The Northern Rivers Echo Main News

Beer? It's for the birds

Story & photo: Julian 'pass muster' Ryan

As a publican who breeds prize winning poultry in his spare time, Doug Hogan believes that he has finally found the secret to success after showing chooks for the last 60 years.

"My chooks are the best fed fouls in all of Australia," Doug chuckled.

"Every day they get fresh meat from the butcher, fresh produce from Menin's and I always mix their mash up with beer that I collect from the drip trays each morning. People often laugh at my alcoholic chooks but it just goes to show that a few beers each day never hurt anyone - just ask the judges."

You can see Doug's chooks and all the other poultry exhibits on display at the North Coast National, currently on at the Lismore Showgrounds unitl Saturday.

Cooking section judge Bernice King (second from left) with first-placed cookery and flower arrangement exhibitor Hayley Bryant and her prize-winning chocolate cake, champion floral arrangement winner Kelly Bryant and cooking section champion Kelly Lee-Night displaying her blue-ribbon winning biscuits.

Lismore publican and poultry legend Doug Hogan with 'Colin' the Road Island Red that was judged Champion Soft Feather Pair Male at the North Coast National yesterday.

Other highlights of the weekend include beef cattle judging, followed by cattle dog trials, woodchops and ring events that will keep the whole family entertained.

Don't forget about the produce and cooking exhibits in the pavilion and all of the old favourites plus a few surprises in side show alley.

Chief Judge of the fruit and veg and farm produce section, Bill Moffitt (right) with chief steward Alan Hoskins, holding the champion collection of fodder grasses.

Be totally entertained by some of the region's most talented performers every nights with the Summerland Credit Union Arena Spectacular starting at 7pm followed by fireworks at 8.30pm.

Meanwhile, over in the cooking section, Bernice King, wife of Lismore's mayor, and a judge at the North Coast National for the last 15 years, was once again licking her lips over the mouth-watering delicacies to pass under her discerning eyes.

"It's a credit to these young people who have all entered this section as representatives of various Northern Rivers Rural Youth clubs," she said. "In this takeaway age it's comforting to know that young people are still being trained in the art of good old-fashioned home cooking."

The farm produce and the cookery can be viewed in the pavilion until the show finishes on Saturday night.

And after judging the fodder section on Wednesday, chief judge Bill Moffitt said the big dry hadn't affected the quality of the exhibits one iota.

"The overall quality of the produce entered here is of an exceptionally high standard," he said. "The drought has prevented farmers from irrigating for the last two weeks and this standard is a true reflection of the innovative methods that our farmers have used to produce top quality produce."

Tickets to the North Coast National are $15, $10 conc., $5 under 16s (under 5 free). A family day pass is $35. To save money visit the Summerland Credit Union for discounted entry tickets and sideshow ride packs.

For more information on the show, phone the Show Society on 6621 3460.

Historic school falls victim of neglect

The wall on the south east corner of the building, where large cracks have appeared in the brickwork. The street directly below has been fenced off for safety reasons.

A two-year delay in repairing subsidence at the historic old Lismore high school site has left parts of the century-old landmark in danger of collapse. The delays mean the building's owner, the NSW Department of Education and Training (DEET), is left with little option but to demolish the south-east corner of the building in order to stop it damaging the remaining structure.

The recent drought has seen the condition of the building deteriorate rapidly in recent months as the ground underneath contracted. A fortnight ago, an engineers report revealed that the south-east corner of 'A' block was on the verge of collapsing into the street. The report led the Government authority responsible for overseeing the repairs, the Dept of Commerce, to fence off the footpath and street last weekend.

The move came as a surprise to Lismore City Council, which owns the adjacent library and had been processing a development application for work on the site. The need for urgent repairs was well known to Council, which bought the library site from the Department of Education in 2002. Wary of the condition of A block and the cost of repairs, Council excluded that building from its purchase.

Two years ago, Northern Rivers Conservatorium students were forced to relocate after an engineer inspected cracks in the problem corner and declared the building structurally unsound. It took another six months before the Government allocated $255,000 towards the work. Lismore Council has been considering a DA for it in recent months, but that may change to an application to demolish part of the building following the engineer's report, which stated that the building had deteriorated to such a state that it's no longer feasible to repair it.

The report said that the building should be demolished as soon as possible to eliminate the risk of it collapsing, which could happen with little or no warning.

A DEET spokesperson said the Department was considering its options and had done everything it could to minimise any risks.

"The Department is fully aware of the urgency of the matter," he said.

The spokesman said the remainder of the building was perfectly safe for students to use.

Northern Rivers Conservatorium director, Gabrielle O'Shannessy, said that the Conservatorium's 450 students will continue studying unaffected by the problems. Lismore Council had donated space in its building for the students to use.

Ms O'Shannessy blamed restructuring of government departments last year for delaying action on the repairs.

"The urgency of the situation seems to have been neglected during the restructuring process - it's a great shame," she said. "The money was allocated and it shouldn't have taken this long. The Conservatorium has recently re-accredited all its programs for the next five years and we have bright things to look forward to. It's the only building of its kind in Lismore and the architecture itself is magnificent. Whatever can be saved of this regional treasure should be."

In February this year the Conservatorium made an application to State Heritage to restore the Keen Street side of the building but were turned down.

The building is listed on the NSW National Trust register and any application for demolition will have to be considered by the Trust.

Anthony: the first casualty of war

Former MP Larry Anthony, his wife Jenny and son William, face the media for a final time on Wednesday.

Three generations of the Anthony family representing the region in the federal Parliament ended on Wednesday when National Party MP Larry Anthony conceded defeat to his Labor rival Justine Elliot in Richmond.

His narrow defeat by around 300 votes ends an eight-year career over three terms. He is the only Howard Government minister to lose their seat.

Ms Elliot, a former police officer, won with a swing of 1.86 per cent and now holds the seat by a margin of just 0.36 per cent - keeping it one of the most marginal seats in Australia.

Despite achieving his highest-ever primary vote at 36,040 with a swing in his favour of just over one per cent - around 8000 votes more than Ms Elliot - preferences flowed strongly to Labor. Surprisingly, even voters for the conservative group Families First, which endorsed Mr Anthony on its how-to-vote cards, gave more than half their preferences to Labor. More than 500 Liberals for Forests preferences also went to Labor, leading Page MP Ian Causley to call it a "victory by fraud", claiming that LFF was financed by the Labor Party.

Mr Anthony said he believed the Government's role in the Iraq war was a key issue for local voters. He'll now ponder his future and plans to practice what he preached as children's minister and spend more time with his family. He didn't rule out a return to politics, which is "in my blood".

"We fought a good fight. As I always say, you live by the political sword, you die by the political sword, and my father always gave me some sage advice. He said there are very few people who can leave politics on their own accord. There's the four D's - there's either death, there's disgrace, there's despondency or defeat," he said.

"So for me it's defeat, but I think we can hold our head high - my wife and my team and all those people that supported me for the work that we've been able to do here on the north coast and across Australia."

Richmond's new MP, the seat's second Labor representative in a decade, pledged to work hard for the electorate. Ms Eliot signalled that a key issue in Richmond was the "overdevelopment of our coastline".

"We can't sit by and watch as it is slowly destroyed," she said.

Rain on Ballina parade

Story & photos: Julian Ryan

Parts of Ballina experienced minor flooding on Tuesday morning following 175mm of rain on Monday night.

Although there were no reports of serious damage or evacuations, Ballina SES controller Gerry Burnage said his crews were kept busy responding to a number of emergency calls.

"We went to 10 calls mostly for leaking roofs and water lapping into garages and some homes around Tamar, Grant, and Cherry streets," he said.

Proprietor of Wonderbug in Grant Street Ballina, Joy Crowe (right) and Shirley O'Brien mop up after about 30cm of water flowed through the premises early on Tuesday.

Mr Burnage said people can take precautionary measures to make sure their premises are safe during the storm and bush fire seasons.

Heavy rains on Monday night made the croquet lawn behind the Ballina Bowling Club look like a lake on Tuesday.

"We advise home owners to make sure that all gutters and drains are free from leaves and debris because this prevents the water from getting away and also creates a fire hazard."

Ballina Shire Council group manager of Civil Services John Truman said the nuisance flooding occurred because the town's drainage system had reached full capacity.

State Emergency Services (SES) workers repair the tiled roof of a house in Hickey Street Ballina on Tuesday morning following heavy rain on Monday night.

"Ballina is a very low lying area and with the heavy rain on Monday night the back up from the river prevented the water from getting away," he said.

With the wild weather expected to continue for some time the Bureau of Meteorology issued a flood warning for the Richmond and Wilson Rivers on Tuesday.

If you need emergency assistance to repair storm damage, call the SES on 132 500.

From fire to flood in 24 hours

While heavy rain since Saturday has been welcomed by bushfire fighters, farmers and gardeners, despite causing flooding in some parts of the region, not enough has fallen in the Rocky Creek dam catchment to prevent the likelihood of water restrictions being introduced by Christmas.

The dam remains at 70 per cent capacity - up five per cent from the start of the weekend - after 162mm fell in the catchment. The rain effectively delivered three week's supply

Emigrant Creek dam rose to 74 per cent capacity after receiving 151mm.

Ballina received the highest rainfall at 218mm between Saturday and Wednesday, followed by Alstonville with 121mm. Lismore received 101.2mm, and Evans Head 98mm and Casino 89.8mm.

While water consumption fell dramatically thanks to the rain, Rous Water chairman and Ballina mayor Phil Silver said that as warmer weather returns, people need to be conscious of water usage to delay the imposition of restrictions.

"Every five megalitres a day saved for a week defer the need for restrictions by a day," Cr Silver said.

Rous is currently offering a $70 garden pack for just $15, available from local Councils and Rous Water in Molesworth Street, Lismore.

"Up to 40 per cent of our precious drinking water is used outdoors and in particular, on our gardens," Cr Silver said.

Rous is also offering rebates for rainwater tanks. For details, phone 6621 8055.

The weekend rains also had the added benefit of dousing fires burning around Ocean Shores and Woodburn and have also led the lifting of all water restrictions in Nimbin, which only five days earlier was facing tougher restrictions as the dry spell continued to bite.

Cadets among the nation's finest

The TS Lismore Navy Cadet Unit (pictured) has beaten 20 other cadet units around the state to win the Best Cadet Unit in NSW/ACT, and they are now in the running for the national title.

The cadet unit, based in Ballina, is justifiably proud of their achievement, especially considering it was the smallest unit in the entire competition.

The cadets will once again demonstrate their ability this Saturday, October 23, with a National Inspection Parade from 8.45pm. The public are welcome to attend and cheer them on as Captain of Australian Navy Cadets, Capt. Gavin Reaves RANR and the Commanding Officer HMAS Penguin, Commander Pears Chatterton RAN, inspect and judge them against the other state winners.

TS Lismore Commanding Officer Sub-lieutenant Andrew Horn said the parade will last around 150 minutes and require intense discipline.

The unit is based in Endeavour Close, Ballina.

Preparation eases exam jitters

Story & photo: Julian Ryan

Trinity Catholic College students after completing the first of their Higher School Certificate (HSC) exams on Monday are Chris Gorman and Con Ohnuki (rear) with Felicity Dixon and Lisa Mackey holding the 2004 standard and advanced English paper.

The Higher School Certificate is supposed to be the most stressful time in a student's life, but according to four Trinity Catholic College students it's all about preparation, study technique and having the ambition to succeed.

Speaking after their first exam on Monday, the two-hour English paper, Lisa Mackey said the hard slog will be worth it in the long run.

"Sure it's stressful, but I think that I will be able to cope because we've had HSC trials and half yearly exams to prepare ourselves," Lisa said. "I hope to study medicine at either Monash or Sydney University next year, so I am counting on a University Admissions Index (UAI) of about 99."

For Con Gorman the trick is to burn the midnight oil while the rest of his family is sound asleep.

"I've reset my body clock because I find that I work best at night usually studying until 2am each morning," he said. "Of course there is pressure on us to get a good UAI because it could be the difference between taking the uni course that you want and a completely different career path doing something else."

The quartet are among some 5000 local students facing exams over the next few weeks, followed by a wait until December 17 for their results.

To assist students through the 20-day exam period, an advice line is open daily until November 10. Call 13 11 12.

Free concert for uni birthday

Southern Cross University's 10th birthday celebrations will culminate in a free Gala Concert, featuring the best of the university and the community's musical talent, on Saturday, November 13, at the Lismore City Hall.

Chancellor Justice John Dowd said the concert will be free.

"This is our way of saying thank you to past and present staff, our partners and the community for the support they have given Southern Cross University during the last 10 years," Chancellor Dowd said.

The concert will feature a range of local artists including the Lismore Show Choir, the Nouveaux Singers, the Conservatorium Dancers and the best of SCU's performers, from jazz to Big Band music.

The Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir and her husband Sir Nicholas Shehadie, will attend.

Tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and can be reserved through NORPA from today, October 21. Phone 6622 0300.

There's money in koalas

Vanessa Ekins from EnviTE (right), Friends of the Koala (FOK) president Lorraine Vass and FOK trees officer Mark Wilson with Ash - one of many koalas being treated at the Koala Care Centre in Lismore.

Friends of the Koala (FOK) and Environmental Training and Employment (EnviTE) are seeking enthusiastic young people to work with koalas this summer - and get paid for it.

Anyone who joins the Koala Conservation Green Corps team will working at the Koala Care Centre at Southern Cross University, harvesting food leaves for koalas, building enclosures, collecting eucalypt seeds and planting koala habitat trees.

The project will help protect local koala habitat, and provide young people with a range of practical skills through hands-on conservation work.

Vanessa Ekins from EnviTE says the project has "huge local significance".

"The participants will be working with koalas on a daily basis, which is not something people get to do every day," Vanessa said. "This project will be a life-changing experience and is a rare opportunity to help save one of four remaining urban koala populations in NSW. It will also provide avenues for further employment as environmental restoration is a huge employer in this region."

Ten young people aged 17 to 20 are needed, and they will receive a training allowance. It begins on November 15.

Interviews for the Koala Conservation Green Corps team will be held in Lismore next Wednesday, October 27. For information, phone 6621 9588.

Piggery put on hold

Story & photo: Julian Ryan

Spokesperson for the Buckombil Residents Group Mark Graham (front) with the other residents who don't want a disused piggery to become operational near their homes at Buckombil Mountain Road Meerschaum Vale.

Heated opposition from neighbours to the resumption of piggery operations at a Meerschaum Vale farm has led Ballina Council to put strict compliance orders in place before the piggery can start up again.

The property was sold last year in the wake of resident concerns about odours and discharge from the site. At the time, residents lobbied Council to act, but were placated in part by the fact that operations had been wound down.

The residents returned to last month's Council's meeting to express their opposition towards the prospects of a piggery returning to full-scale operation.

Buckombil Resident's Group spokesman, Mark Graham, told council that he represented the interests of 32 people who want council to stop the piggery for a number of reasons including noise, pollution, increased traffic, and the destruction of about 30 threatened species.

Mr Graham said his group questioned the legality of the original consent notice that was issued to the previous owner by council.

"The community group commissioned an independent planning consultant to bring to council's attention that the consent for the piggery was invalid," he said. "In actual fact an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was required to be prepared in accordance with the planning legislation and the planning policies below it, but because the EIS was not prepared the development had been operating illegally.

During the debate, which became heated at times, Mayor Phil Silver warned the gallery twice about interjecting before finally threatening to call the police.

Council voted unanimously to issue a Pollution Prevention Notice to the new owners effectively preventing the piggery reopening until strict government legislation is met.

"The owner has to prepare and have approved an Environmental Management Plan which has to comply with state legislation with regard to pollution, contamination, and odour and this has to be approved before the piggery can re open," the Mayor said.

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