With the growth in Mens Sheds in the region, local co-ordinator Tony Heeson says a location has been secured in Byron Bay, and all that is needed is members.

Heeson is co-ordinator of Zone 12, which covers 18 sheds in the Northern Rivers, from Tweed Heads to Grafton.

He told The Echo, A community mens shed is a community space consisting of workshops and meeting rooms, where men gather to work together on meaningful activities and projects for personal and community benefit. 

It aims to improve the health and well-being of members, and reduce the number of men who are at risk from preventable health issues that may emanate from social isolation. 

The recently formed Australian Mens Shed Association now has about 1,380 member sheds.

Some small areas with sheds include Drake and Bonalbo, with populations of under 500. 

Central Byron Bay location secured

With Byrons population at 6,000, we have a central location for the shed, and the necessary funding to build it. 

The Austral...

Its International Nurses Day today an international day observed around the world each year on 12 May which is the anniversary of Florence Nightingales birth. The event mark the contributions that nurses make to society. The theme for the 2023 resource is Our Nurses. Our Future.

Our Nurses. Our Future. is a global campaign which sets out what the global community wants for nursing into the future in order to address the health challenges and improve global health for all. As a community we need to learn from the lessons of the pandemic and translate these into actions of the future.

With the release of the State of the Worlds Nursing report, the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing & Midwifery, the Sustain and Retain in 2022 and Beyond and many other important publications, ICN and other organisations have shown the evidence for change and called for action. It is now time to look to the future and demonstrate what these investments will mean for nursing and healthcare. The Our Nurses. Our Future. campaign will shine the light on nurses and on a brighter future.

Nurses to continue raising voices for change

Locally, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) says that nurses across the public, private and aged care sectors are spending International Nurses Day reflecting on their tireless efforts to provide quality care to patients, residents and local communities despite the current workforce challenges one nurse-midwife told The Echo that most nurses are probably just desperately hoping that they might actually get a lunch break today (or any day).

Determined to secure a brighter future for the profession, NSWNMA General Secretary, Shaye Candish, said the day was an opportunity to recognise the essential contribution of nurses and pay tribute to nurses who speak up for change. Nurses are vital for our healthcare system. Their critical thinking and expert coordination prove nurses must be involved whenever decisions are made about healthcare reform or new policies.

Over the last 12 months weve seen commitments from governments to deliver much needed changes in the aged care and public health sectors which will have an immense impact on our ability to provide the quality care patients and residents rightly deserve.

This progress is thanks to nurses and midwives across NSW demanding better, and it highlights their vital role in advocating for improved healthcare for all.

Leaders in fighting for change

NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary Michael Whaites, said nurses are not just leaders in healthcare, but also leaders in fighting for change.

Our members have campaigned for evidence-based nurse-to-patient ratios for many years. They shouldered the brunt of the pandemic over t...

A lack of housing on the Far North Coast increases the risks of domestic violence (DV). Women are more likely to stay in DV situations, and are more at risk living on the street, because they cant find alternative accommodation.

Earlier this year it was alleged Ballina woman Lindy Lucena was murdered by her former partner Robert Huber, who was out on bail for assault charges at the time of her death. He was arrested and charged with Lindys murder and for breaching a domestic violence order (DVO).

At the time Lucena was living in her vehicle.

Jillian Knight-Smith is the CEO of Women Up North Housing Inc. (WUN), a nationally registered social housing provider. WUN assists women and their children who have experienced domestic or family violence, or abuse, to access and maintain private or social housing.

Knight-Smith says there is just not enough accommodation and that the lack of housing...

The Jarrad Antonovich coronial inquest continued at Lismore Courthouse yesterday, with medical experts and bystanders alike expressing amazement that an ambulance wasnt called earlier to the unfolding medical emergency at the 2021 Dreaming Arts festival, held near Kyogle.

The first witness was Associate Professor and Doctor Arthur Richardson, a specialist based at Westmead Hospital with expertise in the liver, pancreas and oesophagus. With Jarrad Antonovichs cause of death thought to be a hole in his oesophagus, counsel assisting the coroner asked Dr Richardson what was likely to have caused this tear.

The doctor explained that the oesophagus was essentially a tube between the mouth and the stomach, noting that it was difficult to puncture, even in cases where people had swallowed razor blades and scissors, however it was liable to tear in cases of severe vomiting and retching, with about 30 cases of this sort occurring per year in NSW.

Dr Richardson said he lacked direct experience of the results of coughing from ayahuasca and kambo use, but agreed it was possble for post-ayahuasca vomiting to cause a small tear in the oesophagus, which could be exacerbated by later dry retching (such as that caused by kambo in some cases).

...

NSW Police report that the Drug and Firearms Squad detectives have charged a man, and seized drugs and firearms, following an investigation into the alleged manufacture of prohibited firearms near Coffs Harbour.

The Stat...

Your dog, your responsibility. That is the simple message that Tweed Shire Council (TSC) rangers are trying to get through to dog owners. 

This follows an attack over the weekend that led to the death of a small dog.

In the latest attack investigated by rangers over the weekend, a small dog was attacked and killed by two dogs at Tweed Heads. The attacking dogs have since been surrendered to Council, said a TSC spokesperson. 

A total of 119 incidents were reported to Tweed Council in 2022 and in the first four months of this year, 16 dog attacks have been investigated by Council rangers.

Councils Team Leader, ranger Kristian Pakula said the continuing number of dog attacks was worrying, not just as it impacts the safety of the local community but because it shows people are not getting the message.

Dog owners need to ensure their animals are always under effective control, Mr Pakula said.

Residents and visitors to the Tweed need to understand the importance of keeping their dogs on leads at all times, unless in a designated off-leash area.

Owner liable

Council is urging residents to understand that under NSW legislation, the owner or person in control of a dog is liable for the actions of that dog. This includes where a dog rushes at, attacks, harasses or chases any person or animal, as well as liability for any resulting injury to a person or damage to property.

In addition, your dog may be declared menacing or dangerous, requiring it to be muzzled and wear an identifying dangerous dog collar while in public, and kept within a specific enclosure w...

It was 1973 and people around the world were looking at how to live, how to create community, and how to dream a new future. In Australia, the Nimbin Aquarius Festival was an expression of these ideas, principles, and visions. Tomorrow will mark the start of the Nimbin Aquarius 50 Festival which will celebrate its 50th anniversary. 

Now from 12 21 May, the Aquarius 50 Festival at Nimbin will celebrate the anniversary of this remarkable event and its legacy, including the achievements and challenges of the Nimbin township over half a century, says Michael Balderstone of the Nimbin HEMP Embassy. 

Program and events

The extensiv...

Kyogle author and writing coach Graeme Gibson is holding in-conversation talks at the Ballina and Goonellabah libraries with Bob Brace as well as a free life writing workshop for people interested in writing a memoir. 

Everyone has a story to tell and writing a life story is something many people plan on doing one day. Lacking confidence and knowing how to approach the writing are major hurdles for many. And for some there is self-doubt that their life has been interesting enough, said Graeme.

There is no need for fame, glory or a particular fate to justify a memoir. An ordinary life, if there is such a thing, has a story to tell and other lives to enrich.

Elderly Feros Village residents in Byron Bay and their families received notice yesterday (Wednesday, 10 May), from Feros Care CEO Karen Crouch, that the aged care facility would close on 23 June, 2023.

This follows the recent request by residents to the Minister of Crown Lands, Steve Kamper, for Feros Care to be removed as Crown Land Manager (CLM) for the site and a new provider to be put in place who will continue to provide aged care to current and future residents.

In a press release regarding the closure a spokesperson for Feros Care stated, Feros Care accepts there have been passionate and vocal defenders of the home and that the decision to close Feros Village Byron Bay has been particularly challenging for some residents and their families. The remaining residents have been informed today (10 May) of the closure date.

Whilst a small number of residents remain at Feros Village Byron Bay, Feros Care has been regularly advised over the past months of the ample, suitable residential aged care accommodation in the region for them to relocate into their new home. We have helped all residents in their moves since the initial announcement and once complete will close the Village.

Feros Care had previously told residents and families that the Byron Bay Village would not close until everyone had found suitable, alternative accommodation.

Residents refuse to leave

Responding to the notice of closure residents and their families have written to Feros Care stating that they do not consent to leaving Byron Bay Village; and that the effort by Feros to obtain their consent is considered by them to be a de facto eviction.

Residents have made clear that they do not know of any accommodation for them that is available, suitable, and affordable and that they consider that their resident agreements remain in place.

The letter, from their lawyer Mark Swivel to Feros Care, continues: As you know, an aged care provider must not take action to make a resident leave or to imply that...

Both the Tweed District Residents Association (TDRA) and Kingscliff Ratepayers and Progress Association (KRPA) have recently called for a moratorium on existing legacy or zombie development approvals (DAs) on floodplains. The state government continues to say that councils have the ability to deal with these problematic DAs, but the evidence seems to say otherwise.

The failure of current legislation to stop legacy DAs is of particular concern to the TDRA which has been seeking stop work orders on the recent activity by MAAS Group Holdings at Tweed on Cobaki Creek. MAAS bought the property, with a 27-year-old legacy development approval on it, last year for $20M+ and have started clearing the sensitive site. The Tweed Council have asked MAAS to cease work, but MAAS have declined leaving both Council and locals frustrated with their inability to stop the work and have the site reassessed in relation to flood and environmental impacts of the DA. 

...

It was standing room only at the Eltham Hotel last Thursday for a bawdy night out about Australian songbirds. 

The sell-out crowd for Science in the Pub were wowed by award-winning author, Tim Low, and the warm-up act, local regeneration legend, Mark Dunphy. 

Dunphy laid out the stark fact of colonisation clearing rainforests, but also celebrated the recent plantings of millions of trees in the region to help regenerate forests, bringing back the birds who sing in them. 

He also lewdly described a bird orgy in his own regenerated backyard, as birds were constantly courting, mating, and nesting. 

Its like a con...

Yesterday the inquest being held in Lismore before State Coroner Teresa OSullivan heard from Jarrad Antonovichs former partner and a young woman who was at the Arcoora Eco Retreat, near Kyogle, when Mr Antonovich died there in October 2021. This was described as a beautiful occasion by event organisers, greatly upsetting the family in the gallery.

Ayahuasca inquiry: Day 1, Day 2.

Kambo inquiry

Jarrads former partner and best friend Patrick Santucci joined the inquest via video link, explaining he had also known Mr Antonovich as Ish, and known him to be a spiritual person who was looking to evolve. He said they had been close from 2016 until 2021, and he was aware of some lingering effects on Jarrad from his severe car accident in the 1990s.

Mr Santucci said Jarrad had been to South America before they had met, trying ayah...

Many Indigenous elders oppose the Voice (eg Gurnpa David Cole and grandmother Mulara). The Voice will cede Indigenous sovereignty so parliament will have more power over them.

A delegation of Aboriginal Australians went to Canberra to ask the prime minister and opposition leader to hear their opposition to the Voice 

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said: Secret government documents the National Indigenous Australians Agency released under FOI say any Voice to Parliament should be designed so that it could support and promote a treaty-making process which would include a fixed percentage of the entire economy as reparation every year along with rates/land tax/royalties to the Voice.

How will white Australians feel when they have to pay rent on land they purchased and the Australian flag is abolished?

It would create an Australia with two classes e. Indigenous have privileges not for whites. This would create resentment and drive racism. We want the best for Indigenous people but this is not the way. 

Menkit Prince, Uki

Ed note: According to AAP Factcheck the statements relating to seeking to change the flag [and to] set aside a fixed percentage of GDP for reparation payments were  documents of  the minutes from 13 regional dialogue consultation events held in 2016 and 2017 that were part of the national consultation process about how best to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution. The documents do not show either the government nor the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) are seeking to change the flag, nor set aside a fixed percentage of GDP for reparation payments. (https://bit.ly/41eYBZ7).

The post Voice appeared first on The Echo.

Startling imagery reflecting on recent extreme weather consequences in our community will go on display tomorrow at the Northern Rivers Community Gallery.

Michelle Walker and her colleague Jude Whyte will be launching the exhibition of their work tomorrow at 5.30pm at 44 Cherry Street, Ballina which will be on display at the gallery until 25 June.

This exhibition of artworks capturing the energies and turmoil in the aftermath of fires and floods in the Northern Rivers, say the artists. 

Images of burnt trees, mud-stained houses and impacted lan...

With floods being in the forefront of our local issues, last night Lismore Council voted on who would represent the area at the 2023 Floodplain Management Australia (FMA) National Conference will take place in Sydney from 23 26 May.

The FMA conference will be held at Luna Park Venues and the theme of the 2023 event is Preparing for the unprecedented flood, which will focus on applying lessons from recent floods and new research to better manage the increasing costs of extreme weather events.

The FMA Conference has been held annually for over 50 years and is the most respected flood risk management event held in Australia.

The Conference is for anyone interested in making our communities more flood safe. It will bring together over 350 flood professionals and community members with interests in flood risk management. Attendees will include Commonwealth, State and Local Government representatives, research organisations and education providers as well as consultants, engineers, land-use planners, emergency responders and community volunteer organisations.

The Conference will include outstanding Australian and International speakers, plenary and concurrent presentations, a Local Government Councillors session, field trips addressing floodplain issues in Sydney and surrounding areas, as well as great networking events.  One of the keynote speakers tis year is science communicator and journalist Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.

Lismore City Council, as a member of the FMA, is entitled to two voting delegates, but only one when voting on changes to the Constitution.

Last night three Councillors put up their hands to make the trip to Sydney Councillors Bird, Ekins and Rob. Councillor Rob requested to nominate for both of the voting positions and Cr Ekins asked to be the other voting delegate.

Councillors agreed unanimously that all three were to attend as delegates with Rob and Ekins as the voting delegates and Rob being the delegate who votes on any potential changes to the constiution.

You can find out more about the 2023 Floodplain Management Australia National Conference here.

The post Lismore delegates for the 2023 Floodplain Management Australia National Conference appeared first on The Echo.

Murwillumbah Community Gardens (MCG) is running two low-cost building workshops about building with earth-based materials.

The two workshops will be facilitated by Rebecca Whan, a world-renowned architect and expert, busy facilitating earth-buildings around the globe, said Amber Alley, spokesperson for MCG.

Looking at techniques that can be used for sustainable, low-cost building or environmentally friendly feature garden walls participants will take a hands-on approach and help to build a garden wall at the community gardens in Murwillumbah.

This will be a retaining wall to limit erosion loss, and a feature on a new flower garden for the bees, said Ms Alley.

Earth wall buildings have been used in many traditional settings universally. They have gathered interest in recent times since they greatly reduce damage to the environment, are aesthetically pleasing, and involve fewer delivery miles in their making. The same principles are used to create houses and other buildings.

In the first workshop you will learn about the mate...

About 6.20am Monday, 8 May, emergency services were called to Lismore Road, Clunes, following reports of a two-vehicle crash.

At the scene, police from Tweed Byron and Richmond Police Districts were told that an SUV and van collided on a bend.

The driver of the SUV, a 43-year-old man, was stabilised by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Lismore Base Hospital in a critical condition.

The driver of the van, a 38-year-old woman, was taken to Lismore Base Hospital in a stable condition

Locals have reported that the road was closed for approximately eight hours. 

Investigators have commenced inquiries into circumstances surrounding the crash, and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The post SUV driver in critical condition after crash near Clunes appeared first on The Echo.

Racing New South Wales will meet with local horse racing figures in Ballina this morning for an inquiry into allegations of animals abuse against a local horse trainer.

Racing NSW Chairman of Stewards, Steve Railton, confirmed that an inquiry would be held today in Ballina but did not elaborate on the subject of the meeting.

The Echo has heard from concerned members of the racing community who say the hearing will begin at 10am at the Ballina Jockey Club.

Brushing things under the rug

A spokesperson for the group of concerned people, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of backlash from Racing NSW, says the organisation has a tendency to brush things under the rug. They tend to victimise people that stand forward about things anyone coming forward as a whistleblower will feel their wrath and that possibly will affect their income.

The person says that a local trainer, who is well known to other trainers and strappers for their abuse against horses, will have to answer questions about two horses who sustained fractured skulls amongst other injuries. Im very experienced. Ive worked in this industry for a long time. Ive worked with the best trainers and I can honestly say Ive never ever seen a horse in a racing stable ever get a fractured skull, let alone two horses. It just doesnt happen. I imagine that would be something like a high speed impact injury but not in a stable environment.

They [the accused] have been seen multiple times flogging horses.

Racing NSW should be asking vets

The person said that Racing NSW should be calling up the vets and asking them if they have tended horses with a fractured skull? How would [the trainer] tell the vet how the horse injured itself?

The person is concerned that because Racing NSW is self-regulating in this type of case, the fear of casting a shadow over the industry as a whole is enough for them to brush it off. 

They said the owners of the horses are often in the dark about how their animals are being treated once they have handed the horse over to a trainer, owners might not see that animal again until race day, and maybe not even then.

The person said that most people in the industry absolutely adore their horses. They become like their pet, you know, they bring in little gifts, they pick them grass and you actually bawl your eyes out if something happens to that horse.

Bad for the industry

There are so many people in this industry watching this and waiting to see what the outcome is.

These [abusive] people, theyre bad for our industry and I cant stand hearing about this happening to thes...

Investigations are underway into two deaths in the Northern Rivers following ceremonies using the natural therapies kambo and ayahuasca.

NSW State Coroner, Teresa OSullivan, is presiding over hearings into the death of Natasha Lechner, 39, who died at a home in Mullumbimby on March 8, 2019 following a kambo ceremony.

Additionally, evidence has bee...

A man is due to appear in Tweed Heads Local Court today charged over an alleged fraud of more than $24 million.

Detectives attached to Camden Police Area Command established Strike Force Wooroonga after receiving a report in July last year (2022), that a local businessman had allegedly misappropriated his clients investments.

Following extensive inquiries, detectives attached to Queensland Polices Coomera CIB arrested a 40-year-old man on Hope Island on Monday (8 May, 2023), by virtue of a NSW Police arrest warrant.

When the man appeared in the Southport Watchhouse yesterday (Tuesday, 9 May, 2023), NSW Police detectives successfully applied for the mans extradition.

The man has been refused police bail and is due to appear in Tweed Heads Local Court today (Wednesday, 10 May, 2023), charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception.

Crime Manager, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Albury, said they will be alleging in court the man targeted mum and dad-type investors as well as other business owners.

This arrest is the result of almost a years persistence and hard work by the Camden PAC detectives, assisted by our colleagues in the Queensland Police Service, Det Ch Insp Albury said.

We will be alleging in court that this man targeted mum and dad-type investors as well as other business owners.

We encourage anyone who believes they have been the victim of a crime such as this to contact police, he said.

The post Man extradited from Qld over alleged $24m fraud to appear in Tweed appeared first on The Echo.

Calls by residents and their families to remove Feros Care as the Crown Land Manager (CLM) for Feros Village Byron Bay have triggered an investigation by Crown Lands, who own the site on behalf of the people of NSW.

As the Marvell Street aged care facility is built on Crown Land, it must be managed in accordance with the reserve purpose: homes for the aged, Crown Lands say, in a response to one of the residents complaints.

Feros Care may not undertake development (i.e. proposed redeveloped as an intergenerational dwelling) on the property without consent of Crown Lands as owner of the land.

A spokesperson for NSW Minister for Lands and Property, Labor MP Steve Kamper, told The Echo, Crown Lands [which sits] in the Department of Planning and Environment, met with Feros Care last week to discuss its plans, and [we] will be requesting further information to conduct a thorough assessment, 

The Echo understands that Feros Care have now told Crown Lands that it is no longer planning an intergenerational facility, and that they intend to maintain the sites focus on aged care. 

Nonetheless, Feros Care management have said they still intend to redevelop the site, and all residents must find alternative placements. They say that the facility no longer meets the governments standards, including bushfire protection measures, for aged care.

A spokesperson for Feros Care told The Echo, Any redevelopment of this site will be for affordable seniors accommodation, which is undeniably a much-needed community asset that allows for seniors to live independently while integrated within the community. 

The decision to close the village was made, because after 33 years, it no longer meets the government requireme...

Yesterday the coronial inquest into the death of Jarrad Antonovich moved temporarily to Ballina Courthouse, with a toxics expert, two ambulance officers and a neighbour taking the stand. After the power failure in Lismore which caused the move, there were more questions than answers when NSW State Coroner Teresa OSullivan reopened proceedings.

With the court having already heard that Mr Antonovich had used kambo (a type of poison extracted from Amazonian frogs, used to induce purging), toxicologist and Associate Professor Darren Roberts provided more information about how this substance might have contributed to his death at the Arcoora Arts & Eco Retreat in 2021.

He said descriptions of Mr Antonovichs seriously swollen neck and facial swelling in the hours before the ambulance was called sounded like a condition called frog face, caused by a ruptured oesophagus, with air becoming trapped under the skin. Associate Professor Roberts said that while this would not have been diagnosed by people without specific medical training, it should have been clear to anyone that Mr Antonovich was in distress and needed urgent medical attention.

He said the combination of persistent swelling, pain and breathlessness over many hours was very worrying.

Associate Professor Rob...