The Bureau of Meteorology has said the risk of Minor Flooding in Lismore has now eased."Forecast rainfall totals for the remainder of Wednesday into early Thursday morning have now eased across the Wilsons catchment, Minor flooding at Lismore is no longer expected.""No further flooding is expected in the Wilsons River.""The Wilsons River at Lismore (AHD) will remain below the minor flood level (4.20 m) overnight Wednesday into Thursday."Currently, the flood level in Lismore is 1.47m and steady.Since 9am, only 2mm has fallen at the Lismore Airport and in the catchment, Goonengerry recorded 10mm, Repentance 11mm, Nimbin 2mm and Terania Creek 4mm.As the weather system slowly moves south, there is the chance of a shower tomorrow with only the potential of 1mm tomorrow and Friday.More good news, the weekend will be sunny with 27 degrees expected on Saturday and 23 degrees on Sunday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a renewed Minor Flood Warning for the Wilsons River during Thursday. Although the forecast heavy falls have not eventuated in Lismore to this point, the catchments have recorded 28mm in Goonengerry and 25mm at Repentance. Rainfall for the remainder of Wednesday into Thursday may cause renewed river level rises across the Wilsons catchment, following an initial peak during Tuesday. Depending on where the heaviest falls occur, river levels may reach near the minor flood level during Thursday, with forecast rainfall.This situation is being closely monitored, and warnings will be updated as necessary.A Flood Watch is current for parts of the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast of New South Wales.Wilsons River:Renewed minor flooding is possible along the Wilsons River.Renewed rises near the minor flood level (4.20 metres) are possible along the Wilsons River at Lismore (AHD) during Thursday. At 11:44am, the river level in Lismore was 2.15m.Flood Safety Advice:In life threatening emergencies, call 000 (triple zero) immediately. If you require rescue, assistance to evacuate or other emergency help, ring NSW SES on 132 500.* Avoid drowning. Stay out of rising water, seek refuge in the highest available place.* Prevent damage to your vehicle. Move it under cover, away from areas likely to flood.* Avoid being swept away. Stay out of fast-flowing creeks and storm drains.* Never drive, ride or walk through flood water. Flood water can be deceptive and dangerous.For more emergency information, advice, and access to the latest river heights and rainfall observations and forecasts:* NSW SES: www.ses.nsw.gov.au* RMS Live Traffic: www.livetraffic.com* Latest River Heights and Rainfall Observations: www.bom.gov.au/nsw/flood/northcoast.shtml* Latest NSW Warnings: www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings/* Rainfall Forecasts: www.bom.gov.au/australia/meteye/* BOM NSW Twitter: www.twitter.com/BOM_NSWYou can easily stay up to date, through the Lismore App's direct links to the Bureau of Meteorology Weather, including warnings and the Weather Radar.

Last night was the final time that four councillors would be sitting in council chambers participating in debate and voting on a particular item on the agenda to benefit the Lismore community.It should be noted that Councillor (Cr) Vanessa Ekins is running for mayor in the upcoming council elections but is not running as a councillor candidate. If she does not become mayor, Cr Ekins will retire.Mayor Steve Krieg introduced a Mayoral Minute where the outgoing councillors could talk about their time serving the community in a way or recognising their term as Lismore City Councillors."This is probably the most relentless and unrewarding job anyone could put their hand up for, especially considering the amount of remuneration that is offered to do this work. And so it was actually based in and around Councilor Ekins having the opportunity to speak to this after 20 years of being in the chamber. But it's it's not the time that you spend here, it's the effort that you put in. And whether you're a one-term councillor or a two-term councillor, or in councillor Ekins's term, if my maths is correct, a five-term councillor, everyone who has decided not to contest the election on September 14 deserves a level of recognition."COUNCILLOR PETER COLBY"I'd like to say I'm the one-termer. When I came into this council as a one-termer, I always agreed with Steve when I joined that I would be a one-termer, and then I decided, after looking at Joe Biden and being 76 years of age, there was time not to go any further, because I started to lose names, and I started to decide whether the decisions I was making were right or wrong."It has been a learning curve for me. I came out of a corporate world that basically totally restructured differently and operated differently. It was a real eye-opener. I can see the challenges, and I can see the issues that everybody faces on a day to day basis."I generally congratulate everybody, because it's the dynamics in the room are interesting. I also believe that the outcome is questioned by the design of how the system works, and I think you're dealing with a system that is probably a little bit archaic, but it needs to be able to be driven so that it actually gives proper outcomes."What I saw in the three years that I was here, and particularly with the floods, everybody realised what the role of the councillors were. It wasn't necessarily actively involved, but it was an interface into the community during the flood period, and was limited in its ability to be involved. Hence, we saw the issue of the Reconstruction Authority coming into play."It was very engaging, and I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the dynamics. I struggled with some of the issues of governance that I came from big corporations, where they had boards that were designed for outcomes, where, in a lot of cases, councillors are actually coming into this, bringing their ideologies and what ideas they'd like to bring forward to the community, which is different with respect to a company that's got outcomes are designed to make profits and to move forward."I'd like to congratulate everybody here in the room for having what I consider a very tolerant time, and it had its dynamics. I enjoyed it, although sometimes I wondered why I was sitting here and nodding off to sleep. I should have been in bed at 70 years of age. But, at the end of the day, I'd just like to thank everybody for the time and the effort they put into my time here and made it welcoming; even though I didn't have any idea half the time what was being talked about, I enjoyed it. Thank you."COUNCILLOR DARLENE COOK"I think representing the diverse communities of our LGA is a great honour and a privilege. I've been doing that for now eight years. I've tried my best. I think I've done a reasonable job. I hope so, anyway. There have been a number of people who recently contacted me with messages of goodwill, knowing I'm leaving the council. So maybe I ticked a few boxes and advocated for a few people, and they were happy with me. Those who aren't happy with me also expressed their opinions quite often on social media, but there you go."Local Government was a passion I got in my teens when my local council started a youth council, and I was one of the representatives of my school on that council for a year, and it opened up the world of global government. They weren't just roads, rates and rubbish, they were so much more. And although we viewed the council from a teenager's perspective, not a ratepayer's perspective, it was really exciting. It was interesting what was happening out there."Admittedly, it took me another 50 years to get around to putting my hand up to go and run in 2016, but it was a great move. It shocked quite a few people and raised quite a few eyebrows because I was always the quiet person in the background. My partner was the public political figure. So there was quite a few people thought, oh, that's challenging you to get out of your comfort zone, isn't it Cookie? Well, it did, and I still write voluminous notes on absolutely everything I want to say, so I don't stuff up and go, Oh, f, which I have done once. But anyway, these things happen, don't they?"One of my big passions on coming on to council was the finances of Council, audit, internal controls and so forth. I was quite surprised that this council had no internal audit function, had no risk management function. So championing the audit risk and improvement committee's creation in the early years of the last term was something I really worked towards. I need to thank John Hartley and his team for their patience in answering lots and lots of questions from me over the years."There's a couple of things I've been really proud of. One was, as an openly gay woman and a well-known activist in Lismore, it was a really proud moment for me and my LGBTIQA community to get council to confirm their commitment for marriage equality in 2017 and to fly the rainbow flag over chambers. That sent a message through the gay community in this area, which is the highest per capita gay community outside of Sydney, that this council was embracing and including the gay community into the mainstream. It's a far cry from what it was 40 years earlier when this council debated getting me run out of town, but the world changes."There's a really emotional moment. It was actually at Rous County Council, the meeting the day the plebiscite was announced, and I walked into Rous, and my colleagues had bought bottles of champagne to celebrate. That was really big."One thing I'm really proud of is during the drought of 2019, working with Greg Bennett to bring an urgent motion to this council to join Richmond River and Kyogle Council in sending low loaders with hay and water tankers out to drought-stricken farmers at Glenn Innes and Inverell. There was a really big convoy from the three councils taking water and hay out to the farmers."There's one example where councils can look out for communities beyond our own borders, and that help we gave them was repaid so generously in 2022 in our hour of need when communities across Australia and councils across Australia sent us help. It's just part of that local government family and networks that we can all work together and that we can all share each other's burdens and we can help out when it's needed."Like Councillor Ekins, I am saddened that some lot of opportunities have not come to fruition in this term of Council. I think after the floods, what was being looked for was unity, unity of purpose, 11 people compromising on our individual philosophies and ideas and coming together to represent our community and advocate for our community from a position of strength and common vision. And that hasn't happened. We've had pretty well documented disunity, mixed, confused communication, no real vision and a lot of disrespect for each other, for our staff and for our community."The mayor asked us at the beginning of each meeting that we reflect on our role in this chamber and look about working together for the betterment of our community, but we've seen chambers meetings become stressful, aggressively argumentative, constantly disrupted, and it's become, at times, in my opinion, an unsafe workplace for councillors and especially for our staff. And that's the reason I'm not running for a third term."My best wishes to those of you who are going to have a go and put your hands up again; well done. I hope the new council is a more peaceful and collaborative entity. I offer my heartfelt thanks to the staff for their support and advice over the years, especially to Bronwyn Bishop and to Christine for unfailing good-humoured help. And to the most important man in the building, the guy who kept us fed every Tuesday night for the last eight years, thank you to Brian Moss. Cheers guys.COUNCILLOR ELLY BIRD"What a hard act to follow. I'm going to do that thing that I often do, which is get up and talk unprepared but with passion. Sometimes people in this community have given me nicknames because of the emotion that I bring into this chamber, but I serve my community with heart. I've always brought that to this realm, I bring it to everything that I do in this community. And there have been times in this chamber when I've been particularly impacted by decisions that we've made. Perhaps I've learnt along the way to be a bit stronger and to realise that the collective impact of the decisions that we make together over a period of time can, you know, roll with the ones that you lose and celebrate the ones that you win."I remember when I was first elected, I was so enthusiastic. I was so excited to be elected to council because I felt like we were on the brink of a renewable energy revolution, and we were going to strive forward and do great things. And then we got that massive flood five months later, at the beginning of this term. I remember sitting in this room with all of the new councillors, and we had a bit of a sharing circle about how we felt coming into a new term of Council. I clearly remember saying in that forum, we have challenging times ahead of us because climate change is here. We live in a disaster risk hot spot, and we are going to get smashed by more disasters. Our challenge is going to be how we work together to navigate those challenges that we have before us, how we work together in times of incredible duress, how we overcome our philosophical differences, how we overcome our ideologies and work together in the best interests of our community."I really think that our challenge at local government is to try to always think about the forest and not get distracted by the trees. So often, we're running into these little saplings, and there's all this stuff in front of us that gets in the way of thinking about the bigger picture, thinking about the long-term vision, about how we can think about and care for our community moving forward, 20, 40 years in advance. That's the challenge for local government, for all governments at all levels."I think we do ourselves a great disservice if we ignore the fact that climate change is here. It's real. It's happening. We're going to see more disasters at the scale of the bush fires, of the floods. We're going to see more, and I think it's beholden on local governments, on all governments, to plan rapidly and effectively for those changes that are here in our community, and that's what I've always brought to this chamber."That said, I've learnt a lot about financial, fiscal responsibility, about good sound money management. And I remember again, in the early days of my term, sitting with the then-general manager who said to me, well, Councillor Bird, what do you want your legacy project to be? And I was like, we've just had a briefing on Fit for the Future. I want my legacy to be good, sound, financial management, which felt very strange because it wasn't like, where's your youth centre, or where's your skate park, or where's your art gallery. It was financial management. I wanted to leave this council in a better financial position than I found it."I think that incrementally, I have stuck to that in terms of my decision-making, and I feel like we're in a slightly better place. It's earned me unenviable nicknames at times. I'm very pleased not to carry Rate Rise Elly into my future, and I hereby hand it with good grace to Steve. Welcome, Rate Rise Steve to the chamber and to the campaign."I wouldn't do it any other way. I would not change anything. It's been an absolute privilege and an absolute honour to serve this community. To work with all of the good staff, who do such an amazing job guiding this council, dealing with us, supporting us, responding to us, and all of the good councillors that I've had the great privilege of working with over the years as well. Some of your strongest allies can come from the other side of the political fence, and I think that's worth remembering. You don't always know who your best colleagues are going to be when you walk into this chamber. And if you work together respectfully, share information, share ideas, have respectful engagement before the matter comes to the chamber, I think you're very well positioned to move forward in a collaborative way. In a way where you have come to an agreed position that everyone can feel slightly happy with."And I think, imagine if, imagine if we could have a council that worked collaboratively, that works together for the best possible interests of our community, regardless of if we see things slightly differently. So, all the best to you, Mr Mayor, and your campaign, all the best to you, Councillor Ekins, in your campaign and everyone else that's re-standing, and best of luck in the next year."COUNCILLOR VANESSA EKINS"Well, first, I'd like to commend, particularly Councilors Bird and Cook for their dedication and hard work and their excellent speeches in the chamber over the years. It's a tough gig. And, I'd like to reflect really, Mr. Mayor, on the actual role of councillors, which is to represent the community. That's our role. And I was speaking to a business downtown who said they'd complain to council for six months about getting the light on the awning outside their business working. And they spoke to me, and I put in a council request, and followed up, and a week later, the light was fixed. Now that is representation councillors."But seriously, the other thing that councillors do is conduct business. Conduct the business of council in the chamber, and that involves reading documents. Sometimes, we have four 200-page documents that we need to read. There's a lot of reading."Networking with the community is another big part of our role, site visits and also to consider the expert advice of our staff. I have to say that we've had some really terrific staff over the 20 years who put in a lot of work and are open to the odd phone call and putting in a request for assistance with a notice of motion. Bronwyn is at the end of that telephone and email often. So, I actually would like to express a lot of thanks for all the support of staff and the hard work, and sometimes the invisible work that they do, but they take their jobs really seriously and councillors appreciate that."The other thing councillors that we're supposed to do is debate matters in the chamber, and one of the reasons for that is so that the public can observe the decision being made and actually see respectful interactions occur in this area and a view being articulated. We're supposed to express different views and come to a decision based on what we've read, the advice we've been given, what our community wants and what we hear in this room. And I have to say, I've been pretty disappointed by the lack of debate in this term of Council. It's not just a matter of putting your hands up, councillors. It's actually a matter of formulating an argument and respectful and transparent decision-making."It's been pretty uninspiring, actually, and ineffective, but I just like to remind you all that the purpose of being here is to work together to get outcomes for our community, and that this room is part of how we do that and airing our views respectfully, taking into consideration all of that information that we have is critical to that role.Mayor Krieg ended the outgoing councillor reflections by thanking the councillors."You have served your community with integrity and with honour and with passion and certainly won't be forgotten. I've certainly learned a lot from each of you over the last three-odd years, and your contributions will not go unnoticed and unrecognised. So, thank you to our councillors who have put themselves in a very unenviable position. It's not easy being in the public eye, and you've done it with grace and with dignity. All the very best to you, and thank you on behalf of the people of Lismore."

The competition was fierce at the Lismore Showground yesterday when teams from primary and secondary schools across Lismore came together to battle it out with bottle rockets.Strategy and design is the aim of the game as students learn engineering skills in aerodynamics and physics as well as making the rockets in the lead up to the competition. A STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) initiative, the coordinators were very pleased with the second iteration of the competition.  Karen Ramsay, awarded last week for her excellent service to the region in her work as a STEM project officer, said “We’re doing something pretty good here, the kids are all engaged.   “They've done so much learning beforehand about forces and aerodynamics. It’s taught at all different levels, too, and everyone can access it, which is really good.“It's our public system at work.”The atmosphere was festive as the children discussed tactics, fine tuned their rockets, with one team making a contingency rocket when theirs got accidentally smashed the day before.“Well, you have to make it a little bit aerodynamic. So you have to make sure the cone is straight, and it's nice and pointy, and the fins are all the same length,” Ariel and Willow from Dunoon Public School explains.Benji, Harlan and Ryan from Wyrallah Road Public School called their rocket Grass Breaker and used a different tactic. They had a blade of grass embedded in its nose, “for luck”.Three boys from Modenville Public School had their rocket, “Scotland Forever”, attached to the rocket launcher, ready to go. (Archie, James and Loki with Scotland Forever)Archie, James and Loki explained their rockets name.“Just because it was funny and one of Archie’s grandparents had Scottish heritage.” Their rocket made an impressive flight, landing with its nose dug into the dirt. The kids retrieved their rocket, marking its location. The idea is they then make improvements to their design and try and better their distance.  “I want to cut the nose off and make it more rounded because that's all the high schoolers have done, and they've got really far. It looks like 80 metres.”("Scotland Forever" ready for launch, skyward and dug in at its landing point)Little did they know that High schoolers use 3D printing to make their rounded nose cones. But they got the point and were asking themselves why the high schoolers got better distance.Lismore High students explained their strategy. “Bottle rockets are pressured with compressed air, and they will fly because of the water bursting out - and we made them aerodynamic," Damien said.Braden and Sophie chime in; “The tilt of the fins allows for it to spin or not go either direction. So you don't want to have too much spin and not too much weight, but you also don't want it to be too light.”(Lismore High School Students, including Damien, Braden and Sophie gathered around to show us their rockets)Jay, a teacher from Lismore High School, spoke of the engineering principles important to year 7 and 8 students and explained some of the variables the kids use to get better results. Water quantity being the adjustable factor to measure differences on the day of the competition.“They're getting massive differences in the flight distances at every trial. “The competition has lifted. We did this a year or two ago, and one was doing really well, and everyone else was a ways behind. “But now we've got better teaching methods, and we are working with CADCAM packages like Google SketchUp software. “So now the designing is getting much better, and we can mock things up quickly with the 3D printers. We're getting more competition out on the field now. “And the kids are having a great time mingling between schools. The whole concept is bringing more excitement for the kids.”(The rocket is in the top left corner)The field was littered with markers by the end, but there could be only one winner. The final outcome:Primary school winnersEli, Quinn and Franklin from Dunoon Public School romped in their win with a distance of 55.5m.High school winners Caelan and Fred from Richmond River High trounced the previous record with a distance of 115.5m, breaking the previous record by 23m!

The final Lismore City Council meeting for this term occurred last night before the election of eleven new councillors on Saturday, September 14.Mayor Steve Krieg put forward a Mayoral Minute so outgoing councillors Darlene Cook, Elly Bird, and Peter Colby could make farewell speeches. Councillor (Cr) Vanessa Ekins will not be standing for council, but will be standing for Mayor at the next election and did speak. You can read the farewell speeches later today on the Lismore App.Before her departure from the chamber Cr Bird put forward a motion where council would adopt a flood planning level of the 0.2% AEP design flood event (1 in 500-year probability) + 500mm freeboard. Currently, the DCP is the national standard, which is 1% AEP (1 in 100-year probability) + 500mm freeboard + climate change.Cr Bird made the point that the DCP (Development Control Plans) had not been updated after the 2022 flood, in fact, it was a debated issue before the 2017 flood, leaving developers with no clear guidance about what commercial businesses they can and cannot build in various parts of Lismore and South Lismore.Shaun Stead, a well-known Lismore entrepreneur, has farming, residential and commercial interests. Shaun was a public speaker at last night's council meeting and said he wants to build a new Early Childhood Learning Centre at his 3,800 square metre commercial building in South Lismore. It sits at approximately 12.6 metres and had never been flooded before February 28 2022.Shaun said that if the new Draft DCP was approved, his floor would need to be raised to 13.83 metres, which was unrealistic for such a large commercial building size. He was also confused by the different colours that appeared in the DCP maps when he looked at his building. There was three differing colours indicating different heights."It really is the economic driver for Lismore. This is where we build unique equipment. We keep the farming sector operational and the apprentices, this is where they get trained. This cannot be understated in its importance," Shaun said about South Lismore.The uncertainty was a point not lost on Cr Bird."What we have is, we have people who want to undertake development who do not have the guidance that they require before they embark along the very expensive process of development, planning and consideration. The requirements of our staff are clear. They're legislated in state legislation that council staff have to consider a revised flood planning height, regardless of what's in our DCP. So, my understanding is that if a developer approaches Council and has planned something based on our existing DCP, staff then have to go through a very lengthy, very confusing, very complex process with those developers to actually explain that there's all of these other maps, there's all this other information, there's all this other modelling that council has available to it, that the planners have to consider."In adopting a revised DCP, we put that information in front of the public so that they can make decisions before they go too far down the path of bringing a development to Council. That's what the draft DCP does. It doesn't prevent or block all development in the floodplain. It merely provides guidance. It's best practice planning."To have that information front and centre and available, publicly available to people when they're making decisions. Yes, new development would need to have a flood floor height above the flood planning level, which is slightly revised. It's definitely not as high as the 2022 but you'll note that in the DCP, there are very sensible suggestions, such as refuge that is above the 2022 levels. So, the DCP also puts in place risk management factors. It puts in place requirements for development to have consideration for the possibility that another 2022, flood may happen."Cr Rob was one councillor who wanted to wait until the CSIRO released their full report at the end of June 2025 before updating the DCP."The certainty at the moment is that we know what we have. We know what the rules are. We know that the levels are there. We know the risk. We live through the risk. And as we heard, not only did South Lismore get going pretty quickly, they led our recovery by a long way."Cr Jensen agreed with the comments made by Cr Rob and said this is a decision that should be made by the new council.Cr Guise spoke about the uncertainty as well and the conversation that still needs to be had with the community about what businesses will do on the floodplain given there is some depopulation of residents.Cr Ekins said the DCP has not been updated since 2012, and that was based on modelling from over 20 years ago."Personally, I think we need to remove houses from the flood plain, and I'd really consider carefully the kind of commercial and industrial infrastructure we put there now," Cr Ekins said.The votes to adopt the Draft DCP was 5/5, with Cr Hall dropping out via video link. Mayor Krieg used his deciding vote to defeat the motion.There was a Foreshadowed motion put forward by Cr Rob, which was point three of Cr Bird's original motion, "Directs staff to consider what funding options exist to expand flood modelling beyond the urban area and across the LGA, using CSIRO data, and provide a report to the new Council that outlines these funding options, in the next term."The vote to support the motion was unanimous.The State Government recently announced they will hold a Drug Summit, over four days, with two days in regional NSW starting in October and the other two in Sydney in December. Cr Guise put forward a motion that council 'Write to Premier Chris Minns MP, the Minister for Health Ryan Park MP and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin and request that one day of the recently announced Drug Summit be held in Lismore'. The motion was seconded by Cr Gordon, which in itself was a first for this term of council.Lismore's large drug problem was mentioned, as was the Ice Inquiry visiting Lismore. Staff said, "This Summit can be used as a catalyst for meaningful change in order to bring long-overdue law reform and better treatment services to our region" in the business paper.Cr Guise said, "A summit such as this would reinforce those things that our own social justice and crime prevention committee made recommendations on, and those were things around having a dedicated drug and Koori courts for our area. The issue of needing many more beds in Residential Rehabilitation Services, and particularly a detox for youth, would be well deserved."The vote was unanimous.South Lismore will be allowed to have Outdoor Dining along the shopfront after it was unanimously agreed to by councillors last night.Council resolved at its November 2020 meeting to adopt the NSW Outdoor Dining Policy and accompanying User Guide for the entire local government area (LGA). Council then resolved at its August 2022 meeting to adopt the Outdoor Dining Local Street Guide; however, the Local Street Guide does not allow for outdoor dining to be located along the shop front. In South Lismore, the parking is rear to kerb, posing a risk to dining customers. The staff recommendation was to amend the Outdoor Dining Local Street Guide to allow dining along the shopfront. Think of the South Lismore Bakery on Union Street.An amendment was put forward by Cr Ekins, which was defeated and followed by a unanimous vote to accept the recommendation.In other council votes, New England Lane (near Carrington Street) is to be renamed Volpato Lane after Cr Rob's motion to change was carried. The vote was against council staff's recommendation as it is "not considered to meet the guidelines for road renaming". The change of name now goes out for Public Consultation before it can be officially changed by notifying the relevant government bodies.The fate of the Lismore Airport was spoken about during questions about Council's Delivery program.Cr Rob asked for an update from Chief Operating Officer Brendan Logan, who said, "From my perspective, I've come to the end of the road to where we can accept a $700,000 loss every year on an asset. We have to do something, whether it's upgrading the pavement, having 737s, whether it's becoming a training school, whether it could be a range of different things. "I see it as a massive opportunity. We've recently recruited someone into Council reporting to me, to directly focus on that. They have KPIs about turning the airport into whatever it is, but those things will come back to this chamber. It won't be done by the operational staff. So there's now going to be a deliberate focus on making sure that 75% turns into 100%, and that is to stop carrying a $700,000 loss."The next Lismore City Council meeting will be held in October following the election of eleven new councillors on Saturday, September 14.

As short-term rental (STR) popularity continues to grow, housing costs are rising beyond the reach of many people, according to a new report.The report, by Grounded Community Land Trust Advocacy, found that Airbnb investors returns far exceed traditional property investors, with returns 118 per cent higher across a number of global cities including Berlin, Barcelona, Vancouver, London, LA, Paris and Sydney.This has led to a situation where local residents are struggling to find stable and affordable housing, the report said, which is having a knock-on effect on the social fabric of communities.Karl Fitzgerald, managing director of Grounded Community Land Trust Advocacy, said: "As returns rise for Airbnb investors, local residents struggle to find stable and affordable housing, impacting the social fabric of communities and perpetuating inequality."The report found that in red hot zones such as Berlin and Barcelona, the earnings potential for Airbnb owners was significantly higher, with gross short-term rental earnings 201 per cent and 171 per cent higher than long-term rentals.This, the report said, has fuelled a surge in the number of active Airbnb listings, which are currently running at a rate of 5.6 per cent per annum.On a local level, a quick Google of Airbnb properties in Lismore for a week-long stay in early October found 972 places in Lismore.They varied from rooms to rent with one-owner occupants to farm stays and guest houses or guest suites. Two houses, one in East Lismore is asking $1,432 for the week, while a townhouse in Girards Hill is $1,887.Mr Fitzgerald said: "The impact of such returns on housing supply shows up in the growth of active listings running at 5.6 per cent per annum. This was guided by a modest 3 per cent income growth across 337,500 STRs. No wonder workers have to pay a small fortune in rent whilst commuting hours to work."The report's authors have called for a cap on the number of Airbnb listings in order to combat the problem and redirect the profits towards the creation of permanently affordable community housing units.

Time is running out for NSW farmers to report their livestock numbers and agricultural land use before the annual land and stock return portal closes on 31 August.Local Land Services Executive Director Regional Delivery Rob Kelly said around 170,000 land managers were taking part in the 2024 farm census.“This is the last chance farmers have to lodge returns before the reporting portal closes,” Mr Kelly said.“We are encouraging all ratepayers to take the opportunity to lodge their return to help protect NSW farming and agriculture.“These returns are important and help us put together a picture of what agricultural land is being used for and where livestock are across NSW.“This helps us shape the support we offer land managers during disasters and if there was a biosecurity outbreak in NSW.“Understanding what landholders use their land for also plays a role influencing the fit-for-purpose services we deliver to our NSW farming customers.”Completing returns is an easy process, with two options available:submit returns online via www.lls.nsw.gov.au/aslrReturn the paper form via mail or to a Local Land Services office. Mr Kelly said it was important all landholders completed their annual land and stock return even if they carried no livestock.“Everyone needs to do their annual land and stock return to avoid unnecessary fees,” he said.“The Animal Health and Meat Industry Levy is automatically applied to their next rates notice if they fail to complete their return.”For more information, visit www.lls.nsw.gov.au/aslr or phone a Local Land Services office on 1300 795 299.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued another Minor Flood Warning for the Wilsons River.The Wilsons River peaked at 4.22 metres earlier today and has dropped below minor flood level (4.2m) currently sitting at 4.06m at 3:30pm.The moderate to heavy rainfall from late Sunday has raised river and creek levels across the Wilsons catchment. Further rainfall is forecast from this evening (Tuesday) into Wednesday, which may cause renewed minor flooding during Thursday at Lismore.The Bureau of Meteorology said the situation is being closely monitored, and warnings will be updated as necessary.A Flood Watch is current for parts of the Northern Rivers, including the Richmond Rover.The Bureau is still forecasting 15 to 50mm on its website; however, as reported earlier, there may be rainfall in excess of 100mm in the next 24 hours, which could also lead to some flash flooding. (Update: 20-70mm at 5:33pm)The following areas may be impacted by dangerous floodwaters:Hensley Car Park next to Sportspower near Fawcett’s Bridge  Lower Rowing Club Car ParkBridge St next to McKenzie Park in North Lismore  Orion St near Simes BridgeLow-lying minor roads and bridgesLow-lying farming and rural areas  Low-lying areas along the RiverFlood Safety Advice:In life threatening emergencies, call 000 (triple zero) immediately. If you require rescue, assistance to evacuate or other emergency help, ring NSW SES on 132 500.* Avoid drowning. Stay out of rising water, seek refuge in the highest available place.* Prevent damage to your vehicle. Move it under cover, away from areas likely to flood.* Avoid being swept away. Stay out of fast-flowing creeks and storm drains.* Never drive, ride or walk through flood water. Flood water can be deceptive and dangerous.For more emergency information, advice, and access to the latest river heights and rainfall observations and forecasts:* NSW SES: www.ses.nsw.gov.au* RMS Live Traffic: www.livetraffic.com* Latest River Heights and Rainfall Observations: www.bom.gov.au/nsw/flood/northcoast.shtml* Latest NSW Warnings: www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings/* Rainfall Forecasts: www.bom.gov.au/australia/meteye/* BOM NSW Twitter: www.twitter.com/BOM_NSW

The weather system moving down the coast from Queensland is going to have a larger impact on Lismore and the Northern Rivers.Superintendent (Supt) Scott McLennan from the NSW SES Eastern Zone said we can expect widespread falls of over 100mm over the next 24 to 48 hours."We are expecting another rain band to come through tonight, with higher flood warnings and higher rainfall totals. So, we could expect over 100 mm over the next 24 to 48 hours in and around the region, and there could be further dumps as well. "We're asking people just to take precautions now, while the weather is fairly calm, get your provisions, check your gutters, check your systems, make sure that you know what your emergency plan is. if you have to travel over the next 24 or 48 hours, really revise whether that travel is necessary, particularly as that rain does start to come down tonight."When asked if Lismore could see the flood level increase from minor to moderate, Supt McLennan said we just have to wait and see what happens with the rainfall.(Supt Scott McLennan addresses the media in Goonellabah earlier today) "We are watching and watching the gauges and working with our flood wardens right throughout the catchment to ensure that we are capturing as much information as quickly and as successfully as possible," he said. Depending on where the rain falls, there is a chance of flash flooding this afternoon and tonight."The levee is quite strong and successful. The challenge with flash flooding is whether the rain falls inside the levee or outside the levee. We're asking people if they're in and around levee systems. The levy keeps the water out, but when there's rain on the inside of the levee, that's flash flooding. So, really be prepared."For Lismore, that includes the usual spots like Brewster Street, the Dawson/Woodlark Street roundabout and Pitt Street in North Lismore. In terms of preparation for this event, the NSW SES is working with all their emergency service partners."We are establishing and positioning ourselves in our known hot spots to ensure that the community is safe. We're working with the community to ensure that our community action teams, our flood wardens, our news partners, and all of our partners throughout the region are well stocked, well prepared, and are ready for what's coming.""All of our teams have undertaken significant training right throughout the region. We have more flood techs, more boats, more life jackets. We are very well prepared, as well as our agencies and our partner agencies, and we have been exercising these types of scenarios, positioning us to be in the best position we are today to ensure that community is safe."A second weather system means more sleepless nights for SES staff and volunteers. They have already participated in 133 incidents in the North Eastern Zone in the last 24 hours. Unfortunately, three of those were flood rescues where vehicles had tried to drive through flood waters."Everyone was successfully extricated and were put to safety, which is great," Supt McLennan said, "However, it highlights that people are driving through flood waters, and those three areas are well-known areas, one in Ballina, one in Bexhill, and one in Corndale. It puts not only themselves at risk, their families at risk, but also puts us and our volunteers at risk."While the weather is calm, Supt McLennan said we should prepare ourselves to prevent being rescued."Be prepared. Take action now, clean your gutters, and don't drive through flood water. We're asking people, please, when there's water across the road, do not drive, walk, or play in flood water."The weather system is expected to pass on Thursday.The next Bureau of Meteorology flood warning will be released at about 3:30 this afternoon. "The best way to find out information is to download the Hazards Near Me app and ensure that you have your watch zones adequately set to ensure that you get the most localised consequential information for your location."

Lismore has recorded its first flood in nearly two years, as the level at the Lismore gauge rose above 4.2 metres to 4.21 at 8:42 this morning.Yesterday's heavy rainfall in the catchments (Goonengerry 230mm, Corndale 180mm, Repentance 226mm, Terania Creek 168mm, Dunoon 186mm, Nimbin 123mm) took a long time to reach Lismore as the rainfall eased last night.The last minor flood was recorded on the 24th of October 2022 when the gauge reached 6.64 metres, under the 7.2m Moderate Flood Level.Sarah Scully, a senior meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology said the persistent rain is being driven by a combination of three different atmospheric factors."We've got an onshore flow that's bringing a lot of moisture from the tropical Pacific Ocean from Queensland and northern New South Wales. And then we've got a coastal trough near the state border that's enhancing that rainfall. And then on top of that, we've got an upper-level low pressure system over Queensland, and that's helping to amplify or create really unstable conditions, resulting in these really extensive and persistent rainfalls."This entire system is quite slow-moving, and the rain is expected to continue throughout the day, particularly about the Queensland coast, and then we start to ease off during Wednesday morning, and then clearing by Thursday, as the system moves out over the water."Lismore was forecast for a further 5 to 25mm today and 15 to 50mm on Wednesday before the rain begins to clear on Thursday.While the gauge is at 4.22m at 9:41am, it is expected to peak near 4.50 metres early this afternoon. The Bureau is saying renewed rises are possible from Wednesday with forecast rainfall as we have saturated ground in the Northern Rivers.To stay up to date with the weather forecast and the radar, click on Weather & Travel on the Lismore App or the Lismore App website www.lismoreapp.com.au. The BOM's warnings are available via the weather button.

The search for the most inspiring and extraordinary women and girls in NSW has begun, with the opening of nominations for the NSW Women of the Year Awards 2025.  The annual awards program recognises and celebrates women and girls who inspire us with their actions, whether they are ground-breaking thinkers, everyday heroes, social reformers or innovative role models.The 5 award categories include:Premier’s NSW Woman of ExcellenceNSW Aboriginal Woman of the YearNSW Community HeroNSW Regional Woman of the YearNSW Young Woman of the YearNominations have also opened for the Ones to Watch category, recognising 10 rising stars between the ages of 7 and 15. These exemplary girls will be highlighted for their courage, strength, determination and kindness to help and support those around them.Successful 2024 Award recipients showcased the achievement of diverse and talented women and girls across NSW. They included Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence Walkley Award winning journalist, advocate and public speaker Jess Hill, Aboriginal Woman of the Year Dr Casey Sullivan andRegional Woman of the Year Theresa Mitchell.Theresa Mitchell said, “Being a private NFP working in the homelessness space, we often receive some negativity, and this helps to feed the feeling that we are not accepted.“Winning the award, changes this - it gives back 'hope' and reminds us that negativity is an individual agenda thing, not a state belief. We can make a difference by bringing the right people together.“Winning the award has provided more exposure to our cause. It is so nice connecting with people to arrange things for our services and having them say, 'I know you’. It has raised our standing in the community and increased the number of volunteers applying to help.For more information about all the 2024 recipients, see https://www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/awards-and-events/nsw-women-of-year-awards#toc-women-of-the-year-awards-2024.The recipients of the awards will be announced at the NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony on Thursday, 6 March 2025 as part of NSW Women’s Week 2025, which will run from Sunday, 2 March to Saturday, 8 March. Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said, “New South Wales has some of the state’s most exemplary women and girls, dedicating their hard work, skills and passion to advancing our community, industry and society. “I am thrilled to launch nominations for 2025 NSW Women of the Year Awards today. This successful program is one of the most prestigious awards to recognise women and girls whose determination, bravery, skill and passion should be commended. It recognises and honours them with the appreciation they genuinely deserve.“I encourage everyone to nominate a woman or girl in your life who is excelling in their fields and achieving incredible goals.”Nominate now at https://www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/awards-and-events/nsw-women-of-year-awards.Nominations close Sunday, 15 September, 2024 at 11:59pm.

THE Minns Labor Government is supporting the expansion of the internationally recognised Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program to buses in the Lismore area, further improving access to public transport.The program gives people with non-visible disabilities like autism, dementia, chronic pain and anxiety a distinctive green and yellow sunflower-themed lanyard they can wear to signal their need for assistance while using public transport.State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin confirmed that CDC NSW in the Far North Coast region, formerly known as Blanch’s Bus Company and Brunswick Valley Coaches, is among the first regional and outer metropolitan bus operators to be Sunflower-friendly.“Drivers on school and regular route services have been trained to recognise the Sunflower lanyard and provide appropriate support,” Ms Saffin said.“This support includes helping passengers in boarding and disembarking or navigating stressful situations.”The NSW Government’s support for expansion of the program comes as part of a range of measures that have improved access to public transport in regional areas including:The $800-million Safe Accessible Transport Program,The Country Passenger Transport Infrastructure Grants Scheme; andThe Transport Access Regional Partnerships Grant Program.Many other bus operators across the state have enrolled in the program and are at various stages of training staff, so timelines vary for when each operator will offer Sunflower-friendly bus services.Free Sunflower lanyards can be obtained from Transport for NSW by emailing [email protected] or by picking one up at any of 35 selected train stations.For more information, visit www.transportnsw.info/news/2023/extra-support-for-hidden-disabilitiesThe Sunflower is solely distributed in Australia by Bayley House, a not-for-profit organisation.

Tick Season usually starts in September, but vets are already starting to treat dogs that have been envenomated with paralysis ticks.  With the prevalence of ticks in this region, yesterday is a good day to start using protection. Especially if pets have recently moved to this area. Others at risk include gardeners, farmers, nature lovers and pet owners, themselves.Ticks live in grass - short or long, depending on what is available, and they will use you and your dog as transport with benefits - wheels with meals.Jane Spinaze, the Practise Manager and Vet Nurse at Keen Street Vets cannot stress how important it is to treat your dogs - and there are new treatments available to make it easier.“Every year is a bad year for paralysis ticks on the north coast. So wherever you're living, whether you're on the beach or in the hills, please just put your dog on protection - and your cat.“We have treated several pets this year, and those animals have not been on tick prevention.”(ID Image credit: Greencross vets. People will say, I just missed one tick tablet, and my dog got a tick. In reality, your dog gets ticks often, the treatment works at keeping your dog safe as long as the treatment doesn’t stop)“There are simple solutions, either monthly chews, quarterly chews, and there is now a yearly injection for those who become quite forgetful.“There is no reason why we should have to have animals being presented for tick paralysis.”Jane mentions that often people who have recently moved here don't understand the risk to their animals and get caught out. “People who are moving to the area are the ones that we often see being presented. They come from out west, or they've just relocated from a different area where there are no ticks. They aren’t aware of tick paralysis problems in the area they've lived in. And suddenly they've moved here or anywhere on the East Coast and can get a nasty shock that they weren't expecting.”(Image credit: Greencross Vets)You don’t need to visit a vet to protect your pet. You can get pills at, “Pet stores, or you can buy them online as well as at vets. You can subscribe and have them delivered to your mailbox. It's very simple.“Injections are a brand new product. It's only just been released. It is a convenience product and it is guaranteed for 12 months of protection for ticks and fleas.” You will need to see a vet for this option.  Jane explains the link between wildlife and more domestic animals, “So, bandicoots, lizards, reptiles, snakes, drop the larval ticks off. They are opportunistic and will attach to the next animal - which could be your pet.”Bandicoots are immune to the effects of ticks and can carry hundreds at a time.“The possibilities and chances of getting a tick on your dog is high, but it will not matter if you're on prevention. I can't emphasise that enough.”(Unfed paralysis tick and a 10-cent piece. The pattern on the back of the paralysis tick became easier to see with a photo.)One of the risks of being in nature or being close to your dog is the risk of tick bite. Jane confirms that there are a range of reactions in people, “They may get localised pain where the tick attaches. They may get headaches and migraines. Some even have respiratory difficulties. So be aware of that. People can have anaphylactic reactions. (Tick bite reaction. This is the same tick pictured above)“If you're showing any signs of breathlessness and you know, you've had a tick on you, headaches, nausea, sometimes lethargy. present yourself to the hospital.”Sue Small, south of Lismore, was in her garden last Friday.“I was working in the garden when I felt a tick close to my right shoulder, and it felt big.”Sue’s husband was burning off in another location, but luckily her son, Isaac, was at the house and removed it for her. Isaac identified it as a paralysis tick and suggested Sue lie down for a bit.“I thought it’ll be fine and went back out to the garden. About five or ten minutes later, my eyes became scratchy and blurry, my ears inside were itchy, as well as my palms.”Sue went back inside, and her husband was back, so he went for antihistamines while Sue showered with tea tree. “Getting out of the shower I could feel my eyes and lips swelling and a rash under my arms. I asked Isaac if he had any antihistamines, as he has allergies. I took two of his phenergan's and then laid on the bed. “At this stage, my voice was just a whisper; the rash was now all over me, and my face and neck were swollen. I asked Isaac to ring an ambulance.“We followed the instructions given - no water and sit upright. This was about 20 minutes in.“After another ten minutes, a first responder, Barry, arrived and took all my vitals. Then, the two ambulance officers came. ‘They gave me three adrenaline needles over 15 minutes in the back of the ambo; they still weren’t happy, so intravenous adrenaline was done. “My blood pressure was rocketing. An ECG showed some concern, so I was in the resus ward for about three hours. I had a nebuliser for a little while, then more tablets, and then I started to get my voice back and the swelling started to come down. Sue stayed in hospital overnight under observation.“The Dr told me I had a severe reaction, and now I have to always have an epipen. ‘It’s made me a little anxious. I’ve had so many ticks and never had a reaction like that!! “I was also told I could get mammalian meat allergy, which could give me a reaction to mammal meat/products!! Milk in my cuppas so far has been ok - I’ll let you know when I have steak.“Friday was a little scary. Stay safe from ticks!”The best way to keep ticks at bay is to be able to see them to remove them - wear light clothing, and use plenty of DEET bug spray. More information is available on our Government Website.

Three local businesses have, for one reason or another, had a big shift in their operations recently. We check in with them to see what is happening.The Richmond Hotel, closed since the 2022 floods, has been sold again. Sassy Bean had to temporarily close after a sprinkler caused significant water damage, and Winkler Chrome Plating is waiting to hear from insurance to know if they will be able to salvage their business after a fire destroyed the building at the end of July.The Richmond HotelThe Richmond Hotel has sold once again, with its new owners signing a long-term settlement. The new owners have sought privacy over the sale, so particulars, like sale price, settlement date and plans for the hotel, will not be available until after settlement occurs, although it was rumoured to be on the market for $600,000.The Richmond was extensively damaged after the 2022 big flood, with the back verandah a highly photographed part of the flood that was shown around the country.Carol and John Quilkey owned the pub for 16 years before selling it to the Waratah Hotel Group, the owners of Mary G's, in April 2022.In April 2023, it was reported that the group was waiting to complete the Mary G's rebuild before moving on to the Richmond rebuild. The back verandah has been stabilised, and the interior cleaned and primed for a future fit-out before it was put on the market in 2024.(There's a bit of work to be done at the hotel before it can recommence business if that is the new owner's plan)It is not certain if the deal involved poker machine licenses or was sold as the Richmond Hotel only.We now wait for settlement and future plans from the new owners.Winkler Chrome PlatingMark Winkler, the owner of the family business, Winkler Chrome Plating is the third generation owner after more than 70 years of service in Lismore.(Some examples of Mark's work. He has received many compliments and expressions of support for the workmanship he provides)On the night of Friday, 26th July, a fire damaged the polishing section and office of the Winkler Chrome factory. The fire was stopped before it reached the plating section that was damaged in a fire earlier this year and repaired for operation in February and March.The timing of the fire has been difficult for Mark. He said, “The loss has been devastating. We were fully booked for the rest of the year and were looking at work for next year.”Mark and his team have worked hard to rebuild the business after flood and fire. On August 1st, Mark posted on Facebook, "As you could imagine over the last few days I have been incredibly overwhelmed, with mixed emotions, especially considering the current state of the building. This dear old thing has stood up to many floods & disasters and it is so difficult to see it now as a collapsed version of its former self."The business is slowly navigating through insurance requirements. Mark says, “We are at the mercy of the process,” and is waiting on what options there are to salvage the business. Mark says, “Our first ambition is to reopen.” He has been working at the business “Since I left school at 17” and is determined to reopen if at all possible.Mark has received many words of support and kindness from the community and he is mindful of the recognition of his situation, posting, "I would like to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has reached out in any way, your support & kind words mean a lot to my family and myself."(Posted on Facebook following the fire at Winkler Chrome Plating)Sassy BeanOn 20th July, before the centre opened, a suspected malfunctioning sprinkler rained down 5000 litres of water a minute for 40 minutes, decimating the equipment of the Sassy Bean Café at the Home Co in South Lismore.Tony Zammit, the owner of Sassy Bean says, “If billions of litres of water during the 2022 floods couldn’t keep us from continuing on, 200,000 litres aren’t going to keep us from reopening now.” Tony and other workers were amazed at how much water flooded out of the centre from a single sprinkler. Patrons were denied entry until the late morning while the incident was contained and cleaned up.Due to circumstance and water, Tony has built or rebuilt the Sassy Bean, physically, four times in six years. Five times, if you want to include building up the clientele after Covid.The tenacity Tony shows is due to the success of the favourite café he has run, “The people and the business are worth it."Tony has successfully made an insurance claim. However, he is waiting for the particulars to be released before he can make any definite reparations.He also needs permission from the Home Co management before anything can be done in the cafe's space, due to safety concerns.  The deluge has saturated the electrics, and Tony has been unable to utilise the area until it is checked by the centre owners and is signed off.  Alternative options to continue his service are being assessed, including a food van set-up out the front of the shopping centre. The Sassy Bean chairs and tables within the plaza are secure and able to be used for patrons wishing to sit and enjoy a drink or a meal.(Sassy Bean under deluge)Keep an eye out for progress on the food van and potential reopening dates on their Facebook page.

In some welcome news for residents of Lismore and the Northern Rivers, the Bureau of Meteorology cancelled the Severe Weather Warning at 4:37pm.There is still an Initial Flood Warning for the Wilsons River, with minor flooding possible late this evening following heavy rainfall in the catchments:Goonengerry 230mmCorndale 180mmNashua 211mmRepentance 226mmTerania Creek 168mmDunoon 186mmNimbin 123mmOther significant falls included:Lismore Airport 121mmAlstonville 243mmBallina Airport 194mmEvans Head 224mmTuckombil 230mmThe Wilsons River is currently 2.5m and rising. The Bureau says it may reach a minor flood level (4.2m) later tonight.NSW SES Lismore Unit has had to activate its specialised Flood Rescue Operators to a vehicle in a flooded roadway.It happens every year when roads are covered with flood waters, but here is another reminder to never drive, walk, ride or play in flood water.The weather forecast has changed again for tomorrow and Wednesday.Tuesday was looking like a relief day; however, The Bureau now says 5 to 25mm is expected, with a further 15 to 50mm on Wednesday.If we do not reach the minor flood level tonight, there may be further potential in the coming days, depending on how the weather system develops, especially now that the ground is saturated.Based on predictions from the Bureau of Meteorology, the usual areas may be impacted by dangerous floodwaters:Hensley Car Park next to Sportspower near Fawcett’s BridgeLower Rowing Club Car ParkBridge St next to McKenzie Park in North LismoreOrion St near Simes BridgeLow-lying minor roads and bridgesLow-lying farming and rural areasLow-lying areas along the RiverYou can keep up to date with the Bureau of Meteorology through the Lismore App Weather, Weather Radar or the Lismore App website www.lismoreapp.com.au and click on Weather & Travel.

Part of the NSW housing crisis is the lack of supply, including social housing. The Minns Labor Government is pursuing innovative solutions to address this crisis with the use of 3D printing to deliver more housing.This groundbreaking method of construction aims to reduce costs and cut construction time by 50 percent and will be used to build the first social housing property of this type in New South Wales.Housing affordability and availability are the biggest pressures facing the people of NSW. As social housing waitlists continue to soar, the implementation of this rapid construction method promises to significantly accelerate the delivery of desperately needed social and affordable homes across the state. Construction is expected to be completed within 16 weeks, a stark contrast to the roughly 40 weeks required by traditional methods.The NSW Government has engaged Aboriginal Sustainable Homes, who will work in partnership with Contour3D to harness 3D printing technology. Together, they will transform a vacant block of land in Dubbo into two two-bedroom duplexes, providing Aboriginal Housing Office tenants with a safe and secure place to call home.(An artist's impression of the two two-bedroom duplexes)3D printing produces significantly less waste, and the concrete mix uses eco-friendly, high-recycled materials to produce robust and energy-efficient homes with substantially reduced life cycle maintenance costs. This revolutionary technology heralds a new era in construction and could form part of the solution to provide homes sooner for people who need them most.Construction of the first 3D-printed social home in New South Wales is expected to commence in late September 2024.Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson said, “Using cutting-edge technology for this project is a prime example of the NSW Government’s commitment to ‘think outside the box’ by exploring every possible option when it comes to delivering more housing for those who need it.“Utilising Modern Methods of Construction like this 3D printing technology is critically important to delivering social and affordable homes sooner, especially in regional and remote areas.“Our government is leading the way with this project. The construction of a 3D social housing property is the first of its kind in the country. For it to be led by the AHO reflects their dedication to exploring new and efficient ways of building more quality homes for community.“The success of this project will help to determine whether this construction method becomes one of the many ways we can deliver more social housing right across the state in a bid to help us tackle the growing crisis.”Founder and CEO of Contour3D Nick Holden said, “We're excited to showcase our innovative building method that prioritises sustainability, design freedom, and efficiency by bringing automation to the forefront of housing construction.”

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Minor Flood Warning for Lismore at 1:47 this afternoon.Moderate to heavy rainfall has been observed in parts of the Wilsons River catchment overnight Sunday into Monday. This has caused rapid creek and river level rises.Moderate to heavy rainfall is forecast until late Monday, which may cause further river level rises, with minor flooding possible at Lismore Monday evening. The situation is being monitored by The Bureau, and warnings will be updated as required.A severe weather warning is current for heavy rainfall in Lismore and parts of the Northern Rivers.In the last 24 hours, Nimbin has recorded 100mm, Terania Creek 109mm, Dunoon 128mm, Corndale 129mm, Repentance 157mm and Goonengerry 164mm.The Wilsons River at Lismore (AHD) is currently at 1.73 metres and rising, below the minor flood level (4.20 m). The Wilsons River at Lismore (AHD) may reach the minor flood level (4.20 m) Monday evening, with forecast rainfall.Flood Safety Advice:In life threatening emergencies, call 000 (triple zero) immediately. If you require rescue, assistance to evacuate or other emergency help, ring NSW SES on 132 500.* Avoid drowning. Stay out of rising water, seek refuge in the highest available place.* Prevent damage to your vehicle. Move it under cover, away from areas likely to flood.* Avoid being swept away. Stay out of fast-flowing creeks and storm drains.* Never drive, ride or walk through flood water. Flood water can be deceptive and dangerous.For more emergency information, advice, and access to the latest river heights and rainfall observations and forecasts:* NSW SES: www.ses.nsw.gov.au* RMS Live Traffic: www.livetraffic.com* Latest River Heights and Rainfall Observations: www.bom.gov.au/nsw/flood/northcoast.shtml* Latest NSW Warnings: www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings/* Rainfall Forecasts: www.bom.gov.au/australia/meteye/* BOM NSW Twitter: www.twitter.com/BOM_NSWYou can keep up to date with the weather, warnings and the radar through the Lismore App Weather & Travel button or through the Lismore App website www.lismoreapp.com.au and click on Weather & Travel.

This National Bullying No Way Week (12-16 August), Triple P is reminding the community how crucial it is to help children stay safer online and stop cyberbullying before it impacts a child’s life.Carol Markie-Dadds, Triple P International Country Director, highlighted the urgency of this issue, noting Triple P's largest-ever survey of parents and carers found that 8 out of 10 parents are concerned about keeping their children safe from online dangers like cyberbullying. Of further concern, parents with children aged 6-11 years are the least confident in their ability to know what to do if their child is getting bullied.“Bullying, whether it's online through text or social media, or in person, has a significant impact on children’s emotional and physical health, and puts children at greater risk of mental health concerns, like anxiety or depression,” Ms Markie-Dadds said.“This national week of action is a timely reminder that parents and carers play a key role in preventing and helping their children respond to bullying in all its forms. With the increasing prevalence of bullying online, parents can help kids develop the knowledge, skills, and awareness they need to navigate the online world confidently and safely.”“It takes time and practice for children to learn how to spot potentially unsafe situations, make good decisions, and know when to speak to a trusted adult if something worrying happens. Having honest and regular conversations with our kids makes a big difference in helping children develop these skills at home, in school, and in the wider community,” she said. Triple P’s Top Three Ways to Talk to Kids about CyberbullyingStart the conversation You don't always have to have long, serious talks about cyberbullying. Casual, frequent chats work well too. With younger kids, keep it simple and talk about being kind online. With tweens and teens, respect their need for more privacy and show interest in their online activities, encourage them to consider the impact of their messages, to respect others’ differences, and to expect the same for themselves.Help kids feel prepared "What if" scenarios help kids feel prepared to handle tricky situations. For younger children, you could ask them how they would feel if a stranger tried to message them while they were playing a game online. Discuss what they could do, like telling a grown-up about the message. With teens, you could talk about how they would feel if they saw hurtful comments about a classmate on social media and explore ways they could respond. Be open to their opinions and ideas.Create a calm, supportive space Kids often feel embarrassed or scared to talk to their parents about things happening online, especially if they think they'll get in trouble. Tell them it's okay to feel afraid or worried, and they won't get in trouble for coming to you. Stay calm and let them know you're available to listen and help, no matter what. “If there are concerns that your child is being bullied online, you can seek help from your school, eSafety (www.esafety.gov.au) or Kids Helpline (www.kidshelpline.com.au).“Bullying can seriously impact a child’s mental health and wellbeing throughout their school years and well into adulthood,” Ms Markie-Dadds says. “It can be a daunting issue, but it’s important that parents can confidently manage and have oversight over what social media and other digital tools their children are accessing. Platforms, including online games, may initially appear innocuous, but could actually be used for bullying. A great first step is to talk with your child about bullying and online safety - It’s never too early for schools, parents, carers, kids and the wider community to build their skills and awareness together,” she said.Triple P’s free online parenting programs help anyone in a parenting role to confidently handle challenges and raise happy, capable, resilient kids. There’s a free online program for raising kids aged 0-12, and another specifically for parents and carers of kids who are frequently anxious.Delivery of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program to parents and carers of children in Australia is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care under the Parenting Education and Support Program. Parents and carerscan access free, online parenting support 24/7 at triplep-parenting.net.au  

As the rain continues to fall in Lismore and the Northern Rivers, the usual road closures are starting to occur.Wyrallah Road, just down from the Lismore Waste Facility.Tuntable Creek Road will be closed between Rose Road and Beardow Road until further notice due to significant rainfall. NSW SES Lismore City Unit says they expect the impact of water over our roads will continue as water continues to flow down from the upper catchments and the rivers and creeks rise."Please drive to conditions and be safe. Do not drive, ride, walk or play in flood water."River levels at The Channon, Tuncester and Goolmangar are rising with the Lismore Wilsons River height 1.24m and steady at 10:20am.