Richmond Valley Notes

with Therese Schier

Lily open day

Here's an opportunity to have a beautiful outdoor experience and help charity at the same time.

Michael and Christine Grogan are opening their Daylily Farm at New Italy next weekend, November 20-21. The farm has in excess of 4000 plants and there are picnic spots around the farm, overlooking the landscaped dam. The house garden itself is worth seeing and features many native and exotic species.

Coraki Lions Club will be serving morning and afternoon teas and a BBQ lunch, with proceeds going to Camp Quality and other Lions Club community projects.

To get to the Daylily Farm, turn off the Pacific Highway at New Italy and follow the signs for 1km to 1160 Swan Bay-New Italy Rd. Phone 6682 2740. The farm will be open 9am to 5pm on both days.

Storm Riders

Schoolchildren heading home on the Casino to Rappville bus had a wild ride on Tuesday when their bus got caught in the middle of a fierce storm that hit the Leeville area.

After being struck by a large tree limb that fell on the roof, the bus was blocked by a large tree that fell across the road.

Driver Ken Eyears kept the young children on the bus while waiting for help.

"We just sat there waiting for the parents to come looking for us," Ken said.

Casino High year 8 student at Tanya Garrett said lots of kids were screaming.

"We had to sit up the back with the little kids and play 'eye spy' to calm them down," Tanya said.

Parents reached the bus after 45 minutes and used a chainsaw to clear a path.

Ken has been driving the route for 14 years and said the children are like family.

"You get attached to them, even the ones that give you trouble," he said. "No-one was hurt, that's the main thing. The bus can be repaired."

A crafty way to fundraise

Janet Caban and June Taylor from Casino Country Crafts present a cheque for $250 to Philip Gibson from the Northern Region Rescue Helicopter. The group has donated $1200 to charities this year from the proceeds of sales of craftwork from their shop in Casino.

The Northern Region Rescue Helicopter is the latest charity to benefit from the handiwork of the Casino Country Crafts group, receiving a $250 cheque last week.

The group donates profits from their twice-yearly shop to local charities. This year they've raised $1200.

President Barbara Reynolds said the women get a lot of reward from what they do.

The shop opens in May for Mother's Day and Beef Week, and in November for Christmas.

"It's nice to be able to talk to people and when they say the shop looks lovely, that's rewarding," Barbara said.

"We keep an eye out for materials for each other's craftwork, and we try to make different things."

The Casino Centre Arcade shop is open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, and Saturdays, 9am-12noon.

Meatworks defends record with $2m profit

A simmering row between cattle farmers and the Northern Co-operative Meat Company (NCMC) boiled over on Monday at the Co-op's annual general meeting. General manager Gary Burridge attacked Bill Bolin, secretary of the Richmond River Beef Producers Association, dismissing the group's claims that operators were being denied access to the meatworks and that less competition from NCMC operators at Casino saleyards is leading to lower prices for farmers.

He accused the farmers of "spreading misinformation" and condemning the group for speaking to the media.

"The board conducts its business in the appropriate forum, which is the AGM of shareholders. We do not conduct our business in the media, or in public meetings," he said.

"We expect our members to address the issues with the board."

Mr Burridge denied that any processor was being denied access to the meatworks.

He said that one processor at the centre of allegations, Yolarno, still has a licence to operate, but they would have to re-negotiate their commercial arrangements with the company.

Mr Burridge said the other operator cited, Tancreds, hasn't applied for a vealer licence.

He also dismissed claims that the Co-op was affecting cattle prices at the Casino saleyards.

"On average, the Casino saleyards achieve the highest price for veal in Australia," he said. "It's not our responsibility to run the saleyards. That's the responsibility of the Council, agents and operators."

Producers Association president Bill Bolin said he was shocked by the general manager's attack.

"I'm disappointed it had to come to personal abuse of myself and the Richmond River Beef Producers," Mr Bolin said. "They presented the producers as a minority group who like to stir up trouble. I think they missed the point. We're just beef producers who are concerned for the future of the industry. We believe we have a right to ask questions."

Mr Bolin continued to dispute Mr Burridge's view that saleyard prices were independent of operations at the meatworks.

"Things being done at the Co-op are affecting prices at the saleyards," he said.

Despite the tensions, NCMC chairman Peter Carlill said he thought the AGM was very positive overall.

"The majority of shareholders clearly understood the board's position in relation to all the conjecture," he said.

"We believe we answered all the questions and that they were answered in the correct arena."

Mr Carlill said the Co-operative was in a sound financial position, with a before tax profit of $2.06 million.

"This year members received a 20 per cent fully franked dividend, and in the same four year period shareholder's equity in the business had grown 38% to $10 million."

Denying rumours that some workers were not getting enough work, Mr Burridge said there was plenty of work for those willing to work in other departments.

"We scale our workforce up and down," he said. "In the last 12 months the majority of our permanent staff have been employed five days a week on all but two occasions."

Mr Burridge said that the meatworks is continuing to operate at full capacity, despite some areas coming out of drought.

Throughput was down 25 per cent in 2003, due to drought, but he said numbers are coming back this year. Mr Burridge estimates it could take at least four years and up to eight years to rebuild the herd across eastern Australia.