The Greens launched their campaign from Spinks Park yesterday, with the number 1 candidate, Current Councillor (Cr) Adam Guise, introducing his team.“We've got some fine people that we're putting forward on our council ticket with me, Adam Guise as the lead candidate, and Vanessa Ekins, who's running as our mayoral candidate.”Cr Guise began with an acknowledgement of country that talked about the indigenous people and the difficulties we have experienced with built proximity to the river as “a chance to reset and learn from the knowledge of our First Nations people.”“I'm running again because I love and care about our community. Ever since the devastating floods and landslips of 2022, our community has been suffering.“I haven't felt that there's been real leadership from the current council majority in terms of leading a community. With so many people facing the impacts of floods and landslips and our housing prices, what we need is leadership that involves our community, and particularly the conversation about how and where we live on the flood plain.”Cr Guise explained his vision of “medium-density housing for an ageing population that is predominantly single and double person households.” He talked about moving from high-risk areas to low-risk.(Cr Adam Guise)“I'm proud to stand beside these wonderful people who are putting up their hands to stand for local government.”Speaking with Cr Guise, he said, “I have a keen analytical mind. I'm dedicated to standing up for our community, reading the business papers and actually making decisions based on evidence.“In terms of my dedication to the community, it's about listening to the community and putting them first. It's not about vested interests or private interests. So, in terms of acting in the public interest, that's something I've always brought to the chamber.”Virginia WatersVirginia Waters, number two on The Greens ticket, was described by Cr Guise as “a stalwart member of the Nimbin and Tuntable community, leading through fire and flood and landslip recovery.”Ms Waters involvement in the community includes the Lismore Lantern Parade and her work at Lismore City Council.Ms Waters said, “I would like to talk about prioritising safe and sustainable planning in terms of us going forward as a community and our landscape. We have evidence based scientific planning to go forward with, but also local knowledge. “We want to support regeneration of our landslip and flood areas ensuring we're using nature-based solutions going forward to help our beautiful landscape.”(Virginia Waters)A Nimbin resident since 1996, Ms Waters has been involved as a Greens member for almost ten years. Nimbin is feeling the vacuum of not being represented at Council for some time.Ms Waters says, “The last representative was Diana Roberts, around 12 to 14 years ago. We just saw this as a very good opportunity, me being a greens member but also a Nimbin community member.“Going through what we have with landslips, and feeling like Nimbin just didn't have the representation on council that it needed to forward some of the really important issues that we have out there around water security, things like the rainbow walking track and services with Council. “I've been embedded in community for a very long time. I've worked in the community as well on community groups like the Nimbin Disaster Resilience group since the 2019 fires. It gives me a very good overview of the things that we need for our community.Nimbin is seen as the Jewel in Lismore's crown, and Ms Waters spent seven years in Tourism and events at Lismore Council. “I've got a really good background and understanding of the inner workings of Council, but also what things like events and tourism can bring to our area.“I just really want to see us getting that back and stronger again, especially post-disaster. It's one of the things that we can actually work towards, bringing people back to Lismore and having a thriving community. “It's just like the most magnificent area, in my opinion, in Australia. I love it.” Dr Luke RobinsonDr Luke Robinson is introduced as “an emergency physician at the Lismore Base Hospital. He knows full well the impacts floods and disasters have on our community.“As a resident of the Whian Whian community, he is deeply embedded in his landscape and restoring his property so that we can have less of an environmental impact and mitigate against worse floods in the future.”Dr Robinson spoke of his experience as a senior emergency physician, and likened the role to working at council, “Emergency departments are pretty challenging environments, but the way we manage to do our job is through Teamwork. “I work with some wonderful people, other fellow doctors, nurses, the clerical staff, the cleaners, the security people, all the other assistants there. We work as a team, and it's because of our teamwork that we're able to do the job. “We have to listen to our patients, advocate for them, whatever background they come from, whatever culture, gender, economic situation, housing situation, whatever social situation. And we need to look after them all."(Dr Luke Robinson)When asked about his views on politics, Dr Robinson said, “Politics is a very challenging occupation, so we need very emotionally intelligent people in this job.“I've been inspired by the roles of Vanessa and Adam in what they've done on council. Unfortunately, our council is often descended into a winner takes all mentality, often quite childish.“I believe we have good representatives here that work together for the good of this community and for our beautiful natural home, we have here in the Northern Rivers. “We're going to bring a more transparent Council, more accountable Council, one that listens to its community and it looks after all the members of its community, not just narrow interests.”Dr Robinson describes his strengths, “I think I'm pretty calm by nature, and I genuinely like listening to other people and problem solving.“I like getting myself across complex information, using my expertise. Then combining that with the art of communicating with people to get good outcomes for people.“I've got to bring a lot of complexity in a patient situation and condense it into a form that they can understand and can help them make the right decision for themselves.Talking about the cohesion of councillors, Dr Robinson said, “I think everyone needs to be more respectful and listening, both in the council chamber and out of the council chamber.“The community deserves to hear why a vote's been cast in a particular way, and unfortunately, a lot of decisions have either not had any explanations given for them in the current independent majority block, or they've done it in secret. “And I think you've got to have a really good reason to do political consultations and decision-making in secret. And I don't think some of those reasons have stacked up recently, especially like, say, around the management of waste late last year. “I'd like to see much more openness. I'd like to see Council genuinely wanting to consult with community. Being open, being respectful.”Shae SalmonShae Salmon has spent 20 years as an SCU academic in law, and involved in community as a radio presenter at River FM, and involved in the Lismore Theatre Company.“Shae would bring a wealth of experience to our council, and having raised three kids who are deeply connected to this region, would bring that passion and dedication."(Shae Salmon)After bringing 3 children up in Lismore, Shae says, “I'm a little worried about the young people. And there's not terribly much to do for them. I think Council could do a lot for the 13 to 19 age group.”Ms Salmon is interested in engaging youth and speaking to them about what is important to them and what they want to see and do in Lismore. Ms Salmon’s other passion is wildlife, “I think a lot more respect has got to be given to saving our wildlife and wildlife corridors. And we all know we've seen all the koalas that have been killed lately. It's really tragic.”Lindall WatsonLindall Watson is relatively new to the area and bought a property at Stony Chute around 18 months ago after spending some time here.  In Cr Guises' introduction, he says Lindall “embodies so much of the passion and care for our community that it's known for, with a background in education and teaching in remote and regional communities.”Ms Watson says, “I've been in education for a long time as a teacher and as an education leader. Someone suggested that I should enlist in the Pathways to Politics course that was run by the University of New South Wales.“I thought that would be interesting. But from my first day in that course, I thought, oh my goodness, this is the first time I've been really passionate and engaged in something for a long time. “It's time for me to step up. (Lindall Watson)"I am really interested in engaging our youth, in particular, and I feel that's an endeavour that my skills from education can help with."Ms Watson has family at Tweed and has visited regularly over time., “We've always had family holidays around here, and loved the area, and always thought we'd move somewhere up here."After spending some Covid lockdown time in the area, they decided it was time and bought a farm.“We are doing a lot of investigation into regeneration and making it into a place that is beautiful."Binnie O’DwyerBinnie O’Dwyer is a local lawyer working for the Aboriginal legal service, was working and couldn’t make the launch. Cr Guise spoke of Ms O'Dwyer as a parent that has been flood affected, “Binnie has so capably and ably represented a vulnerable population and a population that has been disenfranchised for too long.”(Binnie O'Dwyer)Vanessa EkinsCr Guiise saved Cr Ekins introduction to last, “Vanessa Ekins will be running again as our mayoral candidate. She has a long embedded history in our region, having been a Lismore City Councillor for some 20 years now, and is putting up her hand to run as mayor. “Once again, she's been integral in our community, celebrated our creative arts and community life, and has regenerated the Wilsons River through Landcare for many decades now. She would bring a sense of calm knowledge and experience to council that is so sorely needed in terms of our thriving future going forward.”(Cr Vanessa Ekins)Cr Ekins was, “Very proud to be standing here with these sensible, community oriented people today, and we just want to make Lismore thrive. “The way we do that is by focusing on affordable services and supporting our business and community. “One of the unfortunate decisions that was made during this last term of council, was to privatise our waste services, and that effectively ripped a million dollars out of the local economy and gave it to a contractor from out of town and out of state.“What we should be doing is utilising councils resources, investing in local businesses and making sure that our services are provided by Council staff.“So let's revive Lismore together; we can do that.”On running for mayor, Cr Ekins said, “We've got a great team of people, fire in their belly, and they wanted to do it. So we decided that as a team. “I was asked by so many people to run for mayor. External sources said that they wanted an alternative to vote for - an alternative to Steve Krieg.“They said that we need another voice, an experienced and responsible voice, and I thought I can do that. I'll get in the race. I'll give them a run for their money.“I'm so proud of the team. They're really hard-working people, sensible, embedded in community. They've got jobs. They've got lives here, children here. They live in this place. "I just want to see people that treat local government like a job, so you're in there, you're listening, and you're working. I actually want to see councillors engaged, who are reading the documentation and listening to the advice of staff and making an informed decision and sharing their process or why they're making that decision with the community."That last term has been very closed off. People aren't debating matters, and we don't know why decisions are being made. "I think if they've got an open chamber that communicates openly and is networked with the community, then we'll get better decisions. "The Chamber needs to be a safe place, not just for the people who are the councillors, but also for the people that come and address Council, and also the people that watch Council. In the last term of Council, it has not been a safe environment for people. "That means you need a strong chair who knows the rules of debate and is able to foster a collegiate atmosphere in that room, which would be a real challenge, but it's not impossible to do."We really need to focus on working together because we all want outcomes for our community. Some of the ways we get those outcomes might be different, but that's the purpose of the debate."You can find more information on the Greens, here and you can view all mayoral and councillor candidates via the Meet Your Candidates button on the Lismore App or via the website.

One of the long-held community wishes from the Resilient Homes Program was to see House Buybacks recycled rather than demolished.Yesterday, the NSW RA (Reconstruction Authority) unveiled their plans to recycle and reuse building materials and record the historical and cultural significance of homes purchased under the Resilient Homes Program. No media was invited to the trial site announcement, but a statement said, "The RA is committed to maximising opportunities to reuse buyback homes wherever possible by relocating the homes to safer locations. For homes that are not able to be relocated, where it is economically viable, materials will be salvaged and recycled as much as possible, to reduce landfill.   "Work is now underway on two trials involving the RA, Living Lab Northern Rivers, the RA’s home removal contractor, and a regional recycling expert, to identify cost-effective and efficient ways to recycle homes bought back through the Resilient Homes Program.  "The first is a timber recycling trial, led by Associate Professor at the UTS School of Design Berto Pandolfo and involves the deconstruction of two buyback homes and the identification of any timber that has the potential to be reused. "A second recycling trial will also be conducted to test the cost-effectiveness of separation methods for reuse on residential and commercial projects. This trial will inform the framework for recycling future buyback homes. "To assist community in better understanding the options for reusing and recycling timber in buyback homes, Living Lab Northern Rivers will host a timber industry workshop on Thursday, 29 August, to explore the possible uses of salvaged timber from buyback homes in the region. "Invitees will include those working in timber milling, reclaimed timber suppliers, recycled building material suppliers, cabinetry and furniture makers, architects, landscape architects, builders, local timber recycling businesses, timber millers, manufacturers and designers.  "Community representatives will be invited to provide feedback on the outcomes of the industry workshop.  "In addition, the RA and Living Lab Northern Rivers will partner on the Living Memory project, which will record the historical and cultural significance of character buyback homes and their surrounding areas.Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said, “The Northern Rivers is being transformed under programs like the Resilient Homes Program and Resilient Lands Program.“But it is important to reuse and recycle materials where we can and preserve the memories of what we are taking away as well.”

The new Richmond River High Campus concept designs were revealed to the public for the first time at a community meeting at the current temporary site in East Lismore last night.Overwhelmingly, staff, parents of students and parents of future students gave the design and explanation the thumbs up.The NSW Department of Education has spent the last twelve months seeking community consultation before purchasing the land in North Lismore, just north of the Lismore Saleyards, and drawing up the concept designs.Primary school students were excited to be going to a brand-new high school in 2027, while younger current students, are excited by the opportunity to finish their schooling in North Lismore."Impressive" was the most common phrase heard on the night, along with "It's good to see the school will have an ag component. That has been its point of difference."(An artist impression of the new high school looking from the sporting fields)Richmond River Principal Luke Woodward told the Lismore App, "It's really, really exciting to see the potential for what our new site will look like and also give us something to look forward to after what's been a very, very challenging period of time."You know, we really support our young people. We do an amazing job teaching them, and having a state-of-the-art facility will just be amazing. It will really support what we do with our young people.The loose completion date is 2027, another aspect that impressed Luke."It's really exciting to consider that it is a relatively short timeframe for a build of this size. And I like the idea of bringing the infrastructure to the town, putting us back into North Lismore, which is our drawing area, and paying homage to both our sporting, agriculture and creative prowess in what I believe is the best school in Lismore.""All the parents that I've spoken to tonight are all really positive around what they've seen and how good it looks in the landscape, and excited for the young people to get over there. Some of the parents have said, based on the time my kids will finish there, which is really exciting to hear.Director Educational Leadership, Department of Education for the Lismore Network Nickie Bartlett appears to have ticked two boxes now, following the South Lismore Public School announcement nearly three weeks ago. Nickie's feedback was also very positive on the night."Overwhelmingly positive feedback around the concept designs, overwhelmingly positive feedback about the school being placed within the community that it was situated prior to the floods, and also feedback from staff as well about having a school that was so central to community in that North and South Lismore area being rebuilt back better.Nickie kept hearing that keeping the agricultural side of the school was important to parents."The school's got quite a history around its agricultural facilities. So, where the school is being placed, it's still a nod to that history and heritage around it being that mix of the rural but still close to town, where we can still get those town links as well and still be part of that town community, but also be part of the rural community, which is so important to the Richmond River High Campus."Another major talking point was the new high school being built above the PMF (probable maximum flood). Yes, the sporting fields will go under during a major flood, but the infrastructure will not need a cleanout to restart learning. It only needs a few days for the roads to clear. This is the same for many CBD businesses if the levee is overtopped.The new Richmond River High Campus will be built back like for like, so the size of the school will remain in the 700-900 students. The student population has decreased since February 2022 and the move to temporary demountable structures next to the Lismore High Campus on Military Road.The campus will have a rural outlook and look down onto the sporting fields. It will comprise 20 general classrooms, 3 support classrooms and specialist learning spaces as part of a three-storey high building. Entry will be via Alexandra Parade from Dunoon Road (Alexandra Parade will extend from the showgrounds).(The Lismore Showgrounds to the right and the new RRHS to the left)The next steps is for further community consultation, including with the traditional owners of the site, before the schematic design plans are finalised and a planning application is lodged. The land will be re-zoned to allow for an educational facility.A tender will be issued to award the building contract, and the build is expected to be complete by 2027.

A political row has erupted over a decision by HealthShare NSW to award a statewide milk supply contract to Dairy Farmers, replacing local farmer-owned supplier Norco.Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan released a statement today blaming the Labor State Government for the decision to dump Norco from local hospitals.“Norco has been the long-standing milk supplier for health facilities from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie,” Mr Hogan said.“This is a shameful decision. Norco has been quietly dumped by city bureaucrats that have complete disregard for our community and more broadly, regional Australia.“Norco is more than just a milk supplier. It is the last Australian 100 per cent farmer-owned co-operative which has produced high-quality dairy products for generations within the local community.“This could have real consequences, including potential job losses and reduced income for the 191 farming families and hundreds who work for our local co-operative.“Labor doesn’t get or care about our regional communities.”Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin told the Lismore App, "I've talked to the minister and said that I want the decision reversed. We need to have Norco supplying our milk, particularly across the northern New South Wales local health district."I said to him the coalition government tried this on before, and it took quite a few months of a concerted campaign by the Health Services Union, and we got it back. I said that's what we're fighting for now."I know a petition's gone up now that will come to me at Parliament. I hope everybody signs that e-petition. I've been reading the comments about blaming the Labor government, I didn't see the Health Minister sitting in the Health Department signing off on contracts. However, I have asked him, as the minister, to intervene so that we can continue to have Norco delivering our milk."There will be no impact on jobs in this area; it has happened before. I also said, we're in recovery, and it's just a blow. We love Norco. We want Norco there. Also, didn't the health district, the health people look at a bit of history and see what had happened before? Didn't they think about the fact we're in recovery and how much we did to keep Norco with us?A spokesperson for HealthShare NSW told the Lismore App that HealthShare NSW manages the NSW Government food services contract."An open and competitive procurement process was undertaken with the tender for this contract being released on 31 August 2023."The NSW Government considers a range of factors when awarding tenders, including support for small to medium enterprise, sustainability credentials, location (i.e. regional and rural), Aboriginal-owned businesses and other socio-economic priorities."All existing suppliers were invited to submit a tender. To ensure a traceable decision-making process based on merit and fairness, only suppliers who fulfilled all mandatory tender requirements were considered during this procurement process."HealthShare NSW works closely with suppliers and potential suppliers throughout any tender process. Any suppliers who have submitted a tender and been unsuccessful are able to participate in a debrief where feedback on their tenders is provided."All NSW Health tenders are managed in accordance with strict procurement guidelines and probity measures, including a robust tender evaluation process with wide representation from relevant NSW Health stakeholders."Ms Saffin made a comment on the statement from HealthShare."I would say I understand. They said they wanted it supplied across the whole state, and that's changing the goalpost as I see it. And, things like that need to be run past us. I've seen health do this in another area where they gave a contract to someone who is a big company and knocked someone out locally. So it's not the first time they've done it."Ms Saffin referred to the Health Services Union leading the call for reinstating Norco previously. A couple of hours after making her statement, the Health Services Union backed the campaign by calling on the NSW Government to intervene to prevent the farmer-owned NORCO milk company from being shafted as a supplier of milk to health facilities across the North and Mid-North Coast.“NORCO is more than a beloved local institution,” said Gerard Hayes, HSU NSW Secretary. “As Australia’s last 100 per cent farmer-owned dairy co-operative, it also provides economic lifeblood to hundreds of families in a region that has experienced the double whammy of floods and the cost of living crisis.“Why would we cut this off at a time like this?“NORCO is a trusted local company with deep roots. The dairy industry has played a huge role in the Northern Rivers for many years. We’ve even heard reports of patients refusing to drink the hospital milk unless it’s NORCO.“Health workers want this decision overturned. We insist on local milk in hospitals and health facilities throughout the Northern Rivers and the North Coast.”As was the case in 2018, we wait to see how long it takes for the reversal to take place. You can sign the petition here.

Matilda, the truck that houses the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is set to become a busy place thanks to $110,000 worth of new education and training projects funded by the NSW Government.These funds allow Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital (BBWH) to help educate and engage the community on a variety of native mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. This will include the causes of injuries and illness and ways to help wildlife in the community, including during natural disasters.“We are grateful to the NSW Government for awarding this grant, which will help us deliver a multi-faceted project supporting the immediate, effective treatment for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife of all species.” Dr Stephen Van Mil, CEO of the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital said.Lismore MP Janelle Saffin and Ballina MP Tamara Smith stood with the BBWH to lobby hard and secured the funding. Ms Saffin said, “I thank NSW Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe MLC for appreciating the value of these well targeted education and training projects.”Ms Smith said, “I know that this grant will make a big difference to our Wildlife hospital and support their incredible work training wildlife carers and educating the broader community about our extinction crises."We welcome this investment in community organisations that are doing the frontline work rescuing and protecting endangered species like our Koalas and Swift parrots."(Pretzel The Green Sea Turtle hatchling)Part of the finance will go towards easy-to-understand short videos and fact sheets on commonly treated species. They will be designed to educate the community on wildlife of the area and build awareness of actions community members can take.Dr Bree Talbot, the General Manager Veterinary Services at the BBWH said, “Educating and engaging the community on practical ways they can care for wildlife helps reduces suffering, facilitates healing, recovery and rehabilitation. We would like the public to be aware of how they can help, and where to go for help if they encounter wildlife in distress.” The funding will also be used by BBWH to deliver work placements for approximately 10 final year student veterinarians and develop online training for general practice veterinary clinics on best practice wildlife handling, triage and wildlife treatment plans.“Helping to improve the skills and confidence of general practice vets and nurses in wildlife handling, triage and treatment plans, and train future generations of wildlife veterinarians will also contribute to more positive welfare outcomes for native animals.” said, Dr Stephen Van Mil.The training and education programs will begin shortly and run until July 2025.(Matilda is fully equipped and can be relocated when disaster strikes and assistance is better provided at the site. Then again, last week she was relocated to secure her precious cargo when floodwaters threatened.)Janelle Saffin acknowledges the unique aspect of the BBWH, “We are fortunate in the Northern Rivers to have a network of specialised wildlife hospitals and dedicated wildlife carer groups, whose important work was put in real perspective during the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires.“I met with Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital representatives this week and I’ll continue to support our wildlife rehabilitation sector which takes such great care of our native animals.”This week, BBWH has actively been booking for sponsors to help fund the care they provide. The reality is funding like this grant, “can't be used for operational funding, as per the terms of the grant. We're grateful for it, and it helps us to deliver some of our services through a project,” said Russell Mills, the General Manager of Strategy and Story at the BBWH, "But it doesn’t pay for the basic costs to operate."Grants are the best way to attract funds, however, Russell says, “like many in the wildlife sector, need to find some way of paying for operations.”(Echidna's are on the move at the moment - keep an eye out for them)If you are in a position to help, here is the link to the story about sponsorship.As the BBWH says, #forthewildlife.Based at the nature-based tourism attraction Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Knockrow, New South Wales, BBWH cares for all species of wildlife.

The start of work to remove the Terania Street rail bridge in North Lismore begins on Monday.Transport for NSW advises that Terania Street will remain open to pedestrians and light vehicles during the initial site preparation work to remove the rail-over-road bridge.Work starting Monday, 26 August, will be carried out from 7am to 6pm on weekdays and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays and is expected to be complete by Friday, 20 September, weather permitting.Motorists may experience delays of up to 10 minutes travel time during this period.Restrictions for heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonne gross vehicle mass (GVM) from entering the restricted road approaching the rail bridge on Terania Street will continue during this work. The ‘No Right Turn’ restrictions into and out of Peate Street means vehicles entering Peate Street from Terania Street or exiting Peate Street to travel westbound will still need to detour via Pine, Crane and Tweed streets.A detour for all heavy and light vehicles is available via Wilson Street, Elliott Road and Ballina Road.Heavy vehicle drivers should plan their journey and allow extra travel time, drive to the conditions and follow the directions of signs and traffic control.For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

The latest Adult Admitted Patient Survey from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI), which looked at hospitals in the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) found their doctors, nurses and healthcare teams rated highly for 2023.The BHI quarterly reports on patient treatment have not seen positive results for the Lismore Base Hospital (LBH) when it comes to emergency department treatment. However, this latest survey shows the great work our medical teams display on a daily basis.The Adult Admitted Patient Survey, shows that 95 per cent of patients said the care they received at NNSWLHD hospitals was ‘very good’ or ‘good’.For LBH, the very good score was 76%, 8% above the NSW average.Almost all surveyed patients (97 per cent) rated the nurses who treated them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’, with 95 per cent rating the doctors who treated them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.LBH recorded a very good score of 83% for our nurses, which was higher than our doctor's score of 77%. Nurses were 6% higher than the state average, while doctors were 2% higher.The majority of patients reported that staff were polite and courteous on arrival, health professionals were kind and caring, and they felt treated with respect and dignity during their stay in hospital.LBH scored 88 to 90% on the questions above, with 81% saying they would speak highly of their hospital experience to family and friends.Across the District, health staff were rated significantly above the NSW average for their teamwork and organisation, and for the cleanliness of health facilities.NNSWLHD Chief Executive Tracey Maisey praised health staff for their unwavering compassion and commitment to providing the best possible hospital experience for their patients.“Being in hospital can often be an unfamiliar and vulnerable experience, so it’s heartening to see that the majority of patients are reporting positive experiences of care,” Mrs Maisey said.“Our health staff do an amazing job of providing compassion and kindness alongside their expertise, and I want to take this chance to thank them for bringing this to our patients each day.“I also want to really thank our patients for taking the time to provide their feedback on these surveys. It’s so important that we hear from patients so that we can continue to improve our services.”Individual hospital highlights:BALLINA DISTRICT HOSPITAL:95 per cent of patients rated the overall care they received as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.Almost all patients, 98 per cent, rated the nurses who cared for them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’93 per cent said staff were ‘definitely’ polite and welcoming on arrival85 per cent said they would speak highly of their experience if asked by family and friends.Overall, Ballina recorded nine measures, which were significantly above the NSW average.BYRON CENTRAL HOSPITAL:94 percent of patients rated the overall care they received as ‘very good’ or ‘good’,and 98 percent rated their nurses as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.91 per cent of patients surveyed said the hospital areas were ‘very clean’.92 per cent said they were ‘definitely’ treated with respect and dignity while in hospital.86 percent of patients said the health professionals were always kind and caring.CASINO & DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL:Casino recorded 33 measures significantly above the state average, across areas such as overall care, trust and confidence, respect and kindness, communication, organisation of care and cleanliness.Almost all patients, (99 per cent) rated their overall hospital care as ‘very good’ or ‘good.’93 percent said they would speak highly of their experience if asked by family and friends.94 percent of patients said the health professionals were always kind and caring.90 percent of patients said the care they received was ‘very well organised’.GRAFTON BASE HOSPITAL:96 per cent of patients rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.91 percent rated the nurses who cared for them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.95 percent said the health professionals were always kind and caring.88 per cent of patients said the hospital was ‘very clean’.In total, Grafton recorded 19 results significantly above the NSW state average.LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL:94 percent of patients rated the overall care they received as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.93 per cent rating the doctors who treated them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.96 per cent rating the nursesas ‘very good’ or ‘good’.94 percent of patients rated the teamwork of health professionals as ‘very good’ or‘ good’.90 percent said the health professionals were always kind and caring.MACLEAN DISTRICT HOSPITAL:94 per cent of patients rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’97 percent rated their nurses as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.91 per cent said the health professionals were always kind and caring96 percent of patients rated the teamwork of health professionals as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.MURWILLUMBAH DISTRICT HOSPITAL:Murwillumbah recorded 32 measures significantly higher than the NSW average, receiving positive feedback from patients for overall hospital care, organisation of care, respect and kindness, communication and involvement in decision-making, and cleanliness.Almost all patients, 97 per cent, rated the overall care they receivedas ‘very good’ or ‘good.95 percent would speak highly of their experience if asked by family and friends, the highest result in the state.94 percent said they definitely had trust and confidence in the health professionals.97 percent of patients said the teamwork of health professionals was ‘very good’ or ‘good.’THE TWEED HOSPITAL:96 per-cent of patients rated the overall care they received as ‘very good ’or ‘good’.95 percent rating the doctors as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.97 percent rating the nurses as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.93 percent of patients said the teamwork of health professionals was ‘very good’ or ‘good’.88 per cent said the health professionals were always kind and caring.

Australia’s blood supply has felt the freeze this winter with the percentage of people cancelling appointments due to cold and flu symptoms the highest it's been in five years.An average of one in every five blood donors has cancelled or rescheduled their donations due to cold and flu symptoms each week during winter. This means as many as 1000 donor chairs have sat empty each day due to people calling in sick throughout the colder months.The drop-off has prompted Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to urgently call for 8,500 people over the next week to help replenish stock.The Lismore Lifeblood Centre on Bounty Street was busy yesterday afternoon. However, Lifeblood's Scott Morrison said more people are needed.(Five full chairs at the Lismore Blood Donor Centre yesterday afternoon)"At the moment, we've got a national call out for all blood types, blood and plasma. Our national inventory levels are very low. They're the lowest they have been in five years, and we really need Lismore locals to come out and support us over these next couple of weeks and months, as we get through this back end of the winter flu season.""All of our regular donors have been falling ill, and we are looking for anyone who's donated before, but also those first-time new donors. So, if you've ever thought about donating, now's the time to jump on board and come in and see us at the Lismore Donor Center. We're open six days a week, and you can simply go online and register at www.lifeblood.com.au or call 13 14, 95 or download the Lifeblood app and become a regular donor and make a difference in the community. "In the Lismore community, we've had the call out today, and we're filling all the chairs in the Lismore Donor Center, which is great to see, because as a community, we all stick together and get behind each other, and this is one of those times where we need everyone to stand up and make a donation and really make it count for those people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Those who need blood and blood products. Scott wanted to remind Lismore App readers that every time you donate blood or plasma, you save three (3) lives."From any donation, we are able to take those components and make sure that we get the blood, plasma and platelets needed to help those people who are desperately in need, whether it's in the hospital system, in the maternity wards for new babies, whether it's in the cancer treatment units, people recovering from their cancer, chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and also surgical and elective surgeries." “If you are feeling healthy and well, step up and join the donor movement, and help us fill those empty donor chairs,” Scott added.Every week, Australia needs around 33,000 donations to meet demand, and Lifeblood will struggle to meet patient needs if cancellations continue and appointments aren’t filled coming off the back of the colder months when cold and flu rates peak.Just over 3% of people in Australia (810,000 out of a population of 27 million) donate blood and plasma regularly. However, it’s estimated up to 57% of the adult population are eligible to donate, which is an extra 10 million people who could roll up their sleeves.“We know donors feel so disappointed when they have to call in sick for a donation, but for us, the most disappointing thing is when empty spots go unfilled especially when we know there are millions of people who could help,” explained Scott."This is why we need new blood and plasma donors to help out. It only takes an hour of your time to give blood and 90 minutes to give plasma."Donors who are affected by cold and flu symptoms can give blood at least seven days after making a full recovery.Anyone who books a donation before September 8 will receive a limited-edition bandage designed by Indigenous artist and two-time Olympian Brad Hore. The bandage acknowledges the life-changing impacts of a community of giving.You can book a donation now by calling 13 14 95 or book online at www.lifeblood.com.au or on the DonateBlood app, which you can search in the App Store or Google Play Store.

LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin, on behalf of the Northern Rivers region’s Community Leaders Forum, has made a submission to the Federal inquiry into insurers’ responses to the 2022 major floods claims.Ms Saffin, who is NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery, previously called for this inquiry, gave evidence to its public hearing in Lismore and hosted two roundtables on insurance reform, also held in Lismore.The Community Leaders Forum includes herself, fellow State MPs Tamara Smith (Ballina), Geoff Provest (Tweed), and Richie Williamson (Clarence); Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan; and mayors Cr Steve Krieg (Lismore City), Cr Chris Cherry (Tweed Shire), Cr Kylie Webster (Kyogle), Cr Michael Lyon (Byron Shire), Cr Sharon Cadwallader (Ballina Shire), Cr Robert Mustow (Richmond Valley) and Cr Peter Johnstone (Clarence Valley).Ms Saffin wrote to House of Representatives Committee on Economics Chair Dr Daniel Mulino, explaining that the Forum’s submission originally was commissioned as an insurance status review by the then Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.“I thank its authors, academics from the University of Queensland’s Business School – Professor Paula Jarzabkowski, Dr Katie Meissner and Dr Matthew Mason – who are very learned in this area,” Ms Saffin said.“They have made a case study of Lismore that can be extrapolated across the Northern Rivers region, New South Wales, and indeed, other places in Australia.“With insurance it appears that the global community is facing similar issues to us with insurance affordability. Whatever is done, Government needs to be very involved in the response, and we must require mitigation and adaptation to be in the mix.”Ms Saffin noted the submission found that there is no single, pre-existing solution for the complex problem of uninsurability in Lismore. It makes four recommendations about the potential of a new insurance ecosystem for Lismore:A national risk pool is a tested solution that, when well-designed, could support affordable insurance in Lismore for residents and small businesses providing it is accompanied by a medium and long-term program of risk reduction including relocation.Small parametric products, which can be spent flexibly by policyholders, have potential to provide economic benefit to Lismore business owners supporting them with rapid response to business interruptions, particularly from small-scale events.Parts of Lismore fall within the uninsurable zone and could be considered for insurance innovations to support planned migration and provide insurance cover during any transitionary period.Lismore residents and business owners will benefit from a sustained program of embedding risk management capabilities throughout the community to support them in reducing their risk and increasing their financial ability to respond to hazards.Dr Mulino’s Committee’s report on its inquiry is due by 18 October 2024.

The $5 million Northern Rivers Watershed Initiative was announced at Boatharbour today by Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin along with Rous County Council's Anthony Acret, the Casino Food Coop's Joseph Leven, Whian Whian Lancare's Jeremy Stewart and local landholder/farmer Garry Lambert.The $5 million was a NSW Government election promise to work across some 8,220 square kilometres, covering the Local Government Areas of, Lismore City Council, Richmond Valley Council, and Kyogle, Tweed, Byron, and Ballina Shire Councils. The partnership will work with landholders to revegetate and undertake weed control in catchment areas, improve soil health, address water quality in floodplain areas, increase water filtration and storage, and work to slow water flows in catchments. The works are set to commence in October 2024.The initiative is based on the application of a range of natural flood management techniques across the Northern Rivers that can work to restore or mimic the natural functions of the rivers, floodplains and the wider catchments to help reduce flooding and generate a range of water quality and catchment health benefits. Key projects to be undertaken as part of the Watershed Initiative include:Working with macadamia farmers in the Emigrant and Maguires Creek catchments on orchard floor management, water-sensitive drainage and soil stabilisation ($0.5M).Strategic improvements in waterway condition to establish self-sustaining vegetated buffer zones that generate water quality and ecological benefits – this will feature weed removal, off-stream water, cattle exclusion, fencing, stabilisation of riverbanks and planting of 100,000 trees across the region ($2.5M).Redesigned floodplain drainage to meet contemporary standards - working with landholders to conduct on-ground works within Keith Hall drainage system, South Ballina, minimising environmental impacts from floodplain drainage infrastructure whilst maintaining levels of service ($1.5M).  Landscape hydration program: using natural flood management techniques to slow flows, retain soil fertility, and reduce runoff in rural catchments ($0.5M). Janelle Saffin said this initiative is not considered to be the flood mitigation solution but rather plays a role, along with the completed CSIRO study, in forming that final plan."It's about water quality. It's about the general health of the rivers, and it's also looking at how we can just do better with our water," Ms Saffin said.Rous County Council's (RCC) Anthony Acret said they have been chasing funding for five years. In 2019, RCC prepared the proposal and adopted the proposal, which was then adopted by the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation of Councils."Janelle has been out there trying to secure funding since that time. It was a large-scale strategy. That really is based on the premise of natural flood management, sometimes called nature-based solutions. So, these sorts of approaches recognise that there's no one-size-fits-all answer to the changes we've made to our catchments."There's been a lot of community concern about the condition, the eco health condition of the river for a long period of time, and of course, that was magnified by the impacts of the 2022 floods. These nature-based solutions really work in many ways to try and try and deliver multiple outcomes."We're trying to identify works that can deal with the changes we've made to the catchment hydrology. So, we can look up and see the wonderful Gondwana rain forests on the on the ranges, but you can also see the large clearing we've done to our catchments and our waterways. And obviously that's changed the way water moves through our catchments, and that's a hard thing to reveal. We can't just change that with a project of this scale, but what we can do is make a start and work in these ways that can demonstrate the sorts of changes we can make.(Some more established farming practices on the other side of Garry's property)"These sorts of works increase infiltration of water into the soil, into the groundwater. It increases storage. It holds water up in the landscape, and it slows the movement of water through the landscape. So, all of these works are trying to achieve multiple benefits."When achieved, the result is also improved productivity for the agricultural sector through four key program areas:Soil health improvement to increase infiltration and improves productivity.Riparian vegetation, which is good for habitat and water qualityCoastal drainage networks to reduce the environmental risks associated with acid water and BlackwaterLandscape RehydrationLandowner/farmer Garry Lambert pointed to a paddock behind him, saying, "You don't have to be a scientist to look down at that creek and realise the degradation that's happened over many many years."Across this whole area, there's now a movement, and it's amongst landholders as well as government and members of the community, to bring some vitality back to these waterways and make them much more productive. Regenerative farming practices, which is what my wife and I try and practice around here, or we're moving towards. This is just a perfect way of making sure that we can be sustainable, that we maximise the capacity of the land, but still keeping, importantly, still keeping production happening because we still need to feed people, we still need to have employment for people, but we need to manage the environment.""So, we really do get that triple bottom line here, where it's good for the business, it's good for the government, and it's certainly good for the community at large."When asked to explain what will happen on Garry's property and what the benefits will be to the community, Anthony Acret said, "This reach of river is really important from a Rous perspective, and from a regional perspective, because Rous operates a water supply source five, six or seven k's down from here. So this little water course here discharges into the Wilsons River and flows down through Boatharbour. So, it's actually a source of our regional water supply."What we see in a lot of these floodplain areas, like I say, we've got clear catchments and cleared waterways, and we've had erosion in the river. And, so over time, there's a lot of incision, so we lose a lot of sediment out of these systems into the river, which obviously is poor water quality, poor for catchment health, poor for habitat. A whole range of range of issues, plus Garry's losing sediment off his place out of there.""What that looks like here is trying to stabilise that through these natural sequence approaches, which is trying to retain more water as it flows through. It won't hold water, it won't prevent water from moving through, but it will just slow it. So in this system here, we're looking to put in a series of leaky weirs or permeable structures in the waterway."It'll create a habitat in its kind, it'll help sediment fall-out, it will help clarify water quality and provide Gary with a reliable source of water as well. To clarify that water for the use of the cattle, that's better water quality for him, and it's better water quality discharging into the river."That will be complemented by a range of planting and fencing; Garry's got a farm plan that he's working out with fences and cattle access for water and all those things."That farm plan may involve short-term and long-term fencing, off-stream watering points for his cattle, but is a case-by-case basis due to the complexities involved with flooded environments.One of the challenges facing Anthony and his team is to monitor key learnings through measuring water quality."Measuring water quality is a difficult thing because there are so many variables, but it is important that we do identify things that we can measure, that we know make a difference. So, that will be part of what we're doing is trying to design a monitoring and reporting framework that is sensitive to the sorts of changes, and hopefully that's contributing to improved water quality.Janelle Saffin had the final say when she declared the slogan of the day, "Slow the flow."

Yesterday was day three of a four-day investigation into the regulatory framework for cannabis in NSW. The investigation is a public hearing.Discussion surrounded the topics of medicinal cannabis, driving under the influence of cannabis, growing cannabis and the ramifications of underground or hidden cannabis use and police enforcement, the detrimental effects of addiction and the difficulties in getting help.Locals who went to Invercauld House to speak at the hearing and support a change in the current cannabis laws include Michael Balderstone, Mr David Heilpern - Dean of Law at SCU, Dr Keith Bolton - Founding Director at Ecotechnology, Joel Hardy - CEO at Cymra Life Sciences where medicinal cannabis is grown.  Others came from around the state to provide supporting evidence through activism or lived experience and treating youth affected by cannabis use.Cate Faehrmann MP summed up the events surrounding the hearing, “For two days, we'll be hearing from people who are local cultivators, people who have been advocating for changes to the law when it comes to cannabis for a very long time. “We know that, particularly in the Northern Rivers, our unfair roadside drug testing laws have a big impact on the community here, with quite a few people you know, actually choosing not to drive who use cannabis regularly. “Yesterday, we had a full day at Parliament, where we heard from GPs, psychiatrists, Uniting Church representatives - people advocating for a change to our drug laws. “A lot of people are advocating for the removal of the criminal penalty, so a decriminalisation model. “And of course, I think everybody, almost without exception, is advocating for a sensible change to our drug-driving laws to make sure that the laws catch up with the change in medicinal cannabis regulation.”The Hon. Stephen Lawrence, MLC, was listening to the testimonies. He spoke about his part in the inquiry, “I'm a member of the committee that's looking into cannabis regulation. We're gathering views and opinions and evidence on this question of how cannabis should be regulated. “I have previously expressed support for the decriminalisation of personal possession of cannabis, but that was before I was in Parliament and certainly before I was on this committee. “I'm trying to keep an open mind about the issues, but I'm definitely someone who is very concerned about the criminogenic and harmful effects of the criminal justice system, so I tend to be interested in ways to divert people from the system.”(Dr James Moylan and his submission. As a law reform activist, he has looked at cannabis laws worldwide.)Dr. Keith Bolton spoke about his lived experience importing hemp, and wholesaling hemp products. “When I was a postdoctoral fellow here at Southern Cross Uni, I got a licence to cultivate hemp, and was using it for mop crops, for irrigating effluent, so looking at fibre plants for effluent reuse.In Dr Bolton's experience with Ecotechnology, he has 21 employees, 5 Indigenous, who are liable to suffer most from the current regulation, “ I've realised that Aboriginal people and other minority groups are disproportionately affected by cannabis laws. “While drugs certainly can and do cause major harm to individuals and society, prohibition greatly exacerbates the harm caused by drugs. The prohibition framework has been around for 80 years now. “With respect to cannabis, it's created a massive black market that remains untaxed. It essentially subsidises a black market."Joel Hardy, spoke of his experience from an economic perspective, “We are federally licensed medical cannabis facilities supplying organic cannabis products to the special access scheme in Australia.“70% of products on the Australian Medical cannabis market come from imports. And for the first five years of the program, the TGA allowed imports to come in at a lower standard than domestic producers, and we still have unfair advantages for importers over domestic producers in this country.”Cate Faehrmann testified to the importance of this information, “It's very hard for them to get ahead, so I think something needs to be done about that. That was very useful evidence today, and no doubt we'll be hearing more about it.”To get a deeper understanding of the economic aspect of cannabis sales, Kyle Wood , the managing partner at South Lismore Chempro, talks about his experience. After the 2022 floods, Kyle looked for innovative ways to keep his business lucrative.  “Medical cannabis was a rapidly emerging industry. It was something that wasn't filled around here. We felt like it was going to be a significant market, and getting into the online space as well allowed us to overcome our geographical limitations of being in a flooded place in a small town. “We started reaching out to a lot of telehealth companies and cannabis clinics to see if we could work with them as a way to maintain our trade. It's grown from there into a fairly significant part of our business. It comprises up to 30% of our business at the moment."The pharmacy has around 20 staff, but you don't see most of them in the shopfront. Kyle has put in an extra six phones to take orders, and over 100 packages a day are sent to destinations in every state around Australia. This postal service makes up about 80% of their cannabis sales.“It can be used for anything from pain to insomnia to anxiety and a lot of different things. We have even seen a downturn in the use of opiates with the increase in cannabis prescriptions, but not everything is for everyone.“There are four main places that the products we sell come from Canada, Australia, Israel and South Africa.”One of those Australian suppliers is Joel Hardy from today’s summit.(Michael Balderstone and his partner Carolyn)Michael Balderstone of Mardi Gras fame added, “I think it's very genuine, the inquiry from the parliamentarians involved trying to work out what's going on. It's been in the shadows for so long, so to get the real facts out and the truth about it, it's difficult.“Do they realise recreational, medicinal cannabis is exactly the same? There's a lot of mythology to bust up. They'll go home with stuff to think about.”If you would like to follow the investigation, you can find more information here.

The Diocese of Lismore is investing $27 million in the Lismore CBD, including a new 29-townhouse complex and a new Catholic School Education Office in Keen and Orion Street.In August 2023, the Diocese of Lismore announced it would build a new private hospital opposite the Lismore Base Hospital, establishing the Uralba Street area as Lismore and the Northern Rivers health precinct.“Our vision is to see a new private hospital created, surrounded by a thriving community of healthcare professionals providing cutting-edge specialist medical services,” said Greg Isaac, Diocesan Business Manager for the Diocese of Lismore at the time. “It is our unique history as a cornerstone of the community that has inspired us to think beyond the present day about how the growing and changing needs of our community will be best met for the next hundred years.” That thinking has naturally led to discussions and plans to house the many doctors, nurses and medical staff needed to run the hospital when it is open.The proposed site is 9,172 square metres and borders both Keen Street and Orion Street (to the left of the roundabout). The site slopes down towards Coleman Street (near the Molesworth Street roundabout, where the old greyhound track operated pre-flood). There is an area of vacant land with shipping containers.The top of the site is surrounded by overgrown plants and weeds, with two houses on the site. The house on Orion Street will remain (shown above); however, the house with a Keen Street entrance will be removed.The development application (DA) says the 29-unit dwellings will be of modular design, so transportable. Fifteen (15) of the 29 will be stand-alone, and there will be a mix of 1-bedroom (5), 2-bedroom (16) and 3-bedroom town homes (8).It is proposed that 48 parking spaces be provided near Coleman Street, with driveway access from Keen Street and Orion Street. There will be a communal BBQ area and landscaping works.The DA says the proposal is being lodged as a fast-track DA to enable the residential housing to be available in the immediate future."The DA is modular in architectural design and therefore movable, providing a short-term solution to the Lismore affordability and housing crisis following on from the claustrophobic flooding event in February 2022." As for the impact of the 29 townhouses when a flood hits Lismore, a flood impact assessment was undertaken for a 1 in 100-year flood (1%AEP) plus climate change and included mapping for a probable maximum flood.The flood planning level for this development will be 14.03 mAHD (13.53 mAHD + 500mm). All habitable floor levels are to be built above the flood planning level. The results of the assessment demonstrate that the proposed Units 1 – 24 are flood-free during the 1%AEP_CC design event, and Units 25- 29 will have a maximum depth within the lot of 0.42- 1.58m (Figure 7) and a velocity of 0.01-0.05 m/s. (An aerial view of the new development)There would be some land flood-free in the event of a PMF, at around 17 metres.The new Catholic School Education Office has no documentation available to view at this stage. The DA points to a change of use for the old Trinity Catholic College site that fronts Dawson Street with Keen Street access. This DA is estimated to cost $8.4 million.The Diocese of Lismore has been doing some serious planning in the last 2 years in and around the CBD, with Trinity moving to Southern Cross University for the next five years.One of the big unanswered questions is what will happen to the old Trinity Catholic College across Leycester Street?One step at a time.

People in Lismore and the Northern Rivers now have easier access to a range of community services and housing support as the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) office officially re-opened its doors yesterday on Conway Street. The office has been fully refurbished following flood damage and will offer frontline support for housing and other community services. It features a multi-purpose design, including concierge, interview rooms, self-service, and a program space.  The new fit-for-purpose office facilities will allow staff and caseworkers to return from two and a half years at temporary sites and undertake their important work in the heart of Lismore. The office on Conway Street is one of four relocation projects commissioned to bring essential services back to where they were before the floods. An official opening ceremony was held yesterday (Tuesday), attended by Minister Kate Washington and other guests.(Minister for Families and Communities and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin unveil the plaque. Photo: supplied) Three more facilities are earmarked to open later this year, including an agile workspace in Goonellabah, which can be used should another flood event take place. The Conway Street office will be a central drop-in point for families who want to access housing or other DCJ services. Minister for Families and Communities Kate Washington said, “The Lismore floods in 2022 caused enormous devastation – destroying homes, shops and government offices. “Despite many staff being personally impacted by the floods, they continued to work tirelessly to deliver essential services across the region out of temporary offices. “Re-opening of our office in Lismore has been challenging, but it demonstrates the NSW Government’s determination to see Lismore families accessing the services they need and deserve.” Minister for Homelessness Rose Jackson said, "The 2022 floods were devastating for the Northern Rivers community, and even two years later, the impact is still deeply felt as Lismore residents continue their journey of recovery and rebuilding. "We recognise how difficult this journey has been and understand the challenges faced when those seeking support can't access a physical, on-site location. Despite these obstacles, our staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that help was always available when needed. “The reopening of our new office provides a vital, one-stop shop where people can easily access the support services they need. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to our local staff and the Northern Rivers community for their incredible patience and resilience. We look forward to continuing our work together as we strengthen housing support for the region.”

Five NSW start-ups at the cutting edge of space technology are celebrating following the successful launch of the NSW Government-backed Waratah Seed – Australia’s first ride-share space mission. The Waratah Seed-1 satellite launched at 4.56am Australian time on Saturday 17 August carrying payloads from NSW startups Euroka Power, Spiral Blue, Extraterrestrial Power, Contactile, and Dandelions to test and prove the functionality of their products in space.The technology developed by the NSW-based teams includes robotics that help repair satellites, silicon solar panel cells, technology that improves the transmission of earth imagery and natural fibres that allow spacecraft to continue to communicate during re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.The Waratah Seed-1 satellite was developed by CUAVA, part of the University of Sydney’s space training centre, and was launched on a SpaceX rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.The NSW payloads started sending back telemetry on day one and will now spend several months in space gathering vital information to transmit back to Earth to help develop further leaps in space technology. The launch of Waratah Seed comes as the NSW Government and NSW Space Research Network (SRN) announce the successful recipients of $720,000 worth of grants. The SRN’s $600,000 Pilot Research Program supports cross-disciplinary university collaboration on space technologies that address a space capability or industry challenge.The five projects funded include the development of a solar cell that generates power in the dark, testing the agricultural potential of plant growth in space and studying new applications for signals obtained from constellations of Low Earth Orbit satellites.The $120,000 Student Program Fund supports space-related university student projects that provide a pathway and experiences to produce the next generation of space researchers.(Waratah Seed Payload Teams)In total, the fund will support 196 students in 14 groups across eight universities.Further information on the NSW Government-funded Pilot Research Program and Student Program Fund can be viewed at the SRN website.For more information on how the NSW Government supports the space industry, visit Investment NSW.Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Anoulack Chanthivong said, “Every day NSW based spacetech companies are bringing us closer to the Star Trek era and this launch puts these start-ups at the forefront of this revolution. “It’s an exciting time for the industry as the Waratah Seed-1 satellite blasts off.“It’s taken an incredible amount of collaboration between government agencies, universities and space businesses to get to this point, and I want to acknowledge those involved for their pioneering spirit, which is taking the space industry in NSW to new and exciting heights.“Space comes with many risks and technical challenges, so getting to the point of launch is a significant achievement. The startups involved and their research partners can be incredibly proud of the progress they’ve made for the industry.“The NSW Government is also proud to support the next generation with the Pilot Research Program and Student Program Fund - an important part of the NSW Space Research Network’s mission to build and support collaboration to grow our space capabilities.”

While a shower or two is the forecast for today (Tuesday) from the Bureau of Meteorology, spring is twelve days away, but we are going to get an early taste for the rest of this week.The temperatures will climb to the mid-twenties as we head into the weekend, with Thursday a warm 27 degrees. We should get used to the warmer weather because The Bureau says the the next three months (September to November) will have warmer days and nights.The chance of above median temperatures is 93%, while the chance of unusually warm temperatures is 48%.The good news is that the three-month forecast predicts a typical seasonal range in terms of rainfall.The chance of above median rainfall, that is greater than 258.7mm, is 51%.La Niná is still in the 'watch' phase, and The Bureau says it is also as likely to be a neutral weather position over the summer storm season. No doubt we will receive more clarification as we head towards December.

A few weeks ago, the Lismore App spoke to the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital (BBWH) about the struggle to keep themselves open as they rely on public funding. This week, they are reaching out for sponsorships.This region has some incredible wildlife species and corridors that makeup part of our culture. It is a pleasure to take a visitor for a drive to see koalas or spot an echidna on a ramble. This is an opportunity to protect those populations and do something to secure their future in a world where our needs tend to push them to one side.Despite Australian wildlife being “owned” by the government, there is no government funding providing directly for the care of animals at the BBWH. Instead, the NSW government is spending $1.4 million to help fund the new $2.8 million Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital in Wollongbar, which is due to open in spring 2024.(Taken when a recent overseas friend visited, we spotted a colony of koalas resting in some trees)“We don't get any financial support for business as usual operations,” says Russell Mills, the General Manager of Strategy and Story at the BBWH. “We're cognizant of the fact that people care and people want these animals to survive, and that's, that's the value of our service.“We need to continue to provide this service so that threatened species like koalas, flying foxes, green sea turtles and a wide range of native birds don't become extinct. Veterinary bills for wildlife are about equivalent to any pet so when a sick or injured animal is taken in for care, its health is in the hands of donations from the community.The BBWH contributes to the local economy in a significant way.“In 2022 we did an economic impact report on our service, and it showed that we produce about $3.2 million of output for the New South Wales economy. That comes from sourcing material, supplies, food, medical equipment, and general consumption.” (An endangered Green Sea Turtle in care. Image credit: BBWH)Sponsorship is usually for corporate or community group interests. Assisting from an individual perspective can come in many forms and can be done at any time - visiting wildlife centres such as the Wildlife Sanctuary, buying products that support wildlife, leaving a legacy in your will, donations and even following them on their socials (links below).“Sponsorship is something that we seek," Russell added.“We've been successful in securing some corporate sponsors and community partners, and some of those remain, but some of those partnerships expire.”The BBWH has refreshed its sponsorship offering, which offers a range of benefits to supporters.“The prospectus offers packages for the Wildlife Hospital, the Wildlife Sanctuary and the Raptor Recovery Centre, depending on what aligns with the prospective sponsor’s interests and Environmental, Social or Governance aims.” Here is a sample of the benefits that come with sponsorship: highly visible brand exposure on the external walls of the Wildlife Hospitaluse of the hospital’s library of over 3000 professional images and videos of wildlife patients, including koalas, wallabies, eagles, turtles, flying foxes, frogs and snakesprivate tours of the wildlife hospital.naming rights sponsors for its newly opened Raptor Recovery Centre.brand exposure on in-venue television screens at the Sanctuarycomplimentary conference room hireSanctuary membershipspromotion to community, government, philanthropic and tourism markets.(Squirrel glider xray. Image Credit: BBWH) Full list of sponsorship benefits listed in the prospectus, here.You can help by jumping on their socials - and who doesn't love cute wildlife shots, and learning a little more about the good things happening in our area:Facebook Instagram Linked In TicToc

Last Thursday, the Lismore App announced the long-awaited removal of the disused rail-over-bridge on Terania Street will be removed in September. Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said the early works are now scheduled to start next week. Locals can expect to see workers on site from next Monday, 26 August establishing a temporary work site, platforms and installing site access. “Once they have the early work done, they’ll start demolition and associated work using machinery to cut and dismantle the bridge, and sort and remove the waste material,” Ms Saffin said. “They’ll then need to restore the road pavement and bring the temporary work areas back to their original condition.” Transport for NSW will letterbox locals today (Tuesday, 20 August) to notify them of planned works. Transport expects the demolition to start mid-September, and the road will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists for around four weeks while the work is carried out, weather permitting. Ms Saffin said Transport for NSW had assured her that every effort would be made to minimise closure periods and further inconvenience motorists and local businesses.“I understand the impact these works will have, but this is the final hurdle to be cleared before we can get Terania Street open without disruption once and for all,” Ms Saffin said. “I’m glad my advocacy efforts have finally paid off, and the community is getting the outcome it wants, needs and deserves.”

Lismore City Council’s Animal Care Facility has just received a $375,000 makeover designed to provide a more comfortable stay for animals as they await adoption.Located at the Recycling & Recovery Facility on Wyrallah Road, East Lismore, what was previously called the pound, had become rundown and a rather depressing place for both animals and staff, Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said.“The upgraded facility, which we are renaming Council’s Animal Care Facility, is an incredible improvement to what was there previously,” he said.“Some may say, they are only dogs, why spend the money? My response is that dogs are man’s and woman’s best friend and deserve to be treated with care and respect.”(Mayor Steve Krieg, Deputy Mayor Jeri Hall and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin officially open Lismore City Council's Animal Care Facility)Work was carried out in six stages and included a new Colourbond Shed to house the refurbished cattery, service/food preparation area and office, refurbished dog kennels and exercise area, a new fit-out of the main office and the installation of a new dog wash bay.Jody Hinds, council's Coordinator of Law Enforcement, described the upgrades."We never really had a very good facility before, but now we do. They've got their own air conditioning. They've got their own little cat towers with hammocks, which is great for them. It's also a better outcome for our dogs. They've got really good epoxy coatings on the floors now, so it's all about protection of the animals, making sure that their disease control is appropriate, and it works out really, really well."We replaced the roof so the sky lighting is actually integrated through the roof, so we don't have to have the lights on. The animals have got natural light. It's a healthier environment for the animals."(Janelle Saffin and Steve Krieg show off part of the new facility)Jody spoke about the public perception that when a cat or dog ends up in the Animal Care Facility, it means an inevitable death sentence."That is not the case. This is the safest place for the animals to be. If they're out roaming, that's not a safe environment for the animals. So, if we have them here, we can carefully look after them, but our whole idea is to get the animals home. That's what we do. We check their microchip in the field. We get them home as soon as possible. We don't want them here. We want to be able to get them home."The key message is, get your animals microchip, get them registered, make sure those details are up to date, and we can get the animals back to you.Another unknown is what you get when you adopt a pet from the Animal Care Facility."What people will be taking home is an animal that's suitable for them and their family. Because we want to break the cycle. We want to make sure that the animals get a forever home. So, we do introductions here on-site. It's like a job interview, really. We want to make sure that they're the right candidate for that animal."They're all desexed, vaccinated, microchip registered, and they go home happy and healthy. Also, there is zero dollars ($0) registration for the life of the pet.The process is that when a cat or dog comes into the Animal Care Facility and is not microchipped, it is there for seven days before it can be put up for adoption. If it is microchipped, it is 14 days."We want to give the owners enough time to basically come forward and collect their animals so we can get them home. But we've had some animals here for quite some months because we want to make sure that we get them to a good home. If we don't get them into a good home, we have our rescue groups. They are amazing. Animal Rights and Rescue Animal Welfare League on the Gold Coast. We drive animals to the Gold Coast just to save them. So it's really important. Our staff is amazing. That's their passion, and that's the sort of lengths that we go to, and our councillors allow us to go to to make sure we're doing the right thing by the animals."The upgrade was funded under the State Government’s Local Government Recovery Grants (Floods) – Highly Impacted Councils - Companion Animals Support program. Council gave Animal Rights and Rescue in South Lismore $10,000 of total grant to upgrade its facilities.State Member for Lismore and NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin welcomed the NSW Government’s $375,000 investment to upgrade Lismore City Council’s Animal Care Facility in East Lismore under the Local Government Recovery Grants – Companion Animals program.“This is such a worthwhile project and another example of the NSW Government and Council working together for what is a much-improved community facility,” Ms Saffin said.“It is a major boost for everyone who loves and cares for our companion animals. I’m also glad that the Animal Rights and Rescue Group in South Lismore received $10,000 of the grant total towards new animal enclosures.”If you want to adopt a cat or dog for your family, the Lismore City Council Facebook page puts up regular photos and descriptions of the pets available.There were only two animals in the new facility, Sooty, a young black cat and a new Staffordshire Bull Terrier looking dog.(Janelle Saffin inside the new cat facility complete with airconditioning and cat hammocks)As Councillor Jeri Hall said, "Adopt before you shop."

My name is Dr Luke Robinson, and I work as a specialist Emergency Physician at Lismore Base Hospital. It is my great pleasure to present on The Greens ticket for the upcoming Local Government Elections, 14 September 2024. In many occupations and vocations, the human interactions are as important as the technical challenges we face, and my job is no exception. Get the human stuff right, and the technical stuff becomes much less challenging. Being able to work with colleagues as a team, often in high-pressure situations, is critical. Listening to each other’s perspectives, valuing each other’s knowledge, experience and respective roles, is essential to providing the best care we can for our patients. Perhaps most importantly, we need to listen to and advocate for patients and their loved ones, and take on the challenge of communicating often technically complicated or emotionally difficult information with clarity and empathy. On a broader level, I believe it is important to ensure we provide care and respect to all, irrespective of their wealth or income, gender or sexuality, ethnicity or culture, social circumstances or age, and look out for the interests of our broader community as well as each individual we provide care to.My first university degree was in science, and I worked for some years in medical research, where my respect for the ability of science, rational enquiry and debate to improve peoples' lives was further deepened. However, along with a growing passion for social justice, I became hungry for more face-to-face contact to help people more directly, and thus set off on the long road to becoming a doctor, first studying medicine and then completing many further years of training to specialise as an Emergency Physician. As a junior doctor, I spent much of my time in the Northern Territory, whose First Peoples, there as elsewhere in Australia, still suffer both in body and spirit from our colonisation. However they also demonstrate incredible resilience and warmth, and taught me much about the importance of our connection to each other and to Country. Here now, on Bundjalung country, I continue to believe strongly in the importance of this connection and the provision of high-quality, free public health care, indeed all public services, to all Australians, wherever they live.I love the way being a good doctor requires you use both your head and your heart – medicine is both a science and and art. I feel that in many ways, similar skills and passion are required to be a good community representative on council. One needs to be able to take in and evaluate many different sources of information and opinions while balancing competing priorities or values. You need to be timely yet thorough, interact with empathy and respect, and communicate clearly. And you need to be a good team player, keeping your eye on the ball – representing the community you are there to serve.However, in my observation, too often our council, like our federal and state parliaments, has descended into an egotistical, childish, winner-takes-all mentality. Debate, if it happens at all, is often performative rather than deliberative, and taking on other's good ideas and compromise seen as a defeat, a dilution of one's brand, rather than a mark of maturity and a victory for democracy. We should instead aim for a cooperative endeavour where we put our egos aside, listen and debate respectfully, openly compromising where required, for the long-term good of our whole community and the natural world that is our home, rather than just representing short-term and narrow sectional interests. Cr Vanessa Grindon-Ekins, in her time as Mayor, demonstrated leadership in this respect by bringing a conflicted Council into harmony and restoring its ability to serve our community. Later, I was further inspired by Cr Adam Guise's motion seeking a community-led visioning process post flood, in order for the community to decide where and how we rebuild and relocate. Sadly, this was crippled by the current majority, and we are now left in a poorer situation waiting on outsiders to decide our fates.Indeed, it has been said that our council needs a “strong team” consisting of “a group that has got a majority” rather than a “fragmented council”. This is an old, lazy trope of Australian politics that only serves the interest of the major parties, or in the case of Lismore City Council, the narrow interests of certain so-called “independents” who consistently vote as a block, and are obviously not “independent”. The message I consistently hear from our community, and believe in strongly myself, is that our strength lies in our diversity and ability to work together, not in simple majoritarian rule. Respectful debate, working together and, where possible, building consensus is not easy, but it creates much more inclusive and enduring solutions to the challenges we face than just going for the quick vote.Always a country person, I grew up in rural Victoria, and my partner and I now live in the beautiful wilds of Whian Whian where we are part of a vibrant community that cares deeply for and works hard to restore the Big Scrub rainforest. We settled in the Northern Rivers because this place is so special - it is stunningly beautiful and unique, it has a rich Bundjalung heritage and culture, and a wonderfully diverse community. As a musician and poet, I was attracted to the incredible concentration of artistic talent in this region. And yet people here remain unpretentious and down-to-earth, and as demonstrated in 2022, gritty and resilient. Together with my fellow progressive councillors, I look forward to being a representative for this community on a rejuvenated Council that truly cares for all its people and this special part of the world we are privileged to call home.So if you'd like to see me and other Greens on Council, on September 14 Vote 1 Greens above the line for Council, and Vote 1 Vanessa Grindon-Ekins for Mayor.To find out more about Lismore Greens, or support our campaign, visit https://greensoncouncil.org.au/lismore/