The Northern Rivers Echo Main News

New cop shop for Lismore

Local Police Association representative Dean Ferguson (front) with Constable Jason Hoskens and Sergeant Noel Steel (right) and are all smiles after discovering yesterday that a new, multi-million dollar police station will be built in Lismore next year.

Lismore police are breathing a sigh of relief following an announcement yesterday by NSW Minister for Police Carl Scully that construction on a new, multi-million dollar police station will begin next year.

The purpose built station is expected to be around four times bigger than the current station in Molesworth Street, and will allow Lismore police and the Richmond Local Area Command, which is currently based in Goonellabah, to work from the same premises.

Local Police Association representative Dean Ferguson, who has worked at the current station for the last four years, said local police were extremely relieved by the news.

"We've been working in cramped and sub-standard conditions for many years, and the staff are understandably thrilled by the announcement," Mr Ferguson said. "The new station is long overdue and it's good to finally see light at the end of the tunnel."

Richmond Local Area Command Superintendent Bruce Lyons echoed Mr Ferguson's comments, saying he was "extremely happy" about the announcement.

"This will improve morale amongst staff and it will more than meet the needs of local police into the future," he said. "All the units will be able to work together as a team in the one building, and we can coordinate our responses much more efficiently. The new station will also provide state-of-the-art technology which will enhance our operations and ability to provide a high level of service to the local community."

While the site for the police station has not yet been announced, Minister Scully said the station would include upgraded forensic facilities, a new area to store exhibits, more secure gun storage facilities, and infrastructure to support new IT systems.

It will also have training facilities for new recruits, improved conference facilities and new interview rooms for people providing statements.

Mr Scully said the new police station is part of a $200 million overhaul of 27 police stations throughout NSW over the next five years.

"The station was one of six prioritised for immediate work following a review of police assets," Mr Scully said. "The new station will be a financial boost for local contractors as well as for local police. They will be able to do their work in more modern and more comfortable surroundings."

Mr Scully said a feasibility study was now complete and designs for the new station were being finalised.

"Once development approval is granted by local council, final building plans can then be completed," Mr Scully said. "Tenders are then called to ensure taxpayers get the best value for money."

The new police station is expected to be completed by 2007.

Lismore Council looks at changing rates

Rapidly rising land values have prompted Lismore City Council to look at changing its rating system.

Lismore mayor Merv King said that under the current system ratepayers with properties that have risen sharply in value could be slugged with rate increases that are beyond their means.

"Some valuations have not changed, while others have gone up by up to 419 per cent, so it's going to be difficult finding a rating structure that won't severely disadvantage ratepayers whose property has had a high increase in value," Cr King said. "We now want to have a public discussion to find out what ratepayers think, so we can determine a system that is as equitable as possible for everyone. Unfortunately, there's going to be winners and losers irrespective of what system we come up with."

The new valuations were released by the State Valuer General in late 2004.

Council has since developed three options for consideration and is holding a number of forums over the next three weeks to get community feedback.

Council's general manager Paul O'Sullivan said the decision on a future rating system is essentially a philosophical one, based on whether people feel they should be charged on their property's value or on the Council services they receive.

"It's a complex issue with no easy answer, but in order for Council to make an informed and fair decision, we want to hear from as many ratepayers as possible - that's why we've allowed three months consultation," Mr O'Sullivan said.

The three options being considered are:

Option A - Present system: Rates are charged using the new valuations. In some cases ratepayers will pay more, in some cases they will pay less.

Option B - Capped Base Rate: An amount of $270 would be charged per ratepayer (excluding the farmland rate), with the remainder calculated using the new property valuations. Reductions of approximately 10 per cent would also apply to village ratepayers under this option.

Option C - Proportional Base Rate: A combination of Option A and Option B where a base rate is introduced, with the remainder calculated using property valuations. The difference here is that the money Council raises in each rating category over 12 months - whether it be the urban residential or rural category - will remain the same as now.

All Lismore ratepayers have been sent letters explaining the options, including a personalised prediction of how their rates will be affected by each option.

The community forums will be held on the following dates:

• Thursday, April 7, at Nimbin Central School from 7pm;
• Monday, April 11, at Clunes Coronation Hall from 7pm;
• Monday, April 18, at Goonellabah Community Centre from 7pm; and
• Wednesday, April 20, at Lismore City Hall from 7pm.

Ballina Council has also been grappling with the vexed problem of determining a new rating system, and after more than three months of debate, have not yet made a decision.

For more information or to provide feedback on changes to Lismore's rating system visit Council's website at www.lismore.nsw.gov.au.

No business like show business

Proudly displaying the HCM See Memorial Shield for best overall district exhibit at the Royal Easter Show is Northern District exhibit manager Arthur Johns from Richmond Hill (right) and 79-year-old Ray Reid from Woodenbong, who has been volunteering with the exhibit for eight years.

For the first time since 1940, the Northern District exhibit has won the HCM See Memorial Shield for best overall district exhibit at the 2005 Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Manager of the display, Arthur Johns from Richmond Hill, was understandably proud of his nine-man crew, who spent 12 days setting up the winning exhibit. It showcased the finest Northern Rivers produce from wines and grains to fruit and vegetables.

He said the only thing missing was his good mate, 86-year-old Cliff James from Goonellabah - a tireless worker with the Northern District exhibit who was unable to attend for the first time in more than 30 years.

"I'm an ex-farmer myself and my wife and I sold our property and intended to move to Richmond Hill to retire, but then I met Cliff and we became friends, and before I knew it I was doing the show," said Arthur. "When we won I rang Cliff straight away and he was thrilled to bits. We were all disappointed he couldn't be here in person, but he was here in spirit."

The Northern District exhibit came a close second at last year's show, being beaten by just 1.28 points out of a total of 10,000. This year, Arthur and his team won by a clear margin of 47 points, which he said was a credit to the volunteers and local producers.

"It's been a hard year for producers everywhere, but everyone involved put in such a huge effort this year and worked really hard," said Arthur. "The show is a very rewarding experience even when you don't win, and you make a lot of good friends along the way. I'm not into playing bowls and I've really enjoyed being part of the show, although my wife tells me sometimes I work harder now than when we had the farm!"

Many other locals also took away prizes from this year's Royal Easter Show, which wraps up today after a fortnight of activities. They included Ian Campbell from Lismore (champion Plymouth rock cockerel); Joshua Jones of Knockrow (senior boy champion rider); the Dockerill family of Clovass (most successful white pigs exhibitor and supreme junior champion sow); and Bangalow pumpkin grower Tidge Knight for the heaviest pumpkin in his division.

Come to the rescue

These three cute and cuddly fellows - Raj, Tattie and Maddie - are just some of the many injured native animals you could help care for by joining Friends of the Koala, WIRES Northern Rivers or Australian Seabird Rescue.

The three organisations have an acute shortage of foster families to nurse wild animals back to health, and are encouraging people to attend their joint two-day training course this Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3.

People will learn about all aspects of wildlife care, from rescuing animals to their release back into the wild, and all new carers are buddied with an experienced carer who can provide support and advice.

For those with a special soft spot for koalas, Friends of the Koala are also holding koala care training on April 16 in Lismore.

To get involved in either course phone WIRES on 6628 1898, Friends of the Koala on 0427 045 823 or Australian Seabird Rescue on 0422 862 852.

A starring role for local kids

More than 3000 students from 80 public schools across the Northern Rivers - including these students from Kadina High School - will converge in Lismore next week for the all-singing all-dancing spectacular Northern Stars Under the Big Top - The Sky's the Limit.

The amazing two-hour show will be performed under a big top circus tent at Lismore Showground and includes a 500-strong choir, more than 1000 dancers, an orchestra and stage band, plus a host of special guests including Australian Idol contestant Ngaiire Joseph - a former student at Kadina High.

Aged from seven to 19, the performers are supported by a professional team of sound and lighting engineers, who have pulled out all stops to ensure the show is a technical masterpiece as well as a creative one.

Tickets to Northern Stars Under the Big Top are $35 for adults and $22 for school students. To book drop into Harvey World Travel in Magellan Street, Lismore, or phone them on 6621 2548.

That's what friends are for

Jess's sister Renee and Jess's boyfriend Gabe Zenz-McCarthy with some of the many Richmond River High School students who took part in the 'Dress for Jess' day on Tuesday. Inset: 14-year-old Jess Churchill, who is currently undergoing treatment for a rare form of cancer.

Richmond River High School student Jess Churchill may have lost her hair to chemotherapy, but she certainly hasn't lost her friends.

Last year the 14-year-old was diagnosed with the rare form of cancer, Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and is now undergoing chemotherapy treatment in Brisbane.

On Tuesday a group of Jess's friends organised a 'Dress for Jess' day at school, where students paid a gold coin to dress in casual clothes for the day and help raise money for Jess's treatment. The students also raffled a number of items donated by local businesses, raising a total of $400.

"When we found out about Jess contracting the disease we were all very upset because she is a beautiful person who doesn't deserve to have something as horrible as this happen to her," said Jess's friend Jade Willott-Turner. "We are delighted with the response from the school and also with the generosity shown to Jess from the local businesses."

Jess's boyfriend of 18 months, Gabe Zenz-McCarthy, said the fundraiser was just one of many ways people had helped his girlfriend since she was diagnosed with the disease.

"Close friends of Jess's have helped out at her mother Trish's take away food business just so she could be by her side in Brisbane and the Cancer Council have also been very helpful as well," said Gabe, who talks to Jess every night and says her attitude has been very positive. "The doctors say that this is a very rare form of cancer but the good news is it's one of the most treatable. I think the hardest part of this for Jess hasn't been losing her hair but being away from all her friends at school who miss her and love her."

Council's grants community wishes

Encouraging local community groups to apply for Lismore City Council Civic Pride grants are (l-r) Northern Rivers Conservatorium administrator Jill Aitken and Lismore councillors Jenny Dowell and Vanessa Ekins. They are pictured at the public seating area near the Con, which was funded by last year's grants.

Lismore City Council is encouraging community groups in both urban and rural areas to apply for grants of up to $6000 to improve or beautify public places.

On Tuesday, councillors Jenny Dowell and Vanessa Ekins used the public seating area near the Conservatorium, which was built by local EnviTE teams using one of the grants, as an example of the types of projects Council will fund.

"The Civic Pride grants can provide a really positive boost to community projects and can often revive local interest in community life," said Council's group manager of city works, Bill Moorhouse. "Examples of suitable projects would include street tree plantings, gateways such as signage, or beautification of a village park or common."

For application forms and information phone 6625 0567, visit Council's office in Magellan Street or the Council Chambers in Goonellabah.

A moving journey

Andreas Dagelet in Nimbin on his custom-built hand cycle that he will ride 17,000km around Australia to make it into the Guinness Book of Records and raise money for children's charities.

Queensland man Andreas Dagelet has been confined to a wheelchair since 1995, but that hasn't stopped the 38-year-old cramming more into life than most able-bodied people do.

On Sunday Andreas will embark on a 12-month 17,000km journey around Australia on his custom-built hand cycle, trying to break into the Guinness Book of Records and raise money for various children's charities. Earlier this week he visited Nimbin to have solar panels fitted to his support vehicle by the Rainbow Power Company, who generously donated the equipment in support of Andreas's adventure.

"Sunday is the 10th anniversary of my accident when I became a paraplegic, so I thought it would be a fitting time to start my journey," said Andreas, who was injured after falling from a tree. "It's not about how tall you are or what colour you are, it's all about getting in and having a go, because if you set your mind to it, anything is possible."

People wishing to keep updated with Andreas's progress and make donations will find the details on his website at www.handcycleoz.com.

The trip of a lifetime

Southern Cross University student Alex Heard is off to Japan to study for 12 months after winning two scholarships worth $16,000.

Southern Cross University student Alex Heard has been interested in Japanese culture his entire life, and in just two days time he'll get to see, smell and taste exactly what it's like for himself.

The 19-year-old recently won two scholarships from the Australian and Japanese governments worth $8000 each, which will allow him to attend university in Tokyo for the next 12 months. During this time Alex will stay with a number of host families while studying media at Aoyama Gakuin University.

The young student says he's "very excited" about the trip, particularly as it will include extensive travel around Japan as well as study.

"I speak Japanese at intermediate level so I am very keen to build upon my knowledge and experience the culture first hand," he said. "I would like to especially thank my Japanese liaison officer Tazuko McLaren for encouraging me to enter the scholarship."

Trio merged into super council

Lismore, Ballina and Byron Council's will be forced to amalgamate under plans the NSW Government will reveal this Friday. Local government minister Tony Kelly told The Echo that under the merger plan, a number of resources would be shared.

Under the new super council, to be known as Bymorilla, mayors Merv King, Jan Barham and Phil Silver will take turns being mayor once every three weeks.

"We're hoping to keep the current mayors, because three heads are better than one, unless you're Tasmanian," the Minister said.

Mr Kelly said he's hoping that the mayors will find solutions for the problems of their neighbouring council areas.

"Ratepayers often tell me it's obvious to everyone but the mayor, and they're always telling each other what to do, so I'm hoping an outside mayor will have the courage to act," he said.

Lismore mayor Merv King said he's already looking at plans to rename Watego's Beach as northeast Lismore, while Ballina's Phil Silver is hoping to finalise the location of the town's long-awaited boat marina below the Lismore RSL club site. Byron's Green mayor is looking at building a new council chambers in Nimbin.

The Minister said the amalgamation would mean enormous savings for ratepayers, with Lismore general manager Paul O'Sullivan taking over a number of roles.

"I can't see why Mr O'Sullivan can't swing by Oakes Oval and mow the lawns on the way home, and collect the rubbish from Ballina CBD on his way back from the beach on the weekends," Mr Kelly said.

The Minister refuted claims that the merger broke a key election promise of no forced council amalgamations.

"Look, no voter is mad enough to believe a word we say during an election campaign. Why do you think they keep voting for John Howard?" Mr Kelly said. "Besides, we're hoping that the ruckus this causes will distract people from the fact that we're continuing to cut services and funding in the region. Our long-term plan is to do nothing for the Northern Rivers and blame the Council for all the problems."

The Minister said the merger is set to take place tomorrow, April 1.

Lismore pours it's grief into appeal

Proprietor of Harvey World Travel in Lismore, Fay Hopf (left), and Lismore councillor Jenny Dowell will be placing fresh flowers at Simone Strobel's public memorial in Uralba Street every week using money donated by local people.

A campaign to raise money for the boyfriend of deceased German tourist Simone Strobel has raised $6000, and still donations are pouring in.

Lismore travel agent Fay Hopf and councillor Jenny Dowell originally organised the collection for Tobias's airfare back to Germany, with the remaining $4300 being used to help pay for the 25-year-old's funeral.

Any further donations will now be used to buy fresh flowers for the public roadside memorial in Uralba Street each week, at Tobias's request. Fay said the response had been "absolutely amazing" and people were still welcome to drop off donations at Harvey World Travel to go toward the flower fund.

Meanwhile, Lismore councillor Jenny Dowell said that the idea of building a permanent public memorial near where Simone's body was found was still a possibility.

"When the idea was first raised by Councillor Irwin some time ago many of the councillors thought it was too soon to build a permanent memorial, but the matter may be reconsidered at a later date," Cr Dowell said. "Next year on the first anniversary of Simone's death may be a more appropriate time to do something to remember this very sad occasion."

Over 50s expo in Ballina

The Rotary Club of Ballina is presenting the sixth annual 50's Plus Ballina Expo next Thursday and Friday, April 7-8, at the Ballina RSL Club.

With theme 'Live life to the Full' the expo is all about celebrating and embracing maturity, with more than 40 exhibitors offering everything from financial advice to the latest model scooters and natural health therapies.

There will also be various workshops over the weekend and a special address by Dr Brian Pezzutti on Thursday, April 7, at 2.30pm.

A practising anaesthetist and Brigadier in the Australian Army Reserve, Dr Pezzutti has recently returned from providing emergency medical assistance to tsunami victims in Indonesia. Organisers say he is a living example of how to live life to the full.

There will also be comedy skits throughout the weekend by the Ballina Players and everyone who attends will be in the running for a $1200 cash prize.

All funds raised from the event will go towards the Rotary Club of Ballina's charity work within the local community.

Women's conference helps create change

Women are being invited to share, learn and celebrate with one another at the upcoming Women, Earth and Change conference, which is being held from Thursday to Sunday, April 7-10, at the Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre.

The conference is an annual gathering of women from throughout Australia and overseas who care about the environment, peace and justice. A wide spectrum of topics will be explored including indigenous, environmental, social justice, and holistic lifestyle issues. It's a grassroots, not-for-profit conference, organised and run entirely by volunteers.

"We are coming together to share ideas and visions of how we can work and live together to take better care of the land and ourselves," said collective member Valerie Thompson "It is also a time to celebrate and rejuvenate together, and share in a feast of art, music, bushwalks, swims and fun. We encourage all women to come along - for a day or the whole event - and be a part of this inspiring and connecting gathering."

The conference costs $150-$300 for the four days, including all meals and accommodation. All women are welcome, and free childcare is provided. The conference is free for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women.

For more information or bookings phone Valerie on 6689 5344.

A whale of a time at SCU

Migaloo the white whale, bottlenose dolphins and humpback whale migration will be just some of the topics discussed at the inaugural Green Room gathering at Southern Cross University next Tuesday, April 5.

The Green Room forum will give people the opportunity to discover what goes on at the Southern Cross University (SCU) Whale Research Centre and learn more about whales on a local and global level.

The evening forum, which is open to all members of the public, will also include a presentation and book signing by renowned Australian author and Byron Bay resident Di Morrisey, who is the patron of the Research Centre.

The forum will be held at SCU's Campus Central from 6-9pm. Entry is $10, with proceeds going back into the SCU Whale Research Centre.

For information and bookings phone 6620 3650.

Autumn splendour for all to see

The large park-like garden of 'Avondkoor' near Uki will open this Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3, as part of Australia's Open Garden Scheme.

Visitors to this serene garden can see beautiful sub-tropical and cold climate plants, deciduous trees (looking spectacular with their autumn colour) and enjoy a native bush walk along the creek that surrounds the property.

The garden will be open daily from 10am to 4.30pm. Entry is $5 for adults (children under 18 free) with proceeds going to the local Scout group.

For directions phone 1902 261 026 and select 2.

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