Lismore Base Hospital saw fire emergency crews arrive last night in response to a fire alarm in the hospital’s carpark.Concerned local residents reported seeing the fire trucks and a TV camera crew, but hospital staff have clarified that it was just a false alarm. Lismore Base Hospital general manager Ian Hatton said “a break glass fire alarm was activated in the hospital carpark on Thursday night”.“A fire crew attended but did not find any evidence of a fire,” he said.“It appears the alarm was activated in error.”

Trinity Catholic College student Matilda Howe (14) has been named Cancer Council NSW's Young Hero of the Year.“I had no idea I would win,” Matlida said. “Mum kept it a secret from me at first, but I knew I was a finalist in the awards.“It was nerve wracking and I had a tear coming out of my eye.”Despite being so young, her work as a volunteer and supporter of the Cancer Council’s fundraiser Relay for Life has earned her a trophy and an even greater desire to help others. Matilda said she first got involved with Relay For Life a few years ago because her granddad had cancer and she wanted to help raise money for the cancer Council.“The relay involved getting together sponsorship for our team to walk around the oval at Southern Cross University,” she said.Matilda’s school had encouraged their students to get involved in community services, so she began the journey of finding a charity that fit just right. After attending 2018’s Lismore & Villages Relay For Life, Matilda took it upon herself to get involved with the Cancer Council and hasn’t looked back. Since then, she has been heavily involved in serving her community and has supported numerous Cancer Council NSW events across multiple committees. Now, Matilda is an integral member in both the Lismore & Villages Relay For Life and the Stars of Lismore organising committees, where she volunteers her time to attend regular event coordination meetings and fundraising efforts.Matilda and Lismore & Villages Relay For Life chair Leanne Thompson. She can often be seen selling raffle tickets or lending a helping hand at any number of fundraising functions including at this year’s Lunch in the Country Luncheon. “Being part of the organizing committee is so much work, but I really enjoy it” Matilda said.“You see what happens behind the scenes and you get to meet so many people.“The amount of stress involved was crazy.”Matilda’s even leant a helping hand to her neighbours in Ballina when she volunteered at their Relay For Life event earlier this year as Cancer Council’s famous mascot, Dougal Bear. “It was a really hot day and I was wearing a furry suit and could hardly see anything,” she laughed. “I’m glad I didn’t fall over.”Matilda said she loves helping out, doing whatever is needed, because she gets to be her own boss.“People trust you,” she said.“I learned so many new skills and I got more confident going up to people I haven’t met before and talking to them.“It pushed me out of my comfort zone.“I have anxiety that comes and goes and I think what I’m doing is helping me to overcome it.”With a few years of school still ahead of her, Matilda said she’s still not sure what she wants to do with her life.“Sometimes I think I want to be a police officer, or work for the Cancer Council in Byron Bay.”Her mum Deb said Matilda’s reliability, passion and skills make her perfect for event management.Matilda encourages people to get involved with next year’s Relay For Life, to be held in March.“People can register their teams of any number of people,” she said.  Matilda was nominated for the Cancer Council award by Lismore & Villages Relay For Life chair Leanne Thompson – who Matilda said has been a huge support to her, along with her mum Deb.“I’m so pleased to have been given the opportunity to nominate Matilda for this award, we are very proud of her efforts and know she will continue to do great things,” Leanne said.Cancer Council NSW provides numerous support services to the Northern Rivers community and relies on the fundraising efforts of the community to operate.The Cancer Council Information Service - run by volunteers – is based at Lismore’s St Vincent’s Hospital and provides the local community with personal support and access to helpful information. Lismore’s Transport to Treatment is a key service in the community that provides free transport for patients to reach their local treatment centres. As well as these, the Lismore community can also access In-Home Support, Pro bono financial and legal advice, accommodation services, Cancer Support Groups and the Cancer Council’s hotline 13 11 20. For more information or to register a team in the Relay For Life, visit http://www.relayforlife.org.au/lismore or visit Facebook for updates at http://www.facebook.com/RelayForLifeLismoreVillages 

The refurbishment of Lismore Library is complete and the library will reopen as normal this Saturday, November 30.The library has undergone a refit and now has new shelving, furnishings and carpet.So drop in and say high and maybe borrow a book!  

An evacuation centre has opened at Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore, for residents of the areas around Reardons Lane, Gap Road, Woodburn, Swan Bay-New Italy, and Evans Head.Please note NO evacuation orders have been issued by the NSW RFS at this time.If you are leaving the area, first place of call should be family and friends.Those needing further assistance should visit the SCU evacuation centre. A number of agencies are on hand to help answer your questions.Small domesticated animals are welcome.We encourage all people in and around fire-affected areas to register online with the Red Cross operated Register Find Reunite site at https://register.redcross.org.au/

After experiencing one of the top five driest and hottest springs on record, the long range forecast for summer is – no surprise – hot and dry as well. The Bureau of Meterology (BoM) has released its 2019/20 Summer Outlook forecast and the climate outlook shows a high likelihood of warmer than average days and nights for most of the country, while rainfall is likely to be below average for large parts of the nation's east.BoM’s head of long-range forecasts Dr Andrew Watkins said we have fairly high odds getting about 80% of a drier than normal summer and also very high odds of above 80% of warmer days and nights in NSW.Dr Watkins said Australia's outlook was being influenced by one of Australia's main climate drivers – the positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). "The key culprit is one of the strongest positive IOD events on record," Dr Watkins said."A positive IOD means we have cooler than average water pooling off Indonesia, and this means we see less rain-bearing weather systems, and warmer than average temperatures for large parts of the country.Bureau of Meterology's rainfall outlook for the month of December."The positive IOD means we're also expecting a delayed onset for the northern monsoon, one of the key drivers for tropical rainfall during the summer months."At this stage we're expecting the onset of the northern monsoon by mid-summer, which should see the odds for closer to average rainfall increasing from January and into February." “Spring has been hot and dry we’ve seen one of the top five driest Springs on record and one of the top five warmest springs on record.“We’ve also had a lot of dust blowing in from inland Australia and of course the smoke and bushfire as well.”Dr Watkins said the outlook was an important reminder for communities to be alert to the potential severe weather risks over the coming months."We've already seen significant bushfire activity during spring, and the outlook for drier and warmer than average conditions will maintain that heightened risk over the coming months."This outlook also means the risk of heatwaves is increased, so it's important the community stays up to date with the latest information and advice from authorities and the Bureau's heatwave forecasts and warnings.Bureau of Meterology's rainfall outlook for January."Even with a drier than average outlook, localised flooding remains a risk under particular meteorological conditions such as thunderstorms, and of course communities in the north need to be prepared at this time of year for tropical cyclones."For more information on Australia's severe weather risks visit: bom.gov.au/knowyourweatherFor more information from the Bureau of Meterology, visit http://www.bom.gov.au/?ref=logoWhat about the rest of the country?The climate outlook shows a high likelihood of warmer than average days and nights for most of the country.Only coastal areas of Western Australia, stretching from the Midwest to the Kimberley are showing increased odds of wetter than average conditions.NSW spring summaryThe preliminary spring summary for New South Wales - as a whole - was dry.Despite some rain around Bourke in early November and in the northeast late in spring, the far northeast was particularly dry.Days were warmer than average especially in the northeast, but nights were closer to average.A blast of extreme heat in late November increased fire danger and broke spring temperature records in the southeast.Large fires, persistent smoke and dust storms were features of the season. Bureau of Meterology's rainfall outlook for January to March.National spring summaryVictoria, South Australia and Queensland also experienced one of the five driest springs on record and it was one of Western Australia's warmest and driest springs on record.VictoriaIn Victoria, rainfall was close to average around Melbourne and near the southwest coast.Days were warmer than average for most of the State, with record hot spring weather late in November.A blast of extreme heat in late November increased fire danger and broke spring temperature records at many sites.Cool nights were common, and the State's spring mean minimum temperature is on track to be the lowest since 2003.QueenslandQueensland was especially dry in the southeast, but rainfall was close to average in the southwest. Days were warmer than average for most of the State, but nights were cooler than average in many areas.Overall the southeast had a warmer than average spring but the far north was cooler than average.South Australia Days were warmer than average, especially in the west, but nights were colder than average in parts of the southeast.A blast of extreme heat in late November increased fire danger and broke spring temperature records in southern districts.TasmaniaFrequent gusty westerly winds meant western Tasmania had a cool and wet spring, but days in the east were warmer than average.Nights were cooler than average for much of the State.A blast of extreme heat in late November increased fire danger and broke spring temperature records Western AustraliaMaximum temperatures record warm across almost the whole State, and the Western Australia mean maximum temperature is on track to break the previous spring record.Numerous sites had their hottest spring day around the middle of November.Rainfall was well below average for most of the State, although the Pilbara picked up some rain toward the end of November.Northern TerritoryNovember days were warmer than usual in the Northern Territory, and record warm in parts of the northwest.Nights were much cooler than average in the southeast, but warmer than average in the northwest.Rainfall was below average over most of the Territory, although there was rain into the northwest late in the month.

In the aftermath of recent bushfires, most of the Wytaliba community near Glen Innes are trying to get their lives on track. With over 50 buildings destroyed, including the bridge and local school, Lismore local Jasmine Knight Smith wanted to do something to help the community that she grew up with.So she started organising a fundraiser for them, to be held at the Station Hotel in South Lismore this Saturday, November 30. It’s the first in series of benefit fundraisers that will take place over the next few months.With a host of performers ready to volunteer their time to the gig, Wytaliba Love is set to bring musical love to the stage from 2pm until 11.30pm.“Over half the Wytaliba community have no home,” Jasmine said. “Most escaped the fires with nothing but the clothes on their backs.“I’ve been speaking to friends on Wytaliba and they’re just so grateful that we are going to help them - every little bit helps.“Many people fled after the fires and are staying with friends and family. “Some are down the hill in tents and some are couch surfing in Glen Innes. Wytaliba fire. Picture: Vanessa LeishmanJasmine said she grew up in Wytaliba and has a deep connection to the community.“My mum was one of first three to live there – she and my dad were part of buying the land there initially in 1979,” she said.“The house my parents built burned down, and Joe who lived in the house is homeless and will be coming up for the gig on Saturday.“When the fires approached Wytaliba, it was described as a hurricane of flames and heat - very fast and without warning. “I’ve heard incredible stories of bravery and loss - including the loss of two lives, Vivian Chaplain and George Nole.“George was an eccentric who had worked for NASA on the Apollo Program and Vivian Chaplain was just relentlessly wonderful - she died protecting the animals and home she loved.” Jasmine said all proceeds from the benefit gigs will go directly to those affected.“The money will be divided between those who have lost their homes and some for community infrastructure.“It will go into the Wytaliba trust account and be divided up by the board of directors . Jasmine said Lismore locals Robyn Dein, Cat Reid and Darren Bridge have been helping out with organizing the gig.The line up for Saturday’s fundraiser includes headlining band Huckleberry Gin [- whose front man Simon Burton hails from Wytaliba.There will be raffles, a photo display of the property before and after the fire, stories of loss and survival and great music.There will be no cover charge - donate whatever you can.Jasmine said information about Wytaliba and upcoming events will be shared on the webpage http://www.wytalibalove.com “It’s a work in progress and things will be added as the residents of Wytaliba are more able to share their stories and photos,” she said.“Right now they’re just trying to find a place to sleep and some clothes for their kids.” Wytaliba Love line up:2:30 John and Matt 3:25 Tradesmyth4:15 Postmortemists 5:00 Mocri$ and Triple 6:00 Huckleberry Gin 7:00 Queen of the Ants 8:00 HDM 9:00 The Munted 10:00 Baby Fist

The brand new North Tower at Lismore Base Hospital is nearly ready to become operational and will be open by the early April 2020.The freshly painted new tower now joins seamlessly with the existing hospital tower, which will be the subject of refurbishment in the future.North Tower, to be known as F Block, will include two inpatient wards (one medical and one surgical), an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), pharmacy, imaging, day surgery and endoscopy units, hospital administration facilities, security office, and admissions department.Patient recovery areas inside the new hospital tower.Yesterday, the building was open for inspection and Parliamentary Secretary for Health, the Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones MLC inspected the eight-storey building, ahead of it being handed over to the Northern NSW Local Health District.The new tower has been completed ahead of schedule, marking a major milestone in the $322 million Stage 3 redevelopment project for the local hospital.Ms Maclaren-Jones said the early hand-over gives hospital management and staff greater opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new building and carry out the necessary preparations before it opens to the public via a staged process.“The construction company John Holland and Health Infrastructure have done a fantastic job completing the project two months ahead of schedule,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.Brand new operating theatres and hospital rooms are getting finishing touches.Construction of the North Tower commenced in May 2018, with an average of 115 people working on the site each day, generating 745 jobs on site.Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) board chair Brian Pezzutti is excited that the building is almost ready for operation. He’s been overseeing the project and said the new operating theatres had state of the art equipment and were different to what we’ve seen before.“Now we have two endoscopy theatres and the theatres are hybrid theatres where patients can receive a number of procedures in one place,” he said.“Having these new services available will bring more medical specialists into our regional area to work.“It will be a magnet for people looking for the opportunity to live in a rural area with the regional lifestyle – it will provide work opportunities usually only found in metropolitan areas.Mr Pezzutti said the inclusion of the intensive care and surgical ward was the result of former local politician Thomas George.“He fought hard to get the extra $50 million extra on top to get it done,” he said. “It would be great if we could name something after him.”NNSWLHD chief executive Wayne Jones said having the new expanded services mean that local people will have access to new services.“we will see a significant reduction in the numbers of people who have to leave the area to go to a major city for surgery,” he said.With 90 new beds for patients, the times spent in hospital for surgery are expected to reduce, with more surgeries complete and patients going home within one day.“The rooms are more spread out, the operating theatre is bigger and the new surgical ward is a contemporary state of the art design,” he said.  Between May 2018 and September 2019, 745 workers were employed on the construction of the new tower, including 61 apprentices, 162 workers who participated in structured training or upskilling, 17 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander workers, and 19 women working in trade roles.Once the tower opens next year, there will eb a recruitment of people for more new jobs in a number of areas, from cleaning to administration. The $322 million redevelopment project is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2021. The NSW Government has invested more than $10 billion since 2011 to build, upgrade and redevelop hospitals and health facilities across NSW. An additional $10.1 billion is being invested over the next four years to continue current projects and start upgrading or building a further 29 hospitals and health facilities.

While our bush fires are under control for now in the 2480 postcode, spare a thought for our southern neighbours in Woodburn and Evans Head.Today the New Italy bush fires are out of control and are being driven by a southerly wind moving the bush fire threat towards Woodburn and Evans Head. Residents are being warned by the NSW RFS to leave their homes if their property is not prepared for or is undefendable while others are asked to monitor the situation closely. The fire is very large at more than 93,270 hectares and burning out of control.Some people have family and friends living in these areas as well as areas closer to the fire hot spots in New Italy and further south towards holiday areas like Iluka and Yamba. We will leave the Lismore App Bush Fire button live for the next few weeks in case anyone wants some immediate information on your smartphone. We have added the Woodburn RFS Facebook page as a link plus Live Traffic NSW as road closures are changing constantly.The Lismore App will keep you up to date as the holiday season approaches in terms of traffic conditions as we head towards the Christmas break.

Lismore City Councillors last night voted for a second time to apply for a special rate variation over four years to fund a massive investment in our local roads and help re-invigorate the CBD. Read more: Council decides: Rates are set to rise Mayor Isaac Smith said he and other councillors were aware there is opposition to the rate raise but added it was the job of elected councillors to put the interests of the entire community first. He also noted that there were supporters of the rate rise as noted in the feedback that was made available to all parties.“I acknowledge that this is a controversial decision and that, for some, this may create a small financial burden” he said.“We are very aware of that, and we make provisions for this. "Ratepayers can contact council to make an arrangement to pay their rates off over time. “People can also apply for assistance under our Hardship Policy and all Centrelink pensioners and certain Veteran Affairs pensioners are entitled to a discount, many people take this up already and I encourage others to apply for these.“No councillor wants to raise rates but there is no alternative. Over the term of this council we have cut spending by millions of dollars, appointed a new General Manager to put new cost-saving measures in place and much more.“We all want the Lismore community to grow and to become a vibrant economy that will support us into the future.”“As I have said previously, there is nothing left to trim, which means if we didn’t vote for the rise, we would have to cut essential services and not invest anything in our growth.”“We have the largest road network of any council in the Northern Rivers, and a maintenance backlog of more than $54 million which has been built up over consecutive councils.“Unfortunately, previous councils have kicked the issue down the road. “This must stop now. “If we continue to duck this, it will make it worse for the next council and the cost that will be required to rectify the infrastructure backlog will greatly penalise the community in the future.“We are not alone in this. “Other councils in our area, like Byron Bay, Richmond Valley and Ballina councils have all increased their rates by as much as 33.5% and we can all see the economic growth that has occurred in these areas.“If are application is approved, this will be the largest investment in our roads in living memory.” The council will now write to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, which will make the final decision on whether to approve the increase.The council voted to ask IPART for a rate increase over 4 years, starting with 7.5% in the first year, 9.4% in the second year, 3.9% in the third and 3.2% in the fourth year.

Another person has been caught filming in Court.Richmond District Police will allege that at 11.45am yesterday, a 30 year old Ballina man was at Lismore Court. He was seen by a Sheriff to be filming Court proceedings on 'snapchat'. He had filmed a Magistrate and had the words 'F*** I hate Court" on his snapchat (you can fill in the blanks).The 30 year old will be back at Lismore Local Court next month on a charge of 'Use Recording Device in Court Premises'.Police said this is sadly becoming a regular occurrence on the Northern Rivers. If you are caught filming or recording at Court you can expect to be arrested and charged. If you have to go to Court, turn your mobile phone off.

Lismore councillors last night voted to bring in a Special Rates Variation (SRV) which will see a property rates rise of almost 25% over four years.The decision to bring in the SRV was made two weeks ago, but after a recission motion against it was lodged by councillors, the decision was put on hold. After almost two hours of discussion, last night’s meeting saw five councillors vote to continue with the introduction of the SRV (Crs Ekins, Marks, Bird, Cook and Smith) and four councillors vote to stop the SRV (Crs Battista, Casson, Moorhouse and Lloyd).Read more: Mayor offers options for ratepayers in hardshipThe SRV will bring extra revenue to Council for the roads budget and economic development opportunities such as reinvigorating the CBD.The Council will now send the decision to the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for a rate increase over 4 years, starting with 7.5% in the first year, 9.4% in the second year, 3.9% in the third and 3.2% in the fourth year.The decision included clauses which would see Council develop a way to provide greater accountability and transparency in the management of the extra revenue and ongoing road works.This included developing a way to track and regularly report expenditure and progress against the SRV, R2R and General Funds road programs.Another clause requested that Council’s general manager look at alternative resourcing models, “over and above council’s road team to complete the additional road works so they can be completed within a time frame that is acceptable to the community”. The discussion about the SRV has generated passionate discussion in council meetings, or social media and on the street.The debate in Council chambers last night also gave rise to passionate speeches from councillors. Cr Lloyd gave an empassioned speech around making sure governance was followed with regard to the SRV lodgement.Cr Battista gave his ideas of where to get some of the $5.4 million needed to fix the roads from if the SRV didn’t go through, which included looking at savings internally.Cr Casson gave an emotional speech about the State Government shifting more costs every year onto local councils – effectively putting councils in financial stress.“Instead of punishing ratepayers, why don’t we campaign against the State Government to stop cost shifting and fund councils adequately,” she said.Mayor Smith said Council has been working with the state body LGNSW to fight cost shifting, along with all the other local councils who have been under financial stress.Councillor Battista questioned Council staff about why only 27% of last year’s road works were completed.Mayor Smith responded saying that was the year following the flood and most staff were taken out for three or four months as a result of it.Cr Lloyd suggested the community has lost confidence in the Council's ability to manage the money to be used for the roads. Now, it’s a matter of waiting to see if IPART accepts Council’s decision to introduce the SRV.Read more: Elly Bird: On the Special Rates VariationNeil Marks: Why I voted for a large rate riseWhere will the money come from? Council's SRV voteDivided council delays action on massive rates increaseLismore rates set to rise after emotional Council debateCouncil postpones Special Rates Variation voteLismore rate rise causes a stir in Council

It might feel like groundhog day, but yes, tonight will again see Lismore Council debate and vote on whether Lismore should get a Special Rates variation (SRV).The rate increase of nearly 25% over four years has been on the cards of Council meeting agendas for a while now. The first time it was due to be voted on (three weeks ago), the vote was adjourned until the next week. At last week’s extraordinary Council meeting, the SRV was voted in – with three councillors being absent (Crs Bennett, Lloyd and Guise) and only three councillors voting against it (Crs Casson, Moorhouse and Battista).Then the next day, a recission motion was lodged by three councillors (Crs Casson, Bennett and Battista) – effectively putting a stop to the SRV being sent to Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to make a decision on whether to accept Council’s decision.Now, tonight, Council could discuss it again.The revenue gained from the SRV has been mostly earmarked to fix the roads in the Council area.If the SRV does not go ahead tonight, Council will need to find $54 million out of its budget to fund the roads.The big question is where will the money come from? Cr Nancy Casson believes the money needs to come from looking at the budget and making appropriate cuts.“I voted against the SRV because as a business owner, I knows that to cut costs you need to look internally,” she said.“I don’t have rate payers to ask for the money.“I think there’s a better way of doing things in Council.“Council staff are loathe to admit that more can be done with less - and accept that reality, look at processes and change them.“I questioned Council staff about the 80 staff jobs that were cut – I’d like to know more - because there’s a lot of new faces in Council I don’t know. “I was also surprised at briefing information for tonight’s meeting that shows we are $4 million in the red. All year I’ve been told in our quarterly statements that we were in the black and all of a sudden we are in the red.“I think Council staff have been giving council lords incorrect information.“We need to look at every dollar - even after we found we had a $6.2 million deficit, we still gave out $15,000 worth of community grants and I said why?“The answer was because we’ve done that for years. “The definition of madness is to keep doing same thing and expect different results. “My biggest concern is that if the SRV goes ahead and the roads are fixed, I don’t see the rates changing in five years – it will be with us forever.Cr Casson also believes some of the past roadworks had used funds that shouldn’t have been used because “we keep screwing up constantly”.“The Carrington Street roads works cost more money than it should have and when I put in a councillor request to ask why, I was told that the extra $71,000 was in the contingency plan,” she said.“That level of thinking was appalling.“We need to change the thinking and mentality of staff and don’t put our hand out to ratepayers. “We need to look at every process and make adjustments.”“Why does Council think its ok to have the Lismore Shopping Square pay one third of the rates that the Lismore CBD businesses do?“What about staff pay rates and accrual of annual leave?”Councillor Casson also mentioned the elephant in the room that no one has been talking about.“We were told Council staff are afraid of administrators coming in if the SRV isn’t approved,” she said.Tonight, the decision will be made. 

The acclaimed stage production The Vagina Monologues is coming to the Rochdale Theatre in Goonellabah.Performed by the Lismore Theatre Company (LTC), The Vagina Monologues is based on interviews with 200 women.First performed in 1996, the play is a series of individual monologues and four group pieces.It explores consensual and nonconsensual sexual experiences, body image, genital mutilation, direct and indirect encounters with reproduction, vaginal care, menstrual periods, sex work, and several other topics through the eyes of women with various ages, races, sexualities and other differences.For this production, Director Sharon Brodie has selected 10 local women to present 12 monologues by characters aged from 16 to 72 and four group pieces.Sharon Brodie has directed The Vagina Monologues two times over the past eight years, each time varying the monologues and the group pieces.  “I love presenting The Vagina Monologues to audiences because it combines my passion for theatre with my commitment to human rights,” she said.“These stories are educational, empowering and powerful and they can be enjoyed by everyone.”Actors in this production include actors familiar to LTC audiences, Elyse Knowles, Beth Hobbs, Kashmir Miller, Natalie Havilah, Sarah Jane Loxton, Megan Lester, Jenny Dowell and Sivi Tuioro, and newcomers, Mechelle Anderson and Ajita Cannings.Elyse Knowles has participated in The Vagina Monologues previously and said “it is truly an honour to be involved in the Vagina Monologues for the third time”.“The beauty of this show is that it not only deals with the experiences of women in the world but it continues to evolve over time and as each new person brings it to life,” she said.The youngest member of the cast, Kashmir Miller said being a part of The Vagina Monologues “is an empowering experience”.“It has made me think about the power of womanhood and sisterhood in new ways,” she said.“My piece explores contemporary attitudes towards young women, and it’s been a pleasure so far learning with my character how to embrace yourself and become free from others perceptions.”The show is confronting, poignant and funny and while there are references to sex and violence and some coarse language, it is suitable for mature teenagers.The Vagina Monologues runs from November 29 until December 8 (Thursday to Saturday at 7.30pm and Sunday at 2pm) at The Rochdale Theatre, 603 Ballina Road, Goonellabah.Ticket costs: Adult $23, Concession $17, Members $17Bookings can be made at http://www.lismoretheatrecompany.org.au or http://bit.ly/VMbookingsFundraiserThe Saturday 30 November performance of The Vagina Monologues is a special fundraiser for Heartfelt House. Friday 6 December will have Auslan interpreters. To purchase a ticket ($25) for this special night of The Vagina Monologues, please contact Heartfelt House on 66288940 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8am-3pm.  Heartfelt House provides telephone counselling and support and holds 18 week therapeutic group programs that address the impacts of abuse on participants’ daily lives. The organisation also delivers three hours seminars for family and friends to assist them in supporting survivors and managing self care. Seminars can be arranged for professional people working with survivors in other work spheres.Lismore Theatre Company is proud to make a donation to a worthwhile charity. Previous shows this year have benefited Jodie’s Inspiration, Beyond Blue, Dementia Australia and the Australasian Order of Old Bastards. 

Colemans Bridge in North Lismore will be closed for the next three weekends from this Saturday (November 30) due to maintenance work by the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS).The bridge will be closed from 7am Saturday to 6pm Sunday each weekend until December 15.The RMS will carry out the work, which involves restressing the stress laminated timber deck, strengthening trusses, replacing the existing traffic barrier, repairing the bridge surface and walkways, and repainting the bridge truss and walkway handrails.Weekend closures will resume after the Australia Day long weekend in 2020.

A giant metal box acting as a camera obscura will be the scene of one of the unusual events taking place around the Lismore CBD this week for the (un)Usual Festival.From November 27-30, there will be light and sound installations in Spinx Park, art in a can, a cabaret show, and a performance at a secret location – as the festival explores the idea of ‘what happens when the familiar become strange?’Festival organisers Zeb Schultz and Sunita Bala from Real Artworks said the festival was inspired by the 2017 post-flood Lismore performances of The Overtopping.“Lots of people engaged in the creative industries lost studios and felt helpless after the flood,” Sunita said.“So, we got a grant through Creative Arts Recovery Community Hub and opened a shop space where people could come and create with art in free and accessible workshops.“We know from a United Nations study that the arts helps communities recover after disasters.“It planted the seed for us about the process of artmaking and inspired creative investigation about what happens when the familiar becomes strange.“Whether it’s fires or floods, people lose their homes and don’t recognise their homes and community anymore.”In the aftermath of the recent fire emergency, the (un)Usual festival again explores the themes of recovery and resilienceSunita said Real Artworks is an inclusive arts organisation that caters for artists of all abilities, and the (un)Usual Festival provides an opportunity for these artists to have their voices heard.“Lismore has highest number of people engaged in disability services outside of metropolitan Sydney,” she said.“We have a melting pot of people creative people here and they feel accepted and are a part of the community.”With a small grant from Regional Arts NSW, Real Artworks began to plan the most unusual festival to hit Lismore.Expect the unexpectedAs people wander round Lismore this week, at different places and times, they can expect the unexpected.There will be art in a can available at vending machines in various locations around CBD (see https://www.facebook.com/events/1091255057918238/)“You can buy a token and get art in a can for $5-$500,” Sunita said.“Artists from all over Australia have donated art and you won’t know whose art you get until you scan the QR code on the can to find out.”There’s also the Camera Obscura installation (see https://www.facebook.com/events/509532736314644/)It’s a 20 foot long container where music and light performances will take place and audiences can either view it from outside, or inside the box.“We’ll have three 20 minutes wheelchair friendly performances on Friday (12.30pm) and Saturday (12.15 and 2.15pm) at the Quad and about 15-20 people can fit inside each time. “The event will be capped at 100 people, so you need to book your place for the performance and a ballot draw will determine whether you are inside or outside the box.  “If you buy a fest pass, you get an inside spot.“The performance begins with a quintet playing live outside and there will be dancing and Krinkl Theater’s experimental puppets “The score for the quintet was written by Tilley Jones – a young woman with a disability who wrote the music as a palindrome.“The score will be played forwards and backwards creating different feeling and perspectives for the audience.”There will also be signature toasted sandwiches at the event.Real Artworks resident artist Matthew Daymond prepares installation art for the (un)Usual Festival.Kabaret and other eventsAs part of (un)Usual Festival, the Kabaret at the Lismore Workers Club on Friday November 29 will see 150 creatives of differing ability work together. There will be live experimental troupes and a free photo booth, as well as a durational performance in another room. (see https://www.facebook.com/events/2333165573636031/)Sunita said all proceeds from the cabaret show will be going to local communities affected by fires. The Little Red Dinner Show on Thursday, November 28 at Lismore City Bowling Club will be the first screening of a show developed for the Melbourne Fringe Festival by Jex Lopez.It’s described as a gender bending truth telling version of Little Red Riding Hood (see https://www.facebook.com/events/573373430070707/).Then after the show, there’s the Trail of Light and Sound in Spinx Park at 8.30pm, where artists have created a visual and sound experimental performance (see https://www.facebook.com/events/2573953332691354/)Following that, there will be music at the Bowling Club until 12pm.On Saturday, November 30, The MessAge will bring a noise opera about the last man alive, and later there will be twisted comedy with Larry Laughs Out Loud at the Lismore City Bowling Club (see https://www.facebook.com/events/542044543254726/).Tra La Blip, Ana Wojak and Cloudbeard along with a projection DJ and the Useless Assembly will perform at a secret location.If you want to come along, meet at Lismore City Bowling Club at 9pm. Tickets are $10.To find out about ticket prices, festival passes and to book your place at any of the festival events, visit https://postdisabilityarts.wixsite.com/unusual - or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-un-Usual-When-the-Familiar-Becomes-Strange-1967475603301394/The festival is will also be Auslan signed and an Auslan pass is available.

At the peak of the recent bushfire emergency in the local area, Salvation Army volunteers were feeding about 180 displaced people from Nimbin communities every day. These volunteers, who were instrumental in helping out evacuees from the recent Mount Nardi bushfires near Nimbin, today met with Shadow Minister for Seniors and Volunteers, Jo Haylen.Ms Haylen visited The Salvation Army headquarters and the Lismore Showground, where she heard about the work done by dedicated locals who gave their time to help others in the community.Salvation Army Lieutenant Reverend Philip Sutcliffe said about 20 Salvos volunteers coordinated assistance and made meals for the people staying at the Nimbin Showgrounds evacuation centre. “We had limited facilities when the bushfires were on, so we did a lot of the food preparation in our kitchen at our Goonellabah premises, then took it out to the Nimbin showground,” he said.“We needed an indoor work space to protect our volunteers from the thick smoke that they would be exposed to in the evacuation site.”“We work year round and are always on call in emergencies – from floods to fires.“We prepare about 1800 meals a year with food donated from our major sponsor Woolworths and the recent bushfire emergency also saw local business supplying boxes of fresh produce.“We’re always looking for more people to put up their hand to help out and volunteer.“This time of year, we are usually preparing for floods, but there’s no rain and we’re instead preparing for the different challenges of fire preparations."MP Jo Haylen meets volunteers at Lismore Showgrounds.VolunteersSalvos kitchen volunteers Norma Elsley and Kathy Preston spent hours in the kitchen preparing salads and food for evacuees at Nimbin Showgrounds.Norma’s parents were ministers and she said she has been a volunteer all her life. Every week she helps out at the Salvos - whether it’s in emergencies or preparing Christmas hampers or whatever is needed. “Volunteering is rewarding - you feel you are doing something for someone else,” Norma said. “Sometimes all people need is someone to listen to their problems, not fix them.“Talking to them about their problems is the best thing.”Sandra is one of the coordinators at the salvation Army in Lismore. She works six days a week with a limited pool of volunteers – doing everything from coordinating the food pantry, to answering the Salvos Connect Helpline (1300 371 28).She said she’s there to help people with whatever emergency assistance they need or to connect them to the right services. “It’s important that people know there’s someone out there who cares, and we try to help them,” she said.  “I have a great team of workers.” The Salvation Army Lismore also played a key role in responding to the Busbys Flat Road-Long Gully Road bushfire which claimed two lives and destroyed dozens of homes and a sawmill in the village of Rappville in the Richmond Valley LGA, as well as the Mount Nardi National Park bushfire, which continues to burn.Strengthen communitiesMs Haylen said the volunteers who come together in times of need “strengthen our communities”.“I’ve already been to the Lismore Showground and it was amazing to see the assistance given to people and animals there,” she said.“With the increasing fires and flood threat it’s great to see community stepping up, and supporting the RFS and SES on the front line.“On the home front, these volunteers help with shelter and emotional support. “It is draining emotionally and these volunteers play a big part in supporting people’s mental health - from the disaster chaplaincy program with the salvos, to neighbours looking out for each other.“While many for these volunteers have been out helping others their own homes and families have been threaten by the fires. “It is truly inspiring to hear that despite this they continued to work for our communities.“I have no doubt that without the dedication of so many volunteers across the Northern Rivers, the outcome would be far worse.”Centralised coordinationThe recent bushfire emergency saw a need for centralised coordination of information and services – which was absent at the immediate beginning of the bushfires. While the Rural Fire service and State Emergency Service were on the ground coordinating the fire response, they had little extra resources to help with coordination of everything else – from feeding the volunteers to pooling donations.In Nimbin, the local community quickly came together after the initial emergency bushfire community meeting on the Sunday. Nimbin local Diana Roberts was approached by members of the local community on the Tuesday to take on a coordination role and ensure everyone had access to information and know where to go to for help.Other locals who were instrumental in coordinating on the ground fire fighting in and around the Tuntable community have been documenting their approach to tackling the emergency in order to share it with other communities in the future. Rev Sutcliffe said having a national volunteer emergency services army would be a great way forward in a times of increasing fire and flood threat.“It would be great to see a group of local people available in crisis times and in the recovery afterwards,” he said.“It’s in the recovery afterwards that tradespeople are needed to help people get their lives back on track.“At the moment the ground is so dry that when we do get rain, it’s not going to soak in and we’ll likely see floods next.”Ms Haylen said in times of emergency there’s a high level of coordination needed, and we need to learn from our experiences at the community level.“This is our reality now that we are facing, and we need people in place to support these ongoing challenges.” 

Almost 40% of at risk men are diagnosed with HIV only once they are in the late stage of infection. With statistics like these, Northern NSW Local Health District is urging people at risk who’ve never been tested for HIV or haven’t had a test for more than a year, to get one done, and help eliminate the spread of HIV.Manager of HIV and Related Programs, Jenny Heslop, said HIV Awareness Week (23-30 November) is a good opportunity to take a test.“HIV testing is simple and confidential. There are now a variety of HIV tests available including free tests,” Ms Heslop said.“You can get tested at your local GP or sexual health service. Or, if you want to test yourself at home, the Dried Blood Spot testing kit can be delivered to you and results are sent back by text, email or phone.”“People at risk of HIV, particularly men who have sex with men, can now use a combination of prevention methods to reduce their risk including taking HIV Pre- Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and using condoms, which are available for free.”NSW has made significant progress towards the goal of virtually eliminating HIV transmission by 2020, with a 13% drop in the number of new diagnoses in NSW between January to September, compared to the previous five-year average.NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant said this reduction is due to more people seeking early testing and treatment and taking steps to prevent HIV transmission including the use of PrEP.“A late HIV diagnosis can be life-threatening and increases the chances of passing on HIV to sexual partners. Early diagnosis means you can receive treatment, live a long, healthy life and prevent transmission to others,” Dr Chant said.Between January to September 2019, 159 men who had sex with men were diagnosed with HIV in NSW. Of these men, 45% had not had a test in the past 12 months and 18% had never had an HIV test.“With almost 40% of these men diagnosed with HIV in the late stage of infection, we are urging those at risk to get a test,” Dr Chant said.The NSW Government has committed $22.4 million in 2019-20 to strengthen testing, treatment and prevention with 47 state-funded Sexual Health Clinics also making testing easily accessible.For information on HIV testing, visit http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/hiv-test or call NSW Sexual Health Infolink on 1800 451 624 (Free-call).

Southern Cross University (SCU) Bachelor of Media graduate Emily Page (24) is a budding filmmaker now on her career path - and she's excited about changes to the SCU media program next year.Thanks to a new partnership between SCU and the screen industry association Screenworks, future filmmakers will have an advantage and receive a complimentary 12-month Screenworks Regional Student Membership.Emily has been a member of Screenworks for five years and said the Screenworks membership gave her a leg up.“Screenworks put me in touch with many opportunities, including working on Deadlock, a five-part web drama series for ABC TV and ABC iView that premiered last year,” Emily said.For her internship on the set of Deadlock, Emily’s was Production Office Attachment and Runner. She was paid a wage while working alongside the highly experienced film crew from Every Cloud Productions. “The experience helped me bridge the gap between being a student filmmaker to a professional. I now also have an industry credit to my name,” Emily said.“And through my involvement with Screenworks, I have been able to gain other work opportunities in reality TV and feature films.” Emily says that despite Lismore being a regional area, the film culture and talent in the area is huge. “This region is such a creative space. I never realised there were so many creative people condensed into one area before I moved here.” The partnership between SCU and Screenworks aims to promote and advocate for media and communications students in regional, rural and remote Australia. Despite the fact that many of the Bachelor of Digital Media and Communications live in rural and remote areas, they will still be able gain exclusive insights into how the screen industry operates, explore latest innovations.This includes tailor-made, screen-related development and networking opportunities with some of Australia’s leading industry figures. Professor Mark Hughes, Dean and Head of the School of Arts and Social Sciences, said it’s a great thrill for staff and students to be involved in this partnership. “Advancing the screen industry in regional and rural areas is a goal shared by both Screenworks and Southern Cross University,” he said. “The Northern Rivers in particular attracts many screen projects and crews given the area’s natural beauty and incredibly rich creative communities. “We want to make best use of the opportunities currently available and build capacity in the industry. “This can happen by investing in the next generation of screen artists and workers.” Screenworks Chief Executive Officer Ken Crouch said regional voices and stories have always been popular in Australian film and television. “Through the Screenworks partnership with Southern Cross University we look forward to supporting the development of new regional voices and talent and connecting them with the national and international screen industry which can provide work opportunities and career pathways for the students,” she said.Screenworks is a registered charity that provides support, leadership and vision for the regional screen industries in Australia. It has a particular focus on the industry cluster in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. Bachelor of Digital Media and Communications students will now receive these benefits: • A panel discussion at Southern Cross University in 2020 about how to build a regional screen industry career. It will feature professionals from the Northern Rivers. • Discounted prices to Screenworks events and programs throughout the year, along with the opportunity to apply for Southern Cross University’s Career Pathways Programs and Global Connect Programs. • Industry mentoring for two students each year. Complimentary 12-month Screenworks Regional Student Membership

The Northern NSW Local Health District 2019 Annual Public Meeting will now be held on Tuesday, 10 December 2019 from 2pm to 4pm at Kingscliff Beach Bowls Club. The meeting was previously scheduled for 13 November but was postponed due to the bush fire situation. All residents are invited to attend the meeting, which will include presentations from Chief Executive, Wayne Jones, and Board Chair, Dr Brian Pezzutti on a range of matters including the health district’s performance and achievements over the past year, plans for the future, and an update on the Tweed Valley Hospital development. There will be an opportunity for the community to ask questions, and staff with more than 45 years’ service in the health district will also be recognised. If you had already registered for the original date and plan to attend on 10 December, you DO NOT need to re-register. If you had already registered for the original date and are unable to attend on 10 December, please let organisers know on (02) 6624 0333 or email nnswlhdengagement@health.nsw.gov.au If you have NOT already registered and would like to attend on 10 December, please register online by 3 December via Eventbrite: https://nnswlhd_10dec_meeting.eventbrite.com.au Afternoon tea will be provided following the meeting. Attendance is free, but registration is encouraged for catering purposes. For more information, contact Ged May, Community Engagement Manager on (02) 6624 0333.