The North Coast National Lismore Show is well underway and we catch some of the action!The laneways are packed with people and lots of school children, screams come from the main ring and the jetpack pool. Music emanates from the rides and you can hear the calls of the sideshows tempting folk with their wares.Tara Coles the announcer at the show and showgirl escort, was with the showgirls at the woodchop event. Tara said, “The show's been busy here today and the weather's good too.  “The girls have been out and about learning all about poultry, doing the axe throwing, which was good. As well as that, they've handed out ribbons in the horses and the beef title section.”The girls are all smiles thinking of all the things they have seen and done today. Dominique Wise is the state winner of the Young Woman competition and is very impressed with the North Coast National, “I'd definitely have to say the capacity and involvement of the community here is amazing.   “It's honestly such a big show - I've done my trips around New South Wales, and Lismore's definitely got it for involving community and competitors as well.”“I've really enjoyed sashing the beef cattle this morning,” said Maddie.Rose has started show jumping and loves horses, “My favourite part of the shows today was watching the show jumpers in the horse ring.”(Brumbies ready for their appearance)Bella was a little shy, and said, “The favourite part of the show for me was seeing all the people and all the events and just everything.”There is a very talented face painter making their mark with some creative work.The spectacle at the circus and the riders in the main ring kept everyone’s mouth open wide!Be prepared to get damp at the jetpack show! The game of Marco Polo was epic!Hard decisions and happy smiles at the showbag stand!You can even make a movie in the Pop Zone Pavillion!Jacklyn Wagner's new image gallery saw lots of people at Norma's Kitchen. A great place to take a load off your feet and get out of the sun for a bit!Shiver me timbers! Well these these timber logs should be shivering if they knew their fate in the Australian Wood Chop Championship underway!There is so much to see and do, there is something for everyone.  The community parade starts soon - see you at the show!

The weekend weather will have a bit of everything as warm northwest winds make way for a southerly change on Saturday afternoon/evening that cools conditions for Sunday.The rainfall is a lottery, with a 40-50% chance, and then only 0-2mm is forecast. However, there is a chance of a thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon.A warm 32 degrees is expected for Saturday and 25 for Sunday as the southerly moves through.There is plenty of activity tonight at the 2024 Elders Lismore Show.The official opening is at 5:45pm tonight. The Community Parade gets underway at 6pm, which will be followed by Cosplay judging at 6:40pm on the Community Stage (just south of the food trucks) with 23 entries before the Fireworks display closes the show at 8:30pm.Saturday is the final day of the 2024 Elders Lismore Show.Throughout the day, there will be Show Jumping, Championship Dogs (9am), Woodchop (10am), Beef Cattle (10am), Jet Pack Show (10:30am, 1:30pm and 4pm), Ashton Circus, FMX Motor X and Monster Trucks, Grande Parade Beef Cattle Champion of Champions Main Arena at 1:30pm) and more. Check out the program through the Lismore Show button 2024 Lismore Show.There is no Lismore Farmers Market on Saturday morning because of the Lismore Show. It is one of the few times per year when the markets are not on.The Lismore Free Market is on Sunday between 9am and 11am in the Lismore Community Garden at 50 Brewster Street. The Free Market is a gathering of people who want to give away goods and services for free.The Northern Rivers Hotel has three nights of live music: Tonight it's Dan Grace Music from 7pm, Cath Simes from 8pm on Saturday night and the Sunday Session is Doc Rock between 2 and 5pm.The Lismore Workers Club is gearing up to a run of live music, with the Boney M Experience on Saturday, November 9, followed by Marina Prior & Michael Cormick on Saturday, November 22, and the Italian Tenors 'The Classics' on Friday, November 22. Check out the shows and book by clicking here.Lismore retains its reputation as the most expensive fuel in the Northern Rivers by 13 to 17 cents a litre, with the exception of diesel, where it is the cheapest.While Lismore prices were steady, Ballina and Casino prices increased by around 2c a litre this week as speculation over Israel targetting Iran's oil industry drove the price of crude higher. The threat has subsided, and the price of crude has dropped, so we should see lower prices again in the next two weeks at the pumps.Here are the cheapest fuel prices in each town:E10 is 178.9 across those that serve E10 across Lismore, 165.3 at The United on Johnston Street in Casino, with The Metro and the Mobil on River Street in Ballina cheapest at 161.9.Unleaded 91 is 179.9 at the new Astron on Ballina Road in the CBD and the Shell on Ballina Road in Goonellabah, 167.5 at The United and the Casino Roadhouse on Johnston Street in Casino and 163.9 at the Metro and the new Mobil in Ballina.U95 is 188.9 at the Independent on Wyrallah Road, East Lismore, Northside Liberty and Bakers Corner at North Lismore and the Liberty on Ballina Road, 186.9 at the EG Ampol on Canterbury Street in Casino and 174.9 at The Metro and the Mobil in Ballina.U98 is 196.9 at the Liberty on Ballina Road and at 113 Union Street, South Lismore, 188.5 at The United in Casino and 183.9 at The Metro and the Mobil on River Street, Ballina.Diesel is 173.9 at the new Astron on Ballina Road, 177.7 at the NightOwl Puma at 37 Johnston Street in Casino and 182.5 at The Metro and the Mobil in Ballina.Have a great weekend!

Menopause will affect most women at some stage of their life, yet the stigma remains.This World Menopause Day, I encourage women to take charge of your health and arm yourself with trustworthy information.The day seeks to raise awareness of menopause and support options available for improving women’s health and wellbeing. This year’s theme is ‘Menopause hormone therapy’. There is a lot of misinformation online and in the public sphere about perimenopause or menopause, particularly in relation treatments available.To make it easier to navigate, the NSW Government has put together the Perimenopause and Menopause Toolkit – a one-stop-shop for credible information about menopause - https://www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/toolkits-and-resources/perimenopause-and-menopause-toolkitThe website includes a menopause symptom checklist (translated and easy-read versions available), 10 podcasts with experts, and 2-minute explainers to help you understand the symptoms. It also includes links to sources women can go to for further support, such as the Australasian Menopause Society.Women have identified menopause as a top health issue. While 85% of women experience symptoms of menopause, there is still limited discussion about their impact or treatments, making women less likely to seek help. Menopause management can be complex.Your relationship with your GP is vital as you are going through perimenopause or menopause.GPs have been and continue to be a trusted first point of contact for people experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.For more complex symptoms, your GP can refer you to a specialist or a Menopause Hub, which can help women with complex menopausal symptoms and the associated health risks of menopause. We must break down the barriers causing women to suffer in silence, not seek help and withdraw from work or social engagements.The more women know and speak about their menopause experience, the more we normalise it. Sharing knowledge can help break the silence and challenge taboos, and ultimately improve women’s health and wellbeing.

Mountain Blue, the local leader in innovative blueberry genetics since 1978, has announced a plastic-free packaging trial in collaboration with innovative packaging and systems solutions company, Opal, on the brand Eureka, and supermarket retailer Coles Group.As part of Mountain Blue’s ongoing commitment to sustainable practices, this initiative introduced kerbside recyclable and FSC®-certified cardboard punnets for blueberries across 34 Coles stores located in Northern New South Wales over a two-month period. The punnets, an alternative to plastic containers, feature a unique transparent film produced from wood pulp, which allows customers to view the blueberries easily.By using FSC certified materials, the packaging further reinforces a commitment to sustainability, ensuring the materials come from responsibly managed forests.The trial marks a significant step in packaging innovation within the fresh produce industry. The kerbside recyclable punnets, developed in collaboration with Opal, aim to provide a plastic-free alternative without compromising on the quality and freshness that Mountain Blue Blueberries are renowned for.The punnets are made from recycled paper manufactured by Opal in Australia and feature the robustness needed to protect fresh produce through supply chains and freight."We’re excited to trial kerbside recyclable cardboard punnets with Opal. This innovation offers consumers sustainable packaging choices in Coles supermarkets,” said Andrew Bell, Managing Director, Mountain Blue.Chris Daly, Executive General Manager of Opal Packaging, said Opal is investing in research and development to test and commercialise products made from recycled and recyclable paper and cardboard.“By partnering with Mountain Blue, we were able to understand their packaging needs and work together with our automation and machinery team to deliver a punnet solution that is innovative, functional and sustainable,” said Chris Daly.Brooke Donnelly, Coles General Manager of Sustainability, said the supermarket is continuously looking for ways to innovate and redesign its packaging, and this trial provides customers with a packaging alternative for a product they love to eat.“Fresh produce packaging is ripe for innovation, and we’re excited to provide our customers with a plastic-free alternative for much-loved and in-season blueberries,” said Brooke Donnelly.“This trial is about ensuring the new cardboard punnets keep blueberries as fresh and tasty as the conventional plastic packaging, and to see how our customers respond to the change.”Consumers across Northern NSW can find Eureka punnets in the new recyclable packaging throughout October 2024. Mountain Blue hopes this trial will pave the way for broader adoption of sustainable packaging.

Resilient Lismore has contributed to the inaugural Disaster Recovery Almanac, an independent academic initiative by the University of New South Wales.With a document on ways to strengthen community in the process of recovering, Elly Bird, the Executive Director of Resilient Lismore has made an important contribution from this area.Professor David Sanderson, disaster response and risk reduction expert began collecting survival stories to create a database of information on his How We Survive website.  “There’s no question that with climate change, rapid urbanisation and growing inequality, more people are at risk of experiencing disasters than ever before,” Prof. Sanderson tells UNSW media.An academic work funded by the Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture endowment, it “aims to instil active engagement and participation with local communities in all disaster recovery and resilience efforts.”Ms Bird says, “It is a long term project that's looking at systemic changes to how we do disaster recovery. They're putting a lot of expertise and resources behind trying to understand how to improve disaster recovery processes. “They will be looking at change, significant, systemic and structural change over time.”The Almanac is freely accessible on the internet.  “The Almanac is an initiatives that they'll be adding to each year. They'll be doing a feature talking to leading voices in disaster recovery.“There's perspectives from community leaders and community organisers like myself and four others. And then they've also got perspectives from government policymakers and perspectives from academics.  “The article that I contributed to the Almanac was focused on how there is an opportunity in recovery to actually build stronger communities. (Lismore features prominently from the beginning of the almanac)“If we or governments think about how to support communities that take action or that want to participate in and lead their own recoveries, there's an opportunity to build stronger communities by doing that.”You can find the Almanac here when you scroll down the page.Resilient Lismore has also updated its website, so go and have a look, they have simplified it to make it easier to seek assistance.

Going to the Lismore Show usually revolves around family; however, it is also where young love can blossom.Lola and John Neilson knew one another from the country bus run into Lismore. John attended Marist Brothers, while Lola went to Richmond River High School.John asked Lola if she would like to go to the 1964 Lismore Show with him. The answer was, of course, yes.(John and Lola at the Lismore Show in 1964. Photo: supplied)Sixty years later, Lola and John walked around the 2024 Elders Lismore Show, reminiscing and enjoying this year's attractions.(Lola and John at the 2024 Elders Lismore Show sixty years later. Photo: North Coast National)"The show was always a big draw card every year, especially for kids and young people. And anybody competing in anything and showing or displaying things at the show. It was a big event," Lola shared with the Lismore App.In October 1964, Lola was 15 years of age, and John was 17."There were lots of rides back then and lots of side shows. More than there are now. There were lots of things that were different, it's totally different to now."In the 60 years since that first "outing", Lola and John were married in Lismore in 1970, had children, and when they were old enough, took them to the show and have since taken their grandchildren to the Lismore Show. It is an annual tradition that keeps is well and truly alive."We haven't been to the show for a little while with things happening over the last few years, so we just thought we would go up and have a wander around ourselves. It was very nice. We enjoyed it."When asked if there were any secret kisses remembered from 60 years ago, Lola said, "We're not telling stories like that. No, it's kind of hard to remember some of the details," she laughed.In a similar story, Kathy Claydon said on Facebook, "Similar to my husband & I. Our 1st date at 14yrs old was at the show. We're going on Saturday, it will be 47 yrs going to the show, now married 39 yrs."Day 1 of the Lismore Show is traditionally for primary school students, and they turned out in force to enjoy the activities with the Monster Trucks and the FMX Motor X particular favourites. You only had to follow the screams.Day 2 activities include Equestrian, Show Jumping, Rescue Services Display, Stud Beef Cattle, Reptile World, the Woodchop competition (from 10am), the Jet Pack Show (10:30am, 1:30pm and 4pm), Lego Building Challenge, Ashton's Circus, and ends with the Fireworks Spectacular at 8:30pm.Click here for the full Lismore Show program.See you at the Show!

Dementia Australia is disappointed by the initial decision of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to reject Lecanemab for use in Australia. Lecanemab is a disease modifying treatment for people living with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment.Developed by pharmaceutical company Eisai, Lecanemab works by removing amyloid plaques from the brain and in doing so slows cognitive decline associated with the disease.Lecanemab is currently approved for use in the UK, USA, Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and Israel. In July, it was rejected by the European Medicines Agency, a decision that has been criticised by Alzheimer’s Europe.Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said the decision would deprive Australians of the choice to access the potential benefits of the new treatment.“While we respect the TGA as Australia's medicines regulator, should this decision be upheld it will be a blow to Australians who may be able to benefit from Lecanemab. Dementia Australia is disappointed that Australians living with Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages may be unable to access the same choice of treatments as people living in other countries,” Professor Buchanan said.“Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and ultimately fatal neurological condition so slowing decline when people are experiencing mild symptoms is incredibly important in supporting people to maintain quality of life for longer.“Lecanemab is not a cure and is not for all people with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Like many medicines, it also comes with some significant risks. It is, however, widely seen as a historic first step towards reducing the huge impact of Alzheimer's disease and for people living with the condition, it signified hope.“While today's news is a disappointment, we are encouraged by the significant investment in research from prevention through to treatment of dementia. There are currently more than 100 clinical trials of medicines to manage dementia happening globally. Research released this year also showed that nearly half of all dementia cases globally could be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors.”Dementia Australia is the source of trusted information, education and services for the estimated more than 421,000 Australians living with dementia, and the more than 1.6 million people involved in their care. We advocate for positive change and support vital research. We are here to support people impacted by dementia, and to enable them to live as well as possible. No matter how you are impacted by dementia or who you are, we are here for you.For support, please contact the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. An interpreter service is available. The National Dementia Helpline is funded by the Australian Government. People looking for information can also visit dementia.org.au.

People receiving cancer treatment across Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) have provided overwhelmingly positive feedback for the care they received in the latest Bureau of Health Information’s (BHI) Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey.More than 8,000 patients from across the state provided feedback with almost all (99 per cent) rating their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’. This result has been consistently high since 2019 for NSW and is an improvement from last year.Key feedback received from people accessing cancer care in Northern NSW Local Health District include:99 per cent of patients rated their overall care as ‘very good’ or ‘good’99 per cent of patients rated the health professionals who treated them as ‘very good’ or ‘good’95 per cent said they ‘definitely’ received safe, high-quality care from the clinic97 per cent agreed that the health professionals were kind and caring95 per cent agreed that reception staff were polite and welcomingOverall, NNSWLHD results showed significant improvements across three measures compared to the 2023 survey, while individual clinic sites Grafton, Lismore and Tweed all recorded between 3 and 9 measures that were significantly improved compared to 2023.Lismore Base Hospital recorded 8 out of 9 surveyed questions 90% or above, with 'Always treated with respect and dignity' rating 99%. The only question to score below 90% (86%) was 'Rated how health professionals worked together as very good'.NNSWLHD Chief Executive Tracey Maisey said it’s encouraging to hear such positive feedback, with the District’s cancer teams committed to providing supportive care to people living with cancer.“Our teams are focussed on providing a caring and compassionate experience for patients and their loved ones attending our cancer clinics,” Ms Maisey said.“It’s wonderful to know that patients are feeling supported during their care, and that they are treated with the dignity and kindness they deserve.“With the new Integrated Cancer Care Service now at the Tweed Valley Hospital, we look forward to continuing to provide excellent care in the new setting, and delivering expanded services such as radiotherapy closer to home for more patients.”Professor Tracey O’Brien AM, NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO, Cancer Institute NSW thanked cancer patients for taking the time to provide feedback on their care.“Every 10 minutes, someone in NSW is diagnosed with cancer, with one person dying from the disease every half an hour. Our cancer services are among the best in the country and it’s imperative our health system delivers world-class cancer care, in a safe and supportive environment,” Professor O’Brien said.“I’d like to thank the expert and passionate health professionals working in our state’s cancer services for supporting people and communities at an extraordinarily challenging time of their lives.“These survey results highlight our commitment to delivering person-centred care with compassion, respect and dignity. We will continue to work closely with local health districts, cancer centres and clinicians across NSW to ensure that people with cancer have the support they need to navigatethe healthcare system.”The NSW Government invests around $180 million each year through the Cancer Institute NSW to improve cancer care in NSW and lessen the impact of cancer on people across the state.The results of the Bureau of Health Information Outpatient Cancer Clinics Survey 2024 are available at: https://www.bhi.nsw.gov.au/.

Of the 2,000 or so women working in emergency situations in Australia and New Zealand, the efforts of Elly Bird, Executive Director at Resilient Lismore, have been recognised and awarded.This occurred last week (October 10) on AWE (Australasian Women in Emergencies) day. The AWE network was started in 2018 to promote, support, and recognise the contribution of women to building stronger and more resilient individuals and communities.AWE day is a day to celebrate and recognise the contribution women make right across the emergency network sector by acknowledging them internationally in this region.Ms Bird was endorsed for her work, ‘ Building Resilience with Communities’ - A Recognition Award for an individual who makes an important contribution to building resilience with communities to enhance disaster resilience.The AWE network highly praised Ms Bird's efforts, “Elly exemplifies the qualities of an inspiring leader—vision, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of her community. “Her profound impact on disaster recovery in her region and her relentless advocacy for community-driven approaches make her a deserving recipient of the 2024 AWE Recognition Award.”Ms Bird was pleasantly surprised by the award: “I'm very grateful. The award process was one where somebody nominated me, and other people were referees for the award, but I don't know who those people were. It's quite humbling that people put you forward for something like this. “It's also recognition of the work that Resilient Lismore does here in the region. I spend a lot of time talking on national and state stages, advocating to government, trying to influence change at a policy level and at a sector level. “I think it's also recognition that I am working hard, firstly, to ensure that Lismore and the Northern Rivers aren't forgotten, and people realise that we still need a lot of support here.“And secondly, that there are lessons for how to do this stuff better out of our experience, as well as needing to improve what's happening right now. So it's a recognition of the work that I do in those spaces.”Ms Bird speaks of the gap Resilient Lismore discovered in the recovery process.“Our repair-to-return program, which helps people with property repairs, was essentially developed because there is a massive gap with the Resilient Homes Program. “The Resilient Homes Program focuses on buybacks and raises, mostly, and some retrofits. Very small eligibility numbers in comparison to the number of people that were affected - the number of properties severely damaged and heavily impacted, compared to the number of properties eligible for the Resilient Homes Program is very different.“We're working to try to help the people that aren't eligible. And there's a lot of them, many, many, many people just getting on with trying to fix their homes, still living in damaged homes.”Ms Bird speaks of people isolated or aged or challenged by normal lifestyles: “Often, we're working with people that have a whole lot of other pressures in their lives. Our programs are designed to prioritise those people, and other programs aren't. “The concept of vulnerability, or helping the people that need the most help first, doesn't exist in other recovery programs.“It's a very responsive, very reactive way of helping people and meeting people's immediate needs for safe shelter as much as we can.”Anyone who is affiliated with the industry is invited to join the AWE network to strengthen the position of women within it.AWE Day is “Also a day to acknowledge the continued challenges many women and gender-diverse people face when trying to break into or progress within it…with more support, more allies and advocates prepared to be vocal about the need for change; we can lighten the load and speed up the pace of change.”To find out more, have a look at their website.

Finding staff has been an issue for local businesses since COVID-19 raised its ugly head back in 2020. It was exacerbated by the 2022 flood and has not improved.For some business owners, finding staff, let alone good-quality, reliable staff, is a challenge.In the last two weeks, the Lismore App has received emails about the wait times to get a taxi in Lismore. One reader said she waited over two hours for a pre-booked taxi on a Saturday night recently.A meeting with the owners of Lismore Taxis (a co-op, so a member-owned business) this week revealed a shortage of drivers has led to a drop in service, which does not sit well with their beliefs.Justin Stevenson is the Chairman of Lismore Taxis, said they simply do not have enough taxi drivers."We just don't have enough drivers to enable us to put all our vehicles on the road at all times. We have the largest fleet in the district, and we'd like to make sure that our fleet is on the road, fully stocked with drivers all the time. We don't want people waiting in our community; waiting in the dark or waiting in the cold. That is not what we want. We want to improve our service standard, but we need drivers to do that."It is not just one or two drivers that Lismore Taxis are short; they are looking for eight (8) drivers."We're looking for both Night and Day drivers," Justin said, "There are vacancies pretty much all the time in our cooperative due to the nature of the work. There's flexibility there. We have drivers that want to do it full-time, and we have drivers that only want to do work two and three shifts a week."We would love to attract drivers that possibly only want to work Friday and Saturday nights, so we can fulfil that peak demand during those peak times. The flexibility in the job would enable them to do that."A person can pick and choose pretty much when they want to do their shifts. There are 24 cars in the fleet, and they can drive for any car they like. So, if they want to drive more, they can just pick up shifts in other cars. Or if they're happy to drive for one owner or the cooperative itself, then they can do that as well."Currently, all owners/drivers are working double shifts to cover the shortage; however, that still means they fall short of their service goals."Many of us are doing double shifts. If they don't do double shifts, then we can't put our cars on the road. So, that's where the service standard starts to slip. Occupational Health and Safety, all that sort of stuff, plays a role in that fatigue management for our owners. We can't do 16-hour days or 18-hour days; it's just not safe."Even if we do a double shift, we still have to do one shift; fatigue manage, so have a break, a shower, a meal, then go back to work after that."To be eligible to drive a taxi, you must have an unrestricted drivers licence, so you cannot be on your P-plates. You cannot have a criminal record and must have a safe driving history."We would like people to get accredited for their work with children check so they're able to help us do our school runs during the day. First aid courses are mandatory for our drivers now, and that's just to bring us in line with government recommendations on contract work and stuff."Justin encourages women to apply to be a driver as well."There may be women in our community that would prefer a female driver. We've had female drivers in the past, and they've been exceptional. We've just recruited three new drivers, and all three seem to enjoy it. One of those is working a lot of shifts, and another lady is just doing a couple of shifts to supplement her income. Picking them up from their homes, taking them where they need to go, pick them up on the ranks, getting their shopping home, Friday and Saturday night, getting them home safely from the rubberty dub.Grace has been driving for Lismore Taxis for nine months. Although she is not from Lismore, she has found the job intriguing and useful because it has allowed her to get to know the Lismore LGA and be part of the community. Grace started driving night shifts but is now driving WAT vehicles (Wheelchair Accessible Taxi)."I think for me, driving a WATs vehicle has really changed my outlook on being a cab driver, because I do get to give back to my community. I get to build a rapport with certain people because I see them daily, and they need us as much as we need them. So, that part becomes really rewarding, especially when they are not so verbal, and they start to learn your name and say, Good morning. It's just the little things in life that we take for granted that I get to experience as a driver."Lismore Taxis has just purchased a new WAT vehicle, so they have four in their fleet and are looking to purchase another in 2025. They are not cheap at $120,000 for the car and a mechanical fit-out for the lift.Justin stressed that driving a taxi can earn people good money and there is security in each car."When potential drivers contact Janelle or Angie in the office on 6621 2619 and pick up a Driver Package. It'll take perhaps a week to get your paperwork done, book yourself in for a first aid course, and then we do the training on the job."So, we use electronic dispatch, there's GPS regulated, we've got EFTPOS machines in all our cars. We've got duress alarms for driver safety and cameras in the car for safety. Safety is a big thing for us. Looking after our customers is a big thing for us and service in our communities. It's how we make our money, too. The better service we provide, it's a win/win. The community get good service, and we earn a decent dollar. And there's a good balance in that for us and for the people of Lismore too.Justin and the rest of the owners want to see the driver shortage problem solved as soon as possible as they head into the busiest time of year, Christmas. It is work as usual, plus the increased load of Christmas partygoers, all looking to unwind at the end of the year."We want to maintain a good service for our community, and the only way we can do that is by having as many cars as we possibly can on the road, 24 hours a day."Call (02) 6621 2619 and organise to pick up your Driver Package.Leaving on a good note, one of our complainants provided a positive experience, "The total opposite happened last Friday - we booked a cab for "immediate pick up" from town (to home) at about 9pm and it came immediately." Service is looking up.

The 2024 Elders Lismore Show is set to be spectacular. There will be new aspects to the show, first-ever championships, old favourites, and a ride making its debut in New South Wales.Importantly, the weather will clear, and very little rain is expected over the three days. The forecast is for a few millimetres at most on Thursday.John Gibson, the long-time President of the North Coast National Lismore Show, was very happy to announce, “The grounds look in wonderful order, and we're looking at a great show. With all the entertainment, we've got new things around to look at and be involved in.Libby McDonald, event coordinator at North Coast National Lismore Show, says, “The entertainment at the show this year is spectacular. We've got jet packs, motocross and monster trucks. “We've got two new zones popping up as well. We have our Kid's Zone, which features Dirt Girl, Scrap Boy and the Grubby Bucket Shows.“We have our Petting Zoo, reptiles, the Pop Culture Zone and our new family-friendly Dog Show. (The Lismore Lantern Parade's Micu Chan, a sister city mascot from Yamato Takada, is part of the new Pop Culture Zone)“That is a fun dog show with the waggiest tail, the Wiener race and the doggy dash. Entries are still open, if you would like to be in it. The Pop Culture Zone is a first for the region, and is proving to be popular with entries in the community parade on Friday night. If you would like to participate, contact the show, entries are still open for this event.Mr Gibson adds, “In the wood chop, this is the first time we've had the Australian championships here. One of the people competing has been a world champion a couple of years ago. So it will be as high quality as you can get!(Logs are stacked and ready to go at the Hurford Woodchop)“The pavilions have got somewhere like almost 250 exhibitors, the most we have had in a long, long time. In the Tursa art show, we've got somewhere between 150 to 170 entries.“Beef cattle entries were very strong, over 300 stud cattle, 80 heifers, and 75 steers on show. There’s a popular poetry section.(Show cattle all lined up at the showground this afternoon)“For the first time in many, many years, our car pavilion will be full of new cars, and we're very appreciative of the car dealers coming back and supporting our show. “So all in all, it's a very strong show. With fine weather, we could even be looking at record crowds by Saturday night.”Final preparations were in full swing, with rides being built, food trucks arriving, and a full compliment of stuffed toys just waiting to be won. (A young girl helping set up with the a massive pink panther on the lookout)The Phoenix is Australia's newest ride, John Gibson said it has only been seen in Melbourne once before coming to Lismore. At one ride, a group of girls and boys are charging madly up and down a big slide, in uniform. It turns out they are the children of the show - whose parents own rides and attractions.They are on a break from schoolwork, "helping check” the rides.  Tanya Bray, their teacher, stands watching them play and explains, “So these guys don't actually have school holidays as such. They work through the school holidays because some of them aren't necessarily at a physical school each week“That depends on where the majority of the kids go and when they can attend. So, at the moment, we've got four, but at Redcliffe (North Brisbane), we have up to 15 or 16 kids.”The curriculum base is via Dubbo Distance Education.“There's about three of us teachers on different runs, and we move around with the majority of the kids. We set up our little classroom with our gazebo, and they just come from nine till three.“They have their online lessons with Dubbo, but the rest of the time, we're assisting them doing their work.”People living this lifestyle are only ever in one town for a couple of weeks. As Tanya says, they split up and go to different shows, so there are no consistent friend groups.Diesel is finishing off an ice cream, and talks about his nomadic life; “It's really fun. It can be boring because there's usually some kids at the show that you like that aren't there. It's really good because you keep going on free rides.”Diesel says he doesn’t know anyone in Lismore, but Deanna is familiar with the place. She says she was here last year, and likes “Everything” about Lismore.The network of families and friends working in this environment appears to be a popular choice with the kids who are looking forward to the show as much as the local kids are.Locally, 27 students from across the region are volunteering at this year's show, helping prepare the horses, cattle, Fine Arts exhibition, Kid Zone area, and the grounds themselves. The students are from Richmond River, Trinity, Kyogle, St Mary's, and Casino Christian School in Casino.Speaking of volunteering, if you ❤️ the Elders Lismore Show, and would like to get involved, Mr Gibson says, "We're always looking for volunteers to be involved in working on the grounds or administration. There's so many opportunities here for people to come and get involved."Mr John Gibson has been the president for 36 years, and he has seen the show grow, "It's completely different to what when I first became president, we had dairy cattle and pigs and all those sort of things. Agriculture was much bigger. Today, the show has still got to evolve, and it's about bringing people together to enjoy what they do."The 2024 Elders Lismore Show starts at 8:30am tomorrow morning at the Lismore Showground in North Lismore and ends at 9pm on Saturday, October 19.Parking is available off Dunoon Road for $5 for non-members. If you are coming down Alexandra Parade, keep in mind there will be delays caused by the closure of one lane at the rail bridge.You can check out all the Elders Lismore Show information on the front page of the Lismore App 2024 Lismore Show.See you at the show!

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a woman missing who may be in Byron Bay.Rachel Kinkhead, aged 48, was last seen in Swansea on Thursday, 26 September 2024.When she could not be located or contacted, officers attached to Tweed-Byron Police District commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.Police and family hold serious concerns for her welfare.Rachel is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165-170cm tall, of medium build with brown/orange hair.Police have reason to believe Rachel may have been in the Byron Bay area on Thursday, 10 October 2024.Rachel is known to frequent the Byron Bay and Mullumbimby areas.Anyone with information into her whereabouts is urged to call Tweed-Byron Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

The Richmond Police District is seeking public help in locating Kayla Williams and Hayden Peterson. Both are wanted for outstanding arrest warrants.Kayla Williams, aged 33, is known to frequent the Lismore area.Hayden Peterson, aged 25, is also known to frequent the Lismore area. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Kayla or Hayden is urged to contact Lismore Police station on (02) 6626 0599, call 000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://nswcrimestoppers.com.au.All information is treated in strict confidence.

A large new mural has been completed in the Nimbin town centre.It has some 3-D effects in the whale and eagle with a sea to summit theme.Diana Roberts OAM talks of the importance of artworks in Nimbin, “Nimbin’s main street murals are an iconic and significant part of Nimbin’s village heritage. One of the latest murals has added exceptional life and vibrancy to the mural landscape.“Created by highly regarded and talented local artists, the mural covers the entire length of the southern wall adjoining the newly constructed village walkway linking the western car park to Nimbin’s main shopping precinct. “A true collaboration between Julie de Lorenzo, Jen Harkness and Gaia Heart, the mural theme is based on an existing painting by Gaia Heart and depicts the much-loved landscape of the hills surrounding the village. “Jen Harkness utilised her design skills, digital tools and flare while Julie brought extensive mural experience and knowledge to the project.”(The hinterland. Image Credit: Benny Zable)The 3D work is done by Gito (Andreas Von Schlippe).“Delivery of the mural has involved hand drawing, application of stencils, and digital tools combined with projection, with colours carefully selected by Gaia Heart.”You can find the mural in the laneway next to the bakery.The mural was funded by the Nimbin Business Rate which is administered on behalf of Lismore City Council, by Nimbin Chamber of Commerce.

 A new gallery of images showcasing some of the beloved moments of the North Coast National Lismore Show are now hanging in the newly renovated Norma’s Kitchen (under the main grandstand near the Farmers Markets), and will be available to view as part of the Show, which starts tomorrow..The works were unveiled by award-winning photographer Jacklyn Wagner and Lismore Show President John Gibson.These images are for Lismore’s future. Mr Gibson said, “People like to come and have a look at what's happened in the past, and we all like to reflect on how things have evolved.“The show formed in 1885 so it's been running a long time, and we've only missed about three shows in that time. It's a community centrepiece.”The stunning photos depict show favourites, like the rides and fun aspects, intimate moments shared, like a father and son at the woodchop, and young people tending to their cattle to help them shine in the ring.Jacklyn Wagner is very pleased to have had the opportunity to make this project a reality. Semi-retired, it was a whim to follow her passion, not a necessity that she was at the show last year taking photos. Ms Wagner is very grateful to the Lismore Show for the attention they have received. She says, “They're a little bit fly on the wall. All types of images which I really like. I love photo documentary, and there's a cross-section of people in them.“I think it's a really lovely thing for me to have a legacy here.”The importance of the show touches deeply with Ms Wagner, “I grew up in a country town, and I was a horse rider. I always had dogs, and now I kind of live on a lifestyle farm with a couple of cows. I like earthy sorts of people and the characters. “I think it's lovely that, given the times that we're in where everything's so techno and things are really uncertain, I think there's a real wanting to touch base with your community and where you are in your history.”The seven new images are available to view at this year's show in Norma’s Kitchen, and other photos taken this year will add to them.Another work of note by Ms Wagner, is her exhibition, Through the Heart... a Flood of Fears and Tears, that put the effects of the flood under the nation's nose at Parliament House in Sydney.100 images taken in the weeks immediately following the flood serve as a harrowing reminder of what took place here. The images have been made available in a book.

Anyone driving north along Molesworth Street and crossing Simes Bridge this week may have been held up by machinery working to clear a large mass of noticeable debris on the right side of Wilsons River. Simes Bridge, where Molesworth Street meets Winterton Parade, three (3) stop/slow signs held up traffic as a large excavator with a claw, deftly used the flotsam itself to help clear the mass of debris.The floating raft was made up of branches and trees predominantly; however, other pieces of garbage were littered through the mass.The excavator operator was very good at “pinching” pieces of lumber and using it to sweep the river.He managed to generate some pretty good wash to help the flow of the current by swiftly manipulating the claw.The claw could reach right under the bridge to get things moving. On the other side of Simes Bridge, you could see the branches and trees making their way down stream once more.

The first Lismore City Council meeting of the new four-year term was held last night at council chambers. It was supposed to be a ceremonial and procedural meeting as councillors took their Oath or Affirmation of Office and made decisions about which councillor would be on which committee.When the agenda moved to 11.6 Council's Ordinary Meeting Schedule, returning Councillor (Cr) Gianpiero Battista put forward an amendment that council meetings start at 10am on the second Tuesday of each month rather than the historical 6pm.Waiving his right to speak on the matter until his right of reply, Cr Big Rob said he would resign at first."So, this is a surprise. 10am starts. I'll resign, and we'll see how we go over a count back because I ran for council that started at 6pm. I work during the day, I'm in court at 10 o'clock most days. Most of the people around this table actually have jobs and have to go to work, and to do this at 10am is going to make this council ineffective because people won't be here because they'll be at work."This is going to be a big problem for this council. We've looked at it before, it doesn't work, 10am starts. It just doesn't work. People can't come and speak because they're at work. So we lose all that. This is a this is a way to stop engagement. I think it's a disgrace that it wasn't circulated before this meeting so we could lobby and get some people here to try and stop this because this is an absolute joke."Cr Guise was also surprised by the potential time change."This is a bit of a surprise. Look, I can appreciate Councillor Batista's sentiment, but you do have to acknowledge that there's a number of Councillors here that do have day jobs, and this would preclude them from participating fully as councillors and also would exclude members of our public that have daytime commitments. So it is a departure of tradition and what was put forward in the business paper, and it would require some discussion."In his right of reply, Cr Battista did say Lismore City Council was the only council in the Northern Rivers to have a 6pm start."There's a lot of issue with staff having to work long hours and then having to continue at night time. Some of us work during the day, and then has to come in at six o'clock and I do remember meetings finishing at like midnight. I believe, in the previous term, you finished at two o'clock. Is that correct one time? I mean to ask people that live in the rural areas to travel back to their place of (residence), that's just like a WHS issue. You don't want to do that."Cr Battista also addressed Cr Guise concerns about 6pm being a tradition."We need to change. We need to make things better for for us, for Lismore, for the staff, for everybody. And I think changing the time to 10 o'clock till 2(pm) once a month. I'm not asking to change the briefing time. The briefing time will be still at six o'clock or workshop. I'm only asking for for us to change the time of ordinary meetings once a month for four hours, maybe five. If we decide to go to three o'clock, but there will be after a resolution of council voting. So, I just think that it's a good idea. I think we need to move on and to change things and make it better."When put to a vote, it was 7/4 in favour.Following the vote, Cr Rob then asked to go back to point 4 on the agenda which was Apologies and Applications for Leave of Absence or Attendance by Audio Visual Link (AVL)."Since you did that, sprung it on us without any notification, which is completely inappropriate for something like that. We go back to Apologies, Applications for Leave of Absence. I'll take the rest of the year off because I can't make that time because I go to court."Cr Rob then asked that he be approved for the AVL link, "In case I can make it, but I can't make it to the meetings."That vote was unanimous.Back to the ceremonial and procedural part of the meeting.Aunty Thelma gave a Welcome to Country before every councillor, except Big Rob, as he had taken his Oath at a private ceremony, took the Oath or Affirmation of Office. Starting with Mayor Krieg, they each read out the Office of Local Government oath according to Section 933A of the Local Government Act.General Manager Jon Gibbons said in his opening speech, "I certainly believe there's no greater honour than being elected to serve your local community in local government, and I would like to congratulate all councillors for putting your hat into the ring. I now have the privilege of overseeing the taking of the oath and affirmation."I, Steve Krieg, swear that I will undertake the duties of the office of councillor in the best interests of the people of Lismore and the Lismore City Council and that I will faithfully and impartially carry out the functions, powers, authorities and discretions vested in me under the Local Government Act 1993 or any other act to the best of my ability and judgment."Mayor Krieg was followed by new councillor Virginia Waters, Harper Dalton-Earls and the rest in a clockwise direction.When the oath or affirmation was complete, Mayor Krieg welcomed the councillors to the new term and said, "The best referendum you can have is an election, and we are all sitting here as a result of the voting public. And so we are all equals as councillors, and we should perform our duties to the best of our abilities."Cr Jeri Hall retained her position of Deputy Mayor with a 7/4 vote over new Labor Councillor Jasmine Knight-Smith through an open vote.When it came to nominating and in some cases voting on which councillors would be on which committees, it was decided that some advisory groups, such as the Nimbin Advisory Group, the Aboriginal Advisory Group and the Sister City Advisory Group would go to a workshop to look at each group's terms of reference."It's a great refresh. We've got new people in the room here tonight. They may have a different set of eyes on how they run."The list of committees and groups and which councillor will sit or chair them is:ARIC (Audit Risk & Improvement Committee) - Cr BingGeneral Manager Performance Review Committee - Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Cr Jensen. The general manager has the right to appoint another person to that committee.NRs Bushfire Management Committee - Cr Battista and Cr Knight-SmithNSW Rural Fire Service Zone Liaison Committee - Cr Battista, with Cr Knight-Smith as the alternateNRs Joint Organisation Committee - Mayor KriegLocal Traffic Committee - Cr HallArts Northern Rivers - Cr Jensen, with Cr Waters as the alternateAustralian Day Awards - Mayor is Chair, Cr Hall, Rob Cr and Cr Dalton-EarlsFlood Risk Management Committee - Cr Dalton-Earls, Cr Rob, Cr Waters, Cr Knight-Smith and Cr Jensen. The Mayor nominates the Chair which was Cr RobRichmond Tweed Regional Library - Cr Knight-Smith, Cr Dalton-Earls, with Cr Waters the alternate.Local Government Conference - Mayor Krieg, Cr Hall and Cr Waters.The vote to see which two Lismore City Councillors represent Lismore City Council on Rous County Council for water security and some flood mitigation was through a ballot vote.The nominations were Mayor Krieg, Cr Gordon and Cr Waters.Cr Gordon received six (6) votes in the first round and was the first delegate confirmed, followed by Mayor Steve Krieg in the second round of voting. Both votes were 6/3.Cr Adam Guise was the only councillor to not nominate or be confirmed to any advisory group or committee at this stage.It should be noted that the Casual Vacancy proposal was declared when a unanimous vote was received.This states that if, for some reason, a councillor cannot carry out their duties or they resign within 18 months, the countback method from the September 14 local council elections will determine who will replace them. If a vacancy occurs after 18 months, council will operate with one (1) fewer councillors or more. This was the case when Lismore City Council was reduced to eight (8) councillors when elections were delayed due to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021.There will be an extraordinary Lismore City Council Meeting on Tuesday, October 29 at 10am.

A man has been charged following an alleged assault at Byron Bay early this morning.About 3.30am today (Tuesday, 15 October 2024), emergency services were called to a caravan park on Lawson Street, Byron Bay, following reports of an assault.Officers attached to Tweed Byron Police District arrived and found a 39-year-old man with a serious head injury.He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition.Another 39-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Byron Bay Police Station.He was charged with affray and granted conditional bail to appear before Byron Bay Local Court on Monday 11 November 2024.

The Labor Government will cap rent increases to one per year under reforms to rental laws to be introduced into NSW Parliament today.The new rule of one rent increase per year will apply across periodic and fixed-term leases and closes a loophole in the existing legislation.The reform is part of a comprehensive overhaul of rental laws which will benefit the more than 2.2 million renters across the state and includes:ending no ground evictions to give renters and owners more clarity by introducing reasonable and sensible reasons to end a fixed term or periodic lease;making it easier to keep pets in rental properties;ensuring renters have a free way to pay their rent including bank transfer and the Commonwealth Government’s Centrepay; andprotecting renters from having to pay for background checks when they apply for a property.Current protections against multiple rent hikes do not apply to fixed-term leases of less than two years or when there is a change in the type of lease, such as from periodic to fixed term. The changes limiting rent rises to one per year will make renting in NSW fairer, simpler, and more certain and will align NSW laws with the National Cabinet’s Better Deal for Renters.The changes to make it easier to have pets in rentals will mean a tenant can apply to keep a pet, with landlords only able to decline on certain grounds.Landlords must respond within 21 days with grounds for refusal, including if it would contravene other laws, the property is unsuitable, or the landlord lives at the same property.Renters who disagree with a decision will have appeal rights before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.The introduction of these changes to Parliament follows extensive and detailed discussions with renter advocates, industry stakeholders and tenancy experts, as well as a ‘Have Your Say’ public consultation process which received more than 16,000 submissions and survey responses.The introduction of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2024 will complement key initiatives already announced to rebalance the rental marketplace, including the establishment of a Rental Taskforce within NSW Fair Trading, the launch of the free online Rent Check website and the ongoing development of a Portable Rental Bond Scheme. The Government is continuing to work with stakeholders across the sector on reforms to better protect renters' personal information.Quotes attributable to Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said, “Ensuring renters can only be hit with one rent increase a year will provide greater certainty and protection for renters regardless of whether their lease type changes.“By ending no grounds evictions, making it easier to have pets, and ensuring people can pay their rent without hidden charges, these landmark reforms will make it fairer for the state’s 2.2 million renters.“This Bill is the result of the Government’s extensive consultation on how to best modernise the market with renters, owners, industry groups, experts and advocates. These reforms are focussed on getting the balance right.“We are now one step closer to a fairer and more affordable rental market in NSW.”