The Northern Star Lismore Business Awards on Saturday night were a “roaring success”.Lismore Chamber of Commerce and Industry co-president Sarah Smith said about 250 people attended the event at the Trinity Sports Hall.“It was awesome - a really, really good night,” said Ms Smith.“The music was great. The food was great. The girls did a great job on the venue“I think we can safely say it was a roaring success.” Ms Smith said a big highlight was the number of new faces and new businesses entering the awards.It was also great to see Wrightway Products recognised with a “Lismore’s Finest” award having previously won awards three years in a row, she said.Connect Accountants & Advisors took out the Excellence in Business and Business of the Year Awards.Co-owner Andrew Stevens said he and partner Melanie Serone were humbled to win the award and be recognised by their peers."It's a fantastic result for our team and our business," Mr Stevens said."When we started our business about three years ago we made a conscious decision that we would do a good job at a fair price."The growth and benefit we've got out of that has been fantastic."Mr Stevens said the awards were well run and it was a "great night"."The place looked fantastic," he said."We've got to give a big thankyou to the chamber and all the sponsors, because without them these sort of events don't happen."Award Winners and Highly CommendedConnect Accountants & Advisors were the Business of the Year. PHOTO: Supplied/Black Tie Photo Booths.Excellence in BusinessConnect Accountants & AdvisorsExcellence in InnovationTAFE NSWRoxy Rose Burlesque won the Excellence in Micro Business award. PHOTO: Supplied/Black Tie Photo Booths.Excellence in Micro BusinessRoxie Rose BurlesqueSportspower Super Warehouse won the Excellent in Small Business Award. PHOTO: Supplied/Black Tie Photo Booths.Excellence in Small BusinessSportspower Super WarehouseHealth, Care & Wellness IndustriesLismore Karate Pty Ltd trading as Success Martial ArtsNaarah Rodwell chief executive of CASPA won the Outstanding Business Leader award. PHOTO: Supplied/Black Tie Photo Booths.Outstanding Business LeaderNaarah RodwellCASPA Services LtdNgunya Jarjum Child & Family Network won the Outstanding Employer of Choice award. PHOTO: Supplied/Black Tie Photo Booths. Outstanding Employer of ChoiceNgunya Jarjum Child & Family NetworkOutstanding Young EmployeeSkyhe HoytLismore City CouncilOutstanding Young EmployeeJayde McMurrayCASPA Services LtdJoel Jensen Constructions took out the Oustanding Young Entrepreneur award. PHOTO: Supplied/Black Tie Photo BoothsOutstanding Young EntrepreneurJoel JensenJoel Jensen ConstructionsProfessional ServicesEveryday-LegalRetail & Personal ServicesLazuli Sisters Hair and Makeup StudioStart Up SuperstarNorthern Rivers PodiatryTourism & Visitor ExperienceLismore Symphony OrchestraTrade, Construction & ManufacturingArmsign Pty LtdBUSINESS OF THE YEARConnect Accountants & AdvisorsHIGHLY COMMENDEDHealth, Care & Wellness IndustriesCancer Compassionate Fund Inc.Outstanding Employer of ChoiceConnect Accountants & AdvisorsRetail & Personal ServicesSportspower Super WarehouseTrade, Construction & ManufacturingMaccas All Mechanical Excellence in Workplace Health & SafetyHighly CommendedMaccas All MechanicalSucess Martial ArtsJoel Jensen ConstructionsMortgage Choice Northern RiversLismore Symphony OrchestraWinnerMortgage Choice Northern RiversLismore Business awards sponsorsMajor sponsor Northern starGold Sponsors OptusService NSWNorcoTursaAONWin TelevisionBlack tie Photo BoothLion and LambSouthern Cross UniversityLismore City CouncilSafe Work NSWSilver Sponsors Thomas Noble and RussellJTSNorthern rivers Ford and Isuzu utesTAFE NSWBronze Sponsors The Enchanted FloristThe Aussie House sittersJobsHernes Freight Service:Local HC/MC DriverHernes has been a recognised & respected name in the refrigerated road transport industry for two generations.The origins of what is now Hernes Freight Service can be traced back to Harvey Herne’s humble beginnings in 1974 when he started off carrying frozen groceries down the east coast of Australia & frozen chickens back up with just one Mercedes Benz prime mover. Today Stuart, Harvey’s son, owns & operates a modern fleet of over seventy vehicles comprising of mostly Western Stars, Kenworths and Volvo’s; being one of the most versatile privately owned fleets on the eastern seaboard.We have a position available for a LOCAL HC/MC Driver based in our Lismore depot. This is position is Casual or Full-Time.

Emergency services are attending a traffic incident on Bangalow Rd just outside of Lismore involving two trucks and a car.An Ambulance NSW spokesman said that one ambulance crew attended in response to a call at 11:40am about the accident at Lagoon Grass, north-east of Lismore.He said a man aged in his 60s who was in one of the trucks had sustained leg injuries and was on his way to Lismore Base Hospital in a stable condition.He said there were no other injuries recorded.According to the Live Traffic NSW website, south bound traffic is being affected and motorists are advised to reduce speed and exercise caution.UPDATE AT 1:52PMAccording to the Live Traffic NSW website, the incident was cleared by 1.30pm.

Work is underway to fix a road in Georgica that has been closed since the 2017 flood.Lismore City Council says the landslip at Oakey Creek Rd is the most complex of those caused by the flood.“This was a major landslip that has required some very complex engineering solutions, which has been a long and exhaustive process to complete,” the council says.“Works have now commenced to repair the landslip.“This includes the installation of 52 columns drilled into the ground to reinforce and stabalise the hill.“Work on this is expected to be complete by the end of November.”JobsHernes Freight Service:Local HC/MC DriverHernes has been a recognised & respected name in the refrigerated road transport industry for two generations.The origins of what is now Hernes Freight Service can be traced back to Harvey Herne’s humble beginnings in 1974 when he started off carrying frozen groceries down the east coast of Australia & frozen chickens back up with just one Mercedes Benz prime mover. Today Stuart, Harvey’s son, owns & operates a modern fleet of over seventy vehicles comprising of mostly Western Stars, Kenworths and Volvo’s; being one of the most versatile privately owned fleets on the eastern seaboard.We have a position available for a LOCAL HC/MC Driver based in our Lismore depot. This is position is Casual or Full-Time.

Australian band ICEHOUSE have paid tribute to founding bandmate Anthony Smith who died on Friday at his Lismore home aged 61."It is with heavy hearts that we let you all know of the passing of Anthony Smith yesterday," the band said in a Facebook post on Saturday."Anthony was one of the early members of Flowers which became ICEHOUSE."He played keyboards on the debut Flowers Icehouse album as well as touring extensively with the band between 1979 and 1981."He went on to play and perform with many other musicians in the subsequent years including Matt Moffitt of Matt Finish and Peter Koppes of The Church among others."In recent years Anthony had been living in Northern New South Wales."Our thoughts go out to his family, loved ones and friends at this time."JobsHernes Freight Service:Local HC/MC DriverHernes has been a recognised & respected name in the refrigerated road transport industry for two generations.The origins of what is now Hernes Freight Service can be traced back to Harvey Herne’s humble beginnings in 1974 when he started off carrying frozen groceries down the east coast of Australia & frozen chickens back up with just one Mercedes Benz prime mover. Today Stuart, Harvey’s son, owns & operates a modern fleet of over seventy vehicles comprising of mostly Western Stars, Kenworths and Volvo’s; being one of the most versatile privately owned fleets on the eastern seaboard.We have a position available for a LOCAL HC/MC Driver based in our Lismore depot. This is position is Casual or Full-Time.

A Dunoon family business has won an award for a puncture repair tool they designed.The MotoPressor 4in1 Puncture Repair Tool - designed by Greg and Janice Jansen of Rocky Creek Designs - received a prestigious Good Design Award Gold Accolade in the Product Design category in recognition for outstanding design and innovation.“We designed a four in one multi-tool that uses pre-vulcanized repair strings and the whole package stores in a sheath small enough to fit in your pocket,” Mr Jansen said. “The tool contains a pair of pliers, a rasp, an insertion tool and a knife, including five strings.”The “repair string” plugs the hole and leaves a “patch style” repair on the inside of the tire.The Good Design Awards Jury praised MotoPressor 4in1 Puncture Repair Tool commenting: “A compact and highly functional puncture repair tool with an industrial look that goes with the motorcycle aesthetic. The complete package and storage pouch is clever for the amount of tools making it small enough to fit in your pocket.”The Jansens moved to the Northern Rivers in 2004 where they started planting 18,000 coffee trees on their Dunoon property. During that time, their brand, Hills of Byron, won numerous awards for outstanding taste. Both are motorcycle riders and have a passion for seeking new and innovative ideas.  Janice’s background is sourcing promotional gifts for companies seeking gift with purchase items with their brand name and handling the public relations side of the business, so together, they formed Rocky Creek Designs, which has taken them on a totally different path.  “We have built the business from one product which we designed back in 2010, called HELMETLOK,” Mr Jansen said. “This product was so successful that Harley-Davidson asked us to manufacture it for them with their logo on it. We were also approached by Schuberth Helmets to do the same for them, so the HELMETLOK is a well known and used, brand name.“We then added line items to our portfolio and with the new MotoPressor Puncture Repair Tool, we have over 50 items in our range, 99 percent of which have been designed by us.”“This Gold Design Award is a real feather in our cap,” said Ms Jansen. “We are very proud to have the ‘tick’ which means a great deal about the design of our product.”

Two men accused of trying to obtain mobile phones from a Lismore retailer using false documents had a map of phone stores between here and Victoria. Crime prevention officer Senior Constable David Henderson said police would allege that at 3:30pm on Tuesday a 59-year-old Victorian man attended the store in Zadoc Street and purchased a new mobile phone on contract and offered the usual ID needed to establish his identity. Staff carried out some checks on their store database that raised concerns. Meanwhile, a 66-year-old Victorian man who was with the 59-year-old also tried to buy a phone plan. The police were called and spoke to the men, and found identification on them which appeared to be fraudulent. Police searched their car and found a large number of proof of age cards and medicare cards that appeared to have been created fraudulently. Police also found a large amount of cash, three new iphones in their original boxes and a map of phone stores between Victoria and Lismore. Both men were charged with Dishonestly Obtain Property By Deception, Possess Identity to Commit an Indictable Offence and Use False Documents to Obtain Property. Both were bail refused by police and the courts, and will appear at Lismore Local Court in August."Kudos to the retail staff who were quick and smart enough to call their local police," Senior Constable Henderson said in a post on the Richmond PD Facebook page. "If you are serving someone who you think has fraudulent ID please speak to your boss ASAP, and if they have concerns police should be called. "If you work in a store that sells mobile phones anywhere between Victoria and Lismore and think you may have served these two men recently, you may want to contact your local police."

A new "razztwizzling" adaption of Roald Dahl’s classic children's book The Twits is coming to Lismore.Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s director, Michael Barlow, said The Twits was a classic twisted Dahl comedy about a pair of horrible bullies getting their just desserts in the end.NORPA is presenting the show at the Lismore City Hall in partnership with the Macadamia Castle on August 20.The Macadamia Castle will have a special visitor for kids to meet prior to the performance at NORPA and a pop up diner will be serving delicious food from 5pm.“Mr and Mrs Twit are terrible people but very funny characters and it’s so satisfying seeing Muggle-Wump and the Roly-Poly Bird outwit them,” Barlow said.“Roald Dahl has a special gift for making fun of adults who treat children unfairly and our heroes can only win by breaking the rules and playing a few tricks of their own."As laugh-out-loud entertaining as The Twits is, it is a great show for encouraging us all to think about how we treat each other.”Spare Parts Puppet Theatre is one of the longest running theatre companies in Western Australia and is Australia’s flagship puppetry company. Its extensive annual program includes four metropolitan performance seasons, industry training and puppetry workshops, and an extensive touring program across regional WA and the nation.Spare Parts Puppet Theatre's production of The Twits is on at Lismore City Hall on August 20 from 6pm suitable for ages five and up. More info: www.norpa.org.au JobsHernes Freight Service:Local HC/MC Driver

Lismore City Council has identified those responsible for the illegal construction and demolition waste that was illegally dumped on the road reserve at the intersection of Wyrallah Road and Leslie Lane, Tucki Tucki, around April 9.Almost 10 tonnes of waste material consisting of concrete, soil, timber and plastic products were dumped resulting in clean-up costs in excess of $2,500.The council’s senior environmental investigator Stuart Thomson said he was happy with the outcome of the investigation.“The company responsible has been extremely cooperative in helping Council with its investigation," Mr Thomson said."It’s a good result for Council and for the ratepayers of Lismore to be able to identify those responsible for such an irresponsible act. "At the very least we will now be able to recover the clean-up costs associated with the offence. "Council has some very experienced and determined investigators on board and let it be a warning that Council will investigate all instances of illegal dumping thoroughly.”Mr Thomson said the illegal disposal of waste material was an issue that resulted in significant clean-up costs for the council year each. He warned consequences that people faced for illegal dumping far outweighed the cost of disposing of waste legally. Fines range from $2000 up to a maximum of $1 million dollars.

The Bruxner Highway northbound has been closed and a detour is in place at South Lismore.A truck is reported to have spilled the oil before 9.13am this morning.Traffic is being diverted via Three Chain Rd, East St, Wilson St and Elliott Rd before returning to the highway, the Live Traffic NSW website says.Emergency services and Lismore City Council are on the scene.Motorists are advised to allow extra time and exercise caution.UPDATE AT 2PM JULY 18, 2019The northbound lanes of the Bruxner Highway have been reopened however the left turn to Elliott Road remains closed.Motorists are still advised to exercise caution and allow extra travel time.JOBS: Hernes Freight Service:Local HC/MC Driver

The Lismore family of a 35-year-old woman with terminal cancer are crowdfunding to fulfill her dream of visiting Times Square in New York before she dies.Lauren Coyle was first diagnosed with advanced breast cancer when she was 25 and underwent a double mastectomy, her sister Justine said.“She endured six months of intense chemotherapy and courageously overcame multiple life threatening complications such as an emergency heart surgery to remove a faulty port-a-cath lodged in her pulmonary artery, folliculitis, septicaemia and gall bladder removal,” she said.Lauren thought she had beaten the disease when she went into remission in 2010.Lauren worked at the Lismore Workers Club. PHOTO: Supplied.However, in December last year she was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer which has metastasised in the liver, plural cavity, and abdominal and aortic lymph nodes.Justine said her sister had been dealt “an unfair hand” and had double BRCA genes like her mother Karen Coyle, a much-loved member of the community and key part of the Lismore Lantern Parade team who died of cancer in 2012.Lauren with her mother Karen Coyle. PHOTO: Supplied.“After multiple anaphylactic reactions to chemotherapy the cancer cells are now presenting resistant to chemotherapy treatment altogether, and spreading which is a devastating blow at 35,” Justine said.Lauren, who now spends most of her time Brisbane, lived in Lismore for eight years with her family here.She attended Southern Cross University studying music, worked at GSAC and the Lismore Workers Club and played for the Lismore Storm basketball team.Lauren played for the Lismore Storm basketball team. PHOTO: Supplied.Lauren is now not on chemotherapy treatment and has been told remission is not possible.However, her family are desperate to fulfil her life-long dream.“Inspired by childhood movies which sparked her imagination since she was seven years old, Lauren has always dreamt of standing in Times Square in New York City at Christmas,” Justine said.“It it has been her life-long dream to visit the magical places which have inspired her over the years. She's always been planning to go but her health always got in the way.“The aim was Christmas but she may have to go sooner.“The White Christmas was the dream but better to get there than not at all.”Justine set up a GoFundMe page last week which raised about $14,000 in just a few days.However, she said that more donations would be welcomed to cover the high cost of travel insurance for Lauren and her ongoing expenses.“Any little bit will help,” she said.Anyone who wishes to chip in can go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-lauren-to-new-york

Lismore City Council workers have finished removing contaminated material from the Beardow St landslip in Lismore Heights and remediation of the site has begun.Due to bad weather, the council was unable to remove all of the problem material from the site and take it to the disposal site in Queensland by end of June, the council said in a community update.The council was racing against time to get the job done before July 1 when new a waste disposal levy came into effect in Queensland.About “98 per cent” of the material was removed by the deadline, the council said.Since then, the weather has continued to cause delays however the workers are still making progress on the project.The following activities are now underway:Rock haulage into the land slip area, placement and compaction of rocks until approximately July 27,Installation of storm water pits and pipes, andHaulage of fill into the land slip area, placement and compaction.The project is expected to be completed in August.The Beardow St landslip is believed to have been caused by the 2017 flood.The remediation work was delayed when council workers discovered the contamination of “bonded asbestos fragments and higher than acceptable levels of various metals”.The work is being funded by the State and Federal Governments.

Lismore City Council is asking for public submissions on a proposal which would allow a “creative industries hub” to be developed at the old Hurfords site in South Lismore, even though it is flood prone.The site in Union St was previously used as Hurfords Building Supplies and sawmill and now contains numerous disused and dilapidated large industrial buildings.The landowner, James Hurford and Co Pty Ltd, is retrofitting the buildings with a view to leasing different buildings to individual tenancies.The entrance to the site in Union St, South Lismore. PHOTO: Supplied/Google.Some large warehouses located near the road entrance have already been renovated and are being used for a photographic gallery, gym and bulky goods storage and sales of household electrical/whitegoods.According to council staff, Hurfords is looking to use the land for a number of different uses including “business incubator” office space, workshops and gallery space for use by creative industries, “pop up” markets, movie and food events and a craft brewery, café and bar.However, the land is still zoned industrial and flood-prone and so the council has been asked to amend the Lismore Local Environmental Plan to allow the additional uses not allowed on industrial land, such as offices and cinemas.The council in November last year voted to support the proposal and it has received State Government approval so it is now going out for community consultation.“The subject land has been identified in Council’s Bridge to Bridge Masterplan (2017) as having potential for a creative industries hub and in the North Coast Regional Plan as employment land,” council staff say in the planning proposal.Council staff also say that flood risks involved in the new uses can be mitigated with a Flood Evacuation Management Plan to be submitted along with any development applications.“All buildings are non-habitable so the flood risk to humans is mitigated by an early evacuation policy,” a report commissioned by consultants says.The planning proposal is on public exhibition from tomorrow until August 16. To make a submission on the proposal, head to: https://yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au/

A new pet supplies store has opened in Lismore providing local pet owners with more choice of products to keep their animal companions healthy and happy.The PETstock store - which employs two managers and four casuals - launched on the weekend after opening at South Lismore’s Home Consortium bulky goods shopping centre on the Bruxner Highway on June 29.Assistant manager Jenny Holburn said the store stocked a full range of food and accessories for a wide variety of animals from fish to horses and of course cats and dogs.“The store is especially convenient if you’re on the way out of town as a last stop to get something to feed the pets,” Jenny said.The store offers 15 per cent cash back on premium foods and pharmaceuticals and a shelf to car service.Customers can use the DIY grooming bays for $10 and full-time groomer will be joining the team on July 30.“We’re also working closely with two pet adoption organisations - Northern Rivers Animal Shelter and Doggie Moggie Rescue,” Jenny said.PETstock is an Australian-owned company that started in Victoria in 2002 that has shops across the country and in New Zealand.“The reception from people in Lismore has been amazing,” said Jenny.“People are so excited that we’re here.“They have been saying there wasn’t a lot of choice in Lismore and variety.“We’ve exceeded all our expectations.”

A research team lead by Southern Cross University’s Dr Renaud Joannes-Boyau has revealed for the first time the parenting habits of one of our earliest extinct ancestors.A paper published in Nature today details analysis of more than two-million-year-old teeth from Australopithecus africanus fossils found in South Africa that show infants were breastfed continuously from birth to about one year of age. Nursing appears to have continued in a cyclical pattern in the early years for infants as seasonal changes and food shortages caused the mother to supplement gathered foods with breastmilk. “For the first time, we gained new insight into the way our ancestors raised their young, and how mothers had to supplement solid food intake with breastmilk when resources were scarce,” said geochemist Dr Joannes-Boyau from the Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group (GARG) at SCU’s Lismore campus.Team member Dr Luca Fiorenza from Monash University said it was the first direct proof of the maternal roles of one of our earliest ancestors and contributed to our understanding of the history of family dynamics and childhood.“These finds suggest for the first time the existence of a long-lasting mother-infant bond in Australopithecus,” said Dr Fiorenza, who is an expert in the evolution of human diet at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI).“This makes us to rethink on the social organisations among our earliest ancestors.”An Australopithecus africanus skull. PHOTO: Supplied.Australopithecus africanus lived from about two to three million years ago during a period of major climatic and ecological change in South Africa, and the species was characterised by a combination of human-like and retained ape-like traits. While the first fossils of Australopithecus were found almost a century ago, scientists have only now been able to unlock the secrets of how they raised their young, using specialised laser sampling techniques to vaporise microscopic portions on the surface of the tooth. The gas containing the sample is then analysed for chemical signatures with a mass spectrometer– enabling researchers to develop microscopic geochemical maps which can tell the story of the diet and health of an individual over time. Dr Joannes-Boyau conducted the analyses at the Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group at Southern Cross University in Lismore NSW and at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.The team will now work on species that have evolved since, to develop the first comprehensive record of how infants were raised throughout history.

New figures show the Lismore local government area’s population has declined for the 5th year in a row and been overtaken by Ballina’s.There are now fewer people living in Lismore than there were 10 years ago in 2009.The 2017-18 Regional Population Growth figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics Wednesday indicate that Lismore’s population fell by 87 people (-0.2 per cent) in the year to June 30, 2018, to 43,843.Only four other local government areas had a higher net decrease in population - Broken Hill, Walgett, Kyogle and Moree Plains.Meanwhile, Ballina’s population increased by 728 (1.7 per cent) to 44,208, Byron’s increased by 563 (1.7 per cent) to 34,574, Tweed’s by 1,199 (1.3 per cent) to 96,108 and Richmond Valley’s by 68 (0.3 per cent) to 23,399.Kyogle’s population fell by 112 (1.2 per cent) to 8,870.Lismore Mayor Isaac Smith said he believed the main contributing factor was a lack of new housing development.“Lismore is not growing as strongly as it should and one thing that council we've been trying to do is improve housing,” Cr Smith said. “We currently have more DAs [development applications] and land available than ever before and we're really hoping that developers can act on that.”Cr Smith said that as the amount of available land on the coast reduced, developers would increasingly look inland and he expected Lismore's population figures to begin to rise in coming years.He added that a stagnating population was not a problem if solutions were in place.“Unfortunately, with things like population, you're talking about pipelines that take four, six, eight years to put in place,” he said.“There's things that we did as a council last term that are only just starting to come into effect now.“The North Lismore Plateau housing development is a great example of that. There's going to be something like a 4,000 people living on the plateau hopefully in the next 10 to 15 years and that's coming online this year so that's a good thing.”There was nothing more that the local, state and federal governments could do to make Lismore more appealing to new residents, he said.“I think we're working well with all levels of government and I think our residents know that this is a great community to be in,” he said.“We don't have a beach, but I'll tell you what, we have everything else and that's going to hold us in good stead when the beaches start to look a bit wet and windy.”Lismore Chamber of Commerce and Industry co-president Sarah Smith said Lismore’s lack of population growth was a concern.“It's scary from a business point of view because at the end of the day, the population is basically what drives the economy,” Ms Smith said.“If we don't have growth, we're not having people come in to the area to take up jobs and to spend back into the area.”The chamber was focused on finding ways to make Lismore a more attractive place to live especially in terms of employment and recreational options and particularly for people in their 20s and 30s, she said.Ms Smith said she would like to see the Lismore Shopping Square expansion go ahead to provide more shopping options and the CBD “rebranded” into a “foodie” hub with more restaurants and a reinvigorated nightlife scene.An increase in the number of residential dwellings downtown would help, she said.“If we had people living in the CBD, there would be a lot more life, movement and vibrancy,” she said.Janelle Saffin, who is expected to be confirmed as Lismore’s new MP for Lismore next week, said she found the figures concerning.“A whole lot of government services are determined on population and not just population as it is but population growth in terms of planning,” Ms Saffin said.“So if they see a continuing trend going downwards then it does have a negative impact.”She said there should be a continuing conversation between local, state and federal governments.“What governments can do is provide infrastructure and I'm not surprised to see after the floods of 2017 in particular with Lismore to read these figures. A lot more could have been done then.”Regional Development Australia Northern Rivers director Tim Williamson said that a decreasing population wasn’t all bad.“The decrease in population can release pressure on housing and other services,” Mr Williamson said.“The growth of Ballina is symptomatic of the sea-change that is a common trend across Australia, plus it is one of the more affordable areas to purchase a house.“It would be interesting to gauge how many people have moved from Lismore to Ballina.”Mr Williamson said while infrastructure spending typically followed the growth of population, it was important to ensure that transport services could connect populations from across the region to the main centres.“With a 1 per cent annual decline in Lismore I certainly wouldn’t expect any loss of services or infrastructure in the short term,” he said.Page Federal MP Kevin Hogan did not respond to a request for comment.