As we head into Christmas and a well deserved holiday for most, there are still some weekend activities on to get you in the festive mood. All the Carols are done and dusted although some church services will have a sing-a-long (Church Services) but there are loads of Christmas Lights to check out.If you go to the 'Christmas' button on the main page of the Lismore App you will see a Christmas Lights section. This is an extensive list that you can use to navigate your way around different suburbs. If you have your location switched on the lights closest to you will move to the top of the list making it simple to get from one street to the next (Christmas).There are some truly amazing light shows, for that is what they, are a light show. Some home owners go to so much trouble that their houses are transformed into a Christmas wonderland for all kids to enjoy. Bruce Supple is such a home owner. Bruce starts putting up his lights in the last week in October and adds new lights and features each year. How much has Bruce spent on his light? "Thousands", he said, "it's not hard to walk into a Christmas store and walk out spending $600 each time" he added. Santa will make an appearance between 8 and 9:30 each night. The address? 3 Gravillia Grove, Goonellabah.Uncle Billy in Shearman Drive, Goonellabah is another person that spends endless hours decorating his home. Uncle Billy has a Christmas Party on from 7pm tonight so get along check out the lights and be part of the fun including face painting, food and treats for the kids.The Helicopter Rescue Service Santa will make a couple of appearances over the weekend as part of the Xmas Lights in Perradenya Way at Caniaba. The lights are spectacular with Santa handing out lollipops on behalf of the Northern Region Westpac Helicopter Rescue Service between 7:30 and 9:30 tonight and tomorrow night. There will be fundraising for the service as well so dig deep and support the incredible work they do. Today the Helicopter Service celebrates 37 years of operation having flown nearly 10,000 missions!There are two Christmas parties on tonight that you can be part of as well.The South Lismore Bowling Club are celebrating all things Christmas from 5:30pm with raffles for meat, seafood and fruit 'n' veg trays as well as a jumping castle and an appearance by Santa.The Ghurrumbil Dreaming Xmas Party and Community BBQ kicks off now and runs until 6:30pm at the GSAC skatepark.At the Dunoon Sports Club they have the Cath Simes band to help celebrate Christmas between 6pm and 10pm on Saturday night.If you are looking for some fresh fruit and veg for your Xmas lunch or dinner then get down to the Lismore Farmers Markets or the Blue Knob Markets tomorrow morning. The Farmers Markets opens from 8am and Blue Knob from 8:30. Best to get in early before the heat arrives, tops of 35 and 34 is expected.The Nimbin Markets are on from 9am on Sunday for last minute Christmas gifts.There will be plenty of great action with some heavy hitting in the opening round of the Twenty/20 L J Hooker League. There are three matches at Oakes Oval with Marist Brothers playing Tintenbar-East Ballina at 8.30am and then Cudgen, the holders, play Tintenbar-East Ballina at 12pm before Marist Brothers play the match of the round against Cudgen at 3pm. It will be fast and furious action. If Brothers' Ash Simes is on fire it will be a day you will remember for a long time. Any chance to watch Cudgen's Caleb and Connor Ziebell is also not to be missed. it will be a cracker of a day. Bring a deck chair and just enjoy.There are two matches of the Northern Rivers Cricket League's First Grade competition being played in Lismore tomorrow, with the action starting at 1pm. Goonellabah Workers Sports, the league leaders, play Northern Districts at Heaps Oval, whereas Lismore Workers entertain Cecil Magpies at Nesbitt Park. Have a safe and wonderful Christmas with your family and friends from all of us at the Lismore App.We really do appreciate your support in reading our news, sport and community stories for the 2480 postcode.Remember, if you are travelling, that Operation Safe Arrival is in force until 11:59pm on New Years Day. That means double demerit points for speeding, no seatbelts, the use of mobile phones and motorcycle helmet offences.

Clown Doctors Dr Sniggles and Dr Buttercup visited ten year old Phoenix in the paediatrics ward at Lismore Base Hospital (LBH) yesterday.They entered the room singing, playing ukelele and dancing around Phoenix’s bed while Phoenix giggled at their silly antics.“I’m in charge of sneezes and giggles,” Dr Sniggles said.“I’m in charge of butter and cups,” Doctor Buttercup said.Dr Sniggles then tricked Dr Buttercup into sitting on a whoopee cushion. See the video here: https://www.facebook.com/LismoreApp/videos/2707271165997886/Clown Doctors Dr Sniggles and Dr Buttercup make Phoenix laugh at their antics.“Clowns are funny, they make me laugh,” Phoenix said.“And we’re clever,” Dr Buttercup said.“And we’re stinky,” Dr Sniggles said.The Clown Doctors have been bringing the best medicine possible – laughter – to Lismore Base Hospital for 15 years now.Dr Sniggles and Dr Buttercup are two of the 73 Clown Doctors around Australia, bringing smiles people in 23 hospitals for national charity The Humour Foundation.Dr Sniggles said she has had lots of medical training - practicing stitching on barbies.Doctor Buttercup said has been to the doctor more than once and that laughter is the best medicine.“It fixed us,” she said.The Clown Doctors then went on to bring smiles to the faces of the hospital ward’s nurses at their staff Christmas party.Clown Doctors cut the cake at the hospital ward’s staff Christmas party.They regularly make their rounds of all hospital departments, making everyone laugh – from the cleaners, to the administration staff and visitors. "It's important to make people happy, especially at Christmas time when people don't have their families around them," Dr Sniggles said.Helen Quinlan, better known as ‘Dr Sniggles’, has been working at the LBH since the Clown Doctors’ very first visit to the hospital in 2004. [You can read more about Dr Sniggles in The Lismore App's Sunday Profile on Sunday, December 22.]Since then, the Clown Doctors have visited Lismore Base more than 700 times, enriching the lives of countless sick children, families and hospital staff. Clown Doctors are highly skilled professional performers trained to work in sensitive hospital environments and are an integral part of the Lismore health community. Their weekly visits to the LBH are highly anticipated by patients and staff across the hospital, not just the children’s ward. Clown Doctors perform magic, music, puppetry, and slapstick comedy to help make the atmosphere happier, contributing to a less intimidating experience for hospital patients. They help calm distressed children in the emergency department, empower patients who must undergo a painful or uncomfortable procedure, and encourage and assist during occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The Clown Doctors are provided by The Humour Foundation, a national charity dedicated to promoting and delivering the positive health benefits of humour to the Australian community. The Humour Foundation’s Local Program Co-ordinator for Queensland and Lismore said “we are proud to be celebrating 15 years of providing this service to the patients and staff at Lismore Base Hospital”.“Our Clown Doctors are highly trained, professional performers who spread fun, laughter and little magic throughout the hospital, to help uplift sick patients,” she said.For more information, visit http://www.humourfoundation.org.auYou can read more about Dr Sniggles in this week’s Sunday Profile on The Lismore App on Sunday, December 22.

Tonight, Santa will be flying into Perradenya in Caniaba to spread the Christmas cheer - and help the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service.Tonight and tomorrow night, December 20 and 21, from 7.30-9.30pm, you can see Santa and the annual Christmas lights display as part of the annual fundraiser for the helicopter service.Gold coin donations can be made on the night, with all funds raised going to the helicopter service. Spokesperson for the Service, Zeke Huish thanked the residents of Perradenya for their support.“They have put so much time and effort into their light displays and we invite everyone to be part of this festive treat,” he said.

Over the Christmas and new year period, if you want to swim, drop off recycling, visit an art gallery or library, or conduct business with Lismore City Council, check the following operating hours for local services.• Council's Corporate Centre in Goonellabah Closed from Christmas Eve until Thursday, 2 January. • Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25-26 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January). Operating hours remain as normal on other days. • Lismore Revolve Shop Closed from 1pm on Saturday, 21 December until 9am on Tuesday, 31 December. Closed New Year's Day. • Nimbin Transfer Station Closed on Boxing Day (26 December). Operating hours remain as normal on other days. • Return and Earn bulk collection drop-off Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25-26 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January). Operating hours remain as normal on other days.• Libraries: Goonellabah and Lismore Libraries will be closed from 2pm on Christmas Day and will reopen on Thursday, 2 January. • Lismore Regional Gallery Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25-26 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January). Operating hours remain as normal on other days. • Lismore and Nimbin Visitor Information Centres Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25-26 December). There will also be reduced hours on New Year’s Day (1 January) – Lismore 9.30am to 1.30pm and Nimbin 10am to 2pm. GSAC and Lismore Memorial Baths Following are the operating hours for the Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre (GSAC) and the Lismore Memorial Baths (LMB) over the Christmas period. Operating hours will remain as normal outside these dates. GSAC• Christmas Eve 10am – 4pm, • Christmas Day Closed • Boxing Day Closed• Friday, 27 December 10am – 4pm• Saturday, 28 December 10am – 4pm • Sunday, 29 December 10am – 4pm • Monday, 30 December 10am – 4pm • Tuesday, 31 December 10am – 4pm • New Year’s Day Closed LMB• Christmas Eve 9am – 5pm • Christmas Day Closed • Boxing Day 9am – 5pm • Friday, 27 December 9am – 6pm • Saturday, 28 December 9am – 5pm • Sunday, 29 December 9am – 5pm • Monday, 30 December 9am – 6pm • Tuesday, 31 December 9am – 6pm • New Year’s Day Closed 

A radiation therapy treatment that leaves patients cancer-free after two years is revolutionising prostate cancer treatment.A world-first evaluation of the new treatment has been published by a team led by local cancer expert Associate Professor Tom Shakespeare.A/Prof Shakespeare is a radiation oncologist working in the Northern NSW Local Health District.“The evaluation looked cancer at the effectiveness of a new prostate cancer treatment using a new scan to detect tiny deposits of cancer in patients’ lymph nodes,” he said.“In the past, men with prostate which had spread to lymph glands were thought to be incurable, but modern advances in radiation therapy and PET scan imaging mean we can now offer targeted, curative radiation therapy.“For the first time, men can be treated with the aim of totally eradicating the prostate cancer within both lymph nodes and the prostate.” Providing patients with best-practice cancer care in line with new international treatment guidelines, the team have published their findings on the effectiveness of these new treatments in the European journal, Radiotherapy and Oncology. “Nobody has ever published how successful this new PET-guided radiation therapy is, until now,” A/Prof Shakespeare said. The evaluation followed the first 46 patients from the Lismore, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour areas treated using this new technique, and found that two years following radiation therapy, all patients were cancer-free. “Even though these are early results, the findings are remarkable considering that previously these men would not even have been offered curative treatment.” “The PET-guided radiation therapy was also very well tolerated, with few significant side effects, and patients have been very happy with their outcomes.” This PET-guided radiation therapy is now offered to all men with lymph node positive prostate cancer referred to the North Coast Cancer Institute in Lismore and the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute in Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. Over 100 men have now been treated using this revolutionary technique. 

The Lismore App reported last week that Nimbin’s feral splendid peacock Jesus, and his peahen partner, Mary, had given birth to four elusive peachicks.Well, the chicks are alive and well and have been snapped by local Nimbin FM radio broadcaster Doug Pinch.“We weren’t sure at first if there was one or two sets of peachicks,” Doug said. The mystery evolves: is this a second set of peachicks?“I got a picture of three of them in the main street, but there were four snapped on Cecil Road.“It’s a bit of a detective mystery at the moment and I’m hoping if anyone has sighted them, they will let me know.“We hope they are going to be male, but we are not sure about how to tell their sex.“Their legs seem longer than last year’s batch, so we think they might be male.”Doug said having the peacock and peahens wandering around Nimbin “adds so much to the Nimbin DNA”.“We are a very tolerant town and these birds add beauty to the whole place, especially when they cross the road at the crossing,” he laughed.A peahen with her chicks being given water and food by a Nimbin local.“Some people might say peacocks are feral – but what about cats?“Peacocks don’t cause damage like cats which kill our native wildlife– if they escape into the bush, they will just die off.“They are in town now eating what they find.”If anyone spots the chicks wandering around Nimbin, you can let Doug know by emailing nimbinradiomedia@gmail.com.

Lismore Base Hospital had its busiest quarter on record from July to September, according to the latest report on the performance of local hospitals.The latest Bureau of Health Information report shows that Lismore Base had an increase of 6.5% of Emergency Department (ED) presentations (10,189) compared to the same quarter last year.Northern NSW Local health District (NNSWLHD) chief executive Wayne Jones said increases in demand were being experienced right across the district, with every hospital recording a jump in activity. “This is not a case of huge outliers pushing averages up, but big increases across the board,” Mr Jones said. “Every single one of our hospitals had increases in emergency presentations and the number of ambulances arriving.” At Lismore Base, 1,379 elective surgery procedures were performed, with 100% of urgent procedures and 93.6% of semi-urgent procedures performed on time. “The longest flu season in NSW since the 2009 pandemic was a significant contributor to record numbers of ED presentations across the state,” Mr Jones said “The whole of the NNSWLHD experienced its second busiest quarter on record from July to September 2019, with 54,559 emergency department (ED) presentations – an increase of 3,333 patients, or 6.5%, on the same period last year. “The District also recorded a 24.6% rise in triage category 1 (resuscitation) presentations, with the most urgent category for patients arriving at the ED. “There were 8,433 ambulance arrivals - 634 more than the same quarter in 2018.” “Despite the large increase in emergency presentations, 78.3% of patients were seen, treated, and left the ED within four hours, which was significantly better than the state average of 68.1%.”Grafton base hospital also had its busiest quarter on record, with 10,189 and 6,893 ED presentations respectively. Six out of the eight sites in the district recorded increases of more than 5% for ED presentations on the same quarter last year. Mr Jones praised the commitment of staff to delivering excellent care throughout the increased activity. “Even with more people coming through our doors, we’re still among the top performing local health districts. Our staff should be very proud of their efforts,” he said. Elective surgeriesIn the July to September quarter 2019, 3.3%, or 128 more elective surgeries were performed compared to the same quarter last year. Despite this increase, 99.9% of urgent elective surgeries were performed on time. “Despite the increase in emergency department presentations which places additional demand on our resources, we were still able to perform more elective surgery at some of our hospitals,” Mr Jones said. “Mid this year, we opened an additional operating theatre at The Tweed Hospital to meet demand, and that has allowed us to perform an extra 158 surgeries at that site. “The 1,011 elective procedures performed at Tweed Hospital this quarter is their highest number on record.” The 2019-20 budget for Northern NSW Local Health District is over $875 million, an increase of over $37 million on the 2018-19 budget. Between mid 2012 and mid 2019 the Northern NSW Local Health District increased its workforce by an additional 843 full time equivalent staff - an increase of 22.4% including 115 more doctors, 280 more nurses and midwives, and 53 more allied health staff. Regional hospitals’ performance July-September 2019 The Tweed Hospital saw 13,648 ED presentations and 2,399 arrivals by ambulance – increases of 11.4% and 3.9% respectively on the same period last year. There were significant increases in the most urgent presentations, with 11.4%, 16%, and 10.7% more patients triaged as requiring resuscitation (T1), emergency (T2), or urgent (T3) care respectively. Despite increasing demand, the median time to leave the ED and the percentage of patients leaving the ED within four hours has remained stable. The hospital recorded the highest quarterly figure for elective surgeries in the July to September quarter. There was an 18.5% increase in elective surgeries performed, to 1,011, compared to the same quarter last year. The Tweed Hospital improved its elective surgery performance, with 100% of all urgent elective surgeries performed on time. Murwillumbah District Hospital had a 5.2% increase in ED presentations compared to the same quarter in 2018. This reflects 234 more presentations, taking the total to 4,719 presentations. Although the number of urgent elective surgeries increased by more than 36% compared to the same quarter in 2018, 100% of procedures were completed on time.Maclean District Hospital saw 3,540 ED presentations, an increase of 17.7% on the same quarter in 2018, and a 15.5% increase in ambulance arrivals, up to 521. Maclean District Hospital continues to perform well in elective surgery performance, with 100% of elective surgeries performed on time.  Grafton Base Hospital had 6,893 emergency department presentations, its busiest quarter on record, and an increase of 3.6% on the same quarter last year. There were 571 elective surgery procedures performed in the July to September quarter, with 100% of urgent and semi-urgent procedures performed on time. Casino District and Memorial Hospital had 3,761 emergency department presentations in July to September 2019, an increase of 24.6%. Elective surgery procedures increased by 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year, to 226, and 98.7% of all elective procedures were performed on time. Byron Central Hospital saw increased activity across the board, with 5,103 ED presentations (up 7.4%), including 557 arrivals by ambulance (up 7.9%). Despite increased activity, the percentage of patients starting treatment on time improved by 4.9%. Ballina District Hospital had 4,482 emergency department presentations, an increase of 7.6% from the same quarter in 2018. 100% of urgent surgeries and 97.7% of semi-urgent surgeries were performed on time, an excellent result and an improvement on last year.

A seed of an idea at Lismore Library is turning into a youth pizza garden at the end of the building, near the carpark area. The vegetable garden project was one of the successful ideas to win seed funding from the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) youth wellbeing grants scheme.Lucy King, from the Richmond Tweed Regional Library said the library is “more than books”. “We also have a seed library where people can come in and get some seeds, then when they grow them, they can bring back more seeds for the collection later,” Lucy said.“We’d like to see the pizza garden promote the seed library too.”Michael Lewis, the library’s project coordinator said the project would develop skills in independence, active living and social gardening.”On weekends, the kids can come in and volunteer to start the creation of the vegetable garden beds,” he said.“The idea is that they will eventually be able to harvest the food and turn it into pizzas.“We already have a local café owner who wants to help them make the pizzas.”Dante and Bella live in Lismore and are keen to get involved in the project.“I’m looking forward to eating the food, learn about gardening and creating a social space where we have a place to sit that’s private,” Bella said.Other local projects receiving a grant are CASPA Education’s community garden project and Rekindling the Spirit with the Lismore Youth Koori Knockout.Mitch King from Rekindling the Spirit, with Anthony Franklin from the NSW Health Department.Rekindling The Spirit Mitch King, from Rekindling The Spirit said the Lismore Youth Koori Knockout project is about getting kids together to learn about traditional Aboriginal games, sports and movement.“It will get them away from their screens and show them how much fun it can be to be physically active,” he said.“The program will run one afternoon a week for 10 weeks.“We will have a focus on how to incorporate activity into your day-to-day life such as walking or riding your bike to the shops instead of driving or getting the bus. “There will also be a session focusing on nutrition and healthy eating and it’s a good way for us to tackle mental health and wellbeing. “There are high rates of chronic disease in Aboriginal communities which I’ve experienced in my own family.“If we can get the community involved at a grass roots level, the families of the kids can see it too and they will benefit from the healthier lifestyle too.“At the moment there is a gap in the State health programs targeted at people 13-18 years old.“This program will help with keeping kids socially connected and build their confidence and self determination."CASPA’s Jess Grace and Kane Abbott.CASPACASPA Education’s Community Garden project also received a $4000 grant to get students attending their education centre to develop a garden.CASPA’s Jess Grace and Kane Abbott said the CASPA education centre supported distance education for kids with complex needs.“The young people are often in need of therapy and trauma support and they are not engaged in mainstream education,” Jess said.“The project promotes both physical and mental health for the young people and staff members directly involved.“We’ve already started three garden beds on site, with the young people helping to build them - this grant will help us to expand.“The idea is that they will be able to cook with the produce and sell some on at local markets. “It will be a great learning experience and increase physical activity as well as daily contact with nature.”Growing projectsNNSWLHD health promotion manager, Jillian Adams said the grants of up to $4000 each are funded as part of its Healthy Communities Northern Rivers initiative, a whole of community approach to making it easier for people to lead active healthy lives. “One of the key criteria for the grants was that young people were involved in the planning of the project and that the projects will hopefully grow," she said.“It’s important that these projects to get young people active and eating healthy food, come from a youth perspective, because young people know best what will work for them.“We invited Dr Kate Neale from the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University to be on the grant assessment panel, because of her expertise in youth engagement.” Other criteria for the grants included value for money, sustainability, innovation, planning and evaluation, and addressing social disadvantage. The projects focus on healthy eating or physical activity, or both, and are for young people aged 13 to 24 years. The grant winners are from across the Northern Rivers and include projects to address girls’ physical activity, Indigenous youth health, young people with disability, and social disadvantage. 

Thousands of young girls and boys around the nation are currently considering their post school ambitions as the "annual graduating class" venture out into a world that quickly transcends an otherwise structured environment of school and living with mum and dad. The scene is substantially repeated each year and Abbie Heffernan was one such student back in 2013 when the former student of Trinity Catholic College Lismore awaited her HSC results.Parents Tony and Janelle had seen eldest son Aaron and second child Jacob navigate high school and successfully pursue university education. Each would eventually follow Janelle into a career in school education, but Abbie had a clear vision of where her skills were destined to be forged.An unfortunate mishap at age 11 saw Abbie fracture her leg and it was this incident that inspired a young mind that medicine was to become her mission in life."I thought that it would be cool to help people who were sick or injured" Abbie recalls. Although 2014 proved to be a gap year, a successful application for entry into a Bachelor of Medicine Degree, saw the outstanding student commence her studies at Newcastle University in 2015.This story is also about one of those rare individuals who excel in most activities that they try and for Abbie, this includes soccer, where she was a prodigious talent since first playing at about age 4. Like her brothers, Abbie played for Lismore Richmond Rovers and at age 16, in 2011, she was named the Football Far North Coast Women's Player of the Year (jointly with Tenielle Shaw from Bangalow), perhaps claiming bragging rights as being the best player in the Heffernan family?The move to Newcastle saw Abbie continue her love of soccer, including at South Wallsend in the top league and scouts reported to me that the midfielder/striker could have easily played in the W-League. Medicine is of course a demanding and challenging field of study and true to her commitment and dreams, her sporting career was reluctantly put on hold (a decision that Abbie insists will only be for a few more years). Social life was also limited as five years of intense theoretical and practical studies proceeded in a way that Abbie describes almost nonchalantly as being, "a fairly steep learning curve."Abbie Heffernan in the thick of the action for Richmond Rovers. She also muses about often being addressed by patients as, "Excuse me nurse...", and last week saw the graduation of Dr Abbie Heffernan from Newcastle University, which I understand has satisfied the very highest standards of academic attainment.The next two years will see Dr Heffernan complete a rigorous program that is delivered through a progressive ten x ten week rotation within different areas of medicine. These placements will be in Newcastle, including John Hunter Hospital where Abbie has already forged most of her initial career in medicine. Her ultimate goal is to specialise in paediatrics and her history of high achievement would lead me to conclude that Abbie will prove to be a brilliant practitioner in due course.Abbie with her parents Tony and Janelle, brothers Aaron (left) and Jake and extended family. As I spoke with Abbie in recent days, one of the region's most respected paediatricians, Dr Chris Ingall coincidentally appeared and I was delighted to introduce Chris to our newest clinician. What a privilege it was to see Abbie, as a new doctor engaging in an unscripted, but very relevant and professional conversation with a specialist of such repute and experience as Chris Ingall. A sliding door moment perhaps?Commitment and purpose are concepts that underpin the pursuit of most critical components of life. Whether through sport or career, excellence in performance should be applauded and I have been fortunate to have seen Abbie deliver on both counts. The community joins with her proud family to say, "Congratulations and well done, Dr Abbie Heffernan!!"Article by Steve Mackney

Residents of Nimbin are being advised to boil their water before drinking.Lismore City Council said in a statement this afternoon that the pipeline between Mulgum Creek and DE Williams Dam has become contaminated with sediment.This situation does not affect those connected to Nimbin village’s water supply.“Lismore City Council is working to fix the problem,” the statement said.“Effective chlorine disinfection cannot be assured for customers connected to the water supply between Weir and Dam.“This boil water notice is effective from December 18 until further notice.“Water used for drinking or food preparation should be brought to a rolling boil to make it safe. “Kettles with automatic shut off switches can do this. “Water should then be allowed to cool and stored in a clean container with a lid and refrigerated.“Bottled water or cool boiled water should be used for drinking, washing uncooked food like salad vegetables and fruit, making ice, cleaning teeth, gargling and for pets' drinking water.“Dishes should be washed in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher. “Children should take bottled water or cool boiled water to school.“This advice should be followed until further notice.”

Due to the scale of the NSW bushfires and anticipated severe heatwaves, there are widespread State forest closures over the Christmas and New Year period.The following State forests will be closed from midnight Wednesday, December 18 until further notice:• All State forests from north of Sydney to the Queensland border• All State forests from south of Sydney to the Victorian border• All State forests on the Northern, Central & Southern Tablelands• Nullo Mountain and Coricudgy State Forests (Western Region)• Belanglo State forest.Locally, these forests include the Nullum State Forest, Wollumbin State Forest and the Mebbin State Forest.There will be exceptions to these closures for some visitor areas – those with good access close to main roads and towns. The following remain open at this stage:• Crooked Creek Rest Area, east of Tenterfield• Sealy Lookout, including Coffs Treetops, near Coffs Harbour• Old Bottlebutt near Port Macquarie• Coopernook Forest Headquarters, near Coopernook• Strickland State Forest near Gosford• Scrubby Creek Rest Area near Eden• Bodalla Forest Rest Area, near Bodalla• Treetop Adventure Park, Ourimbah State Forest• Penrose State forest Rest AreaYou can check the Forestry Corporation website and Facebook page for daily updates, as these areas may also be closed if fire conditions in the local area worsen.State forests and visitor areas around Tumut, Tumbarumba and Bombala are currently open, but will be closed when the fire danger is predicted to be severe to catastrophic (expected for both Thursday and Saturday this week).Visitors should remain vigilant and keep up to date with the Rural Fire Service Fires Near Me app or website, said Forestry Corporation’s Senior Manager of Forest Stewardship, Kathy Lyons.“With the severe conditions facing NSW over the coming weeks, we strongly encourage people to keep informed of the current fire conditions and postpone any trips planned into State forests,” Ms Lyons said.“As severe and extreme weather conditions are predicted for Thursday and Saturday, visitors should consult the Rural Fire Service website for current advice on the fire danger rating. (https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fdr-and-tobans)“We are also reminding visitors that solid fuel bans continue to apply in State forests, and to check for total fire bans.”Updates on State forest closures will be available at http://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/visit and posted on Facebook (@visitNSWForests) over the holiday period.National Parks, which are operated by the NSW National Parks government department have some areas open and closed over the coming holiday period.In the Nightcap National Park here is the list you need to be aware of:Closed areas: Western area and roads closed due to bushfires and recoveryThe western area and some roads and trails within this park are closed due to ongoing bushfire activity and bushfire recovery works.The closed areas, roads and trails are west of Rummery Park campground and include the western shared trail network. The closed roads and trail network includes:Peates Mountain Road Perlite RoadEastern Fire BreakBlue Fig RoadRummery RoadGibbergunyah RoadNixon RoadTungun RoadTuntable trailNumber One trailNorth Rocks Road Historic Nightcap track remains closed from Rummery Park campground through to Mount Nardi and the Sphinx.The areas, walking tracks and trails that remain open include:Rummery Park campgroundBoggy Creek walkMinyon Falls picnic areaMinyon Falls loopMinyon Grass picnic areaTelephone Road trailer carparkAll trails associated with the shared trail network east of Nightcap Range Road and Rummery Park campground, including Telephone Road, Boomerang Road, Quandong trail and Eastern Boundary trail.Closed areas: Historic Nightcap track and Pholis track closedSome walking tracks, including Historic Nightcap track and Pholis Gap track, are closed due to the impact of recent fires within Nightcap National Park. Affects 3 locations in this park: Goorgana walking trackMount Matheson loopPholis Gap walking trackPlease note that the Minion Falls picnic area and carpark, the lookout with nearby picnic area and short walk track and boardwalk will be closed for maintenance this Friday December 20 between 8am and 3pm.You are advices to check the NSW National park website before considering any trip or walk into areas of the Nightcap National Park https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/nightcap-national-park/local-alerts.

Two secrets were revealed on the same day at Lismore Regional Gallery.Just after it was announced that the $1million had been raised to buy and keep the Hannah Cabinet in Lismore as part of Gallery’s permanent collection, its creator Geoff Hannah showed Gallery director Brett Addlington how to access one of the 16 secret drawers inside the cabinet.The compartment contains a precious piece of brocade material from Marie Antoinette’s bedroom at Versailles.Geoff said there are still some secret compartments inside the cabinet which he would reveal in the future.Hannah Cabinet Acquisition Team members Brian Henry said he has been one of the presenters showing the cabinet to visitors for an hour every Wednesday for the past two years. “Over 8,000 visitors have attended these sessions with many from outside the local area,” he said. “We know a lot about 125 of the drawers, but we don’t know how to access them.”Brian said the acquisition team was formed three years ago to fundraise, but only started to collect donations in November last year.“We managed to achieve it two months ago but needed to wait for the Federal Government to approve the project,” he said proudly.“Myself and Gaela Hurford came up with the fundraising strategy, implemented it and spoke to the right people – then the cabinet sold itself – with its 140 drawers, marquetry, stones, shell and stories behind the doors.Brian said it was important that the Gallery bought the cabinet because it was an important piece of fine furniture made by a local master craftsman who is recognised world-wide.“People just love it,” he said. “And having it here will ensure this regional gallery becomes a destination bringing visitors to Lismore.”“Otherwise, it may have ended up in a gallery overseas like some of Geoff’s other masterpieces,” he said.Gaela said many people thought that it would be “impossible” to raise a million for a work of art in a country town. “But we have had incredible support from local individuals and families and local small to medium business owners,” she said.“We had firstly raised over $500,000 from the community and this gave the State and Federal Government confidence that this project was worthy of their support and would benefit the Lismore economy, especially down town Lismore which had been devastated by the floods back in 2017.”Brian said there would be a second phase in the fundraising strategy.“We now need to collect the pledges of money people made,” he said.“These pledges were legal documents and now we ask you to now honour your pledge.”Brian said there would be more than the anticipated $1million raised, and the extra money was necessary to ensure there would be money to promote and maintain the cabinet.“We’d also like to make interactive video so people can see what’s inside the cabinet without us having to open up the drawers each time.“You’ll be able to touch the screen and one of the drawers will open and reveal itself.“It’s always a gobsmacking experience when you open it up and pull out the drawers.”

Rous County Council is building four new bulk water fill stations in Lismore and Bangalow – two for the public and two for licenced water carters.The local water authority will build the new public stations in South Lismore and Bangalow and the new commercial stations in North Lismore and Bangalow.The public stations will be operational next week and the commercial ones available next year.Rous County Council committee member, Lismore councillor Vanessa Ekins said the new stations will cost $150,000 and will help alleviate waiting times for water filling.“There are already 11 stations across the local government area network, but we are paying to put in the new stations in because water carters are waiting up to two hours to fill at the moment, and there’s a need for more stations for the public,” she said.Vanessa said people should be aware that Rous Water sell water to water carters for $5.75 for 1000 litres, and the carters sell the water to the public for $250-$450 for a 13,000 litre load delivered.“You can do the maths on that yourself,” she said.“If the public want to fill up their water themselves, they can buy a 1000 litre container from a hardware shop and pay by credit card at the filling station.”Check your water is not contaminatedVanessa said people who buy the services of a water carter should be careful and check to see if the water carter has a licence to fill up with potable or non-potable water.“Make sure if you are buying water for household use,” she said. “Only use these carters with a licence for drinking water, otherwise it could be contaminated.“There are 38 licences for carters to collect non-potable water and 27 carter licences for potable water collection.“Non-potable water is good for things like spraying roads or planting trees, but not for drinking.“At the last meeting I asked how can we tell people which carters have non-potable water – we have no control over who they sell it to.“So, Rous County Council will put all the names of the water carters and the types of licence they have on its website so people can check to see if the water they are getting is from the right source."Vanessa said Council has been going through a licencing check process with water carters and inspecting their trucks.“If the water is non-potable, you don’t know what chemicals may have been in contact with that water and we know there have already been stock kills from bad water," she said.Water consumption and water restrictionsVanessa said it was likely Lismore would be moving from level one to level 2 water restrictions within the week.“Our normal daily consumption of water used to be 33 megalitres, but last January it was 53 megalitres,” she said.“Water usage has been increasing and we are worried about the long term weather forecast.“People need to be careful about how they are using water – by the time we are on level four water restrictions, there is no garden watering allowed at all.“The biggest household use of water is in toilets, showers and laundry.“There is also likely more garden watering going on because it has been so dry, people are now watering gardens that used to not need it.”Get a water tankVanessa encourages people to buy a water tank and start using their own collected water.“It will mean less demand on the reticulated supply and less cost for us to invest in new infrastructure,” she said.“Rous Water offers rebates for rain tanks and it almost covers the cost of the tank. “It’s the best way to store water – our Rocky Creek Dam is losing lots of water from evaporation in the heat.“Even the rain shower we had the other day was enough to fill up my little tank.”For more information, visit https://www.rous.nsw.gov.au/cp_themes/default/home.asp

Tucked away in the Lismore Transit centre is an unlikely place you might not have thought about buying Christmas gifts from.Lismore Environment Centre has become not only the place that gives out public transport timetable information, but a place you can buy local produce and cool and unusual gifts – like the Knitting Nannas 2020 calendar. Jodi Adams is one of the volunteers at the Lismore Environment Centre and said the centre has become a hub for locals to bring in everything from worm juice, to local honey, coffee and soap.“If you buy things from here, you are supporting local producers and community groups,” she said.“We are an eco shop and one of the few main street shopfront environmental centres in Australia.“We have tshirts and merchandise from the Knitting Nannas Against Gas, the Railway Action Group and books from the Koala Gardens, which is now a wildlife refuge. “We sell local honey from three different suppliers and hemp products – sales from these will benefit small scale organisations in the local area.“We also have animal costumes for use to lend to people.”Jodi said she started volunteering at the environment centre because, as an activist, she “saw people needed help here”. “I helped set up the Manly Environment Centre in Sydney,’ she said. “It’s critical we keep this place and remain independent from Council.“We are all volunteers here, but we pay rent to the council for the space and rely on selling products to keep the shop running.”Jodi said the environment centre has also become an unofficial frontline health and social support service.“We offer free towels and cups of tea and have clothes for a small donation, or free if you need it,” she said.“We often refer people to services like the Community Gateway or make phone calls for them.“The local hospital recognised we are becoming a frontline support service.“Recently I took a man who came here to the hospital to get his medication and made sure he found somewhere to stay for the night.“He’s one of the many people we help here all the time.If you are keen to help support the Lismore Environment Centre, drop in to the Transit Centre from Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm at 115 Molesworth Street, Lismore (where the Transit Centre is located).The centre also sells:* locally made bread and cheese boards small to large* mugs and cards from local indigenous artist Cindy Roberts* locally made soaps and skin products* books on the local region’s history, plants and animals* locally made candles * wildlife posters* environmental campaign t-shirts and bags* hemp products for humans AND horses

Woodburn is predicted to be one of the busiest holiday road traffic hotspots this year - with up to 60 minute delays - according to Transport for NSW (TfNSW).With Christmas approaching, hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers will be heading to their favourite destinations up and down the NSW coasts and TfNSW has predicted the traffic delay times in key holiday hotspots.TfNSW northern region director Anna Andrews said motorists should take extra precaution when planning their journeys this holiday season - due to the number of uncontained fires and increased traffic volumes along the eastern seaboard. “Based on last year’s traffic data, we predict the weekend before Christmas and the weekend before New Year will be the busiest times to travel along the east coast of NSW,” she said. “Woodburn and Hexham in the north have been identified as significant traffic hotspots over this period, with up to 60 minute delays in these locations. “It’s time to plan ahead and save yourself some journey time. “There is an alternative route which avoids the significant delays at Woodburn. Motorists can travel between Ballina and Grafton via the Bruxner Highway and Summerland Way.”   Ms Andrew said to find alternative roads to avoid the queues over the peak travel days, motorists should visit the holiday journeys webpage http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/holiday-journeysTo reduce impact to holiday traffic, no road work will be carried out on the Pacific Highway from 6am Friday, December 20 to 6am Monday, January 6, including no work on the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade. “There have been a large number of changes to the Pacific Highway between Woolgoolga and Ballina since this time last year,” Ms Andrews said.“By Christmas there will be an additional 10.5 kilometres of four lane divided highway open to traffic. “Most road work and speed restrictions will be lifted during the Christmas season to make travel easier, except for emergency, maintenance and safety work during this time.”Electronic message signs will be on the highway providing real time travel advice on the road. For traffic information about key locations in NSW, visit: http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/holiday-journeysFor the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit http://livetraffic.com or call 132 701.For live bushfire updates, visit: http://rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-meWorst days to travel on our roads from this Wednesday when NSW public schools break upFriday 20th, Saturday 21st, Monday 23rd and Friday 27th December and on Thursday 2nd January Coastal areas where most delays are expected prior to ChistmasWoodburn on the far north coast – delays expected in both directions – up to 75 minutes if northbound.Nowra on the south coast – delays of between 20-45 minutes are expectedHexham (north of Newcastle) – delays of 40-45 minutes expectedDelays expected between Christmas and New YearWoodburn again will be an issue with delays up to 75 minutesBateman’s Bay on the south coast – delays in all directions up to 75 minutesNowra and Jervis Bay will be problem spots as wellHexham will also have major delays Delays expected following New YearsWoodburn on the north coast – delays up to 75 minutesJervis Bay on the south coast – delays up to 75 minutes Nowra and Bateman’s Bay – delays up to 30 minutesHexham and Salt Ash – delays up to 30 mins

A statewide Total Fire Ban has been declared from midnight Tuesday, December 17 to midnight Saturday, December 21, due to hot and dry conditions across NSW.The NSW Rural Fire Service said there are difficult and dangerous fire conditions forecast over coming days".People are asked to consider if fire afffects them, when will you leave, what will you take and where will you go?

Local Trinity Catholic College student, Alejandra Paredez Paredes, has placed first in the Italian Beginners course in the 2019 Higher School Certificate (HSC).She is one of more than 66,000 students who completed their HSC this year and one of 135 students who had received an award for academic achievement.  NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell congratulated the students and said finishing first in one of the 119 courses is an outstanding accomplishment.  “Six of the first place award recipients topped more than one course, which is incredible,” Ms Berejiklian said.“These students have worked extremely hard and put in countless hours of effort and study, and they should be very proud of their remarkable academic achievements.” In 20019, 7500 students studied one or more HSC courses throughout the year and 55,000 students are eligible for an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank).Ms Mitchell also commended the students who received recognition on the Merit List for All Round Achievers, Top Achievers and Distinguished Achievers.“Congratulations to the 1449 students who received the All Rounder Achievers award this year, for scoring in the highest band in at least 10 units of study,” Ms Mitchell said.“A further 790 students received Top Achievers and 17,123 on the Distinguished Achievers List.“Our experienced and dedicated NSW teachers, along with family and friends have supported and encouraged these young people to achieve the highest possible result in an HSC course."2019 HSC students who sat at least one exam will receive their results by SMS, email and online today. NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) will make the results available through the Students Online personal account. 

Lismore local, Our Kids fundraising coordinator Rebekka Battista has given her son the best Christmas present possible – a new kidney.Rebekka and her son Isaak (21) were still in hospital in Sydney yesterday, both recovering after a kidney transplant operation.Rebekka said she and Isaak were moved into the same ward a couple of nights ago which made it easy for visiting friends to see them both.“He might be over his mum by the end of it though,” Rebekka laughed.It’s the second time Isaak has received a kidney transplant – the first time was 14 years ago, when Isaak’s father, Gianpiero donated a kidney to him – and that was at Christmas time too.“We are both doing well,” Rebekka said. “Isaak is an incredibly resilient young man.“I need to take it easy for about six weeks after the major surgery – so no running a marathon. “I just need to keep a healthy lifestyle, just like Gianpiero did after he gave Isaak a kidney.Rebekka said before the operation, Isaak’s kidney function was only at about 10% capacity.“Isaak’s blood results are back to normal now and that’s pretty amazing,” she said.Friends and family gather around the Battistas in hospital.Rebekka said the major surgical operation saw her in surgery for about six hours, but Isaak’s surgery was only about three hours.“It’s a bigger operation for the donor while they prepare the kidney to get out well and be quickly transplanted,” she said.Rebekka said Isaak takes anti-rejections medication twice a day, and he will be doing it for the rest of his life.“In the morning and evening, he has about 15 tablets to keep everything going,” she said.“Even though I’m his mum and we are a match, it’s still a foreign object in his body.“The more research we keep doing about transplants and medications, hopefully transplants will last longer. “We already know more about it now than we did 14 years ago.“One day they might be able to grow kidneys – that would be amazing.” Rebekka, Gianpiero and Isaak are together and expect to stay in Sydney for a few months so Isaak can be close to the hospital for the ongoing post-operative checks.“We want to thank Centre Church, the churches of Lismore and Hillsong City Campus for their love and encouragement,” Rebekka said.“Isaak’s friends have been coming to spend time with him here and there’s a lovely stream of people sending their prayers and support.“We’d also like to thank the Lismore community for the support of messages, texts and flowers.“Our family has been wonderful and having them near has been such a support.”

While portable Bluetooth speakers are handy, Nat Dobbie from Living Entertainment knows nothing beats a good hi fi system.A bespoke showroom where people can come in and hear a good quality sound system is one of the gems in his new shop, now located at 105 Keen Street, Lismore.“People don’t realise that when they are listening on tiny blue tooth speakers they are missing the emotion behind the music," Nat said.“When you sit down in a shop under the speakers and hear the emotion in the music it's incredible.“I want to expose people to that sound again."Nat has been trading from a shop in Summerland Arcade for four years and the business has become so successful, he’s moved into a larger premises next to Bohotopia and the Book Warehouse.The new Living Entertainment shop is ten times the size of the old one and today, he’s fitting out his new showroom with lots of audio equipment.“We’ve got lots of electronic gadgetry, audio equipment, turntables, lighting automation and home hi fi systems,” Nat said.“We do custom home fit outs for people with bespoke audio gear and tailor the sound they want to achieve.“We love offering a personalised service an we have experienced, qualified staff who know all the equipment."Nat said he got into the audio business ten years ago when a family friend asked him to help with installing a stereo system.“I started dabbling in it as a hobby and really enjoyed it,” he said. “So I stated trading as a mobile sole trader fixing people’s stereo systems and home theatres.“Then I got more interested in the hi fi side of it and four years ago decided to open a shop.”Nat said that he would do a soft opening of the new shop on Thursday, followed by a grand opening on Friday and invites people to come in and check it out.For more information about Living Entertainment, visit https://www.lenc.com.au/