Tuesday 07th of February 2012 11:39:29 AM
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Lismore News
Local News
Mon Aug 25 09:38
School gardens teach healthy habits for life
Temporary teacher Ian Coutts with students from Goonellabah Public School tending their vegie patch. Getting their hands in the soil and growing their own vegies to take home has proved a winner with Goonellabah and Manifold Public School students, who now have flourishing vegie patches thanks to the ingenuity of temporary teacher Ian Coutts. Ian managed to secure a grant from North Coast Area Health Service Aboriginal Health Promotion to establish fruit and vegetable gardens at Goonellabah, Manifold and Wiangaree primary schools. The program aims to increase access to and consumption of fresh food by students and their families, teach them about nutrition and reducing their carbon footprint, and get them out in the sunshine working together. “It’s cool and it’s fun and we get healthy food... and it saves us from doing school work!†11-year-old Goonellabah Public School student Jamie Saunderson said. “I’m going to grow vegies at home now... dad’s going to put a fence around a spot I’ve picked out and we’re going to make a garden together.†Ian said at Manifold the idea has really taken off, with Shannon Lee from Lismore Hydroponics donating and setting up a strawberry hydroponics tower. Ian said he’s also in the process of putting in a basic aquaponics system for the students so they can see how this innovative system works. “Some of these students may struggle in a classroom environment but they love pulling out weeds and shovelling dirt. They particularly enjoy the hands-on aspect and learning in an outdoor environment,†Ian said. “If you can give children at this age first-hand experiences about healthy eating and sustainability, they will hopefully carry those practices into their adult lives.†Northern Rivers Echo
Mon Aug 25 09:36
Radio station looks to locals for new name and logo
The team from 2NCR FM have moved to a new station, developed a new weekly program, and have new presenters. Now there’s just one thing left to do – find a new name and logo. The station is running a competition to find the perfect name and logo to promote 2NCR FM 92.9 throughout the Northern Rivers. 2NCR presenter Vanessa Ekins said the station is looking for a new tag to brand the station, much like Bay FM in Byron or COW FM in Casino, and a logo that reflects the local environment. She said people could use the Wilsons River or Bundjalung culture as inspiration. “We’re hoping people will come up with some creative ideas – we’re looking for something catchy that reflects where we are in the world. As an example, the goanna is the Bundjalung totem, so it could incorporate that,†Vanessa said. “We don’t want anything too complicated. We want something that’s simple and bold that can go on letterheads and stickers and makes us instantly recognisable as Lismore’s community radio station.†For the last eight weeks an EnviTE Work for the Dole team has been busily painting the walls and ceiling of the station white in preparation for a new mural that may well incorporate the new name and/or logo. 2NCR stands for North Coast Radio, and many people may not know it is the oldest regional radio station in Australia. The deadline for entries is September 25 and the winner will receive a microphone worth around $200. For more info or to enter, phone the station on 6622 7939 or email manager@2ncr.org.au. For program details visit the website at www.2ncr.org.au. • The station is also looking for local artists to paint music and radio related themes as part of the mural. All art materials will be supplied thanks to Northern Rivers Art Supplies and Luxury Paints. To get involved, phone the above number. Northern Rivers Echo
Mon Aug 25 09:32
Left in the dark over power outage
More than 60,000 Far North Coast residents were affected by a blackout on Monday night around 8pm, and still no light has been shed on how or why the power outage occurred. Country Energy says the blackout was beyond their control, however, when a fault occurred in the transmission network the company’s in-built protection device automatically tripped so there would be no further damage. “The analogy you can draw is an electrical circuit in a house. If there’s a fault with any equipment the circuit breaker kicks in. The fault is not with the circuit breaker but with the appliance,†David Frayyad of electricity transmission network operator TransGrid said. The power outage affected homes right across the region including the Lismore area, Ballina, Byron Bay, Bonalbo, Kyogle, Mallanganee, Urbenville, Alstonville, Ewingsdale, Lennox Head, Mullumbimby and Woodburn. Power was progressively restored from 9pm, with all power back on by 10.10pm. It appears there was a fault in the electricity transmission network which links the Far North Coast and south-east Queensland, a network operated by DirectLink, however, The Echo was unable to ascertain exactly what it was or how it happened. TransGrid and NEMMCO, the operator of the national electricity grid, are now investigating the fault. Due to the widespread area affected, Country Energy urged anyone experiencing isolated supply problems to contact Country Energy’s Supply Interruption Line on 132 080. -- Northern Rivers Echo
Mon Aug 04 10:15
Northern Rivers Echo joins Northern Star family
APN area general manager Paul Spotswood with former Echo owners Heather Williams and Andrew Binns. APN News & Media announced yesterday that it had purchased The Northern Rivers Echo, a community newspaper in the Lismore district. The paper will join a suite of other media products also owned by APN News & Media in northern NSW, led by The Northern Star newspaper, which provides local, regional and world news to Lismore and district. The area general manager, Mr Paul Spotswood, said The Northern Rivers Echo, which currently distributes 22,500 copies free every Thursday, would retain its existing management, staff and editorial structures. “The new member of our group of publications will continue to operate as it has in the past, providing extensive coverage of community news and an excellent venue for local advertisers,†Mr Spotswod said. “The Echo, as it is known to its readers, will continue to cover its local community but will in future benefit from being part of one of Australasia’s largest and most diverse media groups.†Heather Williams, general manager of The Echo, stated: “This change of ownership will enable The Northern Rivers Echo to continue to grow as the premier community paper delivering the news to Lismore and the surrounding villages and towns. “All of the staff will continue to create a quality publication every week keeping our readers informed about their community.†Mr Spotswood said the purchase was part of APN’s continuing commitment to regional publishing generally and the Lismore area in particular. “In northern NSW, we not only publish the key newspapers in the region but also have the most advanced printing facilities with the commissioning of our new state of the art press at Ballina, which recently came on line,†he said. The Northern Star also publishes The Byron Shire News, The Ballina Shire Advocate, The Richmond River Express Examiner, The River Town Times and The Farmer Bulletin. “With a proud history of community publishing and a reputation for being a champion for our communities we are delighted the have The Northern Rivers Echo as part of our stable†said Mr Mark Jamieson, chief executive of APN Australian Publishing. Courtesy of Northern River Echo.
Mon Aug 04 10:13
Indigenous people urged to vote in council elections
Indigenous people, especially youth, in the Northern Rivers are being urged to get involved in local democracy by voting in the upcoming council elections. A campaign by the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) to encourage Indigenous people to vote in the September 13 elections will feature the voice of Indigenous rugby league star Dean Widders, a South Sydney backrower. The 29-year old Rabbitoh, born in Armidale, who has expressed a future interest in working in politics or the media, will be heard on Indigenous radio stations from next Monday, July 28, as part of the NSWEC Aboriginal elector information strategy. NSW Electoral Commissioner Colin Barry said the strategy identified a number of key goals to encourage Indigenous people, particularly young people, “to participate in the democratic processâ€. “Figures from the NSW Government’s Two Ways Together report show 19 per cent of the Aboriginal population is aged 15 to 24 and role models like Dean help us get our message across to young voters that they can make an impact on who represents them on their local council or in state or federal parliament,†Mr Barry said. More than 4.4 million voters go to the polls on September 13 to elect councillors in 148 council areas across NSW. In 2004, 93 candidates who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stood for a NSW local council, of which 29 were elected. According to the 2006 census, NSW had Australia’s largest Aboriginal population at 148,178 or 2.2 per cent of the population. The NSWEC has encouraged Aboriginal people to work as election officials at polling places in areas with large numbers of Indigenous electors, such as Lismore and Casino. An Aboriginal consultative group will help implement the strategy’s key goals. More information is available at www.elections.nsw.gov.au or by calling the NSWEC candidate help desk on 1300 135 736. - Northern Rivers Echo
Mon Jul 28 11:05
Dowell launches campaign for mayor
Jenny Dowell believes she has the leadership skills and vision to be mayor of Lismore. Speaking at her campaign launch on Friday, Cr Dowell, a member of Country Labor, said she was in tune with the community and ready to listen. “I have four and a half years experience as a councillor and I’m ready for the challenge of being mayor,†Cr Dowell said. “I would like our community to feel proud and have confidence in Lismore both now and for its future. “I’m not just talking about residents but businesses too and of course the people of our villages and rural areas and everyone who works here. “We have a strong, vibrant, diverse community and everyone needs to feel safe and connected. The way you achieve that is to help people feel a sense of belonging and engagement with things that are happening.†Cr Dowell said she was concerned with the environmental, economic, and financial sustainability of the region. - Northern Rivers Echo
Mon Jul 28 11:04
Council’s current projects on tour
Lismore City Council will conduct free bus tours this Saturday and next week to showcase developments underway or recently completed, as part of Local Government Week, which begins on Monday, July 28, Mayor Merv King said that conducting bus tours gave Lismore residents the opportunity to see what was going on in their own backyard, which was in keeping with this year’s theme of ‘Over the fence, cultivating our own backyard’. The bus tours will take in the Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre, the Memorial Gardens, the Wyrallah Road Waste Facility and a walk along the riverbank. “Along the way many other developments and Council projects will be highlighted to passengers – this is a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in what Council is doing to find out more about Council’s activities and future plans first hand,†Cr King said. This Saturday, July 26, two tours are scheduled for the sports centre, at noon and 1pm. From Monday, July 28, two tours will be conducted each day, leaving from Council’s offices in Goonellabah at 9am and 1pm. They will take around three hours and include a short break in the CBD. Booking are essential. To register for a tour, phone 6625 0500. - Northern Rivers Echo
Mon Jul 14 10:52
PROTEST HOTS UP AGAINST WOOLIES
By AMANDA SPROULE news@northernstar.com.au SMOKE billowed into the air as a replica Woolworths store burnt to the ground in Mullumbimby on Saturday. Organised by the Mullumbimby Community Action Group, an estimated 200 residents met to protest against changes to the development application submitted by Woolworths for a supermarket on the edge of town. In the objection letter to NSW Planning Minister Frank Sartor the group said Woolworths had now applied to build both stages of the 2500sq m development at the same time. Woolworths had also reduced the area of the on-site sewage treatment plant to just 475sq m, one-third of the area proposed for the original first stage of the development. Despite council recommendations that waste water be held for 60 days, especially given that rainfall in the area is high, Woolworths was proposing to hold sewage for just seven days in on-site storage. The action group said changes to the building design were 'cosmetic only' and 'did nothing to mitigate the visual and environmental impact of such a large and visually offensive development'. The letter also stated that 'moving the car park entrance to the southern end would do nothing to mitigate the traffic chaos and congestion the development would create in Station Street and its impact on the use of Tincogan Street as a town bypass'. Residents have until Friday to submit their objections to the changes. According to action group member Garry Scott, the group had been working 'flat out' to ensure the community was able to voice its concerns about the development, which many feared would result in a loss of local business and community identity. Byron Shire mayor Jan Barham said the real issue was state planning laws. She said the town had been 'done over'. Mullumbimby real estate agent Mark Cochrane said the community was not 'getting a fair go', and encouraged community members to 'get together and work together to achieve results'. Mullumbimby resident Rhys Brenton did not want Woolworths in the town. "I'm absolutely disgusted that one man (Frank Sartor) can change a rule that affects everyone. That's not democracy," Mr Brenton said. But resident Richard Kidby welcomed Woolworths. He said many shopkeepers 'were ambivalent' about the development. "Everyone here in business wants to make a profit, and if you can't accept competition then you don't go into business," he said.
Mon Jun 30 15:29
Hospital based training boosted
NSW Health and the NSW Nurses Association have agreed to new career paths for nurses and midwives involved in clinical and educational area. The agreement, which is separate to current award negotiations, will ensure that experienced nurses are kept up to date and provide better training to new nurses, according the association’s general secretary Brett Holmes. “Under this agreement full time clinical nurse/midwife educators at the ward level will receive a special pay rise of more than $75 a week on top of the 3.9 per cent in the first year of the new wages agreement,†Mr Holmes said. “As well as improving the clinical educator pathway, these negotiations have also created a new clinical nurse/midwifery specialist classification. This fits in well with the federal government’s plan to expand the role of nurses and midwives to allow them to take on greater responsibility and clinical independence. - Courtesy of Northern Rivers Echo
Mon Jun 30 15:15
Brunswick bypassed but not by time
Written by Michele Grant (Byron Shire Echo) Tuesday, 24 June 2008 The tenth anniversary of the first Brunswick bypass prompts Michele Grant to reflect on the decade. It’s the tenth Anniversary of the opening of the Brunswick Heads Bypass. The Pacific Highway rumbled down Tweed Street, dissecting the village with an ever constant stream of traffic until June 5, 1998, when the first $22 million single carriageway bypassing to the west of the town was opened by a bevy of politicians and local dignitaries including Mark Vaile, Larry Anthony and Don Page. More returned, just over nine years later, to officiate at the opening of the $256 million Bruns-Yelgun Pacific Highway Upgrade. During the turbulent 90s the Byron community was forced to deal with five separate Development Applications from the RTA as they blazed a dual carriageway across the Shire. In comparison the 42km Chinderah to Yelgun section of the Pacific Highway upgrade required just one DA. The RTA divided Byron Shire into small strategic sections, fracturing the community with recurring battles over preferred route selection and exhausting all but the Nimbys with pointless powerpoint presentations at fiery community consultations. First was the Bangalow Bypass, then Brunswick Bypass, followed by Tandy’s Lane/Tyagarah section. The Battle over Byron resulted in an upgrade of Bangalow Hill, with the selection of an alternate route still unresolved. The last battle was over the route for the Bruns to Yelgun upgrade. A DA was required for each preferred route, which unleashed more recurring waves of consultation over design specifications, and endless argument over social and environmental impacts. Each DA produced multiple volumes of costly complex documents that few in the community were prepared to read or could actually comprehend, let alone effectively respond in personal submissions. The community is indebted to the Byron Environment Centre, BEACON, CONOS and the Greens, and other community groups and individuals who did the reading and research, kept the community informed and engaged, and effectively negotiated with the RTA and State Government to ensure the best environmental outcomes for Byron Shire. Most would agree the social impacts were neither satisfactorily assessed nor adequately addressed. As the dust settles over the long running RTA saga, it’s not surprising the community would rather forget than commemorate the opening of the Brunswick Heads bypass. The Bypass has given the community some good reasons to celebrate. As predicted at countless community forums, the RTA’s upgrade of the Pacific Highway has transformed Brunswick Heads. You can do handstands down Tweed Street on a Saturday night. The ground no longer trembles. The air isn’t saturated with a humid cocktail of diesel and petrol fumes or the sound of crunching gears and squealing brakes. There were many empty shops and a renter’s paradise reigned before the bypass. There was just one café on The Terrace and outdoor diners picnicked in the riverside parks. Basic maintenance had been long neglected and many buildings looked shabby and ripe for a makeover. Over the past decade outdoor dining has proliferated. Every shop is rented. Brisbane weekenders and Gold Coast day-trippers have replaced the farming families and southern retirees touring the lawn bowls circuit. Land prices – and the cost of renting – have soared but the sewerage moratorium has stalled broadscale redevelopment, and bought the renovators a decade to enjoy the peaceful ambience. Byron Shire residents are renowned for their commitment to protecting the environment and our native wildlife. Let’s hope this outstanding reputation can be maintained long after the bypass.
Mon Jun 30 15:13
Put a solar panel on your roof
Written by Lou Beaumont (Byron Shire Echo) Tuesday, 24 June 2008 The Neighbourhoods Project, an initiative from Beyond Building Energy (BBE), has seen 600 households all over Mullumbimby, Wilson’s Creek, Main Arm, Federal and The Pocket obtain solar panels for a fraction of retail cost. The project is now set to expand Shire-wide. Through normal retail outlets, installing 1kW solar panels can cost around $6,000 after the $8,000 government rebate. Currently, as part of the project, fifty neighbours are paying around $895 each for a 1kW system. If fewer neighbourhood houses are committed to the scheme, the panels become more expensive per house – so the scheme encourages community consultation at the least. Each household must ‘self-fund’ their installation by paying the $8,000-plus panel cost upfront. After the panels are installed and the government has received proof of installation, the $8,000 will be refunded. So how does BBE manage to save each household nearly $5,000? By dealing directly with a solar panel manufacturer in China, the company cuts out the middle-man when it comes to the export-import-wholesale-retail chain and they order and buy in bulk. Additionally, the obvious logic behind the households being in the same vicinity is delivery and installation costs are drastically reduced. Shunyam Peinecke, neighbourhood coordinator for 100 hinterland households, told The Echo, ‘There is a huge demand for solar energy. This system has proven it and it is no longer simply a possibility for the well-off. While the politicians are dragging their feet, BBE has made it possible to afford solar today.’ Beyond Building Energy’s general manager, Mitra Ardron, said, ‘As far as we know, this is the biggest roll out of solar panels ever. We hope to make the Byron Shire the most solar connected community in the country.’ BBE can provide assistance in the form of information and leaflets to hand out to your neighbours. Call 6685 5587 or email info@beyondbuilding.com.
Tue Jun 17 15:31
Page calls for more spending on tourism
Ballina MP and NSW Shadow Minister for Tourism claimed on Wednesday the NSW had been shamed into increasing its tourism budget by a report from former Tourism executive director and general manager John O’Neill. “It is little wonder the government has withheld the John O’Neill Report into NSW Tourism for more than six months,†Mr Page said. “The report is highly critical of the NSW State Government, whose neglect of the tourism industry in NSW has led to $3.5 billion in lost revenue. “This is a huge economic lost opportunity for jobs growth and infrastructure investment in the tourism industry over the past eight years. “This is the cost of such an incompetent government. It’s little wonder they have been trying to hide this report for so long.†The government recently announced an extra $40 million to be spent on tourism over the next three years. “But $40 million over three years is still well short of the recommendation made by last years Tourism Business Alliance (TBA) Report,†Mr Page said.
Tue Jun 17 15:30
More blood donors needed
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is urging Lismore residents to make an appointment to give blood. Blood donations have dropped in recent weeks and it is vital that supplies are replenished to ensure the demand for blood is met during the challenging winter cold and flu season. To arrange an appointment call 131 495 or visit donateblood.com.au.
Tue Jun 17 15:19
Lanterneers ready to light up
With just over a week to go before the Lismore Lantern Parade, the organisers are on track to light up the town, according to festival director Jyllie Jackson. “With a theme of Dreamscapes, this year’s parade is divided into seven sections; the Dreaming – lead by the Bundjalung community – Dream Weaver, Garden of Dreams, Sea of Dreams, Colours of Dreaming, Weird Dreams and Childhood Dreaming,†Ms Jackson said. Ms Jackson said while the parade lacked music last year because of rain, organisers had more than made up for it this year. “We have engaged no less than six bands, including the Lismore City Pipe Band, which will be making its first appearance at the Lantern Parade,†she said. The other bands include the Samba Blisstas, the Lismore City Concert Band, the Clunes Guitar Band, the African Drumming Ensemble and the Redland Shire Ladies Drum Corps Inc, which is coming all the way from Queenland. The parade will also be welcoming its new Pegasus sponsors, the Newcastle Permanent Building Society, which will be opening a branch in Lismore in July. “The Perm has pretty much saved our bacon this year after the loss from last year’s wet, and we are delighted to have them on board,†Ms Jackson said. “We have also had wonderful support from the Lismore People for Reconciliation, Lismore City Council, Community Connections and the Creative People’s Collective who will be hosting a series of workshops to create the Future Dreaming Troupe, a fusion of hip hop, Indigenous dance, rhythm and rhyme.†Ms Jackson said there were still some vacancies for mythical gatekeepers to welcome visitors through the ceremonial gates and entice them to part with a gold coin. If you haven’t got your lantern together yet don’t panic. There will be a lantern decorating session at the Lantern Gallery on the corner of Carrington and Magellan Streets, Lismore, this Saturday, June 14, between 10am and noon. If you’d like to carry a lantern in the parade and get one of the best seats in the house for the fire event ring the LightnUp Workshop and register by talking to Stef on 6622 6333. And if you’d like a stall on the night at the Market deLight contact Taunia at flyinfree@wildmail.com or phone 6688 654. For more information on the Lantern Parade contact the organisers on 6622 6333; email them at festival@nrg.com.au or visit the website at www.lanternparade.com Courtesy of Northern Rivers Echo
Thu Apr 10 15:28
Homeless youth ‘desperate for help’
One in 70 young people across the Northern Rivers do not have a place they can call home. They sleep wherever they can – in cars or by ‘couch surfing’ or ‘crashing’ at their friends’ places for the night. And if they are school-aged, they risk dropping out. The problem is growing by the day, yet funding for youth services has been frozen for more than a decade. This is the grim picture painted by the Northern Rivers Social Development Council (NRSDC) in the wake of the release of a national report on youth homelessness. As a result, the NRSDC has called for urgent action to address the problem. The report, Australia’s Homeless Youth, by the National Youth Commission Inquiry into Homeless Youth, found that, despite 15 years of economic growth, there are 22,000 homeless teenagers without a safe place to call home each night. NRSDC president Jenny Dowell said youth homelessness was a critical issue for the Northern Rivers, where it was estimated there were at least 500 homeless young people aged 12 to 25 across the region. Ms Dowell said that, as funding was inadequate, services could not cope with the increasing demand in a fast growing region. “We need funding for youth homeless services, better planning and growth funding to expand other vital supports for young people. These include specialist mental health, anti-violence and substance abuse services as well as more options to keep vulnerable young people connected to education,†Ms Dowell said. “We also need to work with families to try and prevent kids leaving home because of family conflict and need to find solutions to keep families united, but if the issue is extreme violence then obviously we don’t want to keep them thereâ€. The report contains a raft of recommendations, including a threefold increase in funding for the Reconnect program that provides early intervention, case management and support for young homeless people. The report says programs such as Reconnect have been effective in bringing teen homelessness down from a peak of 26,000 in 2001. Manager of Northern Rivers Reconnect, Brett Paradise, said the number of young people without safe accommodation has increased alarmingly over the past 18 months. “Young people have been badly affected by the housing affordability crisis that is gripping our region and we are very worried that homelessness rates will start to rise again,†Mr Paradise said. “The reasons young people leave home are complex and varied but, overwhelmingly, the main reasons are family conflict, violence and drug and alcohol use. “The concern is that many school-aged youth living in unstable accommodation are at high risk of not attending school and many drop out… some say young people choose to leave home but it’s not a choice people make if everything is going well at home,†he said. “Youth services across the region are struggling to find safe options for young people who desperately need somewhere to live – there is a critical shortage of crisis accommodation in the area.†Mr Paradise said the small increase in funding his service received recently did not account for rising petrol prices or wages and yet his service faced a 30 per cent increase in its client load in the past year. “So we’re working harder and longer and able to deliver less with the same amount of money,†he said. The report also recommends spending $100 million over three years to develop more emergency refuges, new forms of housing for independent young people and the development of a national action plan to eliminate youth homelessness by 2030. By Luis Feliu The Northern Rivers Echo
Thu Apr 10 15:26
Retreat benefits are all in the mind
RE-EMERGENCE: Bridget Gebbie at the colourful closing ceremony after her three-year retreat. WHAT can possibly be the attraction of a three-year Buddhist retreat, during which you rise at 3am and, apart from letters, have no communication with the outside world? The answer is easy according to retreat participant Bridget Gebbie - because it works! Ms Gebbie, a psychotherapist from Balmain in Sydney, said she was always a sensitive person. "I was kind of without a skin and always had a concern about what I was doing - is it the right thing, is it appropriate? All of those questions. They're not there any more and that is freedom." Yesterday, Ms Gebbie and 22 other retreat participants took part in a special ceremony at the Vajradhara Gonpa (Temple), a mountaintop Buddhist centre near Kyogle, to mark the end of their three-year retreat. In a colourful ceremony with prayers, Tibetan cymbals, drums and horns and much laughter, participants and friends, family and supporters marked the retreat members' re-emergence into the hurly burly of modern life. Retreat participants Gosha and Bridget said their experience made them realise the unimportance of the minutiae of their everyday lives. Retreat master Steve Cline described the likely benefits of a retreat as greater compassion, a better sense of humour, a fuller appreciation of the world, humility, and a more flexible mind. By Janet Grist Northern Star - April 10, 2008
Thu Apr 10 15:24
Rain, rain, go away say orchardists
WHEN WILL IT STOP: Byron Macadamias owner Michael Steffan, having suffered a setback due to bad weather earlier in the year, ha HIS orchard survived the summer floods but now wet weather could deliver Federal farmer Michael Steffan another blow. Mr Steffan, the owner of Byron Macadamias, has been waiting for the rain to stop, while his macadamias sit on the orchard floor and rot. The Northern Rivers has copped days of heavy rainfall and experts yesterday said they could not rule out another flood. Mr Steffan, who bought the organic macadamia farm 12 months ago, said the rain earlier in the year had hampered his preparation for a harvest. "Now it's wet again and we can't harvest anything at all," he said. It comes at the end of a difficult season for many growers. Some orchards were badly damaged in hail storms that ripped through the region. Others faced a number of pest and disease management problems directly related to the wet weather. District Horticulturalist for the NSW Department of Primary Industries John Wilkie said now, with the current rainfall, having nuts on the ground could affect the quality of this year's nut product. Unfortunately, more rain could be on the way. The Bureau of Meteorology yesterday issued a severe weather warning for the Northern Rivers and forecaster Chris Webb said river flooding was a possibility if conditions worsened. There was no flood warning yesterday for the Richmond River, but emergency services were keeping a close eye on low lying areas on the upper reaches of the Brunswick River. Water, ankle-deep, ran through the shops at Evans Head yesterday. The Evans Head Post Office, Oak Street Butcher Shop and Green Grocers were all flooded during heavy rain. At Upper Main Arm school kids were sent home early because of flash flooding and in Byron Bay water flooded roads and footpaths and encroached on shops in the CBD. Byron Corner Store owner David Anderson said business had been down, probably because people were unwilling to brave the woolly weather. In Lismore, John Armistead, owner of Wyrallah Road business Armistead's Quality Picture Framing and Gallery, was hoping the rain would ease before conditions in the notoriously flood-prone street worsened. He did not want a repeat of the summer floods when customers could not park in front of his shop without getting their feet wet. All roads in Ballina remained open but many had water over them and drivers were asked to exercise caution. Mr Webb said people were in for another wet few days, but the weather should begin to clear by the weekend. Bureau of Meteorology Officer Shannon Symons said for the next three months there was a 65 to 75 per cent chance of above average rainfall. By RACHEL AFFLICK Northern Star - April 10, 2008 National News
Mon Jul 14 10:54
Competition needed in grocery industry
9:51a.m. 14th July 2008 The nation's consumer watchdog will soon outline steps to spur competition in the grocery sector. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will deliver a report at the end of this month based on its inquiry, launched in April, into competition at the grocery supply, wholesale and retail levels. Commission chairman Graeme Samuel is guarded about what recommendations the regulator will put to the federal government. "We are a strong believer that the best way that consumers get the best offering of prices and of choice in their groceries or in any market is through vigorous competition," he told ABC Radio. "We're not entirely satisfied that in the grocery industry we have as vigorous competition as we'd like to otherwise see." The reasons for that lack of competition would be revealed in the report, Mr Samuel said. "How do you remedy it? Well, what you do is you ensure that there are as low-as-possible barriers to entry on the part of new competitors and existing competitors expanding their business operations," he said. "I think they're the things that we'll be addressing in our grocery report." © AAP
Mon Jun 30 15:25
Children happier, but more hyperactive: study
A national survey has found children today are happier than children 20 years ago, but cases of hyperactivity appear to be increasing. New research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies has dispelled myths that today's society is creating an era of badly behaved children. The study investigated children 20 years apart. It found toddlers today are more sociable and have fewer difficulties sleeping. Institute spokeswoman Diana Smart says the six and seven-year-olds surveyed are now better behaved. "They're much less likely to worry, they're less likely to lose their temper and they're a little more obedient than they were 20 years ago as well," she said. "Parent's perceptions have also changed - they believe their children are progressing well but teachers are reporting more cases of hyperactivity." International News
Mon Jun 30 15:24
Zimbabwe result not legitimate: UN chief
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has criticised Zimbabwe's election as "deeply flawed," saying the result was not legitimate. President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, was sworn in on Sunday (local time) barely an hour after the election commission declared he won more than 85 per cent of the votes cast. "The secretary-general has said repeatedly that conditions were not in place for a free and fair election and observers have confirmed this from the deeply flawed process," Mr Ban's spokeswoman, Marie Okabe, said in statement as the UN head visited Tokyo. "The outcome did not reflect the true and genuine will of the Zimbabwean people or produce a legitimate result." Mr Mugabe had lost the first round to Opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who pulled out of the run-off election citing a campaign of violence against his supporters. Mr Ban "encourages efforts of the two sides to negotiate a political solution that would end violence and intimidation," the statement said. It said that the UN was "ready to help in any way possible to produce this result," noting that deputy UN chief Asha-Rose Migiro and Mr Ban's Zimbabwe envoy Haile Menkerios were at the African summit opening Monday in Egypt. - AFP (ABC News)
Mon Jun 30 15:22
Army study: Iraq occupation was understaffed
By ROBERT WELLER – Associated Press DENVER (AP) — A nearly 700-page study released Sunday by the Army found that "in the euphoria of early 2003," U.S.-based commanders prematurely believed their goals in Iraq had been reached and did not send enough troops to handle the occupation. President George W. Bush's statement on May 1, 2003, that major combat operations were over reinforced that view, the study said. It was written by Donald P. Wright and Col. Timothy R. Reese of the Contemporary Operations Study Team at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., who said that planners who requested more troops were ignored and that commanders in Baghdad were replaced without enough of a transition and lacked enough staff. Gen. William S. Wallace, commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, said in a foreword that it's no surprise that a report with these conclusions was written. "One of the great and least understood qualities of the United States Army is its culture of introspection and self-examination," he wrote. The report said that the civilian and military planning for a post-Saddam Iraq was inadequate, and that the Army should have pushed the Joint Chiefs of Staff for better planning and preparation. Retired military leaders, members of Congress, think tanks and others have already concluded that the occupation was understaffed. At least 4,113 U.S. military members have died in Iraq, according to a count by The Associated Press. Hundreds of commanders and other soldiers and officials were interviewed for the report released Sunday. The Army ordered the study to review what happened in the 18 months after the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime. A report on the invasion was released earlier. The report said that after Saddam's regime was removed from power, most commanders and units expected to transition to stability and support operations, similar to what was seen in Bosnia and Kosovo. Commanders with the mindset that victory had already been achieved believed that a post-combat Iraq would require "only a limited commitment by the U.S. military and would be relatively peaceful and short as Iraqis quickly assumed responsibility," the study said. "Few commanders foresaw that full spectrum operations in Iraq would entail the simultaneous employment of offense, defense, stability, and support operations by units at all echelons of command to defeat new, vicious, and effective enemies," it added. The report said the first Bush administration and its advisers had assumed incorrectly that the Saddam regime would collapse after the first Gulf War. When Saddam was so quickly defeated in 2003, there was an absence of authority that led to widespread looting and violence, the report said. Soldiers initially had no plan to deal with that. The administration's decision to remove Saddam's followers entirely from power caused governmental services to collapse, "fostering a huge unemployment problem," it said. Planners in the Iraq headquarters said 300,000 troops would be needed for the occupation. Even before the invasion, some planners had called for 300,000 troops to be sent for the invasion and occupation. During an April 16, 2003, visit to Baghdad, coalition commander Gen. Tommy Franks told his subordinate leaders to prepare to move most of their forces out of Iraq by September of that year, the report noted. "In line with the prewar planning and general euphoria at the rapid crumbling of the Saddam regime, Franks continued to plan for a very limited role for U.S. ground forces in Iraq," the report said. The report said it wasn't until July 16, 2003, that Franks' successor, Gen. John Abizaid, said coalition forces were facing a classic guerrilla insurgency. Even so, the coalition made some progress, only to have its optimism dashed after the insurgency boiled over in April 2004, when Sunni Arab insurgents and Shiite militias launched violent assaults in many parts of Iraq, the report said. The authors said the Army had considerable experience and training for guerrilla wars but had not been in one like Iraq since 1992 in Somalia. They said former Secretary of State Colin Powell warned Franks "that he thought too few troops were envisioned in the (invasion) plan." Some commanders told the authors they asked about plans for making the country stable and got no answers. The "post-war situation in Iraq was severely out of line with the suppositions made at nearly every level before the war," the report said. Its writers said it was clear in January 2005 that the Army would remain in Iraq for some time, the writers concluded. The report covered the period from May 2003 to January 2005. On the Net: * Army report: http://tinyurl.com/56dyob |