towards young males. Of the 142 rider fatalities aged 20-29 years old, 138 were males, and four were females.A third of the deaths in the 20-29 bracket were riders on a Learner or Provisional licence.As with other vehicle categories, speeding was the biggest killer.October is Motorcycle Awareness Month, an initiative of the Motorcycle Council of NSW, aimed at helping to protect some of our most vulnerable road users.The NSW Government supports the initiative each year and has several programs in place to ensure the safety of motorcyclists, including testing clothing and helmets, and running the Ride to Live campaign to educate road users on how to share the road safely.The State Government has introduced a range of road safety measures to combat the road toll, including:Seatbelt enforcement by the existing mobile phone camera detection networkRemoving a loophole to force all motorists driving on a foreign licence to convert to a NSW licence within six monthsThe demerit return trial that rewarded more than 1.2 million drivers for maintaining a demerit-offence-free driving record during the initial 12-month period up to 16 January 2024Doubling roadside enforcement sites used for mobile speed cameras, with the addition of 2,700 new locations where a camera can be deployed. Enforcement hours will remain the sameHosting the state’s first Road Safety Forum of international and local expertsSigning a National Road Safety Data Agreement with the CommonwealthFor information on the safety of protective gear and helmets, visit motocap.com.au.Minister for Roads John Graham said, “The numbers tell a story and that is that young males on motorcycles are dying in numbers that are too high and should not be accepted as the status quo.“No family wants to be affected by road trauma, but in too many cases it is a young male loved one that is being hurt or killed.“In Motorcycle Awareness Month, we must recognise that motorcyclists are at risk of dying when the vehicle drivers around them make one bad decision. I appeal to drivers to be aware, be mindful and help keep those on motorcycles safe.“If you’re a driver, always check twice for motorcyclists and follow the road rules – the choices you make can save a life.”Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said, “Our regions are home to some of the best routes for motorcyclists in the country.“As picturesque and fun as the roads in our beautiful regional areas may be, it’s always important to be vigilant on the roads. Nearly two thirds of all fatalities involving motorcycle crashes across the state in the last 10 years occurred on regional roads.“Any death on our roads is a tragedy, but when it’s a young person with their whole life ahead of them, it feels even more tragic. Motorcyclists are more vulnerable in a crash, and vigilance and awareness of the road terrain is incredibly important.“Of the 142 young riders who lost their lives over the past decade, we know that many of those crashes have been the result of running off the road at a curve (40) or crashing into a tree/bush (16).“When you’re riding, always stay within the speed limit, watch out for oncoming traffic, curves, steep hills and make sure you’re wearing safe helmets and gear. For other road users, please check your blind spots when merging or crossing – we all have a responsibility to help each other get to our destinations safely.”Motorcycle Council of NSW Chairman Vinnie Bee said, “Safety starts with you, keep your eyes on the road and your mind in the moment.“Take a few extra seconds to check for bikes when pulling out onto a road or making a turn on a street. A few extra seconds can save a life.“While driving your car you see a ‘biker’, someone else sees a dad, a mum or a child. Please watch out for motorbikes. Look twice and save a life.”

In so many shop windows downtown, there are sale signs offering some pretty big discounts.Plants, jewellery, fashion, homewares, eyewear, furniture, phones - it’s a shopper's bonanza!There are many reasons to have a sale, but Roberto at Bonsai Bliss says simply, “We are discontinuing certain lines, so have some really good deals at the moment.”Artisans and creatives find it harder to provide good specials or sales as there is a lot of personal time and effort that goes into their products. But right now, one of Lismore most talented wood whisperers is letting things go at a good discount. The Furniture Wiz, or Lindsy and Heidi, are having one of their pop-up sales. The Wiz says, “Our sales happen randomly, you never know when a bargain is available. “Right now, we are having one as the Lismore show has just been on, so we know people are out and about.”All of their floor stock has been reduced, “Our favourite pieces are the resin slab tables (bar, dining and coffee sizes). It is the uniqueness of each of the pieces that we love the most, you never know how they are going to look until they are done.”With November starting next week, Christmas will soon be upon us. Now is a good time to wander around town to get some inspiration or help fulfil some of Santa's Christmas list.It’s a great time to help our local business district by shopping locally.(Millers have big discounts)Some shops are clearing old stock to make way for new.(50% and more is offered at a lot of shops right now)Some shops are relocating and making it easier for the move.(Jewellery relocation sale happening on Molesworth Street)Some shops have suspiciously good quality signs for a temporary sale, but perhaps they have them often...Whatever the reason, if you are in need of something or want to get a start on Christmas, it is a good time to get into the CBD to see what is on offer.(SOS Phones do more than just repairs)Please note: none of the shops shown have provided dates for their sales. They were on sale at the time of writing this story.

As Year 12 students get ready to begin week two of their 2024 HSC Exams with a focus on mathematics today, the Lismore App talks to Jo Loiterton from the Living School about dropping the HSC in 2025 and introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program.This shift away from the High School Certificate, which is the standard level of attainment in NSW, may appear controversial to some. This story explains why founder John Stewart and Director of the Academy Jo Loiterton have taken their education program in a new direction.Jo is also called the IB Deployment Coordinator, meaning she is in charge of implementing the IB Diploma Program at the Living School. She has spent the last 20 years at various international schools throughout Europe and Asia exposed to the IB Diploma Program."My story is that my husband and I went overseas. We were planning to go for two years for a little taste. We wanted to live in a country rather than just go and visit. We actually started in the UK at an international school there, then moved to China, where we lived in Beijing, and then moved to Indonesia and lived in Jakarta. Then I got headhunted out of there to Warsaw in Poland, and then we moved back to Asia, to Laos and lived in Vientiane. From there, it was Penang in Malaysia, a place in the middle of nowhere in Norway and then back to the UK."It became quite the Odyssey. I think we would have probably come home from Malaysia, but Covid kind of got in the way. Australia shut its borders. It wasn't easy to get home, so we stayed overseas and worked."The schools Jo worked in were international schools, which meant students could have 30 to 40 different nationalities."A lot of them are expats, but the impact of being in with each other tends to broaden their horizons. But even here, we've got kids who are signing up for the diploma next year because they've already got their eyes on studying elsewhere. I think because their world is so internet-driven, that concept of where you can go and what you can do is fundamentally different to those of us who are a little bit or quite a bit older than them. They do view the world as a possibility."Apart from global opportunities for its students, Jo felt there is a fairly strong sense of dissatisfaction with the High School Certificate."Perhaps it's seen to be a little closed and still quite traditional," Jo explained."The IB Diploma is a much more outward-facing sort of qualification to do in Grades 11 and 12. It's in 102 countries, over 8,000 schools do it, and it's an internationally recognised qualification. It has some similarities with the HSC in that you're still doing six subjects, but there are other aspects to it that make it more globally focused, I suppose."The curriculum for subjects has to always have components of internationalism, or what they call international mindedness. So, for example, in English, there's a requirement for our English teachers to make sure they're drawing from authors all over the world so that the texts that they're doing represent a range of cultures and a range of ways of thinking."I think this is really what's at the heart of the IB Diploma. We try to graduate kids that are critical thinkers and globally minded, and we still want to pay attention to our local context, our Indigenous culture, our Australian heritage, but we want to do that in the context of it's a big world out there, and it's a very interconnected world these days. The kids have to have some understanding and connection with that, so that's possibly the biggest difference between the IB and the HSC."There are some structural differences in how we assess. There are exams for most subjects in the IB, but the difference is there are also internally assessed components that you do over the two years. They're called IAs, internal assessments, so each subject has something different."For example, I teach psychology, so the kids have to conduct a psychology experiment at some point, and that contributes to their final grade. So, there are components within the two years that get assessed and go towards their final grade, as well as some external exams at the end."I watch the kids at the HSC; they're big, long, one-shot-only exams. IB tends to break them up, so you've got two or three. My kids will have two or three exams in psychology, shorter and sharper. Kids can have a bad day and turn up the next day to the next part of the exam and do really well. So there are opportunities to rescue it."The IB also has a philosophy that if you don't like your results this time around in six times six months time, you can sit your exams again or parts of exams again to improve your grade. We recognise, I think all good educators recognise, that learning for young people clicks in it at different points for them, so you want to give them the best opportunity to demonstrate their learning."From those results, the scores on the subject then get adjusted to reflect the latest test marks. Of course, there is a chance the score could go down as well. Jo explained that students will usually select one or two areas of a course and focus their study in that area, and then sit those parts of the exam again to improve it six months later.The IB has six (6) groups for students to choose from if they were to sit their full IB Dilpoma."The first group is English, and we offer two subjects there, Language and Literature, and literature and performance. You have to take a language. So, our kids will be learning Spanish."They have to do a math, they have to do a science, which we have four on offer for next year. They have to do an individuals and society; my psychology fits there, global politics lives there, history lives there, business lives there."Then group six is the arts. So we have visual arts, music and theatre. And for the kids who really aren't that way inclined, but the Living School kids tend to be inclined towards the arts, you can choose not to take an art and take a second science or a second individuals and societies."That's the full IB Diploma. That's the internationally recognised package, and then we have what's called the core that goes with it. Those are three elements: theory of knowledge, which is a subject about exploring. How you know what you know. And I think in the world of artificial intelligence and social media, that's even more important. So, it's encouraging kids to think critically about sources of knowledge and how to determine authenticity, but also to understand that you can look at something from a scientific perspective, or from a mathematical perspective or from the historical perspective, and those lenses will change your understanding."So there's a there's quite a lot of exploration of the nature of knowledge and how we relate to it in the theory of knowledge."Kids who do the full IB Diploma also write a 4000-word essay, which sounds terrifying to people. It literally is the same as a university-level thesis. They choose a topic out of a subject that they're passionate or interested in and really explore that in depth. My experience is that kids actually end up finding it hard to fit it all into the 4000 words. They have to cut things. Adults are always terrified of the 4000 words. The kids are like, can I have a few more words so I can just say what I need to say?So that's a really good opportunity for them to experience that sort of university level type writing and exploration. They get a lot of support from teachers, of course. They're not ready for it on their own."The third part of what we call the core is CAS; creativity, activity and service. And really, that's about ensuring that kids stay balanced. When kids get to the HSC level, they drop their sports; they drop their passions, and they retreat. The IB says you shouldn't. You should stay engaged in your sports. You should continue to be creative. And probably the biggest message that the IB pushes out in that respect is that you need the experience of giving to others through service. It's great for others, but it's also incredibly regenerative for yourself and your sense of self-worth."So, kids can choose to do all that package, which comes very neatly wrapped in that circle. But they can also choose to do what we call IB Courses, which is picking and choosing parts of this rather than the whole package."(The IB Diploma circle Jo refers to above)Jo says the IB Diploma will pretty much get you into any university in the world. It is one of the most widely recognised qualifications globally. The Living School's aim is to package it in the right way for each particular student and their goals."So, for example, I have a young person who wants to study natural medicine and naturopathy. She's not 100% sure yet what she wants to do. She doesn't want to do the full diploma, but what we need to do is make sure she does the right courses that prepare her for that pathway.It is worth noting that every university in Australia will accept an IB Diploma. Jo explained that a student's diploma score out of 45 will then be converted to an ATAR for Australian universities. The Living School also has an agreement with Southern Cross University that if a Year 12 student does an additional course put on by SCU, they will get direct entry.Another HSC/IB Diploma difference is the way of teaching."It is about big ideas, and it's about skills. It breaks my heart in this day and age when we walk into classes and teachers are still delivering content in an age where Google can do it far better. All the research tells us that 21st-century employers are looking for people with a strong sense of empathy, strong critical thinking skills, strong communication skills, and an element of creativity."I think if you were to ask me the question about why the IB and not the HSC, I think pretty much those are the pieces that are currently missing from the HSC. I'm not going to tell you what to think. I'm not even going to tell you how to think. I'm going to teach you how to manage information, how to think critically about it, how to evaluate it, and how to communicate it. And those are the skills that push young people to the fore in interviews.If you're looking to employ someone, you want someone who can stand on, and think on, their feet and communicate their thinking. An awful lot of the teaching and learning with the IB pushes kids to do that."They also, generally, walk into a university situation feeling very comfortable. I've been pushing kids into university for 20 years now from the IB Diploma. Most of them say that the first year of university is very easy because they've learned the skills to get there. And just generally speaking, my kids who go to direct employment from the diploma don't have the trouble finding a job because they've got those skills that people are looking for."The Living School aims to have three campuses in Lismore. The junior grades at the current Conway Street site. The middle years will attend the Woodlark Street campus (if approved by Lismore City Council), and the older students will attend the newly built Southern Cross University campus in 2025.You can find more information on the Living School website.

The Orionids meteor shower, one of the best meteor showers of the year, is expected to peak tonight between October 20 and the early hours of October 21, 2024. The shower, caused by debris from Halley's Comet, is known for its bright, fast meteors and is a favourite among skywatchers.According to NASA, the Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed. These meteors are fast – they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor), which last for several seconds to minutes. Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.The Orionids are named after the constellation Orion, as the meteors appear to radiate from that area of the sky. The best way to watch the meteor shower is to find a dark location, away from city lights, and lie down on the ground facing northeast in the Southern Hemisphere.While the shower peaks on October 20-21, it can be visible for a few weeks before and after the peak. The Orionids are one of two meteor showers created by Halley's Comet, the other being the Eta Aquarids in May. Halley's Comet, known for its 76-year orbit around the Sun, will next be visible from Earth in 2061.You don't need any special equipment to view the meteor shower but you do need a clear sky. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast the possible showers will clear later this afternoon leaving mostly sunny skies, so there is a good chance of getting part of the equation right.The best viewing time for the Orionids meteor shower is between midnight and pre-dawn hours.What is a meteor shower?Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through debris shed by a comet or asteroid. They reoccur at about the same time every year when Earth comes around in its orbit and passes through the debris again.Meteor showers are named after the constellation that contains the radiant of the shower. The radiant is where the meteors appear to emanate from — if you draw a line back along the meteors, all of the lines will meet at the same point. This is an effect of the Earth speeding through the comet debris, meaning when you watch a meteor shower, you're seeing direct evidence of our planet orbiting the Sun.

Lismore has been named host of the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering at a candle lighting ceremony as part of the 2024 event in Harden Murrumburrah.Tina Irish and Karen Hirst from Lismore City Council joined Minister for Women Jodie Harrison and the Harden Murrumburrah 2024 organising committee for the ceremony, accepting carriage of the 2025 event.The NSW Government provides $30,000 for the Gathering as part of its commitment to empowering women and girls across regional, rural, and remote NSW. This includes helping them build new connections and learn new skills to ensure they can reach their full potential and thrive.The NSW Rural Women’s Gathering is an annual event held in a different location each year. 2024’s event in Harden Murrumburrah was themed “Sowing the Seeds of Success - Creating Your Own Work Life Balance”. The program - prepared by a organising committee made up of local volunteers – featured a range of enriching workshops, networking opportunities and cultural experiences.Attendees heard from inspiring female leaders, including former Australian Olympian and two-time Athletics World Champion Jana Pittman; Founder of Womn-Kind and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2024 NSW/ACT Finalist Ruby Reithmuller; and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2022 VIC Winner Kimberley Furness, who is also a magazine publisher and podcaster.Details for the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering will be shared via the fortnightly Rural Women’s Network e-newsletter. To subscribe, visit nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/rural-womens-network.Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said, “The NSW Government is committed to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW to have full access to opportunities. “We recognise that women in regional parts of NSW experience unique challenges living in remote locations. We also know women in these communities are doing extraordinary things. “The Rural Women’s Gathering provides a great opportunity to share their experiences and, in turn, help other women to better support their communities."Thank you to our incredible 2024 hosts in Harden Murrumburrah for helping facilitate connection through friendship, mentorship, professional resources and services. I look forward to seeing the tradition continue next year in Lismore.”Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said, “Thank you to the fabulous volunteers who coordinated and delivered a hugely successful 2024 Rural Women’s Gathering in Harden Murrumburrah – your local insights are absolutely invaluable, your dedication and commitment make this important annual event possible.“The Rural Women’s Gathering links women to information and services, creates opportunities to build personal and business resilience, allows us to promote action on rural women’s issues, and ultimately strengthens communities across NSW.“After 31 years, the Gathering continues to be a key event on the NSW Rural Women’s Network calendar, enabling women from regional, rural and remote areas of NSW to connect, learn and celebrate. “Each year, there’s a range of diverse speakers and workshops, all of whom bring something new and inspiring to share - and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lismore in 2025.”Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said, “I’m excited to have the Rural Women’s Gathering here. I think it's fantastic because we have some great women right across our community.“This is recognition that there’s a whole lot of women’s leadership here, particularly our rural women. They’re in everything, from the CWA, to the SES, to the RFS, to Zonta, we’ve got the lot. “The Rural Women’s Gathering is a great opportunity to network, and having it in Lismore means it's easier for local women to take part.”

It was another sold-out Our Kids Golf Day at the Lismore Golf Club on Friday afternoon, as golfers and non-golfers, but all supporters of one of Lismore's favourite charities got together to raise money for a vital piece of equipment for premature babies.(Inside the Lismore Golf Club as Dr Chris Ingall explains how the Retcam will help the local community)Dr Chris Ingall, the founder of Our Kids in 2001, talked a little about his teams golf on Friday evening before we moved onto the more serious part of the chat."I would just like to talk about the golf for a little bit," Dr Chris said with a smile, "We hit it well enough that there were enough good shots that you'd want to come back and try it again. An ambrose is so forgiving; it's a really good setup. And out on the course, a lot of the teams all know each other, so there's this sort of mutual sledging happening. It's been really good fun. We were one under for the round."(Team Ingall: Kyle Dunlop, Dr Chris Ingall, John Mills and David Kelly)Fundraising Coordinator Rebekka Battista passed on the good news that over $10,000 was raised for Our Kids. Dr Chris then provided the important details of what this will mean for families of premature babies in Lismore and the Northern Rivers."So the Retcam is something which I think is best understood as keeping kids local, so that babies who are born extremely prematurely can have the back of their eyes checked for the blood vessels growing over them."The blood vessels can grow over the back of the eyes and cause blindness. And so you the Retcam is a way of monitoring that. Sometimes, you have to photograph them each week and make sure that they don't need laser therapy and so forth. So it's very critical."Babies who come back to Tweed, Lismore and Grafton, are sometimes held up in the tertiary because they haven't got the eye cameras to monitor and lessen the risk."So, the Retcam is going to be for the three valleys, and it's a beautiful piece of optical equipment, which a nurse or a doctor, say, in Lismore or Grafton, can just open the eye, take the photo and send it to the Queensland Children's Hospital ophthalmologists, who can then give us an immediate assessment, and tell us how when to do the next one, without the baby having to leave the nurseries here and have to travel to Brisbane. Babies, when they're tiny, don't handle travel very well."As you can imagine, the Retcam is not cheap. It comes with a $159,000 price tag. It has been this year's fundraising goal for Rebekka and the team at Our Kids."We launched this with a Grafton golf day, we have also fundraised through the Melbourne Cup luncheon and the SamsonChallenge, and we've got a few donations coming in. We're not quite there, but we're close," Rebekka said."To give context to the Retcam, they say that this is how Stevie Wonder became blind because he was a premature baby."Dr Chris adds, "With this piece of equipment, you can avoid it fully. It keeps the babies local, and they will come back to the family quicker. If the Brisbane eye guys know we've got this equipment, they'll say, oh, this baby can go now, and you're going to have to do weekly eye checks over the next four weeks. We say, yep, we can do that. And in fact, you're going to be looking at them, and so they say, yeah, baby, can go back to the mother. Mother comes back to their family a month ahead."This was the 19th Our Kids Golf Day. Each hole was sold twice, so 36 teams of four made their way around the Lismore golf course in good spirits and the occasional drink or two.(Team Instyle Sleep Centre: Simon Mumford, Dave Bomba, Sharon Martin and Bill Graham)Rebekka explained that the doctors and nurses see a need to help local children. She gets together with her team and builds a plan to raise enough funds to be able to purchase that piece of medical equipment."I think people in their hearts want to be generous. They know that there are families that are adversely affected by premature babies, and they want to help. There's something beautiful about that.""The blokes that are playing today, will read about someone in the nursery in the future using that piece of equipment and say, oh, it landed. I've always said to Bek and the board that I don't care how much money is raised on any given event, I just want people to really enjoy themselves so they'll tell their friends and they'll be involved next year.The 20th anniversary of the Our Kids Golf Day promises to be bigger, better and extremely well supported..

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenage girl missing from Casino.Zara Young, aged 16, was last seen at the footbridge between McAuliffe Park and Queen Elizabeth Park, Casino, about 4pm yesterday (Friday, 18 October 2024).When she could not be located or contacted, officers attached to Richmond Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.Police hold concerns for her welfare due to her age, and she requires medication.Zara is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165cm-170cm tall, of thin build, with brown hair and brown eyes.She was last seen wearing a T-shirt and shorts.Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to contact Casino Police Station or Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

The Federal Government has released their final report and recommendations for the inquiry into insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims.Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan has expressed disappointment, saying the recommendations result in more red tape, more government intervention and is ignorant on mitigation and flood insurance affordability.“I have already co-signed a dissenting report outlining concerns on affordability, mitigation and regulation,” Mr Hogan said.“We have put forward additional recommendations to be considered, including an option for policyholders to opt out of flood coverage while maintaining general insurance.”“This is essential for our community. If you live on the floodplain and want to opt-out due to the cost, this will ensure you are still covered for fire and theft protection.”“I also asked regulators during the inquiry to start to look at collecting data on how they perform compared to their competitors – for example, how long companies take to assess claims and resolve disputes.”“If this data is then made public, I think the industry would change their behaviours quite quickly because they would be almost publicly shamed.”“Governments also need to seriously address the imbalance in disaster funding, where 97% is currently allocated to response and recovery, and only 3% to mitigation.”“Greater action is needed to reduce the risks of future flood events, including through programs such as the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative, which will reduce the impacts of future floods, the cost of insurance and the cost of future disaster recovery.”“There are also many promising recommendations in the report, notably around simplifying flood data and communicating flood risk to communities. I welcome this and supported it through the committee phase.”“Thank you to the members of our community who put in considerable time and effort to develop and provide submissions, attended hearings and provided witness evidence.”The full report is available at https://www.aph.gov.au/floodinsurance.

With the mercury set to rise to 32 degrees today, a team of international researchers has developed a natural fabric that people could wear to counter rising temperatures in cities worldwide caused by buildings, asphalt, and concrete.As heatwaves become more prominent, cooling textiles that can be incorporated into clothes, hats, shoes and even building surfaces provide a glimpse into a future where greenhouse gas-emitting air conditioners may no longer be needed in our cities. Engineers from Zhengzhou University and the University of South Australia say the wearable fabric is designed to reflect sunlight and allow heat to escape while blocking the sun’s rays and lowering the temperature. They have described the textiles in the latest issue of Science Bulletin. The fabric promises to bring relief to millions of city dwellers experiencing warmer and more uncomfortable temperatures caused by global climate change and fewer green spaces. UniSA visiting researcher Yangzhe Hou says the fabric leverages the principle of radiative cooling, a natural process where materials emit heat into the atmosphere and ultimately into space. “Unlike conventional fabrics that retain heat, these textiles are made of three layers that are engineered to optimise cooling,” Hou says. The upper layer, made of polymethyl pentene fibres, allows heat to radiate effectively. The middle layer, composed of silver nanowires, enhances the fabric’s reflectivity, preventing additional heat from reaching the body. The bottom layer, made of wool, directs heat away from the skin, ensuring that wearers remain cool, even in the hottest urban environments. “In our experiment, when placed vertically, the fabric was found to be 2.3°C cooler than traditional textiles and up to 6.2°C cooler than the surrounding environment when used as a horizontal surface covering. “The fabric’s ability to passively reduce temperatures offers a sustainable alternative to conventional air conditioning, providing energy savings and reducing the strain on power grids during heatwaves.” Zhengzhou University researchers Jingna Zhang and Professor Xianhu Liu say the technology not only addresses the immediate problem of urban heat islands, but also contributes to broader efforts to mitigate climate change and move towards more sustainable urban living. It is hoped the technology could be adapted for even broader applications, including construction material, outdoor furniture and urban planning. While the fabric holds significant promise, researchers say the current production process is costly, and the long-term durability of the textiles needs further investigation and government support before it can be commercialised. “Whether consumers are willing to pay more for wearable fabrics depend on the cooling effect, durability, comfort and their environmental awareness,” the researchers say.

The North Coast National Lismore Show is well underway and we catch some of the action!The laneways are packed with people and lots of school children, screams come from the main ring and the jetpack pool. Music emanates from the rides and you can hear the calls of the sideshows tempting folk with their wares.Tara Coles the announcer at the show and showgirl escort, was with the showgirls at the woodchop event. Tara said, “The show's been busy here today and the weather's good too.  “The girls have been out and about learning all about poultry, doing the axe throwing, which was good. As well as that, they've handed out ribbons in the horses and the beef title section.”The girls are all smiles thinking of all the things they have seen and done today. Dominique Wise is the state winner of the Young Woman competition and is very impressed with the North Coast National, “I'd definitely have to say the capacity and involvement of the community here is amazing.   “It's honestly such a big show - I've done my trips around New South Wales, and Lismore's definitely got it for involving community and competitors as well.”“I've really enjoyed sashing the beef cattle this morning,” said Maddie.Rose has started show jumping and loves horses, “My favourite part of the shows today was watching the show jumpers in the horse ring.”(Brumbies ready for their appearance)Bella was a little shy, and said, “The favourite part of the show for me was seeing all the people and all the events and just everything.”There is a very talented face painter making their mark with some creative work.The spectacle at the circus and the riders in the main ring kept everyone’s mouth open wide!Be prepared to get damp at the jetpack show! The game of Marco Polo was epic!Hard decisions and happy smiles at the showbag stand!You can even make a movie in the Pop Zone Pavillion!Jacklyn Wagner's new image gallery saw lots of people at Norma's Kitchen. A great place to take a load off your feet and get out of the sun for a bit!Shiver me timbers! Well these these timber logs should be shivering if they knew their fate in the Australian Wood Chop Championship underway!There is so much to see and do, there is something for everyone.  The community parade starts soon - see you at the show!