From Lismore’s dengue fever outbreaks in the 1920s, to Covid-19 fever in 2021, St Vincent’s Private Hospital in East Lismore has seen a lot of changes in its 100 year history.Since it was established 1921, the hospital has grown from being staffed by four Catholic nuns – to having a modern workforce of over 550 staff.In 2021, the nursing nun’s habit has now been replaced by Covid-safe masks, gloves, scrubs and eye protection.But one thing hasn’t changed over a century of change – it’s the care and dedication given by the nurses and doctors that keeps patients alive and happy.Read more hospital news: NSW survey shows patient satisfaction high at Lismore Base HospitalNurses in old and new uniforms in front of the original hospital building.Hospital historyWhile St Vincent’s wasn’t the first hospital in Lismore, in 1921 it was the first non-metropolitan Catholic hospital to be founded in New South Wales. Lismore Base Hospital was actually the first to be established in 1879, with eight beds.When St Vincent’s did open in 1921, it wasn’t a private hospital as it is now is. It was only privatised in 1990.Nursing uniforms in 1965.St Vincent’s chief executive Steve Brierley said the hospital’s centenary this year gave staff the opportunity to look back and celebrate 100 years of history and what the hospital has been able to achieve for the community.“When the hospital was first established, it was because the Church bishop at the time felt there was a need for another hospital in the community,” Mr Brierley said.“So, the bishop invited the Sisters of Charity to come up from Sydney and they ran the hospital from a weatherboard building called Tarmons, off Dalley Street for 10 years,” he said.The Sisters were then in charge of the hospital until 1980.“Then in the mid-1920s, there was a dengue fever outbreak in Lismore and the hospital wasn’t big enough to cope with it,” Mr Brierley said.“So, people began a fundraising campaign to create a purpose-built hospital, which opened in the early 1930s.”Changing nurses uniforms - from old to new.Nursing uniforms over the years: 1979.GrowingSince then, the hospital has progressively added more buildings to the site and become more modern, performing 1000 surgical procedures a month. Now, the hospital has five operating theatres, a refurbished endoscopy unit, day service, medical oncology and rehabilitation units, as well as a long day-care centre for the children of staff.Public to private“We were a public hospital until 1990, but there were concerns that services could be withdrawn,” Mr Brierley said.“So, the bishop decided to set us up as a private hospital to ensure we could keep delivering services on site.“Now, we have a growing community and a wide availability of medical services which we use as both private operator and work in partnership with the public health system.Read more health news: Local Covid vaccinations numbers growing, and so are anti-vaxx followersNurse Nic in a modern day operating theatre.Pandemic partnership“Since the pandemic impacted us locally, we entered into a formal partnership agreement and support the public health system to provide surgical services for public patients.“It was important because after the partial suspension of elective surgeries last year during Covid, it meant both hospitals are in catch up mode.“Now we can share surgical operating theatres and services and most of the work done here is in operating theatres with advanced technology.“With the Lismore Base Hospital upgrade it also means we share specialists and the expansion means new specialists will be attracted to the area and do private work here.”Modern day operating theatre.Changes in healthMr Brierley said because health care has progressed over time and diseases are better understood, previously untreated conditions can now be addressed. It means people are not staying as long in hospitals and day services are popular.Nurse Katie Holmes.Aged care“St John’s Nursing Home, our residential aged care service, has 130 residents and the aged care beds are full,” Mr Brierley said.“The service started in the early 1980s and followed on from St Joseph’s Hospice, which opened in the mid-1930s to provide care for chronic and terminal illness. Over time, it branched into a specific facility for aged care.”Centenary memoriesThe hospital has created a special centenary celebration website, full of historical photographs and memories of changing times. You can see a historical timeline of the hospital and a video.You can visit the hospital’s website to see it here: https://100years.svh.org.au/Nurses on an ANZAC Day March.On the ANZAC Day 2021 march in Lismore, nurses Jenny and Annika dressed up in the old nurses uniforms.

Fairy lights and live music will set the scene next weekend, for the Morgans Financial Winter Ball fundraiser for Our KidsThe good news from Our Kids fundraising coordinator Rebekka Battista is that there are still some tickets left - but not many - so make sure you don't miss out on the fun.The Winter Ball will be held at Lismore Turf Club on Saturday, May 29. It includes a feast from The Secret Chef and Nimbin Bakery, along with dancing the night away with the Cath Simes Band.“If you can’t come, but you want to support Our Kids, you can also contribute by bidding on an online silent auction, which is now open," Rebekka said.“We have some fabulous prizes in the online silent auction including and air conditioning unit with installation."Childeren's Ward“Funds raised will be used to purchase paediatric equipment for Children’s Ward and Special Care Nursery at Lismore Base Hospital and the surrounding hospital is our region,” Rebekka said.“The night will have fun activities to raise funds for Our Kids. One of the favourites is the Lismore Jewel Centre Diamond Code.“There are a limited number of Codes sold on the night and only one is the lucky code with the winner taking home a $3,500 white gold, diamond cross over ring, donated by Gary & Mariska Pinkerton from Lismore Jewel Centre.“We’ve also had Leo Senese and Kai Hansen from Morgans Financial and many local businesses donate to ensure the night is full of surprises and incredible prizes.“The support of the Winter Ball is beautiful, thank you to all our volunteers, our sponsors, and those who give to help make the night great, we could not do this without them.“Particularly after last year which had the majority of our functions going virtual. It is fantastic to gather again for Our Kids.”Silent auctionFor the first time Our Kids is hosting an online silent auction which is now open for anyone to make a bid. The Auction closes on Saturday May 29 at 10pm.There are some fabulous prizes in the online silent auction including:Northernair - Air conditioning with supply and installation. 2.5kw Daikin L Series High Wall SplitHello World Local Day Tripper - Distillery and local brewery Tour for 6 peopleA Richmond Sand and Gravel 800 high Concrete Bird Bath with Rose Pedestal, 1.2m diameterGeorge Gooley RM Williams bootsHorns Gas Supplies Warrior Absorption Mini Bar Fridge2021 Roosters Team #1 Signed Jersey, donated by Aaron DiehmSigned Cricket Bat by the Greats donated by Ben Andersen from Wayfarer Publishing and Media.To share, register and bid prior to the night see: https://app.galabid.com/ourkidswinterballTickets cost $150 per person. To attend, contact the Our Kids office on [email protected] Other prizesAlong with the diamond ring there is over $18,000 worth of prizes including a Heavy Duty CAST IRON Da Vinci 900mm Fire Pit donated by Richmond Sand and Gravel, Porsche Track Experience donated by the Goonellabah Business Hub, Former Wallaby Berrick Barnes PT session.2 x Platinum Wallaby tickets, Dinner for 10 at La Baracca, a Helicopter ride for 5 over Minyon Fall and prizes form Betta Electrical Lismore.

While the local rollout of Covid 19 vaccinations is underway and numbers are growing, a new report by Reset Australia shows that the number of Australians hesitant to be vaccinated is rising – and the report blames it on social media.Local vaccination numbersHealthy North Coast (HNC), the organisation responsible for the vaccination rollout in our area, has recently reported that 57,000 COVID-19 vaccinations have already been administered across the North Coast region.HNC chief executive Julie Sturgess said numbers are going up in the region and local residents are showing strong support for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and getting protected against the virus.  So far, 51,663 doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered, predominantly through primary care, and more than 5,300 Pfizer doses have been provided to older people living in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) and frontline health workers. “We are a long way off the majority of residents being vaccinated though,” Ms Sturgess said.“The threat of a COVID-19 outbreak remains a real possibility. Expanding the dose availability in the coming weeks will give more and more residents the opportunity to get protected, which is great.”COVID-19 vaccinations to 11 May 2021 on the North Coast Facebook anti-vaxx groupsIndependent group Reset Australia has also conducted research which shows Australians following public anti-vaxx Facebook groups grew nearly 300% during the pandemic.The report says the rise correlates with Australia's rising vaccine hesitancy rates, and identified 13 public Facebook groups with users based in Australia. Researchers tracked their growth between January 2020 to March 2021.The 13 included anti-lockdown style groups, such as 'End the Lockdown in Australia, ' Digital Warfare', and 'Australia Freedom Alliance', and larger, established anti-vaxx groups, such as 'Australians for Safe Technology'.During the research period, subscription to these groups grew by 280%, and as of March 2021, these groups had a combined total of over 115,000 members, generating over 2.66 million interactions.A University of Melbourne survey found between October 2020 and February this year, the percentage of Australians willing to get the COVID-19 jab fell by 8.2% from 74% to 66%. ConspiracyReset Australia spokesperson Chris Cooper said social media has “supercharged conspiracy theories and misinformation, pushing some people into echo chambers where false information is all they see”.The research found engagement with the Facebook groups exploded during the initial national lockdown. Melbourne's lockdown restriction generate over 177,000 monthly interactions, and this engagement has remained consistently high. Members of the group 'Wake Up Australia' frequently shared links, photos, videos and statuses with false and misleading information about the pandemic and vaccines. Reset Australia found common themes included: the safety and efficacy of vaccines including the promotion of treatments using Ivermectin (201 mentions) and Hydroxychloroquine (601 mentions); threats to civil liberties and personal freedoms that lockdowns pose; mandatory vaccination programmes (1649 mentions); the political and economic motives of leading political figures such as Bill Gates (1390 mentions) and Dan Andrews (1592 mentions); and well-established and novel conspiracy theories such as the The Great Reset (927 mentions).Mr Cooper said public groups like those Reset Australia monitored were often gateways to private groups which shared more radical and extreme content. This research only captured a small snapshot of the true extent of misinformation on Facebook. "Public Facebook groups are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to track and tracing anti-vaxx and COVID-19 misinformation.  "The real danger of rampant vaccine hesitancy and scientific scepticism is tucked away in algorithm-created bubbles of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, where ideas fester and spread, unseen and unchecked by mainstream conversation."But now social media can instantly find you thousands of like-minded people who are eager to reinforce and exacerbate your misguided views."Reset Australia has developed a policy, the Data Access Mandate for a Better COVID-19 Response in Australia, that would allow public health officials, researchers and journalists access to anonymised data about what COVID-19 related content is being shared in these kinds of private groups.This policy would force social media companies to generate a ‘Live List’ of the most popular COVID-19 related URLs shared on their platforms, including in private and public groups, and keep it updated in real time. Such a Live List would help Australian public health authorities identify anti-vaccination narratives to inform community engagement responses."A Live List would begin to quantify the extent of misinformation and help us target appropriate misinformation to disrupt the conspiratorial feedback loop."The report can be found here.

Local wildlife carers used to travel to Currumbin to take injured animals to a vet hospital, but everything has changed now that a new mobile wildlife hospital has opened - based in Byron Bay.The new hospital is the first of its kind – and will tour to Lismore next Wednesday, to showcase the new 17.5 metre long mobile facility.The hospital’s veterinarian Dr Bree Talbot invites wildlife carers, members of the public and local vets to come and meet the staff and bring any animals that need care, or a check up.Overwhelmed local vetsLocal WIRES NR volunteer and bat coordinator Lib Rutyenberg said the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital (BBWH) has taken the load off local Lismore vets who are often so overwhelmed, they have no time to fit treating wildlife into their schedules.“We have 23 vets in the Northern Rivers and four in the Lismore area,” Lib said. “All of them treat wildlife for free and give their time generously.“Before, when we needed specialised treatment for an animal, we had to do a 200km round trip to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, but now WIRES only needs to travel to Byron, and we take at least one animal there a day.”There are a number of wildlife care groups in the Northern Rivers area all utilising the new hospital – including Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers and Seabird Rescue.Lib said the WIRES wildlife hotline gets 8000 inquires a year and about 20 a day. In the Spring busy season, call numbers peak to 40 or 50 a day. There are 300 bat rescues a year, and many are from bats found on barbed wire fences.Vets and vet nurses: Katarina Fossey, Dr Bree Talbot and Hayley Farley.Busier than ever beforeLib said even though it’s now Autumn, which is historically a quieter period for injured or traumatised animals coming in, the hotline has been busier than previous years. It’s a situation echoed by BBWH vet Dr Talbot, who has treated 300 birds since the mobile hospital was completed in February -and treated over 700 animals.“We are seeing so many animals being brought in, that the need for this hospital is obvious,” Dr Btalbot said.NeedDr Talbot said the idea for the mobile hospital was born out of the Northern Rivers region being one of the most biodiverse regions in NSW and the need for wildlife care was more important than ever.She said the plight of wildlife needing care really took the community’s attention after the massive bushfires hit and people saw the devastation and animals losing lives.“That’s when the need for a mobile vet hospital was evident,” she said. “So, we could respond quickly and take the hospital to the animals, wherever they were.”There’s no bricks and mortar in the BBWH, it’s a 17.5 metre long truck with an xray, triage and sterile surgery area. It’s stationed at Ewingsdale and can travel on the road if there is a crisis such as flood, fire or an event like heat stress affecting colonies of flying foxes.Bring the animals“Vets, wildlife carers and also members of the public bring animals in,” Dr Talbot said. “We can help local vets who don’t have time or inclination to treat wildlife and take stress off them.“It helps local carers don’t have to drive too far and helps the members of the public feel empowered too. They can call up and find out about how the animal is going.”Echidnas, turtles and birdsWhile it’s mostly birds that are brought in, Dr Talbot said a member of the public recently brought in an echidna which had been hit by a car.“It had bruises and a broken spine and soft tissue damage, so we treated it and gave it pain relief and released it back into the wild a week later,” she said“We’ve also had sea turtles in - a shark bit a turtle’s flipper off and so we amputated the flipper. It’s pretty nasty and it was in rehab for three months while she learned to swim with three flippers.“We released her two weeks ago and people report that they spot her swimming around.”“Our aim is to work together to give Australian wildlife the quality treatment and care they deserve.”CharityAt the moment, the hospital is staffed by Dr Talbot and two vet nurses. Dr Talbot said she loves her work and does it because she is passionate about looking after wildlife.The mobile hospital is a not for profit charity and relies on donations from the public to keep going. “Wildlife don’t come in with a credit card to pay and we need money to keep afloat,” Dr Talbot said. “We are currently open five days a week and we are trying to find more funding to open on weekends too and put on more staff.“Our aim is to work together to give Australian wildlife the quality treatment and care they deserve.”The mobile hospital is just starting to meet the needs of our community – and will work collaboratively with the new Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital set to be build at Wollongbar.Tour event detailsIf you wish to come along and see the mobile wildlife hospital on tour, it will be visiting Southern Cross University next Wednesday May 19 from 9am to 12pm.Visit the website for details about how to register to attend the session https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wildlife-hospital-regional-tour-tickets-151782885697The Wildlife Hospital Tour is sponsored by World Animal Protection, the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, UD Trucks Australia and Volvo Group Australia. 

While the supply of Covid-19 vaccines has increased across 110 general practices on the North Coast, Lismore’s health clinics are still struggling to keep up with demand.Healthy North Coast (HNC) announced over the next three weeks, GP clinics that have been receiving 50 doses of vaccine a week, will now get triple the amount.Clinics receiving 100 doses a week will receive 200 - and general practice respiratory clinics (GPRCs) will also receive an increase of several thousand doses a week.However, just because supplies have been increased doesn’t mean Lismore is getting enough to cope with the demand.In Lismore CBD, the Lismore Clinic and the Keen Street Clinic are both approved vaccination providers for Covid 19 vaccines. In Goonellabah, the GP Superclinic is an approved distribution point.Molesworth Street’s Lismore Clinic reported that it originally received only 50 doses when the vaccine rollout to the area began – and that was a small amount compared to other practices in the area. The clinic is already booked out until August, with many people trying to get in for the jab sooner.Supply and demand shortfallSince HNC announced the increase in vaccine doses, the Lismore Clinic has now doubled the number of vaccines doses it administers, but the supply doesn’t meet demand.Now, Lismore Clinic staff refer people to the Ballina Respiratory Clinic for the jab.When the vaccines were first released, the Ballina Clinic received 1000 doses - a week before Lismore did.So, that’s good news for people in Ballina – but not so great for Lismore-based people who need to travel to Ballina to be vaccinated.A staff member of the Lismore Clinic said the rollout of the vaccines has put lot of pressure on health clinics, doctors and staff - and it’s making it hard for other sick people who need to be seen by a doctor.While the phones have been busy with queries about the Covid vaccines, it has been stopping sick people getting through to make an appointment.The Lismore App contacted the Goonellabah GP Superclinic and Ballina Respiratory Clinic for comment, but have not yet received a response at the time of publication.Vaccination numbersHNC reported last week that more than 40,000 people have received COVID-19 vaccinations across the North Coast region so far.The projected increase in weekly vaccine doses delivered to local general practices is set to increase vaccination numbers from 12,950 to 22,550. Healthy North Coast Chief Executive Julie Sturgess welcomed the Australian Government decision to boost the number of COVID vaccine doses. ‘There has been a great response to the vaccination program, with many people trying to secure a vaccination appointment,” Ms Sturgess said. “Close to 10,000 extra doses of COVID-19 vaccine a week will now be offered by GPs across the North Coast, which is great news for our community.“Combined with the increased vaccine availability at GPRCs and through NSW Health, we will see people getting vaccinated at the highest rate since the rollout commenced.”The best way for people to find out when and where they can book in for a vaccination is by using the online Vaccine Eligibility Checker and clinic finder. (Some GP clinics have chosen not to be listed.)  Vaccines and how the vaccine rollout works If you don't already understand how the rollout works, read on. The Australian Government has implemented a staged rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program. The most vulnerable people in the community are targeted to receive their vaccination first. Details are available here. There are two different COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Australia – AstraZeneca and Pfizer. In general, the AstraZeneca vaccine is recommended for people aged 50 and over and the Pfizer vaccine is recommended for people under 50. Having a vaccine is voluntary and there is no cost. The vaccines are made differently and are considered safe and effective. For more information, visit: Pfizer vaccine recommended for people under 50 years of age AstraZeneca vaccine recommended for people aged 50 years and over Weighing up the potential benefits against risk of harm from AstraZeneca vaccine. Phases and datesPeople in Phase 1a and Phase 1b of the staged rollout are currently being vaccinated. States and territories have begun vaccinating people in Phase 2a, starting with all adults aged 50 years and over. This group can now receive the AstraZeneca vaccine at GP respiratory clinics and state and territory-run clinics, which are mostly hospital-based. From 17 May, people aged 50 years and over will also be able to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine at participating general practices. Vaccinations are also available at many Aboriginal and Community Controlled Health Services and, in coming months, will be delivered from some local pharmacies. COVID-19 vaccination second doses — make sure you check AIRMany patients are now becoming eligible for their second dose of vaccine. We are being asked to highlight the importance of confirming any previous vaccinations in the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to ensure that the correct vaccine is administered for the second dose.

UPDATE:Essential Energy has reported that a car accident near Oliver Avenue in Goonellabah caused an unplanned power outage for hundreds of residents this morning. An Essential Energy spokesperson said the incident took place at approximately 8.45am this morning."Just over 1400 Essential Energy customers in Goonellabah and surrounding areas were affected by an unplanned power outage, following reports of a car coming in to contact with electrical equipment near Oliver Avenue," the spokesperson said. "To ensure the safety of the community and people in the car, power was turned off until crews could get to the site to assess the damage. "Essential Energy crews responded immediately, restoring power to majority of customers by 10am."The spokesperson said 65 customers remain without power while crews work to repair the damage. Updates on the estimated time for restoration will be available on Essential Energy’s outage page www.essentialenergy.com.au/outages or customers can call 13 20 80. Essential Energy reminds the public to stay at least eight metres away from damaged electricity equipment and call Essential Energy immediately on 13 20 80. ORIGINAL STORY:A motor vehicle accident has brought a power blackout to the Goonellabah area.Richmond District Police told the Lismore App that the accident took place in the vicinity of Ballina Road. Goonellabah residents are experiencing a power blackout, with no phone or internet services.The Lismore App has contacted Essential Energy for comment and will let you know when more details come to hand.

Being born with spina bifida didn’t hinder 16 year old Lismore swimmer Benjamin Auckram from setting his sights on the Olympic Games this year.The Trinity Catholic College student already holds six Australian swimming records and two open records, and has amped up his training regime as he prepares for the Olympic qualification trials in Adelaide next month.Read more news: Albert Park School kids meet the shadow ministers“If I make the team, I will go to Tokyo,” Benjamin said. “I probably won’t make the team this year, but it’s about getting the experience for the next one.”Benjamin lives near the Channon and trains with the Lismore Workers swim team.Benjamin was born with a condition that meant his spine and spinal cord didn't form properly and could lead to him not being able to walk. Having spina bifida means Benjamin has a disability swimming classification of S7 –for someone who has the use of arms and trunk, but who may have limited leg function or is missing parts of their legs.It’s because of his spina bifida that he started swim training with coach Peter Harvey five years ago.“I got into swimming to lose weight and it’s good for his hips and legs,” Benjamin said.“It really eased the pressure on my legs and makes my hips more stable.“If I kept going the way I was, I probably wouldn’t be walking now.“Then I qualified for the State team and I realised if I trained a bit harder, I could go further.”Now, he also holds two open records for the 200 metre backstroke and 800 metre freestyle events.“I also did some personal bests (PB) recently at the national swim titles on the Gold Coast. It was for the 400 metre freestyle and I made a 2 second PB to swim it in 5 minutes 31 seconds,” Benjamin said.At the moment he is training about seven sessions a week with 1.5 sessions in the pool.“I swim about 3.5 km every night and a couple of mornings too,” he said.“Then I do three gym sessions of about an hour each.”His dedicated training regime comes with the loving support of his parents, who drive from his home near the Channon into Lismore for school and training.Benjamin was one of 12 local students who recently received a Local Sporting Champions Award from MP Kevin Hogan in recognition of his achievements.He was awarded $550 to help with the costs of travelling to sporting event from the Local Sporting Champions grant program. 

The Year 6 kids at Albert Park School had a visit from some of the NSW Shadow Minsters last week, as part of Lismore MP Janelle Saffin’s information gathering tour. Ms Saffin said Shadow Ministers Kate Washington (Environment and Rural Health and Paul Sculley (Minister for Resources) were on a tour to see how the portfolios of environment and resources could work together. Part of their visit was to see the riparian restoration works on the Wilsons River – done as part of the Richmond Landcare’s Wilsons River Schools Education Project.Read more news: Fourteen Lismore schools to receive a new roofThe goal was for the Ministers to gather on-the-ground feedback from local landcare groups, and the seven local schools involved - including the children from Albert Park School.Alongside the ministers, the children planted trees on the Wilson’s River Landcare restoration project (near the Keen Street baseball fields) and spoke to the politicians, telling them about was happening.“It was really lovely – the kids really engaged with them and talked about their project and how they feel about it,” Ms Saffin said.“The project is now eight years old and so the year six students have been able to see the development of the trees over time.“It’s gone from being from a messy degraded riverbank, to one that looks good and functions well in a flood zone, binding the riverbank together.“The Ministers said the project showed the importance of landcare as the perfect model of cooperation, so that community and schools can work together look after and restore the land and the river.”“Its value is understated.”Earlier in the day, Ms Saffin had taken the Ministers to visit a Hurfords sustainable forestry farm operation.“It is also good model of how forest farms and logging can be done,” Ms Saffin said.“Hurfords utilise cell grazing models with cattle – and get rid of bell miners and log on a rotation model.”

If you thought property rental and purchase in the region was already scarce and expensive, a new advertising campaign could make it an even bigger challenge. Called Move to More, the national awareness campaign will urge capital city dwellers to move to regional areas. It’s due to hit city TV, radio, digital advertising and billboards on major arterial roads later in May.Developed by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) and supported by the Federal Government, the campaign is heralded as a way to encourage “new energy, new people, new businesses and new investment to regional Australia”.It challenges the people of regional Australia to not see themselves as the "victims" of change, but instead help improve the quality of life for all Australians.RAI chief executive Liz Ritchie said the campaign was developed to solve the challenges facing Australia after the pandemic – and based on consultation with regional decision makers across the country. Are we ready?The Lismore App asked the question 'are we ready?' to a range of local stakeholders - from real estate agents, to social housing providers and regional development chiefs - and found the campaign has sparked a division of opinions about how we support and sustain growth in our area.Rental vacancy ratesThe Northern Rivers region currently has the lowest rental vacancy rates in NSW.According to a survey by Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW), the month of March showed that residential vacancy rates across much of regional NSW dropped, while Sydney’s residential rental vacancy rate rose.In the Northern Rivers region, rental vacancy rates in March were reported to be at 0.3% – while in April 2020, it was 2.7%.So, are we ready for an influx of more people to the area?Social housingNorth Coast Community Housing chief executive John McKenna says “no”.“We’ve already seen an influx of people moving to the area because of Covid, even before this campaign gets off and running - and we already have tightest rental market in the State,” Mr McKenna said. Rental prices increasing“It will even further tighten the rental and purchasing market. Rental prices have increased across the region by greater than 30% - and purchase prices have gone up even more. “Byron is the highest, with rental prices up by 66%.“For the social housing properties in our current leasehold program, we are facing an increase in rents from $50 to $150 a week."No clause evictions“With all the people coming from the cities, many locals can’t get a rental because new people are putting 12 months rent on the table up front," Mr McKenna said. “It’s pushing up rents and current tenant are being served with no cause evictions – it’s something we need to change in government." Real estate developmentLismore real estate agent Andrew Gordon said although the idea of decentralising metropolitan areas is a “wonderful’ idea, he questions where people will live.“We manage over 600 homes and I would say the vacancy rate on the ground is far worse than 0.3% in Lismore,” he said.“Lismore has more pressure on it than other surrounding areas - I would wage it’s zero.“We have a waiting list for properties and recently, 148 people turned up to an inspection of a two bedroom unit in flood zone.”Housing crisis dilemma“Who doesn’t want to raise their kids in a country environment,” he said. “The dilemma is where will you put them.“We have a housing crisis.“How can we offer anyone an opportunity here when local government hamstrings development and seems to have a moratorium on growth. Until we change that, nothing is going to happen.“We need growth here. We have a declining rate of growth here and all I see is Kevin Hogan handing out Federal funding everywhere except here.”Wholistic viewRegional Development Australia (RDA) Northern Rivers director Tim Williamson took a wholistic view and said the Northern Rivers region has different needs.“Some areas need population growth and some might not,” he said.“Towns like Kyogle could need people with younger families to keep the vibrancy of the local community going,” he said. “They can feed into areas where there are labour shortages.“But we need to take a wholistic view and make sure the infrastructure is in place to accept the growth is required.“These people will need services.”"Change victims"The RAI website states that its work focus is to “target the issues that matter to both policy makers and our regions and outline options for change”.It further states that “Regional Australia can increase its contribution to national innovation and growth and provide improved quality of life for its 8.8 million residents. “But we must stop seeing our regions as victims of change and we must stop misunderstanding this part of our economy", the website states.“Regional success is built on a balance of local ingenuity and proactivity, and informed, consultative state and federal leadership. "We need to lift expectations; about what our economy can do what government can do and what regional people can and are already doing. It’s time for a period of change on our own terms".“Renaissance”RAI chief executive Liz Ritchie said “regional Australia is on the cusp of an incredible renaissance”. “In 2019, our report Regional Population Growth – Are we ready? recognised the need for an intervention in our existing population trajectory, and in turn, an opportunity to create a more balanced population settlement for the good of our nation," she said.“But while a lot of Australians living in our capital cities feel a positive connection to regional Australia, there is a big difference between liking the place and packing up and moving there.“So, we set out to understand the attitudes and behaviours of those living in our capital cities when it to contemplating a move to regional Australia.Research“We started off by undertaking extensive qualitative and quantitative research and found that one out of every five people living in our capital cities is considering a move to regional Australia.”Ms Ritchie said the research also identified that while the ‘push’ factors motivating people to leave the cities are strong, the ‘pull’ factors – essentially the appeal of regional Australia — are the more powerful motivators.“These insights led to the development of our brand platform – Move to More. It positions regional Australia as offering new residents more space, more career opportunities, improved quality of life and more bang for their buck when it comes to real estate.“The Move to More campaign features extensive advertising across the country that creates a new brand for regional Australia – a brand that is offering Australians a chance to shape their best life.Ms Ritchie said a website would be released at the same time as the advertising campaign and would allow people to “unearth and discover Regional Australia in a way that suits their life stage, interests and career aspirations”. “It invites users to take a short quiz and then filters functional aspects (housing, employment, transport, schools, health and entertainment) to arrive at a selection of towns that meets their desires,” she said.Skills and jobsWith the new Federal budget about to be released after a year of pandemic recovery, Ms Ritchie said the significance of skills and job vacancies “continue to be front and centre across rural and regional Australia”.“Our most recent Regional Job Vacancy report revealed a record 66,200 jobs were advertised in March,” she said.“This new record again confirms what regional leaders and employers have been telling us – regions need more people."

Pub Rock Project and Human Dinosaur Machine are two of five bands playing at the Rock to the Rescue fundraiser gig this Saturday, May 8. After a temporary move to the Lismore City Bowling Club, the annual event has now found a home at the South Lismore Bowlo and starts at 7pm.Rock to the Rescue is the annual fundraiser for the Lismore based Rescue Helicopter Service and is the brainchild of the Service’s admin and fundraising coordinator John Bancroft.“I cooked up the idea and now it’s the sixth year we’ve held it,” John said.“We have all local bands who volunteered to play for free. We charge a donation of $5 at the door and sell tshirts and do raffles. It’s always a good night”John said the event raises over $2,000 for the rescue helicopter service each year and is one of the vital events that raise money to keep the free, life-saving service going.“We transported our ten thousandth patient not so long ago - and they got the service free of charge,” he said.“It’s all about keeping the helicopter going, maintaining it, putting fuel in it and making sure its available 24/7.“The service resonates with people. A lot of people know someone who has needed has a flight –and almost everyone knows someone whose lives have been affected by the service.“We hope to see lots of people come along and support the gig.BandsOther bands playing at the gig are The Claymores, Strangers Inc, Pub Rock Project, and Doc Rock Each band will play a 50 minute set - and the inaugural South Lismore Corn Hole Championship will be contested.“You’ll have to come along to find out just what this enigmatic title refers to,” John laughed. “We’d like to thank the bands for offering their talent and support and would like to particularly mention Jason Hughes, Andy Lee, Brad Redden, Cameron Bracken, Matt Lee, Tony Edwards, Dave Slade, Darrell Crockford and Ned Cain for assisting with the music side of the event over many years,” he said. It begins at 7pm and entry is a $5 donation (or more if you feel willing). Under 18s much be accompanied by an adult.For more information, visit the Facebook site.

Widjabul/Wiabul woman and arts powerhouse Rhoda Roberts OAM gave a keynote address yesterday at the first day of national First Nations Media Australia conference – CONVERGE.In a coup for Lismore, this year NORPA’s Lismore City Hall venue was chosen to host the three-day conference.Ms Roberts is former head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House and has recently taken up a role as NORPA’s Creative Director First Nations.Ms Roberts has worked in journalism,TV, radio and performing arts over her career and said it was “wonderful” to have the conference held at NORPA this year.“In my keynote speech, I talked about my career and the history of the Lismore-based Koori Mail newspaper,” Ms Roberts said.“My father Frank Roberts Jr was instrumental in getting the Koori Mail started 30 years ago, in 1991.“He formed the Bundjalung Tribal Society and wanted to see a national Indigenous newspaper established. He was the first chairman of the Koori Mail board, along with all of the other uncles."Ms Roberts said while she has been working in Sydney and overseas, building her colourful career as an actress, writer and creative director, she always comes home regularly to Bundjalung country.“As an Aboriginal woman, it was hard to get job in this town,” she said. “Everyone now thinks I’ve moved back to the region, but I’ve been commuting for a long time.”Ms Roberts said conference delegates this year had a welcome dinner, followed by three days of plenary sessions, breakout workshops and discussions, and a stroll through four Trade Hall exhibitors.With 200 delegates, 2021 is the largest conference gathering of First Nations media to date.They will also hear 102 speakers across the conference program, and six member showcase presentations and live broadcast and networking opportunities.CONVERGE will conclude with the First Nations Media Australia AGM on Friday afternoon.Blak Cinema in the Quad tonightTonight, Thursday, May 6, there will be a Blak Cinema event in Lismore's Quad, hosted by First Nations media and the Koori Mail. From 6 to 9pm, there will be open air BlakCinema showing films, shorts and animations - and food trucks will also be there.

With a cold temperature of 17 degrees and the first signs of rain, you know that something is happening weather-wise for Lismore & surrounds.The Bureau of Meteorology says to expect 25-30mm this afternoon and tonight with as much as 50mm if we get a thunderstorm.The reason is a slow-moving upper atmosphere front that is coming in from the west and moving very slowly in a circular pattern so it appears as if we are getting the rain from the north. Picture circular cyclonic winds and you get the picture.There is a thunderstorm warning around Moree at this time and Helen Reid from the BOM says we may get some thunderstorm activity and potential hail as this front moves east.Thursday will see an improving trend with only 10-15mm as the front slowly moves out to sea.The good news is that Friday sees the return to sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-twenties and the weekend is looking good.You can watch the storm activity on the radar through the Lismore App Weather Radar.

The 29th annual Nimbin MardiGrass cannabis law reform protest and gathering may have had smaller numbers than usual this year, but according to Nimbin HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone, it was “terrific”.With an estimated two thousand visitors on the Saturday, Michael said even more people came on Sunday to participate in the cannabis law reform protest rally and march.Michael Balderstone.Max Pike greets one of the kombi vans arriving in the kombi convoy on Saturday.Highlights“The MardiGrass talks in the town hall were the best ever and we were at Covid-maximum capacity throughout,” Michael said.“The pharmaceutical path of cannabis was big subject and there was debate about the difference between whole plant extracts and isolates.“Julian Assange’s father was a touching speaker – he began his speaking tour in Nimbin – it’s where Julian went to school years ago.“The highlight was the rally and the comedy was a huge too. there was also lots of music, theatre and performance.”Aggressive drug testingMichael said the police were “chilled” in town and there were no big dramas, except for two people being arrested for possession of one gram each, without being given a caution.But the police roadside testing was more aggressive than he had ever seen before.It’s one of the reasons numbers at MardiGrass have fallen, as people are anxious about being drug tested - and so not driving to Nimbin.The kombi convoy arrives from Byron.Road blocksWhile the police traditionally camp out on Nimbin Road at Goolmangar and pull drivers over for the drug swab test (testing for cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine), this year, they were also stationed on all the small roads leading into the village of Nimbin.“They even had a road block at the bush factory at the edge of town,” Michael said. “I heard stories of people being aggressively chased. A builder friend with a Kombi was chased by police on his way to Byron, so they could drug test him.“He doesn’t smoke but he has dreadlocks - they are hunting people and there’s nothing random about it.War“Their motivation is money. It’s a war with military tactics, where they lock down the town and cruise around.“Their testing regime has nothing to do with impairment – it’s just for the presence of THC, which is uniquely fat soluble.“If people don’t think there’s a war on drugs, come see for yourself.”AnxietyMichael said many volunteers who were medical cannabis users even stopped taking their medication a few days before MardiGrass, because they were afraid of losing their licences“If you test positive, then it’s an automatic loss of your drivers’ licence,” he said. “That happened because so many people were going through the courts because of the tests. It’s a big case of injustice.“Anxiety is huge because of it,” he said. “It’s not fair. The police pick on the hippies and pot smokers, but now they are picking on medical cannabis users,” he said.While there’s a theory that eating Fisherman’s Friends can change the test results, Michael said “it’s random” when it comes to knowing if it works.“The police can also do a second and third drug test on you,” he said. “In the past, 98% of people who had the third test came had positive results. Even if it’s only five parts THC per billion – there’s no guarantees.”Speaker and ex-magistrate David Heilpern.The following photos of speakers, talks and performances were contributed by Marie Cameron:

It feels like a festival, but it’s actually a political protest rally calling for law reform and the legalisation of cannabis. The 29th annual Nimbin MardiGrass is already underway and the program for this weekend is full of music, events, talks and activities.Nimbin HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone said the kombi convoy will be coming from Byron on Saturday and there will be lots of talks.You can also look forward to the usual activities such as the HEMP Olympix, which kicks off at 11am today (Saturday), featuring the famous bong throwing competition.Saturday highlightsFrom 10am until 4pm, the Hemposium Conference features talks, workshops, demos and forums on cannabis law reform, medicine, culture, and history.Speakers include solicitor Steve Bolt, Greens MP Cate Faehrmann and Mullaways medical cannabis maker Tony Bower.Michael said he was excited that the newly elected Legalise Cannabis WA Party candidates Brian Walker and Sophia Moermond are coming from Western Australia to speak during the weekend. “They are our first elected pollies whose platform is to legalise cannabis – Sophia is a naturopath and they will talk about what they hope to achieve,” he said.4 pm Kombi Konvoy & 420 Smoke-In5 pm HEMP Olympix  Joint Rolling First Heats6 pm Safer Roads or Bigger Brother? Roadside Drug Testing Q&A with ex-magistrate David Heilpern7.55 pm : Ganja Faeries Burlesque Performance8 pm : Saturday Night Comedy Live10 pm : Harvest Ball featuring dub reggae band Kurilpa ReachSunday highlights The Pot Poet’s Breakfast kicks off at 10 am, flowed by another heat of the Hemp Olympix at 11am.The annual Cannabis Law Reform and protest will march down the main street at 2.30pm– and yes the big joint will be there.“Wearing green is good for the event and don’t forget it’s a protest,” Michael said. “Think about and bringing a protest banner.”The industrial hemp expo will be happening all weekend, as will the healers tent and chai tent.For full details of the program and events, visit https://nimbinmardigrass.com/Read more: Nimbin 'buzzing' as annual MardiGrass kicks off today

A 60 year old East Lismore woman who died last August as a result of Domestic Violence (DV), is one of 12 who will be honoured at a DV Candelight Vigil to be held next Wednesday, May 5.Organised by the Lismore Women’s Health Centre, the Vigil is part of national Domestic Violence Prevention month – and remembers women and children who have lost their lives to domestic and family violence.Lismore Women’s Health Centre intake information referral worker Krsna Mayshack-Mendero said the ‘Counting Dead Women Australia’ Facebook site reported that nationally, 12 women have died as a result of DV in 2021 and 40 women have died since May 2020.“The names of the 12 women and one baby will be read out at the Vigil and candles will be placed in their honour,” Krsna said.“We will also have a song and a one minute silence.”Krsna invites members of the community to come and bring a candle or flowers to honour someone if they want to.“People at home can also take a picture of a candle and post it on social media as part of a remembering and honouring women who have died in the context of DV.”The DV Candlelight Vigil will be held at Lismore Transit Centre, from 5.30pm to 6.30pm on Wednesday, May 5.Lismore Women's Health Centre staff invite you to bring a candle to the vigil.DV and CovidSince the Covid-19 pandemic began, Google reported a 75% increase in internet searches relating to support for domestic violence. Women's Safety NSW chief executive Hayley Foster said 2020 will be remembered as the worst year for domestic violence that any of us who are in the sector now have ever experienced. “There have been just so many more strangulation cases, so many threats to kill, so many more serious head injuries and sexual assaults have been going through the roof,” she said.“The coronavirus restrictions combined with unemployment and financial stress linked to the pandemic have caused domestic violence cases to spike across the country with states and territories reporting increases in the number and severity of DV cases.”Statistics23.9% of Australian women have been domestic violence victims in their lifetimes. During the Covid 19 pandemic, there has been a 11% increase in calls to 1800 RESPECT - a national domestic violence helpline. A survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology revealed almost 10% of Australian women in a relationship had experienced domestic violence during the corona crisis. 50% of women said the abuse had become more frequent or severe since the start of the pandemic. According to a survey conducted by Monash University, over 50% of DV workers have reported an increase in reports and severity of DV since the start of the pandemic.A 7% increase of sexual assault and harrassment was reported compared with the previous year according to the state crime statistics.Other StatesIn Queensland, 81% of DV services reported an escalation of controlling behaviour and manipulation and 49% reported an escalation of perpetrators using Covid-19 as a reason for abuse.In South Australia police reported a 12% increase in domestic and family related assaults, sexual assaults compared with the same time last year.Over in Western Australia, domestic violence related assault jumped 10.6% while DV related threatening behaviour spiked by 15.3%. Illawarra Women’s Health Centre also faced unprecedented demand for support from women in DV situations with a 189% increase from January to August 2020, compared to the previous year and phone calls spiked 55% in the same period.Read more news: Alleged domestic violence sees Lismore woman arrested

Nimbin village is buzzing with a festival atmosphere, ready for the annual Nimbin MardiGrass Law Reform Gathering weekend to kick off this afternoon.As usual, the program kicks off at 3pm today (Friday, May 1) with a symbolic street protest at Nimbin Police Station.Nimbin HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone said it’s a “polite protest”“We walk from the hospital to the police station and offer an olive branch of peace to the police – and they will tell us the latest corona rules,” Michael said.“That’s followed by the suppositorium – and that’s a good event. A lot of people don’t know you can get cannabis into your body via your bum.“There will be a live demonstration on the street at 4.20pm.“Then Vanessa Ekins, the new mayor, opens the event at Peace Park at 5pm, then there’s the fashion show and the cabaret show.”Michael Balderstone on the campaign trail.TicketsThe good news is that tickets are not sold out early as usual, so you can still come to the events – and there is a limit of 300 people in the Nimbin Town Hall.“It’s because we don’t have the usual backpackers in Nimbin this year and the corona fear people aren’t here either,” Michael said.People can also look forward to the usual activities such as the HEMP Olympix, a bong throwing competition, the annual law reform parade and protest – and lots of talks.Drug testingMichael said people should be aware that the police will be putting up their usual drug testing “road blocks” on the road to Nimbin and will probably be there each day.“Be aware of it but don’t be put off by it,” Michael said. “Hitchhike, get a lift with a sober driver and suck on your Fisherman’s Friends – but still come,” he said.“Roadside drug testing is unfair. It should be about impairment and not just the presence of THC. It is a big issue that will be discussed at Mardi Grass.“This is the 29th we have protested to legalise the plant which is the best and safest medicine around and never killed anyone.“We are all upset when they made cannabis legal, but imported it and made it so expensive and has to be gotten through a doctor – why can’t we grow our own."For full details of the program and events, visit https://nimbinmardigrass.com/

Page MP Kevin Hogan didn’t make an appearance this morning when 22 Knitting Nannas Against Gas (KNAG) and their friends knitted a protest outside his Molesworth Street office.Spokesnanna Louise Somerville said while the nannas knitted a brighter future for the planet – without a gas-led recovery - a camera person from ABC’s Compass program filmed them.“When we went inside to put the heat on Mr Hogan and present him with a letter, his staff wouldn’t let the camera man come in - so it couldn’t be filmed,” she said.“Lots of people honked horns as they drove past. If anyone made negative comments, we told them renewables is the way to go fort he future, not gas.”The protest was part of a week long ‘Fund Our Future Not Gas’ action of knitting nannas up and down the coast.“It’s about keeping the issue of tackling climate change and renewables future in the limelight,” Nanna Louise said.“We don’t want our kids and grandkids to be left in climate upheaval and the economic global cost it brings.“We object to the Federal government plans for a gas led recovery which keeps us all on a fossil fuel trajectory.“We also want to remind Mr Hogan that the national regulator, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), does not support a gas-led recovery.“A whopping $12 billion in taxes is given every year to the fossil fuel sector in subsidies, approximately $468 for every Australian.“We want the Morrison Government to address the threat that climate change poses to the people of Australia, and the planet.”Nanna Louise said Australia's annual average temperature has already increased by 1.44 degrees Celsius since 1910.“Rising temperatures spell disaster for people and wildlife in coastal and bushfire prone areas and threatens our food and water security,” she said.“Throughout the pandemic the Commonwealth Government responded to science and cooperated with other tiers of government to act in the best interests of the Australian people.“For that the Nannas thank them. Nannas now urge the government to again be led by science, innovation and education and to urgently develop a plan to transition away from fossil fuels.“Climate scientists have recorded rising global temperatures, rising sea levels and more extreme weather events.“These occurrences are set to become more frequent and more extreme.“Burning fossil fuels leads to increased greenhouse gases. Renewables have proven to be the cheapest way to reduce emissions."We demand a targeted commitment to attain Net Zero Emissions by 2030 and a detailed road map to get there.“We need a positive and bright future for our children and grandchildren. “Scott Morrison and his ministers have a responsibility to protect the Australian people from Climate Change which includes not spending the kiddies’ inheritance on gas.” 

When Cyclone Debbie flooded Lismore in 2017, Chris Regan was stuck out of town, working at Blues Fest. He couldn’t get back in for three days and was shocked when saw his flooded house in South Lismore.“Everything was brown – all the furniture, everything,” he said. “The flood picked up heavy cedar sofa beds and threw them around and my water tank was in the neighbour’s yard.“I was devastated. But friends helped me clean up and I started again - living with an esky and a gas cooker for the next three months.”Read more local news: Fundies Wholefood Market to close for renovationsRaincoatChris’ story is one of ten from the 2017 floods which devastated Lismore. It’s part of a new Flood Stories project, based out of a shipping container now installed in Lismore’s Quad – and the community is invited to come and experience the stories in a most unusual way.To experience the stories, you put on a yellow raincoat and a pair of gumboots. Then, with your MP3 player, headphones and map in hand, you are guided to take a walk to a part of Lismore that the story takes place in.Jyllie Jackson, Jeanti St Clair and Chris Regan.GoosebumpsThe stories have been recorded by SCU lecturer and audio story-teller Jeanti St Clair.Jeanti said even now, she still gets goosebumps when she listens to them.“Telling intimate stories is a great way to get a bigger view of what happened with a major event,” Jeanti said.“So often history is documented by numbers and we don’t know the stories and flood stories gives us 10 of them.“The stories range from 10 minutes to 32 minutes and I have frequent listener cards, where if you visit six times, you get a free coffee at Slate Café.“We hoped to launch the project last year, but we were delayed by Covid.“It’s three years on now since Cyclone Debbie did Lismore and we’ve had minor and moderate floods and flash floods since then.“I think we’ve had enough time and emotional space that we can listen to these stories without being impacted too emotionally by them.Therapeutic “We are hoping it will be a healing process for the community.“We hope we can learn what we need to learn as a community being a flood town.“There’s reflection about how we can become more resilient – we’ve even had bushfires and Covid disasters since 2017 too.“When you listen to the stories, you feel that your story of the flood is valid too. – and it’s been therapeutic for the story tellers too.Healing“Part of the process of bringing the stories to the public was making sure story tellers were happy with the final version of the story.“I had so many of them come back to me and say the story captured their experience and they cried – a therapeutic crying, there’s a real love there. We’re all grateful the project has given us space to be able to do that.”Jyllie JacksonFor Jyllie Jackson, organiser of the Lismore lantern Parade, telling her story to Jeanti for the Flood Stories project and hearing it back finally allowed her to finally have a cry.Jyllie had unsuccessfully tried to save the lanterns in the lantern workshop from being flooded and knew she had to “keep it together”.“The process was very helpful to me,” Jyllie said.“I didn’t cry at all when it happened. I was stoic. As the boss lady, I couldn’t cry – that was my leadership role.”Read more about Jyllie’s flood story on the Lismore App, as she reveals her plans to bring business back into the Lismore CBD, despite Covid enforced changes to this year’s Lantern parade event: CBD traders set to benefit from Lantern Parade's surprise offshoot eventFlood stories will be in the Quad until May 6 and more information can be found on the Quad website.Flood Stories operating times:Thursday April 29 11am-2pm, and 4-6pm Friday April 30 11am-2pm, and 4-6pm Saturday May 1 11am-2pmSunday May 2 12pm-2pmMonday May 3 closedTuesday May 4 11am-2pmWednesday May 5 11am-2pmThursday May 6 11am-2pm, and 4-6pm 

Fundies Wholefood Market on Keen Street is closing for renovations at the end of this week - so if you have any shopping to do there, get in quick.Read more local news: Raincoats, gumboots and flood stories call you to the Quad Fundies store manager Rachel O’Connor said the store will be closed for about two weeks, before it reopens with more stock and a new look.“We will be closing at the end of business on Saturday,” Rachel said.“We have a sale on for the next three days with 15% off store wide, plus plus triple points on purchases for members.“It’s really exciting because the renovations will be extend the shop and increase our produce and fridge area – taking everything a whole new level up.”Fundies became a part of the Flannerys health food store chain about three years ago and the chain’s marketing manager Kate said the Lismore shop hasn’t been renovated for over 20 years.“It’s about time we gave it a freshening up,” she said. “The community have been supporting us for so long – and we are going to use all local tradespeople to do the work – carpenters, painters, electricians and plumbers."ExpandingKate said the walls will be moved and the shop area expanded to create a new naturopathy area with a private consult room.“It will give you privacy if you want to talk about whatever your health journey is with the naturopath. It will still be a free service,” she said.“We’ll also clean the floors and give them a good polish and freshen up the paint on the walls.New ranges“We’ve had so many suggestions and requests for products and we can’t fit them in.“There’s a plethora of people making and creating amazing food in the area and we want to support it, but only have one freezer.“So, we will be bringing in nine new fridge freezers and stocking more plant based foods, sauces and a variety of pre-made meals, pizzas, dumplings and an expanded ice-cream range.”“In the bulk foods section, we will mix it up with more variety - and in the produce section, stock more leafy greens and produce.“We can look forward to more types of bread and pestos too.”SaleKate said for the next three days, Fundies is having a 15% off store-wide sale (with triple points earned) to say thank you to customers - and clear the shelves.Anything left when they close will be given to the local food bank.“We’ve been taking everyone’s bread and milk orders to make sure they have what they need while we close,” Kate said.“We will well keep everyone updated about the opening date. We hope it’s going to be two weeks, fingers crossed.”Visit Fundies websiteRead more about Fundies: UPDATE: Fundies to stay open through administration process