Autumn is upon us but, with continuing high temperatures and high humidity, it still feels like summer.And what a summer it was, with extreme dry relieved in February by extreme wet, inconvenient for some but welcomed by farmers, gardeners, householders and above all, firefighters. The rain started in the north and progressed southwards, and by February 13 it had helped to douse the bushfires that had dominated the headlines and devastated the lives of hundreds of people.It was “a summer of two halves”, in the words of Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Andrew Watkins, with the two main drivers at the start of the season being a very strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole and a near-record negative Southern Annular Mode, which led to the warmest and driest December on record – a staggering 4.31 °C above the long-term average.Those drivers “returned to neutral levels” in January, with a very late arrival of the northern monsoon finally bringing some tropical moisture to our shores.While they helped to put out the flames and cooled temperatures compared to December, the extra moisture and cloud couldn’t stop January and February from ranking among the 10 warmest on record for the country as a whole, Dr Watkins said.So what does autumn hold for us? Continuing “very much above” average temperatures, both during the day and at night.And, while most areas of the state are showing no strong push towards wetter or drier than average conditions over autumn, the Northern Rivers has slightly increased odds of wetter than average conditions. (Sadly, in the far west of the State, the forecast is for rainfall to be “very much below average”.)"Typically, in autumn our main climate drivers are resetting, which means they're exerting less influence on our weather patterns,” Dr Watkins said."This means we can expect our weather over the coming month or two to be driven by more local conditions, and that makes the seven-day forecast an important tool for assessing upcoming rainfall. “By winter, we will have an even clearer indication if this will change, and hence what the weather will look like for the rest of 2020."

The Northern Rivers Rural Fire Services has declared the Bushfire Danger Period over – one month early.The high-risk period is usually set down for seven months, running from September 1 to March 31, during which anyone wanting to light a fire requires a permit from their local fire control centre.Because of the extraordinary dry, hot and windy conditions this season, total fire bans were in place for many months.“People are no longer required to get a permit,” RFS Inspector Boyd Townsend said, “unless their fire poses a danger to buildings.”However, anyone wanting to light a fire is still required to contact their neighbours and local fire control centre 24 hours beforehand, he said.The Bushfire Danger Period is variable, according to Insp Boyd, and because the Northern Rivers “fire season” starts earlier than elsewhere in the State, the official danger period can be started and finished earlier.It is not unusual for the danger period to be called off early, he said.This year was a perfect example, with fires starting in our region from August, and later in the south of the state, and being extinguished here earlier also.January and February’s torrential rains experienced across the region means there is no longer significant danger of fires breaking out, Insp Boyd said – a great relief following the horrific, out-of-control events at Mt Nardi and elsewhere in the later months of 2019 and early January.

Two donations for bushfire relief from Lismore’s sister city Yamato Takada in Japan will be handed to the Lismore Rotary Club secretary Graham Hargraves and Lismore mayor Isaac Smith tomorrow.The donations are to be delivered by Southern Cross University Professor Peter Wilson on campus at 3.30pm.During a trip to Yamato Takada at the end of February, Professor Wilson visited both the Yamato Takada Rotary Club and the city’s mayor.The president of the Rotary Club, Katsumi Nakahori, handed over funds collected by members of the club and asked that they be given to their sister club in Lismore.“Kaatsumi handed me an envelope with 220,000 yen and a letter. He asked if I could bring it back to give to the Lismore Rotary Club President, Trevor Hopf,” Professor Wilson said.The other donation was gifted on behalf of the Lismore and Yamato Takada Sister City Association, by President Yoshikiyo Yakimoto, with the request that it be passed on to Cr Smith. This money was collected by students and parents of the Bamboo English Class in the local primary school in Yamato Takada.Lismore and Yamato Takada have had a sister city relationship since 1963, and have continually strengthened ties through student exchanges, cultural programs and official visits.

A man will face court today charged over the sexual touching of a young girl in a public bathroom at the Lismore Transit Centre yesterday.Officers from Richmond Police District responded following reports a 15-year-old had been sexually touched by a man, who is known to her, at the Transit Centre about 12.20pm (Tuesday 3 March 2020).On arrival, police conducted inquiries before arresting a 26-year-old man.The Lismore man was taken to Lismore Police Station, where he was charged with two counts of sexually touch child 10-16 years and incite to crime.Police will allege in court that the man approached the girl and led her into one of the toilet areas, where he sexually touched her.It will also be alleged that the man asked the girl to buy cannabis on his behalf.He has been refused bail to appear at Lismore Local Court today (Wednesday 4 March 2020).Inquiries are continuing.

Police have charged a man after he allegedly sexually touched a woman during a poker tournament in Lismore at the weekend.Officers from Richmond Police District began an investigation following reports that a 25-year-old woman had been sexually touched by an unknown man at a licensed premises at Lismore on Saturday.Police allege the woman was approached by the man at a poker tournament and sexually touched on several occasions before he was ejected by security.Following extensive inquiries, a 31-year-old man was arrested at a unit in Lismore about 7.30pm last night.He was taken to Lismore Police Station, where he was charged with two counts of sexually touch another person without consent.The man was refused bail to appear at Lismore Local Court today, Wednesday, March 4.

Lismore Liver Clinic is playing a key role in a campaign aimed at making Australia free of hepatitis C by 2030.Around 182,000 Australians live with chronic infection, and the Northern Rivers is a hot spot. The TEST CURE LIVE campaign is aimed at the estimated 3000 people living in the region with the virus, to encourage them to seek a treatment that is 95% effective.“If you think there is any chance you may have contracted hepatitis C, even if it was decades ago, through needles, a blood transfusion or tattoos, I would urge you to ask your GP for a blood test to find out,” says Krista Zohrab, Lismore Liver Clinic’s clinical nurse consultant.“There is no reason to live with hepatitis C. A simple test followed by tablets for two or three months is all it takes to be cured. Treatment is cheap, with few or no side-effects, and 95% successful.”Sometimes shame about their drug-using past can stop people from coming forward, Krista says, and she suggests that anyone not comfortable talking to their GP should call the Clinic direct on 6620 7539.“We can help organise testing and treatment anywhere on the Northern Rivers,” she says.The campaign – a Hepatitis Australia initiative in collaboration with Hepatitis NSW and the Northern NSW Local Health District – is aimed primarily at people 50 years and older. Many of them may have contracted the virus unknowingly in their youth, when it was only known as “non-A, non-B”. Hepatitis C can lie hidden for decades, a “silent” presence in the liver, showing few symptoms. If left untreated, it can cause fatigue, muscle aches, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, a rash and itching – symptoms many people mistakenly attribute to ageing. As the virus progresses, hepatitis C can damage the liver slowly and silently, leading to cirrhosis (or scarring), liver cancer and liver failure.Around 72,000 people have been cured since new hepatitis C antiviral medications were made available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in 2016 – more than 2200 of them in the Northern Rivers. The new range of medications are a massive improvement on the older treatments based upon the drug Interferon, which was gruelling and relatively ineffective.Everyone over 18 with a Medicare card can access the new antivirals, Krista says.Confirmation of a cure can be provided within 12 weeks of completing treatment, with those clearing the virus reporting feeling “transformed”, their wellbeing, energy and mental clarity restored, she says.For more information, visit the TEST CURE LIVE website testcurelive.com.au.

Lismore TAFE teachers are “collapsing” under the workload of trying to teach a new, revised TAFE curriculum.As the first teaching term of the 2020 TAFE year gets underway, TAFE teachers are complaining of being left to deliver new courses that have little to no resources provided for them to use.One TAFE teacher, who requested not to be named, said her workload had tripled, and she was stressed as she struggled to create teaching materials she could use to deliver the subjects.“Most teachers are casual workers, on temporary contracts and we are just getting the same hours of pay as before,” she said. “It’s the same for every teacher across the whole State.”She said all courses taught by TAFE in Australia had been revised and rewritten last year, after being audited for consistency and standards.“Education auditors found that TAFE needed to improve in order to achieve compliance with assessment and standards of competence – and this needed consistent across the whole country,” she said.“Only a couple of courses were audited, not every subject, but a decision was made to re-do every assessment across all skill sectors - and it was done in a hurry, without collaboration or consultation across the board.“In some units, the new assessments have many parts and this increased the amount of time needed for teachers to conduct and mark assessments – as well as increased time for students to do the assessments.“Everybody is collapsing because they are over-assessing the students by giving too many assessments.“The workload is unfeasible and unmanageable and we are not given any extra pay for the extra workload. “Staff are already taking stress leave because they can’t handle it. “One teacher who works teaching hospitality in Casino in a working kitchen said two teachers were needed in order to teach the unit, Bbut one teacher’s position was cut and now there’s inadequate staffing in the kitchen.“We have given feedback to the higher ups, but nothing has changed.”TAFE has already seen cuts to funding and services over the last few years. A new review of the TAFE system has been announced this week by the NSW Government, and has already received criticism amidst fears it could lead to a privatisation of the already struggling system, or to even more cuts to services.Read more:  Where are the apprentices? New TAFE review brings criticismThe Lismore App contacted TAFE NSW for comment about the new review, but TAFE NSW declined to comment.

Schools can apply for grants of up to $500 to learn more about the impact of Stolen Generations history on Australia.The Healing Foundation grants enable teachers to bring truth telling to life with age appropriate lesson plans that include the option for schools to receive book bundles with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literature.The Healing Foundation Chair Professor Steve Larkin said the grants would support schools to engage students in meaningful truth telling activities about Australia’s past.“We’ve seen a national shift in perception around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues and this is being driven, in part, by a thirst for more Indigenous knowledge at the school level,” he said.“Parents understand their children’s desire to know more about the true history of Australia and the schools kit is a great way to educate our kids and we’re seeing that flow on to Mum and Dad.“We all share the same past and understanding our common history and rewriting the story in a safe way means that together we take some of the stigma out of the narrative.”The Healing Foundation’s Stolen Generations Reference Group Chair Ian Hamm said the schools kit played an important part in healing the nation and for the thousands of children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities between 1910 and the 1970s.“The schools kit is an important part of the ongoing healing of our nation,” he said.“Our children are our future and we’re finally giving them the tools to better understand and frame discussions around truth telling and healing.“My hope is that all schools will one day soon be teaching our kids what really happened so that together we can create change that builds a better future for Australia.”The Stolen Generations Resource Kit for Teachers and Students was developed by The Healing Foundation in consultation with Stolen Generations survivors, teachers, parents and curriculum writers.It includes suggested lesson plans for Foundation Year through to Year 9 and professional learning tools for teachers. Each year level includes four activities that can be taught over a day, week, month or term, mapped to the Australian Curriculum.The lesson plans, case studies and other resources are available for free download from The Healing Foundation website.Grant applications open on March 3 and close on April 15. To find out more or apply visit www.healingfoundation.org.au/schools

Don’t be scared to clog up your drains, because Lismore’s apprentice plumbers may not be an endangered species anymore.Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has welcomed TAFE NSW’s decision to offer a Certificate IV course in Plumbing and Services (Operations Stream) at Wollongbar TAFE Campus from April 27.Read earlier story: Where are the apprentices? New TAFE review brings criticism Ms Saffin described the announcement as a win for up to 20 local tradesmen plumbers who needed to further their education closer to home rather than take the far more costly option of doing the course in Coffs Harbour. Ms Saffin said confirmation of the Wollongbar course and opening up of applications came late last Friday following strong representations she had made to NSW Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Dr Geoff Lee on January 21 this year. “I also thank TAFE NSW Regional General Manager North Region Susie George for acknowledging that there is a demand for this course, and a need to run it in Wollongbar, putting up an offering for it (to start after Easter) and asking potential students to enrol,” Ms Saffin said. “For the local tradies who contacted me, travelling to and staying at Coffs Harbour was not an option due to the associated travel, accommodation and other costs. “Further to this, I was advised that to complete this course, a student must do 14 blocks, with each block of three days’ duration. Not every employer would be able to accommodate and afford this arrangement. “I asked Minister Lee to investigate the matter and to use his good offices to reconsider offering the course at the Wollongbar campus, and I welcome the positive outcome for local tradies and their employers.” Tradesman plumber Jamie Swinton, 23, of Goonellabah, who has worked for Sidney & Hacking Plumbing for the past three years, said he would definitely be enrolling in the Wollongbar course and thanked Ms Saffin for her advocacy. “I recently finished my apprenticeship and have been trying to further my study to become a licensed contractor for over 12 months,” Mr Swinton said. “The Coffs option just wasn’t viable and my life would have been put on hold for another year waiting to find out if the course would be offered at Wollongbar. “Now I can get on with it. It’s an 18-month course and I’m eligible for the $2850 subsidised course fee, which I can just afford. “Down the track, I would like to do a Diploma in Hydraulic Services, which goes more into design and engineering.”

Move, relax and stretch in a free Tai Chi tomorrow, Tuesday, March 3 is free (yes FREE!). If you have never tried Tai Chi, but have been intrigued watching others doing Tai Chi, tomorrow is your chance to join in, in a friendly and accepting environment - at a regular beginner class.This month Tai Chi instructor, Rhiana, will hold free community sessions every Tuesday starting at 10am on March 3 at The Quad.Health benefits include improved circulation, balance and posture, increased strength and flexibility, and reduced stress.Feel free to drop by any of our classes and meet our instructor.Wear loose clothing and flat footwear, and bring a yoga mat.Rhiana has been a dedicated Tai Chi practitioner for over 10 years, she studied un Chen Zaozen in Chen Jiagou in China. The form that Rhiana will be teaching is a Yong style, developed by one of the sons of Yong whilst doing a 20 year prison sentence, hence can be performed in a 6sqm room. The class will begin with some Toaist yoga followed by some stretching and then form practice with the aim of learning where our bodies are at, keeping in mind that everyone’s Tai Chi is perfect, experience the joy of connecting with our bodies.For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2629727123915719/?event_time_id=2629727130582385

Award winning author, Chris Hammer, will appear “In Conversation” at the Goonellabah Library tomorrow, courtesy of Richmond Tweed Regional Library's new Regional Readers Book Club.Chris's latest best-selling crime novel Silver is the first title selected for the recently launched book club which encourages readers from across our community to enjoy the same book throughout February and March. Readers are then encouraged to join the conversation on the Library's Facebook page and to come along to the talks.Regional Library Manager Jo Carmody, said “the new book club is a great way for people to be able to participate in a book club, without being tied to a time and place as all of the conversation is happening on the Library's Facebook page”.“It's wonderful to have such a well¬renowned, award-winning author visiting our area and we are delighted to be featuring Chris's book, Silver, as our first Regional Readers Book Club title,” she said.Before turning to fiction, Chris was a journalist for more than thirty years, dividing his career between covering Australian Federal politics, and international affairs. He reported from more than thirty countries on six continents for SBS television. While in Canberra, his roles included chief political correspondent for The Bulletin, senior writer for The Age, and Online Political Editor for Fairfax.His book, Scrublands, won the 2019 John Creasy 'New Blood' Award for best first crime novel at the UK Crime Writers' Association, Dagger Awards. Chris has also written two non-fiction books, The River (2010) and The Coast (2012). The River won the ACT Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Walkley Book Award.Throughout March, the library will be posting questions about the book on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RichmondTweedRegionalLibrary. There are plenty of copies of Silver available to borrow or download. You can find out more about Regional Readers Book Club on the library website at www.rtrl.nsw.gov.au or on the Library App.Chris will be joined in conversation by former Lismore City Mayor, Jenny Dowell. The talk will be held at Goonellabah Library, 27 Oliver Ave, Goonellabah on Tuesday, March 3 at 7pm.

In line with national advice, NSW Health today urged people returning from Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand to be vigilant in monitoring themselves for respiratory symptoms or fever. In addition to the outbreak in mainland China, there are increasing reports of transmission of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) or the potential for outbreaks in these countries.  NSW Health has daily telephone conferences with the Commonwealth and other states and territories to ensure a national process to assess the risk associated with travel and for developing consistent advice. The Commonwealth Department of health website is regularly updated with the latest health and travel advice. Travellers should check SmartTraveller web site. NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant said symptoms may be very mild, and include fever, cough, sore throat, or shortness of breath. “If symptoms develop, immediately isolate yourself and call your doctor or health direct 1800 022 222 for an assessment,” Dr Chant said. If you have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, or returned from mainland China you must self-isolate for 14 days since last contact or departure from mainland China. “Please avoid gatherings if you have been in contact with suspect cases in countries where there have been outbreaks,” Dr Chant said. NSW Health provides up-to-date information on COVID-19 on its website and will continue to advise the community of developments.“I want to stress there is still no evidence of community transmission of COVID-19 in Australia,” Dr Chant said. “This advice is to protect the community and the health of individuals who have visited higher risk international destinations.” Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. For more information, find the facts at www.health.nsw.gov.au.

We have had our fair share of rain recently especially on the weekends so it is with pleasure, and a little hope, that I can tell you we will have some sunshine over the two days.Take a look at this photo I took on Wednesday night in Goonellabah just before the storm hit us. The sky can provide some spectacular sights sometimes.The BOM has said a 60% chance of rain later this evening plus the same chance of showers and a possible storm tomorrow evening with the days looking pretty good. Sunday is the pick with only a 20% chance of rain and tops of 28 glorious degrees.Our fingers are crossed for David Lander and the team at Lismore Speedway for this Saturday night's meeting. They haven't had one now for five weeks because of the wet weather so they are due some luck and we are due some great racing action at the Showground track. The V8's Modified Dirt Scramble is the main event with the street stocks, national 4's plus for lovers of old cars the Legend Cars are back at the Lismore Speedway. Action starts at 5:30pm. Get down and show some love for the speedway.Hopefully, we will see a full round of sport this weekend also. Check out what's on in Sport.If your Friday night is vacant, you could try being spontaneous and check out some live theatre at Lismore City Hall. One of Australia's favourite performers Jonathon Biggins plays Paul Keating, our former PM. The Gospel According to Paul is a comedy so no need to worry about which side of the political fence you sit. The show gets under way at 7:30 with tickets $59 adults and $53 Seniors and Concessions.Maybe live music is your scene? Live Baby Live the Inxs tribute show is on tonight at the Workers Club from 7:30 for some more spontaneity. Relive the songs from one of the biggest bands in the world in the 80's with Devil Inside, Need You Tonight and New Sensation.The leap year brings an extra day of entertainment with the Cath Simes Band playing at Mary G's on Saturday night from 9:30.The Lismore Farmers Markets are on again tomorrow morning from 8am. Say g'day to Scott and Kristin in their Mayfields Market Kitchen food van, their omelette is very good but beware it is also large!The Blue Knob Markets open their doors at 8:30am tomorrow then on Sunday the Lismore Car Boot Markets are on again from 7:30am to 2pm.With the weather looking positive, it is a good time to get your walking in for Relay For Life coming up on March 28. I will do a shameful plug for the Lismore App team, you can find us here. We would love as many people as possible to join our team or if you cannot make it for the walk please donate some of your hard earned cash to help those who are suffering from or in recovery from cancer. Like many businesses ours is made up of some wonderful people who have had first hand experience of this dreadful disease. Push on this link to join or donate https://www.cancercouncil.org.au/relayforlife/teams/ei00156614/.If you are in the market for a new or update on your car, check out the Cars/Bikes For Sale button. We welcomed Lismore Nissan, Lismore Used Car Superstore and Lismore Motorcycles this week so there is plenty to choose from Cars/Bikes For Sale.Finally, Saturday March 14 is fast approaching so invite your extended family and friends to the Norco Eat The Street food festival in the CBD now. The food, drink and entertainment has been ordered, now for the weather.Enjoy the sun and enjoy your weekend!

With over 30% less apprenticeships available now in the Northern Rivers than seven years ago, the future for local tradies is more dire that ever.This week, the NSW Government announced a review of the TAFE training system - the largest vocational education and training (VET) provider in the country. The review has been hit by criticism, with fears it could lead to the privatisation of the sector and an increased skills shortage.Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the review would be led by education expert David Gonski and Professor Peter Shergold, who will report to the NSW Government by July 2020.“We want students to think of TAFE the same way they think of university, as a leading institution for furthering their education and gaining the skills of the future,” Ms Berejiklian said in a statement.“This Review will consider initiatives like a HECS-style program for TAFE students, greater industry involvement in co-designing courses and making sure courses are as up-to-date as possible.”State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin is worried that despite the review, NSW TAFE campuses will remain under threat, having already had more than 5000 staff cuts state-wide, and now with 175,000 fewer students.Australia Bureau of Statistics data provided by NSW labor shows about 750 apprentices and trainees in the Northern Rivers region have been lost as a result of the Federal Government’s $3 billion dollars in cuts to TAFE and training. In the electorate of Page, the number of traineeships in 2013 was 2386; while in March 2019, numbers declined by 31% to 1636.Ms Saffin said the TAFE sector needed to be rebuilt, after the Coalition government had decimated TAFE by “slowly cutting the valued public education institution to the bone”.Dire situation She said the situation was so dire that she now had numerous local tradies contacting her about being unable to complete their plumbing courses. “I received a letter from one Lismore man in his early 20s who had recently finished his plumbing apprenticeship and had been trying to further his study to become a licensed contractor for over 12 months,” Ms Saffin said. “He has been unable to do so because his local TAFE is not running the course. “Another tradie complained to me said that they have been told there are not enough students to run the course and he was told to go to Coffs Harbour - but my inquiries tell me there are enough students. “They were told to drive 2½ hours three days a week for a 14-week block, and to take time out of their jobs. How can they do that? It is impossible.” Ms Saffin said the fact that TAFE had had four managing directors over the 12 months of 2018-19 “said it all”, and suggested that the $6 million the Government had spent on consultancy fees would be better spent on not introducing HECs fees for the VET sector. Ms Saffin said she was particularly concerned about the way the Government treats TAFE as a private VET, as it does the higher education providers.“TAFE should be the core of the VET sector, education and the workforce – just like Medicare is to the health sector,” she said. More cuts?NSW Labor has also slammed the Liberals and Nationals, after they refused to rule out cutting TAFE courses and closing TAFE campuses. In Parliament this week, Liberal Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee refused to guarantee TAFE services would not be cut as a result of the newly announced TAFE review.NSW Labor Leader Jodi McKay said in a statement “this follows Ms Berejiklian’s failure to rule out the privatisation of TAFE in media reports earlier this week” and that “it should be ringing alarm bells”. Premier Berejiklian said TAFE could become a better option for students than university, when it came to some high-end technical jobs.“We need more tradies in existing trades, but we also need to prepare workers in new areas like 3D printing, robotics and other technology industries to provide the jobs of the future in places like the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and the Sydney Tech Hub,” Ms Berejiklian said.“In 2019-20, the NSW Government is investing $2.3 billion in the Vocational Education and Training sector to build a skilled and employable workforce, which includes approximately $585 million in funding from the Commonwealth.“TAFE NSW is the largest VET provider in the country, with a budget of $1.85 billion in 2019-20.”What the review will look atSome of the issues to be examined by the new Review will include;• Opportunities to resolve current skills shortages to benefit the State’s economy• How TAFE NSW can better work with industry to meet future skills shortages• Better integration of secondary, vocational and tertiary learning opportunities• How findings can be implemented through exemplar projects.

Southern Cross University’s Forest Research Centre is seeking landholders willing to collaborate in establishing field trials.These trials are aimed at testing the benefits of different agricultural production systems that include trees and forests.SCU School of Environmental Science lecturer, Dr Graeme Palmer said lots of people in this region have property. “They might be macadamia farmers, or graziers, who have additional land available that isn’t suited to those primary activities,” he said. “We’re wanting to trial planting trees on that land, using different methods, to see if it is complimentary to their business and could potentially produce a secondary income stream or add value in some way.”“Our aim is to gather data to work out if there are benefits to this type of farming – such as enhancing property value, providing tourism opportunities, providing shelter for animals or protecting the landscape – and what value can be gained by adding this agro-forestry aspect to the overall business.” The target region for the proposed research is the Richmond River catchment, and the range of environments the catchment includes.The work itself is about measuring the fate* of water and nutrients in the rural landscape, how these may be managed using physical and biological approaches (including forests), and if these can be managed better over the long-term cycles of climate, such as drought and flood, to lift farm production.Anyone who would like more information is welcome to attend an information session on Thursday, March 5, 10am to 3pm at Southern Cross University A Block, Military Road, Lismore.For more information email graeme.palmer@scu.edu.au or visit https://www.scu.edu.au/forest-research-centre/ *When water or nutrients enter the farm as rainfall or fertilizer, what happens after that? Does the water infiltrate the soil and become available for plant growth? Or does it run off to the creek and take nutrient with it to exit the property at the lowest point.

At the end of Tuesday night’s Lismore City Council meeting, Councillors voted (6-5) to not move into a confidential session, where three issues were to be discussed. Instead of discussing the matters in the public arena, the meeting was then closed by Mayor Isaac Smith, and the agenda items were not discussed.Councillor Nancy Casson was one of the six councillors who voted to keep the session open to the public, and on webcast. She said she concerned about the increasing number of issues being brought into confidential sessions of Council meetings. “We need to be open and transparent,” Cr Casson said. “Why did we vote whether or not to move into confidential if it wasn’t going to happen?”Cr Casson said she and Councillors Bennet, Battista, Lloyd, Guise and Ekins all voted to stay out of confidential session.“I was thrilled when we got six votes to keep the meeting open,” she said. “Then I was disappointed when we should have proceeded, but the mayor shut the meeting down.“The six of us who voted thought the issues to be discussed were not worthy of being confidential.“They were about the outcome of what’s happening at the Recycling and Recovery Centre after the fire because we’ve received a few tenders. “Also, the disposal of Council land on the Bruxner Highway. The ratepayers should know what’s going on with those things.”Cr Casson said the only item she deemed worthy of some confidentiality was about the Council Director role position.“That could have been discussed without mentioning any names,” she said.“We are getting more and more shoved into confidential mode and I don’t like it.”Deputy Mayor Darlene Cook was one of the five Councillors who voted to move into confidential session, along with Mayor Smith and Councillors Moorhouse, Marks and Bird.Cr Cook said she supported Mayor Smith’s decision to keep matters confidential because she believed that staff matters such as making a job temporary or permanent, or Council selling land “shouldn’t be out there in the public arena”.Read more: Lismore Council votes in support of Julian Assange Next meetingThe undiscussed matters are likely to appear on the agenda for the next scheduled Council meeting on March 10. It’s possible that meeting could be another lengthy endurance feat for all attendees.Lismore City Council’s first meeting for 2020 on February 11, was a mammoth five hours long, and involved numerous members of the public speaking on issues before Councillors debated the issues.The meeting then moved into confidential session at 11pm for another 30 minutes of discussion.There were still undiscussed matters from that meeting, which meant a continuation of the meeting took place this week on Tuesday, February 25.After four recision motions were lodged by Councillors following the last meeting/s, the March meeting will again see a return of some of the same matters already discussed. There will be a return of discussion about the proposed Fit Farm at Tuncester, Lismore’s Race Day public holiday, the relocation of a house at James Street, Goonellabah and Council’s public conduct policy.Councillor Casson said she is also introducing a motion for Council to withdraw its Special Rate Variation application to IPART.“It’s my top priority for March,” she said. “It will be a long meeting.” 

Lismore City Council has passed an official motion in support of jailed Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange. The decision, made at Tuesday night’s meeting, makes Lismore the first New South Wales Council to move a motion to support him, joining Darebin, Yarra and Moreland Melbourne Councils.The motion of support was introduced by Deputy Mayor Darlene Cook, who said Council would now write a letter to the Foreign Minister calling for the government to provide full assistance to Julian Assange, who is facing extradition from the UK to the US under an Espionage Act (1917) prosecution for engaging in journalistic activity.“This week is the first week of his hearings in the UK,” Cr Cook said. “The motion acknowledges Julian Assange is in poor health and facing torture and extradition to the US and 175 years imprisonment. “He needs urgent Consular support to help him prepare his defence and the Australian Government has failed to support him over the past ten years.“The Deputy Mayor of Byron Council is putting up a similar motion at Byron Council’s meeting today.”Cr Cook said she had received some criticism asking what ‘does Julian Assange have to do with Lismore?’“We are not just a town of parochial people - we are global citizens and he has strong support in the community,” she said.“Maybe some people are still unhappy with Wikileaks, but there’s already been ten years of injustice with people hounding him, strip searching him and calling for his execution.“The Obama government said he hadn’t committed an offence – it’s not an offence to publish government documents. "The New York Times had already printed unredacted versions of the documents and they never got prosecuted. It was President Trump who decided the media is the enemy and punished journalists who criticise his regime – and he targeted Assange."Julian Assange has a connection to the Northern Rivers community. “He spent a few years at Goolmangar Primary School as a young fella and people still think of him as a local boy,” Cr Cook said

St Carthage’s primary school is even closer to God now, with the school roof now heralding a large cross in the centre of its new solar panel installation.The new 100 kilowatt solar set up reaches for the heavens, and can only be seen from an aerial view, or by drone footage – which installer Nick Lake, of Nickel Energy said looked “fantastic”.Nick said when the school approached Nickel Energy to put the solar system on the roof, his team worked on a technical design that incorporated 300 solar panels and encapsulated the spirit of the Catholic school.“When we were exploring ideas for how to lay out the panels, we left a gap in the middle in the shape of a cross - and the staff and kids at the school were really pleased with it,” Nick said.  Nick said the drive to get the solar installation came from the Year 5 students last year.“The class was doing a project on sustainability and the students said they would love to see solar power on the roof,” Nick said. “So, their teacher engaged with the Principal and they got in touch with us.“The idea tied in with the Catholic schools’ drive towards sustainability. The Pope made a statement recently about supporting renewable energy.“We’ve also installed solar panels on a number of other Catholic schools.“The solar installation will save the school about $33,000 a year in electricity costs.”Nick said Nickel Energy has been in business in the local area for 12 years. “Nickel Energy also built the world’s first solar powered train which runs in Byron Bay to the Arts and Industrial Estate,” Nick said“We won Australian engineering awards for it and now we are working with other countries who also want to build solar trains.”

Singer-songwriter Patty Griffin will be playing one show at NORPA in March during her return tour of Australia.  Patty Griffin was last in Australia in 2008 and sold-out her shows. She has attracted a cult-following with her passionate performance style, telling heartfelt stories with her powerful vocals.Over the course of two decades, the Grammy award-winner – and seven-time nominee – has crafted nine classic studio albums and two live collections, a body of work that prompted the New York Times to hail her for “cameo-carved songs that create complete emotional portraits of specific people…(her) songs have independent lives that continue in your head when the music ends.” Widely regarded among the best singer-songwriters of her era, this year’s self-titled album, Patty Griffin collects songs written during and in the aftermath of profound personal crisis, several years in which she battled – and ultimately defeated – cancer.Patty Griffin’s universal songbook has been covered by Kelly Clarkson, Dixie, Bon Iver, Miranda Lambert, Melissa Etheridge, Brandi Carlile, Solomon Burke, Joan Baez, Shawn Colvin, Ben Harper and Linda Ronstadt.Griffin has also collaborated with a wide range of prolific artists, among them Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant, Jack Ingram, Gillian Welch, and David Rawlings. Chronicling love and death, heartache and joy, connection and detachment, Patty Griffin continues with her uncanny perception, and ever-increasing ingenuity. NORPA and Frontier Touring present Patty Griffin at NORPA at Lismore City Hall on Friday, March 13 at 7.30pm.The Secret Chef diner and bar opens from 5pm. Tickets cost $69 - $75.For information or to book, visit http://www.norpa.org.au or phone 1300 066 772.