The Richmond Police District's newly minted police recruits are set to start work next week.Richmond Police District Superintendent Toby Lindsay and Educational Development Officer Sergeant Craig Norton met the eight new Probationary Constables at the NSW Police Academy ahead of their attestation today.Crime prevention officer Senior Constable David Henderson said the new recruits included a mix of Northern Rivers locals and new people joining our community."One female and seven male attested today and will shortly commence their new careers," Senior Constable Henderson said in a post on the Richmond PD Facebook page."Their first day at work will be on Monday when they will start 12 months of field based training and serving their local community."

Lismore City Council is inviting farmers, graziers and other landholders on the Wilsons and Richmond floodplains to a free field day about living with koalas on rural lands.The field day Living with Koalas: Enhancing the habitat and health of koalas on the Richmond floodplains is on October 18 and part of the council’s free Rural Landholder Initiative field days to help local farmers connect, learn and discuss protecting biodiversity.It will be held at a farm in South Gundurimba and the Council will provide address details on registration."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," the council said in a media release."We 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."Our hosts 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.The free event is delivered in association with Monaltrie Landcare, Friends of the Koala and Local Land Services.RSVP by calling 1300 83 87 83. Lunch will be provided and participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes and a hat for walking.

Lismore’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry has become the first in Australia to endorse a campaign to raise the rate of Newstart and Youth Allowance and provide a big boost to the local economy.At Wednesday night’s board meeting, the chamber unanimously voted to endorse the Australian Council of Social Service’s (ACOSS) Raise the Rate campaign.Board member Ellen Kronen said a quarter of households in the Lismore LGA had a weekly income of under $650 per week however Newstart recipients were expected to survive on about half that.According to the Department of Social Services, there were 2,377 people on Newstart and 585 people on Youth Allowance in the Lismore area in December last year, she said.“[They] have to keep a roof over their heads, pay their bills, and put food on the table, with only $40 a day,” Ms Kronen said.“It also makes looking for paid work – which requires transport, internet and phone access, interview clothes/haircut, and the funds to be able to study/train – very difficult.“This causes a raft of issues not only for individuals, but it has a direct impact on the local business community who are also trying to survive, with many still recovering from the impacts of the 2017 flood.”Ms Kronen said Deloitte Access Economics had found raising the rate of Newstart and similar payments would inject a much-needed financial boost to the local economy.“Low-income earners are highly likely to spend any extra money they receive and this would offer an immediate benefit at the local level.“Raising the rate would inject $4b into the Australian economy, around $60m to the Northern Rivers region, and a massive $11m into the Lismore economy alone - a boost that would most surely make a huge difference to individuals, business owners, and the overall well-being of the local community.“We call on the Federal Government to listen to the community – to listen to those who are on Newstart or Youth Allowance, and the diverse range of charities, business groups, trade unions, health groups, and regional organisations that are calling for a raise – and immediately act to raise the rate of Newstart or Youth Allowance by at least $75 a week.”Other national business organisations to advocate for an increase in Newstart include the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group, and the Council for Small Business. Lismore City Council voted to endorse the campaign in July.

Lismore artist Emily Imeson has been awarded the 2019 Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize for her painting Alive in the dead of night.Emily, who studied arts at Southern Cross University, will receive $15,000 and her work will be acquired by the Macquarie Group Collection.The Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize, now in its eighth year, supports and recognises emerging Australian visual artists.Emily's practice explores the primordial connection that humans have with their natural environments and reflects on the natural phenomenon of life.Judge and artist Nike Savvas said: “The exceptional quality of the finalists’ works reflects the significant depth of talent to be found among Australia’s next generation of promising visual artists."From an outstanding field of nominees, Emily’s work was selected as the recipient of the Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize as it represents a distinct style and skilfully encapsulates the theme of the Macquarie Group Collection, The Land and its Psyche.”Emily, who is from Lismore and graduated from Southern Cross University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts, is currently travelling. Her work is being featured in the University's 25 Years 25 Artists exhibition which runs until September 1.The Macquarie Group Collection has been supporting emerging Australian artists for more than 30 years. Artists in the early stage of their careers were invited to enter an original work – or works – that reflect the theme The Land and its Psyche for the Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize.The prize was announced earlier this month in Sydney.Members of the public can see Emily Imeson's Alive in the dead of night, along with other works by the finalists for this year’s prize, at space at 1 Shelley Street, Sydney. The exhibition is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 3 pm until 5 September. All entries, other than the winning artwork and those purchased at the event in Sydney, are available for sale.

The police are seeking information about the assault of a 55-year-old man at the Station Hotel in South Lismore.Crime prevention officer Senior Constable David Henderson said the assault took place on the afternoon of Saturday, October 6, 2018.“The male sustained serious permanent facial injuries,” Senior Constable Henderson said in a post on the Richmond PD Facebook page. “Any person that has information about the assault or any person that was at the Station Hotel on that day is encouraged to call Lismore Detectives on 66 260 599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

Inspired by the great Lismore-born tight-wire acrobat Con Colleano, a local circus arts practitioner is planning an event during which Indigenous kids and their professional mentors will attempt a high-wire walk 85 metres across the Wilsons River.Simone O'Brien, who is the co-founder of community arts organisation SeedArts, hopes the daring stunt can be expanded upon and become an annual event for Lismore.“We want to make it an annual destination event, celebrating Con Colleano and mental health and wellbeing,” Simone told the Lismore App.“It’s going to cost about $100,000 just to do the pilot project and then we would increase the riverbank activity as it gets more and more successful and that would be driven by local Bundjalung artists.”Since 2015, Simone - who was previously the creative director of the Mullumbimby Spaghetti Circus - has been working on a “social circus” project with Coraki Public School, where about half the students are Indigenous kids, and two years ago held the “Cirque de Coraki” there.“We were looking for Indigenous circus heroes for the kids to identify with and then I remembered that Con Colleano, the world's greatest tight-wire walker ever, was born in Lismore,” she said.Colleano - who was born Cornelius Sullivan in Lismore in 1899 - was the first person to successfully complete a forward somersault on a tightrope and became one of the most celebrated and highly paid circus performers of his time.He was known as "The Wizard of the Wire" or "The Toreador of the Wire" and was inducted into the International Circus Hall of Fame in 1966. He died in Miami, Florida, in 1973.Footage of Con Colleano in the US in 1939. VIDEO: Supplied.“For the Cirque de Coraki we imagined ourselves as the kind of circus that would have Con come and do his famous front somersault on the wire,” Simone said.“So we reenacted that with one of the students dressed as Con in a toreador's outfit and had him do a forward roll on a skipping rope on the ground. It was pretty cute.”Simone was inspired by a tight-wire project in Galway, Ireland. PHOTO: Supplied.Simone came up with the idea of a tight-wire across the Wilson’s River after learning of a similar project underway in Galway, Ireland.“That was a mental health and wellbeing project called Wires Crossed that’s teaching people how to walk the tight wire in preparation for walking on a wire over a river in Galway that is a suicide spot,” she said.“They want to rewrite the narrative of the spot through funambulism [tightrope walking].“I thought: ‘That is a great idea. Why don't we put a wire over the river in Lismore to not only celebrate Con Colleano but as a mental health and wellbeing and suicide prevention project?’“Because as we know, suicide is a major health concern and a problem of national significance for young people generally, let alone Indigenous young people who are five times more likely to commit suicide than their non-Indigenous counterparts.“So let's look at positive risk-taking rather than negative and antisocial risk, educate people about Con and give them the opportunity to succeed and work from a strengths-based approach, focusing on resilience and positive mental health.”SeedArts has already begun tightwire workshops with local Indigenous kids. PHOTO: Supplied.Simone said SeedArts had partnered with Beyond Empathy and Ghurrumbil Dreaming for the project and was in the process of consulting local Elders to pay respects and ensure that it proceeded in accordance with cultural protocols.“We’ve already started running free tight-wire skills at the Goonellabah skatepark every fortnight as part of the Ghurrumbil Dreaming community barbecues,” she said.“In September we're going to do a three-week tight-wire playground artists residency in the Quad where we will put up a whole bunch of different funambulist activities - like balancing equipment - and create a tightware playground for younger people.“And then on Saturday, September 21st, there will be at a high-wire performance from a shipping container in the Quad as part of the Lismore Playground Festival.”A schematic outlining plans for a tight-wire event over the Wilson's River. PHOTO: Supplied.Simone envisions the big tightwire event taking place next year across the Wilson’s River below the Elliot St Bridge, near Heritage Park.“We want to have professional wire walkers - two men, two women - and then each one of those will mentor a young person to attempt to cross,” she said. “And that'll be the last weekend in August, 2020, if all goes right. But we need to get the money first.“Lismore City Council is on board and we’re getting great support from Beyond Empathy and Ghurrumbil Dreaming and we're developing a prospectus to get interest and sponsorship from local businesses and organizations who want to see it happen.”For more information or to support the Wilson’s River high-wire event head to the SeedArts Australia website or Facebook page or send Simone an email at seedartsaustralia@gmail.com.

A Junction Hill woman has been charged with an unusual drink-driving offence, say police."Lismore police will allege that in August 2018, a 28-year-old Junction Hill woman was convicted of a High Range PCA Offence," crime prevention officer Senior Constable David Henderson said in a post on the Richmond PD Facebook page."Part of her sentence was to only drive a car with an interlock device once her disqualification period ended."At 11:40pm on Tuesday police stopped a car on Hunter Street Lismore which the 28-year-old was driving."She provided a negative reading for alcohol, and police noted that the car did not have an interlock device fitted. The 28-year-old was also unable to produce her drivers licence."The 28-year-old was issued a Field Court Attendance Notice for 'Interlock holder - not have approved device installed' and issued an infringement notice for not carrying her licence."She will appear at Lismore Local Court in September."

Thirteen years after four Lismore teenagers were killed in a car accident, a driver training centre established in their memory - and intended to prevent more such tragedies - has been officially opened.Stage One of the $1 million Southern Cross Lads Driver Education Centre at Gundurimba, just south of Lismore, features a 500m track where drivers will be able to practise in a real-world environment.The facility is set to offer learner driving courses as well as advanced training and refresher courses with 5,000 people expected to make use of it each year.A ceremony on site this morning was attended by family members of the four teenagers - Corey New, Paul Morris, Bryce Wells and Mitchell Eveleigh - along with donor representatives and dignitaries including Lismore Mayor Isaac Smith and Page Federal MP Kevin Hogan. Paul's brother Tyler spoke a welcome to country to begin the proceedings.Bryce Wells’ father, Rob Wells, told those gathered that in the wake of the accident he took on two missions.One was to have laws introduced to restrict the number of passengers young people could have in their cars - which were enacted in 2007 and have since saved hundreds of lives.The other mission was to work with a new organisation Southern Cross LADS to establish the Driver Education Centre.“Finally we've got this facility on the ground,” Mr Wells said.“It's almost ready for people to use and what we've got to remember is that the community owns this facility.“Anything that goes into it stays here in this region and it's for the region of the Northern Rivers to use. It's been built by the community for the community.”The track features ‘wet’ conditions, roundabouts for vision and steering training, corners of various radii, a straight sufficient for vehicles to accelerate to 80km/h, sand traps and a spectator viewing area.Southern Cross LADS chairman Paul Rippon thanked the community and all those who had donated - including a generous benefactor who put in $400,000, Newcastle Permanent who put in $110,000 and the Federal Government who provided $250,000 - for their support.Mr Rippon said training courses would begin in a few weeks after Lismore City Council signs off on an occupation certificate.Stage two of the development will include construction of a training room and an amenities block, he said.Down the track, the organisation is keen to add facilities for 4WD and all-terrain driving on some of the remainder of the 50ha site.“Many people have worked hard for this occasion, and it is very exciting we are finally here,” he said.“The community has been incredibly supportive of Southern Cross LADS and has helped keep the dream alive. We are excited this very important day has arrived.”Mr Hogan said any life lost on our roads was “far too many”.“This facility will help reduce the tragic loss of life by fostering better hazard-perception skills and providing a safe environment for young drivers to learn the skills of low-risk driving,” he said.“The facility is good news for learner drivers and people who want to update their driving skills, as well as older drivers and people with disabilities.“Around 5,000 people will use the facility each year and take their skills home where they will contribute to safer roads in their communities.”For more information about the Driver Training Facility and driver training courses see the Southern Cross LADS website and Facebook page.

After smouldering for 10 days, the fire at the Lismore Recycling and Recovery Centre in Wyrallah Road has finally been extinguished.A Lismore City Council media release Fire and Rescue NSW and council workers put the last of the fire out today.The blaze - which started during unusually windy conditions caused the compost piles to spontaneously combust in the early hours of Sunday, 11 August - burnt part of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and caused extensive damage to both the composting and recycling facilities.“We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Fire and Rescue NSW for an exceptional effort to fight this fire,” the council’s executive director of infrastructure services Gary Murphy said in the release.“It was an unusual event and happened at a time when fire crews were already busy around the region dealing with bushfires. The fire could have continued to burn for much longer had it not been for Fire and Rescue’s speed in mobilising equipment and people power. We are very grateful for their expertise and thankful for their hard work and dedication over the last 10 days.”The council is now working to restore the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre site so that the front half of the facility – including the weighbridge, Revolve Shop, Resource Recovery Facility, Community Recycling Centre and Container Deposit Scheme bulk collection centre – can reopen as soon as possible.The council will also place extra skips in this area of the facility so residents can dispose of green waste.“Our immediate focus is to get the facility reopened as quickly as possible and return the majority of services to normal. We are aiming to achieve that next week,” Mr Murphy said.“We are currently undertaking an extensive clean-up of the site and putting in place safety measures so we can reopen to the public.“We would like to thank the community for being patient during this time, and urge residents to continue to put bins out as they normally would. We have had some delays to collections but are working to return services to normal as quickly as possible.”The council will continue to send recycling to Chinderah via Ballina and general waste to Ipswich via Richmond Valley while the MRF remains inoperable.Green waste will be transported to a local company for composting under approval guidelines from the Department of Primary Industries to contain the spread of yellow crazy ants.The damaged compost area and MRF are likely to stay closed for an extensive period that could be as long as 12 months while insurance assessments and repairs take place.Insurance investigators will be on-site tomorrow to complete a full damage assessment of the composting site and MRF.The council expects to receive a report in early September with estimates on the cost of damage and a timeline for repairs.The community will be advised when a date for the reopening of the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre has been scheduled.The Brewster Street Drop-off Centre and the Nimbin Transfer Station both remain open.

The State Government has announced that the Canine Court Companion program at Lismore Courthouse has been extended for another year.Six labrador therapy dogs were brought in to the court in January to reduce vulnerable people’s anxiety and stress.Attorney General Mark Speakman and Ben Franklin MLC yesterday announced that the NSW Government would continue funding Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to keep the service operating at 10 courthouses in suburban and regional NSW including Lismore.“The program has been a feel-good hit, with everyone from victims of crime to Sheriff’s Officers raving about the ‘pawsitive’ impact of four-legged friends at courthouses,” Mr Speakman said.The dogs attend Lismore Courthouse four days a week, “bringing their unique fur therapy to foyers, waiting rooms, safe rooms and witness rooms”.“The specially-trained Labradors have a knack for knowing how to cheer people up,” Mr Franklin said.“The simple act of patting a gentle and friendly dog can eliminate tension and take people’s minds off a stressful court situation.”Chief executive of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT Dale Cleaver said: “Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is excited the NSW Government has extended this important partnership, with our therapy dogs and volunteers looking forward to providing comfort and companionship to hundreds more courts users.”

The Lismore Quad is hosting a big festival for kids next month with a lineup including fun live band Poppy Galactic and the Beat, tight wire classes and high wire professionals, sign language workshops, the Roundabout Theatre and heaps of creative activities.The Playground Festival on September 21, run in conjunction with the Lismore Regional Gallery, is now in its second year and is intended for children 8-12, their families and carers."The main themes of the festival are based around nature play and encouraging risk-in-play," a spokesperson for the Quad said."Kids and families will be encouraged to get involved in everything from building giant bower bird nests to learning to walk a tight wire to creating their own playground."Local circus group SeedArts will be creating a custom designed Tight Wire playground in The Quad where children can balance on the ropes, wires, stepping stones and beams and watch professional performers show their skills on the tight wire.Landscape architects Earth Play, led by Tamsin Scott, will give children and their families the chance to create their very own bower bird nest while an experienced facilitator will help them create the playground of their dreams from recycled materials in the Lismore Regional Gallery event space. Under the Conservatorium of Music, The Clubhouse will host a series of making workshops throughout the day including badge making, make your own drawing robots, perler jewellery making and photoshop mashup poster design.Meanwhile, Poppy Galactic and The Beat, an electronic, dance music duo for kids, will provide some wicked beats to get down to.For more details check out the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/486697095445104/

With the high temperature in Lismore yesterday reaching 28.2 degrees, you could be forgiven for thinking that spring has already sprung and our feathered friends are feeling the same.Spring is particularly busy time for WIRES volunteers and they are already receiving numerous calls about newly hatched chicks.Plover chicks are hatching and parents are acting like all parents do, defending their young, swallow chicks are chirping their way through worms and grubs, noisy miner chicks are being rescued and reunited after falling from nests and ducklings are trotting after their mums and dads with some sadly becoming separated from parents."WIRES would like to remind the public that the best place for any chick is with its parents," a spokesperson said."If you do find a chick that has fallen from a nest, please contact WIRES on 66281898 for advice."Most chicks, if they are uninjured and are not cold or dehydrated, can be reunited with their parents."In some cases WIRES will take the chick/s into care for a short while until reuniting is possible."Anyone keen to make a difference for the wildlife in our area may consider joining WIRES.For more information about how you can join and contribute call 66281898.

A Richmond River High School student was the winner of the Susie Warrick Young Writers Award at the Byron Writers Festival.Entrants were set the task of writing a 1,000 word short story for a $500 prize and publishing opportunities with the festival.The competition attracted 61 entries across two youth categoriesRichmond River High student Niamh Montgomery won the award in the Years 7-9 category with her short story, Crayons.The judges said Niamh’s story was a “surprise both in terms of its subject matter and its ability to manipulate the reader”.“This complex and subtle story, written from the perspective of a child in a violent home, has a clever twist in the tail,” they said.The first runner up in the Years 7-9 category was Kadina student Ally Broome with her short story Shadows.You can read the winning short stories here: https://byronwritersfestival.com/blog/susie-warrick-young-writers-award-winners-read-the-winning-stories/

Lismore City Council is requesting that residents refrain from putting Resource Recovery Collection Satchels in their bins until the Lismore Recycling and Recovery Centre is reopened.The waste facility has been closed since a fire started in the compost piles and spread to the Materials Recovery Facility on August 11.The council and NSW Fire and Rescue are still working on extinguishing the smouldering green waste.However, even once the fire is completely out, the waste facility is expected to remain closed for several weeks.In the meantime, the council has made interim arrangements for the disposal of most of the waste. “We are asking all residents to please stop placing Resource Recovery Collection Satchels in yellow recycling bins for the time being,” the council said in a Facebook post today. “The facility in Chinderah where we are sending recycling while the Lismore Recycling and Recovery Centre is closed does not accept these satchels. “Please keep them in your cupboard until our recycling centre reopens.”The Resource Recovery Collection Satchels allow people you to recycle "problem waste" such as household batteries, reading glasses, corks, CDs and DVDs, X-rays, mobile phones and accessories, small electronics (such as cameras, iPods and calculators) and printer cartridges.Easy to spot by manual sorters, the satchels are normally removed from the recycling conveyor belt at the Materials Recovery Facility and the items inside separated for further recycling.

The owner of Totally Dogs pet grooming service has offered a somewhat surprising reason for relocating to North Lismore.Janet Goodwin re-opened the shop in its new location at 46 Terania St today.She told the Lismore App she made the decision to up sticks after the State Election in March "because of the protests".Nationals candidate Austin Curtin’s campaign office was two doors down from Totally Dogs in Conway St during State Election and the Nationals Kevin Hogan used the same shopfront during his campaign for reelection in Page at the Federal Election in May. During both election campaigns, Nationals opponents staged protests outside sometimes with placards urging people to toot their horns“I moved because because of all the protests,” Ms Goodwin said. “I just couldn't work there anymore. I couldn’t conduct my business with the dogs and everything. It was horrible.”Totally Dogs offers services including dog grooming, doggie daycare, dog training and emergency care.However, Ms Goodwin said the noise from the protests agitated the dogs.“Where I am now we have parking, we have a quiet street and we don't have any protestors,” she said.“I've got nothing against protestors. Everybody is free to do what they like - freedom of speech - but to conduct a little business over there with all the problems I was getting was just woeful.”Ms Goodwin said that even though the elections were over, she still decided it wasn’t worth staying.“It’s going to come back. For my business, it’s just not viable,” she said, adding that there were still weekly protests outside Mr Hogan's office in Molesworth St.She said the new space in Terania St - which she had purchased and renovated along with the residence next door - was “fantastic”“There’s more parking, it’s a quiet street, it’s very, very, safe,” she said. “It just wasn't safe for anybody to cross the road [in Conway St], nobody could get a park outside because there was cake shop across the road and trucks would park outside, the fire engines and ambulances would park there as well. “I've got everything I need here.”Totally Dogs was offering re-opening specials on a wide range of products including leads, collars and dog treats, she added.Totally Dogs is now at 46 Terania St, North Lismore. Phone: 6621 9998.

All fire permits have been suspended after the NSW RFS - Northern Rivers Zone assessed today’s fire danger to be “very high”.Rural Fire Service Superintendent Boyd Townsend told the Lismore App it wasn’t the first very high fire danger day this year but it was the first since the declaration of the Bushfire Danger Period and the fire danger rating index was the highest so far.“There were a couple of very high fire danger days in that period when the Clearfield Rd, Rappville, fire started the weekend before last,” Supt Townsend said.“But it is the first with the Bushfire Danger Period and fire permit requirements now in place.“During the Bushfire Danger Period everyone requires a fire permit and on days of Very High Fire Danger those permits are suspended and any fires lit under those permits have to be extinguished.”Supt Townsend said the warm, windy and dry conditions contributed to the high fire danger.“It's the warmest day of the year so far - with temperatures up in the high 20s - heading towards summer,” he said.“The winds are expected to be around about 50kh/h to 60km/h in some locations around lunchtime but hopefully abating later in the afternoon“Also the humidity is forecast to be around 10 per cent, which is very, very low.Very High Fire Danger days in August were “not unheard of”, he said.“We are coming into that windy time of year that we normally do expect and September is normally a windy time.“Really what we're seeing is not that unusual but if you combine that with the general lack of rainfall at the moment [it increases the fire danger]. “The drought indicators are rising quickly for the Far North Coast and we've actually had less rainfall from January to now than we had in the same period last year.“Conditions were drier last year, which sounds a little bit silly, but what rain we have had occurred a little bit later in winter, whereas during winter last year the rain was earlier in the year.“Overall, conditions are slightly better than last year but it's only marginal.“It's not taking much for a fire to ignite and escape very quickly.”Supt Townsend said it was hard to pin the blame for the current fire danger on climate change.“Climate is the ongoing debate for the bigger picture. It’s over a broader time type issue while we're really dealing with the weather week to week,” he said.“We're going through an extended drought at the moment but it's not the first drought that's ever been had, that's for sure“It's hard to say what those factors are.“Hopefully, we'll turn around in a few weeks time and it'll be raining and raining and we'll be out helping the SES.“It's one of those things.”Tomorrow’s Fire Danger Rating will be published on the NSW RFS website this afternoon at: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fdr-and-tobans

A blueberry farming company in Dunoon has paid a hefty price after challenging a fine issued by Lismore City Council in relation to the use of a bird scare gun.In June 2017, the council received complaints from the Dunoon community about noise generated from an LPG-powered bird scare gun deployed at a blueberry farm in Cowley Road, Dunoon, the council said in a media release.The gun was emitting a loud blast like a firework being launched every three to five minutes, which is classified as ‘intrusive noise’ under NSW laws.The council served a direction to the company to take preventative action in June 2017, which required limiting use of the scare gun to no more than six shots per hour.In June 2018, the council again started receiving complaints from the Dunoon community about the use of the bird scare gun in contravention of Council’s direction. Investigations resulted in an $8,000 fine being issued by the council under the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act.This was appealed and the matter went before Magistrate David Heilpern in Lismore Local Court this week.Magistrate Heilpern convicted the company for failing to comply with Council’s direction under NSW environmental laws, and reduced the fine to $2,000, however, the company was also ordered to pay $20,000 of the council’s legal costs incurred in defending the appeal.Magistrate Heilpern noted the particular circumstances and mitigating factors of the offence, whilst acknowledging the serious nature of environmental offences. Magistrate Heilpern noted that: “This is a matter that falls at the low end of the scale for offending conduct” before adding that it was “important to send a clear message to those who pollute in contravention of a direction.”The blueberries at the farm in Dunoon have since been covered with bird netting to replace the need for a bird scare gun.The council’s manager of development and compliance Peter Jeuken said the court outcome was a strong warning of the potential consequences for people who fail to comply with council compliance directions that are issued to protect community amenity.“Many residents of the Dunoon community were affected by the use of this device over an extended period of time, and the sentence reflects the lack of an appropriate response by this company to those genuine community concerns,” Mr Jeuken said.“Where noise adversely impacts a whole community, council will take firm action based on the evidence to ensure reasonable amenity is maintained, and people should be aware that Council has a 95 per cent success rate in defending its compliance and enforcement actions in court.”

Lismore has a new home for card, board and role-playing gamers.Unplugged Games was opened in Dawson St today by the same people who run Online Coins and Collectibles in the shop next door.Heidi Green, who is the general manager of both, said it was intended to be a comfortable, welcoming and friendly place to game with friends, or make new ones.“We stock a wide range of games and accessories including Magic: the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dungeons and Dragons, Keyforge, Star Wars X-Wing and Legion, Bolt Action and the widest range of board games in Northern NSW,” Heidi said.Importantly, she said it would also be open all day as a venue for people to come and play games on their own and in the evening there would be organised tournaments.On Tuesday evenings is miniatures and wargames, Wednesday is D&D Adventurers League and boardgames, Thursday is Keyforge, Friday is Magic and Saturday is Magic (free learn-to-play and Commander sessions) and Yu-Gi-Oh! (advanced).Heidi said the owner of the businesses, Andrew Mitchell, saw there was a need for a place for gamers following the closure of Overdrive Gaming, in Carrington St, about nine months ago.“The space next door in Dawson St recently became available and we’ve pulled it all together in about three weeks,” she said."Liam who used to run Overdrive Gaming has come on board with us and is going to manage Unplugged Games.”The grand opening is today with a Magic tournament tonight and then a Keyforge tournament on Saturday.“Then we’ll be open during the day Monday to Saturday for people who can just come and play,” Heidi said.Unplugged Games is located at Shop 3, 132 Dawson St, Lismore. Phone: 6621 3122. Check out the Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/unpluggedgameslismore/

The organisers of the 11th Lismore Workers Masters Games are urging people not to dilly dally as registrations for the 2019 event close in one week.This year the biennial Masters Games is celebrating its 20th year since inception.The Masters Games will be held from 27-29 September at Lismore’s many sporting venues with additional special events and celebrations to honour the Masters Games’ 20th year.“The Masters Games is three days of fantastic fun – we’ll have more than 1500 competitors from our local region, NSW, Australia and the world descending on Lismore to socialise, renew lifelong friendships and enjoy competitive sports,” the council's events officer Leanne Clark said.“It is hard to believe this event has been going for two decades. I remember when we held the first Games... it was popular right from the get-go. We knew we had an enduring event once we saw the enthusiasm that was out there in the community.“The fact it has grown to become such a major event on our sporting calendar is testament to the sporting spirit here in Lismore and the many hundreds of volunteers who work so hard to create an unforgettable event.”This year competitors will benefit from major upgrades to several sporting facilities over the last two years including Crozier Field, the Albert Park Baseball and Softball Complex and the regional hockey facility at Hepburn Park.“We are also celebrating two decades of sponsorship by the Lismore Workers Club. The club came on board as the naming rights sponsor for our very first Games and has been a faithful partner ever since,” Ms Clark said.“At this event we will pay tribute to the Lismore Workers Club and our hard-working volunteers, some of whom have been with us since the inaugural event. The 20th year is the perfect time to say a huge thank you to the integral people that have made the Masters Games what it is today.”There are 19 sports people can choose to register for:BaseballBasketballCricketEquestrianGolfHockeyLawn bowlsNetballOztagFitness challengeFootballFive-a-side footballRugby UnionSoftballSwimmingMasters Mini Games (euchre, darts, pool and indoor bowls)Registrations close on 23 August. To register for the Masters Games or find out more, visit www.lismoremastersgames.com.au.