Funding and expanded eligibility for free Shingrix under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) has led to the highest number of shingles vaccinations on record, new data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has revealed. On 1 November 2023, Shingrix replaced Zostavax as the only NIP-funded vaccine for the prevention of shingles in Australia. Shingrix had previously only been available – from 2021 – for purchase on the private market.  Since this change, there has been rapid uptake of Shingrix vaccination in Australia. Nearly 1 in 5 eligible adults aged 65 years and over received at least one dose of Shingrix vaccine in the first six months of the new program (to 30 April 2024) – with approximately 1.25 million Shingrix doses administered over this period. Associate Professor Frank Beard – Associate Director, Surveillance, Coverage, Evaluation and Social Science, NCIRS – stated, ‘This rapid uptake is likely due to Shingrix being available to more people under expanded NIP eligibility – and better, longer-lasting effectiveness compared to Zostavax.’Previously, eligibility for free Zostavax under the NIP was limited to adults aged 70–79 years. When Shingrix was added to the NIP, free shingles vaccination expanded to all adults aged 65 years and over; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years and over; and selected groups aged 18 years and over with weakened immunity (immunocompromise) – which means more people at risk of severe disease can now be protected.Assoc. Prof. Beard said, ‘Shingrix is more than 90% protective over a 3-year period in people aged 50 years and over. Zostavax is 70% protective in people aged 50–59 years but only 41% protective in those aged 70–79 and 18% protective in those aged 80 and over. The effectiveness also lasts longer with Shingrix – with more than 80% protection after 8 years compared to 30% for Zostavax.’‘Another key benefit of Shingrix is that it can be used safely in both healthy and immunocompromised people – unlike Zostavax, which should not be given to immunocompromised people due to serious and potentially life-threatening risks,’ Assoc. Prof. Beard added.‘While minor side effects are a bit more common with Shingrix than Zostavax, Shingrix is safer overall and more effective – and the rapid uptake of the vaccine shows Australians and healthcare professionals are confident in its value.’ Safety data published by AusVaxSafety show that more than half of Shingrix vaccine recipients (52.3%) experienced no side effects in the first three days following vaccination. Among those who did experience a side effect, local reaction (mainly pain, swelling and redness at the injection site) was the most common, followed by fatigue, muscle/joint pain and headache. These reactions are generally short-lived and go away without treatment, with most resolving within a couple of days.Shingles presents as a painful rash of fluid-filled blisters on one side of the face or body – often in a strip or band-like pattern. It is caused by reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox (varicella-zoster virus) in nerve cells. People who live to 80 have an approximately 50% chance of developing shingles during their lifetime. The risk is higher for those who are immunocompromised.Although shingles is most often a self-limiting illness, it can lead to serious complications, including postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which occurs where the shingles rash was located. PHN is an extremely painful condition that can last for months or years after the rash goes away, negatively impacting quality of life. It is estimated up to 30% of people who have shingles also experience PHN, with the risk of this serious complication increasing with age.  People with immunocompromise are more likely to experience complications from shingles and to have a severe, long-lasting rash.  NCIRS will continue to monitor and report Shingrix vaccination uptake and safety data and is developing a plan to evaluate the long-term impact of these changes to the NIP. Key measures for the evaluation will include Shingrix vaccine effectiveness and impact on shingles disease rates and severity.More information on shingles disease and vaccination recommendations is available in the shingles chapter of the Australian Immunisation Handbook. 

The unseasonably hot weather will continue over the weekend and Monday before a southerly change on Tuesday switches temperatures back to a typical spring pattern.Slip, slop, slap is the order of the weekend, with 34 degrees the forecast top each day. The warm minimums also remain, we can expect 15 to 17 degrees.It is a quiet Father's Day weekend ahead.The Lismore Farmers Markets swing into action from 7:30am tomorrow. You can buy all sorts of items, including fresh fruit and veg, seedlings, flowers, and all sorts of food and drink, both hot and cold, for breakfast. You can even adopt a chicken tomorrow as part of Rescue Day. $15 will get you a health checked, wormed, lice and mite protected battery hen.Live music is by Tapestry Road at the Lismore Showgrounds, Alexandra Parade, North Lismore.Heritage Park might be the place for the kids to cool down in the water park. The miniature railway will run between 10:30am and 4pm Saturday and Sunday.If Dad loves Jazz, then the Lismore City Bowling Club is the place to be on Sunday afternoon from 2pm to enjoy The Devil's Advocates until 5pm. It is $15 for members and $20 non-members.There is more live music over the weekend at the Northern Rivers Hotel in North Lismore.Tonight it's Dan Hannaford between 6 and 9pm, Saturday All Gone hits the stage from 6pm and then on Father's Day Sam Handford will entertain you at the Sunday Session between 1 and 4pm.The Lismore community is eagerly waiting for the re-opening of the Lismore Workers Club on Monday, September 23.Entertainment will be back at the club from Saturday, November 9, with the Boney M Experience and Saturday, November 16, with Marina Prior and Michael Cormick. You can check out the rest of the gigs and book here.The first month of spring brings more events, with;The Nimbin Show September 21 and 22.The 2024 Rodney Lees Cabinetmaking Lismore Cup Friday, November 27In Sport, the NRRRL has two games to go for season 2024. Ballina moved into the Grand Final last weekend with a win over Cudgen, which means tomorrow's Major Semi-Final is Cudgen vs. Bilambil after Bilambil eliminated Evans Head 20-10.There is plenty to play for in the Men's Premier League Football Far North Coast competition. With two rounds remaining, the Minor Premiership is up for grabs, with Bangalow, Goonellabah, South Lismore and Richmond Rovers still in the hunt.Tonight's match will answer one team's hopes as Richmond Rovers host Goonellabah. Saturday's matches see Alstonville at home to Mullumbimby/Brunswick Heads, Bangalow v Byron and South Lismore home to bottom-of-the table Ballina. All kick-offs are at 3pm.Sunday's match is Lennox Heads v Maclean from 2:30pm.Byron Bay will look to wrap up the Minor Premiership when they play Lennox Head on Sunday in the Women's Premier League at 2:30pm. Richmond Rovers and Bangalow play each other in the other Sunday match, with Rovers looking to consolidate fourth spot.Tonight's match is Ballina v Alstonville from 6:30pm.There was another 3 cents a litre price drop in Ballina this week, following on from last week's 2-cent decrease. That means Ballina is the cheapest place to fill your tank by quite a margin. Lismore keeps the 'most expensive' crown for fuel, with Ballina up to a whopping 27.4 cents a litre cheaper. That equates to $16.44 for a 60-litre fuel tank. Lismore is the cheapest for diesel.Here are the latest prices in each town:E10 is 193.9 across the board in Lismore and Goonellabah, 177.9 at the United and the Casino Roadhouse on Johnston Street, the Ampol Foodary on Centre Street, and the EG Ampol on Canterbury Street in Casino, with The Metro and new Mobile in Ballina cheapest at 166.5.Unleaded 91 is 191.9 at the new Astron on Ballina Road, 179.9 at The United, the two Liberty's on Hare Street and the Ampol Foodary on Centre Street in Casino and 168.5 at the Metro in Ballina.U95 is 203.9 at the Independent on Wyrallah Road, East Lismore, Northside Liberty and Bakers Corner at North Lismore, 194.9 at the EG Ampol on Canterbury Street, Casino and 179.5 at The Metro in Ballina.U98 is 208.9 at the new Astron on Ballina Road, 199.9 at the Liberty's on Hare Street and Centre Street in Casino and 188.5 at The Metro on River Street, Ballina.Diesel is 183.9 at the new Astron on Ballina Road and the Caltex Lismore on Leycester Street in Lismore, 187.9 at most service stations in Casino and 185.5 at the new Mobil and The Metro in Ballina.Have a great weekend!(Dad joke!)

The NSW Government is unveiling new tools to combat data breaches this Scams Awareness Week, with a new resource to help students spot scams and an online portal to check the legitimacy of a breach notification. According to the National Anti-Scam Centre, there was an almost 20 per cent increase in scams reported in 2023, with a total of 601,000 scams causing $2.7 billion in losses. Young people between 18 and 24 are more likely than any other age group to become victims of fraud and scams, and the number of scams reported by people under 18 has nearly quadrupled since last year, according to the Australian Institute of Criminology.A new online teacher’s toolkit designed by ID Support NSW provides students with the tools and guidance to spot scams and protect their personal information, with interactive activities, quizzes, videos and case studies designed to help students from years 9 to 12 develop skills to navigate the online world.The resource includes tips such as treating a password like a toothbrush – change them often and never share them with anyone – as well as what should and shouldn’t be shared online. It also provides tips on how to identify a scam, including checking for unusual domain names, an unusual email format and a misleading hyperlink.ID Support NSW has also developed a Data Breach Portal to help people who think they might be the victim of a data breach check whether an email they received from ID Support NSW is authentic. ID Support NSW notified almost 200,000 people that their personal information had been compromised in a data breach in 2023 and found that when customers receive a notification, the most common question they ask is whether the correspondence is legitimate.Anyone concerned about the security of personal information they store can also use ID Support NSW’s new Personal Information Risk Assessment Tool (PIRAT) to understand the potential risks in holding customer data.The tool can be used both proactively and in the wake of a data breach to assess risk from low to extreme based on the information's usage and its appeal to cybercriminals.Customers who want to access the Data Breach Portal can visit www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/get-support.To undertake a risk assessment via the PIRAT, go to www.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/be-prepared/pirat/pirat-assessment.ID Support NSW also has several resources, tips, tools and webinars available to help people remain safe online. These can be accessed atwww.nsw.gov.au/id-support-nsw/be-prepared.Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said, “This Scams Awareness Week, we have an opportunity to highlight how people can stay safe online, and the NSW Government is investing in tools and resources that make it easier for people to identify a scam and check if they have been impacted by a data breach.”“It’s never too early to build awareness around scams and fraud, and the Teacher’s Toolkit is a resource teachers can use to help students understand risk online and measures they can take to protect their identity.”  “Scam emails, text messages and phone calls are unfortunately something we all encounter, and ID Support NSW is there to help people navigate this new normal.” 

Lottery officials are calling on Alstonville locals and visitors to check their Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot tickets after a mystery player scored $200,00 in yesterday’s draw but is yet to come forward. The local Northern Rzivers winner held the 1st Prize winning entry in Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw 1686, drawn yesterday (Thursday, 29 August 2024), and pocketed a total prize of $200,000. However, as the winning entry is not registered to a player card, officials from The Lott have no way of contacting the ticketholder and must wait for them to check their ticket and come forward. The 1st Prize winning entry was purchased at Alstonville Newsagency, Shop 2, 79-83 Main Street, Alstonville. Alstonville Newsagency team member Liz Voss said she couldn’t contain her excitement when she saw the 1st Prize winning memo come across her terminal screen. “I’ve been working at this outlet for 17 years and the wins just keep getting sweeter,” she said. “This year has been quite the winning year with several division one and 1st Prize winning tickets sold here. “We hope our mystery winner checks their ticket soon and comes forward to claim their prize.” The Lott spokesperson Eliza Wregg said she was urging anyone who purchased a Lucky Lotteries ticket from Alstonville Newsagency to check their tickets today! “Our elusive winner is likely oblivious to the fact they’ve won $200,000 in yesterday’s Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw,” she said. “Imagine if the ticket sitting in your glove box, tucked in your purse, or by your bedside table is worth $200,000! “Make sure you check your tickets, Alstonville, and if you discover you are holding the winning ticket,contact The Lott on 131 868 to begin the prize claim process.”

Last weekend, a young male, aged 15, was beaten by another user of the Goonellabah Skate Park, claiming “he owned it”.The event, posted on Facebook induced questions and ire by many in the community, including a call for CCTV footage and ways to minimise harmful behaviour. Council has stated that in addition to a camera already in place, a second will be installed.The police said the attack was reported to the police on the day of the attack by the victim and his mother.  Richmond PD District commander, Superintendent Scott Tanner said, “The victim stated he was dropped at the skate park by his mother about 2pm to meet a friend. While waiting, he was approached by a male described as Aboriginal, 16-18 years old. “The person of interest told the victim to leave, as he owned the skate park. The victim initially refused.“The person of interest began to punch and kick the victim and, at one stage, tried to take his scooter. The victim fought back and eventually agreed to leave the park if the person of interest left him alone.”"The alleged attacker left the boy, who called his mother from GSAC. The boy identified his assailant in a group of youths outside Coles.“The victim sustained a minor cut to the back of his left ear and redness to the left side of his cheek.”The victim and his mother said they did not require any further medical care.The circumstances were broadcast on the Facebook page Lismore and Surrounds Information by Andre Els, a community member concerned about crime in the area, calling for action by council to install more CCTV cameras. (The post with many comments and shares) A spokesperson for Lismore City Council said, “Lismore City Council is committed to the safety of Council spaces. This year’s budget included a near $3 million investment into safety infrastructure and resources. This investment included dedicated budgets for CCTV, lighting of our public spaces and security.   “CCTV networks are established across facilities as a part of an integrated response to public safety. While local councils are the most typical owners of CCTV in public places, a key purpose is to capture information that can assist local law enforcement when required.  “There is currently a CCTV camera installed near the Goonellabah skatepark. Following the recent incident at the facility, Council provided relevant footage to police and also requested increased patrols through the precinct.”The Police confirmed that “Police work with council on new developments in particular with regards to the Safer by Design principles. This includes suggestions around CCTV, lighting etc. Police also actively patrol public place areas to prevent and detect crime.”“The police have a number of hotspot locations, which are priority tasking areas. Police will patrol these locations on foot and in vehicles.“Police also run a number of programs which are targeted to youth including through the PCYC and schools.”Council stated, “As part of a key focus on safety uplift across Council, an additional second location for CCTV has been identified at the Goonellabah skatepark, and Council is in the process of making arrangements for its installation.” In regards to the person of interest, Supt Tanner said, “The identity of the young person is now known. He was alleged to be with a group of around 4 to 5 other young persons; however, none of those participated in the assault. “Depending on the young person's age, history with police/criminal justice system and circumstances of the investigation, consequences could range from no formal action, diversions under the Young Offenders Act up to and including prosecution for assault.”Council has said they “have processes to assist in banning patrons from facilities where they can be identified and where it is reasonably deemed that they pose a threat to staff or community.”Lismore City Council recommends, “For all cases of assault in our community, reports should be made immediately and directly to the police.”There is ongoing concern by the community regarding crime in certain areas in and around Lismore.At the end of last month, Andre commented that the We Watch community, a social media app for recording and reporting crime, has now reached over 9,000 participants since it started in March.

A new report published by the Actuaries Institute this week reinforces what homeowners in Lismore and the Northern Rivers have known for the last twelve months: that house insurance is unaffordable.Steeper home insurance premiums have caused the number of Australian households experiencing home insurance affordability stress to rise by 30% to 1.6 million in the past year, the report showed. It states that more than half of households in Lismore and the Northern Rivers face home insurance premiums that exceed a month's gross household income.The Home Insurance Affordability and Home Loans at Risk Report found these households spend an average of 9.6 weeks of their gross income on home insurance, which is seven times more than the average household.Overall, the proportion of “affordability stressed” households – those facing home insurance premiums that are more than one month’s gross annual income – rose to 15% in the year to March 2024 from 12% the previous year. The report, commissioned by the Actuaries Institute and authored by Finity actuaries, said affordability pressures had worsened following a 9% rise in median insurance premiums. Properties facing the 5% of highest premiums, typically due to floods and cyclones, endured the steepest rise in premiums, up by more than 30%.(Geographic Distribution of Home Insurance Affordability Pressure. Lismore in red and classified as extreme pressure 4+ weeks)"The affordability pressures faced in these regions is typically driven by their high perils risk exposure, cyclone for northern Australia and flood for New South Wales.The report’s lead author, Sharanjit Paddam, said, “While insurance remains generally affordable for 85% of households, it’s concerning that there’s now 1.6 million households struggling to afford to insure their homes, up from 1.24 million a year ago.“This is because increases in premiums are outpacing wages growth. Unfortunately, we expect this will continue because of the overall increasing risk of natural disasters associated with climate change, which will continue to put upward pressure on premiums.”The figures for the rest of NSW show that 83% do not have insurance affordability stressed households while 17% do. So, the majority of the state does not have the same financial insurance concerns that the Northern Rivers does.In numbers, unstressed households in NSW pay around $2,200 per year, while stressed households are paying around $4,200 per year. That is 91% higher than unstressed households.On an Australia-wide basis, perils costs make up 30% of mean annual insurance premiums for affordability-stressed households, compared to only 21% of non-stressed households. For 32% of affordability-stressed households, over half of the premium relate to perils costs, moslty from exposure to floods.Affordability-stressed households pay, on average, at least 40% more than non-affordability-stressed households in all states other than the ACT and NT, in Western Australia the premiums for stressed household are more than double.The most significant driver of affordability stress is exposure to flood risk. The image below shows that, at an Australia-wide level, flood premiums are 2% of premiums for non-stressed households but 15% of premiums for affordability-stressed households. At an Australia-wide level, the average flood premium paid by stressed households is nearly 16 times higher than that paid by non-stressed households (noting that flood risk only impacts around 7% of the Australian population).A lot of households are now uninsured or underinsured. Underinsured due to the increase in building costs, approximately 15% over the last two years for building material and labour costs. The report said that the change in median retail prices at March 2024 was 15% in NSW. The result of the above is that home loans are at risk due to affordability pressures.The report estimates that 5% of households in Australia with home loans are experiencing extreme home insurance affordability pressures, and that these households have $57 billion in loan balances outstanding as at March 2024 (home loans at risk), representing 3% of all home loan assets. Some of these properties also act as security for SME (Small Medium-sized Enterprises) commercial loans, which is not included in the analysis.It was noted that some lenders do not require proof that home insurance is ongoing, so there could well be cases of homeowners paying of home loans that do not have home insurance.The report says that large lenders have undertaken climate physical risk assessments and used the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s Climate Report in 2023 (CBA, 2023) as an example. The report revealed approximately 32,000 properties, with mortgages worth $11 billion, have been assessed as having a high risk of exposure to cyclones, while 39,000 properties ($17 billion) are at risk of floods and 4,000 ($2 billion) at risk of bushfire. Overall, 4.6% of the bank’s home loan portfolio has been classified as high risk to one or more perils."This is potentially a problem that’s bigger than just insurance. It’s also a problem for lenders, regulators and governments," the report says. "The risks for them are only going to rise as we face more climate-related natural disasters and increasing issues with insurance affordability.” The Actuaries Institute is encouraging governments, insurers, lenders and investors to collaborate on sustainable finance measures such as resilience loans and bonds. Actuaries Institute CEO Elayne Grace said: “We know as a country we need to manage the risk of the changing climate. Sustainable finance should be part of the solution. It creates a path forward for households, investors, insurers and lenders, and allows government to focus on households in most need and community-level measures.”If we know what the problem is, the question is, how long will it be until we have a solution?You can read the full report here.

The NSW Government announced the seventh land release of the $100 million Resilient Lands Program (RLP) in Grafton yesterdayJunction Hill, just north of Grafton, will deliver 1,000 homes for families in the Grafton area.As the government announcement stated, "Junction Hill has been released alongside sites in East Lismore, Goonellabah, North Lismore, Brunswick Heads, Casino and Lennox Head-Ballina already identified. Combined, the current RLP sites will see potentially more than 4,300 homes delivered across the region."While the announcement will be welcomed by the Grafton community, you have to wonder if this Resilient Lands Program money is being spent in the appropriate flood area.According to the last Resilient Homes Program update, the Clarence LGA (which Grafton is in) was offered 3 House Buybacks following the 2022 floods.The Lismore LGA has had 575 Buyback offers approved, the highest number by 414 houses, the next of which is Tweed with 161. Richmond Valley then comes in at 52, Kyogle 10, Byron 7, Ballina 6 and Clarence 3.When you look at how the Resilient Land Program has rolled out so far, Lismore, the worst hit in the 2022 floods, doesn't fare so well.The NRs Resilient Lands Strategy states the SCU site in East Lismore has more than 400 homes, Mt Pleasant Estate in Goonellabah 39 homes and the North Lismore site (near the new Richmond River High Campus) 85 homes, for a total of 524 homes.In the Tweed Shire, Murwillumbah will see 250 homes built at North Arm Road.In Byron, the Saddle Road precinct will deliver 600 homes.The Summerland Estate near Casino in the Richmond Valley LGA will deliver up to 1,500 housing lots.The NSWRA is working with Kyogle council to deliver 40 homes.Then there was yesterday's Junction Hill announcement in the Clarence for 1,000 homes.Statistically, Lismore has the least number of homes per House Buyback than all other Northern Rivers councils.When asked why this is the case, a NSW Reconstruction Authority Spokesperson said, "We’ve established three sites in the Lismore Local Government Area for future development as part of our $100 million Resilient Lands Program."The program will deliver around 524 new, safe parcels of land in Lismore. This includes 400 homes at East Lismore, 39 at Goonellabah and 85 at North Lismore. It’s also important to note that RA is leading the developments in Lismore, which will come on board faster than in other areas. "We know flood-affected communities across the Northern Rivers region have been waiting for safer land and housing options to be identified. We also know that people want to have different options and not everyone is interested in purchasing land through the Program. "All up, the program will deliver 4,300 new parcels of land across the Northern Rivers. Buyback participants in any LGA can purchase land made available through the Program in any location and will be given priority."This program underpins our commitment to providing more flood-free housing choices for people in the Northern Rivers."The Northern Rivers was hit by the February 28 2022 big flood, Lismore was easily the worst hit in terms of property damage. This can not be disputed. People in other LGAs will say, "It's not all about Lismore". No, it's not, but the centre of the devastation was in Lismore.The NSWRA spokesperson says buyback participants can purchase land in any location; what if they want to stay in their home LGA? The options are clearly less.Has the Resilient Lands Program become about solving the housing crisis in the Northern Rivers? The NRs Resilient Lands Strategy says, "The Resilient Lands Program is part of a package of measures to provide more housing choices by accelerating the supply of land and housing for flood-impacted residents." While there is a choice, there are more offerings in less flood-affected LGAs. This is why there are so many questions.

Elections are very interesting. There are a lot of opinions, allegations and sometimes outright lies that are put on public record for the sake of gaining a few votes.As I have read on more than one occasion, voters in the upcoming local government election need to make informed choices based on the facts. So here are a few myths that need busting.WasteCouncillor Ekins has stated on record that in this current term of council, waste collection has been privatised and “effectively ripped a million dollars out of the local economy and gave it to a contractor from out of town and out of state.”This is simply not true.The fact is that this current term of council has inherited a waste operation costing ratepayers an average of $4.31 million per year since 2019; without intervention, this would have likely grown to $6.5 million at the end of FY25.What council has done is undertake the most in-depth review of waste services that has ever been done in Lismore to determine the best path forward to enable meeting environmental expectations, recycling obligations and general waste management.Councillor Ekins has proclaimed many times that LCC’s waste collection services “makes a million dollar profit every year.”This section of the business of waste is determined by a forward projection of costs. These projections aim to cover the cost at best, so that council will break even at the end of the financial year. There is definitely no profit!In fact, due to a complete disregard for adequate asset management over the past decade or more, the fleet of waste collection trucks are in such disrepair that out of the seven trucks owned by LCC, up to four of them can be in the council workshop for repair on any given day.We have also inherited a fleet with such old technology, that our drivers are following printed maps with highlighted routes! No GPS, no camera’s, an outdated and inefficient system has led to the most inefficient operation possible. This is absolutely no fault of staff. This is a total neglect by elected officials from previous terms of Council to maintain and improve assets.Why am I paying so much more for waste collection and receiving less service?The reality is that the oversight of our collection service has not kept up with the demand of our LGA.Previous terms of Council have not made these decisions for over a decade, which has placed us in this precarious position. A sobering statistic is that a truck has to pick up a bin every 17 seconds to cover the cost of having that truck on the road. That is possible in urban areas, but as the landscape moves into less densely populated areas, this becomes harder to achieve.The new fee structure aims to ensure fairness across the LGA, ensures compliance of Councils cost recovery policies, and brings greater equity to those who are using the waste collection service. Previous councils have been asleep at the wheel in managing fair and equitable distribution of fees, and this council has been tasked to rectify that.I would encourage everyone to have a good look at their rates notice, and talk with council officers to ensure your waste collection plan is what is best for your needs. Many people don’t actually know what service they are paying for. I spoke with a lady who was able to save a significant amount of money through a simple modification of her collection service.Changing habits is hard, but in our waste services, it is absolutely critical to ensure viability and sustainability. We are projecting that with current changes, we will be at a break-even point in the 24/25 financial year. That is a dramatic turnaround from a potential $6.5 million loss last in FY25. That's $6.5 million to go into areas that you care about, like road repair, parks and gardens, footpaths, and other infrastructure to make our LGA a great place to live.We have a plan for our LGA. Waste reform is one important step in strengthening the organisation of council to provide the services our ratepayers expect and deserve. Decisions made by this council may not always be the most popular, but I believe them to be the right decisions to undo decades of neglect in the critical core business of council operations.The Truth About Our Waste by Mayor Steve Krieg.

UPDATE: Friday, August 30A man will face Court after being charged with stealing plaques from a cemetery in the states north earlier this month.On Tuesday 20 August 2024, officers from Tweed/Byron Police District commenced an investigation into the alleged theft of more than 100 metal plaques from headstones from a cemetery on Kirkwood Road, Tweed Heads South.Following inquiries, about 6.10am this morning (Friday 30 August 2024), police arrested a 44-year-old man at Murwillumbah and taken to Tweed Heads Police Station.He was charged with wilfully damage or deface any Protected Place, stealing of 102 copper plaques from gravestones, malicious damage & possess prohibited drug.The man was refused bail to appear at Tweed Heads Local Court later today (Friday 30 August 2024).ORIGINAL STORYAn investigation is underway after 17 memorial plaques were stolen from a cemetery in Murwillumbah.Police have been told between Wednesday, 21 August 2024 and Monday 26 August 2024, the 17 plaques were stolen from headstones at a cemetery on Tree Street, Murwillumbah.Police are investigating links to a similar incident last week, where between Monday, 19 August and Tuesday, 20 August 2024, more than 100 plaques were stolen from a cemetery on Kirkwood Road, Tweed Heads South.All 102 plaques stolen from the Tweed Heads South cemetery were later discovered nearby, along with a crowbar and set of screwdrivers, which are undergoing forensic examination.Tweed/Byron Police District Crime Manager, Acting Inspector Russell Ewing, said the thefts had hurt local families still grieving loved ones."Stealing from a cemetery is not only a deeply disrespectful act, but is also incredibly hurtful to the families and friends who have lost loved ones," A/Insp Ewing said."These plaques represent the memories of those who have passed, and their theft is a callous violation of a sacred space."Anyone who has seen anything suspicious in the area, or who has any information about the location of the stolen plaques, is urged to contact Tweed/Byron Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

Local exercise physiologist Alexandre Argolo has been appointed the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Australian Senior Men's Futsal Team heading to Colombia to play in the VIII FIFUSA Senior Men's World Championship next month.Alex utilises the training he received at SCU, his experience playing Futsal around the world, and his sports business, Innova Performance, on the bank of the Wilsons River to improve the capabilities of professional teams in Australia, the Solomon Islands, and Brazil.“I will be the training and conditioning coach to the Australian National Team,” says Alex, “At this moment, I feel a lot of pressure because we need to organise a lot. But when the game starts, oh yeah! It's a very exciting time.”Futsal is a globally popular sport, with fierce competition on the world circuit. With 5 players on each team, it is a very fast indoor sport. There is an estimated 12 million people playing around the world.Australia is in Group D of the World Cup and will be playing alongside some powerhouse footballing nations.  “Our draw is quite hard. Our first game is against Brazil,” says Alex. Originally from Brazil, he lets slip one of his tactics, “I can understand everything that they say. I’ll try to use that against them.”In reality, the first match will be more than just a tough game.  “It will be very emotional, because at the beginning of the game, we have a national song, and I will listen to my national song, and I'll be on the Australian side. “But now this is my life, I actually feel more Australian than Brazilian. I choose to be here. I was born in Brazil, but I choose to live my life here. So it's a decision.”(Alex showing some ball control moves in front of the high tech performance measuring equipment he uses at Innova)The reason to come to Lismore was, “because of the connections between Southern Cross and Liverpool Academy - soccer. I came here because of that. The goal was to stay here until I finish my masters, and then find another big location to work. We fell in love with Lismore and will stay here.”Vinicius Leiter runs the Futsal leagues in the Northern Rivers. Alex began working with “Vinny”. That led to assisting the Solomon Island team and developing the sport there.“Vinny invites me to be part of the National Futsal team in the Solomon Islands. He has been working with them for two or three years developing Futsal.”That led to getting involved with the Australian Federation of Football. Then a top team in Brazil managed to get his attention, and he is finalising a contract with them.These global connections are all involved with Alex’s business, Innova Performance. Alex assesses bodily movements to overcome injury or fine tune motion in action.“We look to see how your body works, how your movements are developed. And then we design a program relating to functional movement. So the functional movement is just the way that the kids develop the movement. “We step back and reorganise the way you move to have a bit more range of movement, and then we work on the performance.Adults are the same, but usually there is an injury to overcome as part of the criteria."Specialised equipment is designed to monitor over 140 metrics, “We can decide what exercise needs to be put in place, what kind of movement. This is the same structure that professional clubs use. “That's why I can work with clubs in Brazil. I assess the players over there, I can receive their information here, analyse the results and send my thoughts back to the courts over there.”Two Lismore Futsal payers will join him on the tour as part of the Australian team, Clay Skinner and Hunter Hotko.Futsal has not been picked up by mainstream media in Australia, but it is a very popular sport overseas.“Sometimes there's more than 5000 people watching the match and that's what we want to give to our players, to experience that, to have a huge crowd around them.”(This is the trophy that will be handed over on September 22 to the national team that will be awarded the title of the VIII World Men's FIFUSA Futsal Team)The competition will be held in Bucaramanga, Colombia from September 12th to 23rd. Follow the Futsal World Cup on the official FIFUSA Facebook pageIf you are interested in the sport, there are three leagues in the Northern Rivers.Here you can learn more about Futsal and Alex’s work - FIFA made a documentary on his efforts in the Solomon Islands.

NORTHERN Rivers communities will be better prepared for future natural disasters following today’s announcement of over $83 million for 27 New South Wales projects funded under Round Two of the Albanese Government’s Disaster Ready Fund (DRF).Lismore MP and NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin welcomed the joint announcement by Federal Minister for Emergency Management Senator Jenny McAllister, NSW Minister for Planning Paul Scully and NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib.“Some of these projects had their genesis in the Northern Rivers after the 2019-20 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires and the 2022 floods, and others cover our entire state,” Ms Saffin said.“Funded by the Australian Government with co-contributions from the NSW and local governments, they share the common aim of ensuring Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands communities are ready for natural disasters whenever they come our way.”Successful Round 2 projects include:Aboriginal Communities Emergency Management Program: Pilot program will be expanded to more Aboriginal communities in New South Wales, including in the Kyogle and Clarence Valley LGAs, preparing them to respond and recover from disasters. Total funding $8,031,602.CoastGuard – NSW Coast and Estuary Hazard Risk Data Portal: The portal aims to provide a central repository and improve the sharing and accessibility of key coastal and estuary hazard data across all levels of government and other stakeholders, including Lismore City, Tweed Shire, Byron Shire, Ballina Shire, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGAs. Total funding $500,000.Good Fire Gathering: Project focuses on cultural fire pathways to share knowledge and practices that enhance resilience, adaptive capacity and preparedness, through Caring for Country by communities at risk or impacted by natural hazards. It enables systemic risk reduction through cultural and social connections for cooperative community-led actions and planning, including Lismore City, Kyogle, Tweed Shire, Byron Shire, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGAs. Total funding $5,999,587.Community Organisations Disaster Adaptation (CODA) project: Builds disaster preparedness and resilience among NGOs and people most vulnerable to disaster impacts and strengthens connections and cooperation between the community, local NGOs and Emergency Management to take action to reduce local disaster risks in Lismore City, Kyogle and Richmond Valley LGAs. Total funding $5,147,963.Pilot Project – Strengthening community capacity and resilience through development of community-led flood intelligence networks in Lismore City, Tweed Shire, Byron Shire and Cabonne Shire LGAs: Northern Rivers communities (Wilsons River Catchment, Mullumbimby/Main Arm, Uki) and Cabonne Shire/Eugowra will partner with the Australian National University to develop, test and evaluate localised community-led flood intelligence networks. These strengthen community capacity/resilience through reduced vulnerability, enhanced communication and new statewide resources for informed and timely preparation and response to flooding events. Total funding $4,709,633.Enhancing the capability of NSW to prepare for and respond to risks from coastal hazards: This project seeks to enhance outcomes for coastal communities in NSW that strategically address risks from climate change and coastal hazards. Additional funding to implement the NSW coastal management framework in partnership with local government, including Lismore City, Tweed Shire, Byron Shire, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGAs, will facilitate investment in action to manage threats and risks to the NSW coastal zone. Total funding $12 million.Mackillop Seasons’ Community Resilience Project: Will benefit identified communities, in Kyogle, Tweed Shire, Byron Shire, Ballina Shire and Richmond Valley LGAs, by building capacity in local education and community services sector professionals, to address the needs resulting from natural disaster with location-based support and direct delivery for children, young people and adults. This will be achieved through training, mentoring and co-delivery of evidence informed programs. Total funding $2,599,372.Building systemic adaptive capacity for Illawarra/Shoalhaven and coordinate alignment of resilience initiatives across regional NSW: Project will build disaster adaptation capacity of councils (including Lismore City, Kyogle, Tweed Shire, Byron Shire, Ballina Shire, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley LGAs), communities and key stakeholders through systemic embedding of hazard mitigation and resilience plans and resources which enhance current frameworks to reduce disaster exposure and vulnerability. A supporting statewide coordination model will apply learnings and increase resilience maturity across multiple regions. Total funding $2,532,800.NSW Bushfire Inquiry Recommendation 17 – Neighbourhood Safer Places: The provision of existing NSW Rural Fire Service Brigade stations (or suitable alternatives) as Neighbourhood Safer Places in remote communities, for community use during bushfire events. This will require the establishment of Asset Protection Zones and building works to increase building resilience from a bushfire and enhance community safety. LGAs include Tenterfield Shire and Clarence Valley. Total funding $6,504,000. Heatwave Hub, a comprehensive risk assessment, resilience and preparedness initiative for vulnerable communities across all of NSW: addresses heatwave risks through risk assessments, co-designing plans/toolkits, focus groups and workshops. Outcomes include the ‘Heatwave Hub’ website, LGA heatwave action plans, and community capacity building. The project will promote informed planning for effective heatwave preparedness and improved well-being. Total funding $1,367,184.Aboriginal Peoples Engagement Program across all of NSW: NSW SES will partner with Aboriginal peoples to co-design a program incorporating cultural safety, how to warn community and understanding how First Nations people prepare for and respond to the impact of floods. This includes understanding the cultural barriers to evacuation and how best to reduce risk for Aboriginal people. Total funding $4,056,763.Creating Safe Shelter Spaces – Holding a gendered lens on Emergency Management simulations across all of NSW: GADAus will work with six LGAs in NSW to ensure that the safety of emergency shelters are assessed through a gendered lens, ensuring the safety of women, children, LGBTQIA+ during disasters. The LGA areas will be chosen from high disaster risk areas and form a pilot to extend to other areas of NSW. Total funding $120,578.Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Jenny McAllister said, “The Albanese Government is committed to helping protect New South Wales communities from disasters.“We know that our climate is changing, and Australians can expect to experience more intense and more frequent natural disasters, which is why the Albanese Government is acting to prepare and protect communities from natural disasters and their impacts.“Growing up in the Northern Rivers, I know the impact that disasters can have on communities.“Since 2022, 120 NSW Local Government Areas have been impacted by disaster, some of them more than once.“By putting our efforts into funding preparedness programs, we can better protect New South Wales communities before a disaster event and make recovery easier.”NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said, “The NSW Government welcomes this second round of Disaster Ready Funding, which will improve community preparedness for natural disasters.“Each of these 27 projects will make a material difference to the lives of people in NSW, whether it be through hard infrastructure or support for mental health.”NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said, “Every dollar we spend preparing communities for the next disaster is a dollar well spent.“These projects are about getting on the front foot.“We often focus on disaster recovery, but these projects move us towards mitigating disaster in the first place, and ensuring our communities are better prepared if disaster does strike.”

Rous County Council (Rous) is proud to announce the successful completion of the $3.5 million rollout of digital smart water meter across its customers. This significant upgrade aims to improve water sustainability and security across the Lismore, Ballina, Byron and Richmond Valley LGAs.The initiative began with the installation of the first smart meters in Ballina in February 2024. It has now reached all (2,100) customers, with the final property connection marking the completion of the project on Friday, 9 August 2024. The new smart meters, coupled with the "My Rous" app, are designed to provide our customers with timely information on their water use, customisable updates and alerts regarding water usage and leakage detection.The rollout of the smart meters is part of Rous’s proactive position on water sustainability. Previously, Rous relied on manual water meter readings conducted on a quarterly basis. While sufficient for billing, this method offered limited insights into water use and timely detection of potential leaks. The new digital meters offer a significant advancement by delivering daily water usage updates to Rous and its customers through the My Rous app. The app, developed by GreenBe, empowers customers to monitor their water consumption, identify unusual activity that may suggest leaks, and explore ways to reduce their usage.Andrew Logan, Group Manager Planning and Delivery at Rous, commented, “The new digital smart meters are already proving their worth, with dozens of our customers becoming aware of water leaks on their property through the daily information provided by the smart meter. This has allowed our customers to save money by not paying for undetected leaks and reduce the amount of water lost through leaking pipes. In the months that the smart meters have been installed, we have seen hundreds of thousands of litres of potential lost water kept in our water storages for future use.”Tina Le, the Chief Commercial Officer of Nucleus3, highlighted that the Rous region is ideally situated to benefit greatly from smart water metering. “We’ve installed over two thousand smart meters for Rous and the savings are expected to be substantial. The ability to quickly identify leaks is a major advantage, conserving precious water and reducing both water bills and unexpected charges from larger leaks. Additionally, the My Rous water App will enable residents to better understand their water usage and enhance customer service by providing data to address issues.”“The rollout of digital smart water meters across our modest network of customers will provide valuable information to our partner councils in the region, as well work towards reducing the amount of water lost from our pipe networks.” says Andrew Logan.Phil Rudd, General Manager at Rous, added, “The data that the smart meters provide will allow enquiries from customers to be resolved quicker and enable Rous to undertake water balances across our network, with data from our digital bulk water meters, potentially allowing Operations staff to identify leaks in our bulk water mains.”This upgrade represents a significant step forward in ensuring the long-term sustainability and security of our water resources across the Lismore, Ballina, Byron, and Richmond Valley LGAs.

The state’s peak farm body says the billion-dollar profits of the major supermarkets are a reminder Australian families are paying the price for competition policy failures.Coles posted a $1.1 billion annual profit on Tuesday, while Woolworths announced a $1.7 billion profit on Wednesday.NSW Farmers Vice President Rebecca Reardon said the billion-dollar profit postings were a stark reminder of the “profit push” practices of the nation’s supermarket duopoly, which continued to cause pain at the checkout as well as the farm gate. “Crunch the numbers, and it’s clear that these super profits simply don’t stack up as the cost-of-living crisis continues,” Mrs Reardon said. “The cost of food increased by more than 14 per cent between December 2021 and December 2023, and while we’ve had inquiries this year, farmers are still receiving prices below the cost of production for their produce.“This means farmers are struggling to afford to produce the food that families are struggling to afford while the grocery giants suck all the profit out between the paddock and plate.”As several inquiries into supermarket behaviour continued, Mrs Reardon said meaningful competition reform had to be a major priority for the federal government, with emerging issues such as banking and airline competition presenting problems.“Australians expect a fair go, but there are businesses out there making billions while people struggle, and that’s just not right,” Mrs Reardon said.“The ugly truth is out there, and we need real action, real consequences and real powers for our consumer watchdog, because these businesses will only keep lining their pockets until we pull them up.“In the short term, a mandatory, enforceable Food and Grocery Code of Conduct – as well as new divestiture powers as a tool to bust apart supermarkets for bad behaviour – is what we desperately need to hold these middlemen and their actions to account.”

UPDATE 8am Thursday, August 29About 3:50pm yesterday (Wednesday 28 August 2024), emergency services were called to the intersection of Oliver Avenue and Waratah Way, Goonellabah, following reports a pedestrian had been hit by a motorcycle.Officers attached to Richmond Police District attended and found a 14-year-old boy with a laceration to his leg and a 65-year-old man with a suspected dislocated hip.Police were told the teenager had been attempting to cross the road, when he collided with the motorcycle.Officers spoke with both people, with no further action to be undertaken. UPDATE 4:56pmWestbound traffic is flowing normally, with some slow moving traffic eastbound.Lismore App reader Rita has passed on information of an accident on Oliver Avenue in Goonellabah.A motorcycle is on its side near Warratah Way with ambulance officers treating the rider.Police are also in attendance directing traffic, which is down to one lane with traffic alternating.More to come.

Twelve additional paramedics are now working in Lismore, as part of the Minns Labor Government’s election commitment to boost the regional workforce by 500 paramedics over four years.Based out of Lismore Ambulance Station, the additional paramedics will provide emergency and mobile health care across the North Coast Zone, as part of NSW Ambulance’s highly mobile workforce.These paramedics are part of the first cohort of 125 additional paramedics who have joined teams at the following regional locations:Lismore StationBallina Station (five extra paramedics)South West Rocks StationPort Macquarie StationMudgee StationLithgowGoulburn StationBroken Hill StationBathurst StationParkes StationTottenham StationKangaroo Valley StationBomaderry (Nowra) Education.  This workforce boost is part of the $1.76-billion Strategic Workforce and Infrastructure Team (SWIFT) Program, which is delivering up to 2,500 staff across NSW, 30 new stations and hundreds more ambulances over the coming years.The Minns Labor Government will continue to roll out the additional 500 paramedics over a four-year period, with future locations to be determined through consultation between NSW Ambulance, the Health Services Union, local communities and health staff about the needs and resourcing in their area.Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park, “The addition of these highly skilled paramedics in the bush will help drive better health outcomes for patients and their families, while also providing more support to our current NSW Ambulance staff in the North Coast.“We are dedicated to boosting healthcare staffing levels across the state, which will ensure we continue to meet the needs of the local community.“By funding the 12 additional full-time paramedics, the NSW Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen our health workforce in the regions.”Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, “We welcome these additional paramedics who will make a real difference in our region. “Paramedics are one of the most trusted professions in Australia, providing life-saving frontline care to our local communities.“I value these highly skilled and dedicated professionals and wish them well with their postings.” NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan, “This significant increase to the paramedic workforce across the state will boost NSW Ambulance’s capacity to provide high quality care to patients across NSW.“As demand for services continues to grow, we remain committed to providing world class emergency and mobile health care to the NSW community.“All our paramedics share a commitment to excellence in serving their communities all over NSW.”

This week is Scams Awareness Week, and a University of South Australia (UniSA) expert in financial gerontology is urging Australians to recognise the signs of potential financial scams.UniSA’s Dr Braam Lowies, whose research focuses on financial capability issues in the aged population regarding financial, housing and investment decisions, says being scammed can cause people significant distress and financial hardship.The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC’s) latest Targeting Scams report revealed that although scam losses dropped by 13% in 2023, more work is needed as Australians lost a total of $2.7 billion to scams.“Scammers can deliberately cause feelings of shame and guilt, and they can create and take advantage of different situations, including if someone is busy, scared or stressed,” Dr Lowies says. “Scammers will also make their victims feel isolated from support networks, creating a false sense that the victim is entirely reliant on them. People are less likely to report scams when they feel ashamed, but it’s important that we share our experiences to help others feel confident to do the same.”Scammers are financial criminals who use sophisticated technology and psychology to manipulate or deceive people into giving them their money and personal information. Common scams including romance scams, phishing emails and texts, identity theft and invoice fraud.Scams Awareness Week is the National Anti-Scams Centre’s annual scam awareness raising campaign, encouraging Australians to speak up, share and report scams. This year’s theme is ‘Share a story, stop a scam’.The Targeting Scams report revealed Australians reported more than 601,000 scams to organisations including Scamwatch, ReportCyber, the Australian Crimes Exchange, IDCARE and ASIC in 2023, an 18.5% increase on 2022. Investment scams continued to cause the most harm, followed by remote access scams and romance scams.Older people suffer the greatest harm at the hands of scammers, with losses for people over the age of 65 increasing by over 13.3% in 2023 to $120 million. Text messages were the most reported contact method, but scam calls resulted in the highest reported losses at $116 million, followed by contact via social media at $93.5 million, a 16.5% increase on 2022.Dr Lowies says older people are attractive targets for financial criminals because they have access to retirement savings and superannuation and may own substantial assets. This susceptibility is increased by a lack of openness in talking about finances by this age group.“Older people might also have less experience in the digital space and also less adaptive to new technology such as artificial intelligence and the threats these sorts of advancements can pose. We must also acknowledge that some of us might experience age-related impairments as we get older, and this can contribute to vulnerability in the digital space too.”A study by ANZ and UniSA in 202 found that many older Australians are not informed about online security, despite 81% of people over 65 using internet banking. The Exploring Digital Capability In Older Australians report highlighted concerns about cyber security and ongoing changes to software, websites and digital services as barriers.Although participants were aware of online fraud and spam, they were less sure about viruses, phishing, cyber security and hacking. Almost 30% were unsure how to protect their privacy online.“Anyone who has a mobile phone, or accesses the internet or social media, is vulnerable to cyber security threats. Education and training are the keys to becoming cyber savvy and safe from scams,” Dr Lowies says. “It’s also important to have more conversations around cyber security and scams and help break down the social barriers and stigma.“If you have identified or encountered a scam, it’s important to share your story with someone – a friend, family member or colleague. This could prevent someone else from having their money or personal information taken. The more stories we hear the better equipped we are to protect ourselves.”Follow these steps from the National Anti-Scam Centre if you think you’ve been scammed/are caught in a scam.Stop – don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you’re unsure. Say no, hang up and delete. If a scammer has taken your money or personal details, contact your bank or card provider to report the scam and stop any transactions immediately.Check – scammers pretend to be from organisations you know and trust – like myGov, your bank, the police or the government. If you’re unsure, call the official phone number of the organisation to check.Report – the more we talk, the less power they have. Report scams to scamwatch.gov.au

The lack of accommodation in Lismore since the 2022 floods is common knowledge. The good news is there has been some movement in this space in the last few weeks, with noticeable activity at the Lismore Gateway Motel and the nearly completed renovations at the AZA Motel.The AZA Motel was one of the first businesses in the CBD to open after the 2022 floods. The manager, Yvonne Arato and owner, Nick Volpato walk around their newly refurbished motel, with historic treasures uncovered and innovative plans for their future.The motel opened around six weeks after the first flood, including the second flood cleanup. The one thing they needed before they reopened was electricity.The top floor of their three-story business was unaffected. The second story, not expecting to be flooded, eventually was inundated. Yvonne said, “By the time they said it was going to be over the '74 flood, it was too late to evacuate.”(Nick stands in front of the wall of Flood Levels to give the full impact of the floods the city has endured)Cars had been moved to higher ground, so when the order to evacuate was given, 17 staff and guests had to climb up onto the roof of the section of the motel they were gathered in to await pickup by boat.  (Yvonne pointing out the roof that saved herself and her husband George, as well as their guests. After calling the SES at 4.30am, they were picked up at about 10.30am)Their first tenants post-flood were security guards patrolling the city. Nick gave them a place to stay free of charge to help those assisting the city. They had been sleeping in their vehicles.Despite the threat of having to close their family business of 50 years, Nick realised how important accommodation was at the time, and the team at AZA worked towards the goal of providing what they could.Nick said, “It was difficult because the town was completely destroyed. Basically, we had to make a decision - do we even come back? Because we didn't want to abandon the town, we had to come back.”It took a year to provide 50 rooms with basic amenities to house people. Over the past few years, they have housed a range of people, displaced citizens through the Dept of Communities and Justice, workers helping rebuild the city, people from the law courts and SCU, nurses and even the workers from the Food Coop in Casino, so the production of food could continue.“We still provide long-term accommodation for nurses as well as tradies who usually stay Monday to Friday,” said Yvonne, rounding out the list, and she added, “We've still got four people that have been displaced by floods.”For a long time, food, toiletries and clothing was scarce, and was provided by the motel, through donations. Much of it was in-house - assistance provided by both owners, Nick and Luca and their families, management and staff as well as external donations from friends, family and strangers. This provided enough to keep people going. Road trips to as far as Tweed were needed to obtain supplies, as nearby sources unaffected by floods had empty shelves.AZA stands for everything they have for guests from A to Z and back to A again. Now more than ever, their offering reflects this.Everything is vibrant and fresh in the newly refurbished rooms, and there have been a couple of new additions to their range of suites, including a “team room” and three “deluxe suites”.The team room sleeps 20 and is decorated in lively hues for larger groups and sporting teams. During the refurb of this room, an old mural was uncovered, originally done by Nick's father in 1970. It was created on the wall of the restaurant.(Nick’s father’s Mural)The other big addition is three deluxe suites for those needing a higher level of creature comforts for longer stays. With their own lift access, they feature larger rooms with more amenities.(For those wanting luxury on their stay in Lismore)After the latest round of renovations, Managers Yvonne and George are going on holiday, and Betty and Peter will be maintaining the motel in their absence.For those thinking of staying, you need to contact the motel directly, you won't find them on third-party sites like Booking.com.For further information, here is their website.

In a first for Lismore, the Lismore Police Station will fly the Aboriginal flag alongside the Australian flag daily. Previously, it had only been flown on specific days or weeks, such as NAIDOC or Sorry Day.At a ceremony held yesterday, Aunty Julia Padden and Aunty Sandra Bolt hoisted the Aboriginal flag with other community elders in attendance, Mayor Steve Krieg and members of the Richmond Police District. "It signifies the relationship that we have with our First Nations community, the respect that we have for that relationship, and hopefully can be a link for people that need to come to the police station to see that we do have that respect and that acknowledgement for our First Nations community," Superintendent Richmond Police District Scott Tanner told the Lismore App.Following a smoking ceremony by Uncle Gilbert and an Acknowledgement To Country by Uncle Mick and Mindy Woods, Aunty Thelma and Koori Mail CEO Naomi Moran delivered speeches about the relationship between police and the aboriginal community.(A group shot of officers from Richmond Police District and dancers from Richmond River High Campus who performed traditional aboriginal dances in the lead up to the raising of the flag)Aunty Thelma told stories about police officers from the past who connected with the community by helping illiterate Indigenous men get their truck licenses. When there was a curfew on the youth in town, "rich white ladies who lived on Bridge Street used to look out their doors and say "go on you kids, get home". If a flood were coming, police would personally go and communicate the message and Aunty Thelma's daughter was wearing a policeman's hat when they were walking around the CBD block, laughing with the police."I've always taught the children in my class (Aunty Thelma was a teacher) to respect the police, because they're there when you really need help, and the uniform is a sign of that. Alright, we might have all had encounters, but I don't think I have ever had any encounter. So, teaching the children to be respectful, to go up and say hello. It was nice when police used to walk around the Lismore city block because we'd all talk, and we all knew everybody."Uncle Gilbert lives in Nimbin, and told the audience he has been talking to the local Nimbin police about trying to get a plan together to work with Aboriginal youth."Because our youth, they're going on the wrong path, and we don't want that. We want to work with you guys. So we can set up, set up like a PCYC, where we can bring our young ones, who are scared because of the uniform. When they see you guys with a uniform on, they get intimidated. They get anxiety attacks, and we want to take that out of our young people so that we can work with you guys and we can bring them here. So good to know you guys, and we all work together and support each other."Koori Mail CEO Naomi Moran spoke about how important trust and communication is between the police and Indigenous people."It's about connection. It's about being vulnerable in what you represent with your uniform but also about our communities being vulnerable, and what those expectations are and what it means to serve and protect us."We're just humans, and we need to be comfortable around each other in order to get the job done and do the work."(Aunty Julia Padden and Aunty Sandra Bolt hoist the Aboriginal flag watched on by Richmond Police District Superintendent Scott Tanner)The points mentioned above were not lost on Superintendent Scott Tanner."We need to get back to that grassroots connection with the community because of a variety of reasons, too many to list, we've lost that direct communication, that direct link. "I had about twelve (12) of my Aboriginal police officers and staff that were here today who are identified by the two flags, the New South Wales Police flag and the Aboriginal flag, which they wear on their uniform. What I want to do is encourage people in the community to know what that means and that those officers wearing that badge identify as Aboriginal people."I think that's a real critical link in getting back to some of that real close communication and partnerships. The second thing is that days like today, where we do see the elders come along and share their experiences, resets you again to go, you know what? If it's that simple, then why aren't we doing it. To hear from the elders that this is how it used to be. Well, there's no reason we can't do it again.""Historically, we know the relationship wasn't good, from colonial days through to more recent times. But when you take the time out just to listen to your elders and to listen to the community, it comes down to that basic human need of just having connection and having relationships. And I think Naomi Moran sort of captured that the best, at the end of the day. We're all humans, and we're all people, and we want that connection, so that's what I aim to do."One of the great divides is between youth and the police, how do you intend to bridge that gap?"Definitely. We already do a lot. We've got a designated Aboriginal Youth Team, which is our youth officers and our aclose that work every day with youth. We're running programs everywhere from Jubullum to Coraki to Ballina to Lismore and Goonellabah. There's not a day going by that we're not actually doing stuff in that preventative space with youth. "But, I guess, it's about how we do that better. We are not also just relying solely on New South Wales Police to do all the heavy lifting; we need our other partners to come on board with it. Other organisations that are getting funded and that live and work and breathe in that space. There are heaps of NGOs, DCJ, from a government point of view, we do a lot with the Advocate for Children and Young People. We are also heavily involved in the schools. We're running programs with the Department of Education. We need to partner with everyone."So, it's just about having that real collaborative approach and everyone going in the same direction." If you drive past the Lismore Police Station on Zadoc Street, maybe when you pre-vote for the September local council elections, check out the flag pole and the two flags flying side by side.

Is politics holding up the progress for Norco to be reinstated as the milk supplier to Northern NSW Local Hospitals?Lismore MP Janelle Saffin is disappointed that three NSW Nationals MPs are not lending their support to a single e-petition to Parliament to restore NORCO’s contract to supply milk to North Coast hospitals and health services.Ms Saffin said: “Constituents have contacted me wondering why my fellow MPs Gurmesh Singh (Coffs Harbour), Richie Williamson (Clarence) and Michael Kemp (Oxley) are not backing in the e-petition launched last Friday:LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY - Signing ePetition - Reinstate Norco as the Dairy Supplier for NSW North Coast Hospitals“We need 20,000 signatures to get this issue debated on the floor of Parliament and that is powerful. To have two separate petitions in circulation is already leading to confusion in the community and effectively weakens our chances of getting the required number of signatures. “When the Nationals were in government, and the same thing happened, we all backed in the then local member Thomas George and the Health Services Union ran a big campaign, fully supported by the community, and after some time, people power changed the decision of the then bureaucracy “It is people power we need this time as well to support our local NORCO employees and dairy farmer suppliers who are part and parcel of the NORCO dairy co-operative.“It was the bureaucracy that made this recent decision to award the tender to a different supplier, but I, on behalf of the community, expect the Minister for Health and Regional Health (Ryan Park) to work out a way to fix it.“That means NORCO getting its contract back as it was to deliver its products into the North Coast Hospitals and Health Services.”