Byron Bay articles of interest.

Rocky Creek Dam. Photo Jacklyn Wagner / The Northern Star CYANIDE has been detected in Rocky Creek Dam which supplies drinking water to much of the Northern Rivers. Last month, the naturally occurring compound was found in tap water at a level above that recommended under the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Rous Water general manager Kyme Lavellesaid laboratory testing conducted in February found small traces of cyanide in water which had been filtered. However, all testing since has been clear. “It’s a minute amount,” Mr Lavelle said. The cyanide was detected at a level between .04 and .08mm above the acceptable level of .08mm per litre. Mr Lavelle stressed these levels were well below that which would cause health problems, [...]

SES are expecting heavy showers to swell the Bellinger and Orara rivers on Tuesday. STATE Emergency Service crews are on flood watch expecting heavy showers to swell the Orara and Bellinger rivers. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a statement warning that a low pressure trough off the NSW north coast is deepening in response to an upper level trough approaching from the west. Clarence Nambucca SES commanders have been told that scattered showers tending to widespread rain are expected throughout Tuesday. The bureau says there is also the possibility of local heavy falls on the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers. “At this stage there is a greater than 70% chance of minor to moderate main river flooding as well [...]

Preparing for the Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve festival were, from left, Susi St Julian (site manager), Alison Corfield (Tropical Fruits chairwoman), Laure Despland (green girl or waste manager) and Tim Childs (tool shed co-ordinator). Tropical Fruits brings in millions CHRISTMAS is behind us and that means only one thing for the North Coast’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities – it’s Tropical Fruits time. The task to decorate and set up the Lismore showgrounds in advance of the Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve party shifted into top gear yesterday with some of the 300 volunteers for the event descending on the venue. Local business owners are also preparing for the influx of visitors and dollars into Lismore and the [...]

A 40sqm banner hangs on Frog Buttress an internationally renowned rockface on the side of Mt French, just across the Qld border in the Scenic Rim as part of a CSG protest that is planned for this weekend. WITH thousands expected to turn out at several rallies across the Northern Rivers against the coal seam gas industry over the weekend the groundswell of opposition to the burgeoning industry is growing. This week the NSW Farmers Association threatened to walk away from the O’Farrell government’s coal seam gas stakeholder advisory committee. The president of the NSW Farmers Association Fiona Simson said draft documents proposed the loss of agricultural activity would need to be taken into account only when considering mining projects [...]

Anti-coal seam gas protesters greet the NSW State Government inquiry into the industry in Kyogle recently. PEOPLE will take to the streets of the North Coast this weekend to voice their concerns with coal seam gas and to support the worldwide “occupy” movement. Anti-coal seam gas events will take place in Lismore tomorrow and in Kyogle and Byron Bay on Sunday as part of a national day of action to protest against the industry. Also in Byron Bay tomorrow a group calling itself Occupy Corporate Byron will make its presence known. Co-organiser of the event, John Waite, said the leaderless peaceful group would gather at Railway Park from noon to show support for the Occupy Wall Street movement in the [...]

FEEDBACK: Hop online and help out with a youth survey for your chance to win. THE Northern Rivers Youth Advisory Council (NRYAC) is carrying out a survey to find out what matters most to young people in the region. Called the Northern Rivers Youth Census, the survey was released through Facebook and sms. “It’s a chance for us to have a say about what’s important to us, so we’d like to see every single young person under 25 complete the survey by 29 October,” said Jacob Fitzroy, the NRYAC chairperson. Jacob will also represent the Northern Rivers at the 2012 Youth Parliament in Canberra. The NRYAC is offering two prizes to help get the word out. First prize is an [...]

Interrelate’s Julie Leete says “it looks as though we have a lot of services, but the services don’t meet the current demand,” LAST financial year 663 children across northern NSW were removed from their families by the Family and Community Services department. The region has the second largest number of children removed in the state, according to figures obtained by The Northern Star. That took the number of children in the department’s care across the region at the end of June last year to 2950 – again the second highest in the state behind the Hunter/Central Coast region. FACS used to be known ad DOCS. A FACS spokesperson said the children were removed as a “last resort” after it was [...]

THE NSW Parliamentary inquiry into coal-seam gas will this month hold its first hearing into the burgeoning industry in Lismore. Keerong Gas Squad member Ian Gaillard said his group had already made a written submission, but hoped to address the General Purpose Standing Committee, which is conducting the Inquiry, at thehearing. Given the opportunity to speak, Mr Gaillard said he would focus on the constitutional protection of water and the use of the precautionary principle in maters relating to the environment. “We can’t run this experiment without a scientific understanding of the long-term consequences of this industry,” he said. “The scale and the size of the current gas rush should be of concern to all Northern Rivers residents.” There will [...]

PARENTS of school-aged children who were intending to spend today at the Ballina Cup race meeting will have to revise their plans. While the nags will be leaving their stalls, primary and secondary school teachers will be staying away from their classrooms in a 24-hour statewide strike against proposed wage caps and job cuts. It means parents will either have to miss out on the pleasures of the cup, or treat their offspring to a day at the races. Alstonville High School principal David Silcock said no parent had complained specifically about missing out on the races, although some had expressed concern about how they were going to look after their children during the strike. Most parents had been supportive [...]

At the launch are back Nora Vidler Blanksby; middle from left Greg Meek designer, , mayor Jenny Dowell, Mitch Lowe; front from left Joseph Smith, 3 (in car), Ruby Lowe, 5 and Jack Lowe, 7. IT’S time residents of Lismore and Nimbin wore their hearts on their sleeves … or chest, or head, whatever the case may be, Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell said yesterday at the launch of new tourist branding for the two towns. The red heart, made famous by the CBD’s successful Come to the Heart campaign, has been incorporated in the Lismore tourism brand under the slogan Come to the Heart of the Northern Rivers. Lismore Council’s tourism services co-ordinator Mitch Lowe said the Lismore campaign would [...]

Parked cars and parked wallets are keeping Byron Bay businesses from returning to profitability but there are encouraging signs. THE loss of Splendour in the Grass, declining domestic tourism numbers and the high Australian dollar are combining to deliver a “triple whammy” to Byron Bay’s struggling tourism market. Adding to the town’s woes are a weak retail sector Australia-wide and uncertainty about the impact of the carbon tax. Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce, Byron United, president Sevegne Newton said she was “gravely concerned” about what was happening to Byron Bay businesses and the flow on effects to the community. She said Byron Bay was not facing anything different to the rest of the country, but was a microcosm of what [...]

EcoMart director Effie Ablett (left) with Elke (13), and Eve (9) Howell and their mum Jenny Stonier enjoying the natural benefits of sustainable home-grown food. CAN’T eat all of the pumpkins growing in your backyard? Neither could Alstonville woman Jenny Stonier, so she decided to get involved with EcoMart Northern Rivers Co-op. “This year we planted a pumpkin patch to stop the (creek) bank eroding, and it has produced a huge number of pumpkins,” she said. “We used to give away all of our excess fruit and vegetables. “But now we can sell it through EcoMart.” Her family grows a huge variety of fresh produce on their property, including potatoes, spring onions and pineapples. “We live in a place where [...]

Workers in the Northern Rivers are among the lowest paid in NSW. WHILE residents of ritzy Mosman in Sydney’s North Shore have an average income of $130,000 a year, workers on the Northern Rivers are amongst the lowest paid in NSW. Tenterfield has the lowest total average income in the whole of the state at $27,247. This is closely followed by Kyogle at $29,182, Richmond Valley at $31,224; Byron Bay at $33,438 and Lismore at $34,461. Of all of the local government areas on the Northern Rivers, people in Ballina earned the most, with an average income of $36,844. But that is still about $12,000 less than the state average of $48,755. These new figures from the Australian Bureau of [...]

Lismore Art Gallery Director Brett Adlington with two Margaret Olley paintings that are part of the permanent collection. AS RECENTLY as a few weeks ago, Margaret Olley was still discussing the planned new gallery that would – one day – bear her name. Former Lismore Regional Gallery director Steven Alderton, who was heavily involved in the initial planning of the new gallery in Lismore, met with Ms Olley to discuss the gallery after she heard the project had stalled because of financial concerns in council. Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell said she asked Mr Alderton, who became friends with Ms Olley while he worked at Lismore, to tell the revered painter she hadn’t given up. “I asked him to tell her [...]

Gay Schofield, of Wyrallah, has had to lower the price on her home. THE sales figures speak volumes. If anyone doubted that the real estate market in the Northern Rivers had slumped this year, recent statistics reveal the harsh truth. The number of sales and the prices fetched have dropped drastically in 2011. Prices in many cases are down from a peak in 2010 – indicating the full extent of the GFC took a while to strike Australia. Figures for the past six years tell slightly different stories for the five local government areas in the Northern Rivers, but they all share a common theme. To add to the frustration of both vendors and buyers, the entire transaction process has [...]

Northern NSW Local Health Network confirms two news cases of swine flu at Lismore Base Hospital. TWO people have been confirmed with the potentially fatal swine flu at Lismore Base Hospital, Northern NSW Local Health Network said yesterday. A spokesperson told The Northern Star there had be “a sharp rise” in notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza, including H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, over the last two months. “There have been 30 cases notified cases of influenza (on the North Coast) in the first two weeks of July, while a total of 29 cases were reported in June,” the spokesperson said. The person said the true number could be much higher as cases had to be tested in a laboratory before [...]

Lauren Magri of Ballina High was fostered out as a teenager. LAUREN Magri fought a battle in her teenage years more emotionally challenging than most people face in their entire life. Despite spending countless nights with nowhere to sleep, months hopping between foster homes and carrying the burden of her loving yet mentally ill father, the 17-year-old exudes a compassion and maturity well beyond her age. But life for Lauren was not always so peachy. The Ballina Shire Youth Council member left home when she was 14 and began drinking heavily and smoking cannabis. “In Year 7 or 8 I went off the rails,” the Kids in Community awards against all odds division one recipient said. “I had enough of [...]

The rest of the beach was almost deserted, but a grey and windy day didn’t stop this group of American students enjoying their stop-off at Byron Bay’s Main Beach yesterday AFTER a string of picture perfect days, weather on the Northern Rivers has returned to wet, windy and wintry. The Bureau if Meteorology says it won’t last long – the skies should clear by late Saturday – but it is cold comfort to the scores of Queenslanders who are in Byron Bay for the first week of the school holidays. Main Beach was all but deserted at lunchtime yesterday as northern tourists huddled in cafes and stuck to window shopping. A spokesman from the bureau said the current conditions were [...]

Two of the celebrities at this year’s Lantern Festival will be a treat for the kids. From the popular TV series dirtgirlworld, 3m high lanterns of dirtgirl and her faithful companion, scrapboy, will be walking in the Lantern Parade, and later singing and dancing in the Fiery Finale. Rumour has it that earlier in the day, between 3 and 4pm, they’ll be dropping in to the Kids’ Art Space at the Lismore Regional Gallery, on Molesworth St, and meeting and greeting around the Market de Light stalls. TODAY is the biggest day of the year for Lismore. Rain or shine, there’ll be music in the air and markets in the heart of town, parties in the street and a river [...]

Byron Mayor Jan Barham. BYRON Shire Mayor and Greens Member of the NSW Legislative Council Jan Barham will stay in both her jobs, despite four state parliamentarians resigning their mayoral positions last week. The mayors relinquishing their positions – from Camden, Fairfield, Hawkesbury and Lake Macquarie – said they could not adequately fulfil the responsibilities of both roles, and the conflicting schedules between Macquarie Street and their respective councils’ chambers often meant having to be in two places at once. Cr Barham has missed the last two council meetings and several committee gatherings, but will attend today’s ordinary meeting. “I accept that I have missed the past two meetings, but these other mayors have partners and a family which they [...]

A 60-DAY moratorium on new exploration licences for coal seam gas mining was announced over the weekend, following months of debate between mining companies, farmers, councils and environmentalists. Lismore, Ballina, Byron and Kyogle councils, Rous Water and Northern Rivers Tourism have all pushed for the moratorium. Just last week Federal Page MP Janelle Saffin also backed the calls, saying the community deserved more information about the “potential damaging effect on the community, environment and agriculture”. She said the 60-day freeze on new exploration licences, announced by NSW Planning Minister Brad Hazzard on Friday night, was a good step forward. “My approach has been that we need to put the brakes on a bit,” Ms Saffin said. “We need some breathing [...]

Northern Rivers Roller Derby team members (from left) Alice Burgess (Maim’n’Shame), Sarah Robertson (Mia Submersive), Alica Wotherspoon (Sydeshow Ali) and Sarah Chambers (Pow3r Pout) get ready for some bump and bruising. LISMORE’S Alice Burgess wants to be known as Maim’n’Shame. Don’t be alarmed, she’s not a dangerous fugitive, just a member of the Northern Rivers Roller Derby where having an alias is required. She’ll be in good company with the likes of Psycho Cindy and Joni Bitchell. The local chapter of the 1970s-inspired sport that involves grace and mayhem in equal measure, is putting out the call for more members ahead of an open night on April 28. They need players, referees and off-skate volunteers to help run the show. [...]

A report by the NSW Auditor General reveals that Byron Shire and Lismore LGAs took the second and third spots for highest number of cannabis possession offences in the State. TWO local government areas (LGAs) on the Northern Rivers take some of the top spots for the most cannabis offences in the State, a crime which costs the NSW economy $700 million a year, a new report states. The NSW Auditor-General yesterday released his findings on the effectiveness of police issuing cautions to people in possession of minor amounts of cannabis (less than 15 grams). Eight per cent of the NSW population are cannabis users, the report found, a large proportion of which are on the Northern Rivers. The Byron [...]

BYRON Shire residents are being robbed of basic services like road maintenance due to inequities in the State Government’s land tax and grant systems, a local councillor says. Figures obtained by Byron Shire Councillor Patrick Morrisey show the State Government has collected almost $86 million in land taxes from the Byron shire over the past five years – the highest rate in NSW for comparable-sized rural shires – yet received the lowest of amount of Commonwealth Financial Assistance Grants per capita for a comparable council in NSW. The state-administered Financial Assistance Grants are an important source of funding for local councils, which spend the money on priorities like local roads, parks and pools, libraries, community centres and waste services. To [...]

Trinity College Lismore student, Jye Hudson-Sheaffe, 15, is over the moon after writing a album review for Rolling Stone Magazine during her one week work experience in Sydney. SHE may not be the next Jann Wenner or Hunter S Thompson … yet. But Lismore student Jye Hudson-Sheaffe is already on the way to a stellar career in journalism. The 15-year-old Trinity Catholic College student has had her first album review published in no less a magazine than Rolling Stone. “English has been my favourite subject since kindergarten,” says Ms Hudson-Sheaffe, who is in Year 10. “And I love all types of music – everything except commercial pop music and country. Right now my favourites are The Ramones and Arctic Monkey.” [...]

Wearing their purple International Women’s Day ribbons at Kadina High School yesterday ahead of today’s celebrations are (front) student Ayana Tanaka, 16, and teacher Kirsten Rowan. Also pictured are (rear, from left) Anna Podgorczyk, 15, teacher Julie Bryant, Isabella Tremayne, 15, Chelsea Jones (holding guitar), 12, Jane Newby, Tamika Kennedy, 15, and Natalie Russell, 15. THE up and coming generation of “powerful” young women will be celebrating their gender at Goonellabah’s Kadina High School today. The students will join thousands of other young women on the Northern Rivers celebrating the 100th International Women’s Day. A select group of the students will decorate their uniform in purple accessories, the colour of femininity. The young women lwill have cake and conversation with [...]

Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell. PROMISES to solve the lack of transport in the Northern Rivers are still vague with just six weeks to go until the State election. The Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils is yet to hear from any of the local candidates about their plans for integrated regional transport. The Minister for Transport has told NOROC he is interested in working their respective integrated transport plans for the Northern Region together. But that was months ago. “We want to see a commitment from all candidates that they commit to delivering a transport plan to meet our growing needs,” NOROC deputy chair Jenny Dowell said. “We have a submission for a plan. We wanted one done like the [...]

Study to target pot withdrawal PEOPLE who feel their use of marijuana is problematic, and who want to stop smoking pot, are being invited to take part in a new trial at the Riverlands Drug and Alcohol Centre in Lismore. The trial is being conducted with researchers from the Uni-versity of Sydney to evaluate the safety and usefulness of the mood-stabilising medication lithium, commonly used for the management of bipolar affective disorder in the management of cannabis withdrawal. Trial co-ordinator, Dr Jennifer Johnston, said while many pot smokers felt they could stop at will, others found they experienced withdrawal symptoms such as sleep difficulties, incr-eased anger and aggression, irritability, nervousness and anxiety. “Some users at the severe end of cannabis [...]

Lismore Lantern Parade president Terry Lawrence (left) and parade director Jyllie Jackson, holding Ivy Luna, aged 1, with lanterns based on this year’s The Great Garden theme at the Lismore Community Garden. THE theme has been chosen and the stage – the streets of Lismore – is set for the 2011 Lismore Lantern Parade. The theme is ‘The Great Garden’, which is the Gaelic meaning of the name of Lismore. Festival director Jyllie Jackson is inviting everyone to become involved in the preparations for the parade and festival, which turns 18 years old this year. “We are calling on residents, schools and community groups to come and help make lanterns, create costumes and sets, or perform on the night,” Ms [...]

Salvation Army commanding officer Major Lindsay Reeves with Woolworths Lismore Central store manager Wayne McInerney at a fundraising lamington table. “SHOCK and disbelief” were the words used by Lismore Salvation Army commanding officer, Major Lindsay Reeves, when describing the horror of the Queensland floods. “It’s just unbelievable what has happened,” he said. “That’s why we’re right on board with the Salvation Army’s national appeal. “We want to raise as much money as we can. That’s what’s really going to be most effective right now – monetary donations. “At this point in time, goods can’t get to the affected areas. Those sorts of donations will have to wait.” Major Reeves said people on the Northern Rivers could donate to the Salvation [...]

THE WORST highway in the State runs through the region, so it is no surprise the North Coast has the highest crash casualty rate outside Sydney. Statistics from the Road and Traffic Authority, show 656 people were killed or injured in car accidents in the Northern Rivers (Byron, Ballina, Richmond Valley, Kyogle and Lismore local government areas) in 2009. That is almost 15 per cent of the statewide toll. Byron Shire had the highest road toll for the region: Five fatalities. The remaining LGAs each had four, except for Kyogle which had none. Half of the region’s road deaths occurred on the State’s worst road – the Pacific Highway. Tweed Shire saw 279 people killed or injured in accidents, the [...]

A ‘Road Closed’ sign is placed on Bonalbo-Urbenville Rd to warn motorist of the closed road. Photo taken about 25 km’s outside of Urbenville. LISMORE, Byron Bay, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield and Tweed local government areas have been declared natural disaster areas by the NSW Government today. The announcement means the councils as well as farmers and businesses in those areas will be eligible for special funding including special one-off category c grants worth up to $15,000 from the Federal Government. They will join other Northern Rivers councils Kyogle and Ballina as natural disaster areas declared since flooding last week. A total of 59 LGAs NSW-wide have been declared disaster areas since December. “The rain and flooding in these areas significantly [...]

Ready for New Year’s Eve Tropical Fruits party at the Lismore Showgrounds are (from left) committee member Dermot Ryan, Penny Drops of Sydney, CoCo Kayne of Sydney, and Naomi Feller, secretary of Tropical Fruits DRUM rolls from the loud and proud Samba Blisstas will blast off a week of gay events in Lismore tonight – beginning with the Queer Fruits Film Festival. At 4.30pm, the drummers will lead a colourful parade of members of the gay, lesbian and transgender community, waving a 24-metre rainbow flag, from the Winsome Hotel to the Star Court Arcade. There they will be met by mayor Jenny Dowell and event hostess Vanessa Wagner. Drinks will follow before the film program begins at 7pm with ‘Vigilant! [...]

PARENTS are being urged to keep a close watch on their children, with police expressing concern about the numbers of youths on the streets at night. The weekend’s Operation Unite has bee targetign alcohol-related crime and violence. Crime manager for the Richmond LAC, Detective Inspector Greg Moore, said a ‘significant number’ of minors were found drunk or drinking alcohol in public places at Lismore and Ballina. “There is an ongoing concern regarding risk to vulnerable minors wandering the streets late at night,” he said. “It is a timely reminder for parents to ensure they exercise appropriate responsibility and awareness regarding the movements of their children at night.” Results from Operation Unite included: Twenty-four people charged with 34 charges including assault, [...]

Hometown support: Former Australian Idol contestant Ngaiire will return to Lismore to perform at the In Good Company Open Air Music Festival next Saturday. WHEN Ngaiire came to Lismore as a 16-year-old, she was more concerned about the lack of people on the streets than the ones who were. Joining the list of performers donating their time to the In Good Company Open Air Music Festival, Ngaiire will help raise money for mental health and homelessness. Having moved from Papua New Guinea with her family, Ngaiire said that Lismore was a definite culture shock. “It was really full-on actually, probably more so for my brother and sister,” Ngaiire said. “I sort of understood the change. “One thing I didn’t understand [...]

Taking a stand: Julie Leete, area manager for the Interrelate Family Centre in Lismore, is helping organise the Freedom from Bullying Expo at the Lismore Workers Club on Friday, November 12.BULLYING in the family is one of several topics to be workshopped at a Freedom from Bullying Expo in Lismore this month. Parents and children are encouraged to attend to better understand types of bullying and tips on resilience. The Freedom from Bullying Expo will be hosted by the Northern Rivers Anti-bullying Alliance (NRABA) at the Lismore Workers Club on Friday, November 12. The Bullying in Family workshops will be presented by Interrelate Family Relationship Services and the Men and Family Centre. Both organisations will focus on a range of [...]

One of the works in the 2010 NPWS Aboriginal Art Award at Lismore Regional Gallery, Dream pool Wash pool by artist Danielle Gorogo. A COLOURFUL and diverse range of entries for the ninth annual National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Aboriginal Art Award 2010 was officially opened at the Lismore Regional Galleryon Saturday at 131 Molesworth Street Lismore. The exhibition features works from Aboriginal artists across the Northern Rivers Region. NPWS senior ranger, Kerrie Metzler, said the variety and quality of the artworks on display showed Aboriginal culture was thriving in the Northern Rivers Region. “We are very excited to see such a fantastic range of artwork and are delighted to be exhibiting more than 50 entries,” Ms Metzler said. “This exhibition [...]

LISMORE’S inaugural Sonic Festival is ready to take off this weekend with more than 40 DJs and bands strutting their stuff on three stages. After 18 months’ planning,co-organiser Malcolm Fine is happy to see everything coming to fruition and was confident yesterday that the planets were aligning for an awesome weekend of music, arts and culture. “All is ready,” he said. “The bands are coming, the DJs are coming, and the artists are coming. “We have an extraordinary line-up of DJs and bands, and there also has been a huge response from Northern Rivers professionals wanting to contribute.” While the weekend forecast is for mostly fine weather, fears of rain have not perturbed organisers as much of the festival is [...]

THE average cost of renting a home on the Northern Rivers has skyrocketed over the past year, with Lismore tenants copping the biggest increases. Figures for the March quarter were released by Housing NSW this week. They reveal that a three-bedroom property in Lismore will now cost you $295 a week, which is an increase of 5.4 per cent compared with last year, and 1.7pc more than the previous quarter. The cost of renting a one-bedroom property in Ballina has jumped by 11pc to $200 a week. For two bedrooms, renters are paying $280 a week, which is 5.7pc more than last year. In Byron Bay, rents for one and three-bedroom homes have stayed steady at $230 and $420 a [...]

Wednesday, 11th March, Lismore City Hall Tickets ($45/38) on sale now @ www.norpa.org.au or 1300 066 772 Directly from his Sydney Opera House debut, comes this ‘genre-busting tour de force’, and ‘fabulously gifted pianist, composer and bandleader’ from the musical epicentre of Cuba — Roberto Fonseca. Born in 1975 in Havana Roberto Fonseca had a meteoric early career. At age 15 he began to perform at Havana’s international Jazz Plaza festival. In 1997 he and saxophone/clarinet player Javier Zalba founded the group Temperamento whose debut CD “En El Comienzo” was awarded “Best Jazz CD” at the Cubadisco Fair 1999. From 1999 to 2001 Roberto recorded three more albums under his own name. He also worked as a sideman pianist, hip [...]