Brown skies in Lismore and poor visibility today in the region is a result of an incoming dust plume, along with major fires burning in the far northeast corner of NSW.Northern NSW Severe Weather has reported that the large plume of dust has been kicked up by strong winds associated with a vigorous cold front and weather trough moving across the country.Severe fire dangers are now in place across the Far North Coast, North Coast, New England, Greater Hunter and Northern Slopes.The Rural Fire Service has reported a bush fire burning at Wardell Road at Wardell; grass fires burning at Myall Creek Road at Bora Ridge and at Wyrallah Road at Tuckarimba; and a pine needle fire at Carwon State Forest in Richmond Valley. There is also a fire burning near Tenterfield.All state forests from Sydney to the Queensland border are closed for the next three days due to increased fire risks. Read more: All State forests to the border closed from todayThe following image from Northern NSW Severe Weather is taken from EWN satellite and lightning tracker and show the dust plumes moving across the State:Northern NSW Severe Weather have created a graphic showing dust plumes from fires, which are causing poor visibility: The Rural Fire Service's Fires Near Me map shows fires burning near Lismore:

Sports players at Hepburn Park in Goonellabah will now be able to see the ball better at night.New state-of-the-art lighting has been installed at the park, which will allow more use of the grounds at night. The park is growing in popularity as more people take up sport to stay fit and healthy. It is currently the home of the Lismore Touch Association, Oztag and for a number of one-off events like the Samson Challenge. Lismore City Council has invested $218,000 in bringing the lighting up to Australian Standards, which means players can better see the ball at night. It also reduces the park’s lighting affecting neighbouring residents in the new Waterford Park Estate. The new lights will also cut power consumption by half. This is great for both the environment and for clubs and associations who use the sports facility. The project was funded under the NSW Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF) with the Lismore Touch Football Association also contributing.  New grandstands have also been installed at the North Coast Regional Hockey Centre in Goonellabah. The $154,000 project has provided an additional 360 seats in the shade for spectators. It was funded under the SCCF.

All State forests from the north of Sydney to the Queensland border, including the Far North Coast, will be closed to the public for three days from today.The forests are closed from Thursday, November 7 until Saturday, November 9 due to the very high to extreme fire danger over the coming days. The closure applies to all State forests in the Rural Fire Service zones in the Greater Sydney Region, Far North Coast, North Coast, Greater Hunter, New England and the Northern Slopes.The only exceptions are Cumberland State Forest, Treetops Adventure Park at Ourimbah State Forest and Sealy Lookout at Orara East State Forest. Forestry Corporation of NSW’s Senior Manager Forest Stewardship Kathy Lyons asked the community to stay out of these State forests due to the very high risk to public safety. “We are expecting very high to severe and extreme fire weather over the next three days and there are already extensive fires across the north coast and tablelands. Fires are likely to be uncontrollable in these conditions,” Ms Lyons said. “All State forests from the north of Sydney to the Queensland border and the northern tablelands will be closed for the next three days due to the high fire danger. “This closure will affect popular camp grounds and picnic areas throughout the region including Olney, Heaton and Strickland State forests, Swans Crossing near Kendall, Coopernook Headquarters and recreation areas along the Allyn River and Telegherry River in the Chichester State forest. “Please do not enter these forests over the next three days.” For the latest information about fires, visit the Rural Fire Service website www.rfs.nsw.gov.au 

Farmers and landcare groups are encouraged to apply for funding of up to $50,000 under round three of the Australian Government’s Smart Farms Small Grants program. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said the grants would help farmers turn innovative ideas into on-ground projects to improve the quality of their natural resources while increasing on-farm productivity. “Farmers are the custodians of more than half of Australia’s land and they’re wanting to pass it on in a better state,” Mr Hogan said. “Projects previously funded under include innovative methods to manage soil acidity; virtual fencing to protect riparian habitat; improving orchard pollination and bee health using drone technology, as well as mentoring activities connecting farmers and students. “Smart Farms Small Grants supports projects that increase the knowledge, skills and capacity of farming, forestry and fishing communities to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture.” A total of $43.5 million is available for Smart Farms Small Grants across an anticipated six annual rounds (2017–18 to 2022–23). Under Round one, 77 projects valued at $4.75 million were approved, with another 110 projects valued at $9.25 million approved under Round two. Round three Smart Farms Small Grants applications are open until 19 December 2019. For more information and to apply visit the Community Grants Hub website http://www.communitygrants.gov.au

A man has been arrested in Lismore and charged over the alleged online exploitation of a child and possession of child abuse material.Last month, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from the Far North Coast.Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl and engaged in conversations about sexually-explicit acts he wished to perform on the child.Following extensive inquiries, a 33-year-old man was arrested by Strike Force Trawler detectives at a business at Lismore about 9.30am today (Wednesday November 6).Strike Force Trawler detectives also executed a search warrant at a home near Casino, where they seized electronic devices.The man was taken to Lismore Police Station and charged with use carriage service to send indecent material to person under 16, use carriage service to solicit child abuse material, possess child abuse material, and fail to comply with reporting obligations.He was refused bail to appear at Lismore Local Court today.Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the CEIU into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the CEIU; and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. 

Police are seeking community assistance with locating Thomas King Thomas King, who has an outstanding warrant. Mr King is 27 years old and may be in Goonellabah.If you can help police locate Mr King, contact your local police or call Crimestoppers on 1800333000  

A new residential community in Goonellabah is ready to be inspected by potential home owners.The Eastwood development on Invercauld Road, Goonellabah will offer 133 homesites across a 21 hectare parcel of land.Managed by developers the McCloy Group, Stage 1 of Eastwood will be open to the public on November 16, from 10am-12pm.On offer in Stage 1 will be 16 to 20 blocks of land for sale to the public.McCloy Group Project Director Sam Rowe said the development will incorporate incorporate public art, children’s playgrounds and over 200 mature street trees. “We seek to create communities which families can be proud to call home” Mr Rowe said.When complete Eastwood will be home to around 135 new homes and over 300 residents. Pictured: Artist's impression of stage 1 of the Eastwood development.Fast progressMr Rowe said the development has been able to go ahead quickly because his company purchased the land 18 months ago with a Development Approval already in place.“The previous developer never started the project because of the big upfront costs for infrastructure, on top of standard civil construction costs,” Mr Rowe said.“We realised we needed to take a hit on stage one to get it off the ground.Mr Rowe said some changes to the development plan were necessary to get the development to the construction certificate stage with Lismore Council.“We had to make some changes to the roading because it was too close to residents’ properties,” Mr Rowe said. “And we took out the retaining wall on the side of the access road and instead made it a landscaped development."We purposely collected a civil contractor with a good reputation and it was a quick 6-7 month program to get the works done – and we’ve been lucky with the weather.”Pictured: Artist's impression of stage 2 of the Eastwood development.Six StagesThere will be six stages overall in the development, with 20-25 lots being made available in each stage.Mr Rowe said if stage 1 sold quickly, the company would begin work on stage 2 immediately.“McCloy Group want to offer something different to what you would normally see in a subdivision,” Mr Rowe said.“We are offering an open park, natural landscape, utilising the natural rock features on the site and have replaced trees we’ve had to remove with mature trees.”A Vegetation Management Plan has been put in place which will see substantial revegetation of open space areas (including Gundurmba Creek corridor) undertaken, with over 7,000 thousand active tree and plant species to be planted within the community. Open dayPeople interested in purchasing land can come and look at the development on November 16.Mr Rowe said representatives from real estate agent LJ Hooker would be on site on the day to walk people through the sites.“People can secure land on the day with a $1000 holding deposit,” he said. “Block prices range from $149,000 to $257,000.“The streets will be well presented, with roads, curbs, gutters and grass and lot sizes vary from 629 – 2700 square metres.”Some of the land has a steep gradient and Mr Rowe said different options would be available for home builders who wanted a flat area, or a split level construction.“As part of the stage 1 development, natural stone from the site has been resourced to create a statement entry feature to welcome future residents along with reuse in homesite benching,” he said.“Local residents will also notice the new public art commissioned with the launch of Eastwood, a three meter high bronze koala and its baby, titled Cuddles, by artists Gillies & Marc.“We look forward to welcoming the community at the launch event, there will be brekkie wraps and coffee on us along with free children’s activities and local builders onsite.”For more information about Eastwood, visit https://eastwoodliving.com.au/ or see Facebook for information about the open day on November 16 https://www.facebook.com/events/406920133538399/  

There’s a new face in pharmacy in town. Discount Drug Stores has a opened a new chemist store on Rous Road in Goonellabah. The purpose-built pharmacy is attached to the GP Super Clinic in the shopping complex on the corner of Pleasant Street and Rous Road. Pharmacist and managing owner Steven Defrenne said today is the second day of trading. “We knew there was a need for a pharmacy here,” Steven said. Pharmacist Steven Defrenne has settled in Lismore.“People in this area have limited transport to get into town and we wanted to make sure that we could optimise health care here.”Steven said the pharmacy will be open seven days a week and at the moment is in a “soft opening” stage as he sets up the pharmacy and keeps and eye on what the most suitable times are to be open for customers.At the moment, the store is open Monday to Thursday 8am - 7.30pm, Friday 8am – 6.30pm, Saturday 9am – 4.30pm and Sunday 9am – 3.30pm.“We’ll gauge when we are going to be busy and then set opening hours based on what is best for the community,” Steven said.“We will hold a grand opening in a few weeks and invite people along.” Steven moved to Lismore from Brisbane and is now happily settled here. “We are part of a franchise, but I’m the owner of this business,” he said. “We will be offering multiple services as we set up over the coming months, including services to help with sleep apnoea and home medication management.” 

After nearly two years in business, Muzza’s Milk Bar is closing. But don’t despair – you will still be able to buy your cola bottles, aniseed rings, coconut rough and freckles from the shop’s new pop up lolly shop in Lismore Square.The shop, located on the corner of Molesworth Street and the Star Court Arcade, will be moving to the Square on November 14 for six weeks over Christmas. Maddy Powell, whose mum owns Muzza’s said the milk bar was closing because her mum’s shoe shop next door “is taking off”.“My mum Petria owns Treas Shoes next door and she’ll be taking over shops, so there won’t be an empty shop on the street,” Maddy said. “We’re not closing because we’re not busy - I’m not going to be here next year to help run the shop.” “The square offered us the shop at the bottom of the escalator for cheaper rent than we have here.“We thought it was a great idea and Santa will be set up next door to us between the escalators.“The markets are on there too, so we’ll be open seven days a week.“We should be busy over the Christmas period.”Maddy said her favourite lollies are caramel jerseys.“Don’t worry - any lollies left over after Christmas won’t go to waste,” she said.“We’ll take them to our milk bar in Evans Head.“My mum opened a milk bar in Evans head seven years ago because there wasn’t one already there.“Then she opened the Lismore shop after the floods in 2017.”

Dry weather conditions since mid-winter across north east NSW have resulted in record, or close to record low rainfall totals for many locations, with Lismore showing the lowest rainfall in the area – totalling 18.2mm.The data, complied by Northern NSW Severe Weather show combined rainfall over August, September and October.For Lismore, when these three month totals were added to the July rainfall, we see that only 19.6mm has fallen in the past 115 days.The three month total is only 0.1mm more than the record dry-spell for Lismore for the same months, which was set in 1941 - a year remarkably similar to 2019 overall.The three-month totals from August 1 to October 31 in the region are between 10 and 25% of normal for this period.Three-month totals from August 1 to October 31:18.2mm at Lismore53.8mm at Murwillumbah72.0mm at Byron Bay61.2mm at Ballina56.4mm at Casino50.6mm at Grafton37.8mm at Tabulam33.6mm at Tenterfield51.2mm at Glen Innes32.4mm at Armidale34.2mm at InverellCurrently, an active trough system is crossing into NSW and the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a chance of a thunderstorm Monday and Tuesday, with a 40% chance of showers by the afternoon and early evening of Tuesday.These thunderstorms have the potential to deliver widespread falls of around 20mm, with some places likely to see close to 50mm.Maps from Bureau of Meteorology show October totals, August-October Rainfall totals, and August-October Deciles.

There is still time to apply for grants of up to $4000 to support health and wellbeing projects for young people in the Northern Rivers.Grant applications close on November 15 and are aimed at supporting projects for young people aged 13-24 years.Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) Health Promotion manager Jillian Adams said this is a critical age for young people because there is a big drop in physical activity, particularly for girls, and an increase in junk food consumption for teenage boys."There is plenty of evidence that shows strong links between exercise and healthy diet and physical and mental wellbeing,” Ms Adams said.The Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) is providing a total of $40,000 for projects across the region that make it easier for young people to be physically active and eat healthy food.“These grants are about supporting young people to get the most out of life,” Ms Adams said.“One of the criteria for the grants is that young people are involved in the planning of the project, because they know best what will work for them.” The grants are part of the Healthy Communities Northern Rivers initiative from NNSW LHD, which is leading a whole of community approach to promoting healthy eating and active living.Grant information and application forms are available at: https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/health-promotion/healthy-communities/

Lismore City Council says up to 100 new local jobs will be created at a multi-million dollar medicinal cannabis operation in the Lismore Local Government area.The Council has worked with Australian company Cannapacific over the last 12 months guiding the company through the approval process to establish a modern medicinal cannabis cultivation and research facility in the Northern Rivers.It is the only licenced medicinal cannabis facility in the Northern Rivers and one of the first in the country.Lismore’s Deputy Mayor Darlene Cook said Stage 1 of the development, which is about to go into production, will create an immediate economic boost to the local economy.“This is a huge facility that will create much-needed economic activity and jobs for our community,” she said.“It is a very significant investment and I would like to congratulate Council staff and local tradespeople who worked with the company to set-up this facility in our community. “It not only shows that Lismore is open for business but also that we can attract new industries to the area.”Stage 1 of the facility includes a 10,000 square metre high-tech glasshouse with fully-automated climate control to allow year-round production.It is estimated the site will produce approximately 10,000 kilograms of quality cannabis flower annually.CannaPacific Operations Manager Tim Ritchie said Stage 1 construction was nearing completion and it expects to commence cultivation by mid-2020.“With supply agreements in place in both domestic and international markets, we are well-positioned to create a sustainable local industry,” he said. The facility will also serve as an advanced Cannabis Plant Research and Development Unit in collaboration with the University of Newcastle.CannaPacific currently has products on the market for prescription available through the Department of Health Special Access Scheme. 

Women with or suspected of having breast cancer will be able to claim Medicare benefits for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, from today, November 1. Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan said approximately 14,000 patients each year, predominantly women, will benefit from these services. Medicare rebates will be available for MRI scans for: •     Diagnosis of breast cancer in patients where other imaging was inconclusive and a biopsy has not been possible; and•     Pre-surgical planning for patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, where there is discrepancy between clinical assessment and conventional imaging assessment. “The Federal Government has added these new MRI services to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) to ensure women vulnerable to breast cancer have affordable access to MRI,” Mr Hogan said. “The new items for breast MRI will reduce the out-of-pocket costs faced by breast cancer patients. The Government will provide $32.6 million for Medicare benefits for the services, “The Government is committed to making important diagnostic services more affordable and accessible for Australians, “Our commitment to Medicare is rock solid, with an additional $6 billion committed to Medicare benefits in the 2019-20 Budget.” 

A man will appear in Lismore Bail Court today charged with outstanding warrants after being extradited from Queensland yesterday.Police will allege on Friday 30 August 2019, a Mitsubishi Triton utility stolen from Ballina was involved in a pursuit with officers from Richmond Police District, where a police vehicle was rammed causing extensive damage.On Friday 11 October 2019, police were involved in a pursuit with a stolen Toyota Landcruiser, which was terminated due to the dangerous manner of driving. The vehicle was recovered and searched later that day, where police located and seized a firearm and ammunition.Following extensive inquiries, detectives travelled to Queensland on Wednesday 30 October 2019 and arrested a 27-year-old man with the assistance of Queensland Police.On Friday 1 November 2019, the man was extradited from Queensland and taken to Lismore Police Station.He was charged with three outstanding warrants for the charges of receive stolen property out the state of NSW, police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously (x 2), drive recklessly/manner dangerous, drive/take conveyance without consent of owner, breach intensive corrections order, predatory driving, possess unregistered firearm and possess ammunition.The man was refused bail to appear before Lismore bail court today.

Have a laugh and help keep Corndale Hall alive this Saturday, November 2.The annual Corndale Hall Comedy Night will see comedian Jonathan Atherton bring a bunch of comedians to the stage, including veteran comedian Garry Who – who used to be on Hey Hey, It’s Saturday.Corndale Hall Committee secretary Richard Hurley said the money raised from the night goes toward the running of Corndale Hall.“The hall was built in 1891 and the local community still owns it,” he said. “The hall committee are non-profit organisation and a registered charity and we need to raise at least $10,000 each year to keep the hall running. “Rates and insurance costs $8K each year and we also have to pay for electricity, water and public entity incorporation fees. “Once we raise $10K, we can think about getting a lick a paint of the building.”Richard said the comedy night was one of many events run throughout the year, along with an astronomy night held in August and Lismore Theatre Company performances. “We’ve been running the comedy night for over 20 years - we predate Mandy Nolan,” he laughed.“Mandy has performed at our comedy night and sometimes we have comedians perform who have graduated from her comedy course. “Jonathan Atherton will be the MC and he won’t have a lot to do if the other comedians are all hilarious.“This event also helps develop new comedians in our region. “Greg Sullivan, one of the rising stars on the scene first performed at the hall when he was 17 and went on to drive time radio is Brisbane.”Richard said people could invite their friends, book a table and even make this event your work Christmas party.“You can bring your own drinks and birthday cake and there will be a supper at half time with lots of food,” he said.“Around half time, there is an open microphone, with a golden drinking voucher ($50) for the winning joke from members of the audience. The cost is $30 per head and you can book, or just show up on the night.To book a seat, phone Richard on 66882052, or Peter on 0414181538.

Richmond River High School student Sveva Bennett, 18, has two exams left to go in this year’s Higher School Certificate (HSC) final exams.In the future, she’d like to build tiny homes, but right now, she’s one of the 75,000 Year 12 students across Australia who are sitting the HSC this year – and one of the 26,000 students sitting in regional NSW.For Sveva, it’s been a challenge to balance the stress of study with normal life, and she’s looking forward to November 11 when it’s all over.“Knowing there’s an end date is getting me through it,” she said. “I don’t have much of a life at the moment – I’m looking forward to no more sleepless nights from studying and worrying. “I feel I don’t have time to exercise or focus on myself and my mental health, and if I put time aside for that, then I get stressed that I’m not studying.“Some of my friends have jobs as well as studying and maintaining their private lives – and they put their jobs, sport and music on hold for exams.“There’s a lot of pressure put on us over the whole year in the lead up to these exams.“Some people don’t care, but I’m one of the kids who does a lot of work.“Some nights I’m up to 1am studying and then I get up at 6am to study.”’ Sveva said the pressure put on students to do well in the HSC in order to get a good Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) score for university is all-consuming.“This sort of pressure is not needed – and not everyone wants to go to university,” she said.“You don’t learn everything you need in life at school and the way they are going about it is outdated.”Read about new university and TAFE scholarships in The Lismore App story New scholarships open for university and TAFE studentsPictured: Sveva Bennett.Gonski survey reports show “unnecessary pressure”A new national survey by UNSW Sydney’s Gonski Institute for Education has released findings that show most people want student ability and talents outside of end-of-school exam results to be factors used in determining their university entry ranking.And two thirds feel the reliance on the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) for university entry creates unnecessary pressure on Year 12 students.Institute director, Professor Adrian Piccoli, a former NSW Education Minister, said the UNSW survey results support academic research that suggests relying on an end-of-school series of exams as the primary means to gain entry to a university is not the best predictor of a student’s overall ability, nor are they the most equitable.“There is a growing body of work that shows one off exams, which are supposedly meant to measure a student’s whole of school experience, often do not accurately measure their skills, potential or overall ability,” Prof Piccoli said.“Like NAPLAN, the HSC scores are used to measure a very narrow range of student abilities which, under the current ATAR system, creates an enormous amount of pressure for all those involved.” A total of 80% of all respondents to the Gonski Institute survey agreed university requirements should also consider a student’s ability and talents outside the classroom. While over 57% say ATAR scores create unnecessary pressure on Year 12 students, that number rises to 75% for people who finished high school but did not do any tertiary study.“Schools are also under pressure to ensure their students achieve high ATAR scores,” Prof Piccoli said.“School ranking tables created from Year 12 exam results effect a school’s reputation and this measure doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of education available at schools but rather how their students performed in various tests.”HSC changes Changes made to the HSC curriculum this year to stop students memorising essays and introduce more critical thinking, have also made it more difficult for teachers to prepare students for these final exams.“it’s made me more stressed when the teachers say to us they don’t know what to expect in the exam questions this year,” Sveva said.“In some subjects, you can look at past papers, but in English, they asked us questions you couldn’t prepare for.“I’m studying 1984 and the question focussed on loneliness, so I had to think about it on the spot.”Sveva is the only student studying German for the HSC at her school and has been doing it by distance education. She’s one of the 5801 students this year who are enrolled in at least one HSC language course.“Distance education is ok for me because I’m organised,” Sveva said. “My mum is German so I get to talk about German work with her - I think it’s one of my best exams. I have an oral exam and a three hour written one.”The future - tiny housesSveva is keen to take a ‘gap’ year next year, but has already applied to Melbourne University in the hopes of studying design in the future.“When I finish the HSC, I’m going to Germany to visit family and friends and practice speaking German - and focus on more sport in my life,” she said.“I’d like to work and get some money to travel. “At first, I didn’t want to go to uni, but then I decided I wanted to build a tiny house.“Alternative, sustainable building and design – that’s the way it’s going in the future – especially because of climate change. “People are starting to think about what their impact is and don’t want a big house.“We need to be more minimal and not live materialistic consumer lifestyles.“Rent is high right now people can’t afford the rent or buying a house with a massive mortgage for years – tiny houses are cheaper to build than other homes.“It’s a good opportunity for young people to take up.”School formalOnce exams are over, Sveva and her friends are looking forward to the school formal.Sveva decided to make her own dress this year, rather than spend lots of money on a dress that would be worn only once.“Some of my friends spent $500 on dress and money on shoes and hair that has to be perfect.“My sister and grandma helped me to make my dress so there’s not so much fuss and money.“I wanted a 1950s yellow dress and I’m proud that I made it.”Sveva is spending her money on a vintage car that she and her boyfriend will arrive at the school formal in.Curriculum reviewA recently released review of the NSW curriculum has called for major changes to the HSC, including slashing the number of courses, reducing the emphasis on end-of-school exams and merging vocational and academic subjects. The NSW Curriculum Review Interim Report, led by Education Professor Geoff Masters, was commissioned by the NSW Government last year in response to concerns that the state's curriculum was too crowded, and needed to be updated for the 21st century.Some of the biggest changes Prof Masters suggested in the draft report were to the HSC, which is the major credential required for students since the school leaving age was raised to 17.The report looked at how the HSC still separated academic and vocational subjects in a way many thought was "artificial and unhelpful".Prof Masters suggested HSC subjects could be broken into attainment levels, and achievement against these could be rewarded with micro-credentials, based on teacher assessment. "In some existing subjects, these attainment levels will replace current performance bands," the report said.“There would still be external assessment, but in some courses the exam would be replaced by evaluations of students' overall performance and class work. For information about the review, visit https://nswcurriculumreview.nesa.nsw.edu.au/home/siteAreaContent/524abec1-f0f9-4ffd-9e01-2cc89432ad52

Scholarships for 26 people to study at Southern Cross University and the Wollongbar campus of TAFE are open for applications.Read about Richmond River High student Sveve Bennett studying for the HSC and a new Gonski report in the Lismore App story HSC exams put 'unnecessary pressure' on studentsFederal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said the scholarships are available to domestic and international students to study in our community next year.“There will be 16 scholarships at Southern Cross University in Lismore and 10 scholarships at the Wollongbar campus of TAFE,” Mr Hogan said. “These education providers have been provided over $1 million to offer the scholarships through the Federal Government’s Destination Australia program. “Destination Australia provides scholarships worth $15,000 a year to students who study at a regional university or vocational education provider. “Our region has a great story to tell and we can be an attractive destination for international and domestic students. “Attracting more students to study here will be good for our community, good for local businesses and good for tourism. “International students who study in regional Australia rate their living and learning experience higher than students based in metropolitan centres.” Students can apply directly to institutions. Successful tertiary education providers can be found at www.education.gov.au/destination-australia

A free screening of a new documentary Half a Million Steps at the Star Court Theatre tomorrow shows how people living in regional centres are missing out on drug and alcohol treatment services.Northern Rivers-based rehabilitation centre The Buttery’s chief executive Leone Crayden said the documentary tells the stories of people living in rural towns and how far they need to travel to find treatment. “A person living in Dubbo would need to take about 500,000 steps to walk to the treatment they need in Sydney,” Ms Craydon said. The documentary tells the story of how in October 2018, 100 people walked the 500,000 steps from Dubbo to deliver a message to NSW Parliament in Sydney.The walk was part of The Uniting Church’s Fair Treatment campaign, and the documentary tells the personal stories behind a movement to reform drug laws and policy and make treatment available to all.“It’s only a few steps to get drugs in Dubbo, but it’s hard to get drug treatment,” the trailer for the movie states.Ms Crayden said there’s a raft of collateral damage of using drugs and alcohol. “Many people using drugs and alcohol don’t even have the funds to get transport to Sydney for treatment,” she said.“It’s time regional centres had rehabilitation and treatment in their towns.”Mr Crayden said the government spends $3.8 billion on jail and prisons, but only $1.2 billion on drug and alcohol rehab services.“That’s less than 1% of total health care spending,” she said.“Drug policy modelling says we should increase it to $1.9 billion“At the moment, there are 40,000 people incarcerated in Australia and we are spending $560 million on building Grafton Correctional Centre.“80% of convictions are for possession of drugs - not distribution. “There’s a real lack of matching funds and we know restoration works more than incarceration.“Of 12,000 strip searches done last year, only 59 were prosecutions. “The government is spending money on policing doing unnecessary searches.“They would be better to spend money more widely on treatment facilities. “It costs about $224 per day per bed for rehabilitation – that’s where people get the help they need, not as criminals.“Once people have been through rehabilitation, there are so many benefits for society and families. “People go on to secondary education and get jobs.  “It’s an economic boost for society – that’s the ripple effect of treatment.”The documentary Half a Million Steps will be screening for free, this Friday, November 1 at the Star Court Theatre in Lismore.A panel discussion will be held immediately after the screening and will be facilitated by Leone Crayden and panellists include The Buttery’s Krystian Gruft, lawyer and drug law reform advocate, Eddy Lloyd, Brendan – a person with lived experience.The Buttery is based near Bangalow and has both residential and community outreach programs from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie

The teaming up of pop icon Katie Noonan and the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) will see poetry in music come to Lismore City Hall this Friday, November 1.Their performance is part of a new album project ‘The Glad Tomorrow’, which sees Katie set the Australian poetry of Queenslander and First Nations icon Oodgeroo Noonuccal to music - and take it on a national tour.“My hope is that this project will help a new generation discover the powerful words and the extraordinary life of Oodgeroo Noonuccal,” Katie said.The Glad Tomorrow album saw the commissioning of 10 Australian contemporary composers to create a song cycle based on Oodgeroo’s poetry.Katie and the ASQ will perform pieces written for them by Carl Vine, Elena Kats Chernin, Richard Tognetti, Iain Grandage, David Hirschfelder, as well as Queensland composers Thomas Green, Robert Davidson, Connor D’Netto, William Barton and Katie herself. “Personally and professionally, I am committed to using music and community engagement to further the sentiments behind the Uluru Statement which seeks ‘a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making between governments and First Nations and truth-telling about our history’,” Katie said.“Makarrata is a word from the language of the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land, and the concept of Makarrata captures the idea of two parties coming together after a struggle, healing the divisions of the past.“It is about acknowledging that something has been done wrong, and it seeks to make things right. “My dream is that this song cycle is a small step towards this Makarratta aspiration."Katie said she teamed up with ASG after admiring “their wonderful artistry for many years”.“More recently when Dale and Francesca joined the band, I felt like the quartet were the perfect match for the Oodgeroo project,” she said.“As a fiercely proud Queenslander and in a project that is celebrating an extraordinary Queensland woman, I am immensely proud to share in this world premiere with world class musicians.  Katie Noonan with the Australian String Quartet will perform The Glad Tomorrow this Friday, November 1 at 7.30pm.Tickets cost $30 - $70. To book, contact NORPA at Lismore City Hall on 1300 066 772 or visit www.norpa.org.au