Friends of the Koala (acting) president Susannah Keogh says it’s now or never if we want to save the koalas from extinction.A new piece of NSW legislation set to be voted on in NSW parliament next week will open up land for clearing and will “unravel the many hard-won gains made for koalas and protecting their habitat over the past 25 years”,” she said.The proposed new Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2020 will be voted on in the Upper House on November 11. Susannah urges anyone who wants to see a certain future for koalas, to tell politicians not to pass the Bill.“Friends of the Koala strongly disagree with this Bill and we are urging people to email members of the Legislative Council in the Upper House to voice their concern,” Susannah said.“The recent Parliamentary Inquiry into koala populations and habitat found that without effective intervention koalas will become extinct by 2050 in NSW. “While Ben Franklin MLC commended our work for koalas during the public hearing for this Inquiry, he is supporting this Bill – a Bill that could condemn koalas to extinction.”Read Susannah's story of Makawee the koala who is in care at FoK after being rescued from the fires last year in Blogs/Letters - Susannah Keogh: Koalas, one year on from the firesWhat does the Bill propose?Susannah said if the Bill passes it will give free rein to Private Native Forestry (PNF) and double the duration of PNF operations from 15 to 30 years. If the bill becomes law, even if a forest is identified as core koala habitat it will remain unprotected from clearing for agriculture or logging.Freeze koala habitat“The Bill will also freeze the amount of koala habitat that can be protected in Comprehensive Koala Plans of Management, meaning that over 99% of koala habitat on private land in NSW will never have protection.More clearing“It will also allow more clearing to take place in environmental zones – undermining the protections offered by E-zones. No Development Applications“It will remove the requirement for Development Applications to be made for land clearing activities.Dunoon to BungabeeIn the Lismore Local Government Area, Susannah said areas that could be affected by the new Bill would include “patches all over the area – from Dunoon to Clunes and Bentley’s Bungabee forest”.“It will mean farmers and landholders will be able to clear what they wouldn’t have been able to before,” she said. “A lot of the land that will be affected will be peri-urban areas and farms with remnant rainforest or boundary trees, which are vital to the connectivity between areas of habitat for wildlife.Iconic animals“Koalas are our country’s most iconic animals and if we can’t save the koalas, we can’t save anything. What chance then does any other species of flora or fauna have? “It’s devastating and frustrating, especially after the bushfires and all the work we did – the world is watching the wat we treat the koala.”Plight of koalas“These changes are clearly inappropriate given the plight of koalas after the devasting drought and 2019/2020 bushfire season.“Loss, modification and fragmentation of their habitat is considered the key threat to koalas’ survival. “This Bill is designed to benefit developers and agri business, without any consideration for the value of our forests and the incredible biodiversity they support.”We absolutely cannot allow this Bill to pass, we must act now to protect koalas and their habitat before we lose them forever.”Susannah said the following draft version of a submission to politicians can be used and personalised as needed:Dear Member of the Legislative Council,I am writing to ask you to vote against the Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill because it puts the future of our koala populations in jeopardy.The government has stated it wants to save koalas from extinction, even double their numbers over the next 30 years, but this bill pushes them closer to the brink.In 2017, the Office of Environment and Heritage advised the Environment Minister that less than 1% of koala habitat on private land was protected, and recommended the government “exclude additional core koala habitat” from clearing.The LLS Amendment Bill before parliament would freeze protected koala habitat. Meaning that over 99% of koala habitat on private land in NSW will never have protection.Under current rules, if councils identify core koala habitat, after a process of consultation and approval, this land can be protected from clearing and logging. This bill undermines that process.Tens of thousands of koalas perished in the Black Summer bushfires. Now is not the time to take a step backwards on the protection of koala habitat.Please reject this bill and ensure koalas continue to have a home in our state.You can email the above draft letter to all the Upper House Legislative Council Members listed below:john.ajaka@parliament.nsw.gov.aushayne.mallard@parliament.nsw.gov.aulou.amato@parliament.nsw.gov.autaylor.martin@parliament.nsw.gov.aumark.banasiak@parliament.nsw.gov.aumatthew.mason-cox@parliament.nsw.gov.aurobert.borsak@parliament.nsw.gov.audaniel.mookhey@parliament.nsw.gov.auabigail.boyd@parliament.nsw.gov.autara.moriarty@parliament.nsw.gov.auoffice.buttigieg@parliament.nsw.gov.aumoselmane.office@parliament.nsw.gov.aucatherine.cusack@parliament.nsw.gov.auF.Nile@parliament.nsw.gov.auAnthony.DAdam.MLC@parliament.nsw.gov.aumark.pearson@parliament.nsw.gov.augreg.donnelly@parliament.nsw.gov.aupeter.primrose@parliament.nsw.gov.auCate.Faehrmann@parliament.nsw.gov.aurod.roberts@parliament.nsw.gov.auwes.fang@parliament.nsw.gov.auadam.searle@parliament.nsw.gov.auscott.farlow@parliament.nsw.gov.auwalt.secord@parliament.nsw.gov.ausam.farraway@parliament.nsw.gov.aupenny.sharpe@parliament.nsw.gov.aujustin.field@parliament.nsw.gov.audavid.shoebridge@parliament.nsw.gov.auben.franklin@parliament.nsw.gov.aumick.veitch@parliament.nsw.gov.aujohn.graham@parliament.nsw.gov.aunatalie.ward@parliament.nsw.gov.aucourtney.houssos@parliament.nsw.gov.autrevor.khan@parliament.nsw.gov.auemma.hurst@parliament.nsw.gov.aumark.latham@parliament.nsw.gov.aucontactRose@parliament.nsw.gov.aunatasha.maclaren-jones@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Replacing 45 year old shelves and installing a machine to automate the sorting of returned books were some of the changes made at Lismore Library, as part of a $198,000 refurbishment.The Library has seen a few changes over the past few months, including new carpet and seating – as unveiled today in the library’s official reopening.Lismore librarian Lucy Kinsley shows off the new automated returns machine.Lismore Librarian Lucy Kinsley said the refurbishments began during the Covid period - and she was happy to see the library become more modernised.Other new library features include: a castle where young children can sit and enjoy browsing and reading books; two new service desks, featuring photographs of local scenes by local photographers, Mark Seiffert, Narelle Jarvis and Hugh Nicholson; and freshly repainted internal walls and internal signage.The Library re-opened in July following the refurbishment, but the official opening was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.Lismore librarian Lucy Kinsley said in addition to new shelving, some shelving is now on wheels allowing library staff to make space for events, as well as adjustable shelving to display items."Hydraulic desks have also been installed to allow staff to adjust heights to better serve children and those in a wheelchair," Lucy said. "To improve efficiency, an automated returns chute with three bins was installed to get returned books back on the shelves and available."Cr Neil Marks, Lucy Kinsley and MP Janelle Saffin enjoy the library.Covid - click and collectLucy said when the library closed during the Covid period and the click and collect for books was introduced, she had up to 15 tables at any one time stacked with books waiting to go out to happy readers.“Loans never really dropped off,” Lucy said. “At first, people wanted electronic resources rather than touching paper books, but because we quarantine all the books before we put them back out into circulation, people kept wanting to borrow them.”"I love the feel of a book"Lucy said while the library has now ordered more electronic resources than it had before due to demand, she gets “a lot of comments that electronic books are great when we are travelling, but I love the feel of a book”.State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said she loves the library and has always advocated for seeing it improved.The refurbishment works were carried out with funding from the NSW Government, the State Library of NSW and Lismore City Council.More than books“Libraries are more than places go to get books and read,” Ms Saffin said. “It’s a place where people come to belong and I want to acknowledge the important work of librarians. “Lismore Library needs a lot more love and more dollars – and that needs to come from the NSW government. I intend to keep advocating for that valuable resource in our community.”Lucy said while the refurbishments were great, the building used to be a school and so was not ideal for being a library.“I would love to see a brand new purpose built library,” Lucy said.Teaching technologyOne of the things Lucy loves doing is helping people with technology and teaching them how to use devices like smart phones.Lismore City Council Deputy Mayor Neil Marks said the refurbishments have also meant elderly and mobility impaired members in our community can now more easily make the most of their library. “Access is not an issue now and I would like encourage everyone – young and old - to come along and check out what their new modern library offers,” he said.“The staff provide a wonderful community service, in person and online, and they are bridging the digital divide which is think is very important.”

It’s been one year since pharmacist Steven Defrenne opened Discount Drug Stores on Rous Road in Goonellabah. For Steven – and the rest of Lismore – it’s been a turbulent year.With cupcakes and balloons to celebrate, Steven said he is feeling the community’s love and support after making it through the bushfires and the tough Covid period, which claimed jobs and businesses all over the country.“It was interesting to start a new business as all that came about,” he said. “It’s been a crazy ride but now we are celebrating being here.”Steven said throughout the Covid closedown period, his pharmacy was deemed and essential service and was still there to help out the community – providing much needed prescriptions to those who regularly needed them.“It was a different experience though,” he said. “We had to take precautions, install barriers and sanitise regularly.“We changed the business to offer free deliveries to help the community - which we still do now because doctors can fax a script through.“Often we were the one point of communication for some people with chronic health conditions who were getting isolated. We helped out with a friendly phone call and dropping off medication.”It wasn’t all rosy though. Stevens said he struggled to keep up with the constant demand for toilet paper, as well as hand sanitiser.“I didn’t really experience people trying to hoard medications,” he said. “They were sensible and took trust in system. There was a short period of a week or two when asthma inhalers ran out though because everyone wanted one and it put a big strain on the supply chain.”One year later, the pharmacy is still going strong. Steven said once locals got to know the pharmacy was there, right next door to the GP clinic and pathology centre, they had good support and have been growing well as a business.“I love it here, it’s a beautiful part of the world,” Steven said, “All the different characters in this community and the people I see on a regular basis - everybody says g’day and has a chat.”Discount Drug Stores is open 7 days a week but not public holidays. Operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday, 9.30am to 3pm.Read more about the pharmacy: New pharmacy brings a fresh face to Lismore

Lismore has long been known as a city of roundabouts. So it probably comes as no surprise to hear that we have another new roundabout.Lismore City Council has just completed works on the new roundabout at the corner of Diadem and Orion streets in Lismore.The newest of roundabouts has been constructed a single-lane mountable roundabout, with concrete medians and new pedestrian facilities including 'Type 1' pedestrian protection fences.Council stated that "this will improve safety by slowing traffic and creating a smoother vehicle interchange"."The installation of relocated pedestrian crossings, refuges and associated pedestrian fencing also makes it safer for pedestrians," the statement said.The works were funded under the Government's Blackspot Program.Traffic lights, history and the futureOnce, Lismore did have a set of traffic lights installed near Lismore Shopping Square, on the corner of Ballina Road and Diadem Street - but our default way of navigating intersections seems to be the good old roundabout.Interestingly, in 2011, the Road Traffic Authority (RTA) recommended that two major roundabouts in Lismore be ripped up and replaced with traffic lights.At the time, the roundabouts on the corner of Ballina Road, Dawson and Molesworth Streets were identified as unsafe for pedestrian access during a safety audit by the RTA.The RTA consulted with Lismore Council at the time, and online feedback mainly supported retaining the roundabouts.Some comments at the time focused on the lack of view caused by foliage and other installations on the roundabouts; the lack of driver awareness of how to negotiate them correctly; and the fact the Ballina Road roundabouts were too tight for two-lane roundabouts.There are are 40 or so roundabouts still here to this day - if anyone wants to count them.Traffic light and roundabouts - what do you think?What do you think? Do we need to keep our roundabouts or change to traffic lights?Read more road news: Georgica gets a new, more flood-resilient bridge

The future of Lismore’s Italo-Australian Club is looking rosy now that a hoped-for amalgamation with Club Marconi is set to go ahead.After months of uncertainty, Italo-Australian Club president Americo Melchoir said that it was “all good” with Club Marconi and that the only hoop left to jump through was a transfer of the local club’s licence to its Sydney-based partner club.In an official statement issued by the Italo-Australian Club, the club’s board said it was pleased to announce the amalgamation of the two clubs was declared approved. “The decision by the members of Club Marconi on November 1 to approve the amalgamation has provided an opportunity for our local club to continue operating,” the statement said.Americo said that Club Marconi will now make an application to the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority to transfer the license from the Italo Club to Club Marconi.“I am excited and pleased with the outcome for the members - in particular to amalgamate with a club that shares the same culture and tradition,” he said.“The board has worked tirelessly over the past five years and the club will be in good hands.”The Italo-Australian Club in North Lismore is currently open and operating Wednesday to Friday, from 4-10pm.Americo said the club and will extend the opening hours during summer and people who come to the club can expect great drinks and food.“We are offering a half Italian and half Australian menu,” he said. “It’s set up as a buffet style, but customers will be served their food. The set price on the buffet is $20 and we also have an ala carte menu and have different beers on tap.”As far as plans for the future goes, Americo said Club Marconi will be coming and going and having a look at what needs to be done first.The beleaguered club has been in financial trouble for most of this year, in particular since Covid-19 forced the club to close for a number of months.Read more news about the history of the club: Lismore's Italo Club could be saved from closureLocal Italo Club's future hangs on tonight's meetingLismore's Italo club finally reopens

Last week provided a glimpse of what we can expect from La Nina this spring and summer. Large hailstones were seen in Nimbin and Tuntable Falls while smaller hail was recorded in most regions of Lismore throughout the turbulent week.NSW SES are warning us to get used to this pattern as it is the new norm over the next four months.The Lismore App reported the Bureau of Meteorology prediction of a La Nina event back in mid August, it does appear they were spot on.If you missed those stories, the cooling of surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean and the increase in Pacific Trade Winds mean lower temperatures and more rain. This also leads to a greater number of tropical lows and cyclones affecting the east coast of Australia. While the Northern Rivers is no stranger to storms, it is important to remind local residents and businesses to check their properties are prepared for severe weather. NSW SES Deputy Zone Commander Mark Somers said, “With the unpredictable nature of a La Nina event, these stormy conditions will be the new norm over the next few months.” “It’s important to prepare your homes and businesses for storms, floods and severe weather. Make sure you clear your gutters, check your roof is in good condition, trim back overhanging trees and branches and put together a home emergency kit in case of power outages.” “It is also important to check your Insurance is up to date and information handy in case you need to make a claim” Mr Somers added. For further information related to preparing for floods and storms, please go to www.ses.nsw.gov.au.To check the weather forecast on the Lismore App simply push the 'Weather & Travel' button on the main page. There you will find the BOM Weather (Weather) page link and the Weather Radar (Weather Radar) link.Fortunately, this week is looking a lot more settled at this early stage with small amounts of rain expected from Thursday.

As a community we have had limited opportunities to see live music since the coronavirus pandemic arrived on our doorstep in March.Before then we had a vibrant music scene with bands at the Dusty Attic (closing its doors in January, 2020), the Gollan, Mary G's, NORPA and the Lismore City Hall.Now restrictions are starting to ease, the Lismore App wants to tell you about a night of free music that features some very gifted musicians studying at Southern Cross University.The Showcase features Maya Holstegge, Mykaela Baillie, Joe Conroy and Georgia Cummins this Thursday November 5 at the Studio, Lismore City Hall.(Joe Conroy. Just one of the artists performing on Thursday night at the Studio, City Hall)Joe Conroy is one of the performers on the night and is also studying the Bachelor of Contemporary Music at SCU, "Playing regular gigs forms an essential part of studying the Bachelor of Contemporary Music at Southern Cross University," Joe said, "However, this year due to COVID, this hasn't been possible which has been a shock to the system.""Being able to play with other musicians in preparation for this Showcase has been a thrill I'm sure I won't take for granted again for a while. We're all really excited to be involved and are grateful to SCU and NORPA for the opportunity to return to live music." Kristy Jones, the Business & Development Manager of NORPA said "It's been a tough year for NORPA and Lismore City Hall so it's exciting to have live performance back on stage. NORPA's partnership with Southern Cross University spans more than 20 years and we're delighted to be working together to showcase the incredible musical talent from our region.""The Studio at City Hall was upgraded with top class sound and lighting equipment in 2019. It's a great space for intimate live music, cabaret or comedy shows. It's a great, intimate space that will take you back to the days of the speak-easy or basement style gigs."Although tickets are free, registration is essential due to crowd restrictions. Push here to register https://norpa.org.au/events/scu-student-showcase/.

Trinity Catholic College have challenged their students to bring in ordinary plastic lids from home to help a Canberra based charity called Lids4Kids.Vicki Evans, the head of Darcy House at Trinity, said "Pauline Leeson, our Career Advisor left a notice in the staff room which led to a broader discussion to involve the students".The result was an inter-house competition where students could earn points for their respective house (there are 10 different houses at Trinity) which goes towards the year ending Delaney Cup. This has been running since the start of term and ends at the end of week 9.The concept is very simple and one that Vicki hopes will encourage more families to get involved.Simply collect all your lids from milk, juice and water bottles and throw them into a plastic container and take them to Trinity. They must be screw top lids, the harder pop-up style lids are not accepted.If you would like to contribute to this amazing charity and your children go to a different school or if you don't have children, collect the lids at home and drop them off to Lucey Kingsley on the second floor of the Lismore Library at 110 Magellan Street.Lucey told the Lismore App the collection point only started up again last week following its closure due to COVID in March.Lids4Kids has been so successful since founder Tim Miller started the charity in mid 2019 with a little green bin outside the street library near his home. Following media attention the charity exploded so much so there are over 7,000 collection points across Australia.Envision Hands initially took the plastic lids to make children mobility products, however they hit a problem with quality control so now the millions of lids collected are looking for different recycled plastic lid projects to help the community like school buddy benches, seats and tables and equipment for schools and kindergartens.In the meantime, Lids4Kids is looking for a new home to store tonnes of plastic lids because Tim Millers double garage is full.Another way to help the environment and another charity is the collection of plastic bread clips. Once you have collected a container full drop them off Lucey and the team at the Lismore Library. These go towards the Aussie Bread tags For Wheelchairs charity where the tags are recycled locally, raising money to supply wheelchairs to disadvantaged people in South Africa.So, from this point on, don't throw out your screw top plastic lids or bread clips. Place them in a container and take them to Lucey at the Lismore Library or if you have a student at Trinity get them to take them into school.

When Humans of Lismore creator Denise Alison snapped a secret moment of Michael Gates transforming into local icon and drag queen star Maude Boate, it was to become the photograph that made her one of the finalists in the 2020 Hurford Portrait Prize.It’s the first time she’s entered the portrait prize, but Denise been a photographer for a long time.Denise Alison at home.Micheal Gates aka Maude BoateDenise said Micheal Gates aka Maude Boate is a long time friend of hers and her photo was taken earlier this year, during the Covid closedown period.“Maude and I spent a lot of time together through the Covid isolation period, when everyone was bored,” Denise said. “I would go and take photos of Maude dressing up and taking out the bin for the Bin Outing Facebook site.“We had so much fun. Maude would dress up in different outfits and drag that bin out, to music and I had sore ribs from laughing.“One day, I went over to do that and she was just getting dressed and I just captured that rawness - she had the dressing gown on and the boots and was sitting in a chair in front of an old fashioned mirror with lights.Unguarded moment“It was an unguarded moment. Normally with Maude, everything is colourful with big wigs, bling, outfits, heels and jewels - and this was a quiet moment.“I loved that image. It captured the spirit of the person. I’ve taken much better technical images, but I loved it captured her spirit - and someone else did too, because it got through to the finals.”Denise said what you can’t see in the photo is that Maude is sitting in her sewing room, surrounded by costumes and she had old school musicals playing on the stereo.“Maude has great history of costume design and was involved in creating costumes for the Pricilla Queen of the Desert movie,” Denise said.OverjoyedDenise said she found out she was a finalist in the local portrait art prize when she received an email saying congratulations.“I’d forgotten I had entered,” Denise said. “I was shocked and overjoyed I got into the finals. To win would be incredible but I don’t expect to see it happen.“I am just really excited to have my work on the walls of the Regional Gallery.”Sunday Profile introduces more about DeniseRead the Sunday Profile on the Lismore App or website https://lismoreapp.com.au/news-sport/sunday-profile/sunday-profile-denise-alison-creator-of-humans-of-lismore?id=5f926185190d080a668de708 to find out more about Denise and why she started up the popular Humans of Lismore Facebook page, as well as meet some of the interesting local characters she photographs and writes about.2020 Hurford Hardwood Prize winner announcementThe winner of the 2020 Hurford Hardwood Prize will be announced by this year's judge artist Abdul Abdullah online at 5.30pm Friday, November 6, via Facebook live stream at https://www.facebook.com/events/1108645872901620/The exhibition will be open to the public for viewing at Lismore Regional Gallery from 10am Saturday, November 7, as will the online catalogue.Finalists for the 2020 Hurford Hardwood Prize are:Denise Alison, Louise Allerton, Ann Arora, Marjan Bakhtiarikish, Konrad Bock, Renè Bolten, Karen Jane Borger, Jacob Boylan, Amanda Bromfield, Filippa Buttitta, Foong-Yue Cheah, Molly Darvall, Michelle Dawson, Janine Dello, Peter Derrett OAM, Dawn Duncan-Smith, Facing Australia (Raimond De Weerdt and Karen Donnelly), Kathryn Fenton, Rikki Fisher, Miriam Fraser, Todd Fuller, Shirley Gibson, Anna Glynn, Amala Groom, Michèle Heibel, Hilary Herrmann, Martyn Hodge, Nicole Kelly, Sadami Konchi, Elena Larkin, Susan Ma, Ali Marshall, Samuel Massey, Shannon McCulloch, Genevieve Memory, Zilpha Menghetti, Libby Moore, Anh Nguyen, Antoinette O’Brien, Arion Ocean, Jessica O’Connor, Miriam O’Grady, Travis Paterson, Ana Pollak, Jamie Preisz, Marian Quigley, Caitlin Reilly, Gwen Robson, Matthew Sansom, Lynn Savery, Loribelle Spirovski, Fleur Stevenson, Lisa Stonham, Robyn Sweaney, Joe Swepson, Fiona Taylor, Lenny Thurgate, Seabastion Toast, Datsun Tran, Edward Trost, Melanie Valentine, Asher Veling, Jacklyn Wagner, Rudiger Wasser, Harry Westera, Edwin Wilson, Caroline Zilinsky and Michelle Zuccolo.The 2020 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize is kindly supported by Hurford Hardwood.

The Bureau of Meteorology were spot on with their forecast of stormy weather this week, especially how isolated the impact was. The CBD had a bit of hail, Goonellabah more and McKees Hill was hit hard.Saturday will be more of the same with afternoon showers and thunderstorm predicted. Rainfall should be between 6 and 10mm. Sunday looks to be a perfect spring day with tops of 30 while the start to the working week looks a lot more settled than this week. Check out the storm on the weather radar on the Lismore App Weather Radar.The storms tomorrow afternoon/evening will throw a spanner in the works for those that are into Halloween celebrations. The NSW Government is encouraging people to keep it outdoors in the the front yard as well as provide closed packaging for treats and the usual hand sanitiser. For a rundown of the regulations read our earlier story Is Halloween cancelled this year? Find out what you can do.Another event that may be affected by weather is the second round of the Lismore Speedway at the Showgrounds. With the rain expected around 2pm, the question is when conditions will clear? Making matters worse is the fact that spectators are allowed inside the speedway grounds for the first time this year after the October 17 meeting was for race teams and support crew only. Plus, it is the blue ribbon Lord Mayors Cup for the V8 Dirt Modifieds with Isaac Smith presenting the cup to the winner.“Despite only being around for just over a decade, it can now rightly take its place in the history of Lismore Speedway as one of the legitimate blue ribbon events and hopefully it will continue for years to come," said current Promoter David Lander.Wingless Sprintcars, AMCA Nationals, Production Sedans, Street Stocks, Junior Sedans and National Four Cylinder Sedans are also programmed. Gates open at 4:30 with a maximum of 500 allowed through the turnstiles.Other sport includes the LJ Hooker Cup one day competition tomorrow with Marist Brothers at home to Alstonville while Workers have a drive to Pottsville.The Golden oldies will be dusting off their rugby boots for a gala day at Lismore Rugby tomorrow from 2pm. I am sure there are people hoping for a large bench as they hit the paddock for the first time in quite a while.Then on Sunday the North Coast Shield is being played at the Lismore Basketball Centre in Keen Street with the U18 girls hitting the court for their first round while the U16 boys will contest their finals and are favourites in division 2.The Showground is the destination for so much activity during COVID with the Farmers Markets on tomorrow morning from 8am. As well as your fresh farm grown fruit and veg you can buy a last minute Halloween Lantern Kit for $15 and help keep Jyllie Jackson and her team operating in difficult times.The Showground will be back in action again on Sunday morning from 7:30 when the Car Boot markets get under way. The weather looks kind for Sunday so you can head to the showground until 3pm when the gates close.The Blue Knob Community Markets are on from 8:30 until 12pm.Lismore has another grand opening of a business tomorrow. Kate Cairnduff has taken the plunge and opened Fitness Manouvers at 139 Dawson Street. The store officially opens between 12pm to 3pm so get down and say hi and wish Kate luck. Kate's story is an interesting one if you haven't read it in News as yet Kate's new fitness business manouvers into Dawson Street.Neil Marks talks about the NBN coming to many Lismore businesses in his Blog tomorrow while the Sunday Profile features the person behind Humans of Lismore Denise Alison.Here are some funnies for your Friday:

While residents of Lismore have been allowed to travel over the Queensland border for a number of weeks now, from November 3, Queensland will open its border to most of the rest of New South Wales.Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the announcement today, saying that residents of the 32 Local Government Areas declared hotspots in the Greater Sydney area would still be excluded from entering Queensland – as well as all Victorians.People who have been in a hotspot in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Queensland.Ms Palaszczuk said the decision — which has been made on the eve of the state election — was based on the advice of the Chief Health Officer, who is concerned about community transmission of the virus."It's clearly political" says Page MP Kevin HoganFederal Member for Page Kevin Hogan responded to the announcement saying the latest expansion of the Queensland Border Bubble is welcome news, but was clearly political.“Whilst I welcome the inclusion of our entire region, a lot of damage was done for no reason, except as a political stunt by the QLD Labor Government. This is not a coincidence on the day before an election,” Mr Hogan said.“This harsh border closure has caused real heartache across our community – people have missed funerals, weddings, medical appointments and many other important events.”“Businesses and our supply chains have also been severely impacted commercially.“I have criticised this border closure since the beginning, as it was never recommended by the Chief Health Officer.”LGAs declared hotspots in Greater Sydney are as follows:BAYSIDEBLACKTOWNBURWOODCAMDENCAMPBELLTOWNCANADA BAYCANTERBURY-BANKSTOWNCUMBERLANDFAIRFIELDGEORGES RIVERHORNSBYHUNTERS HILLINNER WESTKU-RING-GAILANE COVELIVERPOOLMOSMANNORTH SYDNEYNORTHERN BEACHESPARRAMATTAPENRITHRANDWICKRYDESTRATHFIELDSUTHERLAND SHIRESYDNEYTHE HILLS SHIREWAVERLEYWILLOUGHBYWOLLONDILLYWOOLLAHRAUNINCORPORATED (this is Syd Harbour)

Personal trainer Kate Cairnduff has a t-shirt that says ‘Eat the damn brownie’. She doesn’t weigh and measure people and says you shouldn’t have guilt about living your life.Kate does believe that moving your body is one of the most important things you can do to increase your life quality and mental health – and that age and ability levels hold no barriers to being able to find a way to get moving.After ten years working in the fitness industry, Kate has taken the brave step of opening Fitness Manouvers - her own personal training studio on Dawson Street. The grand opening is this Saturday and she invites people to come in, meet her and have cupcake and a chat.Kate said she was inspired to open her own studio after her job working in a gym came to an end earlier this year.“Covid-19 meant I was unemployed,” Kate said. “One morning I found myself at home with a glass of wine in my hand and thought I can’t keep having a pity party.”So, Kate had a ‘Fitness with Kate’ website made and created an online six week training program for her clients for $10 a week. With a strong base of 70 clients on her books already, Kate said opening the new studio value adds to the personal training experience and she is ready to take on some new clients.“My online program had a recording of me talking and coaching my clients, as if I was actually with them doing the exercises,” she said.Kate knows how important it is to have someone to inspire and motivate you.Kate, now 49, says age and bad past experiences of gyms shouldn’t stop you moving.Why don't you exercise?“We need to get past any underlying reasons why you don’t exercise,” she said.“I joined a gym about 11 years ago, to lose weight and get fit and healthy. I met a personal trainer who showed me the magic of exercise - not just the aesthetics, but how it made you feel.“I lost weight and enjoyed the knowledge I gained, so I started a Cert 3 course to learn about personal training. Then a friend gave me a scholarship to do Cert 4 in Lismore and I started working with clients from home, then worked in gyms.Age is an advantage“Now, my business has evolved and I realise that being a bit older in this industry is actually an advantage - there are people just like me, who might be older, or hate going to gyms and haven’t found someone in the industry they connect with.“I’m help to help you. You can come in and train one on one with me and also have the online classes.“My clients are not social media people – they don’t take selfies. I have clients that want privacy and don’t want to go to a gym and what they learn and do with me is about real life.”What do you get?Unlike gyms, there are no memberships – you just need to book a 30 minute appointment for $40 with Kate if you want a personal training session and the best thing is – there will be no one else watching.In the studio, there is an exercise bike, a rowing machine, weights, punching gloves, and a pilates reformer.“I do a lot of stretching with my clients,” Kate said. “The way I train I don’t use a lot of machines.“People who have been injured will get gentle movement – they need to build their foundations up so they can train properly and find a way to move better.“It’s important to educate people and give them control, so they are not co-dependent on a personal trainer to get moving.Strength“I have an 80 year old client with Parkinson’s Disease and we use the TRX equipment and stand up and hold the straps and get the whole body engaged – and get the core strong.“Some ladies come in with a goal, like wanting to learn how to lift weights.“I have a client who is a road bike rider who is training for a competition. Training is about him being able to ride further on the weekends and live his life a little better.“My point of difference is that my training is private. It’s about moving so you feel better and get better mental health – then life will feel lighter. You measure your success when you live your life."Fitness Manouvers is located at 139 Dawson Street and will be open Monday to Thursday, 6am to 6.30pm and Saturday, 8am to 12pm for small group training.The grand opening, drop-in day is on this Saturday, October 31 from 12 to 3pm, so drop-in and say hi. For more information, visit the website http:/www.fitnessmanouvers.com

Last year, pint-sized spooks, witches, ghouls and monsters walked the streets on October 31 – all in search of sweet treats on offer at Halloween friendly households. This year though, things are set to look a little different, as coronavirus restrictions dictate new social distancing and hygiene regulations. So just what can you do on All Hallow’s Eve, as advised by the NSW Government?Providing levels of community transmission remain low and outdoor gathering numbers stay within the 30 person limit, NSW Health said people can participate in a number of ways.Keep it outdoors“Keep Halloween celebrations outdoors and make it a front-yard rather than a front-door event and have hand sanitiser at the front gate,” a NSW Health spokesperson said.“Get creative in decorating the front yard, rather than focusing on well-known 'treat streets'."Provide closed packaging for treats and instead of communal lolly bowls, consider other ways of distributing treats, like strewn along the front fence.”SuperviseFor trick-or-treat outings, a supervising adult is advised to join children from the same household, instead of having groups of children moving about together.Maintaining a 1.5-metre distance between people from different households is recommended and children "should not share costume face masks".If you are self-isolating, don’t answer the door to trick-or-treaters, and don’t go out if you feel unwell.If you wish to avoid people knocking on your door, put up a sign that says “We are home but due to COVID-19, we are distancing. Please take one, Happy Halloween.”Individual sweetsIf you are out trick or treating, only take treats that are individually wrapped, use a disposable bag to collect your treats, and dispose of it appropriately afterwards and don’t share your treats with others from different households.The trick is in the treatHalloween also brings with it advice from dentists, who have advice on ways to be smarter about how people wolf down sugary treats.Australian Dental Association (ADA) President Dr Carmelo Bonanno said people should eat sweets in single sittings rather than repeatedly returning to the pantry throughout the day to grab more.“Grazing on sweet treats is one of the worst habits for teeth,” Dr Bonanno said.Sugar and teeth“This is because every assault of sugar that goes into your mouth feeds bacteria which create acid that dissolve the tooth enamel, exposing the mouth to decay. Doing this repeatedly throughout the day, over a few days or in the week after Halloween, is cumulative.“Smart alternatives to sweet treats are a great option for young mouths, like little games, toys or sports gear.Dr Bonanno said the ADA’s has lots of tooth tips to slash your decay risk this Halloween: * eat your sweet treats at mealtime: the saliva produced to help digest larger quantities of food can also cleanse and buffer mouth pH from acids caused by food and drink;* chocolate wins over candy: dark chocolate has much lower sugar quantities than other chocolates and lollies;* rinse your mouth with water: after eating anything sugary to rinse foods and drinks from the mouth;* consume your Halloween party soft drink with a straw: that way the liquid goes straight to the back of the throat, bypassing teeth;* when shopping for treats: go for treats that aren’t sticky and don’t sit in clumps in back molar teeth - sticky sweets are more difficult to remove and linger longer, increasing tooth decay risk, and* brush teeth twice a day and floss daily: whatever the date!

It’s officially open! Lismore’s new water play area at Heritage Park is ready for big and little kids to explore – and get wet.  The new, upgraded park was officially opened today by Lismore Mayor Isaac Smith, who said last weekend’s ‘soft opening’ of the park saw great feedback from the people who came to visit. See more pictures and read about the park: Waterworks galore! Take a sneak peak at the new Heritage ParkLismore Councillor Neil Marks, MP Janelle Saffin, Mayor Isaac Smith and Councillor Elly Bird officially open the new water play area at Heritage Park.. Now, with all the turf laid, the eagerly awaited water park is ready with squirters, misters and a coconut palm soaker to cool down families during the hot summer months in the Lismore basin. “The train is ready to cart people around the park and the new playground equipment, including a roundabout and trampolines are ready for fun," Mayor Smith said.What do you want to see in the park? Mayor Smith said that the upgrade was just stage one of two. Now, Council wants to hear from the community about what they would like to see in stage two, once grant funding becomes available to Council. “We are looking forward to doing more now and we want to hear from kids about what they would like to see in the park,” he said. “Does the community want shade sails over the Tiny Tots area and upgraded amenities – and what else can you imagine?” Mayor Smith said there are QR codes on signs on the park that people can scan and give their feedback to Council’s website, letting Council know their ideas. Brian the train driver.Train driver Brian the train driver was on hand at the opening to talk about the new improved park train. “I have installed a new carriage in-between the existing two train carriages, so as to adhere to social distancing for Covid,” Brian said. “Ans as you walk in there will be a QR code for you to scan and sign in – we’ve made a few changes.” The operating times for the train are Thursdays 10am to 2pm and Saturdays and Sundays 10.30am to 4pm. Water concerns? Brian also the water play area had a timer and operating hours are currently set to 9am to 6pm – but can operate longer in the hotter summer months. For those concerned about the usage of water, Brian said it while the water play area had eight different release cycles, it doesn’t actually release water all the time. “The water switches off at the end of a cycle and people wanting more water need to press the start button to begin the cycle again,” he said.The Heritage Park upgrade was funded through a $250,000 grant from the NSW Stronger Country Communities Fund and $284,000 from Council raised via pocket park sales and flood insurance money.“You can visit http://www.yoursay.lismore.nsw.gov.au to tell Council what else you would like at Heritage Park.

Finding a conversation about climate change when jobs are becoming scarce in a Covid affected world is a challenge, but one that Lismore Council is keeping alive.Now, the City of Lismore joined with 40 other councils across the country, to become a signatory on a joint statement that commits to finding economic recovery solutions that create jobs and tackle climate change. The mass commitment to a sustainable economic recovery has the aim to support industries and sectors that invest in a zero carbon future, along with driving strong economic recovery for communities hit hard by twin climate and Covid-19 crises.PartnershipLismore Councillor Elly Bird said Lismore City Council has been a member of the partnership since 2017 and it “aligns well” with Council’s local strategic planning statement with its focus on resilience and renewable energy.“We are aiming for a 100% renewable energy target by 2023 – and this also aligns with our plan of biodiversity management,” Cr Bird said. “We have always advocated for action on climate change and this statement shows how local government is well positioned to take a lead on this work as we renew the economy too.“The statement from the combined councils actually represents 11 million Australians who have signed up to implement real change. It’s not just tinkering around the edges.“If we all move forward together in this direction, we can make movement toward climate resilience and a healthier economy as we embrace renewables.Big players“Some of the big players in our area such as Enova Energy have been taking up that space.“Council has already have taken action on this, but still have a lot of work to do in terms of ramping up renewables.”Cr Bird said one of the successful renewable energy projects already implemented by Council was the floating solar farm at the Lismore waste water treatment plant.“We won awards for the delivery of that, including a community engagement award for the community owned model we used to get it off the ground – and for working with and alongside community the community.The joint statement, outlines eight solutions from renewable energy through to sustainable transport that put local governments on a practical, jobs-rich path to future-proof cities, reduce energy costs and create more comfortable homes and workplaces. The full list of 41 signatories to the joint statement are:NEW SOUTH WALES (18 mayors / councillors)Albury City Council, Mayor Kevin MackBellingen Shire Council, Mayor Dominic KingBlue Mountains City Council, Mayor Mark GreenhillByron Shire Council, Mayor Simon RichardsonCentral Coast Council, Mayor, Lisa MatthewsDubbo Regional Council, Deputy Mayor Stephen LawrenceGeorges River Council, Mayor Kevin GreenInner West Council, Mayor Darcy ByrneLane Cove Council, Mayor Pam PalmerLismore City Council, Councillor Elly BirdCity of Newcastle, Lord Mayor Nuatali NelmesParkes Shire Council, Mayor Ken KeithRandwick City Council, Mayor Danny SaidCity of Ryde, Mayor Jerome LaxaleShellharbour City Council, Mayor Marianne SalibaCity of Sydney, Lord Mayor Clover MooreTweed Shire, Mayor Chris CherryWagga Wagga City Council, Mayor Greg ConkeyQUEENSLAND (5 mayors / councillors)Brisbane City Council, Lord Mayor Adrian SchrinnerBundaberg Regional Council, Mayor Jack DempseyCairns Regional Council, Mayor Bob Manning Douglas Shire Council, Councillor Abigail NoliNoosa Shire Council, Councillor Brian StockwellVICTORIA (6 mayors/councillors)City of Ballarat, Deputy Mayor Belinda CoatesBaw Baw Shire Council, Councillor Mikaela PowerMornington Peninsula Shire, Mayor Sam HearnStonnington City Council, Mayor Steven StefanopoulosRural City of Wangaratta, Mayor Dean ReesCity of Yarra, Misha Coleman Mayor SOUTH AUSTRALIA (5 mayors / councillors)City of Adelaide, Lord Mayor Sandy VerschoorAlexandrina Council, Mayor Keith ParkesCity of Charles Sturt, Mayor Angela EvansMount Barker District Council, Ann Ferguson, MayorThe City of Mitcham, Mayor Heather Holmes-RossWESTERN AUSTRALIA (7 mayors / councillors)Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, Councillor Naomi GoddenTown of Bassendean, Mayor Renée McLennanCity of Bayswater, Mayor Dan BullCity of Cockburn, Mayor Logan K HowlettCity of Fremantle, Mayor Brad PettittTown of Victoria Park, Mayor Karen VernonCity of Vincent, Mayor Emma Cole

Lacey Garred is an ordinary, likeable 11 year old girl who attends Wyrallah Road Public School.The extraordinary thing about Lacey is that she donates her hair to the charity Variety so she can help sick, disadvantaged or special needs kids including those children who are losing their hair through chemotherapy and those suffering from alopecia. A cause that is close to Lacey's heart.Wigs cost families up to $6000 and last 1-2 years so to ease the burden on some families fundraising organisations like Variety encourage wonderful people like Lacey to help in any way they can. For Lacey that means getting the chop every few years.In January 2017, when Lacey was seven years old she first had the idea of cutting her hair for charity. Lacey's mother Natasha, from PJ's Fruit and Veg, said she just came out with it, "she must have seen something on tv because she just came to us and said "I want to donate my hair" and we had never mentioned it to her."(Lacey and her mother Natasha from PJ's Fruit and Veg in Lismore Central Shopping Centre)After a bit of research they decided that Variety was the charity they wanted to support.Three years later Lacey decided to once again donate her hair in order to make wigs and raise money for equipment like wheelchairs, mobility aids, communication devices and and education aides, medical items and services and a range of therapy services.At midday today Lacey lost 46cm of her long locks at the hands of local hairdresser Peta from Lazuli Sisters on Molesworth Street. The hair immediately gets maid into plaits and then is bagged and mailed to Variety.Lacey 's goal was $1000 this year, as I write Lacey's total is $694. If you would like to help Lacey help children who are losing their hair through chemotherapy treatment or suffering from alopecia, please use this link to donate https://hairwithheart.variety.org.au/fundraisers/laceygarred/hair-with-heart.To raise more funds for Lacey's cause Wyrallah Road Public School will be hosting a crazy hair and crazy sock day this Friday.

Yesterdays rain is the lead in to the first real seasonal thunderstorms for spring which they will be hitting the Northern Rivers in the next few days thanks to ideal summery conditions.The broad low pressure system that has moved through South Australia last week will continue to shift into the north eastern parts of NSW.Combine this with high humidity and high air moisture content and we have the typical summer thunderstorm pattern that will bring some decent rain.Depending on how lucky or unlucky you are, the range for the rainfall from these coming thunderstorms is more than we have seen through the more stable winter predictions. Today we should get 6 to 15mm, the same range for Monday, Tuesday is 5mm to 15mm while Wednesday is 0 to 10mm.Jake Phillips from the Bureau of Meteorology says the reason for the range is that summer systems are a bit 'hit and miss'."One town can feel the effects of the thunderstorm while not far away, another town will get nothing," Jake said.So, depending on where you live will determine how much rainfall and thunder activity you get in the coming days.It is a good time to clear the gutters and make sure you are prepared for the storm season which as we know will be stronger this year thanks to the La Niña effect.If you do need help, the SES number is 132 500.

Patients in Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) continue to report very high levels of satisfaction with their hospital care, according to the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) 2019Adult Admitted Patient Survey.NNSWLHD Chief Executive Wayne Jones said the report shows that 95 per cent of patients across the District rated their care as either ‘very good’ or ‘good’.If asked by family and friends, more than four out of five patients (81 per cent) said they ‘would speak highly’ of their hospital experience.“Our staff should be really proud of the results in this report, in which the overwhelming majority of respondents have rated both the care, and the individuals providing that care, extremely highly,” Mr Jones said.“One of the most pleasing aspects is the fact that these results build on previous years of consistently good results. This shows that patients in Northern NSW are regularly receiving excellent care, thanks to the expertise and compassionate care of our staff.”On a local level Lismore Base Hospital statistics, although high were slightly down compared to their counterparts in Ballina, Byron Bay and Casino but well above the NSW average.(Nurse Unit Manager Kym Hickey and staff from the F10 Surgical/Orthopaedic Ward. Photo: supplied)Nearly nine out of 10 patients (88 per cent) said emergency department staff were always polite and courteous. Four out of five patients (80 per cent) rated their nurses as ‘very good’ with the NSW average of 75% while doctor satisfaction was 70% (NSW average 67%).The Emergency Department is an area of concern with the amount of people that left the emergency department in under 4 hours was 69% (NSW average 75%), the amount of people who received elective surgery on time was 79% (NSW average was 85%).Three-quarters of patients (75 per cent) said the care they received in hospital was ‘very well organised’, the highest result in NSW.Nearly nine out of 10 patients (89 per cent) said they were ‘always’ treated with respect and dignity, and 95 per cent of respondents said they received the ‘right amount’ of information about their operation or surgical procedure before arrival at hospital.Between mid-2012 and mid-2020 the Northern NSW Local Health District increased its workforce by an additional 1008 full time equivalent staff – an increase of 26.7 per cent including 171 more doctors, 367 more nurses and midwives, and 121 more allied health staff.The 2019–20 budget for Northern NSW Local Health District was $875 million – an increase of $37 million on the previous financial year’s budget.

Images of a mystical otherworld will adorn the walls and plinths of Serpentine Community Gallery tonight at the opening of a new exhibition ‘Otherworldly’.Otherworldly is a group exhibition featuring the works of local artists Dougal Binns, Kane Bowman, John Adams, Julia Lincoln and Inara Kent – whose art depicts mystical and transcendental worlds of an imaginary or spiritual natureAn image of crystals in the afternoon light is one of the featured artworks- by local artist Julia Lincoln. Her work ‘Morning Vision’ is an example of her energy photography in a mixed media form. A Quiet Place by John Adams.Gallery founding member Corinne (Rin) Batt-Rowden said the theme brought together a wide variety of media, including photography, sculpture, paintings and mixed media, but it was “the diversity of artists who contributed which created the depth and breadth of the exhibition”. “Visitors of the gallery are welcome to attend the opening tonight from 6 till 8pm and chat with the artists about their work,” Rin said.“Julia’s energy photography art is for sale and is displayed in a frame, but the buyer can choose the frame which best suits their home.She is always happy to discuss her energy work and what inspires her to create.“Covid safe policies are in place and masks are welcome and hand sanitising is mandatory - as is social distancing."Life size torso by Ray Moller.Rin said Serpentine Gallery is also currently exhibiting a collection of hand built ceramics made by Ray Moller, many of which are on sale. “Ray has been exhibiting work around the globe for the last 20 years,” Rin said. “Ray’s beautiful pieces explore the human figure, spirituality and organic forms. We have sold a lot of his sculptures since we opened 14 years ago. His work is quite popular.” ‘Otherworldly’ opens 6pm, Friday, October 23 and runs until November 16. People are invited to drop by during the gallery’s regular opening hours.The Serpentine Gallery is a local not for profit community run artist initiative located at 17 Bridge Street, North Lismore.You can contact the gallery on 6621 6845 for more information or check them out on Facebook.