Cost Shifting. Two words that anger and frustrate local councils in NSW.Cost shifting occurs when services that were once funded by state and federal governments are now paid for by local councils. A new report, “Cost Shifting 2025: How State Costs Eat Council Rates”, prepared by independent consultants Morrison Low, shows a 10% increase in cost shifting in three years, which results in a $500 cost per ratepayer per year in NSW. For regional town/cities, the total is $429.60.It further detailed how Councils across NSW are now absorbing a staggering $1.5 billion in cost shifting from State and Federal governments each year – a cumulative $11.3 billion over the past decade.The Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA), of which Lismore City Council is one of 92 rural and regional members, has reiterated their frustrations and the fact that the impacts are more deeply felt in rural, regional and remote communities.“On behalf of our CMA Board, I extend our congratulations to our sister organisation LGNSW. It is important that our Governments and communities understand the big picture impacts of adding to our expenses, in a time of inadequate funding for rural, remote and regional communities,” CMA Chairman and Temora Shire Mayor Rick Firman OAM said.“The figures are not surprising, but they are disturbing and hopefully enlightening, as unprecedented operational cost increases in recent years and constrained income growth make financial sustainability a mission impossible for some.”“It is clear that the impacts of cost shifting are bigger barriers to financial sustainability for non-metropolitan Councils. Some of our rural and remote members have a small rate base that is essentially stagnant or even declining. Over 70 per cent of some country Councils’ revenue is grants, but that varies annually, and the Federal Government’s (untied) Financial Assistance Grants are half of what they once were. We will continue to lobby the Federal Government to return them to one per cent of national taxation revenue, as we work to raise awareness of the ever-growing demands on rural, regional and remote councils in NSW.”Mayor Firman said that while CMA members feel the brunt of cost shifting and funding reduction impacts, he is optimistic that the NSW Government will make some positive decisions in the near future.“The NSW Government’s Public Accounts Committee handed down some appropriate recommendations after its’ “Inquiry into the assets, premises and funding of the NSW Rural Fire Service”. As one of the most inexplicable examples of cost shifting, our Member Councils in NSW are forced by the State Government to wear the financial impacts of having Rural Fire Service Assets on their books, despite not actually owning them."The ‘Red Fleet’ is something that the CMA has lobbied intensively on, and we acknowledge the NSW Treasurer, the Hon. Daniel Mookhey MLC, NSW Emergency Services Minister the Hon Jihad Dib MP and NSW Local Government Minister the Hon. Ron Hoenig MP have been working hard on resolving the issue.Mayor Firman recalled that Country Mayors were underwhelmed with the recent (seemingly Western Sydney-focused) State budget. “It saw further funding cuts to local galleries and other valued community services, meaning many of our Member Councils will carry more financial responsibility, regardless of their capacity to absorb the costs that the State Government saves.”“The Transport for NSW reclassification program is also to be commended. With that, we could see a good number of road maintenance burdens dumped onto Councils go back into State Government management,” he said.Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told the Lismore App that he doesn't share Mayor Firman's optimism."Organisations, like the CMA and the Regional Cities Forum, which Lismore councils are part of, both of those are strong and loud advocacy voices, but unless there's willingness from state and federal governments to to actually assume their responsibilities of looking after these things, like emergency services and the like, things aren't going to change in a hurry. "It looks better for their books and balancing their budgets. And that's the problem that local government deals with. We're probably the lowest in the food chain, sadly, and that's why we need to unite with these organisations to present a much louder voice.""Take emergency services as an example. It is cost-shifting because councils have to take on what they call the red fleet. All of those rural fire services, trucks and assets are on Council's books, even though they're supposed to be funded by the state government. We have to take those on and depreciate them through our accounting system. And the fact is that the state government double dips on these things. It's also on everyone's insurance policies, but it's also on everyone's rate notices as well. "So, it's an ongoing problem that country mayors and regional cities, both groups, have been strongly advocating to take the pressure off councils a little bit. The state needs to allocate the funds where they're supposed to go. And like I said before, it's very much creative accounting in a lot of respects of both state and federal governments, but it puts immense pressure on local governments' financial sustainability."

Lismore has hosted two Legends of Cricket games at Oakes Oval. In 2019, it hosted an AFL Community Series game between the Sydney Swans and the Gold Coast, and in 2022, we had the NSW Blues at Oakes for a training run in front of an enthusiastic crowd.Soccer, or football, as the purists will call it, is the next high-profile sport about to grace Crozier Field or Oakes Oval on Saturday, August 9, when the Newcastle Jets play an A-League pre-season game against the Brisbane Roar. The last time Lismore hosted a pre-season A-League match was in 2013.On their way to Lismore, the Jets will also visit Taree and Port Macquarie, where they will host Jets: PLAY clinics, school visits, local football club engagement, an open training session and the exhibition match.Lismore City Council Mayor Steve Krieg said he was delighted to welcome the Newcastle Jets to Lismore."This is what the recovery and the rebuild of Lismore is all about. Attracting world-class teams, world-class players and coaches to the region to explore everything that we've got to offer. The Northern Rivers is more than just the coast. We've got great waterfalls and national parks here, as well as some of the greatest sporting facilities in regional Australia. So, it's great to see our sporting facilities utilised by, as I say, world-class athletes coached by world-class humans.""What they're actually doing is establishing Lismore as a sporting destination for these bigger clubs, and that's the beginning of the legacy that this event will provide for us. So, it's still about the awareness of where we're at, but we're also coming back stronger and bigger than ever. So it's a really positive and strong message that the Newcastle Jets are providing for us."When Mayor Krieg introduced former Socceroo and newly appointed head coach of the Newcastle Jets, Mark Milligan, he enthused over his achievements."For those who are too young to remember 2006, when Australia qualified for the World Cup. Mark was part of that squad. So, he's heavily ingrained in the history and folklore of Australian sport, and in soccer and culture as well. It's great that you're bringing Newcastle up to Lismore for your training camp, to get out of the cities and to see the regional centre. We are really grateful for your support. "We have to acknowledge the support of their sponsors, the Greater Bank. None of this happens without sponsorship and without corporate backing. Mark Milligan said he wants to instil a sense of community into the players at the Jets."We can't expect support from the community if we're not willing to go out and give back where we can as well. And obviously, as you mentioned, with the support of Greater Bank, we've been able to organise this, albeit at late notice, and to be able to cap it off with a game for the locals to come out and watch. It's a fantastic opportunity for our players, and it's a fantastic opportunity for the community, so we're extremely grateful for what you're doing for us and what you're providing."Mark explained that the clinic run in Lismore is an opportunity for 200 kids to be among the players and coaching staff."It's very important that the younger generation have an understanding of who we are and what we represent. We have great numbers that play the game, and parents and kids give up a lot of their time to be involved in that. And as I said, us reaching out and being able to provide not only support from afar, but be a part of it. And you know, we'll have myself and my staff and players involved in these events as well. It's not just about a weekend away for us, it's about really giving back. And the expectation that we have of ourselves as a club is to give what we expect to get back as well.""It's open to all kids and of all abilities, of all ages, boys and girls. And I think that's the most important thing," Mark said.Registration details for the Lismore clinic will be announced soon.As for the facilities at Crozier Field and Oakes Oval?"We've had a good look around. It's a fantastic facility. I believe it's quite new as well. We had a good look downstairs at all the change rooms. We were trying to find a really small change room for Brisbane," Mark laughed, "But, it's a fantastic setup here."From a football perspective, it will be one of the first times that the region will see the new-look Newcastle side. Newly appointed head coach Mark Milligan has added to the squad by signing some stars, including Japanese international Kota Mizunuma and Scottish Premiership defender Joe Shaughnessy.Mark said he is stubborn about how he wants the Jets to play, so that will be on display during the pre-season clash with the Brisbane Roar.2025 Jets TOUR Details: PLAY Clinic:Date: Saturday, 9 AugustVenue: Oakes Oval, LismoreTime: 4:30pm Exhibition Match:Date: Saturday, 9 AugustVenue: Crozier Field, LismoreKick Off: 3pmTickets: On sale from Tuesday through Oztix. They are expected to be $20, with children under 12 free.Crozier Field holds a crowd of approximately 3,000. If that is exceeded, the match will be transferred to Oakes Oval, which has a capacity of 10,000.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has helped secure NSW Government funding to enable Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA) to make a new home in the former Hampton & Larsson timber joinery works in the heart of Lismore’s CBD.Ms Saffin, who is also NSW Minister for Recovery and the North Coast, said two separate State grants would fund immediate repairs of an historic industrial building, allowing NORPA to create a temporary office and theatre-making studio.“The Joinery is an ambitious adaptive project which will transform an old factory into a flood-resilient creative hub, a welcome addition to an arts precinct close by which already boasts a regional art gallery, conservatorium and library,” Ms Saffin said.“NORPA, an iconic Northern Rivers cultural institution known for its world-class theatre productions, has big plans for a larger development of the site in the longer term but for now it’s great that they have a permanent foothold for revitalisation and growth.”NORPA Artistic Director, Julian Louis, said: “We are grateful to MP Janelle Saffin and the many champions in Government and our community who have supported this project.“The Joinery has the potential to be a creative satellite -- a place that nurtures bold ideas and reflects the unique culture of our region.“It will play an important role in the vibrancy, economy, and well-being of where we live. We also see it as a project of adaptation -- where the arts is central to our recovery.” NORPA Chair, Damian Kassabgi said: “Repairing and utilising this building is a vital step in NORPA’s return to Lismore and a powerful act of cultural renewal. Most importantly it gives NORPA and our artistic community a home." Funding towards Stage Zero of The Joinery includes $1.986 million under the NSW Government’s Towns & Villages Resilient Business Activation Program and $300,000 from Create NSW.

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan is making sure that 60 young Northern Rivers Sporting Champions are given every opportunity to follow their dreams.At a Local Sporting Champions Award event yesterday, Mr Hogan presented the local teenagers with a certificate in recognition of their achievements and confirmed their grants from the Local Sporting Champions program.“Those who received the Awards have excelled themselves representing the Northern Rivers on the national and state stage,” Mr Hogan said.“The Local Sporting Champions program provides financial assistance to young people aged between 12 and 18 years to compete, coach or umpire in their chosen sport.”“The Northern Rivers has produced some outstanding sportspeople in the past, and it is important that we support the next crop of our local sporting talent.” “Unfortunately, succeeding in sport doesn’t just take talent and determination – parents also often have to put their hands in their pockets to get their children to competitions. I’m very pleased to be able to help these families with financial support through these grants.”“Sport is important in the development of young people: it teaches them life-long skills like teamwork, keeps them fit and healthy, and allows them to excel in something they love and enjoy.”“I encourage any budding champions out there who have the opportunity of competing at a state, national or international event to apply for a grant by contacting my office or checking out the website ausport.gov.au.”Our latest Northern Rivers Sporting Champions are:Adi Mereiana Cawa from Goonellabah, NetballAlbie Whitten from Caniaba, BaseballAlice Shields from Casino, NetballAmarli King from Goonellabah, NetballArchie Sauer from Evans Head, Rugby UnionAva Lane from McLeans Ridges, NetballCamryn Anderson from Alstonvale, BowlsCharlotte Sams from Wollongbar, NetballChelsea Gosling from Goonellabah, NetballChloe Keep from Shannon Brook, SwimmingChloe Ryall from Lismore Heights, NetballClaire Freeburn from Casino, NetballCooper Dendle from Goonellabah, AthleticsGus Maloney from Woodenbong, SwimmingEbony Andrews from Wyrallah, NetballEmma Green from Fairy Hill, SwimmingEzekiel Kubils from McKees Hill, Rugby UnionFinlay Stevenson from Evans Head, SwimmingFynn Turner from Broadwater, Touch FootballEmilee Reichmann from Leeville, NetballGemma Reichmann from Leeville, NetballGeorgia Dodds from Richmond Hill , NetballGracyn Ind from Woodview, NetballGus Collings from Caniaba, BaseballHanna Formaggin from Goonellabah, NetballHannah Mason from Eltham, Water PoloHarper Richardson from Caniaba, BaseballHarry Hosking from Alstonville, HockeyHenry Condon from Caniaba, BaseballIsabella Cooper from Fairy Hill, SwimmingIsabella Moretti from Lismore Heights, NetballJaymie Leadley from Casino, NetballJosie Carey from Fairy Hill, NetballKaty Bryant from Casino, SwimmingKaytlyn Turner from Goonellabah, NetballKnox Ellis from Casino, SwimmingKyna Rhodes from Goonellabah, NetballLachlan Elphick from Goonellabah, Rugby UnionLachlan Trease from Alstonville, SwimmingLarayah-rose Bolt Dangerfield from Goonellabah, NetballLucinda Barnes from Alstonville, NetballLuella Maloney from Broadwater, SwimmingMacy Batinovic from Woombah, NetballMason Campbell from Bexhill, Rugby UnionMax Halliday from Goonellabah, BasketballNoah Middleton from Caniaba, BaseballOliver Collings from McLeans Ridges, Rugby UnionPaiten Hampson from Greenridge, NetballRatu Isireli Cawa from Goonellabah, BasketballRetrouvailles Banza from Lismore, NetballSamuel Butler from Deep Creek, Rugby UnionSofie Formaggin from Goonellabah, NetballSophie Leadley from Casino, NetballTaylor Hancock from Casino, SwimmingTeo Stavenow from Casino, AthleticsTheo Dickson from Shannondale, HockeyToby Makejev from Casino, Australian FootballTyler Powell from Lismore, BaseballWilliam Bullpitt from South Gundurimba, SwimmingZoe Formaggin from Goonellabah, Netball(Our Local Sporting Champions and their families. Photo: supplied)

Resilient Lismore has launched a new online system for its Tool Library, making it even easier for locals to borrow the tools they need to get handyman jobs done on their property, and it is completely free.“The Tool Library includes a huge range of useful gear like drills, sanders, lawn mowers, ladders, and much more. It’s designed to help people with home repairs, garden work, clean-ups, and community projects,” said Celine Massa, project coordinator.“Since 2022, there have been 2,800 loans through our Tool Library, and we have also delivered more than 20 tool workshops where we have trained over 200 people to build their skills and their confidence while also creating community connections. “Our Tool Library and workshops are all about giving people the tools, the skills, and the support that they need to do things for themselves or help their neighbours. We know that having access to the Tool Library has helped people whose homes were damaged by the 2022 disaster to do work at home that they couldn’t otherwise afford” “This new online system makes it quicker and easier for people to find what they need and plan their jobs.”The updated website means people can now browse the full library of tools collection, check what’s available, and reserve items ahead of time. It also includes simple guides and answers to common questions about how the system works.Tool hire is free; however, some items, such as the trailer, require a refundable cash deposit. Check each item page for details. Visit the new system today and see what’s available at www.resilientlismore.org/tool-library.Resilient Lismore’s Community Recovery and Resilience Hub is open Wednesday to Friday, 10am - 2pm, at 215 Keen Street, Lismore, next to the Lismore Workers Club.

A new Southern Cross University research project is aiming to increase the seed yields of hemp plants by up to fifty per cent, in what could be a game-changer for the industry’s productivity and profitability.The project, looking at naturally occurring variations in the sex determination of hemp plants, has the backing of the Australian Research Council through a $561,251 Linkage grant, with Northern Rivers-based Kavasil Pty Ltd as the industry partner.Researchers hope it will offer a significant and sustainable boost to the industry with better seed yields and less chemical intervention.‘Swinging both ways – the genetic control of sex expression in hemp LP240200616’ will look at characterising the sex-determining genetic factors in low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Cannabis genetics, with the aim of modifying male plants so they produce seed as well as pollen.Hemp is an emerging high-value crop in Australia that produces high-quality edible oils and plant-based protein from seeds.Typically, hemp has separate male and female plants. While male plants are important for pollination, they don’t produce seed, causing low and variable yields.Low-THC Cannabis is also the natural source of the cannabinoid known as cannabidiol or CBD.While agrochemicals, such as the plant growth regulator Ethephon can be used to induce female flowers on male plants, Southern Cross University researchers on Kavasil Pty Ltd projects have identified a genetic solution to favourably alter sex expression in plants.Lead investigator Professor Tobias Kretzschmar said he hopes that this technology could be developed to increase hempseed yields by up to fifty per cent.“If we can boost seed production, that in turn will boost profitability for farmers and ultimately lower the cost of hempseed products for consumers,” he said.Industry partner Kavasil Pty Ltd focuses on high-value hempseed as a functional food. Founder and Chief Executive Andrew Kavasilas said he was pleased to see the endorsement of hempseed research through the latest grant.“Increasing yields and predictability will help further develop our capacity to supply the domestic markets and supply chain with high-quality Australian-grown hempseed and related products. “It’s good to see recognition of this work as a crucial research endeavour that will help the broader Cannabis industries focused on superior nutritional value, industrial and medical uses. The benefits to farmers and consumers are clear,” he said.The latest Linkage grant builds on a successful 2022 Linkage bid for a $530,543 grant to advance the University’s work on hempseed development with Mr Kavasilas, supporting research into hemp's nutritional and functional properties.The University has decades of established expertise in hemp and medicinal cannabis science and is proud to be the research lead on the Australian Industrial Hemp Program of Research, a five-year initiative funded by AgriFutures Australia to assist with the growth of the industry.Key research themes of the Australian Industrial Hemp Program of Research include enhancing hemp germplasm, optimizing agronomic techniques, exploring value adding of hemp seed products, and assessing sustainability criteria of hemp cultivation.The goal is to support the growth of the Australian hemp industry guided by the Australian Industrial Hemp Strategic Research, Development and Extension Plan (2022–2027) and involves collaboration with various partners, including government departments, other universities, and private enterprises.Collectively, these efforts aim to position hemp as a viable and environmentally beneficial crop in Australia.

The Lismore Theatre Company (LTC) is excited to bring its next production, Black Adder 2 - The Elizabethan Era, to life at the Rochdale Theatre during August.LTC has a long tradition of bringing classic British Comedy Series to the stage, such as Fawlty Towers, Father Ted, and Monty Python. Now, the production team that created a sold-out season for 'Life Without Me' and 'Dead White Males' is responsible for adapting this classic TV comedy series for the stage.The show is being co-directed by Sharon Brodie and Tamieka Watts. These two make a dynamic duo who truly believe that teamwork makes the dream work. The Blackadder series has been voted as one of the funniest British comedies of all time, and Blackadder II is the funniest of them all. Come and join Edmund Blackadder and his friends for some cunning plans and journeys through Elizabethan England.This show has been adapted from the TV script by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton by John McPherson, with performance rights donated to Comic Relief.Based on two episodes of the legendary BBC TV sitcom, this hilarious show finds the scheming Lord Edmund Blackadder exploiting his withering wit and cowardly cunning to seek his fortune at court. As ever, Blackadder’s ambitions are constantly hampered by his idiotic sidekicks - the aristocratic buffoon Lord Percy and turnip-loving Baldrick. To gain favour with Queenie, he must also contend with the eccentric ramblings of Nursie and the crafty scorn of Lord Melchett.The production team have had amazing support from the cast and crew to create a new set for the theatre. Lismore Timber and Plywood have helped by donating timber for us, and there has been a flurry of activity to get everything ready. We are also using the fabulous Elizabethan costumes that the Woolongbar TAFE Costume Students created for the 2023 production of 'Dead White Males ', but they have been dyed and altered to become new creations to suit this show.The cast is a great mix of new and old players for the theatre. Everyone is working together really well, and there is a wonderful camaraderie amongst all the players. The newer actors are being mentored by our more experienced actors, and the performances are hysterical.Ruben Garcia is stepping into the lead role as Edmund Black Adder and is rocking it with his dry, sarcastic humour. He says, 'This is a fabulous team of players who have all dedicated themselves to bringing this story to life. The set, the costumes and performances are outstanding and not to be missed.'(Lord Percy Shelley - Tristan Smillie, Lord Edmund Black Adder - Ruben Garcia and Baldrick - Christian Caroll. Photo: supplied)A great new actor to the area is Christian Caroll, who plays Baldrick. His comic timing is first rate, and he says, 'This show will be a great, fun night out. In particular, the many lovers of Blackadder will revel in reliving these two riotous episodes performed live, while newbies will likely want to rush home and binge-watch the whole series'We also have the stunning Jenny Law taking on the role of Queenie. She brings just the perfect level of regal opulence and madness to her performance that will make her a crowd favourite. She says, 'If the audience has half as much fun watching the show as the cast and crew are having putting it on, it will be the most fun thing you do all year!'The show opens on Friday, 1st of August and finishes on Saturday, 16th of August.Tickets $30 Adult/ $25 Concession and are on sale now through Trybooking https://www.trybooking.com/DASEL or via the LTC website www.lismoretheatrecompany.org.au.

Lismore City Council has closed the waiting room facility at the Transit Centre on the corner of Molesworth and Magellan streets following a joint assessment with NSW Police and local bus service providers.The decision was made in response to ongoing concerns about unsafe and disruptive behaviour by a small number of individuals. Importantly, the public toilets at the site remain open and accessible for travellers.Council’s Acting Chief Operating and Financial Officer Matt Potter acknowledged community safety is a shared responsibility, and said the closure reflects a coordinated response to protect the well-being of residents, businesses and visitors.“We’re committed to working collaboratively with police and transport services to ensure safe and welcoming public spaces across the city," he said.Council has also confirmed the Transit Centre site will be included in the concept planning for the Lismore CBD Precinct, as outlined in the recently adopted Community Strategic Plan.“This decision also gives us the opportunity to think long term. That corner of the CBD will be redesigned as part of our broader plans to revitalise and improve the city centre,” Mr Potter said.“We want to create a safe, vibrant CBD and the community will have an opportunity to help shape what that looks like.”Planning for the CBD Precinct will commence in the coming months, with community engagement to follow as part of the design process.

Yesterday, the Lismore App reported on the closing of an iconic Lismore business, Harris Cycle.Today, we are reporting on not only a new business in the CBD but also two new residents in the Lismore LGA.Vivian Li and her husband moved to Lismore from Palm Beach on the Gold Coast, following a work transfer, in February this year.Vivian has been working in mobile phone repair industry for 10 years and owned her business on the Gold Coast. She decided to reopen the business in Lismore at the Star Court Arcade, next to the Star Court Theatre.Yesterday was the opening day for Vivian Phone Solution.Don't let the name fool you, Vivian repairs other technological items besides mobile phones."I do phone repairs, tablet repairs, laptop repairs, almost everything about phones or tablets," Vivian explained."And all brands, so Apple, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, everything. We sell accessories as well, like car mounts, cables, chargers and power banks."Vivian said the two most common issues people need to repair are cracked screens and batteries."Many people don't want to change to the new phone, but the battery goes really quickly, so we can change to a new battery at 10% of the cost of a new phone. So, a new phone is around $1,800, and a new battery would normally cost around $150.Vivian also offers assistance once you purchase a new mobile phone, and you are not confident in setting it up or how to operate it. She offers water damage cleaning, phone cleaning from dust, dirt and debris, diagnostics and troubleshooting.Check out the Vivian Phone Solution website https://vivian-phone-solution.square.site. You can book an appointment on the website; however, Vivian also accepts walk-ins, too.Please note that it is challenging to stock all screens for every device of every brand, so some screens may need to be ordered, which means a two-day wait for the part to arrive.Vivian Phone Solution is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and weekends by appointment.Vivian Phone Solution is in the Star Court Arcade, next to the Star Court Theatre off Molesworth Street in the CBD.

In a long awaited announcement that will be widely appreciated by the large LGBTQIA+ community in Lismore and the Northern Rivers, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has removed most sexual activity wait times for life-saving plasma donations, safely paving the way for many gay and bisexual men, transgender people, sex workers, and people on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEPi) to help save lives.Previous donor rules prevented many people from the LGBTQIA+ and sex worker communities from donating plasma if they had sex within the past three months.Plasma, the “liquid gold” part of blood, is now the donation type most needed by Australian patients, with treatment for more than 50 medical conditions reliant on its supply.Some 625,000 Australians may become eligible to donate plasma, with Lifeblood anticipating around 95,000 additional donations of plasma to be made each year.CEO Stephen Cornelissen AM thanked the community for their overwhelming support of these changes.“We’re looking forward to welcoming many more people into our donor centres from today.“Importantly, today’s change will allow those on PrEP to become the first in the world to donate plasma without a wait period.”He said patient safety would always be Lifeblood’s top priority, and that extensive research and modelling had shown these changes can be implemented without compromising the safety of Australia’s blood supply.  “Over the next 12 months, we estimate an extra 24,000 donors will give plasma, but we know people have been eagerly awaiting these changes and hope to far exceed these numbers.”Lifeblood has also been progressing changes to blood and platelets donation eligibility, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approving a submission to remove gender-based sexual activity rules.  These changes – known as gender-neutral assessments – are expected to be introduced in 2026, and once implemented, will see all donors being asked the same questions about sexual activity, regardless of gender or sexuality.“These two changes are underpinned by research and evidence that demonstrate safety, and together, will allow the greatest number of people to donate blood and plasma.“While the rules were put in place to ensure a safe blood supply in the past, we know they have contributed to the stigma faced by many and hope today will be a turning point for Lifeblood and the LGBTQIA+ community and that people will feel welcome to come forward to donate their life-saving plasma,” Stephen added.The Lismore App would receive regular emails from the LGBTQIA+ community commenting that the restrictions feel "outdated and unfair". The comment was also made that if the restrictions were lifted, "I would love nothing more than to help save lives". That time has come.To book a donation, call 13 14 95, visit lifeblood.com.au or download the Donate Blood App. [i] PrEP is an acronym that stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It involves HIV negative people taking antiretroviral medication to protect them and prevent HIV infection. Currently, people must wait 12 months after they last took PrEP to donate blood, or 3 months for plasma. 

Australians are being offered free health checks at their local Priceline Pharmacy during National Diabetes Week (13–19 July) in an effort to strengthen efforts to prevent type 2 diabetes.Conducted on a digital health station, checks are free, self-service, and take as little as five minutes to complete. The Health Stations can be found in over 300 participating Priceline Pharmacies, including Lismore, Casino and Byron Bay, giving people a quick and easy way to check their type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and metabolic health risks, with instant results. Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the initiative has the potential to save thousands of lives and ease growing pressure on the health system.“There are 1.3 million Australians living with type 2 diabetes and another 500,000 living with silent, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes,” Ms Cain said.“Worryingly, there are another 2 million people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A simple, free check could be the difference between early detection and a life-threatening diabetes complication like a heart attack or stroke.“Despite the role that genetics and family history play in diabetes, we know that up to 58 per cent of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes. A health check is a practical way to help Australians understand their risk and improve their health.“This National Diabetes Week, we want to highlight the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and the prevention of complications from all types of diabetes.“These are critically important to protect the health of Australians now and into the future.”Priceline Pharmacy National Pharmacy Support Manager, Mel Gannon, said: “Pharmacies are one of the most accessible healthcare touchpoints in Australia, and at Priceline Pharmacy, we take that responsibility seriously. Early intervention saves lives, and it all starts with knowing your numbers.”Lee Chinprahust, 34, is a physically active security analyst. Five years ago, he started feeling unusually tired, so visited his GP. It was a simple step that had a profound impact. A routine blood test confirmed Lee had type 2 diabetes. Further checks revealed high blood pressure and high cholesterol, warning signs that often go unnoticed. “I wasn’t expecting it,” Lee said. “But catching it early gave me the chance to take control before things became more serious.”Now 34, Lee has become a strong advocate for prevention and early intervention. He is managing his condition with metformin, a healthy diet, and regular exercise. His latest HbA1c result is 6 per cent, which is a sign of healthy management. “It’s all about the choices you make once you know what you’re dealing with,” he says. “But first, you need to know.”The Priceline Health Stations can identify risks early, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. The health check initiative comes after Diabetes Australia reported updated economic modelling showing all types of diabetes are now costing the health system an estimated $9.1 billion annually, almost three times higher than previously reported.New analysis by Diabetes Australia, using updated prevalence data and the latest international evidence, highlights the true scale of the type 2 diabetes crisis.“Type 2 diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing Australia. Every 8 minutes, someone is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. If we don’t act now, up to 3.2 million Australians could be living with type 2 diabetes by 2050. It’s not all preventable, but where it is we need to take strong action,” Ms Cain said. “Behind the health costs are millions of Australians facing serious complications like stroke, heart disease and vision loss. We must do more to prevent those complications as much as possible.”Ms Cain said that while Australia has made progress in other areas of disease prevention, such as breast cancer and melanoma, diabetes has not received the same level of national attention.“Australia is lagging behind other countries when it comes to type 2 diabetes prevention. We need a strong, coordinated public health response,” she said.“That includes education campaigns, better food labelling, school-based initiatives and improved access to prevention and early intervention services.Diabetes Australia is calling on governments to act urgently, with increased investment in community-based prevention and awareness programs to ease the growing burden on Australia’s health system.“Free checks are an important first step, but they must be part of a bigger, long-term strategy to tackle this national type 2 diabetes epidemic.”

The Lismore TAFE site in the CBD has been fenced off for over three years, and most of it still is. However, the view from Keen Street looks more typical of its long history of serving the community, thanks to the renovation of Buildings C and E.Building C was the old Ambulance Station, opened in 1933, and Building E was the old Trades School, which was opened in 1929.(The plaque on Building E, the old Trades School)When Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan and Steve Brady, the head of TAFE for NSW, joined Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin in January 2024, the discussion centred on the courses Lismore would offer to the community. With the risk of future flooding, the state government has been exploring courses where equipment can be easily and quickly relocated when a flood is imminent. In the past, ceramic courses that utilised heavy kilns were offered.In 2024, Mr Brady said, "We're very keen to make sure we have got a vibrant campus here that supports the local community, but we don't want to be investing in heavy equipment which is then going to be ruined when there's another event. So, we're trying to get that right balance, but what we're probably looking at is a different mix of courses and looking at courses that don't require that heavy machinery investment."Eighteen months on, TAFE students are returning to the CBD campus, but on a staggered timetable as renovation works continue on the rest of the campus.Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin says it is great to see TAFE students return to Lismore’s CBD, with a range of courses now on offer at the site.“It has been a long road back since the devastation of the 2017 and 2022 floods, but the heritage buildings on the Keen Street campus are refurbished and TAFE CBD campus is open for business. The campus opened in Semester One this year with courses which included Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways, Community Pharmacy, Retail and Auslan. In Semester Two, this has been expanded to include certificate-level courses in Visual Arts, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts, Hospitality and Business. “I know that there is a lot of excitement about the return of Arts courses to the City, along with our own NORPA taking over the Joinery (former Hampton and Larson site) that is right in between The QUAD and TAFE.” TAFE Art teacher Steven Giese says the move of art courses back to Keen Street shows TAFE's determination to continue its support of creative industries in a town famous for its high levels of cultural energy and resilience. “The CBD is the cultural hub of Lismore with the Regional Gallery, the Serpentine Community Gallery and a host of other arts friendly places and events and it’s great to have our students relating directly to Lismore's art institutions and to the community in general.”  Ms Saffin said it's wonderful to have students return to the CBD as every reopening speaks to our ability to thrive in the heart of the city and surrounds.  “I encourage prospective students to look into what’s on offer at the CBD campus.  TAFE has brought its mobile kitchen to the campus to offer the Cert II in Hospitality, and for anyone looking for a career in admin, reception of customer service, the highly regarded Cert III in Business is also now open for enrolment.”  

Lismore will lose one of its oldest businesses for good at the end of September when Harris Cycle closes its doors after 107 years of trading in Lismore.It was 1918 when Cecil Harris and Harold Wotherspoon joined forces and opened Harris Cycle at 85 Keen Street. Darryl Pursey and Jo Bonaccorsi were forced to move from Keen Street in 2021 to Bridge Street in North Lismore when the building was sold and the owners wanted to renovate and move in.Darryl and Jo had contemplated selling the business pre-COVID, but the global pandemic and then the 2022 floods delayed their decision. When they moved to North Lismore, they decided to build the business up and then sell it.The problem was that over the last twelve months, no serious buyer has come forward.It is an emotional decision for Darryl, as he has been involved in Harris Cycle for 40 years.(Darryl and Jo are ready to take a break)Darryl married Amanda Wotherspoon, whose father, Cy, bought out the Harris side of the business. When he had a Cerebral Haemorrhage in 1985, Darryl stepped in to do the mechanical side of the business, while Cy's wife, Pam, ran the business. Amanda later joined too.A few years later, Darryl purchased the business and became the owner of Harris Cycle."As far as trying to sell the thing, or thinking about getting out, it hasn't been an on-the-spot decision. This is something that's been happening for quite a few years. We did think Harris Cycle would sell, because it's a viable business."Darryl and Jo had one potential buyer lined up; however, financing fell through, and they were back to having no buyer."I may just keep waiting around for someone for another couple of years, and there may still be no one, and then we're two years old or. So, we feel we have to make the decision at some point. It's just like changing your job. People change their jobs every six years or something. I've been here 40 years, and I'm ready for a change."We will go into semi-retirement, we're not going to go into full retirement. It will be nice to do something different for a while."The next twelve months will be the life of a full retiree, as Darryl and Jo recharge their batteries. Their time may involve travel and riding bikes, but it won't involve selling and fixing them.After twelve months?"I may do a workshop or something. I still think someone's going to have to come into town and open up another shop, because it definitely needs it. We don't stand around; we're working all the time there. The rail trail has pushed up business.Whether you are a lover or hater of the Rail Trail, Darryl and Jo say it saved Harris Cycle from closing earlier; in fact, it is now thriving with more upside ahead when the North Lismore to Byron section is open."That's what saved us, coming out of the flood, really," Darryl explained. "Lismore was just dead, and we hadn't really come back anywhere near our normal trading figures, and the minute Muurwilliumbah opened up, it just went back to normal trading, probably better in some way. That shocked me, because I thought north of us, Tweed and the Gold Coast would get that business."It probably was a knock-on effect from the flood. I think people were probably looking for something to do. They were desperate to do something that opened up. And we were inundated with getting old bikes going so they can go and ride it. That went really strong, and 12 months later, Lismore to Casino opened. So, we had another spike.""We are seeing a bit of a knock on now from families coming back, wanting to buy bikes for their kids. I'd reckon it'd be close to 60-70% of the people you ask, What are you going to do with the bikes? Ride the rail trail is the answer. Everyone's planning on riding it, and it's a safe haven for families. When you're out there, you see Mum, Dad and a couple of kids. I never saw that before, and Lismore had nowhere to ride safely before, and now you do. That's great."Harris Cycle is still for sale, so if you are interested in having a discussion with Darryl and Jo about buying one of Lismore's historic businesses, pop in and have a chat.If you are in the process of upgrading your bike or buying a new one for the kids, visit 63 Bridge Street, North Lismore, to see what discounts you can get from Darryl and Jo. There is no set sale discount on any stock, but everything must go by the end of September.

State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin has congratulated Lismore-based Women Up North on securing two grants in the first-ever domestic and family violence specific Aboriginal Community Safety Grant program.Ms Saffin said Women Up North will use a $138,996 grant to run an outreach service to support Aboriginal pregnant teenagers and young mothers at high risk of domestic, family and sexual violence with culturally safe health and life education. Women Up North will also use a $74,626 grant to work with Northern Rivers Aboriginal communities to encourage appropriate responses to domestic violence risk and occurrence to improve safety,” Ms Saffin said.“Women Up North is just a great organisation which has stood the test of time; it’s still delivering a wide range of targeted support services to local women and children.”Women Up North’s Chief Executive Officer Jillian Knight-Smith said: "Women Up North is led by an Aboriginal Chair and a majority Aboriginal board.“We are proud and excited to share that our Bugalma Bihyn program team has secured funding to support our local communities,” Ms Knight-Smith said.“This funding will help fill critical service gaps for young Aboriginal mothers and their children, while also empowering our communities with knowledge of trauma-informed responses to domestic, family, and sexual violence."Ms Saffin said the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments were investing $3.8 million a total of 32 projects under the Aboriginal Community Safety Grant program.This program is part of a wider effort by both governments to close the gap in family safety outcomes and improve the lives of Aboriginal people in New South Wales. All projects strengthen services for victim-survivors and align with:The First Action Plan 2023–2027 under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032The upcoming NSW Aboriginal Domestic Family and Sexual Violence PlanCommitments under both the NSW and Commonwealth Government’s Closing the Gap implementation plans to help achieve:Target 13 to reduce the rate of all forms of family violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children by at least 50 per cent, as progress towards zeroPriority Reform Area 2 to build a strong and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled sector to deliver services that meet the needs of indigenous communities.By supporting Aboriginal-led program development, the grants promote self-determination, community innovation, and culturally grounded, place-based responses.In addition, Aboriginal-led, trauma-informed, and culturally safe strategies recognise the importance of culture, connection to Country and the role of men’s and women’s business in responding to and healing from family violence.For more information on the 32 projects, go to:  https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/grant-recipients?nid=90454

A new clinical trial at Southern Cross University’s National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM), looking at improving anxiety management in adults with autism, is calling for participants. The trial, funded by Australian company Medibis Pty Ltd, will assess whether a medicinal cannabis product can assist with anxiety management in adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The trial is being conducted through the Clinical Trials Centre at the Southern Cross University Lismore campus. Dr Janet Schloss, Clinical Research Fellow, is the Coordinating Principal Investigator, and Professor Andrew Cashin, Professor of Autism and Intellectual Disability, is the Principal Investigator. “The conduct of this clinical trial will allow us to understand if medicinal cannabis could offer benefit in adults living with ASD,” said Professor Cashin. Researchers are seeking generally healthy people aged 18+ years with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD. Twenty-four people will be recruited into the trial over the coming months. This 15-week trial has six face-to-face appointments at the Lismore clinical trials centre, including blood and urine tests. For more information and to see if you’re eligible, check out: https://redcap.link/MCASD or email NCNMtrials@scu.edu.au. This research has been approved by the Bellberry Human Research Ethics Committee 2024-09-1241.

For the first time, Australian scientists have used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate a ready-to-use biological protein, in this case, one that can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria like E. coli.There has been a recent surge in proteins developed by AI that will eventually be used in the treatment of everything from snakebites to cancer. What would normally take decades for a scientist to create – a custom-made protein for a particular disease – can now be done in seconds.This study, published in Nature Communications, provides a new way to combat the growing crisis caused by antibiotic-resistant superbugs. By using AI in this way, Australian science has now joined countries like the US and China in having developed AI platforms capable of rapidly generating thousands of ready-to-use proteins, paving the way for faster, more affordable drug development and diagnostics that could transform biomedical research and patient care.The Nature Communications paper is co-led by Dr Rhys Grinter and Associate Professor Gavin Knott, a Snow Medical Fellow, who leads the new AI Protein Design Program with nodes at the University of Melbourne Bio21 Institute and Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute.According to Dr Grinter and Associate Professor Knott, the AI Protein Design Platform used in this work is the first in Australia that models the work done by David Baker (who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year) developing an end-to-end approach that could create a wide range of proteins. “These proteins are now being developed as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, nanomaterials and tiny sensors, with many other applications yet to be tested,” Associate Professor Knott said.Daniel Fox, the PhD student who performed most of the experimental work for the study, said the AI Protein Design Platform used AI-driven protein design tools that are freely available for scientists everywhere. “It’s important to democratize protein design so that the whole world has the ability to leverage these tools,” he said. “Using these tools and those we are developing in-house, we can engineer proteins to bind a specific target site or ligand, as inhibitors, agonists or antagonists, or engineered enzymes with improved activity and stability.”According to Dr Grinter, proteins currently used in the treatment of diseases such as cancer or infections are derived from nature and repurposed through rational design or in vitro evolution and selection. “These new methods in deep learning enable efficient de novo design of proteins with specific characteristics and functions, lowering the cost and accelerating the development of novel protein binders and engineered enzymes,” he said.Since the work of David Baker, new tools and software are being developed, such as Bindcraft and Chai, which have been incorporated into an AI Protein Design Platformco-led by Dr Grinter and Associate Professor Knott. Professor John Carroll, Director of the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said the new AI Protein Design Program brings Australia “right up to speed in this exciting new modality for designing novel therapeutics and research tools. It is testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of two fabulous young scientists who have worked night and day to build this capability from scratch.”  Associate Professor Knott said: “The Program, based at Monash University and the University of Melbourne, is run by a team of talented structural biologists and computer scientists who understand the design process from end-to-end. This in-depth knowledge of protein structure and machine learning makes us a highly agile program capable of regularly onboarding cutting-edge tools in AI-protein design.”

People are being reminded to protect themselves from the sun even during winter, with a new report estimating that almost one million adults across the state were sunburnt at least once over a four-week period.Cancer Institute NSW’s latest Sun Protection Behaviours Report, released today, shows 15 per cent of people surveyed reported being sunburnt, up from 12 per cent in the previous report.The report found young people were more likely to be exposed to the sun and experience sunburn, with one in four 18-24-year-olds reporting a sunburn in a four-week period.Young adults were also less likely to adopt sun protection behaviours such as wearing a hat and sunglasses.Encouragingly, the report found more than 80 per cent of respondents used at least one form of sun protection, though only 35 per cent always or often used three or more. It also found exposure to the sun for more than 15 minutes when UV is at its highest reduced among NSW adults overall, from 46 to 41 per cent.Ninety-five per cent of melanoma and 99 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and can be prevented with proper sun protection. The general rule is to protect your skin from the sun when the UV index is at three or above, which in NSW is most of the year, including in winter.The Cancer Institute of NSW released a melanoma hotspot map in November 2024, revealing that the Lismore, Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, and Coffs Harbour local government areas (LGAs) have the state’s highest rates of melanoma.The most effective defence against overexposure to UV radiation is to follow these five key steps:Slip on protective clothingSlop on SPF50+ sunscreen. Sunscreen should always be applied 20 minutes before heading outdoors and re-applied every two hours.Slap on a wide-brimmed hatSeek shadeSlide on sunglassesOther report insightsClose to 50 per cent of young adults (aged 18 -24 years) reported higher levels of sun exposure, compared to 41 per cent in the overall population.Close to 26 per cent of young adults reported sunburn, compared to close to 15 per cent of the overall population.Almost 50 per cent of males were likely to report being exposed to the sun, compared to about 34 per cent of females.Participants from Sydney metropolitan local health districts (LHDs) were significantly less likely to report often or always being exposed to the sun compared to coastal and regional/rural LHDs.Shade is harder to come by, with a reduction in ease of finding shade down three per cent to 77 per cent.The latest Sun Protection Behaviours Report analyses data from the 2022 NSW Health Population Health Survey, which asked about 13,000 people to report on their sun exposure, episodes of sunburn, adoption of the five sun protection behaviours and the ease of finding shade at public parks.The Cancer Institute NSW has several initiatives in place to reduce the impact of skin cancer in NSW as part of its Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy 2023-2030.More information on how to reduce your risk of skin cancer is available on the Cancer Institute NSW website. Minister for Health Ryan Park said, “The release of the latest Sun Protection Behaviours Report is a good reminder, especially to the state’s young adults, to always take protective measures when outdoors.“Being sun smart isn’t just for summertime. Skin damage is still a serious risk in winter, when you often don’t think about harmful UV because the weather is cooler.“Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world, and we need to take the threat of skin cancer seriously and follow the simple, life-saving steps needed to reduce our risk of this deadly disease.” NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive Cancer Institute NSW, Professor Tracey O’Brien AM said, “Two out of three Australians will be treated for skin cancer in their lifetime and skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting young Australians, so it is worrying to see that an estimated one in four young people report getting sunburnt.“I urge everyone to do the simple things like seeking shade when outdoors, wearing sunscreen, putting on a hat, sunglasses and protective clothing to safeguard themselves from the sun’s harmful UV radiation.“In NSW, UV radiation levels are high 10 months of the year, so even in winter, adopting sun protection behaviours is essential, particularly at high altitudes and on reflective surfaces such as snow or ice.”Grace Passfield, who was diagnosed with stage four melanoma in 2021 at age 33 said, “As a young mother with two small boys, being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma was a huge shock, it was my worst nightmare. “As well as wearing sunscreen, hat and long-sleeve shirts, I encourage everyone to be aware of the UV each day and avoid being outdoors when it is really high. I think as a parent, it’s important to model our behaviours to our kids and to always wear sun protection, in the same way we insist they do.“It’s also important that everyone knows their own skin and what’s normal for them and takes the time to get regular skin checks.”

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan sat down for a chat this week in the latest Talking Lismore Podcast.Mr Hogan discusses the Coalition's huge loss in May's Federal Election. Of course, for the National Party, the result was a status quo, as they didn't lose any seats in such a poor Coalition result.The big losses for the Coalition were in the cities around the country, not the regional areas, which led Mr Hogan to say he is very conscious of a divide between the country and the cities.Back in 2007, Kevin Rudd also won with a large majority, but seats like Dawson, Flynn and Capricornia in Queensland, and even Page in NSW (won by Janelle Saffin) were held by the National Party in this latest rout."So, what that's telling me is there's something very different going on in the cities than what there are in the country. Because if you've gone back to say 2013 and go, Well, okay, you've just lost all those seats, but you're going to win by the same margin in 2025, they go, and everyone would pen those seats in, right? But they're winning seats in the cities that they've never won before. And so there's a real country-city thing happening, which is quite interesting," Mr Hogan said.When asked what this divide is, Mr Hogan replied, "I'm not sure if I know the answer to it, but let's, let's pick up one issue. So, if we were to talk, and it's a really controversial issue, the rollout of the renewables. In the cities, that all sounds like a great idea, right? Okay, we we think there's some question marks about reliability and baseload power, but let's not touch that one right now. Let's just talk about that we need 60 million solar panels to be built in Australia to reach the target that Labor is setting us for renewables, we need 17,000 wind turbines to reach that. Guess where they're all being built? Right? They're all being built in regional Australia, which is causing a lot of issues in the regions.""Whether it be the offshore ones, which people are concerned about for different tourism reasons and coastal reasons and stuff and whale migration and other things, to losing agricultural land and to the poles and wires that have to be built in the transmission system through some pristine native forests and farmland. All these issues are regional."Mr Hogan has a theory that sitting in the centre right politically is now counter-culture."What do I mean by counter-culture? You're not supported by mainstream. It's almost like being the hippie of the '60s, right? If you're the hippie of the '60s, you were counter-culture. You were pushing something that wasn't mainstream beliefs or mainstream values."Why do I say that centre right is not mainstream values anymore? Well, let's take some of the really important institutions in our country, right? The public service, left wing. I mean, look how they vote. Look at Canberra, solidly left-wing. Mainstream bureaucracy are left-wing. The media, with respect to yourself, with my experience, I would say 70% of the media are left-wing. And I think journalism has gone a bit that way. It's more of an activist thing than putting your own point of view. Everything's editorial rather than objective reporting."The education system. Show me a right-wing academic. Show me an academic from a university, especially in the arts and politics and the liberal side of it, there aren't any. We've seen corporate Australia go woke, and we've seen that with a lot of causes."What I think has also happened, which is interesting, I think it's a pendulum. All our institutions have gone left-wing, so being centre-right is counter-culture. Now, I think that will change. Should we change our minds on everything we believe just to agree with everybody? I think there's got to be certain values that you respect and say, Look, I get that people don't agree with us at the moment, we have to obviously articulate that on platforms, and in a way that we think is explaining it better."Politics is not complicated to me. You either believe in socialism, high taxes and big government, which is what the Labor Party is, or you don't; you believe more in capitalism, business and people getting ahead and being aspirational. Now, I know there's a mix of that, and there are grey areas of it with both sides, but there is a big difference."And I'll tell you one policy that I think highlights this, and I thought was one of the most scary policies of the last Parliament, and that was the Misinformation Bill. Now what was that? That was a bureaucrat, someone who sat somewhere in Canberra who said, Okay, if a social media platform puts up something that we think is misinformation, we will fine that platform or that distributor of that information millions and millions of dollars. Now, the left thinks that's a great idea because they think government knows best.The prime minister doesn't like memes of himself looking silly. This is freedom of speech we're talking about, right? The Voice was all fought on that. If you disagreed with the left on The Voice, you were sprouting misinformation. It's not misinformation. It's a difference of opinion. And that's why I lean to the centre right politics, because I think it's more into the freedom, it's more into liberties, it's more into enterprise and people having a go. And the government doesn't always know better. I don't think you can abandon those values.PETITION TO TAK 1-2 METRES OFF A FLOODMr Hogan has put forward a petition for people to sign that he can present to Jai Vaze, the lead scientist from the CSIRO, and relevant ministers, requesting that a model to take 1 to 2 metres off a flood throughout the Richmond Catchment be included in the tested scenarios. To achieve that result, Mr Hogan believes that engineering solutions will be necessary.(A crowd gathered in Woodburn to sign Kevin Hogan's petition)"Some greenies do not support engineering solutions to flood mitigation. They just want nature-based solutions, things like planting more trees or developing a wetland or stuff. And I'm not opposed to that. I think that nature-based solutions can be part of the solution, but I think for what we need to do to keep ourselves safe, we need engineering solutions as well."The CSIRO are going to come up here to really consult and ask What do you want? They can't run multiple scenarios. They can't run endless scenarios of what we would look to do. I think one of the scenarios for me, what I think is digestible and it's possible with not too much of an impact, is that we model taking up to anywhere between one to two metres off a flood across the catchment. And engineering solutions will have to be part of that.The conversation turned to protecting our local businesses in the CBD, South Lismore, North Lismore and even a few in East Lismore from another flood that overtops the levee wall or worse."I am an optimist. I'm an eternal optimist, but I would struggle to be an optimist for some of our towns and villages if we didn't do this. Because, if we had a flood again, as you say, we'd see another half of our businesses close overnight, and not come back, and that means we'd have a real problem with our future. So I think it's the most important thing on the agenda."When it comes to money, no level of government has committed at least $2 billion to fund flood mitigation solutions. Sure, there is no modelled scenario in place with which to cost, but the consensus is it will be north of $2 billion to achieve a result that is meaningful."I always thought the buyback system was flawed. If we were to have said, right at the start, we're going to look to take up to two metres off a flood, between one to two metres off a flood, we think it's going to roughly cost $2 billion. Now, having said that the 2022, event itself was a $15 billion event, so government spend far more on recovery than they do on prevention."This is flipping that a bit to flood mitigate or to make floods lower than they otherwise would be. I think that's money well spent, and means governments would be spending less on recovery going forward. So, I think we should have been talking about this a long time ago. And I thought if you'd said two or three years ago, we're going to do a model, we're going to come up with this type of scenario, if it's around 2 billion, which we think it will be, we'll commit to it now, but you're going to have to make a decision whether you stay in your home or leave, because this is going to take up to maybe, I don't know, let's call it seven years for this to happen. Then everyone could have made an informed decision and said, Am I prepared to punt and get flooded again within seven years or not. I'm making seven years up, but around that type of ballpark, or not. And I think, we could have made better informed decisions."But right now we've got a, I think, a half-bottched buyback scheme that's moving half a street. What does that solve? Some people have brought back on the floodplain. What did that solve? And as I say, our shopping areas, our industrial estates, aren't protected. So you know, flood mitigation would have resolved a lot of those issues, and some of those houses certainly would have never been brought back."Is Mr Hogan confident that the Federal and State Governments will fund a $2 billion plus flood mitigation scenario that will take 1-2 metres off a flood?"I've done a little bit of homework on this, and that's why I've been talking one to two metres, which is about $2 billion, it is a bit of a ballpark figure, and I think that's digestible. I'm hoping that's digestible for government. You can do whatever you like, right, but it becomes difficult, I think, for me to try to sell if you can take 10 meters off a flood. But the money involved in that, and the works involved in that, are going to be quite significant."But I think one to two meters, or $2 billion is sellable. And I don't think we have a future without it. And I'm very passionate about the fact that we do it, and I'm very optimistic that the model, if we get this up, the model that the CSIRO says, of how you do that, will be world class."You can sign Kevin Hogan's Flood Mitigation Petition by clicking here. He is asking that a model to take 1-2 metres off a flood is modelled by the CSIRO.To listen to the full Talking Lismore podcast, click on the link to hear it via the App or click here to listen through your PC.

We are in store for a picture-perfect winter weekend in Lismore and the Northern Rivers this weekend.The Bureau of Meteorology forecast shows a cool 4 degrees to start the day, before clear sunny skies fill our weekend with maximum temperatures of 19 to 20 degrees.The rest of July and early August is a period with no major events. August 31 marks the 2025 Darrel Chapman Fun Run. Spring will then see the 2025 Lismore Cup, the Masters Games, and the Lismore Show.Art lovers are certainly in their element, with three exhibitions to be viewed in the Lismore CBD, two at the Lismore Regional Gallery.Through the Heart, the profound photographic exhibition from the 2022 floods by renowned local artist Jacklyn Wagner is showing at the Lismore Regional Gallery (11 Rural Street) until Sunday, 10 August.Also at the gallery is the 2024 Archibald Prize. This is only the second time the Archibald has been displayed in Lismore, and likely the last for the next few years.The works of 57 finalist artists can be viewed, along with those of local Northern Rivers artists Matt Adnate (winner of the Packing Room Prize), Angus McDonald, and Ben Smith.Entry is $15 or $10 with a concession. Book your tickets here.The Lismore Regional Gallery is open between 10am and 4pm. The Archibald has three session times, 10am-12pm, 12pm-2pm and 2pm-4pm.Converge, the arts space shared by 11 Lismore and Northern Artists who were affected by the 2022 floods opens its exhibition tonight at 123 Woodlark Street.Bright Light Habits is the culmination of a year's work for the artists, who used the Woodlark Street space to create their body of work.The exhibition runs from tomorrow (July 12) to Saturday, July 26. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday, 11am to 6pm, and Saturday, 10am to 3pm.The Lismore Farmers Markets will swing into action tomorrow morning from 7:30, the coldest part of the day, at the Lismore Showground on Alexandra Parade, North Lismore.Hot tea, coffee and a hot breakfast are available to start your browsing of fresh fruit and veg, oils, homemade sauces, blueberries are back and live music from Bruce Worrall.It is always a nice day in the hills. On Sunday, you can combine a bushwalk with a visit to The Channon Markets at Coronation Park on The Channon Road between 9am and 3pm.Live music across the weekend starts with Dan Grace at the Northern Rivers Hotel tonight from 7pm, with Sonic FX on Saturday night, also from 7pm.The Lismore Workers Club has Luke Bennett playing in the Main Lounge from 5pm tonight.The Workers Club have some tickets available for the 12pm session to see Dorothy The Dinosaur's Spectacular Show this Sunday. Click here to buy tickets for $25 plus booking fee.It is only four weeks until British '60s band Herman Hermits play in Lismore for their 60th Anniversary World Tour. You'll hear your old favourites, like Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter, There's a Kind of Hush and No Milk Today. Tickets are $59 plus booking fee for the Friday, August 8 performance. Click here to purchase.Coming up in August is Fleetwood Max on Thursday, August 14 at the Workers Club.There were some fuel price reductions in Casino this week, Lismore and Ballina were stable.Here is the list of the cheapest service stations, saving you the most money in each town:E10 is 174.9 at the 7-Eleven in South Lismore and the Ampol Foodary on Woodlark Street in Lismore, 175.9 at The United on Johnston Street in Casino, and 165.5 at the Mobil and The Metro on River Street, Ballina.Unleaded 91 is 176.9 across Lismore, 177.9 at The United and the Casino Roadhouse on Johnston Street in Casino, and 167.5 at the Metro and the Mobil on River Street, Ballina.U95 is 184.9 at the two Independents (Brad & Sharon) on Terania Street, North Lismore and the Liberty on Ballina Road and the Independent at East Lismore, 198.9 at the Independent on Canterbury Street, and 178.5 at The Metro on River Street, Ballina.U98 is 192.9 at the Liberty on Ballina Road in Lismore, and the Liberty on Union Street, South Lismore, 199.9 at the two Independents on Hare and Centre Street in Casino, and 187.5 at The Metro on River Street in Ballina.Diesel is 181.9 at the Astron on Ballina Road in Lismore, 181.9 at The United and the NightOwl Puma on Johnston Street, the Liberty on Hare Street and the Liberty on Centre Street in Casino, and 188.7 at the Ampol on Links Avenue, East Ballina.Have a great weekend!Now, have a laugh with the Friday Funnies.....