Siri Shakti collected gum leaves to decorate her lantern with this week. She’s one of the Lismore residents keen to take part in Lismore’s virtual Lantern Parade this weekend.Covid hasn’t stopped the annual winter celebration of light from going ahead – the festival is instead morphing into a virtual realm.Instead of walking in a community street parade through the CBD this weekend, Siri will put her home-made lantern in the driveway and keep the light shining for all to see. Siri said she bought a lantern making kit from the Lantern Parade organiser Jyliie Jackson at the weekend Farmer’s Market, so she could have fun making her own lantern.“The instructions were easy to follow,” Siri said. “Everything I needed to make it with was included - but I tried to be creative and use natural gum leaves as well as the paper shapes of dragonflies and droplets that came with it.“It was easy and quick to make and the kit even has spare sticks and paper in case you break one.”Quick to make“It only took about an hour and I loved learning the process and the feeling of ownership I got by making it. I feel confident enough to experiment with different frame shapes now. “I’m looking forward to hanging it out for everyone to see on lantern night and encourage everyone to do it.”Community involvementFestival organiser Jyllie Jackson said the event needs the community to get behind the event by making or buying their own lanterns.Not only will they be keeping the community spirit alive, but it will help keep the Lantern Parade workshop paying the rent.Jyllie said it was going to be hard to keep paying the rent on the workshop because Covid had taken away all the gig opportunities volunteers had to make money.Making lanterns“We have been making and selling lanterns for six weeks online and at farmers markets,” Jyllie said. “We’ve sold them all and are busy in the workshop making more pyramids and diamonds lanterns to sell.“We intend to keep selling them in the lead up to November, when hopefully, we can finally hold the Lantern Parade."Later, we’ll start making more complicated ones like bees and fish that we can sell too.”This Thursday, a video collage of lantern images will be launched on the event website, consisting of photos people have sent in of home-made lanterns.Anyone who hasn’t yet bought or made a lantern and sent in a photo can still do so - and it will be included in another community lantern collage.Zoom event Jyllie said registrations open this Thursday for people who want to take part in a live Lantern Parade zoom event on Saturday night. There’s only 100 spots and participants keen to share the lantern love with the community will be sent the link to the zoom event on the night. The zoom event will be recorded, so you can watch it later. “We encourage people to have driveway lantern parties and garden parties and show us what you are doing in the zoom session,“ Jyllie said. Enchanted windowsThis Saturday, you can also expect to see pop-up lanterns scattered throughout the CBD’s gardens and shop windows lit up as part of the festival’s enchanted windows.“There has to be light in the city,” Jyllie said. “Pray for no rain – we don’t want them ruined.“We’ll also have a Facebook party where the lantern fairy takes people on a tour of the enchanted windows.”For information, or to buy a lantern making kit or a pre-made lantern, visit the Lismore Lantern Parade website for details https://www.lismorelanternparade.com.au/virtual-lantern-parade

After a five hour marathon extraordinary council meeting last night there were some big winners and some big losers when the Operational Plan for 2020/21 was finally adopted.All councillors acknowledged that this was not a budget that our community will be happy with and that is where the agreeance ended. There were two distinct camps when discussing and voting for this budget.One camp, which included Councillors Marks, Bird, Ekins, Moorhouse, Cook and Mayor Smith were in favour of passing the Operational Plan to start on July 1 despite the pain it was going to cause because otherwise it would transfer a poor financial position over to another year yet again with the real possibility of an Administrator being appointed to run Lismore City Council.The other camp which includes Councillors Guise, Lloyd, Battista, Casson and Bennett do not want to pass a budget that still has loss making assets such as the quarry, the airport and GSAC with no real solutions in place.General Manager Shelley Oldham saying that councillors were told when she took the job it would take five years to turn these assets around.So, at 11:15pm the Operational Plan for 2020/21 was declared carried by Mayor Isaac Smith.At the start of the meeting the cash deficit was forecast to be $282,000 by the end of the meeting it stands at $458,000.The increase was due to the reinstatement of $180,000 for the management fee to operate NORPA for the next twelve months. NORPA was the biggest winner on the night.NORPA's win was The Quads loss as the $40,000 decrease in budget for a Placemaker Officer position was not approved after an amendment to the budget put forward by councillor Ekins.Another winner was the Tip Voucher scheme. This was amended to include one voucher per household for next year but this will be capped meaning that of the 19,000 households the first 5,000 or so can use the voucher then all vouchers will be stopped. The exact number was not confirmed but will meet budget expectations.While tip vouchers was a winner, the Brewster Street Recycle facility was a loser, it will remain permanently closed while a new venue will be planned for during the year.The Nimbin Walking Trail will go ahead if funding can be found while the Lismore Lake Pool will not be included in the Operational Plan for 2020/21.The Lismore Tourist Information Centre and the Nimbin Tourist Information Centres will close from July 1. What this means for our tourism industry or where visitors coming into town can go to seek information was not made clear. Dr Sharon Harwood Director Partnerships, Planning and Engagements said "there is no money to run any Visitor Information Centres".There is no doubt that this is a tough budget for the people of Lismore and surrounds to swallow as well as for the councillors to pass. There will be job losses and some reduction in services like events at the Quad. We can only hope that this budget is the one that turns around the Lismore City Council's ongoing precarious financial position.Whether you are for or against this council, one point was very clear after last nights budget meeting, this is a council that is deeply divided.Thanks to COVID-19 the local council elections have been postponed for twelve months with a new date set for September 4, 2021.

What started as a scratchy throat for Warren Ainsworth turned into 35 days in Lismore Base Hospital being treated for Covid-19 – much of which he doesn’t remember.Warren had hallucinations and was in a coma in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 14 days of his stay, where he was under the close attention of nursing staff and attending physician Joe Duncan.Today, the Casino resident returned to the hospital’s ICU, along with his wife Julie, to thank the medical staff who cared for him and kept him alive through the fight for his life.Warren said it was only a few days after he returned from an overseas trip to the UK with his wife Julie that he came down with a scratchy throat. He believes he could have caught Covid-19 from London’s Heathrow Airport.“It was before we had the Covid lockdowns,” Warren said, “At Singapore airport, they were wearing masks and taking temperatures, but not at Heathrow.”DeterioratedWarren said it wasn’t until day 14 of displaying symptoms that his condition severely deteriorated.“We made it back on the Wednesday to Casino, then I had the tickle in the throat on Friday,” he said.“I still have the same tickle in my throat.“My family pushed me to get tested, or I wouldn’t have done much about it – and it was on the 14th day I got really crook.“Julie and I both went to the fever clinic on the Saturday and by Monday I got the message I was positive, but Julie was ok.“The clinic straight away wanted to check my temperatures and by the next Friday, I was back at the clinic because my temperature was going off and I had a little bit of diarrhea.“On the Monday, the doctor arrived at my house and I still didn’t feel I was sick.“I asked the doctor ‘how did you pick it up?’ and he said you have the symptoms – then he called the ambulance.DownhillAfter Warren’s initial hospital admission, his attending physician, Joe Duncan said when Warren’s condition deteriorated, "his respiratory rate became high and his oxygen was getting low".“We [the medical team] had a meeting and decided he needed to go to intensive care,” Joe said.Warren said "I stared going downhill and don’t remember even going into the hospital room".Then he spent 14 days in ICU, with 11 days on a ventilator.“I remember waking up really still and thinking ‘what’s going on?’,” he said. “I don’t remember being sick and I was being told I was a very lucky man.“I can’t thank them enough in ICU. Whatever they were doing, it was working.“It took four days to get all the wires off me and everybody thought I was well enough to come downstairs.“I thought I was going to a general ward, but I was going to isolation.”It was there that Warren has physiotherapists work with him until he was able to begin to move again.IsolationWarren said it was hard not being able to hug his loved ones.While he was in ICU, the nurses pushed his bed closer to the glass so he could be closer to his wife when she visited.“My wife could only come to the door,” Warren said. “When the nurses and doctors came into the room, they were in the full protective gear and it was hard to tell who they were.“It was surreal and an awakening for me. It hit me then and I wondered what was happening to my family.“I saw later my son had written a long tear-jerking letter to the hospital – I didn’t even think about the other people involved -my family and what they were going through and the doctors feeding information back to them.”Read the Lismore App’s earlier story and Warren's son's letter: Family sees first hand how Lismore Base Hospital staff treat COVID-19Getting better“As I was getting better, I was wearing my own casual clothes and they started piled up in the room and a nurse said ‘we can’t take them out’," Warren said.“It wasn’t until they were double bagged that my wife was allowed to take them home and wash them.”Since his release from hospital, Warren has been slowly recovering at home with the help of Hospital at Home, where his condition is monitored through phone calls and visits from medical staff.Today, he is in good spirits, smiling and cracking jokes with the hospital staff and says he “can’t thank them enough”.“I don’t have fond memories of being here - the last time I went out of here, I was on a stretcher,” Warren said.“Coming back in today and looking around the room at the staff here, I think ‘thank heavens they are here’.“Now I know I’ve had the virus, I believe I was very lucky that we have the hospital service here and the NSW Health Department.”In the future, warren is looking forward to going up to Brisbane to visit family once the State borders open up on July 10.His message to other people is to get tested early and don’t wait.“Pick where you choose to travel to carefully and get travel insurance,” he said.Warren's attending physician Joe Duncan.New diseaseWarren’s attending physician at Lismore Base was doctor Joe Duncan - and he coordinated Warren’s the care with the other medical staff, including Hospital at Home doctor, Dr Brian Hughes.Joe said deciding on a course of treatment with such a new disease was tricky and doctors needed to make decisions based on what they thought was best for the patient.“With such a new disease, the evidence that’s published and the literature out there is unreliable," he said.“We know this virus causes inflammation in the lungs. It destroys the lungs and it takes a long time for the inflammatory syndrome to settle down.“There’s no treatment for Covid-19, so we just support and make sure there’s enough oxygen and wait for the body to fight the disease off and recover.Long recoveryJo said some people can take a long time to recover from Covid-19.“There’s a great variability in the presentations and how people respond to the virus, from people who don’t have any symptoms at all - to those who have lifelong damage to their lungs and brains,” he said.“We don’t fully understand what the virus does to people. We know it is a full range of things that can affect people lifelong.”Message to young people “Whilst in young people, the severity of the virus is generally less, we have case reports from around the world of people dying of all ages,” Joe said.“It does not exclude young people – they are at risk too and because they have a lot of good years of life left, we don’t want them to get complacent and get a virus where we don’t know how they will respond to it.“It’s a bit of a lotto.“You just need to keep up to date with what’s happening locally and keep socially distancing.“Hopefully, we can beat it.”

Lismore City Council’s Rangers are urging all cat owners to ensure their pets are desexed before July 1 to avoid paying a new annual permit of $80, on top of the one-off lifetime registration fee.Under changes to be brought in by the NSW Government, annual permits for non-desexed cats and restricted and dangerous dogs will be introduced in the new financial year.From 1 July 2020 owners of cats not desexed by four months of age will be required to pay an $80 annual permit in addition to their one-off lifetime pet registration fee.This will create a stronger incentive to desex cats, which in turn will improve their health and wellbeing, including reducing the risk of some cancers.Improving desexing rates will also ease the burden on pounds and shelters, reduce euthanasia rates, and help to address concerns about feral, stray and roaming cats and their effect on wildlife.Exemptions are in place for cats that are registered by 1 July 2020, those kept for breeding purposes by members of recognised breeding bodies, and cats which cannot be de-sexed for medical reasons.From 1 July 2020 owners of dogs of a restricted breed or formally declared to be dangerous will be required to pay a $195 annual permit in addition to their one-off lifetime pet registration fee.This will serve as a further disincentive to owning high-risk dogs and encourage owners to better manage the behaviour of their animal.From 1 July 2020, pet owners will be able to pay for annual permits using the NSW Pet Registry website or through their local council.Anyone registering a cat on the NSW Pet Registry will be informed that they must pay for an $80 annual permit if their animal is not desexed by four months of age.Annual permit fees will go directly to the Companion Animals Fund which pays for companion animal management by local councils including pounds/shelters, ranger services, dog recreation areas, and education and awareness programs.The fund is also used to operate the NSW Pet Registry and carry out responsible pet ownership initiatives.If you require any further information or assistance, please contact the NSW Pet Registry at pets@olg.nsw.gov.au and 1300 134 460.

Tonight's extraordinary Lismore City Council meeting promises to be a long drawn out affair with not one, but two sets of budget numbers to discuss and vote on.The first being the March 2020 Budget Quarterly Review which was postponed from last weeks ordinary meeting so councillors had sufficient time to read and analyse what has happened in the pre-coronavirus period and the second the final adoption of the Operational Plan for the 2020/21 budget following a month on public display through the council's 'Your Say' website.According to the business papers for tonight's meeting, council had 212 public submissions commenting on the Draft Operational Plan.The top three items of concern from the people that commented were:The closure of the Brewster Street recycling facility plus the cancellation of tip vouchers.The proposed budget cuts to The Quad and facilitiesThe withholding of the NORPA management fee.The Lismore City Council is in a precarious financial position and needs to cut services substantially in order to be in a more positive position heading into the 2021/22 financial year.With the proposed cost reduction in the above areas plus others like tourism there are bound to be some very unhappy ratepayers after tonight's meeting.You can view the proceedings of tonight's council meeting via this link Council Meeting which begins at 6pm tonight.

Doing an online yoga or gym class in your lounge room may still be attractive to some, but as the world of fitness opens up in Lismore this week, more people are heading back to gyms, yoga and martial arts studios.The Lismore App had a chat to fitness service operators Summit, GSAC's Switch Fitness, Dynamic Yoga, Lismore Yoga Studio, Mandala Garden Yoga and Kenshinryu Judo to see who’s open and what future looks like under Covid regulations.While restrictions have opened up, gyms and studios are operating under strict distancing guidelines of one person per 4m squared and customers can expect to see a few changes to gym and class layouts.Some yoga studios are encouraging people to bring their own mats and check in first to see if you need to book into class.If you’ve been following exercise classes in their online versions, don’t worry – some studios are continuing to broadcast sessions in a virtual format, so you can choose to get out to the studio in person – or continue to stay at home.Summit Sport and Fitness Centre - GoonellabahSummit owner Matt George said he was excited to open up Summit again this week and would be operating under the guidelines of ten people per class and encouraged people to bring along their own mats if possible.“We will restart people’s memberships which were frozen when the centre closed in March,” Matt said. “If they need more time before restarting, we will be totally flexible with it.“We will also honour the three weeks of swim term membership people missed on in March.“We won’t take on new members for the first 30 days either while we get established again.”Matt said the challenges of operating under Covid regulation meant some practices needed to be modified – such as changing class starting times.“We need a 30 minute cleaning time between classes so we can’t just run classes back to back anymore.,” Matt said. “Cleaning is the new warm down.“We used to run 50 classes a week but have cut down on classes, but still offer Les Mills favourites like Body Pump,” he said.“We’ve set up hygiene sanitisation stations with bacterial wipes and people need to scan in and out when using the gym to facilitate contact tracing later if needed.“Bathroom and gym floors are being cleaned hourly throughout the day."Matt said that under the Covid lockdown, Summit’s online membership welcomed 150 members.“One of the bright point of the lockdown is that we were forced into digital age and we will continue with a hybrid model and offer live or at home classes so people can keep doing it at home.”For information, visit http://summitcentre.com.au/ or Facebook. Switch Fitness - Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre (GSAC)If your membership at GSAC gym was put on hold in March, Kim from GSAC’s Switch Fitness said they restarted as of Monday this week. If you want to wait a little longer to restart, let gym staff know.“Everyone has been excited to get back again,” Kim said. “It was a bit quieter yesterday but it’s a lot busier today."Kim said there’s been a few changes in the gym, and some of the gym equipment has been moved onto different locations to accommodate distancing regulations.“We’ve moved group classes into the stadium space downstairs and have stickers on floor 1.5 metres apart for spacing,” she said.“Last night we held our first RPM class and there was a good number in the class.“There’s more space in the upstairs gym too because we moved the equipment around to create 1.5 metres of space between stations.”Mandala Garden Yoga – 161 Dawson St, LismoreGentle yoga and hatha vinyasa yoga classes with Liina in the Girard’s Hill studio resume next Monday, June 22.Gentle yoga is on Mondays at 5.30pm and hatha vinyasa yoga is on Tuesdays 5.30pm. For information, phone Liina on 0478 155 114.Kundalini yoga classes with Siri in the studio resume on June 17. Classes run Wednesdays 6.30am and 6pm and will continue to be broadcast via zoom link, as well as holding live group sessions.To book your spot, or for information about weekly classes and monthly sound baths, phone Siri Shakti on 0431 094 483.For information, visit the website https://mandalagardenyogaandwellness.business.site/ or Facebook sitehttps://www.facebook.com/MandalaGardenYogaWellness/Lismore Yoga Studio – 142 Keen Street, LismoreIyengar yoga classes with Julie Hodges resume this week also with a limited timetable, with online zoom classes continuing for a while longer.For information, phone Julie on 0417 464 308 or visit https://lismoreyogastudio.com.au/Yoga and Martial Arts - Inner Light Centre (Apollo Centre), 131 Keen Street, Lismore     Dynamic Yoga classes with Christina Sharman resume Tuesday, June 16. Classes run Tuesdays at 6pm and Saturdays at 9am.Martial Arts Kenshinryu Jodo classes resumed this week and run on Mondays 6.30-8.30pm.Instructor Jonathan Smith said the practice presents an opportunity to learn a traditional martial art of Shinto Muso Ryu (SMR) which improves posture, focus and coordination.If you’re interested, book a spot by phoning 0411 105 718 or visit the website www.kenshin.com.auSnap Fitness – Lismore Square Snap Fitness 24 hour gym has also opened its doors this week.

WANTED: Stanley James KNIGHTPolice are seeking community assistance in locating 23 year old Stanley Knight who is currently wanted on 2 warrants.Stanley Knight is known to frequent the Nimbin area.Anyone with information relating to Stanley Knight's current whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

There has been an increased amount of people wanting to comment on some of the recent news stories on the Lismore App.While we have had discussions about introducing a Letters To The Editor option for our readers, this increase in interest makes it a reality. You will find these Letters in the News/Sport button on the main page, then push on the Blogs/Letters tab near the top and look for LETTERS.Our first Letter comes from Col Baker who writes about those people complaining about the increase in plane noise around Lismore LETTERS: Col Baker writes about plane noise over Lismore.If you wish to write a letter to the editor, you can do so by emailing liina@lismoreapp.com.au or by using the 'Contact Us' button at the bottom of the Lismore App by using the drop down options.You will read the Letters To The Editor over the weekend.

Make the most of the sunshine in the next couple of days because the rain is due to return from Wednesday.Last week Lismore saw 52mm's hit the gauges with 12mm falling yesterday.We do have some sunshine today, tomorrow and Wednesday but from Wednesday afternoon the rain clouds will return for the rest of the week.The heaviest rainfall will be on Thursday with 8-10mm's then the shower activity should ease off to 2-3mm for Friday and into the weekend according to Alex Majchrowski from the Bureau of Meteorology.However, in a similar pattern to last week, Sunday will see the next front pass through the Northern Rivers in the afternoon or evening bringing another 5-10mm's with it then easing on Monday.

IDENTITY SOUGHT: GoonellabahPolice are investigating an incident which occurred in Goonellabah on Sunday 10th of May and believe this person may be able to assist with inquiries.Anyone with information regarding this person's identity is urged to contact Lismore Police Station on 6626 0599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Please quote Police event number E74763964.

This weekend is the Winter Solstice, Sunday June 21 at 7:43am to be exact, the shortest day of the year for us in the Southern Hemisphere.Normally at this time, everyone in the community is extremely excited about the Lismore Lantern Parade. Twenty five thousand people lining the streets of the CBD to watch an incredible display of life sized and over sized characters lit up like a Christmas tree and culminating in an extraordinary firework/bon-fire event.Normal has not been a word associated with 2020 so far with COVID-19 putting an end to the Lismore Lantern Parade display and other events this year, but don't despair there are ways we can still bring the Lismore Lantern Parade to life.The Virtual Lismore Lantern parade is where families can decorate an old or new lantern then display that lantern at the front of your garden, front doorstep, balcony or window this Saturday night. Jyllie Jackson and her team will have a 'Zoom' Parade this weekend (more details to come) plus a photo montage of households that have already decorated their lanterns and uploaded a photo. You can do this through your social media account with #lightntheheart tag (make sure your pic is public) or email the picture to festival@lanternparade.com.Lanterns are still available for purchase this Wednesday and Thursday (and ongoing) and cost only $15 from the Lantern Parade building at 289 Keen Street, Lismore. It is best to call Jyllie on 0412 732 102 prior to arriving.While this is happening, another layer this year is the Enchanted Windows display in the CBD. An initiative sponsored by the Lismore City Council.A lot of businesses have been hard at work decorating their own lanterns and building a shop front display. This will make a fantastic walk-around for the family over the next two weeks with the display on now until Sunday June 28. The full map and participating businesses are listed below.If you haven't grabbed the Lantern Parade spirit, now is the time. Let's make the Virtual Lantern Parade and the Enchanted Windows display a huge success in what has been a tough year.There will be more details to add as the week progresses.

Art lovers can breathe a sigh of relief because Lismore Regional Gallery is re-opening next Wednesday, June 17, with two new exhibitions in the galleries. There’s no timed ticketing – yet – but visitor numbers will be restricted and you will have to sign in when you visit.The gallery’s new opening hours are: Wednesday and Friday 10am-4pm, Thursday 10am-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am-2pm, Monday and Tuesday – it is closed.Some of the gallery’s programs, such as Peggy Popart and Thursday Night Live will continue in the online space for the time being. New guidelines for visitors To control the numbers of visitors into the building, the Rural Street entrance will be closed. If you do need to use this entry for access needs, let them know before, or when you arrive.Visitors will be counted as they enter the building, to ensure numbers do not exceed the maximum capacity.If you are displaying flu-like symptoms, please do not visit until you are better.The NSW Department of Health requests that all visitors into the building provide a name and contact details for the purposes of contact tracing. This information will not be used for any other purpose, and will be destroyed after 28 days.There will be restrictions to the number of people in each gallery space, and directional movement. Please follow all signage.There will be no group tours in the first two weeks of opening, but these may be reintroduced to a maximum of 10 visitors after reviewing our systems.Cleaning will be increased, including hourly cleaning of high touch points such as hand railings etc.Opening exhibitionsCONTROL. ABUSE. KILL. She’ll Be Right, Mate by Paulette Hayes June 17 until August 23 in Gallery 3CONTROL. ABUSE. KILL. She’ll Be Right, Mate, is the result of years of experience, thought and art-making about women. The exhibition honours the women who were murdered in Australia in 2013. Using data from Counting Dead Women (an awareness campaign which researches, records and publishes every reported femicide in Australia), the artist invites the viewer to confront what cannot be said and brings light to heal the wounds around what has been kept secret.WARNING: This exhibition refers to the women who were murdered in 2013 and these women may be known personally to you. Additionally, sounds in the exhibition may be ‘triggers’ although no explicit images are used. All care is taken and respect shown – if this exhibition raises concern for you please reach out and speak to someone. Consider contacting 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), MensLine Australia (1300 789 978) or Lifeline (13 11 14).Dissonant Rhythms by Paul ManningJune 17 until August 16 in Galleries 1 and 2Dissonant Rhythms is Brisbane-based artist and musician Ross Manning’s first-ever survey exhibition. Best known for his use of everyday materials, Manning’s exhibition features sculptures that repurpose ceiling fans, fluorescent tubes, and overhead projectors. Propelled by electricity and their own kinetic forces, Manning’s work engulfs the entirety of the spaces they exist in, capturing viewers in mesmerising experiences with light and sound.Spanning the past decade of Manning’s practice, Dissonant Rhythms was originally presented at the Institute of Modern Art (IMA) and has now been reconfigured to tour across Australia.It is curated by Aileen Burns, Johan Lundh, and Madeleine King.For more information, visit https://lismoregallery.org/cp_themes/default/home.asp

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian today announced that there will a major relaxation of restrictions from July 1 that will be cheered loudly by restaurant and pub owners and committees overseeing local sport.The keys points are:The 50-person limit on indoor venues will be lifted next monthOutdoor venues of up to 40,000 capacity will be able to fill up to 25 per centAnnouncing the state would implement the next stage of its reopening plan, Berejiklian said today the state would enforce a four square metre rule at venues, meaning the number of patrons would only be limited by the size of indoor venues.“From 1 July, I am very pleased to say that the four square metre rule will apply to all indoor venues,” the NSW Premier said in a press conference this morning.“That all venues which currently have upper limit restrictions will have no restrictions as long as those businesses comply to strict social distancing guidelines and the checklist that has been outlined through Service New South Wales."Berejiklian said that the only restriction was that all people have to be seated.“We know from overseas experience that it is when people mingle unintentionally or when there are certain activities where the virus spreads, all the activity in the hospitality venues needs to continue to be seated to make sure everybody is safe,” she said.The state will also allow outdoor cultural and sporting venues with capacity of up to 40,000 people to seat 25 per cent of their normal capacity, paving the way for crowds to return to ticketed events such as football with physical distancing.The relaxation on numbers at outdoor venues, flagged by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday, will be great news for all local sporting codes.Funerals, as of today, can take place without limits on numbers, but must adhere to the four square metres rule,Weddings are among the events that can go ahead from July 1 under the four square metre rule, but restrictions, such as a ban on dance floors, still apply.

Two of Lismore's roundabouts will be closed for overnight maintenance work next week, affecting traffic on Dawson Street, Wyrallah Road and the Bruxner Highway. Transport NSW said work on the roundabout at the intersection of Uralba Street and the Lismore-Bangalow Road (Dawson Street) will be carried out between 7pm and 11pm on Monday 15 June. Work on the roundabout at the intersection of the Bruxner Highway and Wyrallah Road will be carried out between 11pm Monday 15 June and 6am Tuesday 16 June, weather permitting. A detour for the Bruxner Highway is available for light vehicles via Dawson, Magellan and Brewster streets for those travelling east and via Brewster, Magellan and Dawson streets for those travelling west.No detour is available for B doubles while work is being carried out and drivers are advised to plan their trips accordingly. The work will provide safer and longer-lasting roundabouts. Traffic control and a reduced speed limit will be in place for the safety of workers and motorists. Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions, and follow the directions of signs and traffic control. Transport for NSW thanks motorists for their patience during this time. For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

WANTED ON WARRANT: Matthew IVAN.Police are seeking community assistance in locating 28yo Matthew IVAN, wanted on 2 x Prison Warrants.Mr Ivan is known to frequent Lismore, Ballina and Byron Bay areas.Anyone with information regarding Mr Ivan's current whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

Lismore City Council has begun the tender process for a new storage facility and clubhouse refurbishment at Albert Park, on Keen Street, Lismore.The Albert Park complex is home to the sports of baseball and softball and has hosted numerous national events and training camps. The complex is unique in regional Australia in that it comprises four full-sized enclosed fields, two of which are under lights.Council is inviting submissions from appropriately qualified and experienced tenderers to provide a new storage facility and the clubhouse refurbishment at Albert Park.The contract is for the duration of the construction.Tender submissions close at 2pm Tuesday 7 July.A mandatory pre-tender meeting will be held at the Albert Park site at 10:00am on Wednesday, 17 June.Interested parties are required to register at Council's eProcurement portal to access relevant documents: https://www.tenderlink.com/lismore/?&tenderer=2744.193&downloadauthorisation=2659.650808Submissions may also be lodged at this site in the electronic tender box. All tender schedules must be completed for submission of a conforming tender.You can also call the Tenderlink helpdesk for information on 1800 233 533.

"We weren't expecting this large a turn out to be honest", these were the words from co-owner Adam Bailey at the grand opening of Northern Rivers Collectables this morning not soon after the doors were open. Their were a few people lined out of the door for social distancing regulations and plenty of people walking out with a purchase under their arms with quite a few taking a look at the vintage cars, motor bikes and Nathan Hearne's muscle car that are parked at the side of the building.Adam told the Lismore App they want to run a community event once a month with food, entertainment and something similar to the vintage cars and hopefully hold a weekly car boot market every Saturday."The whole idea was to get Lismore pumping again", Adam said, "it is such a sad place at the moment after the flood, bushfires and COVID. This is what Lismore is all about, we are a social group"."Having this is good for the town. I've got goosebumps from the amount of people that have turned up today, it's exciting".Five different antique, collectable and oldware shops are within the emporium so there is plenty of different items for sale.You are not too late to get down and enjoy the festivities with the store closing at 4pm. You will find Northern Rivers Collectables at 126 Woodlark Street, opposite Instyle Sleepcentre.Co-owner Al Branch will greet you at the door.

It happens every year at this time as we head closer to Tax time, scammers start to use the thrill of receiving money from your tax return to target people.The Richmond District Police revealed this scam is back for 2020.Watch out for scammers impersonating myGov, claiming they've made adjustments to your tax return and you're eligible for a refund. If you get an email like this DO NOT click any links or provide your personal details. If unsure, contact the ATO directly.Report scam activity to Scamwatch via www.scamwatch.gov.au

We have had more announcements from the State Government to do with further easing of COVID-19 restrictions for this weekend.If you haven't heard, from tomorrow Saturday June 13 households can now have 20 people inside and outside of their homes. That means the dinner party is back, birthday parties are back and barbecues are back.Fitness, gyms, pilates, yoga and dance studios can re-open with up to 10 people per class and 100 people in an indoor venue (providing the 4 square metre rule is met). Sauna's can re-open with restricted numbers and tattoo parlours can also re-open with up to 10 clients.Food Courts are allowed to get the chairs back on the floor and around tables again.So, while there is not a whole to do from an entertainment point of view we can socialise with family and friends.The Queen's Birthday long weekend was a success for tourism with a 185% in cabin occupancy while powered sites were up 300% from May 25th. It appears that we really want to get out of the house, travel and see the world, or State at this stage, again. A reminder that bookings are essential before you arrive at any destination including camp grounds.If you are travelling and need to fill up United on Ballina Road (cnr Keen Street) has the cheapest unleaded E10 again with 112.9 but the gap is closer to other stations now sitting at 114.9 or 115.9 and Nimbin 117.9.This weekend is looking wet, especially Sunday. Saturday should see about 2-5mm's with a patches of sun while Sunday we can expect 20-35 mm's. The BOM has said there is the chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon.It may be best to get in early to the Lismore Farmers Markets tomorrow morning from 8:30 with the pending rain. Fire pits, hand sanitiser and garden products like compost on sale.The Blue Knob Markets welcomed back craft stalls last weekend adding more dimension to the farmers products as well as another step towards normalcy.Bush walking is another option for your weekend with Minyon Falls, Protester Falls and Big Scrub Walks. Rocky Creek Dam, Mount Matheson Loop and Pholis Gap remained closed.This is not for this weekend but the Lismore Regional Art Gallery will re-open its doors next Wednesday June 17 with reduced hours, 10am to 2pm. Open days will be Wednesday to Sunday.Finally, some funnies for your Friday.The first is a NZ Government commercial about teaching young Kiwis about sex through watching porn. It is worth the effort, just push on the link below.https://www.facebook.com/106008107793243/posts/119505469776840/?vh=e&d=n