This weekend's weather is a mixed bag, with shower or two for Saturday and a partly cloudy Sunday.The maximum temperatures will be rising with 21 and 23 degrees respectively, as they head towards a warm 27/28 degrees for Tuesday and Wednesday.We will still feel the early morning cold, with 7/8 degrees; however, this will also start to rise early next week.Conditions will be perfect for the finals sporting action around Lismore this weekend.Netball finals are on at the Marie Mackney Courts on Ballina Road. Football Far North Coast Men's and Women's Premier League Grand Finals will be played at Oakes Oval, with South Lismore taking on Byron Bay in the Men's on Saturday night from 6:15pm and the Women's on Sunday afternoon from 12:15.In the NRRRL Grand Final, the Marist Brothers Rams play their first GF in 21 years at Crozier Field on Sunday from 3:15pm when they take on Murwillumbah. Two other local teams will also play in a Grand Final; the Marist Brothers Rams Ladies League Tag and the Northern United Women's Tackle Team.Good luck to all the local Lismore teams.The Jiggi Spring Fair is on at the Jiggi Hall tomorrow (Saturday) from 11am until late.Get along for a day of arts & crafts, a white elephant stall, heritage display, flowers & produce, raffles & auctions, music & open mic, food & drinks, including a bar and loads more.For those looking to extend their fitness following the Darrel Chapman Fun Run two weeks ago, the Alstonville Wollongbar Fun Run is on Sunday morning from 7am starting at the Alstonville High School. There are multiple options, depending on your fitness; 10km, 5km, 3km and a 1km junior dash.A Community Hub will be held with market stalls at the same time.MARKETSThe Lismore Farmers Markets swing into action from 7:30am tomorrow morning (Saturday) with fresh fruit & vegetables, flowers, seedlings, coffee/tea and breakfast and live music from John Trapp.The Channon Craft Markets is a nice way to spend part of your Sunday at Coronation Park. You can wander through the stalls, enjoy live music, and treat yourself to delicious food while supporting our incredible local makers, bakers, and growers until 3pm.ARTThe Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali exhibition …we weave together, has its official opening tomorrow at the Lismore Regional Gallery.In this exhibition, nine ancestral woven objects held in the Australian Museum collection will return to Country for Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali ...we weave together. These historic pieces stand alongside ten newly commissioned works by contemporary Bundjalung, Yaegl, Gumbaynggirr, and Kamilaroi (Gamilaroi) artists, who have drawn from their great-grandmothers’ wisdom to breathe new life into ancient weaving traditions. Featuring Bindimu, Casino Wake Up Time, Janelle Duncan, Madeleine Grace, Lauren Jarrett, Tania Marlowe, Bianca Monaghan, Krystal Randall, Rhoda Roberts AO, Kyra Togo and Margaret Torrens. (Continuous Persistence, Rhoda Roberts AO, credit Chloe Van Dorp)Curated by Kylie Caldwell. This touring exhibition is an Arts Northern Rivers project, in partnership with Grafton Regional Gallery and presented by Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, and Lismore Regional Gallery.The Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali exhibition will run until November 9, 2025.COMING UPNimbin Show - Saturday and Sunday, September 20 & 212025 Lismore Workers Club Lismore Cup - Friday, September 26, from 12 noonDaylight Saving Time starts Sunday, October 42025 Lismore Show Thursday, October 16LIVE MUSICThe Northern Rivers Hotel in North Lismore has Fox Hat on stage from 7pm on Saturday night.Next Wednesday at the Lismore Heights Sports Club David Mitchell has some stand-up comedy between 11am and 1:30pm. $35 gives you a laugh and lunch.There are two major nights coming up at the Lismore Workers Club in September and October:Oh What A Night! - A musical tribute to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons: September 20 at 8pmThe Flying Forties - Penny Pavlakis, Greg Gould and friends celebrate the music of Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole and more with their 9-piece big band: October 4 at 8pm.CHEAPEST FUEL PRICESLismore saw a small increase in fuel prices this week. As usual, Ballina is still the cheapest town to fill the tank over the weekend, especially if you are there after 8pm, when prices tend to drop another 10 cents a litre.Here is the list of the cheapest service stations, saving you the most money in each town:E10 is 176.9 at the EG on Diadem Street near Lismore Square and Coles Express on Dawson Street, 172.3 at The United on Johnston Street in Casino, and 165.5 at the Mobil and The Metro on River Street, Ballina.Unleaded 91 is 174.9 at the Astron on Ballina Road, 174.3 at The United on Johnston Street in Casino, and 167.5 at the Metro and the Mobil on River Street, Ballina.U95 is 184.5 at Brad's Independent on Terania Street, North Lismore, 198.9 at the EG Ampol on Canterbury Street, and 179.5 at The Metro on River Street, Ballina.U98 is 194.9 at the Astron on Ballina Road, 194.9 at the two Independents on Hare and Centre Street in Casino, and 187.5 at The Metro on River Street in Ballina.Diesel is 180.9 at the Astron on Ballina Road in Lismore, 181.9 at The United and the Casino Roadhouse on Johnston Street, and the two Liberty's on Hare and Centre Street in Casino, and 185.9 at the EG Ampol at 44 Pacific Hwy in Ballina.Have a great weekend!Now, have a laugh with the Friday Funnies.....

Dementia is now the leading cause of death for Australians, according to the latest update of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) Dementia in Australia report.  The update, which was released today, also found that without a significant intervention, the number of Australians living with dementia will exceed 1 million by 2065. Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said the report, released in the lead-up to Dementia Action Week (15-21 September), reveals the enormous impact dementia has on Australian families. “These figures highlight just how many families are impacted by dementia across Australia. Most of us know someone who is or has been impacted by dementia,” Professor Buchanan said. “People affected by dementia often tell us that friends and family drift away after a diagnosis, because they are unsure of how to interact.   “That’s why the theme for this year’s Dementia Action Week – which starts on Monday 15 September - is ‘Nobody can do it alone’. We are challenging Australians to reconnect with someone impacted by dementia to help combat the high levels of social isolation many experience.” Dementia Australia Dementia Advocate Lil Mirtl, who lives with dementia, said the report highlighted how important it was to act now to provide the support and services for people living with dementia.   “We don’t have time to feel uncomfortable or awkward about these conversations about dementia – we need to have them now.” “We have to pull together as a community to do this. We can’t do it alone as individuals, the government can’t do it alone, we need to all act together.” The update to the Dementia in Australia report also revealed that 43 per cent of the dementia burden in Australia can be attributed to six modifiable risk factors: being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure in midlife, smoking and impaired kidney function. "With dementia now the leading cause of death for Australians it is more pressing than ever that the federal government commit to funding a national conversation on dementia to raise awareness and promote brain health at all ages,” Professor Buchanan said. “By taking a comprehensive approach to addressing dementia, we can reduce the impact of dementia into the future. With aged care across the country already under pressure, and the number of people living with dementia expected to exceed 1 million by 2065, we simply cannot afford to wait. We call on the government to take decisive action. People living with dementia, their families and carers are depending on us to do this right, and to do it now.” Visit dementia.org.au/dementiaactionweek to access a range of resources and information to support Australians to reconnect with someone impacted by dementia.  

Most of this weekend, Lismore will be outdoors barracking for their favourite sporting team as Finals Fever reaches its peak for the 2025 winter sports season.The Lismore netball courts on Ballina Road will be full as the finals continue. The Football Far North Coast Men's Premier League Grand Final is at Oakes Oval on Saturday between arch rivals Byron Bay and the South Lismore Celtics, with kick-off at 6:15pm. The Women's Premier League Grand Final will be played on Sunday (September 14) at Oakes Oval from 12:15pm between Pottsville Beach and Lennox Head.In the NRRRL, the Marist Brothers Rams' first Grand Final in 21 years is prompting local businesses to show their support, with Grand Final signs appearing in many windows or out the front of their premises.JJC in South Lismore, Scoops & Candy on Keen Street, MT&T Tyres on Woodlark Street and La Barraca on Zadoc Street are just a few that are displaying support for the blue and gold in this Sunday's Grand Final match against Cudgen at Crozier Field.Rams coach Darryl Butcher told the Lismore App that the home ground advantage is a huge plus for the players."Huge, huge, it's so big. We're so excited to be here. It's a great field. We love playing here. There were rumours going around that they were trying to move us to Oakes, but we just wanted to be here on Crozier. We've played all of our footy here. There's been some big games around the area on Oakes, but Crozier is what we call home, so why would we abandon it in our biggest game?"We want to be here, and we want to see the hill and the stands and everywhere full and plenty of blue shirts around. We're excited. It's really good just standing here right now, like it's exciting just to picture what this place will be like on Sunday. I'm really excited for the town and our families to get behind us."Darryl said he was proud of the season his players and coaching panel have put together so far."It's been a bit of a three-year journey with the boys; we've built every year. There's a lot of the same lads that have been there since the start of the last three years, and obviously, we've added some key blokes around them, and we've been kicking goals.The Rams are in that sweet spot for a rugby club, with a good balance of older, more experienced players and some strong youth who come through the junior ranks.(The forwards going through their paces in training on Tuesday night at Crozier Field)"A lot of the guys in there are all about 20 years old now, a lot of the young ones that have come through from the juniors, so there's a lot of youth, and then there's some senior guys in there too. There's at least one with his last game, I'd say, and maybe a couple others.Darryl confirmed that Mitch Krause is the player who will call an end to his playing career in the blue and gold on Sunday. Mitch is co-captain with another Rams stalwart, Paul O'Neil Jr. Both would dearly love to hold the NRRRL trophy in front of a large Crozier Field crowd at 5pm on Sunday afternoon."Mitch wanted to hang up his boots last year, but we won him over, got him back in for one more go. He's happy he played this year.(Mitch Krause scoring in the corner for the Rams on Saturday against Bilambil)Mitch's dad, David Krause, won a few premierships with the Marist Brothers Rams, the last in 2003."I spoke with DK today, he was willing to give a few away so we could get one on the weekend. He said he'd give anything to see Mitch, get one this weekend, but you don't always get what you want. But we'll be working hard for it."The good news for Rams supporters is that all players pulled up well from last Saturday's win over Bilambil."I think everyone's fresh, everyone's good to go, everyone's recovered pretty well. We've actually come out better this week than we were a week ago from training. So that's exciting. That's good."This is the first time the Marist Brothers Rams have played in the NRRRL Grand Final. Back in 2003 and 2004, and earlier, the division was split into groups, with the power teams from the north, like Bilambil, Cudgen, Tweed Heads and Murwillumbah playing in Group 18. The only time the two groups (1 and 18) would play each other was in representative games.This makes this Sunday's Grand Final a little sweeter for the first-grade team.Kick-off is 3:15 this Sunday at Crozier Field. Three of the five Grand Final games to be played feature local teams as the Marist Brothers Rams League Tag get the day underway at 9:30am, the Northern United Dirawongs Women's tackle team play Bilambil at 11:50am, and the first-grade team at 3:15pm. In between will be the U18s, Bilambil versus Mullumbimby, and the Reserve Grade at 1:20pm when another Bilambil team takes on Byron Bay.If you only go to one rugby league game this year, make it to Crozier Field this Sunday.

The Lismore App has reported the poor performance of the Lismore Base Hospital's (LBH) Emergency Department for the last two years following the release of the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) latest quarterly statistics.Each release would see LBH's critical benchmark data fall, and when compared to other Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) hospitals, it would consistently sit at the bottom. It was also consistently below the NSW state average.We can happily report that this quarter, there has been a turnaround for the LBH Emergency Department (ED). One of the key areas, Starting ED Treatment on Time, had dropped to 52%; however, this week it had risen to 65.2%, an improvement of 13.2%.It appears as though the plans put in place by NNSWLHD CEO Tracey Maisey and her team last year are paying dividends.It was in September 2024 when we asked Ms Maisey what was being done to turn the hospital's fortunes around. Twelve months later, the Lismore App had another conversation to discover what mechanisms had been put in place and whether they are sustainable."We have groups of clinicians focused on different parts of our flow system, and there's been phenomenal engagement from the teams, medical nursing, allied health, admin, management, they've all been very strongly engaged. This time last year was the beginning of the process, and then we put some things in place, which I'll talk about in a second, and then embedded them over the summer, autumn periods."We've just had another go at putting a new cycle of improvement initiatives in in the last two weeks. We've seen transfer of care results, which is the time it takes to move a patient from an ambulance into an ED, make material improvements, our step change and improvement, and it's all because we have our staff willing and really keen to make improvements to the system that they work in. We've empowered them to do that."We've given them permission, for want of a better description, and it sounds a bit old-fashioned, but we just get on with it. You guys, you know what you're doing. This is your business. You're the experts in this. What can we do to support you? And it's very pleasing."The treatment On Time result was exceptional. Lismore is still a very busy hospital, and we have permanently opened some more beds. But that's not the reason for this. This is all about clinical engagement."To get a clearer understanding of the new patient flow system, we asked Ms Maisey to drill down on the details."We've had some expertise, international expertise. Dr Ian Sturgess, who's a renowned patient flow clinician and geriatrician, has been providing us with some clinical advice and support around our patient flow processes. He's made two visits now to Lismore, and we've created some small clinically led working groups focused on those areas that we most want to improve on. I'll give you some examples."We're really focused on enabling our patients who are clinically suitable to be cared for in their home virtually. It's called Hospital in the Home Service, and so there's been a big focus on that, looking at early intervention around frailty assessment. As you'd appreciate, the average age of our patients is in the older age groups, and so ensuring that we've got really comprehensive frailty assessments early on in their journey, and then education about how to stay safe in the ward and the ED and when they go home. That's the support of the allied health teams; it is pretty critical."We've been looking at the different flow patterns, so different patient groups have estimated lengths of stay that vary. We have an acute assessment unit for those people who just need some more observation. The clinicians aren't sure about sending them home. They want to run a few more diagnostics. That runs in our short-stay unit."And then we have those patients who are admitted for what we call short stay, three to five days. They need stabilising, or they need some medication, or they just need more clinical intervention."The third group are what I would describe as complex elderly, long stay patients that have social needs. They may be waiting for a discharge to a residential aged care facility, or they have behavioural complexities around treatment."I read a statistic the other day that 50% of the patients in residential aged care facilities in northern New South Wales have some level of dementia diagnosis, and yet we don't have anywhere in northern New South Wales for what's called memory-assisted beds. So, we don't have any dementia beds, specialist dementia beds. We've been talking through the Ministry of Health to the Commonwealth Government about that, because, as you'd appreciate, in order to admit people, we need free beds. We need to have beds for those patients to go into."When we have patients in our wards that are better elsewhere, this isn't the right care environment for them, and a busy medical ward with somebody with complex behavioural challenges who can easily get confused, and they acquire different complications. Hospital-acquired delirium or dementia would be one of those. And so we want the person to be in the right place for them, and quite often, once they're medically stable, a medical ward is not the right place for them."Over winter, we did open as a pilot, a ward in Byron for patients who are waiting for residential aged care placement, who aren't medically complex. They're just needing to go somewhere else. That seems to have been successful."We have been putting a lot of focus on what's called the Enhanced Care Program, which is a district-wide program that is working with those patients who require that additional support. It tends to be behavioural support, or it's called diversional therapy, so, to calm them, to make sure that they're feeling socially connected, that they have activity so they don't become aggressive, because we do have some of these patients, unfortunately, part of their condition is they can become aggressive, and obviously we want to keep them in a calm environment."So that pilot was trialled on one of the wards in Lismore, and that's been highly successful, and the executive yesterday approved for that program to roll out across the district. This isn't a one solution that's going to fix all of this. There's a whole lot of things that we need to do to continue to improve our performance, but we've had really good feedback from our patients.Twelve months ago, Ms Maisey spoke about people staying in our hospital system for 20+ or even 28+ days. Has that number been reduced?"Unfortunately, when I looked a couple of weeks ago, we had 104 patients across the district, not Lismore, across the district, that were medically cleared for discharge, that were waiting either for a residential aged care bed or an NDIS package. That's 104 patients, which is three wards of beds with patients that are not in the right place for them."Having some of those patients cohorted in Byron has absolutely made a difference, because we've also been able to centralise some of that expertise and specialist resource, and so they are moving through our processes faster. But most importantly, the environment is calm, and they're receiving sort of far more dedicated care than they would on a busy medical acute ward. It's not that those staff don't want to, but they're there for medical reasons, not necessarily social reasons. So, the right environment for them, and it's better for the staff, better for the patients, better for their families."This pilot has worked in Byron because of the spare available ward. The other seven NNSWLHD hospitals don't have a spare ward, so the Enhanced Care Program cannot be rolled out beyond Byron Bay Hospital unless resourcing and funding can be sourced or the patient flow improvements turn up further opportunities.As for the long-term success of the improved patient flow process, is Ms Maisey confident that the J-curve has started the upward trajectory?"I really hope so. The clinicians are very keen and very focused on improvement, and that's why it will be successful; they want to do it, and they're determined to do it. So I'm pretty hopeful."I would like to say that if we could get a few more memory-assisted beds in our community, I think that would make a difference overnight. If we could have those patients in the right place, we would have more beds. We would be able to admit people quicker, they would move through our system faster, but, actually, more importantly, they would be in the right place at a certain time. So, that's something I can't influence. That's a Commonwealth funding matter."It will be incremental gains, but for now, we're pretty pleased with where we were at the moment.""I did just want to take the opportunity to say thank you to our amazing staff, who really, every day, go above and beyond caring for our community and continuing to look for ways to enhance the care."LBH BHI SUMMARY LISMORE BASE HOSPITAL had 10,058 ED attendances during the quarter, with 2,974 patients arriving by ambulance (up 1.6 per cent or 48 arrivals).Of all ED attendances, 65.2 per cent of patients started their ED treatment on time, an improvement of 13.2 percentage points (was 52%) on the same time last year and above the average (58.7 per cent) for NSW hospitals of a similar size or NSW 65.7%Of those patients treated in the ED who did not require admission or transfer to another hospital, 71.1 per cent were discharged within four hours of arriving, again above the result for peer hospitals (61.4 per cent). In numerical terms, that was 3 hours 35 minutes, now it is down to 2 hours 50 minutes. The new Tweed hospital leads the way with 2hours and 8minutes)Patients transferred from paramedics to ED staff within 30 minutes was down 1.5%, 58.8% to 57.3%. Tweed is 79.9%.Planned surgery remained relatively stable compared with the same quarter last year, with 1,529 surgeries performed during the quarter.

Lismore's Social Futures won two of the seven awards presented at the 2025 Resilient Australia Awards. Social Futures won the Resilient Australia Community Award for delivering a pioneering model of disaster recovery to help people recover from natural disasters by building resilience through empowerment.Every year, Australians face devastating impacts from disasters and emergencies. The NSW category of the Resilient Australia Awards is an opportunity to celebrate initiatives that are making communities safer, more connected and better prepared.As the state convenor of the awards, the NSW Reconstruction Authority has brought together a judging panel made up of experts in disaster resilience.Following yesterday’s ceremony at NSW Parliament, NSW winners will go on to represent the state at the national Resilient Australia Awards in Canberra later this year.Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said, “In the wake of recent disasters, we’ve seen Australians rise to the challenge as individuals, communities and organisations working together to rebuild, support one another and strengthen our resilience.“The Resilient Australia Awards are a chance to celebrate these efforts and ensure they don’t go unnoticed. “Whether it’s a local council, a school, a research team or a community group, every contribution matters, helping to create more resilient communities for the future.”NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon said, “These awards bring a spotlight to the remarkable resilience and innovation we see across NSW every day. “It’s an honour to award and celebrate the individuals and groups whose efforts have helped us recover, adapt and thrive in the face of natural disasters. “Their stories remind us that resilience is not just about bouncing back - it’s about being innovative and responsive to local needs and communities.”THE WINNERS ARE:Resilient Australia Community AwardWinner: Recovery Connect - Social Futures.A Lismore-based support service delivering a pioneering model of disaster recovery to help people recover from natural disasters by building resilience through empowerment.Highly commended: Care2Prepare: inclusive household and community risk reduction - Carers NSW and Better Together – Community Connections - Community Connects South Shoalhaven and Business Milton Ulladulla.Resilient Australia Business AwardWinner: Flood Defence Fund - Insurance Council of Australia.A policy initiative that calls for the development of a $30.15 billion Flood Defence Fund to protect communities on the frontline of floods, while moderating insurance premiums and reducing future recovery costs.Resilient Australia Government AwardWinner: Australian first Aboriginal Cultural Incident Management Exercise - NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Merrimans Local Aboriginal Land Council, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Crown Lands and NSW Rural Fire Service.A hands-on exercise connecting First Nations rangers and emergency responders for real-time bushfire planning and response, ensuring cultural sites in southeast NSW are protected during emergencies.Resilient Australia Local Government AwardWinner: Heat Taskforce: Heat Smart City Plan - Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC).Sydney’s first multi-sector plan for heat hazard developed by a collaboration of leaders across health, planning, infrastructure, emergency management, community and corporate sectors.Resilient Australia School AwardWinner: Our River - Richmond Agricultural Centre: Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Education.A school program delivered in the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment to teach flood awareness through science, history and creative wellbeing activities and help students positively reconnect with the river and learn mental health coping mechanisms.Resilient Australia Mental Health and Wellbeing AwardWinner: Resilient Kids: Empowered Young People Can Weather Life’s Biggest Storms - Social Futures.A program launched in response to the devastating 2022 floods in Northern NSW, focusing on youth-centred mental health and wellbeing program.Highly commended: The Resilient Kids Program: disaster risk reduction for the next generation - Health North Coast.Resilient Australia Photography AwardWinner: Social Futures, Strong Mind in the Early Years Program – Catherine Piltz.The photography category is decided by public vote via social media. This year’s winning image captures resilience through a moment of safety, trust and connection in early childhood disaster recovery.More information on the Resilient Australia Awards can be found at https://www.aidr.org.au/programs/resilient-australia-awards/.

As mentioned in Tuesday's Lismore City Council meeting by Mayor Steve Krieg, Regional Cities NSW (RCNSW) has welcomed an invitation to join the NSW Premier’s new Rural, Remote and Regional Advisory Council.Mayor Krieg is the RCNSW Chair. He said the invitation to join the advisory council was a valuable opportunity to amplify the voice of regional cities in state decision-making, including Lismore.“This is an important opportunity to work with Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty to better understand and address the challenges in our regional cities,” Cr Krieg said.“Our growing regional cities face similar challenges, such as job vacancies and skills shortages, economic growth, infrastructure investment, housing availability and supply, and water security,” Cr Krieg said.“We want to ensure our regional cities continue to prosper and continue to be great places to live and work, so planning and investment are key,” Cr Krieg said.“Our inclusion in the regional advisory council will provide a valuable avenue for Regional Cities NSW to help shape the government policy and action,” Cr Krieg said.“Our 15 member cities are home to more than 820,000 people – around 10 per cent of NSW’s population – and that number will increase by another 150,000 by 2030,” Cr Krieg said.“Regional cities are population centres and the economic and service engines of regional NSW. Together, these cities generate $44 billion in gross regional product every year, support almost 420,000 jobs and are home to 75,000 active businesses,” Cr Krieg said.“Our regional cities connect and support the smaller towns and rural communities around them. When our regional cities thrive, the surrounding regions thrive, too - and that’s fundamental to building a strong regional New South Wales,” Cr Krieg said.Announced at the 2025 Bush Summit, the advisory council will meet twice a year with representatives from across the state to provide advice on issues including essential services, infrastructure and workforce needs. The chairs of Regional Cities NSW and the NSW Country Mayors Association and representatives from Local Land Services, the Country Women’s Association, Indigenous councils, and the health, education and business sectors have been invited to be part of the advisory council.The council’s first meeting is expected to be held this year.(Regional Cities NSW representatives met with Premier Minns last month. At the meeting were (from left to right): Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council Cr Josh Black, Broken Hill City Council Deputy Mayor Cr Jim Hickey, Orange City Council Mayor Cr Tony Mileto, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, Regional Cities NSW Chair and Lismore City Council Mayor Cr Steve Krieg, Albury City Mayor Cr Kevin Mack, City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams and City of Wagga Wagga Mayor Cr Dallas Tout) 

The Suicide Prevention Bill 2025 has passed New South Wales Parliament. This legislation was committed to prior to the 2023 election and is part of the NSW Government’s ongoing work to deliver better support for communities across the state. The passing of this legislation coincides with R U OK? Day and World Suicide Prevention Day yesterday. These important days serve as reminders of the importance of conversations and checking in on others.This is the first time in NSW history that suicide prevention has been written into law. NSW now joins a handful of countries around the world in adopting a world-leading legislative model that makes every arm of government accountable for preventing suicide.In 2024, 951 people in NSW were lost to suicide, making it the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 44.The Suicide Prevention Bill 2025 is one of the most significant reforms ever undertaken in mental health, placing suicide prevention at the centre of government decision-making and embedding accountability across agencies.The bill includes:A Statewide strategy: A mandatory suicide prevention plan led by the NSW Mental Health Commission and shaped by lived experience.Agency action plans: Every government department, including NSW Police, will be required to develop their own suicide prevention plan with rollout from 2027.Advisory councils: Two new advisory bodies, the NSW Suicide Prevention Council and the NSW Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Council, bringing together lived-experience voices, Aboriginal leaders, experts and government.Monitoring system: The NSW Suicide Monitoring System enshrined in law, ensuring transparent and ongoing reporting of suspected and confirmed suicides to inform policy and funding.The New South Wales Government understands there is much more work to be done, but this is a key step in building a better New South Wales and preventing suicide and its widespread impact on our community.Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said, “This is historic. For the first time, NSW has suicide prevention written into law, making every part of government accountable for saving lives. It is a world-leading approach and one of the most significant reforms in our history.”“Every life lost to suicide is one too many. This legislation delivers a united, evidence-based response that puts lived experience and Aboriginal voices at the centre of prevention.”“By passing this Bill, we are honouring our election commitment and driving a cultural shift across government. No longer can suicide prevention be left to the health system alone. It is now everyone’s responsibility.”“Today marks R U OK? Day I urge people to check in with their loved ones. A simple conversation can be life-changing. It might be the connection someone needs to feel seen, supported and safe.”Mental Health Commissioner of New South Wales Jennifer Black, "The Commission welcomes the passage of this landmark legislation, which strengthens NSW’s whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention.“The new functions for the Commission – leading statewide plans and supporting new advisory councils – underline that suicide prevention is a key priority for government, and highlight the importance of coordinated action across government and the community to save lives. “The Commission is committed to delivering on these additional responsibilities with focus, diligence and collaboration.”CEO of Suicide Prevention Australia, Nieves Murray, said, “This is a huge step forward for New South Wales and sets the standard for suicide prevention nationally. For the first time, suicide prevention is embedded in law in this state, making it clear that saving lives is a responsibility shared across every part of government.“This legislation enshrines the whole-of-government approach we have long called for. Suicide prevention is not just a health issue — it is shaped by housing, education, employment, justice, and many other factors. By making every agency accountable, the NSW Government is showing real leadership and driving the kind of systemic change that will make a lasting difference.“We commend Minister Jackson and the NSW Government for this landmark reform and urge other states and territories to follow their lead. This is exactly the type of action we need to reduce distress, save lives and build a safer future for our communities”If life is in danger, call Triple Zero. If you or someone you know needs specialist mental health care, please call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. It is a free service operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, staffed by trained mental health professionals.We encourage NSW residents affected by suicide to call StandBy: Support After Suicide on 1300 727 247 at any time for support – irrespective of how much time has passed since the tragedy occurred. This state-wide service provides a range of practical and emotional support to anyone who has been bereaved or impacted by suicide. For more information, visit: https://standbysupport.com.au/find-support/nswpss.For further information on NSW Health’s suicide prevention programs, visit: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/towardszerosuicides/Pages/default.aspx.

The Regional Accommodation Providers Group (RAPG) members, all of whom are not-for-profit organisations, were in the NSW Parliament yesterday and today, showcasing how they offer a home-away-from-home for country patients needing medical treatment and their families, led by Lismore's Our House.Lismore MP Janelle Saffin and Wagga Wagga MP Dr Joe McGirr are co-hosting RAPG’s 11th annual conference on September 10-11, which will be attended by NSW Health Minister Ryan Park and another 16 Labor, Liberal, National and independent MPs.It takes place over sitting days, and other MPs have said they will drop in.Ms Saffin thanked RAPG members for partnering with NSW Health to provide purpose-built accommodation for people accessing cancer care and other medical services in major regional centres across New South Wales.“When I was Federal Member for Page, I secured establishment funding for Our House near Lismore Base Hospital, and what a tremendous value-for-money investment that facility has been for the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands,”“Dr McGirr and I, as Chair and Deputy Chair (former) of the Legislative Assembly’s Select Committee on Remote, Rural and Regional Health, appreciate how regional accommodation providers complement our health system by helping it run more smoothly.“On the human level, these facilities are staffed by experienced and empathetic locals who give patients a safe, affordable and comfortable place to stay, reducing trauma, stress and financial burdens for their guests.“Having this conference in Parliament House is about lifting the RAPG’s public profile and strengthening the relationship between its members and the policy makers, to meet the health care needs and demands of regional, remote and isolated communities,” Ms Saffin said.Lismore’s Our House founded the RAPG 12 years ago. Our House General Manager, Ruth Harrison, said RAPG members combined offered 81,760 bed nights for patients and their families each year.“A total of 12,955 patients were supported in 2024-2025.“RAPG accommodation centres encourage patients to access specialist health care when it’s needed, not just when they can afford it. Regular motel accommodation is often unavailable or unaffordable for many patients.“Treatment centres run more efficiently when patients are co-located, and schedules can be adjusted as needed.“Our members work closely with IPTAAS (Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme) regional teams, preparing paperwork for patients and bulk-billing accommodation, further reducing stress for patients,” Ms Harrison said.RAPG member facilities represented in Sydney will include Lismore’s Our House, Albury’s Hilltop Fight Cancer Foundation; Dubbo’s Macquarie Home Stay; Griffith’s Cancer Therapy Accommodation; Maitland’s Health Stays; Orange’s Cancer Care Western NSW; Port Macquarie’s Rotary Lodge; Wagga Wagga’s Lilier Lodge (Can Assist); Mildura’s Health Stays; Waverly’s Elizabeth Hunter Lodge (Uniting Care); and Orange’s Ronald McDonald House.

How many times have you driven through a roadwork site when workers have finished for the day, or at night, and still have to drive to the 40km/h or 60km/r signs?In certain conditions, this may be a thing of the past as the NSW Government has introduced legislation which will pave the way to remove worksite speed limits outside construction speed hours where it is safe to do so. Currently, construction speed limits remain in effect outside of construction hours. While some road and lane closures do warrant ongoing speed reductions for the purposes of safety, it is not uncommon for drivers to have to slow down on an unobstructed road for work that is not taking place. The Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, presented to Parliament yesterday, requires all road authorities, including Councils and their contractors undertaking road works, to install, maintain and remove road work speed limit signs in compliance with a Standard to be published by Transport for NSW in the Gazette. This is a common-sense approach that applies where there is a road work area, but clearly no road workers in the middle of the job. If there is an unobstructed road and it is safe to do so, motorists will be able to return to the normal driving conditions. These arrangements are already in place in Victoria and South Australia. It is expected that the new Standard will be finalised by the end of the year following consultation with stakeholders, with the new system implemented next year. Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said, “This is an important commonsense reform to the way we manage our road worksites. “Protecting workers and road users around worksites is critical, and we will never weaken rules around safety. “However, leaving speed restrictions in place outside construction hours often needlessly slows down traffic movement. “This measure strikes the right balance in ensuring speed limits are appropriate and respected.” 

With the 2025–26 storm season now officially underway, the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) is urging local communities to take proactive steps to prepare for severe weather. Following a year where we’ve already seen record-breaking flooding, a cyclone and damaging winds wreak havoc across the state, the NSW SES is reinforcing the importance of early planning and community readiness.NSW typically experiences increased storm activity between September and April, with risks including heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and flash flooding. The Bureau of Meteorology has indicated there is an increased risk of flooding during heavy rainfall across New South Wales following a wetter-than-usual year.   Bureau of Meteorology Manager Hazard Preparedness and Response, Steve Bernasconi, said the Bureau's long-range outlook to November shows a greater chance of above-average rainfall for most of the state.  "Above average spring rainfall is likely to very likely throughout New South Wales and the ACT. There is an increased chance of unusually high rainfall for many areas," Mr Bernasconi said. "The wet winter for the coast and parts of the north west of the state means riverine flood risk remains high into spring.  As we move into the warmer seasons, more rain and heat mean a greater chance of thunderstorms. The average spring rainfall in recent decades has been between 100 and 300 mm along the east coast, while western NSW has had 25 to 100 mm." Mr Bernasconi said daytime temperatures are likely to be cooler than usual for parts of northern NSW and warmer than usual in some coastal and southern parts. Warmer-than-usual nights are very likely throughout NSW and the ACT.  "Spring and summer are the prime storm seasons for NSW. Coastal lows can also bring storms in spring, increasing the risk of damaging winds and flash flooding," Mr Bernasconi said. "Stay up to date by using the Bureau's website or BOM Weather app, where you can set notifications and locations and be prepared."NSW SES North Eastern Zone Commander, Chief Superintendent Kris McDonald, emphasised the importance of community readiness, noting that NSW SES members responded to over 29,000 storm-related incidents across the state last storm season.“NSW SES North Eastern Zone members continue to support our local communities during times of need,” Chief Superintendent McDonald said. “Their continued and unwavering dedication truly embodies the core mission of the NSW SES in protecting lives and building safer communities.”“I urge everyone to take simple steps to prepare their homes and protect their families.” “Have a home emergency plan and kit, clean your gutters, downpipes, and drains, secure loose items around your backyard and balcony, trim trees and branches that could fall onto your home, your vehicles, and consider your pets.”Last storm season, the NSW SES North Eastern Zone responded to more than 5,800 storm-related incidents. Of these incidents, 1,693 occurred in Tweed Heads and 1,016 were tasked to the Mullumbimby Unit.Storm safety advice from NSW SES:Secure loose items around your home and yard.Clean gutters, downpipes, and drains.Trim trees and branches near your property.Move vehicles away from trees.Prepare a home emergency plan and emergency kit.Download the Hazards Near Me NSW app and set your watch zones.For assistance during storms, contact NSW SES on 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000).For further information and resources, visit www.ses.nsw.gov.au.

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) has been very quiet of late. There has been no information released about the Resilient Homes Program, the Resilient Lands Program, future land use, squatters or the $150 million NRRI Program.If you walk past a buyback property, you may come across a sign that outlines the next ten houses for sale.The auction will take place at the Lismore Heights Sports Club next Wednesday, September 17, with a 6pm start.Wal Murray & Co First National Real Estate is the real estate agent that is managing this round of house auctions.You can view the houses today between 12noon and 2pm at the following addresses and times:17 Frank Street, South Lismore: 12noon to 12:30pm49 Union Street, South Lismore: 12noon to 12:30pm12 Hallam Street, North Lismore: 12noon to 12:30pm8 Cathcart Street, Lismore: 12:30pm to 1pm161 Magellan Street, Lismore: 12:30pm to 1pm31 Orion Street, Lismore: 1pm to 1:30pm108 Laurel Avenue, Lismore: 1pm to 1:30pm106 Laurel Avenue, Lismore: 1pm to 1:30pm316 Molesworth Street, Lismore: 1:30pm to 2pm29 Cathcart Street, Lismore: 1:30pm to 2pmAs you can see, there are examples where three houses are open for inspection at the same time. To prioritise your viewing, click here to check the houses online.As has been the case in previous auctions, there will be no reserve price set for the auction. A deposit of 50% of the purchase price up to $1,000 is payable on auction night.You can view the HAZMAT report and Auction Contract for a home by contacting Wal Murray by clicking on the listed properties.One of the conditions of the purchase is that homes are relocated to sites outside of Priority 1, 2 and 3 areas as mapped by the NSWRA, which you can see below.Today is the final day to inspect the ten houses listed for auction at the advertised times. Enclosed footwear must be worn on site.

The renewal and modernisation of Lismore’s public amenities blocks continues, with two new facilities now open at Lismore Railway Station and Nesbitt Park Playground in South Lismore.  Positioned at the start of the Lismore to Bentley section of the award-winning Northern Rivers Rail Trail, the railway station facility features nine cubicles, including two ambulant and one wheelchair accessible.  An historic photograph of the railway station dating from the early 1900s has been printed on both sides of the building, in an eye-catching nod to the heritage of the location.  Nesbitt Park Playground amenities block is designed for parents and children, located closer to the playground as well as the park’s popular asphalt pump track and mountain bike skills course.  Featuring three cubicles, including two wheelchair-accessible and one ambulant, it’s the second amenity block to open at Nesbitt this year, following the July opening of the toilets and kiosk adjacent to the cricket field. For the Lismore Rail Trail amenities, it is not just about being able to use the toilets; it is about having access to water to fill water bottles."There is no water station until you get about four kilometres down the track," Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said today."Now, there is drinking water here, as well as a toilet facility. It really does highlight the start of the rail trail. You can get yourself organised. You can go to the bathroom, grab a drink of water, and away you go, all the way to Bentley, where there's another beautiful toilet block as well."So, it hopefully encourages people who are using this railway precinct, and there are many thousands a week; I've been given the numbers about how many are coming to use this precinct, but we've also got a very active retail precinct over in South Lismore as well. That's another amenity for the business owners, to be able to attract more business to our South Lismore retailers as well. So, it really does serve a multi-faceted purpose."Completed by Bennett Constructions, the buildings share similar external designs and fixtures as Lismore’s other new amenities, which allows for improved maintenance and accessibility while also meeting current disability and access standards. Both projects were jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, at a combined cost of approximately $800,000.  Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan, said these new facilities make a real difference for families, visitors, and local residents.  “Whether you’re taking the kids to the playground at Nesbitt Park or setting out on the Rail Trail, this is about having modern, clean, accessible amenities close by. It’s also a great example of all levels of government working together with Council to deliver practical improvements for our community.” When asked about the plans for the old railway station and why it is taking so long to get a retailer into the building, the mayor said it is an ongoing issue with Transport for NSW about the lease details.."We wouldn't sign the lease until Council could include that building in the lease. We all signed that under the proviso that we are able to generate income, to be able to provide the maintenance for the rail trail. For whatever reason, at the finalisation of those documents, the station didn't get signed over. We're still fighting with Transport to get that."The story goes that they had already signed a tenant to go in there. They've since, I believe, left town, so it's one of those things where we're just fighting through layers and layers of government red tape and bureaucracy to get the answer that we need, which is that council wants to be able to sublet that to very similar to the start of the Murwillumbah Rail Trail. They've got a bike shop and a cafe and a tourist information centre. This building sits perfectly to tie in with that sort of theme as well, and that's our intention."Another concern for the Rail Trail and its users is the homeless camps that have set up at the railway station. There have been reports of families being exposed to people urinating in front of them, plus a South Lismore business owner today said he has had trouble with people causing a disturbance in his shop, and knows of others along Union Street.Mayor Krieg said, "As a councillor, I've made repeated requests. There are laws around being able to move people on, and I respect that. But, we also don't have custody of that building either, so we're very limited. We're not the owner or the lessee of that building, so we're very limited in what we can do as a council about that. Sadly, it is a sign of the times of a growing population, and it's not just Lismore, it seems to be a much broader issue across the region, across the state, and sadly, across the country."

UPDATE from Fire and Rescue Station 316 GoonellabahShortly before 1pm Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Lismore, Goonellabah and Alstonville responded to reports of a unit fire on Ballina Rd, East Lismore. Crews arrived to find the Front Unit fully involved in fire. Quick actions by Firefighters managed to stop the Fire spreading to the rear unit and surrounding houses.The Fire was brought under control after 2 hours of Firefighting operation.ORIGINAL STORYLismore App reader Dylan has told the Lismore App of a house fire on Ballina Road in the Lismore CBD.Live Traffic shows the fire at the Brewster Street crossroad, saying it started at 12:57pm.The westbound lane is closed to traffic, so you will need to take an alternative route to get to South Lismore.Emergency Services and Transport for NSW are in attendance.More to come.

The NSW Government introduced a bill to Parliament extending tax cuts to boost new build-to-rent homes yesterday.The legislation means that owners of an eligible new build-to-rent development will be able to access a land tax concession indefinitely, rather than the previous end date of 2039, which was set by the former government.This ongoing program provides:A 50 per cent reduction in the assessable land value of eligible build-to-rent properties. There is no cap on the number of years owners can apply for the concession,Eligibility requirements including that construction have commenced on or after 1 July 2020 and the building has not been used for any other purpose, andA prohibition stopping build-to-rent properties from being subdivided, or otherwise having ownership divided, within the first 15 years of accessing the concession.Removing the program’s end date gives confidence to developers who are making long-term investment decisions now. The changes mean developers can offer longer-term lease options, better security for tenants and more housing choices for people at different life stages.The NSW Government is working to build more homes for more people across NSW, and that includes build-to-rent options approved or underway, including:60 new affordable build-to-rent homes under construction in Bombaderry and due for completion in 2026.Approved plans for 50 new build-to-rent apartments via Landcom in Lismore.Plans are being finalised for 220 new build-to-rent apartments for essential workers in Annandale.This bill also provides for exemptions or refunds for rates of stamp duty and land tax applied to foreign developers who qualify for the program.Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said, “Extending the tax cuts for build-to-rent developers gives industry the certainty to invest now.“That confidence means we can unlock a steady pipeline of build-to-rent developments to build high-quality rental homes across NSW.”Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said, “In addition to the nine build-to-rent projects in the planning system, Landcom is undertaking build-to-rent projects in Bombaderry, Lismore and Annandale – and this legislation will help unlock many more across the state.“This change removes unnecessary red tape and gives developers the confidence to commit to projects that will deliver homes for decades to come.”

Councillor Jeri Hall will serve as the Lismore City Council Deputy Mayor for the next three years (until August 2028), the month before the next local council elections in September 2028.Traditionally, the Lismore Deputy Mayor is elected every 12 months; however, councillors voted to keep Councillor (Cr) Hall in the Deputy Mayor's role for certainty and consistency, with an 8/3 vote.There were two nominations for Deputy Mayor, Cr Hall and Knight-Smith. Cr Hall won the vote 7/4.The debate among councillors revolved around giving all councillors the chance to become Deputy Mayor, for the experience and leadership opportunities it creates, versus the certainty and continuity that comes with having one person in the role for a sustained period.An amended motion to make the Deputy Mayor vote back to 12 months was defeated, before Cr Hall's appointment was ratified until August 2028.Another annual vote, which was changed to the end of this council's tenure, was the timing of Council meetings.The debate was the same one that had been raised in many previous meetings since meetings started at 10am, and public access was moved to before the meeting proper at 9am.Originally, the motion was to vote on the meeting day and time for 2026; however, Cr Dalton-Earls moved an amendment to change the date to August 2028 after it was confirmed that this was possible by General manager Eber Butron.Cr Guise, Waters and Knight-Smith reiterated their positions that daytime meetings mean workers cannot attend or listen via live-streaming, which leads to less community involvement. While Crs Jensen, Dalton-Earls and Hall mentioned there was more listening during the day, savings in the budget when the meeting is held during the day and health & safety concerns for councillors and staff when meetings are held at night.The vote was an easy 8/3 win for daytime meetings until August 2028.An event the public was not aware of was that Norco unintentionally discharged a non-compliant trade waste stream from the ice cream factory at 120 Union Street, South Lismore, into the South Lismore Treatment Plant, resulting in the contamination of all treatment processes with milk solids between October and December 2023.Council said that the charges imposed on Norco are determined by the discharge quality criteria outlined in Council’s “Wastewater Usage Charging Strategy”. The charge per kilogram is identified in Council’s Fees and Charges under ‘Category 3 Excess Mass Charges: Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)’. Due to a series of accidental non-compliant events, Norco incurred a total bill of $418,183.58 for the three-month period for both volume and excess mass fees. Under normal compliant discharge conditions, Norco would have incurred charges of approximately $30,000 over the same period.Recognising the cost recovery amount and Norco’s proactive collaboration with Council’s Trade Waste Officer to address potential bypass streams, it was proposed not to enforce the full invoice amount, but to base the charges on cost recovery associated with the damage caused.The result was an outstanding balance of $99,590; therefore, council staff require the approval of councillors to write off $318,592.58. As the incident was an accident, they did not want to charge any punitive damages, which it is entitled to do.A council staff member explained that there were exceptional circumstances in this scenario."It was conceded that there were multiple issues that were presented. There was a potential that it was a council blockage in our assets that created the excess trade waste. Once we had removed that, it became apparent that it was not that issue, that's when Norco actually invited our staff on site. We assisted as much as possible."They also were willing to work with us. And it wasn't until that final stage where the trade waste pit was actually discovered, the internally trade wastage, and it was actually underneath, I believe, a large cement cover of some description, which meant they didn't know it was there. They couldn't see that it was filling up with excess trade waste, and also their systems were not reporting any increase at all."Cr Waters put forward another amendment that, in accordance with section 131 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 (NSW), Council approve the write-off of $286,703.58 of the liquid trade waste charges owed by Norco for the October to December period 2023, leaving an outstanding balance of $131,480, including GST."While I'm supportive of reducing the debt, of course, I think this amendment just actually gives weight to the second event that happened in December, which they've accepted responsibility to," Cr Waters said.Cr Guise supported Cr Waters. "For that second event, it would be in ratepayers' interest that we don't just rollover and take on that responsibility, and that should be factored into the amount we're going to write off."Other councillors argued that Norco is one of Lismore's biggest employers and that punishing a local business for being honest."They come to us, they told us they rectified it straight away. We really want to encourage that sort of relationship with our residents and with our industrial bodies in Lismore," Cr Hall said.Cr Battista said this was a classic example of missing the forest by looking at one tree."You're missing out on what Norco is. It is a company that has been here for 130 years, and today, they still employ 130 people. So, if you add up all those years by the number of people that have been employed throughout the years, it's a massive, massive income for Lismore."The amendment was defeated 8/3, with Crs Waters, Guise and Dalton-Earls for. When it came to voting on the original staff motion to cover the costs and charge $99,590, the vote was unanimous.The next Lismore City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 14 at 10am.

The Baby & Toddler Clothes Swap, run entirely by volunteers and supported by Lismore Library, is drawing over 100 people each month. Families arrive to find long tables piled with donated clothes from newborn to size 5, along with baby linen and accessories, all freely available to anyone who needs them.Volunteer organiser Katerina Crandon said the swap is about more than clothes.“After the floods, volunteers saw parents struggling to meet the simplest needs, like clothing their babies. That’s when a group of mums came together to start sharing what we had. Four years later, the swap has grown into a tradition that’s about love, resilience and standing together as a community. Every smiling child, every parent who leaves with clothes they needed – that’s what keeps us going.”The swaps currently take place at Lismore Library on the second Saturday of each school term month, alongside the Lismore Toy Library Inc. The next dates are 13 September, 8 November and 13 December, 9:30–11:30am.Lismore Library Manager Michael Lewis said the library was delighted to see such a strong community spirit.“This project is proof that when our community comes together, wonderful things happen. We are so proud to provide a space where families can connect, share resources, and make life a little easier.”The organisers are now calling for new volunteers to help sort donations, set up and pack down, and keep the swap running smoothly.Families are warmly invited to attend – no donation is required to participate. It’s all about sharing, supporting and caring for Lismore’s youngest generation.“This project only works because of volunteers and community spirit,” Ms Crandon said. “If you want to be part of something joyful that makes a real difference, we’d love to welcome you to the team.”The Lismore Library is at 110 Magellan Street, Lismore CBD, and is part of The Quad.

The first item on the agenda at yesterday's Lismore City Council meeting was a motion that involved the CSIRO Richmond River Catchment Flood Mitigation modelling.Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg put forward the motion as a Mayoral Minute when he realised that Lismore City Council did not have an official position on the work being done by the CSIRO. This followed a motion put forward by another councillor at a recent Rous County Council meeting.The motion stated that Council:supports the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative (NRRI) project and its findingssupports the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and CSIRO, and in particular, Dr Jai Vaze and his team at CSIROrequests CSIRO to investigate and model flood mitigation options 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13 as a bundlewrites to The Hon Kristy McBain MP, Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government; The Hon Janelle Saffin MP, Minister for Small Business, Recovery and the North Coast; The Hon Kevin Hogan MP, Federal MP for Page; Brendan Moon, CEO NEMA; Dr Jai Vaze, Senior Principal Research Scientist (Hydrologist), Project Leader, NRRI, CSIRO to affirm Council's position and support for this modellingask the CSIRO if they would consider undertaking the Lismore Flood Risk Management Study and Plan after June 30For clarification, points 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13 are:6: Water retention in the Wilsons catchment upstream of Lismore (location to be finalised)7: Water retention in the Terania Creek catchments upstream of Lismore (location to be finalised)8: Water retention in the Leycester Creek catchment upstream of Lismore (location to be finalised)12: Tuckean Swamp bypass and drainage and Baggotville barrage upgrade13: Opening of Boundary Creek to the Pacific OceanNeedless to say, the two Green councillors, Guise and Waters, were not 100% on board as the solutions were all 'hard engineering solutions', and did not involve nature-based solutions.Councillor (Cr) Waters put forward an amendment to add Richmond Landcare nature-based solutions modelling to be included when the data is available.Cr Waters said that Richmond Landcare do a lot of work in this area, and it would be a missed opportunity if the data were not used to investigate flood mitigation using nature-based solutions."It's also part of the whole package that we need," Cr Waters said.Cr Guise supported his fellow Green councillor."And so for me, a proposal like this, which looks at what I call hard engineering solutions, which is essentially about mega dams and mega excavations and diverting water flow, will have profound impacts on the landscape."Cr Dalton-Earls asked a question about raising the Lismore Levee, to which the mayor replied that the general consensus is that there is no community appetite to raise the levee.Speaking against the amendment, Cr Rob said that nature-based solutions were included in the $150 million NRRI flood resilience projects, and had already started."Applications were made to get it funded as part of a strategy for river health, to access filtration and helps mitigate such things as black water events, but it also helps with flood mitigation in the sense of the lower end of the range of floods."Now, I don't think anyone who understands flood mitigation or nature-based solutions would ever suggest that nature-based solutions will help in massive floods. It just won't do it because the water level is above the trees, and a lot of it gets washed away in the water, especially if not done well."This point has been made to the Lismore App by Jai Vaze from the CSIRO. Nature-based solutions will have no effect on mitigating a major flood, and the CSIRO remit was to find solutions that can lower the river level during a major flood, which is why they will not be tested in the upcoming flood modelling scenarios.Cr Battista asked councillors to show a united front when it came to the vote, as he is worried about receiving the funding."The last thing we want to do is a divided vote because the government then will be saying they divided 50/50, I'm not going to give you anything. It's happened before. When the community is divided, the pollies tend to sort of retreat and don't fund anything."That statement fell on deaf ears, with the amendment defeated 9/2 and then the mayor's original motion successful 9/2, with Crs Waters and Guise voting against.It does appear that those who are anti-engineering solutions will be the part of the community who will not change their stance, not matter what the result.Jai Vaze will be coming back to Lismore in two weeks' time to present the options to all councils and other stakeholders.

Victim-survivors of domestic violence will soon have greater power to leave unsafe homes and protect their privacy under new rental reforms introduced by the NSW Government in NSW Parliament today.The Residential Tenancies Amendment (Domestic Violence Reform) Bill 2025 introduces changes to the process for leaving a tenancy due to domestic violence to better support victim-survivors.The reforms will:Make it easier for victim-survivors to leave a tenancy by:Removing the need for victim-survivors to notify an alleged perpetrator that they have left their shared lease due to domestic abuse;Expanding the list of approved people who can declare a renter is experiencing domestic violence so they can break a lease without penalty.The expanded list will help vulnerable groups such as people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and people from non-English speaking backgrounds better access protections under the Act. Strengthen privacy and security protections by:Allowing locks to be changed without landlord approval if there is a court order or bail or parole conditions that exclude the alleged perpetrator from the property;Requiring permission from renters for images or videos of the exterior of the property that show their belongings to be published in advertising in order to reduce the risk of victim-survivors being tracked down by perpetrators.Improve a ban on listing victims on residential tenancy databases by allowing Fair Trading to order a listing be removed if the victim-survivor can provide evidence of domestic abuse.Make it clear victim-survivors are not liable for property damage caused by a perpetrator by allowing NCAT to decide whether the damage was likely to have been caused during an incident of domestic abuse.  Support victim-survivors to recover their share of the rental bond by giving NCAT the power to break up the bond and ordering partial repayments to a co-tenant. The changes follow extensive consultation with more than 400 individuals and 40 organisations, including frontline services, and deliver on recommendations from the statutory review of the domestic violence provisions in the Residential Tenancies Act 2010.These reforms build on our work to expand the Rentstart Bond Loan scheme, which allows victim-survivors of domestic violence to access a loan of up to 100 per cent of their rental bond to secure accommodation. Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns said, “These reforms are about making common-sense changes so women and families can get out of unsafe situations quickly, without unnecessary red tape.”“We’ve listened to victim-survivors and frontline services. The message was clear: the law needed to work better in real-life situations. That’s exactly what these changes deliver.”Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said, “These rental reforms are practical and compassionate changes which make it easier for victim-survivors to leave unsafe situations without facing unnecessary barriers.“Access to safe and affordable housing is a critical issue for victim-survivors of domestic violence. Many victim-survivors are unable to leave abusive relationships because they have nowhere else to live. “For those victim-survivors who manage to leave, the negative consequences of the abusive relationship often reverberate through their lives and increase financial hardship for many years.“We’ve listened to those with lived experience and the services that support them to ensure these changes provide real, meaningful protections.“These critical reforms have been developed in close consultation with victim-survivors and frontline service providers. They will make a real difference to the safety and security of people experiencing domestic violence in NSW.“At the heart of these reforms are safety, dignity and fairness and a desire to ensure rental laws work for those who need them most.”Minister for Women and Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison said, “No one should have to choose between their safety and their home, and these changes make it easier for victim survivors to leave their rental home quickly and reduce risk of further financial harm.” “These reforms are about the NSW Government strengthening protections for victim-survivors of domestic and family violence, including reducing liability for property damage and supporting them to recover their share of the rental bond. “We’re continuing to work hard to address domestic and family violence in our state, and these changes ensure victim-survivors have clear, practical pathways to safety.”

Southern Cross University is proud to host the final session of an exciting pilot project that brings together science, sustainability, and student innovation.In partnership with The Rivers Secondary College and The Rivers Academy of STEM Excellence, Year 10 students from Lismore High School have spent the past month immersed in a hands-on scientific investigation into the lifecycle of plastics and the potential of recycled materials.The project, which began in August, combines university-level lectures with practical lab work, allowing students to explore plastic properties, waste management strategies, and granulation processes."This project offers our Year 10 students a unique opportunity to actively contribute to addressing the critical issue of plastic waste, helping them feel hopeful about making a meaningful difference. “Working alongside industry and academic experts at Southern Cross University, they gain valuable insight into post-school pathways within the rapidly expanding STEM sector," said Rivers Academy of STEM Excellence Project Officer Zane van den Berg.Throughout the program, students have audited and sorted plastic waste from the university by type, then shredded and extruded the materials for testing.In the final lesson on September 8, students will conduct tensile strength tests on plastic blends containing varying percentages of recycled content.This session marks the culmination of their scientific inquiry, demonstrating their understanding of material properties and showcasing the potential of recycled plastics in sustainable innovation."It’s an inspiring experience that not only raises their awareness about environmental challenges but also opens doors to future pathways," said Mr van den Berg.This initiative supports the NSW Department of Education’s Plan for NSW Public Education by delivering high-quality learning experiences and preparing students for future careers in science and technology.The pilot is expected to serve as a model for future collaborations, with plans to expand across The Rivers Secondary College and include additional year groups and research themes.