The Living Living Lab's new exhibition, 'Circular Timber—From Salvage to Showcase,' was officially opened last night by Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin.In August 2024, the NSWRA announced a project involving the UTS School of Design where Associate Professor Berto Pandolfo and his team carefully deconstructed two buyback homes that could not be relocated. At the time, a statement said, "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."   Professor Pandolfo said this project was exciting "because of its history relating to the source of material and the potential for recovering material that was lost within the community.""Circularity is also an opportunity to develop new ways of thinking about how things are made."Mayor Steve Krieg said as a former woodwork teacher he admired the timbers that were used and the craftsmanship of its creators, "It's all about using these material in the best way possible," he said.Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin has been involved with the Living Lab since its inception, which involved the start of this project."I've seen the work that Berto and his team have done, and I saw it in practice; it's just wonderful.""I just wanted everyone to know that we will repurpose, we will also recycle where we can, but we're also in a recovery program that wasn't designed for that. So, a lot of the work that we do is catching up or trying to fit a square peg in a round hole."Elizabeth Mossop, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Academic Director of the Living Lab acknowledged the involvement and the engagement of the incredible Northern Rivers community of timber workers and makers.Part of that community was Dan and John from REDinc (a disability services provider) who created a coat rack and bench from hardwood."Dan actually saw it on Facebook," John said, "He came in one day and said, I've seen this thing on Facebook. So I spoke to Jenny London, who then contacted them, and they said, Great, send us a proposal. So we kind of talked about something simple we could make. And came up with a hatstand and the table, and then we thought a few candles to give, give it a bit of atmosphere.(Dan and John showing off their timber creation at last night's Circular Timber exhibition)Dan and John not only used a buyback home but also some old railway spikes when it was being cleared for the Rail Trail in another use or reusing materials designed for another purpose.Peter and Dave designed and built a cultural sunset dreaming seat."We came together to use it as a sculpture project for this, Sunset Dreaming. It's like when we go into our dreaming and just look at the sun going down in the afternoon," Peter explained.(Dave and Peter, behind their Sunset Dreaming creation)Dave was thinking about what could happen in the future. "We're open to the possibilities. I'm not sure what Dan and Susie, who are running the Living Lab here, what their idea is, but I think these are really designed as prototypes to potentially be used for future projects or installations."It'd be great to see a few of these around the city here. They're sort of nice objects for people to come and sit and share a space together."You can head into the Living Lab next week to read and take in the 'Circular Timber - From Salvage to Showcase' exhibition.The Living Lab is open Tuesday to Thursday between 1 and 4pm at 11 Woodlark Street, Lismore CBD (near the Molesworth Street roundabout).

Just when you were starting to enjoy some blue sky and sunshine, along comes a trough off the north coast and spoils the weekend.The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a high chance of showers from late morning today (Friday), the chance of a thunderstorm later this afternoon, and another wet weekend.Sarah Scully from the BOM said, "Onshore winds are continuing to bring showers to the East Coast, while a trough develops just off the New South Wales north coast, seeing an increase in shower and storm activity. Now they've got this coastal trough that is starting to deepen, and that's going to bring some instability with also some isolated afternoon storms for the northeast, moderate rainfall totals are possible about the coast north of Port Macquarie."Up to 7mm may fall today in our already sodden catchment, with falls of 4-30mm on Saturday and 2 to 15mm on Sunday as the winds come from the south/southeast.The showers and shower or two forecasts will continue into next week., the first week of the school holidays.We can only hope that the skies will clear for the Easter Long Weekend, although the joke is that it always rains over Easter in Lismore and the Northern Rivers.The BOM forecast is too early to get a reading on the Easter weather.However, the long-range forecasts were released by the BOM yesterday, and it is looking like a wet end to April but a drier May.The outlook for the two weeks from April 14 to 27 is for a 68% chance of above-median rainfall (that is greater than 51.3mm) and a 32% chance of unusually wet (that is greater than 124.8mm).For May, the odds are much improved, with a 54% chance of above-median rainfall (greater than 138.6mm), a 22% chance of unusually dry (less than 69.1mm), and a 20% chance of an unusually wet May (greater than 261.8mm).You can check out the latest weather from the BOM via the Lismore App Weather or the Weather Radar.

Youth Homeless Matters Day is next Wednesday, April 16. This day raises awareness about a situation that, according to the last census, affects nearly 300 youth in the Northern Rivers.Tony Davies, CEO of Social Futures, said that number had grown massively since the floods and by 4% in the last few months, according to their data."There are a whole range of things that contribute to that. Usually, when young people don't have somewhere to live, it's because there are issues going on in their family life at home. I mean, they can't live safely at home. So, it's really important that we put those resources in place to ensure that young people have the best chance to have a go."We know that if you can get people into good housing, they'll be able to continue with their education, get work, and time and time again, as the youth homelessness service here in the Northern Rivers and here in Lismore, we see the amazing outcomes and support for young people get. It just really blows me away.This year, leading into Youth Homelessness Matters Day, Social Futures, supported by Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, is asking people to donate an hour's pay to raise funds to help our youth by providing support and structure in keeping their lives together."By donating an hour's pay, what you can do is actually help young people get the things they need. It's about them getting personal items. It's about helping them with transport. It's about helping them with education, and it also shows young people that they really matter to us, and that we as a community care for them," Mr Davies said."There are some other things that can be done as well. We'd love it if the federal government would raise Youth Allowance and Job Seeker. We also really need our governments to invest in more dedicated youth housing, but if everyone in the community gets behind our young people, we can ensure that our whole community has an amazing future for the amazing young people that make up our Northern Rivers community."It's harder and harder for young people to get into the private rental market. Just because the cost of rental is so high, young people tend to have lower wages. If they're on Youth Allowance because they're studying, they get less than even a job seeker. So, they just can't afford to get into housing or even share accommodation. And so, we know that if we can invest in support, that'll make such a difference to their lives."Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin reiterated the important point of making sure that our young people have a home."A home gives young people the ability to create a life around themselves and family that they do have, and we know that for young people, that can be a real challenge, but I'm here to support social futures shine a light on the fact that we need to step up and help young people wherever we can."Social Futures are calling on the community at large to donate one hour's pay that will help with some of those extras. Obviously, that won't resolve all of the homelessness, but it's really to shine a light on the need in our community, and I understand what it's like for young people who are in that situation. I mean, it's a long time ago, but I know through my background what that's like to have someone, an organisation, step up and support you and take you through all the things that you need."I know with young people, they're going through changes in their life, big changes, developing and all of that. I also know for some of the young girls, just even getting access to sanitary products and things like that can be a real challenge, things that we take for granted, and that's why I'm here, really, to back Social Futures."Tony Davies explained how Social Futures supports 600-700 young people each year across the Northern Rivers."When a young person comes to us, one of our caseworkers will be able to engage with them one on one, understand what's going on there in their lives, understand what are some of the barriers that they have to be able to continue in education or to get into work, to get transport, and then they'll work through them."Sometimes it's as simple as helping people get the identification, helping them get some sort of income. And then, a lot of it is also that support, motivational support, so that people actually know that they've got someone in their corner. Because, as I said before, young people, often don't have a place to call home, it's through no fault of their own, and they need an adult in their corner to help them with that."It makes such a difference. We have so many stories of young people who, due to what's been going on in their lives, they haven't been able to make it to school, they haven't been able to make it to work, and they've had to deal with trauma. And remember, if you're a young person in the Northern Rivers, you've been through multiple major floods, fires, and the pandemic in the last seven years, and so there's a lot that we need to unpack and support our young people." The young people themselves are incredible. We see young people finish their education, get into work. We see young people get a driver's license and some get a car. It mightn't be the best car, but it means they can drive and get to work. We see young people actually able to engage, to re-engage with their families, to work through the issues there, to essentially lay the foundations for a really successful life in which they contribute so much more back to the community."It's always an incredible privilege to be able to see just how brilliant young people of this region are."18-year-old Jazmyn Kilburn told her story to the media today, highlighting the role that Social Futures has played in the last three years of her life."I became homeless at 16 because I left home due to a family breakdown, and I didn't think it was going to be challenging. I wasn't aware of some of the challenges that I would come across. I had to try and access my own payments through Centrelink, and then I had to find things, basic things, like my ID, and I also had to find places to sleep."I couch-surfed. I ended up in Link2Home accommodation for a decent amount of time. I actually dropped out of school and then went back after life was a bit less hectic. But it was harder than I thought it was going to be.Jazmyn first got in touch with Social Futures when she was 17."I had case workers, and they became like my family. They really did, hey, they taught me how to do basic things like setting up electricity in a transitional flat. I didn't know how to do that. I didn't know that I was meant to do simple things like that."I've got a rental now. After getting a transitional through Social Futures, I then moved on to a Rent Choice Youth Subsidy, and I've just been able to secure my first rental. So that's very exciting and different. It makes me feel like I've got stability Like, it's so good knowing I have a safe place to go to every day, that I can hold my own, and that I don't have to worry about that stuff anymore.Jazmyn is studying an Assistant's Agent Course hoping to work in real estate in the future, and, with a big smile on her face, announced she had just secured employment at her local IGA.Having been through a great deal in the last three years, what is Jazmyn's advice to other young people who need help?"It's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to not know what you're doing. But, just ask for help because it is there. I know I was scared to ask for help before I did."Luckily for Jazmyn, she knew people at school who were going through similar experiences."They were like, Hey, have you heard Social Futures can help? It was actually my peers, and my teachers, and my school counsellor that helped me to get linked with Social Futures, and I'm so grateful that happened because I don't know what my life would look like at the moment if I didn't have that support and assistance."If you would like to donate an hour of pay, or whatever you can spare, to local youth who are homeless, go to the Social Futures website.Social Futures has a range of services to support people who are experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, or in unstable housing. Call 1800 719 625 to contact our Connecting Home team. Social Futures does not provide emergency accommodation. If you are experiencing homelessness and need emergency accommodation, please call Link2Home 1800 152 152. 

Primex, the only family-owned agricultural field day in Australia, is in countdown mode, with five weeks to go until 30,000 visitors stream through the gates in its 41st-year of showcasing produce, machinery and services.For 2025, the focus is on the Future of Farming across the Northern Rivers. This area and its rich soils host a diversity of agriculture, from beef production to berry farming, from timber production to dairy produce, with a farm gate valued in excess of $1 billion per annum, according to the NSW DPI.Machinery exhibits at Norco Primex from May 15-17 will be complemented across the 32-hectare site by a range of agricultural businesses and suppliers alongside services from the likes of the NSW DPI and NSW Health with these field days generating between $45-70 million in sales each year annum and injecting an estimated $2.5-3.5 million into the region. Close to 50 per cent of visitors are primary producers from industries ranging from beef production to macadamia nut growers.The Casino field days were originally formulated as the Eastern Coast Rural Trade Expo by John Wright in 1985 and was one of his 1980s’ concepts _ including the inaugural Ballina Boat Show _ to supplement down times for the family’s Wright Hire company on the Gold Coast and at Alstonville in northern New South Wales. That first expo featured primarily farm machinery traders and attracted some 3000 visitors. Over 40 years the original horse paddock was transformed, with earthworks and infrastructure, into the Wright family’s Richmond Valley Events Centre, this year looking to host 1200 companies and more than 30,000 visitors.Norco AgriSolutions general manager Luke Couch says the company is immensely proud of its roots and commitment to serving Australian farmers. “Primex has been instrumental in supporting these values and has become the highlight of the year for us and our customers alike. It’s where we come together to celebrate innovation, share knowledge, and forge deeper connections with those we serve.”Norco Primex is now run by John’s son Bruce and his family from a Gold Coast office.  Bruce, after a stint at university, was 21 when first involved in helping organise the Casino event.“I was thrown in the deep end in a lot of ways. It’s been an interesting ride but I’m proud of how it’s developed as a showcase for agribusiness and the Northern Rivers,” Bruce said. Today he is a staunch advocate for the area’s agricultural industries and its communities. After his father John stepped away from the business Bruce took over ownership in 2017. Today Bruce’s son Tyler and daughter Makayli work from the Wright’s office in Southport alongside his wife Jan. It’s a small team until closer to the event when some 30 staff are on hand.The 2025 Norco Primex opens 9am to 4pm on Thursday, May 15, Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17. Tickets can be bought online _ for a 30 percent discount _ or at the gates. One-day pass $20; three-day pass $45. Children under 12 free; 12-17 day pass $10 + three-day pass $20. Student/pensioner: one-day pass $10; three-day pass $20. For more information, check www.primex.net.au.

Amanda Leck is the Head of Adaptation, Mitigation, and Reconstruction for the NSW Reconstruction Authority. She is in Ballina for two days with the Executive Directors across her group to do some business planning and to understand what the key priorities will be going forward."We're working together to really refine our priorities, to be able to understand what has to be delivered within given timeframes," Ms Leck told the Lismore App"We have many programs, particularly in the Northern Rivers, that are funded under the Disaster Recovery Funding arrangements, and they have allowable time limits, so some of our programs our time-bound and so we really need to be able to deliver all of those outcomes for the community within particular timeframes, so we really need to prioritise our efforts to get that work done. The biggest program the NSWRA is running is the Resilient Homes Program (RHP). Running side by side, so equally important but not as big, is the Resilient Lands Program (RLP).As we know, following the February 2022 big flood, the RHP is the largest assisted relocation program ever funded in Australia to support the Lismore and Northern Rivers communities to be able to adapt to increased and more extreme flooding."The program's design is to be able to buy back homes that are at extreme risk of flooding and either relocate and or remove those homes from the floodplain as well as to be able to support community members to either raise or retrofit their home such that in a future flooding event the home is more able to be washed out, post the flood, and people can get back to living their best life as quickly as possible. That program is due to finish in June 2027. And so we have a lot of work still to do. Ms Leck also said the RLP does not have the same time restrictions as the RHP because it is fully funded by the NSW state government. The RHP is co-funded between the federal and state governments."As your readers would be aware, even prior to the floods there was not much land supply in and around the Northern Rivers and that was due to some key issues around developers not investing in opening up land for housing in the region because of the financial risk associated with that."So, the RLP aims to accelerate land for development for housing. We've been working with each of the seven local councils to support them with funding to be able to open up land that will be suitable for residential housing." One of the concerns for our community has been around the uncertainty of how the RA determines whether a house is suitable for relocation or demolition. We hear the term 'strict risk assessment', but what is involved?"We use professionals to do a building assessment report on each of the homes. So, that is to understand, for example, the presence or absence of asbestos and other hazardous materials, the presence or absence of toxic mould for example."Some of these homes have been locked up for a period of time, post settlement, and so, given many of them had significant levels of floodwater or blackwater through them, some of them are mould impacted. Some of the homes are structurally unsound, so we're talking twisted beams, twisted posts, and the like that may not be immediately evident from the street. Some of the homes experienced quite significant water through them, and so they are assessed as being structurally unsound."Some of the homes, in terms of the risk assessment, we look at where the home is on the landscape, so it's proximity, for example, to the river and the flooding levels and velocity of water, so that we understand the risk of that home. Some of the homes that were brought back early in the program were in that highest flood risk hazard category."They experienced significant water through those properties, and that's why the RA prioritised those homes to be bought back early in the program. And the homes that you described in Bailley Street yesterday, are homes of that nature. The other part of the assessment is to understand if the home can be relocated, so some homes for example, are slab on ground and they're very construction materials mean that they're not able to be relocated." In terms of numbers, Amanda Leck said that 112 homes have been assessed for demolition and that last year 30 homes were demolished. This is all part of the ongoing assessments."As part of the program, we know that around 156 homes are able to be relocated, and we are working on the assessment for another 374 homes at the moment." Some of the homes that are deemed suitable for relocation were put up for sale earlier this year through an expression of interest. Ms Leck said that 24 are going through the contracting phase. The remaining seven (7) houses may be auctioned."We're just looking at the best way that we can offer those homes to the community. We are hoping to bring about 20 more homes to market for the community to purchase, and those homes are currently undergoing assessment, then they will be photographed and put up online as they were through the previous program." There have been a number of claims made through social media that the Lismore App wanted an RA response to. They include:CLAIM 1: The cost of demolishing a house is $110,000. Is that accurate?"No. So, the cost of a demolition is variable based on the size of the home and the nature of the materials that are in the home. Just as a member of the community would ask for some building work to be done at home, you get a quote and that's exactly what the RA has done. Some homes do not cost that much to demolish and some homes, obviously, cost a bit more demolished depending on their size." "If the home has asbestos, it's more expensive because the asbestos has to be removed and wrapped and disposed of using appropriate asbestos guidelines. So, you're not able to say that every house costs a certain amount to demolish."CLAIM 2: Our community was promised buyback homes would be relocated off the floodplain. "The RA has always said that we would do as much as practicable; that the RA would relocate, recycle and reuse buyback homes wherever possible. And that's innovative solutions like the relocation expression of interest to have aim to do just that. That's the first time a program like that has been run in Australia, and we wanted to do that initially to test the market to see whether community members were interested in purchasing those homes. And, in fact, we have found that is the case."The other thing we've allowed people to do is to gift their homes to family members or friends or neighbours and the like. Certainly, some people who have participated in the buyback program have done that, and those people who have received the home as a gift will be responsible for its relocation."We're also working with around 50 community members who participated in the buyback, we plan to relocate their own homes, and some of those relocations have already occurred to date with more planned."So there is a whole range of initiatives, if you like, that we are working through to either relocate the homes, to offer them to community members through the relocation expression of interest, the gifting policy I spoke about earlier, and then there are going to be a portion of the homes that we will need to demolish. CLAIM 3: No recycling, no reuse and no repurposing "Well, I can tell you that of the homes that we have demolished to date, more than 70% of materials have been recycled following demolition. So, we've recycled timber, meta,l concrete and organic material to date. That's 55 tonnes of metal was recycled, 883 tonnes of concrete, and 62.5 tonnes of timber have been recycled to date with that first tranche of demolitions that occurred in late 2024. So, more than a thousand tonnes of material have been recycled as part of that first tranche of demolition."With regard to the most recent demolition program that's underway at the moment, so the metal is being salvaged and reused where practicable, such as large beams and things like that, and transported to local scrap metal recyclers, so, InfraBuild for example."The timber is subject to a hygienist confirmation that there's no contamination with lead-based paint and that sort of thing, but where it can be salvaged and reused, such as large beams, for example, it is transported to local timber and or green waste recyclers. The contractor has been using the Lismore City Council Waste Transfer Station."And then concrete, the masonry, the bricks, the rubble, that sort of thing has been transported to licensed concrete recycling facilities for crushing and reuse and that's reused in things like road base and other Recycle concrete products."As part of the recycle, reuse process, there has been community concern over the old Big Scrub timbers. Why aren't homes deconstructed instead of demolished?"Deconstruction is a very expensive delivery model and can cost in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars to deconstruct homes. There are also those safety concerns I spoke about earlier with regard to the presence or absence of hazardous materials and the like."This is government money, and so we are trying to do this in the most cost-effective way that still delivers outcomes around recycling. The fact that we've been able to recycle more than 70% of materials to date, and we anticipate even higher recycling numbers going forward, I think, demonstrates the RA is committed to recycling materials where practicable. What started as a program to move the most vulnerable people from the floodplain, has also become a political 'homelessness' issue. Do you feel stuck in the middle?"Look, I prefer not to comment on that. I'm a senior government employee and I will leave the politics to the politicians."

Seniors are skipping vital dental treatments because they can’t afford it - with declining oral health the result, new research shows.The Australian Dental Association (ADA) findings from its annual study of 25,000 people found in the last 12 months over half (55%) of all over 65s delayed seeking dental treatment.Affordability was the main reason, with two in three (64%) of over-65s delaying dental trips in the last year because they couldn’t afford it.Also, nearly half (47%) of this age group reported debilitating oral issues including recent tooth or gum pain, mouth or face swelling, or a mouth infection, compared to 36% of the rest of the community.Further, seniors make fewer trips to the dentist than the rest of the population – with 37% of seniors visiting every 2-5 years compared to 35% of other age groups, and 23% of seniors visiting every 5 years compared to 20% of other age groups.And in a cost of living crisis, it’s not surprising that the number of people of all ages who’ve delayed has risen by nearly 20% since 2011. Dentists are doing their best to keep costs down with fees increasing much less than CPI over the past 10 years, however dentistry is a costly service to provide, as practices are effectively mini operating theatres.“These findings provide a clear picture of what’s happening to the mouths of thousands of Australians over 65,” said ADA President Dr Chris Sanzaro. “They can’t get to the dentist regularly because they can’t afford it and so their mouths become a battleground of pain and infection management.“Some end up in the Emergency Departments - the ADA has found that 16,000 seniors were admitted to hospital for treatment of painful dental issues in 2022-23.“That figure is expected to rise to 22,630 by 2027-28, representing a 42% increase from an already unacceptable level. It’s a health trend that worsens by the year.”Other key findings:When asked if they’d had the issue treated, 76% of over 65s said there was a barrier to treatment and cost was the main barrier to treatment for 65% of those.Conversely the number of people visiting the dentist more often than every 2 years, has increased by 11% in the last eight years from 2017-2024, which could relate to the financial status of some respondents.One in three (30%) commonly said unexpected problems that could crop up during a checkup and which may need unaffordable treatment, was another reason for staying away.Dr Sanzaro added: “With 76% of Australians supporting the introduction of a seniors dental scheme, it clearly demonstrates the groundswell of public opinion supporting our Seniors Dental Benefits Schedule.“If that's not clear proof that most Australians are behind the seniors’ scheme and want to see it put into action, then nothing is.”

The queue of people at Lismore Square this morning was something Lismore had not seen before. The line of people started inside the Square, near Coles, and snaked down the escalators to the carpark, through the carpark, and onto Brewster Street.The reason? To receive a $100 or $200 Coles voucher thanks to thanks to Australian billionaire Adrian Portelli. In total $70,000 was given to those in the community who need help.Travis was the person at the front of the line, so the first to shake hands with Adrian and receive his voucher."I got here at 6am," Travis said, "I had heard about it and figured it's going to be pretty hectic, so I needed to get in early. I just figured I need the money, I need the groceries."(Travis was the first to receive his Coles voucher from Adrian)"It's a bit hard, renting week to week, living paycheck to paycheck, but this is going to help a lot with dinner and everything."Adrian is probably better known as the "Lambo guy" after turning up in his yellow Lamborghini and buying multiple properties on Channel 9's The Block in recent years. He is based in Melbourne and made his fortune through his company, LMCT+, which offers luxury shopping discounts and giveaways. This wasn't the first time Adrian had offered help in various communities throughout Australia. He said he doesn't like the media turning up at these events because it brings into question that the exercise is a publicity stunt instead of helping people in need."We started doing it with ToyWorld. So we were helping out children and families put presents under the tree. And then we decided to mix it up a bit. And what else do families need? They need their groceries and to put food on the table. So we started to team up with Coles because they've looked after me over the years. That's where the idea came from."Like I said, we've been doing this for years and years and years, and we didn't have the whole media storm. It's only recently, you know, I bloody got into the whole media thing. The media show up and take videos, and it's annoying because it almost discredits what we do. Because, unfortunately, people do think that we're doing it for publicity. But like I said, we did this for five years before this, and no one knew it, so just the people that are tight-knit in the community.This is not Adrian's first time in Lismore, as he came to see the devastation after the 2022 floods."Lismore has always had it tough. When we came out a couple of years ago, we saw the devastation it had on the community. I've never seen anything like that. It looked like a third-world country when we came here last, it was unbelievable. A bloody plane in a tree, and the devastation was incredible."So, to come out here today, it means a lot. And the community, as you can see, has come out in numbers, and they need assistance. So we're here to help."(Part of the queue that snaked its way to Brewster Street at Lismore Square)"Obviously, I meet thousands of people. The stories are heartbreaking. As we said, we don't film all that, and we don't really speak about the encounters we have. But, yeah, it's just, it's heartwarming to be able to give assistance."Adrian is a bit of a rock star in Lismore, and wherever he goes handing out the vouchers. The people in the queue were clapping, high-fiving, and paying him compliments as he took a walk along the line of recipients.Lismore was the third stop after Brisbane and the Gold Coast over the last few days, with $210,000 of grocery vouchers distributed to the community.The next stop for Adrian and his team is Western Australia."We haven't done Western Australia yet, so maybe we'll pop over to the west. It's the last state we haven't touched. So we might do Western Australia, and then we might do a loop around again."If you missed out today, Adrian gave the impression he will be back, we just don't know when.

Registrations are now open for the annual Rural Women’s Gathering on Saturday, 25 October 2025 in Lismore.The NSW Government is investing $30,000 towards this event to encourage women from across regional, rural, and remote New South Wales to get together, connect and learn.  Organised by Lismore Council with support from the Rural Women’s Network, the theme for this year’s program is “Connect to the Heart”. The Gathering, held at The Quad, will showcase a diverse program that includes inspirational talks, entertainment, writing and AI workshops, music, arts, local businesses and catering and community vendors.Keynote and guest speakers include:Keynote speaker: Shanna Whann, Founder and CEO of Sober in the Country, spokesperson, and 2022 Australia's Local Hero.Guest speaker: Madeleine West, Partner of Safe on Social, Logie-nominated actor, bestselling author, and co-creator of the podcast Predatory.Master of Ceremony and speaker: Lissie Turner, CEO of The Prana Project, therapist, and advocate for change.Tickets are $85 for the program, including lunch at one of a selection of incredible Lismore eateries.A full weekend of activities has been planned from Friday, 24 October to Sunday, 26 October so attendees can stay and enjoy Lismore for the whole weekend.(Photo: supplied)This event will help boost the local tourism economy on the North Coast which has been affected by the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and recent floods.The Rural Women’s Gathering has been held annually around different regional and rural towns in NSW for more than 30 years. It’s an opportunity for the host town to showcase the strength of its community, region, culture, talent, and attractions to women who attend from all corners of the state.To learn more about the Rural Women’s Gathering, order The NSW Rural Women's Network: 30 Years Strong - A History of the Rural Women's Gathering through the Rural Women’s Gathering webpage.Register for the Lismore Gathering now at: www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/rural-womens-network/rural-womens-gathering.Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarity said, “Congratulations to Lismore on hosting such an exciting event. The committee have done a great job of putting together this program of festivities and I really encourage people to get out there and visit the Northern Rivers region.“Women in our regional communities are doing extraordinary things and the Rural Women’s Gathering provides a great opportunity to share their experiences, and in turn help other women to better support their communities.” Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said, “The Rural Women’s Gathering has a great history and is a staple of the Rural Women’s Network calendar. It’s a fantastic opportunity for women from regional, rural and remote New South Wales to make friends, find new connections, and learn from each other as well as expert guest speakers.“Each year brings something different, and I am excited to meet talented and exceptional women from across the state, embodying the essence of each of their country towns.“I encourage women from regional, rural, and remote areas in New South Wales to show your support for regional women and the community in Lismore and come along to what is going to be an exciting event.” Minister for the North Coast, Janelle Saffin said, “This will be a great event, and I’m so glad that we will have the privilege of welcoming so many wonderful women to our Lismore community.“I want to thank Lismore Council for the contribution they’ve made, and it’s great that we get to host so many fantastic people from all around the state.”Mayor for Lismore, Steve Krieg said, “I look forward to welcoming the NSW Rural Women’s Gathering to Lismore, which plays an important role in regional communities. It is a privilege to host the Gathering and I am sure they will enjoy their time here.”“This is a wonderful opportunity for local women to network with like-minded women from other regional areas and share their experiences and skills.”Keynote speaker, Shanna Whann said, “Most won't know this, but Lismore and its surroundings were home to me in another life and hold some good memories. I am humbled to be invited back - and my goal as always - is to help equip others with a decade of extremely hard-earned experience from my alcohol harm advocacy through Sober in the Country by sharing our work around health, mental health, mateship, and social inclusion.”“We survivors of hard times and catastrophes are uniquely bonded.”

Lismore is about to experience an exciting cultural transformation with the launch of Revive Live in the Lismore Quadrangle (the Quad).An Australian Government initiative, Revive Live is a new, outdoor, free live music program that promises to bring an exciting lineup of musicians to the Quad from April 2025 to March 2026. Revive Live features four series, each designed to showcase the incredible talent of regional and First Nations artists. These include Echo Locator, Our Backyard, BLAKyard Music, and Sound Lab.Echo Locator is curated by Holiday Maker Records, a Saturday afternoon program once each season. Holiday Maker Records is an Australian record label formed in a caravan in the Gold Coast Hinterland in 2020. The label represents artists such as Donny Love, Family Jordan, JB Paterson, and many more.Our Backyard is a legacy program for Lismore. The series showcases local musical talent monthly on Thursdays after the Lismore Produce Market.BLAKyard Music is curated by Mitch King, a proud Yaegl and Widjabul Wia-bul man from the Bundjalung Nation. This series celebrates the rich talent of First Nations artists across the region monthly on Friday evenings.Sound Lab is an experimental music program at Lismore Regional Gallery taking place within the Gallery alongside select exhibitions.Revive Live is about more than just entertainment. It’s a vision for resilience and growth, aiming to attract diverse audiences, bolster tourism, and provide vital opportunities for local musicians.By prioritising inclusivity, the program seeks to empower underrepresented voices, including First Nations artists, women, LGBTQIA+ creatives, and people with disabilities or from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.As a performing artist and creative producer, Mitch King is excited to curate BLAKyard Music and sees it as an opportunity to showcase a talented range of First Nations music artists within Bundjalung and neighbouring nations. He looks forward to working with artists to “share their passion for music and storytelling through a platform that will support First Nations musicians in being more recognised within the Northern Rivers music scene.”Holiday Maker Records share a similar excitement for Echo Locator: “We are honoured to have this opportunity to dream up a music program for the Quad, guided by the creative spirit of Lismore. We look forward to showcasing regional artists, hosting fantastic interstate artists, strengthening our community, and creating regional touring opportunities.” Lismore Regional Gallery Director Ashleigh Ralph is excited to collaborate with the Quad on Sound Lab: “During the gallery’s restoration, we hosted LRG Nights at various venues around Lismore and discovered a strong enthusiasm for experimental music and art. We are eager to bring this kind of programming into the gallery and within our exhibitions.”Revive Live addresses a critical need for accessible, all-ages venues in regional Australia. The Quad’s outdoor setting ensures these events are inclusive and welcoming to all, from families to seasoned music lovers. Each event promises to deliver unforgettable experiences for audiences and invaluable opportunities for the creative community.BLAKyard Music starts on Friday 11 April at 6.00pm featuring the talented Mr Rhodes and The Deadly Good. As a founding member of the celebrated hip-hop trio Teddy Lewis King, musical alchemist Mr Rhodes makes soulful drenched future hip-hop with unparalleled energy and tenacity.“The Deadly Good is a soul, R&B, and disco troupe of plucky LGBTQIA+ and First Nations rebellion fighters looking for a good time and a place to make music and feel seen and safe. All allies and aliases welcome!” Benja Roberts.Stay tuned by visiting the website at www.lismorequad.org.au to see what's on.

Flood Response Planning was one of the agenda items at yesterday's Lismore City Council meeting.Councillor (Cr) Big Rob wanted Council to organise CBD flood response planning sessions in late November and February each year and invite experienced flood and weather forecasters from the local Lismore SES unit and the BOM to speak about expectations, to assist attendees to better understand and prepare for flood and weather events regularly experienced in the Lismore area.Mayor Krieg asked for an amendment to the motion to remove February, thus making it one flood response planning session each year. This was taken on board.While most Crs supported the intent of Cr Rob's motion, those who spoke were not supportive of the reasons Cr Rob put forward."I am concerned about the way information is being interpreted and disseminated, and in relation to the way it was done," Cr Rob said."I take note, Mr. Mayor, that you did say you'll listen to the experts, and yes, we definitely should listen to the experts. But in that situation, what many won't know is that it was the decision of one person. Well, my understanding is when I checked before I released the emergency warning to evacuate, I was told that one person made that decision based on some data from the BOM, and the data from the BOM didn't support that decision."And my concern is that a lot of people are getting complacent when things are wrong. So you know, we hear that better safe than sorry, blah, blah, blah, that's true. And as you said, Mr. Mayor, and I 100% support, prepare for the worst, hope for the best, but there's an extra bit, get ready to go on short notice. So you don't just leave because something might come. You wait until it's going to come, and then you go, and you have many hours' notice. And this is the problem.Cr Rob then talked about how businesses would calculate when they needed to evacuate depending on the flood level at the time."Now, I was doing these calculations during that event, and the worst number I got was six and a half hours. Six and a half hours, that was the worst number, and that was when there was a 28-centimetre rate of rise on the Friday night. So Thursday, we didn't even get to low-level flooding till Friday morning."So, one of the excuses was darkness. Well, you told everyone to evacuate by 9pm, you know, that's darkness, so why not wait till 9am at least? Give another 12 hours, right? We got to low flooding at what 9am we're at, I think, 4.29 or something like that, or 4.23 I think it was. And then not till the afternoon. We got to moderate flooding, and we never got to major. And you would have known that, if you were doing the early rate of rise, we never got close to it."Mayor Krieg made the point that every flood he has seen in Lismore is different."We can sit here and criticise what happened in March this year until the cows come home. But what we were dealing with was not only flooding, we were dealing with cyclonic winds as well. And I heard, as we all hear, stories around the local community about evacuation procedures, and why would you evacuate so early?"And I will recall a story about a long-term, 40-plus-year resident in South Lismore who, when they were door knocked on that Thursday afternoon to evacuate, and said, I know the height of the water to get to before I evacuate. And the local SES person that was door-knocking at that particular location said, that's all well and good until a power line comes down or a tree goes over the road and blocks your only exit out of that particular area, and that person took that advice on board and evacuated on that Thursday night."It was a very different situation to 2022, it was a very different situation to 2017 again, and I think you've got to take the whole picture into context with the forecast up to 150 kilometre an hour winds coming through Lismore. We were fortunate again that wind speeds only reached 85 to 90 kilometres, which minimised damage in our LGA."I'm not going to stand here and blame the SES for making a decision on all of the information that they were given, including potential rainfall, including potential high-velocity winds. I support the decision that was made based on those factors, even though the river height was at 1.51, my family evacuated. We went through the same procedures as we did in 2022 to get our children out of potential danger."Was it the right call? Hindsight would would say, maybe not. But at the time, I fully supported that decision, and I think one thing that I learned is you can never have too much information, and these sorts of seminars can only benefit our community moving forward."Cr Dalton-Earls said he had been to an SES session previously and learned that the Tuncester Gauge is the one that predicts the flood height for South Lismore and that can be anywhere from three to five hours before."I also did want to point (out) that when any individual says this is how we should be doing things, if you get it wrong, then you've got a lot of liability. So, I think we do have to still rely on the SES, the BOM, the state, those types of things as well, to just ensure that not any one individual is saying this is what should happen. Because if you get it wrong, the outcomes can be absolutely devastating. "And exactly what Mayor Steve Krieg has said as well, is it wasn't a typical rain event. If it was a typical rain event, you know, no one would be thinking about evacuating at one metre. It would be ridiculous. But in a cyclone event, for exactly that point, the tree goes down over your driveway, and you can't get out. And if we did get a flood, as could have been possible, it could have resulted in a loss of life. "I would much rather see people inconvenienced than even one loss of life because that's irreplaceable. Cr Jensen agreed with the once-a-year session but did want to gauge public and business interest each year. She also questioned Cr Rob's thoughts."I hear what you're saying, Councilor Rob, but we all know whether it's mother nature or an act of God, we don't know what's going to happen, so to be prepared, in my opinion, is a far better way to be than to wait until the last minute when everyone suddenly panics, the roads get blocked, something might go down across the road, and then we get into a situation that gets out of hand." Cr Gordon talked about the number of new residents or business owners that arrive each year in Lismore."We've got a lot of new people coming to town. And if you look at what's going on in town right now, you can expect, you know, more and more people will choose Lismore as their place to reside and work. And I think, as a result, we probably should get ahead of that because we seem to be having more of these rain events. We seem to be having more flooding. So, to say that you should just work it out yourself is probably not proactive, and it's not best practice in my mind." Cr Gordon then asked council staff for their experience during Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the decision-making behind it.Chief of Operations and Finance Brendan Logan mentioned his conversation with Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dibb."I contacted the minister, and had a conversation with him myself, Mr. Dib, and just said, Look, this is the experience we've got that. The SES seem to be doing things a lot quicker than we would normally expect now. And he didn't shy away from that. He said, Absolutely, that's my expectation. I'd rather go early and not have to do something than go late and have something go wrong. "He said, I've asked the teams to operate like that, which was good for me to know. So then I've gone back to my teams and said, Look, whether you like it or not. That's why it is, so how do we work in with that, rather than ignore it or butt up against it? Mr Logan also shared his time in the Emergency Operations Centre at SCU."I was probably caught on the hop myself by some of these decisions that SES were making, but when they say the BOM data, my experience over that event was that it wasn't calculated, as you might have described earlier Cr Rob. There was an upper limit prediction included in some of the modelling from the BOM that was then provided to SES that was significantly higher than what we experienced. And I imagine that the officers, sort of receiving that, are going well, I've received something now that said this could happen. I need to take appropriate action."Mr Logan felt the bigger issue was the communication from the SES on their new expectations.When the vote was put to the councillors, the support was unanimous. So, the CBD will get a Flood Planning Session this November in preparation for the 2025/26 storm season.

Lismore City Council Councillors voted unanimously at yesterday's April meeting to appoint Eber Butron as the acting General Manager for a maximum period of twelve months until the council appoints a new permanent General Manager or until a further decision of council to appoint a different acting general manager, whichever occurs first.(New acting GM Eber Butron. Photo: Lismore City Council website)Mr Butron held the position of Chief Corporate and Community Officer and was one of two Deputy General Managers with Brendan Logan (Chief Operations and Finance Officer). Mr Butron's salary will be the same as former GM Jon Gibbons. He officially begins in the role on Saturday, May 3.The first item on the agenda was the Development Control Plan for the huge 1055 Bruxner Highway development, which will see it divided into five (5) precincts for residential single dwellings, medium-density housing, such as townhouses and apartments, mixed-use commercial and shop-top living, plus an industrial area.There were technical audio issues at the time, so no comments could be heard. However, the vote was unanimous.In another unanimous vote, Cr Jeri Hall put forward a motion that involved council writing a letter of support for the Bexhill Quarry Parklands Association, and contacting Crown Lands to request a review and a response indicating how any ongoing risks may be addressed to allow public access.Cr Hall said the association had already received support from Kevin Hogan, Janelle Saffin, Ben Franklin, and the Northern Rivers Rail Trail to name a few."The purpose of this motion is just purely to help them get their ideas off the ground. Bexhill Quarry is visited by a lot of tourists annually, and there's a lot going on there that isn't quite what we'd like to see happening in our community. There's a lot of rubbish dumped, there's a lot of illegal camping, there's a lot of anti-social behaviour. "Their plans include viewing decks and swimming holes and things like that. We heard from Des that the water is tested quite regularly by Southern Cross University, and it does not pose any risks to health, regardless of some of the rumours that we hear floating around." Cr Dalton-Earls agreed that the Bexhill Quarry has long been an asset. (Bexhill Quarry)"It's just been unrealised because of the risks and different things, because it basically has been community taking it over. As Des pointed out, as soon as the fences were put up, they were taken down within a day. It's something that I visited many times as a younger person; many people go there on a hot day. "If we can get this done up, it will help the Bexhill Parklands Association to push to get this done up. It will be a huge asset for our community, particularly along the rail trail corridor. Cr Dalton-Earls was at the quarry on Sunday walking his dog and heard comments about having a swim and going to the Eltham Pub or going back into Lismore."All these tourist attractions are what's going to help us recover and to have sustainability in the future as a preferred destination spot. So I definitely support it, and I hope that Crown Lands can come on board." Cr Gordon said that as soon as they abandoned the old Bexhill Brickworks, it filled up with water and people began swimming there."It's a great asset considering the Rail Trail and its proposal to go further ahead. You can imagine riding from Lismore to Bexhill having a swim, then riding down to the Eltham for a few beers, and then perhaps riding home or getting collected. I think it's a wonderful, wonderful part of this whole master plan about giving people things to do." Cr Knight-Smith said she swam there when it was safe and unsafe."I remember years ago when you got in, you got out, and your skin felt like it was really tight because it was so acidic. And then later, I swam there, and it wasn't like that. I think it was in 2002, it was the first time a report came out saying that it was safe to swim. And people have been flocking there for as long as they can. "And I know that it's Instagram ready, that blue water is so photogenic that people come from the coast and all over the place just to take their photo in front of it. And like councilor Rob said, we're not going to stop people swimming in it. And so we should support a community group that wants to do something and make it an asset for us going forward and with the rail trail."While council was on a role of unanimous voting, Cr Waters put forward her motion for council to include 40 Cullen Street, the old Vinnes building that is for sale, in council's Property Strategy Review and write to St Vincent's de Paul to inform them the assessment is taking place.It was no wonder that council went into confidential at 11:51am after starting the meeting at 10am. This was the most unified the 11 Lismore City Councillors has been leading to the shortest council meeting in history. Okay, that is a stretch, but it must be in the Top 10.The next Lismore City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, May 13 at 10am, with public access at 9am.

The open mic community gathering on Bailie Street, North Lismore, or unauthorised protest, according to police, got out of hand earlier today as another house was due to be demolished.Two people were arrested by officers from the Richmond Police District in the first incident of civil disobedience.The Lismore App understands the two people tried to jump a fence to stop the demolition.(Photo: Mark Bailey)A NSW Police Media Statement said:About 9am today, (Tuesday, 8 April 2025), police were called to Baillie Street, North Lismore, following reports of an unauthorised protest.On arrival, officers attached to Richmond Police District found approximately 30 people gathered at the location.Two women, aged 28 and 60 were arrested, and taken to Lismore Police Station where inquiries are ongoing.The group has now dispersed, and police remain in the area.Today was the second Resilient Homes Program (RHP) House Buyback to be demolished in Baillie Street, North Lismore. Two more are scheduled for demolition.As reported on the Lismore App earlier this morning, there are 428 more homes to relocate or demolish through the RHP (Baillie Street demolition highlights unity to division in three years).Is this the beginning of an escalation of events?

Mayor Rick Firman OAM, Chairman of the NSW Country Mayors Association (CMA) has bemoaned the major parties’ lack of commitment to Local Government and their failure to address funding shortfalls that were clearly identified in the Interim Report into Local Government Sustainability. “Despite ongoing calls from all Local Government peak bodies and from individual councils for the annual Commonwealth Financial Assistance Grants to increase 1% of taxation revenue, not a single party has addressed the issue” Mayor Firman said. “Do they think that if they ignore us, we will just go away? Not likely!” The Local Government sector has identified falling revenue as the major contributing factor to the financial sustainability challenges that many councils in NSW currently face. Maor Firman said, “declining Commonwealth contributions, coupled with rate pegging in NSW and increasing operating costs are making it extremely difficult for councils and particularly country councils to continue to deliver services and infrastructure at the levels their communities need and deserve.” “Local Government expects that the unique role that councils perform in delivering on-ground services to the people living in every corner of Australia will be recognised and funded appropriately by the Commonwealth. The Federal Election provides a platform for all parties and the Independents to make that commitment.” Mayor Firman said. Country-based councils across NSW face unique cost pressures with many Local Government Areas the size of small European countries. Councils are required to deliver public services like administration, recreational facilities, pools, libraries and waste facilities in multiple locations in order to ensure equity of access, which increases the cost of council operations. “The Interim Report identified that Local Government is being increasingly relied upon to deliver services and infrastructure which were traditionally under the purview of the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, and yet Commonwealth grants have decreased not increased” Mayor Firman said. “We believe it is completely unacceptable that we should wear the responsibility without adequate funding.” In addition, CMA research has shown that apportioning the Grants based on population does not see funds go to where they are most needed. In smaller country councils in NSW the Grant can constitute over 70 per cent of revenue, while income from rates and Council fees is essentially stagnant and prospects for growing these income sources are extremely limited. Deputy Chair Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick stated that the report from the Auditor-General of 31st March confirms that: 16 Councils have insufficient cash to meet three months of expenses40% of Councils did not meet operating performance benchmarks35 Councils met none or just one of the three key financial sustainability benchmarksRevenue growth lags expenditure growth after adjusting for inflation resulting in negative growth.“We all know that Australia is a big country, there is no getting away from the fact that local councils take on the lion’s share of the responsibility for delivering services and infrastructure into our rural, regional and remote communities. It is about time that this was recognised with appropriate levels of Commonwealth funding” Mayor Firman said. Prior to the announcement of the election, the CMA had written to the Prime Minister, Hon Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Opposition, Hon Peter Dutton MP and to the Leader of the National Party, the Hon David Littleproud MP requesting meetings to discuss the issue. It is incredibly disappointing that we have not had a single written response to our correspondence about this critical issue. “A recent Zoom meeting with Shadow Minister Darren Chester did not provide any indication that the Coalition was prepared to provide any leadership on the issue. While the CMA appreciated the time the Shadow Minister took to meet with us, we seem to be on very different wavelengths” Mayor Firman said. Local Government is constantly expected to step in to fill the service and infrastructure gaps left by the Commonwealth and yet they seem to be ignoring the very real financial constraints that most councils are working under,” Mayor Firman said. “Enough is enough! Something has to give, the status quo simply cannot continue.”

A community group seeking an independent candidate to represent the electorate of Page has concluded its 2025 election candidate selection process, without selecting a candidate.The group, Voices Of Page, has announced it will not be putting forward a candidate at the upcoming election. That leaves the registered candidates at five for the May 3 election (2025 Federal Election).Despite receiving several candidate nominations, the group has been unable to select a suitable candidate in time for the May 3rd Election.Tim Williams, a member of Voices Of Page, said, “Our group formed late last year, and is passionate about integrity in politics. We have been working to find a candidate who really knows our community, can champion its people, and has the right set of values.”“We are sad to say we haven’t found the right candidate for this election, and to be honest, we left our run too late. We needed more time, so a candidate had a chance to fundraise and build their campaign.”“We won’t stop what we are doing. We are determined to work with the community to find an outstanding candidate for the following election.”“Over the past few months, we’ve refined our candidate selection criteria, based on feedback from the community. This provided us with a very clear picture of the characteristic we’d expect to find in a strong independent candidate.”“For this election, we conducted a candidate identification and selection process. We took nominations and we’ve talked with a number of potential candidates. ““Ultimately, we have not been able to find a candidate that has the energy to put themselves forward at this election, and whose values fully align with our group candidate selection criteria.”“We want to thank the wonderful people who nominated themselves or who were nominated by others as potential candidates. They were all people of good character, and they each have a lot to offer the community. We will continue to take candidate nominations and talk with all of the potential candidates to see what the future holds.”“We knew from the outset that we didn’t have much time to find a candidate and unfortunately time has got the better of us.”“We are not going away. During the election campaign, we’ll be attending community events, growing our membership base, listening to the community and searching for our future election candidate.”People wishing to find out more, nominate a potential candidate or find out more about Voices Of Page can visit the group’s website at www.voicesofpage.org.

A new Agtech Collaboration Site in Clunes is set to provide local producers with the opportunity to explore cutting-edge technologies that will enhance remote livestock monitoring, enable data-driven decision-making, and improve overall farm management.Part of the NSW Government’s Farms of the Future program, the site will operate at Banyula farm until June 2028 and offer local farmers hands-on experience with technologies tailored to their specific needs.Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Agtech Specialist Tom Flanagan said the site is hosting a field day for local beef producers this Wednesday, 9 April 2025, to celebrate the official launch.“This event will provide attendees with a firsthand opportunity to explore how Agtech solutions can boost productivity, reduce costs and emissions, and help producers remain competitive in an ever-evolving industry,” Mr Flanagan said.“For instance, GPS-enabled cattle tracking systems allow farmers to monitor their herds remotely, saving time on animal checks, improving herd management, and ultimately boosting productivity while lowering labour costs.“By showcasing these innovations, our new Agtech Collaboration Site will empower farmers to assess technologies that can improve farm management, reduce operational costs, and increase resilience to market and seasonal fluctuations.”While the field day will focus on beef production, the technologies and other activities on display are relevant to a wide range of livestock systems and include:Local Expert Presentations: Hear from Tom Flanagan, representative of the Farms of the Future program, who will discuss the vision behind the Agtech Collaboration Site and how it will directly benefit local beef producers by providing access to innovative Agtech solutions. Supplier Insights: Meet with local Agtech suppliers and see how their technologies can be integrated into local farming operations. Get expert advice on how these solutions can improve productivity, reduce costs, and make data-driven management easier for local farmers.​ Carbon Management Demonstration: Learn from Clare Edwards, NSW DPIRD Development Officer (Carbon), about the On-Farm Carbon Advice (OFCA) project and how Agtech can assist local farmers in managing emissions. Clare will outline how the site’s technologies can improve carbon measurement and monitoring, supporting farmers in meeting sustainability goals and potentially accessing carbon credits.According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), cattle and calves are the top agricultural commodity in the Richmond and Tweed regions, accounting for $109.3 million of the $501 million total agricultural value.“With beef cattle farming making up more than a third of the region’s 1,741 farms, the introduction of Agtech solutions at the Banyula Agtech Collaboration Site is particularly important, offering local producers the tools they need to enhance efficiency, productivity, and sustainability in this vital industry,” Mr Flanagan said.“So far, we have seen a promising uptake of AgTech across the state and we’re eager to see farmers in the Richmond and Tweed regions embrace this innovative shift.“Producers who have already taken the leap are sharing that Agtech helps them to run their operations more efficiently, save money, and make better decisions using data.”The Agtech Collaboration Site in Clunes is the latest investment by the NSW Government to boost uptake of new technologies, and is among several sites sharing AgTech data and learnings and helping producers to get ahead across NSW.For more information on the AgTech Collaboration Site or to RSVP for the event, please visit www.agtech.dpi.nsw.gov.au.

The Lismore City Council April meeting will be held this morning at council chambers in Goonellabah.Just like the extraordinary March meeting two weeks ago with the Eastwood Estate's 176 new housing sites in Precinct 2, this council meeting has another large development on its agenda. 1055 Bruxner Highway is a large development at the end of the new Oliver Avenue extension in Goonellabah that will provide residential home sites, which include general and medium-density housing as well as a local centre, a mixed-use area and an industrial area. Councillors will vote on a Development Control Plan (DCP) that council staff have created.The DCP is to give developmental guidance to potential land owners and investors who want to build houses, townhouses, apartment blocks, and commercial or industrial buildings on flood-free land. 1055 Bruxner Highway would be made up of five areas:General Residential - this is at the north (Ballina Road) end of the site.Medium Density Residential - this precinct will be home to a diverse housing range, such as townhouses and apartment blocks that must be designed in accordance with building height and minimum lot size controls.Local Centre - This is the area where commercial and community uses are enabled, as well as shop-top housing. The DCP suggests a 'High Street' type village centre with high-quality footpaths, outdoor seating etc. Buildings can be up to five stories high and must have active street frontages. The village centre adjoins a key parcel of public open space that is to be integrated with the Tucki Tuck Creek reserve.Mixed-Use - This precinct is to enable commercial development as well as shop-top housing. Buildings here will have a maximum of four stories, with any upper levels setback to minimise the bulk and scale to the street.Industrial - this is the most southern end of the precinct, so closest to the existing Goonellabah Industrial Estate.The community had the opportunity to provide feedback on the site, and 83 submissions were received. The results were 43% were happy and very happy, 43% unhappy or very unhappy, and 13% were neutral.Council staff adjusted elements of the DCP based on the community feedback.In other council business, Cr Virginia Waters wants to staff to do due diligence on council buying the old Vinnies building at 40 Cullen Street, Nimbin.Cr Jeri Hall would like council to write a letter of support to the Bexhill Quarry Parklands Association in their efforts to transform the quarry into a regional parkland bringing tourism and economic development to Bexhill and Lismore.There will be a discussion in confidential about the appointment of a new General Manager. You can view the Lismore City Council meeting from 9am for public speakers or 10am for the meeting proper via council's Facebook page.

The NSW RA (Reconstruction Authority) began to demolish the next lot of buyback houses yesterday, this time on Baillie Street, North Lismore.The activity will occur for the rest of the week as there are several homes to be demolished in an area that floods regularly as the Wilsons River wraps itself around the street, along with Wotherspoon Street on its way to the CBD.The RA says that demolition only occurs after a "strict risk assessment".Buyback house demolition has divided the community, as has the flood recovery itself.Three short years ago, Lismore came together as a community to rescue those caught in the floodplain on 28 February 2022, some on their verandah standing in waist or chest-high fast-flowing water or those on their roof.At that time of the flood, Lismore was more unified than at any other time in its long history.Three years on, it feels like we are a more divided community than ever.It began with the $800 million announcement by the state and federal government for the Resilient Homes Program ($700 million) and the $100 million Resilient Lands Program in October 2022.This was after the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation had tabled in parliament a costing of $1.5 billion for 2000 house buybacks, 2000 house raisings and 2000 home retrofits.The $800 million has today become $880 million for the Resilient Homes Program (RHP) after the state and federal governments threw in another $90 million each last year.It has long been known that the initial $1.5 billion was never going to be committed. The February 2025 estimate from NSWRA CEO Mal Lanyon is for a maximum of 1,300 house buybacks.The reason given for the house buybacks was to remove the most vulnerable homeowners/renters from the floodplain and reuse the land for community purposes.The initial debate was around affordably relocating the buyback houses that did not suffer irreparable damage, thus saving some historic Lismore big scrub hardwood homes.This is where the community division begins.Maybe in retrospect, the NSWRA should have started the Resilient Lands Program (RLP) before or at the same time it started the RHP. After all, you have a home to relocate but nowhere to move it to. Everything is clearer in hindsight. We need to keep in mind this type of program had never been rolled out before in NSW.Affordability became a key issue. People bought or rented in the Lismore floodplain because it was cheaper. In conversations with real estate agents, it was their first step on the Lismore property ladder as a first home buyer. The other types of people on the floodplain were generational Southies and Northies.These houses were $300,000 to $350,000 (approximately) in 2019. Then, during the COVID years, prices increased in a way Lismore hadn't seen before as people moved out of capital cities and into the regions. House prices were now around the $500,000 to $550,000 range.The dilemma for those with a house buyback offer was that $500,000 would not buy them a house out of flood. That cost is more likely $700,000 plus. So, a $200,000 loan would be needed to move. Of course, getting a loan depends on your age and financial situation.If you were to relocate a house, a block of land would be around $400,000, with removal costs of $120,000 to $150,000 plus renovation costs to make it liveable, including landscaping. Again, the price was north of $650,000 at best, depending on where you purchased the land.In Lismore, for a flood-affected buyback person to move into similarly priced accommodation, they would be looking at a townhouse or unit. Simply put, the supply of these housing types is very low in the LGA, and no new construction has begun to date.The affordability scenario combined with a housing crisis has exacerbated the situation.To complicate matters, squatters then move into various NSWRA-owned buyback houses, especially Pine Street, claiming everyone has a right to have a roof over their head.The flood recovery, which includes house relocation, raisings, retrofits and demolition, along with the development of identified land through the RLP, is moving far too slowly for some. One Lismore Facebook page admin put out a nationwide call "For all that are homeless to come to Lismore and I will give them addresses of the 100's of empty homes here."This type of situation may slow progress further, or it may spur the NSWRA into acting faster, leading to more demolitions and fewer relocations as the RA tries to avoid more costly court action.When asked about the latest demolitions and the reuse of materials, a spokesperson from the NSW Reconstruction Authority said, "Our aim is to recycle and reuse materials from homes during all demolitions. So far, contractors recycled more than 70 per cent of all materials. This includes timber, metal, concrete and organics. "To date, 55.12 tonnes of metal, 883.46 tonnes of concrete and 62.48 tonnes of timber have been recycled. Over 1000 tonnes of materials have been recycled."Our priority is to relocate bought-back homes as much as possible however some have had to be demolished because they were structurally unsound, severely dilapidated, in high-risk areas or were unsafe to live in because of the presence of asbestos."We expect more demolitions will need to take place as part of the program however that decision is only made after a strict risk assessment."Eight homes were recently assessed as needing to be demolished because they were deemed high risk or impacted during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred."Neighbours in adjoining properties and previous owners of the homes have all been notified ahead of any work starting."Community members interested in enquiring about the recycled materials should contact the demolition contractors engaged by RA:• TCDE: www.tcde.com.au/contact• Mackay & Sons: www.houseremovals.com.au/contact-us/"For ongoing updates, please visit the RA website at www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/nsw-reconstruction-authority/our-work/northern-rivers."There is a part of the community that disagrees with the NSWRA house demolitions. They are holding a community gathering on Baillie Street, North Lismore between 9:30am and 11:30am today. Reclaim Our Recovery says it is an open mic where you can have your say.A statement from House You said that 50 homes have been demolished with a further 62 to go by mid-year, making a total of 112 Lismore flood-affected homes.The NSWRA put 31 homes up for relocation, with multiple offers on some properties. The latest RHP figures for the NSWRA on March 28, 2025, showed that there have been 624 Buyback offers, with 540 approved. That leaves 397 more homes that will be relocated and/or demolished throughout the next few years.The Lismore community understands the RHP and the RLP have had major issues; however, nothing can change the last three years of our flood recovery.What has changed in the last three years is the shift from a united community willing to help each other in every way to a deeply divided community where verbal abuse is dealt out from both sides of the housing debate, and that is sad.

UPDATE: Mickalya has been locatedORIGINAL STORYPolice are appealing for assistance to locate a teenage girl missing from Lismore.Mickalya Schipp, aged 15, was last seen in Lismore, about 12.20pm on Friday 28 March 2025.When she could not be located or contacted, officers attached to Richmond Policer District were contacted and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.Police and family hold concerns for her welfare due to her age.Mickalya is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 145cm tall, of medium build, with dark brown shoulder length hair, freckles and grey eyes.She was last seen wearing black pants, a black cropped hooded jumper and wearing glasses.Mickayla is known to frequent the Wollongbar, Alstonville and Lismore areas.Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis.The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

The Easter School Holidays are on our doorstep. Term 1 2025 ends this Friday and students will return to school on Wednesday, April 30.If you are not hitting the road for the holidays and wondering how to entertain your children, the Hockey & Multi-Sports Camp returns for all children aged 5 years and over.With financial support from NSW Department of Regional Youth, Far North Coast Hockey Inc. offers FREE entry for youths aged 12 years and older for the full 4-day event.To ensure the most affordable holiday care in the Northern Rivers, children aged between 5 and 11 years can attend all 4 days of the camp for a registration fee of $85.00.Lunch, morning tea, and equipment are provided throughout the 4-day camp.The camp aims to provide an environment where children can explore different sports, build skills, and make new friends.The camp presents an opportunity for children to connect with others outside their school zones, while demonstrating the amazing benefits Sport gives to children:Break down social barriersBuild inner strength and resilienceExperience less stress and anxietyForm supportive relationshipsAll camp staff, coaches, and volunteers have essential qualifications including WWCC, coaching certificates, and experience. A Child Safety Officer, First Aid & CPR Officers, and a Child Support Worker will be onsite to ensure a safe, inclusive environment for all participants.The diverse line-up of sporting sessions allows children to find a sport that suits their own personal attributes, whether it is individual, partnered, or team-based. This camp provides an opportunity to discover which sports may interest them in the future.Hockey-Hockey is one of the most skilful team sports in the world, and yet we teach the game so that every participant knows they can play the game well, and if there is a passion for team sports they may not have yet discovered.For returning camp attendees, their hockey capabilities will be continued to the next level in the Hockey-‘Play-On’ series to further their skill and competencies. For seasoned or regular competitive players, Francisco, will be lead a special squad dedicated to ensuring our experienced players are challenged with a new range of engaging drills and games, providing specialized attention and directly focusing on individual strengths.Table Tennis-A fast-paced, individual sport taught by leading Far North Coast Table Tennis coaches, available for further development, locally in our own back yard.Taekwondo-Developed through individual effort. Ree & Damian from Jung Shin Taekwondo, with over 30 years of experience, instruct on kicking, punching, blocking techniques, as well as coordinated foot and body movements, among the individual sporting challenges.Tennis-Sessions are delivered by On Tour Tennis in Lismore. Dean and his team bring their enthusiasm and equipment to showcase the very best of one of the most popular racquet and ball sports.Fitness Kidz-A locally owned and operated organisation providing unstructured physical and creative activities on the last day. Children use their imaginations to tumble, roll, race, and team-up, to create their own adventures.Places will run out with this event being one of the most popular diverse holiday programs for kids in the Northern Rivers region.Register Now at: AUTUMN HOLIDAY HOCKEY & MULTI SPORTS CAMP. The Details:AUTUMN HOLIDAY HOCKEY & MULTI-SPORTS CAMP- 14 – 17 April, 2025.Free for all children aged 12 years and older, or $85 for children aged 5-11 years.Sporting camp during the Autumn holidays for children aged 5 and above.4 days, 5 different sports modules, with a focus on hockey.Monday 14th to 17th April (9am – 3.30pm)Goonellabah Hockey Turf Fields (Oliver Av. Behind Workers Sports Club)