Australia Post is feeling the pressure as the pandemic lockdown continues. With more people staying home and not able to get to the shops in person, it seems the high volume of goods being shipped has brought the national service to its knees.Today, Australia Post announced it will temporarily suspend parcel post collections from eCommerce retailers in NSW.In an email to customers, the service said an increase in online shopping by the 15 million people in lockdown across NSW, ACT and Victoria has put “increased pressure on our network like nothing we have experienced before”.Australia Post said it will suspend Parcel Post collections from customers in NSW, ACT and Victoria from Saturday, September 4 until Tuesday, September 7.“Across the country, we are all managing the sustained challenges of the COVID pandemic,” the email states.“We are also dealing with the impacts of the Delta strain and in any given day, we have close to 500 people out of our workforce, as they follow necessary self-isolation and testing before clearance back to work.“As we manage staff shortages, temporary facility closures, and parcel volumes as high as Christmas peak period, the suspension will help to clear excess parcel volumes due to these impacts.“The safety of our people is our highest priority and this temporary measure will allow us to responsibly clear record volumes in parts of our network.“Our team will be processing all weekend to reduce these volumes to a safe and manageable level and help free up capacity with ULDs and pallets.”Australia Post said lodgements at Post Offices will continue to be collected and Express Post, Premium and Startrack Express services will remain unchanged.“Normal medical shipments (normally lodged Parcel Post) will still be accepted subject to confirmation and by arrangement. We're sorry for the inconvenience.”If you have any important parcels to send or receive, you can check out what the latest impacts on the network are at: http://www.auspost.com.au/service-updates

As flowers bloom and magpies swoop on this first day of Spring, the hotter weather also marks the official start of the bushfire danger season. With it comes a reminder from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) that the Bush Fire Danger Period now applies to the Lismore area.Goolmangar-based RFS group officer Robert Graham remembers well the 2019 bushfires and asks people to follow protocols if they need to light any fires.“As of September 1, people can’t just light a fire,” he said. “Land owners and occupiers must apply for a fire permit to light fires - including hazard reduction fires," he said.“You contact your local Fire Brigade to obtain your free fire permit and follow its conditions."He said you should also contact the fire control officer in Casino to let them know about the fire - and also let your neighbours know - preferably 24 hours before.“If you have anything burning that will be after midnight tonight you must get a fire permit to continue that activity," he said.Goolmangar-based RFS group officer Robert Graham.Grass fires“We are trying hard to educate the public as to the requirements – there have been a number of grass fires recently that we have been called out to.Robert coordinates 11 local brigades in Lismore, Kyogle and Richmond Valley LGAs.He said there are 470 volunteer RFS members in the region, plus 280 new additional firefighters trained to fight fires – and they have already been called out to a number of small fires.“A lot of fires in the past few weeks are false alarms and it’s a waste of time for an RFS member to leave their farm to attend the incident,” he said.“People need to understand that any fire that is reported to 000 will set off the pager of an RFS volunteer– and we have an obligation to respond.What does 2021 fire season hold?Mr Graham said he expected the upcoming fire season won’t be an intense as the 2019-2020 fire season, because that was the result of a 20 year build up and a long dry period.“But, we don’t know what’s going to happen this spring. If it’s drier that the predicted wetter than average season, it could be a problem.“Even if you’ve been using fire for many years, safe burning is your responsibility. “Heavy fines apply for the unsafe use of fire, or if your fire escapes."For more information, visit http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/BFDPRead more about Robert Graham: SUNDAY PROFILE: Goolmangar firefighter Robert Graham awarded Australia Day

Having had no reactions after his first jab of the AstraZeneca (AZ) Covid-19 vaccine, Federal MP Kevin Hogan hopes that after his second dose today, it will be much the same.“I feel fine," he said, as he emerged from Lismore Shopping Square's vaccination clinic.He’s now joined the 33% of Far North Coast residents who have had both doses of vaccine.Read more news: Dates set for school students to get back to classrooms“More than one in two people in our community have had their first dose, and more than one in three have had their second,” he said.When asked if he deliberately chose AstraZeneca over Pfizer, Mr Hogan said AZ he was happy with it.“I am under 60 and could have done either one,” he said. “There’s not much risk for me getting blood clotting – it would have been more dangerous getting on a plane.”More vaccines on the wayThe current long waiting periods for the first doses of vaccine will soon change.Mr Hogan said supplies of Pfizer in the local region are due to double in the next four to six weeks.“From mid-September, we should see a quicker process for people who want to book in to get their jabs,” he said.“Our aim is that everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be by the end of this year.“I’ve waited 12 weeks for my second jab of AstraZeneca and Pfizer is only three weeks between doses, so that will really pick up the double doses.”Will we need boosters?When asked if we will all need to have vaccine booster shots after our initial vaccinations, Mr Hogan said boosters will likely be similar to a flu shot, which needs to be updated due to virus variants.While not everyone currently chooses to get a flu shot, The Lismore App asked Mr Hogan if it will be a different situation with the Covid vaccine booster, where personal restrictions will apply if boosters are not taken?“Our advice is that Covid is more dangerous than a flu,” he said. “We have been advised to get people vaccinated then transmission will be lower.“Let’s see what happens. But boosters will be free and voluntary, just like vaccinations.“Going forward, there will be a lot more choice with boosters, as more are approved by the TGA.”Vaccine passports?With greater freedoms already coming into play for those who are vaccinated, Mr Hogan was asked if we will eventually have a uniform passport to prove we are vaccinated.At the moment, if you have been vaccinated, your My Gov account will have a record of your vaccination – and you can also ask for proof of inoculation from the Australian Immunisation Register.  “We are seeing in Australia the strengths and weaknesses of our Federation,” he said.“State governments have different restrictions – but we would like to keep the same uniform rules.“Western Australia and Queensland are running off different rules. If you have been vaccinated, then why are you being stopped from doing anything?“If you can show something and get an exception, we would encourage that.”Ticket to ”normal life”Mr Hogan said being vaccinated “is our ticket back to normal life”. Mr Hogan said.“Once we achieve 70%-80% vaccination we will see less transmission of COVID-19 and fewer people with severe illness. This means restrictions and lockdowns should not be required and our lives can get back to normal.”“I recommend everyone monitor the Clinic Finder website as new clinics and appointments are being added regularly.”To book in for your vaccine or check your eligibility, visit this site: https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibilityLatest Covid update for our regionToday, there are no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in residents of Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).NNSWLHD acting chief executive Lynne Weir said during the week of 15-21 August there were 10,053 tests conducted among local residents, compared to 18,198 the previous week.  “These numbers need to stay high, and I encourage others who may have symptoms to not hesitate in coming forward for testing. It’s one of the simplest things you can do to help your close circle and our wider community.  “The more our community gets tested, the better chance we have of finding any new cases quickly, which helps make the work of our health teams easier and provides us with a more complete picture of the current outbreak.  Symptoms of COVID-19 can include a runny nose, scratchy or sore throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhoea or muscle aches. To find your nearest testing clinic, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/how-to protect-yourself-and-others/clinics or contact your GP. The current stay-at-home orders in regional NSW have been extended by two weeks, until at least 11:59pm on 10 September, in line with existing orders for the Greater Sydney area.  Rule and restrictionsThe restrictions for regional NSW are available at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid 19/rules/affected-regions.  “Please stay home, and only leave your home if you have a reasonable excuse. Do not travel outside your local area if you can avoid it,” Ms Weir said.  “When you go out for essential shopping or work, you should consider that others you come into contact with may have the virus and not know it. “You need to carry a face mask with you at all times, and wear a mask if you are outdoors in a public place, as well as working outdoors. When indoors, masks are required in all non-residential settings, public transport and venues. “We shouldn’t forget the fundamental public health measures that are so key to our safety at the moment. “These are simple actions like staying 1.5 metres away from others, washing your hands regularly or using hand sanitiser, coughing or sneezing into your elbow and staying at home when sick.”

Young people will be back in the classrooms, learning face to face in October, under a staged plan announced today by the NSW Government.Hailed as a ‘clear road map’, students will be allowed to resume face to face teaching at schools from October 25 – beginning with Kindergarten and Year 1 students.Year 6 and Year 11 students will follow on November 8, followed by all remaining year groups in November.NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said from October 25, Year 12 students facing the HSC examinations will also see an increase in allowed face to face learning hours.In high schools, mask wearing will be mandatory for all school staff and students, while in primary schools, mask wearing will be strongly encouraged for younger students.It will also be mandatory for all school staff to be vaccinated from November 8.Minister Mitchell also announced that level 3 restrictions will be in place at schools – which means there will be no large gatherings or assemblies and minimal mingling allowed between students.There will also be no band or choir practice allowed.“NESA has advised there will be a delayed start of HSC examinations until November 9 and a new timetable of how this will proceed will be released in September,” she said“We thank the Year 12 cohort for their patience and resilience, especially since their year 11 was also disrupted last year.“Exams will take place and the results will come out in mid January.“The university sector will accommodate these changes so students can still be offered a place in university if they chose to do that.“We know the best teaching and learning happens in the classroom.“There is light at the end of the tunnel for students. We needed to balance a return to school to be safe and sensible.”Minister Mitchell also said that students in any LGA could potentially return to remote learning if numbers of those contagious with Covid in that area rise.While it’s now allowed for children aged 12 and up to get vaccinations, the Minister said it will not be mandatory for 12 to 15 year olds to be vaccinated before a return to school.Vaccination ratesNSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 70% of the school teaching force was already vaccinated and the return top school was “about giving parents and staff comfort in controlled covid-safe settings.“There are low rates of serious illness in young children and we’ve based our return to school plan based on that,” she said.“In NSW areas of concern, Year 12 students are mostly vaccinated.”She said that across NSW, 62% of the population had already had a first dose of vaccine. “We will also have more vaccines available in  mid September and will consider doing vaccinations in school communities.Case numbersYesterday, there were 882 cases of Covid community transmission -and two deaths. One person in their 80s and one in their 90s.Of 767 cases in hospital, 117 are in intensive care and 547 on ventilation – with 103 of the intensive care cases not vaccinated.She also said in the Ballina region, 57% of residents had their first dose.

Today, Friday, August 27, is Wear it Yellow Day, so consider wearing something yellow to honour the work of the volunteers in the NSW Rural Fires Service (RFS).With the official start of the ‘fire’ season (September 1) only a couple of days away, it’s time to remember how important the work of the RFS and its volunteers is.Goolmangar firefighter Robert Graham is a group officer in NSW RFS and he said protecting the community is what it’s all about.Read more news: Locals get creative during lockdown with cars and bars“In the local RFS region encompassing Lismore, Casino and Kyogle, there are 470 volunteer RFS members, plus 280 new additional firefighters trained to fight fires,” he said.As the coordinator of 11 brigades, he remembers well the 2019 bushfires – and with fire season just about to start, he wants people to be extra careful and follow protocols if they need to light any fires.“As of September 1, people can’t just light a fire,” he said. “People are required to have a permit. They also, by law, need to ring the fire line and let the fire control officer in Casino know.“You also need to let your neighbours know - preferably 24 hours before.“We are trying hard to educate the public as to the requirements – there have been a number of grass fires recently that we have been called out to.“If people understand that any fire that is reported to 000 will set off the pager of an RFS volunteer– and we have an obligation to respond.“A lot of fires in the past few weeks are false alarms and it’s a waste of time for an RFS member to leave their farm to attend the incident.”Mr Graham said he expected the upcoming fire season won’t be an intense as the 2019-2020 fire season, because that was the result of a 20 year build up and a long dry period.“But, we don’t know what’s going to happen this spring. If it’s drier that the predicted wetter than average season, it could be a problem.Read more about Robert Graham: SUNDAY PROFILE: Goolmangar firefighter Robert Graham awarded Australia DayHow did Wear it Yellow Day start?After the Black Summer Bushfires, a group of NSW residents wanted to do something special to thank the NSW Rural Fire Service and volunteers.So, they engaged with locals schools to come up with ‘Wear It Yellow Day’ day for students and it’s become a state-wide initiative supported by the NSW RFS.While planned events are unable to go ahead due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Wear It Yellow Day team are calling on people to celebrate the day by dressing in yellow and sharing a message of support with your local NSW RFS Brigade.

What do you do during lockdown when one week turns into two, then four - and you are not confident that it may be even more?You paint a car and turn your lounge room into a TAB bar!Instead of getting down about lockdown, a bored Donna Louise (Spottygirl) Walker decided to paint her car to make people smile.“I normally do face painting and I miss doing it – and my car had a crappy paint job anyway,” Donna said.“Face painting is my therapy, my connection to the community and my creative outlet and I can’t do it at the moment, so I painted on my car instead.”Read more news to find out about upcoming fire season: Yellow Friday honours RFS volunteers as fire season startsSo, one week into lockdown, Donna started painting designs on the car that she normally would paint on faces – and that meant rainbows.She didn’t stop there - she got the children involved too.“I asked my seven year old nephew, Alexander, what he wanted to see on the car and he wanted a skull on the bonnet,” she said.“Now I have a skull painted on the bonnet of an airy fairy rainbow car. On the other side, he painted a Minecraft creeper. Then my 15 year old daughter wanted to write swag on the side of the car.”“When I started freehand painting, the birds were singing and it was peaceful – it was good art therapy for me.“I’m calling it the lockdown car.“Like with tattoos, one will never be enough tattoo and I intends to keep painting designs on it.“It’s a noticeable car and it ill stand out. People in Lismore will be able to play ‘spotto’ with Spottygirl’s car.Meanwhile, in Port Macquarie, two housemates decided to live their best lockdown life and install their own TAB bar in their loungeroom. Alex Strachan (31) and Aaron Jarman (21) have been housemates for only a month, however, in that time have found they have the same mutual love for ‘the punt’. Strachan, former radio personality and recent meat tray winner, says having his own TAB bar in the lounge has been a dream of his since he was six years old. “I’m going through a divorce at the moment,” Alex said. “What divorced man doesn’t want a TAB in his lounge room.” Housemate Aaron, like many others around the Mid North Coast, has spent lockdown at home, looking for further ways to live his best life. He said the idea of the in-house TAB came from boredom and missing the pub. “We were sitting at home, punting all day and drinking beers,” Aaron said. “So, we came up with the idea of making our own TAB bar.” The new in-house facility, comprising of three small screens, a 50” television and two laptops is named after the late Norm Morgan, who was well respected around Port Macquarie. “Norm Morgan was my dad’s best mate,” Alex said. “He was a solicitor, an avid member of the surf club here at Flynn’s and an all-round great guy. He would only go to pubs for a Saturday punt, that had a nice TAB.” A spokesperson from TABCORP got in touch via Instagram, to congratulate the boys on their setup, before asking permission to share the setup on all of the official TAB social media pages. “Mate, how good is this. You guys are killing it.” The spokesperson said. Due to Covid restrictions, the boys say they are not accepting visiting punters to the house, opting instead to run a closed-book policy. Alex doesn’t want people to think the boys are not responsible adults, and so released this statement to the Port App before publication. “We always gamble responsibly, and Aaron DOES pay his rent.” 

A free, online Lismore Resilient Communities workshop program starts this Saturday, from 10am to 1pm - and you can join.Facilitated by Lismore locals, Maddy-Rose Braddon and Casey Adam, the seven month program is set to strengthen our communities’ resilience, regeneration and disaster preparedness.Maddy said the workshops allow communities to generate their own solutions to local and global concerns."It will focus on seven key areas, climate resilience, ecosystem and fire, water, food, energy, health, economy and infrastructure," she said."This is for any curious and interested community member wanting to have meaningful conversations with like-minded folk, share concerns and visions for a regenerative future as well as see some community-driven action around these topics."The first - Climate Resilience will be held this Saturday - with a zoom link sent upon registration.  The subsequent workshop dates (all Saturdays) are on 25 September, 23rd October, 20th November, (2022) 29th January, 26th February and 26th March.Maddy said she hopes they can be held in person in future, if restrictions change.The workshops are being held in collaboration with Resilient Lismore, Resilient Byron and OzGreen, supported by Northern Rivers Community Foundation, Resilient Communities.For more information and to register, visit https://events.humanitix.com/resilient-communities

Lismore will remain in lockdown until Friday, September 10, along with the rest of NSW.The decision to keep all of regional and rural NSW under stay at home orders was announced at this morning’s NSW Premier’s Covid update conference.NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said “we appreciate the regions may not have cases and want to come out of lockdown, but health advises us to keep it longer”.Deputy Premier John Barilaro said keeping the whole State under the same restrictions was helping keep case numbers down and taking pressure off the health care system.“Sewage system surveillance in regional NSW has been showing virus fragments, in areas where there are no cases reported,” he said.“It’s a tinder box waiting to explode.“The reason you may not have cases is because of the restrictions implemented to stop movement in NSW.“Now is the time to stay united and work with restrictions."Restriction changes for the regionsMs Berejiklian said from September 13, any LGAs not considered areas of concern will have a lessening of some restrictions.Groups of five people will be allowed to gather outdoors in their own LGA - as long as all adults over 18 years of age in the group are vaccinated - and can show proof of vaccination.“This option meets the mental health and wellbeing needs of community and is our lowest risk setting,” she said."You can have a picnic in the park, or gather for an event."She also said people from outside your household still cannot enter your home.In areas of concern in NSW, families are allowed to go out of their homes for an extra hour a day for recreation, on top the hour they are already allowed for exercise – as long as all the adults in the family are vaccinated.Get ready for opening up“We also call on industry and citizens to be ready for when the target of having 70% of the population vaccinated is reached," Ms Berejiklian said.“There is no easy way to open up,” she said. “We will start to have the conversation about what will open – but it will only be for people who are vaccinated.“Even at 80% full vaccination rates, people will still need to use QR codes and other current restrictions.“The key message is that people must be vaccinated to participate in what will happen.“So, dust off your Covid safety plans and get your QR codes.“We are also working on an app that will allow you to sign in to a venue – and that will come out within weeks.”“All other areas are under the same restrictions."“Public health and safety comes first and we need to accept that Delta will always be with us and open up responsibly.“Some people will get very ill – but we have to come to terms with it and we will manage it with high vaccination rates.”Ms Berejiklian said the target of 70% vaccination would arrive sometime in October and that “we are doing better that expected”.Case numbersNSW recorded 1029 cases of community transmission yesterday and three deaths – people in their 30s, 60s and 70s - all unvaccinated  Of these locally acquired cases, 185 are linked to a known case or cluster – 160 are household contacts and 25 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 844 cases is under investigation.136000 people were vaccinated in the past 24 hours and more than 150,000 were tested.

In Lismore, the sounds of the Scottish bagpipes are in danger of becoming extinct.For 75 years, members of the Lismore City Pipe band have proudly donned their kilts, hats and brogues and piped and drummed their way through ceremonies, streets and festivals.But, according to Pipe Band president Rob Manitta, the number of local band members has fallen so low, that the band may not be able to continue.“The band has been in existence for 75 years and we would like to make to 100, but we need membership to get there,” Rob said. “Anyone keen to learn to play pipes or drums in the band, can come along and learn. “We are happy to teach kids or anyone who wants a hobby. My son was a drummer from the age of eight.”BeginningsRob said the pipe band started by Scottish settlers in the area.“The original Pipe Major was Alistaire McQueen, who was part of the McQueen clan,” he said.“That’s where our Glengarrie tartan came from – the McQueen clan tartan.”Rob himself started piping in 1996. “My mother has Scottish heritage and she was a highland dancer.,” he said.“On trips to my grandparents as a young kid, I was listening to bagpipe music.“When I moved to Lismore, I drove past the Brewster Street band hall and saw they had tuition, so I started learning with Neville Northfield, who taught me for $1 a lesson.”Members and costsRob said in order to keep going, the band needs monetary assistance, as well as members. “We used to have a strong ladies auxiliary who used to fundraise for us, but they got older and there’s not a lot of young members now,” he said.“We have the Brewster Street band hall that is owned by council, but we still have insurance and rates costs wot insurance and rates.”How many pipers make a band?At the moment, there are down to six pipers and three drummers. “We could make do with that, but it would be nice to have eight or more pipers and the same number of drummers,” Ron said.“We have the uniforms and equipment to cater for more – it doesn’t matter who you are, you need to love Scottish traditional music.”Learning the bagpipesRob said learning to play the bagpipes starts no on the pipes themselves, but on an instrument called a pipe chanter.“If you’ve ever played a recorder, you can easily make the transition to the pipes,” he said. “It’s the same for same for drummers – and we have three types of drums – the side drum, tenor drum and bass drum.“We need tenor drummers to do the flourishing with sticks.”The futureThe pipe band’s trademark gig is playing at ANZAC day ceremonies. Rob said the band has played at local festivals, markets and in the Australasian pipe competitions.If you would like to get involved, contact Rob on 0413 180 443.Practice nights are Monday nights, from 7.30pm onwards, but more sessions will be scheduled if learners come on board. 

With another 919 new Covid cases reported yesterday, the hot question at the NSW Premier’s Covid update conference was ‘will the NSW-wide lockdown be extended for longer?’NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the government hasn’t decided yet, but that Covid case numbers in NSW would be considered when deciding, as well as what’s going on over the State borders.Read local Covid news: No Covid news is good news for Lismore“The reality is it’s about protecting lives and not losing control in regional and rural NSW,” he said.“We will make that decision sooner rather than later and give people notice.”With the current lockdown scheduled to finish this Saturday, it’s expected the decision will be made imminently.Premier Gladys Berejiklian reiterated the same, ongoing message of how important increasing population vaccination numbers was to seeing greater freedoms for NSW residents.She referred to Covid vaccinations being like “suits of armour” that reduce a person’s chance of being contagious.The press conference today also took on a more emotive tone - appealing to people’s concerns about the health impacts of Covid.Vaccine and Covid symptomsLung specialist Lucy Morgan said she wanted to change people’s attitudes and anxieties about the vaccine, by giving more understanding of what it’s like to have Covid.“Most people have few symptoms in the early days,” she said. “The first symptoms are like any other cold or flu, with a mild headache, sore throat, little bit of a cough, some muscle aches or fever.“Some people are breathless and dizzy. Symptoms can be a severe migraine-like headache that makes you sensitive to light and gives you a stiff neck - it takes more than Panadol to relieve it.“My patients have bad a cough and can’t speak or walk without it becoming terrible.“Some have lots of diarreah or nausea and can’t eat or drink.“They feel overwhelmingly fatigued and all they can do is lie on the bed.“Initially, you may feel breathless walking fast or making the bed. Then even talking makes you breathless.“Call the ambulance f you feel like this, don’t call the GP. These are signs the illness is progressing quickly.“As people become increasingly breathless, oxygen in the blood continues to drop and they need extra support to keep the oxygen up and may need a machine to do the breathing for them.“I have people in their 20s, 30s and 40s in hospital.“Get your vaccine today, to protect your loved ones and yourself.”Case numbersOf the 919 new Covid cases, 178 are linked to a known case or cluster – 153 are household contacts and 25 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 741 cases is under investigation.The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,266. So far there have been 13 deaths.There were also 537 public health order infringement notices issued in past 24 hours, some relating to non-compliance with the take away food restrictions.Read more news: BREAKING NEWS: Lismore Show is cancelled - again

The 2021 Lismore Show has been cancelled due to Covid-19.It now joins 32 other NSW agricultural shows which have been cancelled this year.The sad news was announced today by North Coast National president John Gibson.Read Covid news: Government gears up for decision on lockdown extension Mr Gibson said he understood the community’s disappointment that the event has now been cancelled for a second consecutive year. “However, the safety of our community and exhibitors must always be our first priority,” he said.“We know that many people, rely on the show to generate an income, keep their knowledge and interests current and make and strengthen their friendships. “We also know that the show is a safe and fun place for our community to come together and celebrate.“We are proud of this history and look forward to welcoming the community and exhibitors back in October 2022 for an even bigger and better show.”North Coast National secretary Mark Sollom said after months of organising the 2021 show, it wasn’t just the organising team who were disappointed. “It takes months for the primary producers to prepare cattle, pigs and goats to look good for the show – and it’s a great disappointment to them too,” he said.“But we will keep going and next year will be great.”UpgradesMr Gibson said the showgrounds has been upgraded in preparation for the show.“Currently we are completely renovating the iconic Norma’s Kitchen in the Members' Grandstand, as well as laying new footpaths,” he said.“It’s not the cheeriest of times right now, but we are working hard to ensure that there will be plenty of great entertainment, food, fun and educational exhibitions when it’s showtime next year.“It’s going to be a great party! It’ll be good to be back.”

Lismore, along with all of regional and metropolitan NSW will remain in lockdown until August 28.The extension of the statewide lockdown was announced in the NSW Premier’s press conference this morning.Premier Gladys Berejiklian said extending the lockdown of regional and rural Australia was a “precautionary response”.She said the crisis committee extended the lockdown to be in line with the greater Sydney lockdown based on Covid case numbers - and “to get down to zero cases in the regions”.Yesterday, 681 new cases of Covid 19 were reported in NSW.She said the new cases, not just in Sydney, but in Dubbo, Bathurst and Mudgee – as well as in the Southern region of Goulbourn and Northern region of South Kempsey - meant “we need to continue to be worried about the regions”.“The detections of Covid virus fragments in Yamba sewage and other regional areas has given us a level of concern,” she said.“We want people to stay at home and stop the spread, so we are keeping the regions in lockdown.”She reiterated that people should get tested and isolate if they exhibit any symptoms of Covid.NSW Queensland borderWhen questioned about the difficulties that Northern Rivers border communities had in crossing from Tweed Heads over into Queensland, a NSW Police spokesperson said moving the borderline to any other location would just be shifting the problem – and it was not a solution.“The police commissioner is working with our Queensland counterparts to work with critical supply chains on the border,” he said.“We won’t move the border because it will have unintended consequences for the broader Northern Rivers area.”He also announced that a permit system for those living in the Greater Sydney region kicks in on Saturday.“If you go to the regions to inspect a home, that will be permitted,” he said“All essential workers leaving the Greater Sydney will need to have a permit and will need to have Covid test for previous seven days.He also said the areas of Shellharbour and the Central Coast will be treated as regional NSW, not Greater Sydney.VaccinationsThe Premier and NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant encouraged people to get vaccinated as soon as they can, in order to reach the target of 80% of the population being vaccinated“In NSW, we already have had 5.5 million jabs,” the Premier said. “When get to six million, people will have the opportunity to have greater freedoms.“These are challenging times, but we can see the light at the tunnel – once we get high vaccination rates, life will look much rosier.“Now more than ever we need to reach out to one another.“We need to lift our spirits and focus on accessing supports and services and look after each other.”Opening up again“When we do open up again, Delta will start creeping in. We can’t pretend there will be no cases of Delta. We will have to live it.”Dr Chant said there had been 120,000 Covid tests done in NSW.Of the active Covid cases in NSW, 471 were in hospital and 82 cases in ICU were not vaccinated. One person died yesterday who had one dose of the vaccine already.

Almost stepping on a six foot python in his garage didn't deter Braiden Mates from putting on his outdoor light show last weekend.While the show started a little later than expected (because of the snake), the Goonellabah local made sure he brought light into the darkness of Covid lockdown.Braiden lives alone, has a disability and struggles with anxiety.So, when he felt the darkness of lockdown walls closing in, he wanted to knock down the walls and bring some colour and warmth into his life – and the lives of others. So, he set up all of his outdoor Christmas lights, added in some disco lights and put on a light show outside his home on Sunday and Monday nights. The light show wasn’t just for him and his neighbours – he made a video of the lights and streamed it live on his Facebook page.“It’s a way for me to reach out to the community,” Braiden said. “I’m trying to keep positive with doing the light show, cleaning the house and watching Netflix.“Staying positive, healthy and achieving goals are the things that makes lockdown more enjoyable “Hopefully life can go back to normal and we get out of lockdown soon.”Normally, Braiden is a volunteer photographer who loves going out and taking photos at events, and for Far North Coast Hockey.“I haven’t been able to get out into nature to take photos because of the 5km stay at home rule,” he said. “So, the lights were a way of saying ‘there’s a light at the end of the tunnel’ - then we can all party.”Braiden said he had responses on his Facebook page from people who loved what he was doing and thanked him. “I was overwhelmed that people were responding,” he said. “I love doing things for other people above myself The inspiration for the light show came from the light show that the local Theatre Company put on the Rochdale Theatre building during last year’s lockdown. Braiden said if anyone is keen to see the light show again, let him know on his Facebook page Braiden Mates Photography, and he will do another live streaming event.

Yamba has become the most recent regional town found to have Covid-19 fragments in its sewage.It now joins the Northern NSW towns and cities of Lismore, Byron, Lennox Head and Ballina as one of the regional areas now marked for government sewage surveillance.Read more Covid news: Government cagey on NSW lockdown end dateIn the Premier’s press conference this morning, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the government was now focussing more on sewage testing in rural areas, not just major cities. “We are re-prioritising rural sewage testing and we are working with regional councils on this,” she said. “We are happy so many councils want to come on board with sewage surveillance and we will allocate our finite resources accordingly.”Yamba testingWhile there are no new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in residents of Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) and no known cases in the Yamba area, authorities encourage anyone with even mild symptoms to get tested.NNWLHD Acting Chief Executive Lynne Weir said the detection of fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the Yamba sewage treatment plant, could indicate undetected infections.“Sewage testing is an additional surveillance tool which can help provide early warning of undetected infections,” she said.The Yamba sewage treatment plant serves approximately 6,500 people. Additional samples are being taken this week. An additional sample taken from the Ballina sewage treatment plant on August 15 returned a negative result.  “Anyone who is even slightly unwell is urged to come forward for testing immediately, then isolate until they receive a negative result,” Ms Weir said.“We are also strongly encouraging people who may live on properties which are not connected to the town sewage supply systems, to please be alert for any symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested immediately.  “Getting tested not only helps our public health teams respond quickly, it also means that if you do become more severely ill, we can provide necessary medical care and treatment.”A new testing clinic will be operational from tomorrow in Yamba at the QML Pathology Drive Through Clinic, Raymond Laurie Sports Centre, 78 Angourie Rd, Yamba. Open 9am- 3pm. No appointments are required.Read more Covid news: New check-in method means leave your smartphone at home

While there were 633 new locally acquired cases of Covid in NSW yesterday, including one in Kempsey, the good news is that the Northern Rivers had none.However, with the rising number of cases across the state, the hot topic today at the NSW Premier’s press conference was, will the lockdown be extended?Read more Covid news: Yamba sewage test shows Covid fragmentsWhen asked by journalists if the lockdown will continue past Saturday, NSW Police Commissioner Fuller said “maybe”, particularly as the spread of covid had now reached the mid north coast.Stricter measuresDuring the conference, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was questioned about the current lockdown and whether restrictions were harsh enough, considering NSW covid cases numbers are rising, while Melbourne’s remain stable.The Premier answered “you can have every rule set in place but if people do the wrong thing, the virus can spread”.Police penaltiesYesterday, police issued 736 penalty notices, with 448 issued to people moving outside of their homes in breach of the stay at home orders.Police Deputy Commissioner Warboys said "one guy from Sydney got in his car and travelled around country roads in NSW because he was sick of covid and wanted to get out and about".“He hit a kangaroo and police were called while locals helped him. He was fined $1000 and he returned to Sydney," he said.Stay homeMs Berejiklian urged people to stay home and limit their mobility to stop the spread of covid.“Every time you leave the house, assume someone has the virus – and minimise your activity and mobility,” she said“It’s a collective responsibility - it’s all of us working together,” she said. “Think about the loved ones we are not seeing, kids not at school.”R rate and vaccinations Based on current numbers of covid cases, The Premier said the current reproduction rate (R rate) of Covid was 1.3, which means one person with the virus spreads it to 1.3 people.She said restrictions were likely to remain until the R rate goes below one.The Premier was also asked if she would continue to promise that restrictions would ease next month.“If people get vaccinated and follow the rules, then in September and October, we can look at easing restrictions,” she said.“We would like to see the 12 to 15 year olds vaccinated. In future, we may provide vaccines in younger age groups, and will be targeting school aged children quickly as we know they contribute to transmission.”Child careChief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant was asked if there should be a clamping down on people sending their children to childcare centresDr Chant replied “don’t send them unless absolutely have to”.“If you working from home, then it’s not critical,” she said.Breast screeningDr Chant was also asked if the stopping of breast screen surveillance for cancer was a concern for women’s health.“If a woman has symptoms, she should go to her GP and get a check done,” she said.Financial grantsThe Premier said the government has received $260,000 applications for financial assistance through the covid grants program.“We’ve never had this demand level before,” she said.She also apologised to businesses who have not yet received response or payment in regard to applying for the grant. She also said waiting times on phone calls were initially about two hours, but were now down to 18 minutes.Case numbersOf the 633 new locally acquired cases of Covid yesterday, 158 are linked to a known case or cluster – 145 are household contacts and 13 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 475 cases is under investigation.Ninety-four cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 30 were in isolation for part of their infectious period.Sixty-two cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 447 cases remains under investigation.Read more Covid news: New check-in method means leave your smartphone at home

Discovering the science behind beer making, taking a virtual reality tour of the universe and solving ecological crimes with eco-botany are just some of the ways Australians can get involved in National Science Week 2021.This year marks the 25th anniversary of the annual event, which starts this weekend and recognises the achievements of our scientific community. It also helps to spark the imaginations of the next generation of budding scientists.Throughout the week, universities, schools, research institutions, libraries, museums and other organisations across the country will deliver a range of in-person or online events, ensuring everyone can participate regardless of COVID-19 restrictions.Minister for Industry Science and Technology, Christian Porter said this year’s National Science Week continues its tradition of excellence and he encourages all Australians to jump online and check out the range of opportunities to get involved.“Whether it’s Dinner with Dinosaurs in South Australia, ExBEERimental Science in Hobart, or testing your science knowledge in our national science quiz (nationally online), there are events to suit all ages and interests.“Of course, National Science Week is also an important opportunity to thank our extraordinary scientists and researchers for their hard work and their efforts to inspire and encourage the next generation of Australian leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”Specific events have also been organised for students, with the 2021 school theme Food: Different by Design, providing insights into topics such as food production, sustainable agriculture, biosecurity, food technology and laboratory-developed foods.The Morrison Government provided almost $500,000 to support public science projects as part of the National Science Week Grants announced earlier this year.National Science Week 2021 will run from 14 to 22 August. More details, including a full list of events here.

The NSW Government has imposed a privatisation target of $3 billion on its departments and agencies, including education, to boost its budget and pay for future infrastructure projects, according to a brief prepared for the NSW Skills Minister Geoff Lee.The privatisation goals as revealed by The Sydney Morning Herald come after the March sale of the Scone campus to Racing NSW, who plan to continue to use the state-of-the-art equestrian facility for training.The government is accused of ‘double dipping’ according to a briefing document outlining the new targets were set for government departments to meet by 2023 to “manage fiscal headroom and fund infrastructure”.Sales goals are separate from the current broad privatisation or ‘recycling of assets’ with the Department of Education being allocated a $90 million target.Opposition leader Chris Minns said the government needs to be honest with the people of NSW about their privatisation targets, including health and education.“Forcing departments to hit a privatisation target will mean selling off essential services that rightly belong to the public, and should continue servicing the people of NSW,” he said.“This means selling $90 million worth of schools and TAFEs. “It means selling land that should instead deliver more schools, not less.”Assistant Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union NSW, Troy Wright said it is straight out of the government’s privatisation playbook.“Under resource the system and then sell it off claiming the private market will do a better job. “The Berejiklian government needs to come clean about its sale plans for TAFE NSW because the selling off of campuses and sacking staff looks like privatisation by stealth," he said.Mr Wright added that training standards will be at risk for ‘shonky private facilities’ whose only motivation will be getting students through the doors, not necessarily equipping them with the best skills for jobs in the future.“Who would you want fixing the plumbing or wiring in your house, cutting your hair, or managing your food? “Someone trained by a shonky, private facility churning through students, or someone who went to a world-class vocational trainer which sets the industry standards like TAFE NSW?"A spokesperson for TAFE NSW said they are committed to delivering high-quality training and meeting the skills needs of students, employers and industries across the North Rivers and has no plans to divest its Lismore, Casino, and Wollongbar campuses.“There are no plans to privatise TAFE NSW. “For more than 130 years, TAFE NSW has bought and sold sites across the state to adapt its training to meet the evolving needs of industry and community. “By selling unused or underutilised property, the revenue can be used to invest in more modern teaching and learning facilities for the people of NSW.The spokesperson said TAFE NSW is investing in building new modern facilities and equipment alongside renewing existing spaces throughout the Northern Rivers to establish seven new digitally-enabled teaching and learning spaces across campuses at Lismore, Casino and Wollongbar. “This initiative will increase TAFE NSW’s reach across regional NSW and significantly expand the available courses and learning opportunities to those communities,” the spokesperson said. Yet after a decade of privatisations, the NSW Government has managed to sell $82 billion of assets that used to belong to the people of NSW.  This includes handing over a staggering 12 per cent of the state’s land and buildings assets to the private sector. 

Residents in the village of Nimbin were in a state of high alert this week when they discovered that a Covid positive man had ties to the town.Alarm bells were raised when Nimbin Pharmacy posted on Facebook that staff had been informed by Lismore Hospital they were “at high risk of exposure” to the Sydney man at the centre of the current lockdown.While the pharmacy had not actually been visited by the man, the staff were considered close contacts. This resulted in the pharmacy closing on Tuesday while staff were tested for Covid. Fortunately, the results came back negative.So, when health authorities finally released a list of venues of concern that the man had visited (in Byron and Bangalow), Lismore locals were left wondering why there was no mention of Nimbin.State MP Janelle Saffin said she had been “deluged” with concerned messages from fearful locals who had been waiting for a list of potential Covid exposure sites in Nimbin.Ms Saffin said locals’ fears were further heightened when a Nimbin real estate agency posted on Facebook that it was closed for deep cleaning.“People sent me messages asking ‘what does this mean?’ Ms Saffin said.Casual contactsThe man was reported to have left Sydney’s lockdown to come to the Byron and Lismore Local Government Areas to look at real estate. Contact tracing was delayed when he was allegedly uncooperative in revealing where he had visited, as he had not used mandatory check ins at venues.“I understand the man did not visit the Nimbin venues, but the pharmacy staff were considered ‘casual contacts’ due to his associations,” Ms Saffin said.The pharmacy posted on Facebook “as we service people most at risk from this virus, we made the decision to act fast and get tested so we could be back at work ASAP”.On social media, one Nimbin local posted that the Nimbin Hills Real Estate Agency showed the man a property in the area while he was here.Ms Saffin posted into a Nimbin community social media group “To our Nimbin community I understand your concern, but am assured that NSW Health has assessed the risk well and would advise if there was an exposure site in town. No exposure site listing is good news. Testing is available in town, as it is in many places across our area, please take advantage of it”.Clear communication neededMs Saffin said the real issue is the lack of clear and timely messages from NSW Health to the local community.“Even if the issue is complex, we need detailed, effective communication in a way we can understand it - and that was missing in this situation,” she said.“NSW Health have done a good job in tracing, but what we need is a better way to communicate the complexities of the situation to a unique community.“People in Nimbin look after each other in times of difficulties - look at how Nimbin dealt with the 2019 bushfires.”“I’ve been asking for weeks now, how come people are allowed out of Sydney? It’s something that Mayors in regional areas have recently called for too.“I understand that policing a ‘ring of steel’ around Sydney is difficult, but we want it. We need to do the best we can, while knowing we can’t have police on every corner."The Lismore App contacted the Northern NSW Local Health District for comment, but had not received any at the time of publication.

At 7pm last night, eight more regional areas of NSW entered a one week lockdown.In a NSW Government press conference this morning, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the government would consider putting the whole of the State into a lockdown if the spread of Covid necessitated it.Read more news: From hot food to toilet paper, find out what's open in Lismore“While many town streets are empty as most people are doing the right things, just a handful of people doing the wrong thing could cause major setbacks,” the Premier said.“We are still recovering from gatherings and people doing the wrong thing.”It was revealed that two businesses in Mullumbimby were served with infringement notices yesterday.Joining the Northern Rivers under stay at home orders are the Western NSW LGAs of Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Narromine, Walgett and Warren - after a man visited Dubbo and Bathurst while infectious.“Singles bubble”People still can have one visitor at one time to fulfil carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together. When asked if the “singles bubble” rule was too hard to police, the Premier said it was important to keep people physically and mentally healthy.“We allow the singles bubble so we can provide mental health support for those on their own,” she said.New casesOvernight, there were 345 new cases of Covid reported overnight in NSW. There are 374 cases in hospital, with 62 in ICU and 29 on ventilation.Of those in hospital, 57 were not vaccinated and the remaining five have had one vaccination dose.There were two deaths overnight, with both people in their 90s.Vaccines, infection and “guilt”The Premier said “one does of the vaccine reduces how contagious you are and keeps people out of hospital”.“You might be ok with the virus but your close loved ones may not be,” she said.“The guilt people have knowing they infected their loved ones lasts a lifetime.“Some families have seen more than one death when one person gets the virus and takes it home.“Delta leaves no room for error.”StressGovernment health advisor and psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright said this Covid crisis is “the most sustained and serious stress most of us face in our lifetime”.“How we manage it will help minimise impacts," he said.His advice to manage the stress is to keep structure in your life, regular daily exercise.“You should contact those close to you and talk about meaningful things," he said.“Look at your look diet, and sleep and set goals every day and keep them.“If it’s not working and you can’t sleep or concentrate of feel fatigued, irritable or drink too much alcohol , ask what can I do to change how I’m approaching the day?“Do I need help? Ask others if they are ok.”