Taco Love Bros owners Dylan Morris and his brother Jordan, have a vision for a café with outdoor dining, live music in the evening - and lots of tacos.At the moment, they are selling tacos from a pop-up food truck at their new café site - on the corner of Cathcart and Conway Streets in Lismore (near the Ballina/Wyrallah Road roundabout).There’s cushions for customers to sit on, but they can’t have tables and chairs on the street – yet.“All that will change once the café is open,” Dylan said.The brothers have been jumping through the hoops of the Lismore City Council’s Development Application process to be allowed to start refurbishing the building.“Last week, we made a breakthrough,” Dylan said. “It’s been a challenge keeping the DA process going and trying to stay afloat. “We sorted out the problem issue of reducing any cooking odour coming from the roof and we have sourced an over exhaust system with a range hood that will handle it.“Now we are just waiting for our construction certificate to come through so we can refurbish."Dylan said the brothers started out selling tacos at local markets from their food van but had their sights on opening up a street café in Lismore “with a market vibe”.When he first walked into their new building at 20 Cathcart Street, Dylan said “it felt like home”.“I trained to be a butcher and ironically the building used to be a butchery,” Dylan said.“It has so much potential and we’re getting it up to standard."As far as the food goes, Dylan said he “creates the most tasty tacos ever”. “I appreciate high quality produce and like to create special things," he said. “I have a passion for food and since I started making tacos at home, I have perfected the recipe."The brothers are aiming for opening the café in December, if all goes according to plan.Read about more businesses changing:Local business gets new name and new central location

Some frozen microwave meals sold at IGA stores and independent retailers have been linked to Salmonella gastroenteritis cases in our region.Salmonellosis symptoms include fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.NSW Health is urging consumers who have any CORE Powerfoods frozen microwave meals to either dispose of them or return them for a refund. Core Ingredients is conducting a recall of Core Powerfoods frozen meals, 310g or 350g - Going Nuts, Deep South Chilli, Muay Thai Meatballs, Holy Meatballs, Naked Chicken, Seismic Chicken, Old School, and Smokey Mountain Meatballs.  The products have been available for sale at IGAs in NSW, ACT, VIC and NT; Independent retailers in NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, SA, NT and WA; and Coles nationally. The Best Before are from 26/08/2020 – 4/10/2020 inclusive. At least 10 NSW residents are believed to have developed Salmonella infection after consuming this product and investigations are ongoing. NSW Health is working closely with other states and territories to investigate other infections of this unusual Salmonella type, Salmonella Weltevreden, that are thought to be associated with this product. The cause of the contamination is still under investigation. NSW Health’s Executive Director of Health Protection, Dr Jeremy McAnulty said salmonellosis can be quite severe and people sometimes have to be hospitalised to manage dehydration, particularly in young babies, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems. “Salmonellosis symptoms include fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting,” Dr McAnulty said. “Symptoms usually start around six to 72 hours after the contaminated food is eaten and usually last for four to seven days, but can continue for much longer. “It is important that people do not prepare food for others while they are unwell with salmonellosis and as a precaution for 48 hours after symptoms have passed.” Dr McAnulty said food must be cooked thoroughly to kill Salmonella bacteria. Microwaves are a quick and convenient way to cook food, however, if they are not used correctly, they can cook food unevenly. “Frozen food may not be ready to eat and should always be cooked thoroughly following manufacturer instructions. “The longer food is left at room temperature the more the Salmonella bacteria will multiply. “Refrigerated food should be kept at less than five degrees Celsius and hot food should be kept above 60 degrees Celsius,” he said. Cases reside across NSW, including in Northern NSW, greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle and the Murrumbidgee. For information about the recall go to:http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/foodrecalls/recalls/Pages/Core-Powerfoods-frozen-meals.aspx For more information on Salmonellosis go to:  https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/Salmonellosis.aspx 

Do you know how to recognise a message or an email from a scammer?There’s a lot of scammer activity about and a free Introduction to Scams talk at Goonellabah Library this Wednesday, October 23, will help you to know what to look for and how to identify a fake message.Read more about recent scams:Scam alert: Australia Post warns of fake delivery messages Phone scammer steals $10K by pretending to be from the NBNRichmond Tweed Library Regional assistant Brodie Elliott said he’s giving the talk to help people keep a couple of steps ahead of them.“I’m helping seniors and people unfamiliar with using technology to not be afraid of it,” Brodie said. “Some of the scams are finely created and hard to tell apart from a real message from someone.“For someone not used to using email or the internet, I want to tell them ‘think before you act’ if you receive a text message or email to contact the tax office or Australia Post.“On an Australian Government website, people have been scammed and lost money to scammers.“I want to teach people to question what they are seeing.“I’ll show them ways to work out if it’s a scam by looking at the language used and other key factors.“For example, if there’s an email from a bank saying ‘Dear customer, click on this link or you’ll be locked out of your account’, but they don’t use your name or member number, or there’s a sense of urgency about it – it’s probably fake.“I have lots of example to show of scams I’ve received and how much money people have lost with different types of scams like romance scams.Brodie said that as the internet and doing things online have evolved, scammers have also moved with it.“There’s a new scam where there’s a phone call from the Ukraine, but when you answer and say ‘hello’ - it cuts out,” he said.“When you recall the number, it charges your phone bill at a premium rate and they get the money off you from your bill.”The Introduction to Scams talk is free, but bookings are preferred. You can also just show up on the day.To book, phone (02) 6625 5100.

A man is in critical condition in hospital after gun shots were reported at a Lismore CBD residence last night.Richmond Police District Inspector Susie Johnson said at 7.45pm last night, police responded to a residential home in Lismore in response to a gunshot.“A number of people from the residence are assisting police with enquires," Inspector Johnson said.“A 21 year old male is in a critical condition at the Gold Coast University Hospital.”A concerned resident who was on Dawson Street last night took photos of police cars at the scene, before leaving - and posted them to a popular Facebook local community discussion page.Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Lismore police or call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.  

A former carer has been charged over historic alleged child sexual abuse - Strike Force KruseanaRichmond Police District detectives have charged a man following a six-year investigation into alleged sexual and indecent assaults of children in the state’s Northern Rivers region more than 30 years ago.In May 2013, detectives from Richmond Police District established Strike Force Kruseana to investigate allegations of sexual abuse of children from a boys home near Lismore, and other locations in the Mullumbimby area in the early 1980s.Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives, assisted by officers from South Sydney Police Area Command and the Australian Federal Police, arrested an 81-year-old man as he arrived at Sydney International Airport on a flight from the Philippines about midday Saturday 19 October 2019.The man was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with buggery (two counts), attempt buggery (two counts), procure act of indecency, assault, and indecent assault of male.Police will allege in court that the man sexually and indecently assaulted two teenage boys who were in his care in the Northern Rivers region between 1980 and 1983.Investigations under Strike Force Kruseana are ongoing.As their inquiries continue, detectives would like to speak with anyone who resided at the home in the early 1980s and/or has information relevant to the investigation.Anyone with information that may assist Strike Force Kruseana investigators can contact Crime Stoppers in strict confidence on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Three free events on tomorrow, Tuesday, October 22, share valuable information about disability access, equity, grants and inclusion. The events, brought to you by Accessible Arts, are free, but you need to register.Accessible Arts is NSW’s peak arts and disability organisation, who work to make arts, culture and events more accessible for the 20% of Australians who live with disability or who are Deaf. The three free events will be held at Northern Rivers Performing Arts (NORPA) at City Hall in Lismore and provide a great opportunity to learn about a whole range of issues related to disability access and inclusion. Unpacking Access To The Arts8am – 10:30am, this ATAG meetup is a creative industries networking event that will include a panel discussion involving local arts workers which explores what accessibility frameworks and programs are working in the Northern Rivers region. And breakfast is on us! Places are limited. Registerhttps://ataglismoreoct22.eventbrite.com.au Disability Awareness & Equity Training Workshop (DIAP included)12:30pm – 3:30pm this workshop is all about improving how your organisation can connect with and support artists and audiences with disability and includes a how-to for Disability Inclusion Action Plans. Places are limited. Register https://daetworkshoplismore.eventbrite.com.au Understanding Grants Workshop4pm – 6pm this workshop is all about helping artists and arts workers with disability navigate the process of finding and applying for creative and business grants, including tips about writing applications and communicating with grants bodies. Places are limited. Registerhttps://aartsgrantsworkshoplismore.eventbrite.com.au

A free breakfast event in Lismore on Tuesday October 29, will tell you about how to take advantage of the economic boost that events bring to our region.  If you are a business operator, event organiser, sporting group, charity, supplier, potential sponsor or an outlying tourism business, Lismore Chamber of Commerce said “this is the one event you must attend this year”.Check out Lismore App's What's On Section: What's OnAt the breakfast, Tamworth Country Music Festival director Barry Harley will talk about how to take advantage of the economic boost events bring to our region.   This is a free breakfast event for NSW Small Business Month, however registration is essential for catering purposes.NSW Small Business Month is dedicated to promoting and celebrating the success of small businesses and recognising the important role they play in the NSW economy and local communities. ‘Event Ready Lismore! Is brought to you by Lismore City Council working in collaboration with the Lismore Chamber of Commerce, Southern Cross University and the Entrepreneur Facilitators Service. Event Ready Lismore will be on at Star Court Theatre, Molesworth Street, Lismore, from 7.30am to 9am. Register Now: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/event-ready-lismore-tickets-74759464571 To find out what other events are happening across NSW and in our region visit:https://www.businessmonth.nsw.gov.au/ andhttps://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/small-business-month/

Richmond Police District detectives have charged a man following a six-year investigation into alleged sexual and indecent assaults of children from a boys’ home near Lismore, more than 30 years ago.In May 2013, detectives from Richmond Police District established Strike Force Kruseana to investigate allegations of sexual abuse of children from the boys’ home near Lismore, and other locations in the Mullumbimby area in the early 1980s.Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives, assisted by officers from South Sydney Police Area Command and the Australian Federal Police, arrested an 81-year-old man as he arrived at Sydney International Airport on a flight from the Philippines about midday on Saturday, October 19.The man was taken to Mascot Police Station and charged with buggery (two counts), attempt buggery (two counts), procure act of indecency, assault, and indecent assault of male.Police will allege in court that the man sexually and indecently assaulted two teenage boys who were in his care in the Northern Rivers region between 1980 and 1983.Investigations under Strike Force Kruseana are ongoing.As their inquiries continue, detectives would like to speak with anyone who resided at the home in the early 1980s and/or has information relevant to the investigation.Anyone with information that may assist Strike Force Kruseana investigators can contact Crime Stoppers in strict confidence on 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. 

A local Arborist felling a tree in Lismore had a surprise when he found a nest in tree trunk which had split in two.  Still in the trunk were five very young Eastern Rosellas, their hollow was completely split and could not be reused. Northern Rivers Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES) was contacted and a volunteer was quickly on the scene and collected the tiny, now homeless chicks. The parent birds were watching - a truly heartbreaking scene for the people involved.Pictured: The broken tree hollow after being felled.The chicks were examined by WIRES bird carer Julie and found to be uninjured and all in perfect condition.A call went out over WIRES communications system for the urgent need of a Rosella nesting box. A nestbox was constructed almost immediately by WIRES volunteer Martin, and the following morning Julie went back on site, found a suitable tree and the nestbox was put as high as possible in the tree. Pictured: The new next box for the chicks.The five little Rosella chicks were placed inside.Julie stood back but did not have to wait long.The parent birds were still in the area and heard their chicks call. Pictured: Rosella parents waiting to feed their young.They were quickly back on duty, feeding their chicks.If you are keen to make a difference for the wildlife in our area, consider joining WIRES. For more information about how you can join and contribute call the WIRES rescue line 66 281 898.You can also call this number if you find an injured native animal.WIRES relies heavily on the generosity of caring people for support. All donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Now is also a great time to join WIRES and start learning to be a wildlife rescuer. The 24-hour hotline is for all rescue, advice or membership calls in the Northern Rivers - call 6628 1898 or go to http://wiresnr.org/Helping.html to find out how you can help.

Australia Post is warning the community of widespread scam text messages telling customers there are problems delivering a package, or that a parcel won’t be delivered “due to unverified shipping address.”Richmond District Police said the text messages use AusPost as the sender name (which means it appears in the same text thread as other legitimate AusPost communications) and asks you to click on a link.“The link leads to a fake website with the Australia Post logo, asking you to verify your address and provide a payment,” RD Police said. “By entering these details, the scammer can steal your personal and financial information.“You should delete the message.”

Alpacas do spit, but only if you hassle them.That’s what Judy Barlow, owner of Kallaroo Alpaca Stud said as she cuddled her soft-fleeced alpacas at the Lismore Show.Judy brought her cute alapacas to the Show to get them used to being given attention from admiring humans.Read more about the Lismore Show:Chicken judging is not for amateurs at the Lismore ShowPersonal best: Dock Dog JT jumps 19 feet at the Lismore ShowKyogle High students and cow buddies parade at Lismore Show“I want them to become accustomed to being touched so I can bring them to competitions for judging in future shows,” she said.Judy’s alpaca stud has 11 acres of land with good protective fencing to keep dogs out.Raising alpacas has become a lifestyle for her and her husband who “learn about them on the job”.“We had the land and wanted to do something on it, so we decided to try breeding alpacas,” she said. “We learned basic husbandry for them as we went along and we love them now.“They are friendly and easy to handle and we sell their fleece and breed them as pets for people.”Judy said alpacas are unique in that they don’t have a season where they come on heat.“They are instant ovulators and so we can plan their pregnancies.“They have a long gestation period of 11.5 months and when the babies are born, it’s a lucky dip as to what colour their fleece will be.”Judy and her alpacas will be at the Lismore Show today and tomorrow.For more Lismore Show information, visit: Lismore ShowThe Lismore Show runs until Saturday October 19.Events will be happening each day, including poultry, cattle and equestrian shows. There’s also a rodeo, comedy shows for children, Dock Dogs jumping into a large pool, a community stage with a big line up of performers each day, monster trucks, carnival rides and a Lego building competition. Entry is free for school children and adult tickets cost $12.50.The schedule is available online at http://www.northcoastnational.com.au/2019-schedule/

Poultry steward Jeff Thompson and judge Brian Weiss are looking for the best birds in the poultry competition at the Lismore Show.They’ve been working their way around the 287 entered chickens in the competition and are now judging the Rhode Island Red chickens.Jeff inspects each chicken one by one, looking at their feathers, eyes and combs for colour and presentation.“When I’m judging their combs, it’s standard for a chicken to have three to five points,” Luke said. “Three is ideal and the centre point should stand straight up.”Brian inspects the leg and wing colour and also checks to see that the colour around the eyes is red.Read more about the Lismore Show:Kyogle High students and their buddy cows parade at the Lismore ShowPersonal best: Dock Dog JT jumps 19 feet at the Lismore ShowDo alpacas spit at the Lismore Show?Luke said entry numbers in the poultry competition are down on last year because of the drought.“All birds are judges on how standard they are to their breed,” Luke said.“And the white chickens are judges on how clean they are too.”Prizes will be awarded to the best chickens and roosters in show for each breed, and there are also major prizes for winners across all the entrant categories.The winners are on show now in the poultry shed at at the North Coast National.For more Lismore Show information, visit: Lismore ShowThe Lismore Show runs until Saturday October 19.Events will be happening each day, including poultry, cattle and equestrian shows. There’s also comedy shows for children, the community stage with a big line up of performers each day, monster trucks, carnival rides and a Lego building competition. Entry is free for school children and adult tickets cost $12.50.The schedule is available online at http://www.northcoastnational.com.au/2019-schedule/

JT the German Shepherd dog won second prize in this morning’s ‘wave’ (heat) of the Dock Dogs competition at the Lismore Show.Read more about the Lismore Show:Kyogle High students and their buddy cows parade at the Lismore ShowDo alpacas spit at the Lismore Show?Chicken judging is not for amateurs at the Lismore ShowAs the cheering crowd of school students watched on, JT’s companion, Mandy Arndell, threw a toy into the water of a large pool - and JT had no hesitation about jumping in after it to retrieve it.Some dogs in the competition jumped further than others, and some wanted to get back into the water immediately.Mandy, from Morayfield in Brisbane, said JT loves the water.“Today, he jumped 19 feet, which is a personal best for him,” Mandy said. Mandy and JT at the Dock Dogs pool at the Lismore Show.“This is only his second competition - his previous best was 14 feet – and that’s pretty good considering his large size.”Mandy said JT is tracker dog in the wintertime, and she was looking for something fun for JT to do this summer.“So I went online and found Dock Dogs on the internet and signed him up for the competition,” she said. “We practice in the lakes and dams at home.“I wouldn’t do it if he didn’t love doing it.“When he’s up on the side of the pool and he hears the crowd cheering, he dances around and gets into it.For more Lismore Show information, visit: Lismore ShowDock Dogs organiser Farmer said there are 22,000 dogs participating in Dock Dog events around the world.“We have 320 participants in Australia,” he said. “It’s been around for 20 years.“It started when two duck hunters got sick of shooting ducks and had an epiphany – and they got their Labradors jumping off the jetty.“The sport grew from there. “Nest year, the World Dog Games is coming to Australia and the Dock Dogs competition is a part of it.”Farmer Dave said any dog six months or older can take part in Dock Dogs and if anyone has a dog they think would like it, they can contact Dock Dogs via their website https://dockdogs.com“It’s good for the dogs because there’s no impact on them and they can do it until they are quite old,” he said.“Vets even encourage it because it keeps dogs active and moving.”Farmer Dave said he because interested in Dock Dogs when the Station he was working on was hit by drought and he wanted to do something else.“Now I work with young people on the Rough Track program,” he said. “It’s for young blokes who get in trouble with the criminal justice system and we give them dogs to train and work with.“It keeps them engaged in education and not in lock-ups.“The boys I have with me here today are on the tenth week of the program. They travel with me to events as part of the program.“We found that crime rates dropped 80% in areas where the program was running.”“When they’ve trained their dogs, we give the dogs to working farmers to work on the farms.”Farmer Dave said there would also be a high jump competition for dogs in the main arena at the Lismore Show, and spectators could also watch the trained dogs scale a climbing wall. The Lismore Show runs for three days from Thursday October 17 until Saturday October 19.Events will be happening each day, including poultry, cattle and equestrian events. There’s also comedy shows for children, the community stage with a big line up of performers each day, monster trucks, carnival rides and a Lego building competition. Entry is free for school children and adult tickets cost $12.50.The schedule is available online at http://www.northcoastnational.com.au/2019-schedule/

At the Lismore Show, Kyogle High School student Emily Newton, 14, said she has always wanted to work on a stud farm. She loves cows and loves being around them.“I can talk to them,” she said. “They are like your buddies -when I do a show, I have a buddy with me. “I won second prize for Show Cow at Kyogle Show with my cow Pickles.“I was nervous before I had to go into competition and she took my mind off being nervous. “She makes me happy.“I like to treat them well and want to give them a good life before they go to the meatworks.”Emily is one of the students participating in the cattle show at the North Coast National Lismore Show this year. Read more about the Lismore Show:Chicken judging is not for amateurs at the Lismore ShowPersonal best: Dock Dog JT jumps 19 feet at the Lismore ShowDo alpacas spit at the Lismore Show?Emily Newton and Kathy Doman with the school cows getting ready for the competition judging at the North Coast National.Along with Kyogle High School Agriculture teacher Kathy Doman and other students from Years 8 and 9, they are grooming their Angus Cross Stud cows getting ready to participate in the competition judging on the first day of the Show.For more Lismore Show information, visit: Lismore ShowKathy said the students were about to be judged on their skills parading the cows in the paraders competition.“They also participate in the Hook and Hoof competition where the cows are judged as they stand, and also once the carcass is taken to the abattoir – it’s judged again,” Kathy said.“The cows are judges on an even coverage of fat and muscle, their coat softness, and the amount of fat near the tail. “Angus Cross Studs are known for their meat marbling content – they have more fat than Brahman cows, which have a leaner meat.”Kathy said three years ago, Kyogle High won champion cow in the schools cow competition and the carcass competition at Beef Week. Kyogle High student Charlotte Schneider said she comes from a beef farming family and it’s her passion to work with cattle.“I want to make a career out of mustering cattle out west and I’ve already had experience on a station,” Charlotte said.Kathy said learning about agriculture was important for the students interested in working in agriculture so they can get an understanding of the industry.“They learn about animal welfare, as well as marketing and business management,” she said.“Careers in agriculture can be so broad and cater for lots of people. “They can into the sciences, or pasture management, technology and animal nutrition.”The Lismore Show runs for three days from Thursday October 17 until Saturday October 19.Events will be happening each day, including poultry, cattle and equestrian events.There’s also a comedy show for children, the community stage with a big line up of performers each day, the Dock Dogs splashing into a pool, as well as carnival rides, monster trucks and a Lego building competition. Entry is free for school children and adult tickets cost $12.50.The schedule is available online at http://www.northcoastnational.com.au/2019-schedule/

The climate crisis is on the agenda at tomorrow’s Rural Health and Research Congress in Lismore. Lismore City Councillor Elly Bird will be one of the speakers on a panel discussing the climate crisis, along with health professionals from a wide variety of disciplines. The free event, hosted by the University Centre for Rural Health (UCRH), will be held at Lismore Workers Club, and the whole community is invited to attend.UCRH director of research Associate Professor Megan Passey, said the UCRH were invited to convene a session on the health impacts of a changing climate, as a result of the Community Recovery After Flood project. Speakers will share their knowledge and experience on the topic ‘Future proofing rural health in the climate crisis: what are we learning about inequity?’ “Rural communities across New South Wales are already facing many health challenges and exposure to vulnerability,” Ass Prof Passey said.“We want to use this opportunity to have important conversations about how the climate crisis is adding to these challenges and how communities are responding.” Other speakers include Professor Melissa Haswell from Queensland University of Technology, Dr Jo Longman from the University Centre for Rural Health and Jen Haberecht from the Department of Primary Industries. “We hope this session will motivate attendees to start thinking about the communities they work and live in, and how they can adapt and build resilience to the impacts of a changing climate,” Ass Prof Passey said.“Given that many communities are experiencing more frequent and severe weather events such as drought, floods and bushfires, we believe this is a critical conversation to have right now.”professionals, researchers and service providers from across New South Wales. “The congress will be an opportunity to share their knowledge and experience, and build networks across the state. Community members are welcome to attend this session, held from 10.45am – 12.15pm free of charge. Limited places available, so contact Isabella Mee on 0420636 757 to register your interest. 

Pregnant women are being encouraged to sleep on their side to avoid stillbirth in a new Australia-wide education campaign, following evidence showing sleep position can halve the risk of a late-pregnancy stillbirth. The NSW Government provided $100,000 in funding to the Stillbirth Foundation Australia to develop materials on side sleeping, as part of the new Safer Baby program being launched by the federal government today. Senior Clinical Advisor in Obstetrics, Professor Michael Nicholl, said NSW Health is committed to reducing preventable stillbirth rates and supporting clinicians to raise awareness among pregnant women."It is important to acknowledge the loss and suffering of families who have experienced a stillbirth, and to continue our efforts to prevent future stillbirths through improved education and care,” Prof Nicholl said. “Stillbirth after 28 weeks of pregnancy affects about one in every 500 babies. "The evidence shows that women who go to sleep on their side from 28 weeks of pregnancy can halve the risk of stillbirth, compared to going to sleep on their back.” Senior Staff Specialist Neonatologist, Professor Adrienne Gordon said that from 28 weeks of pregnancy, women should go to sleep on their side at night, after waking up throughout the night and when having daytime naps. “The going-to-sleep position is the one held longest during the night so women should not be concerned if they wake up on their back, but should simply roll back onto their side. “Either the left or right side is fine,” Professor Gordon said. “After 28 weeks of pregnancy, lying on your back presses on major blood vessels which can reduce both the blood flow to the woman’s womb and oxygen supply to the baby.” NSW is a key partner with other states and territories and the Stillbirth Centre for Research Excellence in the Safer Baby program. The NSW Government is investing $170 million in additional health services for families as part of the 2019-20 NSW Budget. The new Side Sleep resources, including Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal versions of posters and flyers for clinicians and pregnant women are available to download here.

The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has declared a total fire ban has been declared for the Far North Coast tomorrow.Fire crews are still fighting to contain fires in the Richmond Valley area and NSW RFS said elevated temperatures and lower humidity will likely cause fire to challenge containment lines in some areas of the Busbys Flat Road."The fire which has a perimeter of 261 km (that's the distance by road from Casino to the Sunshine Coast QLD)," a NSW RFS statement said,"Add this perimeter to the Long Gully Rd. Fire in Drake, which has joined with the western end of Busby's Rd - and it's a greater perimeter still."With such a broad area of landscape to contain and patrol, the risk of fire escape is still high. "As we move through the next few days of elevated fire danger, we need you, the community to be our eyes and ears."If you spot a new fire (or re-ignition that poses a risk) without a fire ruck in attendance please call triple zero '000' immediately."

A green 1940 Ford Pickup was one of the many vintage and classic cars at the Show and Shine fundraiser for Lismore Men and Community Shed last weekend.The Show and Shine brought car and rockabilly music lovers to Tullera Hall to see some rare vehicles and dance to music from rockabilly band the Linelockers.Men’s Shed treasurer Glen Lees said the event raised $750 for Rappville bushfire relief as well as over $1000 to help improve the new men’s shed in Norco Lane.“We made money from car show entry fees, donations and our BBQ,” Glen said. “It’s our first Show and Shine and we hope it will grow even bigger next year.Show and Shine organiser Dave Manby said 80 vehicles entered into the show.“We had a wide range of cars – from 1950s and 60s street machines to classic motorbikes, vintage caravans, minnies, Cadillacs, Chevrolets and Buicks,” Dave said.“I’ve owned classic cars for 30 years and loved seeing the interesting vehicles that came to the show. We even had modern sports cars, Mustangs and hot rods.”Dave said there were six trophies handed out on the day, with some of the winners being a green 1940 Ford Pickup and a Holden one tonne ute.“It was a public vote and three of the trophies were won by women,” he said “There was a rare 1926 Harley Davidson racer at the show. It was so rare that even the Harley Davidson museum doesn’t even have one.“Next year, we hope to have more cars.”Dave said the “best rockabilly band on the east coast of Australia” – the Linelockers played at the Show and Shine.“The Hooked on Swing dancers loved it,” he said.“We had coffee being served from a 1968 vintage caravan that was pulled there by an old Ford ambulance and we had the Bathhurst car racing showing on a TV screen.”“As a car collector, I enjoy the camaraderie of sharing the cars with people with the same passion.“These collectors often drive to different events to show off their vehicles.“Once you’ve driven one of these car, you tend to get bitten by it.”Glen said the Men’s Shed is always looking for new members and anyone can feel welcome come along and help out at the new shed. Men’s Shed volunteers offer services of building kitchens, to putting together flat pack furniture for a small fee.To contact the Men’s Shed, or to get involved, visit the Facebook page Lismore Men & Community Shed, or phone president Bob Grieg on 0404 860 504.

Lucy Kingsley and her husband Scott McKinnon bought a farm at Wyrallah 15 years ago and started planting trees for koalas. “This morning at my dairy, I saw a koala mum and bub in a tree,” Lucy said. “I know there’s at least two mums and two babies around the dairy area now. But the koala numbers are down on what we saw 10 years ago.”“We thought numbers would increase, but we realised we need more people to rehabilitate land and plant koala food trees so we can keep koalas off the road and in the safety of trees.Lucy wants to encourage more land owners to plant koala trees and help create koala corridors in our region to help our slowly disappearing koala populations.This Friday October 18, landowners, farmers and graziers on the Wilsons and Richmond floodplains are invited to attend Lismore Council’s free field day about living with koalas on rural lands.Lucy Kingsley at her property looking at a koala.Lucy said she hopes people will come to the field day at South Gundurimba to learn about different koala habitat sites and discuss the practical and science-based approaches to looking out for koalas, monitoring koala health and reconnecting broken habitat.“With our diminishing forests, landowners need to help create tree corridors for koalas to move in, rather than across open land.“Then the koalas are safe from cars, predation by eagles, dog attacks and being rumbled by cows who think the koalas are dangerous dogs.“It’s also important that farmers understand the importance of keeping big old farm trees for koalas rather than knock them down for cultivation.“When we bought our farm, we knew we had a small koala community on it because the previous owner has planted koala trees many years ago.“Friends of the Koala (FoK) were harvesting leaves for their care centre and we could see that if we didn’t do something about the number of trees available, we’d be in trouble. Read more about FoK: SUNDAY PROFILE: Ros Irwin: Koala conservationist and ex-councillor“So, we started planting more trees.“We gave FoK a paddock and we all helped plant more trees for harvesting there. “We own a long stretch of riverbank that we fenced off through grant funding and we planted 100 trees there. “Now the trees are big - and we have koalas there and we’re putting in more tree rows so the koalas can safely run between trees.”Lucy said there are different challenges for landowners to create a koala tree forest – like fencing off areas of newly planted trees to stop cows getting in and eating them.“We put our wieners in the fenced areas for a day or so to chew the grass down and give the trees a chance to stabilise and grow,” she said.Lucy said koalas are as inquisitive as the busload of tourists who drive down her road every Saturday are looking for koalas. “A lot of the tourists are visitors not from our area,” she said. “We keep metal containers near the road so the koalas can stay hydrated in the heat.“One of the koalas here has a tracing device on it so researchers can work out how far koalas actually travel. After about four months, the device will fall off.“We know we are doing the best we can to save them from extinction.“It would be a pity if our children don’t get to see a koala in the wild.”About the field dayThe field day – Living with Koalas: Enhancing the habitat and health of koalas on the Richmond floodplains – will be held on Friday, 18 October from 9.30am to 2pm – and includes a free lunch. It will be held at a farm in South Gundurimba and Council will provide address details on registration.To attend, RSVP to Lismore Council on 1300 87 83 87. Lunch is provided and please wear sturdy shoes and a hat for walking.The day will focus on seeing koalas in the field and discussing ways that farmers and graziers can undertake habitat re-establishment within productive environments. Participants will travel to a number of different habitat sites and discuss the practical and science-based approaches to looking out for koalas, monitoring koala health and reconnecting broken habitat.Hosts for the day are a local cane-growing family whose Richmond River property is also home to many resident and travelling koalas.Presentations on the day will include:The impacts of wild dogs on livestock and wildlife (Local Land Services).Isolated paddock trees and windbreaks on the floodplain.Koala hotspots on the floodplains – where they are and why.A vet nurse will explain the differences between a healthy, sick and an older koala, and what to do when you see a sick koala.Koala food tree identification and what to plant if you are planning a revegetation program.This free event is delivered in association with Monaltrie Landcare, Friends of the Koala and Local Land Services.The event is part of Lismore City Council’s Rural Landholder Initiative field days to help local landholders and farmers connect, learn and discuss protecting biodiversity.