The last Tweed Shire Council meeting saw the Reusable Nappy Rebate Scheme adopted by councillors, the rail trail impacts were discussed while a decision on the motion to go ahead with the Cudgen Creek Masterplan was deferred.

Nappy rebates

Councillor Dr Noala Firth moved the motion to adopt the Reusable Nappy Rebate Scheme in Tweed which encourages parents to use reusable nappies rather than disposables.

Non-disposable rebate has been taken on by many councils already. The funding for this initiative is from the resource recovery budget which is separate from rates revenue, she was clear to point out.

There are 3.7 million disposable nappies used a day in NZ and Australia. It is one of the biggest contributors to plastic waste as well as ordinary waste and it takes hundreds of years for these nappies to disappear. There is about one cup of crude oil per nappy. 

There are 1.5 billion disposable nappies used worldwide a year. They are all still sitting somewhere. This will reduce plastic and landfill. This is something we can do here at the council....

The Ballina Shire Council had more than $60 million invested in fossil fuel aligned companies on behalf of ratepayers as of the end of April 2023.

Of $107.3 million in various investments, mostly with fossil fuel aligned banks, the largest share at 14.9% was with Westpac, followed by 14% with the Commonwealth Bank (CBA)and 13% in the National Australia Bank (NAB).

Together the three major banks represented nearly 42% of the total council investment portfolio.

A detailed staff graph showed none of the three were classified as fossil fuel free or green.

Greens councillor depressed over fossil fuel support

A further 6.5% of investment funds were allocated to each of the Bank of Queensland and ME Bank and 4.8% to AMP Bank, with none of those three classified as fossil fuel free or Green.

Greens Councillor Kiri Dicker said at a recent council meeting she just got depressed about fossil fuel investment all the time.

I actually, like, how many times can they release an IPCC report that says in some other wording that, you know, were doomed effectively? Cr Dicker asked rhetorically at the May ordinary council meeting, referring to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

And like, part of me thinks its too late, Cr Dicker said, to be honest, I think were probably on a pathway to extinction anyway.

Anything thats going to starve the fossil fuel industry of money that it needs to operate I would obviously support.

Time for the public to have their say

It has been a tough run in the Northern Rivers from drought to fire to pandemic to flood so there is quite a bit to deal with for many of us. 

WORTH (Womens Outreach Trauma Health Service) are reaching out to women over 16 who have been impacted by the 2022 floods who would like to participate in a free Mindful Healing in times of trauma course.

The workshop will be delivered by a qualified psychologist in partnership with Safe Haven Lismore, The Buttery.

Its a skills-based workshop looking at the nervous systems, emotions, what trauma is and how it affects bodies and minds, said psychologist and acting project manager Sonja H.

We look at emotion regulation, self care, mindfulness and self compassion as part of the six week course.

Birthing on Country can be very important for many Aboriginal women, but many face the challenge of leaving Country to access medical care when their babies come. 

Imagine being 38 weeks pregnant and having to leave your family and community behind to travel hundreds of kilometres to get the care you and your baby will need for the birth. Though far from ideal, this is the reality many Aboriginal women in remote communities face when its time to have their babies and its something Southern Cross University and its partner organisations are committed to changing, said a SCU spokesperson. 

Southern Cross University has secured a $3.558 million grant from the federal Department of Health and Aged Care to collaboratively scope and design an innovative program for Birthing on Country with three Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.

The program will...

Has Byron Shire Council improved with its transparency with regards to confidential motions?

Should councillors try and be as transparent as possible when dealing with assets that are publicly owned?

In last weeks meeting, all councillors didnt bat an eyelid as they moved again into confidential session over two motions, one relating to land that Council owns in the highly valuable Belongil suburb (Item 9.5), and another that was just called a boundary adjustment for another parcel of Belongil property. 

No information was provided on the motion, so the public were left without any knowledge of what went on behind closed doors.

When delving into the reasons around the secrecy, Mayor Michael Lyon at first defended the secrecy as entirely prudent and appropriate, and, We are trying to solve a building encroachment on Council-land issue and we wanted to ensure that all ideas could be discussed without fear of litigation.

He said general reasons to close the doors on the public, would be matters where legislation prohibits us doing so, for commercial in-confidence matters regarding contracts and tender selection, appointment of members to panels and committees and finally, matters that are likely to be able to leave us open to being sued.

When pressed, he said, The default position is that if something is of concern to staff, and raises an issue under the legislation, then they mark it as confidential. 

We have had the discussion quite a few times regarding whether to move away from this on a particular item, but it is rare that we disagree with staffs assessment, though it has happened in the past. 

I agree that the original motions, as proposed, should have been in the public agenda, and the background redacted if it contained problematic content, however, staff chose a different view, and they are responsible for production of the agenda.

So, should councillors be more engaged with what is confidential, and take the lead, instead of mostly relying on staff with such matters?  

Former Byron Mayor and NSW Upper House MP, Jan Barham, told The Echo, In accordance with the Local Government Act 1993 and the NSW Office of Local Government advice, the onus is on councillors to determine if confidentiality is required and maintain open processes to keep the community informed.

...

Are the van campers of Brunswick Heads thoughtless travellers with no respect for the town and its inhabitants, or are many in fact local homeless folk looking for a safe space with toilets and running water?

That was a key theme during a passionate Council meeting last week, which ultimately saw councillors vote to close down the van camping hub on South Beach Lane, and to spend $250,000 on bolstering Councils compliance team.

South Beach Lane is located next to open parkland, a bridge and runs along the river, near Torakina car park.

A group of local residents living in the highly-sought-after strip of houses adjacent to the lane slammed the van campers who have set up a community in the car park there.

I speak on behalf of my family, residents of South Beach Lane and beyond, when I say that the relentless camping and loitering has reached an unbearable limit, said resident Sam Boulton, whose family has lived on the lane since 1968.

Theres no reprieve and weve reached breaking point.

Mr Boulton said there was continuous noise from engines, doors slamming, and music, and that campers dumped rubbish, gear and food waste in the nearby park and sometimes into peoples backyards.

The current circumstances mean that it is not a pleasant place for raising a child, study, working from home or simply enjoying home time, he said.

The attitude if asked to be quiet? We can be here till 1am.

Other residents spoke of campers defecating in the park next to the river, having loud parties, dealing drugs, and swearing and spitting at local residents.

The principal of the primary school has to call the police to do a sweep before theres a cros...

Some streets will be blocked off and others reduced to one lane on Sunday 4 June around Lismore Base Hospital and Lismore Shopping Square for significant electricity maintenance work.

The maintenance work has been scheduled by Essential Energy and traffic flow will be affected between the hours of 7am and 4pm, conditions permitting.

The work will involve the replacement of power poles and cross-arms, along with general maintenance on the electricity network, said Essential Energy in a press release. 

Operations Manager Ranges, Paul McWilliam said, To keep the community and Essential Energy crews safe during the work, full and partial road closures will unfortunately be necessary.

Professional traffic management will be in place to assist with traffic flow including access by emergency services. Parts of Uralba and Diadem Streets will be fully closed, while Laurel Avenue, Diadem and Magellan Streets will be reduced to one lane.

We are bringing crews in on a Sunday to minimise impacts on the community and recommend people allow additional travel time or avoid the area where possible, Mr McWilliam added.

We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank the community for their cooperation and understanding while our crews complete this important maintenance work.

The post Traffic interruptions around Lismore Base Hospital Sunday appeared first on The Echo.

The clearing of the flood prone development site at 60 Tringa Street, Tweed Heads appears to have been completed by developers MAAS Group Holdings who then pulled out from the site on 24 April. 

The approval is part of a 27-year-old development application (DA) that was bought last year by MAAS Group Holdings from Dubbo for $20M+ that sits on the floodplain next to Cobaki Creek, and the Tweed River. 

A new Essential Guardian poll shows 60 per cent of Australians support a freeze on rental increases.

Greens candidate for the federal seat of Richmond, Mandy Nolan, has welcomed national polling data showing strong public support for the Greens housing policies. 

Ms Nolan says this is a policy the Greens have been pushing but is opposed by the Labor government. 

In the middle of the worst housing affordability crisis in decades, the government is doing nothing to help renters. We need an immediate two-year rent freeze, says Mandy Nolan, who last week announced shes running again in Richmond. The federal electorate has been held by the Labor incumbent Justine Elliot for almost two decades.  

Another report this week confirms the national crisis in rental affordability is getting worse, with estimates from ANZ CoreLogic that low-income households must now spend over half their income on rent. When renters are paying more than one-third of their income in rent they are considered to be in rental stress.

All of us in this electorate know stories of teachers, nurses and other essential workers who cant afford houses or rents here. Rents have spiralled out of control, says Man...

On Sunday a 75 year-old man fell down the steep side of the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail near Crabbes Creek and breaking his hip. 

Greg Bowering said he and his 75-year old friend were riding the Tweed section of the rail trail near where Crabbes Creek Road meets Tweed Valley Way when the accident happened. After the underpass the trail curves around and goes up a very steep incline and that is where the accident happened.  

When the cyclists in front of me went up the other side one of them stalled and ran out of power on the slope. I put my foot down, but was near the edge and stumbled and fell down over the side, the injured cyclist told The Echo from Tweed Hospital following surgery.  

Both Greg and his friend said there was a sign that tells cyclists to dismount but that they didnt see it and none of the cyclists in front stopped and dismounted either.

It is a really sharp bend and really steep. Thats why they have the sign to dismount I assume, but most people, like me, dont see it. They need to improve it and put in a rail. They should have some sort of railing to prevents what happened to me happening to someone else. The drop is around one-and-a-half metres down over ruggard, sharp rocks.

The injured gentleman told The Echo that hes done a lot of riding and while the rest of the trail was excellent the section from the underpass was narrow and poten...

Byron Council have been forced to explore the possibility of a public private partnership to fund its planned bioenergy facility in Byron Bay.

Its an option that would effectively mean privatising the plant and the public land it sits upon, for 25 years or more. 

In the latest chapter in the six-year saga over the proposal to build the waste-to-energy plant next to the Byron Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), it has now emerged that Council cannot viably fund the $23M project by itself, and that government funding is unlikely to be forthcoming in the near future.

At last weeks meeting, councillors voted to submit a proposal to the state government for the project to be considered for initial assessment as a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Rejected application

This follows an unsuccessful funding a...

Today is the fourth anniversary of the disappearance of Tho Hayez, an 18-year-old Belgian backpacker who was last seen leaving Cheeky Monkeys bar in Byron Bay at around 11pm on May 31, 2019.

Since then, hundreds of people joined searches and the community drew together to help a family from the other side of the planet find their beloved boy. 

An inquest found that Tho was most likely deceased, but State Coroner, Teresa OSullivan, told the court the investigation was unable to determine the cause or manner of his death.

Though life goes on for the Byron community, and the Hayez family, Tho is always in their thoughts.

On Monday, The Echo spoke to Thos dad, Laurent Hayez, in Belgium a man who has always been deeply indebted to the community for their love and support throughout the years. 

Weve been experiencing sadness and so many other emotions for fours years now, he said. Four years of thinking about him every day and wondering what happened to him.

For four years, weve been convinced that he must have bumped into someone between the Cheeky Monkeys bar and the Cosy Corner on Tallow Beach.

And four years that weve been hoping for a testimonial to put an end to this mystery and this torture of not knowing.

...

Local MP, Tamara Smith is standing by her claim that NSW government run corporation, Reflections Holiday Parks, is a private enterprise, despite its new CEO claiming it is a certified social enterprise.

Following the recent story on the ongoing issues around the Brunswick Heads Terrace Reserve Holiday Park that it manages, Reflections Holiday Parks CEO, Nick Baker, wrote a letter to the editor to clarify who Reflections Holiday Parks is.

He says, Reflections is a Category One Crown Land Manager and a NSW statutory entity, under the Crown Land Management Act 2016.

It is also a certified social enterprise (the only holiday park group in Australia with this status) and, crucially, it reinvests all surpluses into public (Crown) land.

Reflections manages 23,000 acres of public land on behalf of the NSW public only six per cent of this is holiday parks; the remainder is Crown reserve, open to members of the community for their enjoyment.

Reflections has never sold land, and cannot do so because we dont own it we manage it for the people of NSW, on behalf of Crown Lands.