The Northern Rivers Echo Main News

Government fiddles while road crashes cost millions

NRMA Motoring and Services director Wendy Machin released a study of the region's two main east-west links, the Bruxner Highway and the Lismore to Bangalow Road, on Monday. A failure to upgrade the roads is costing the community millions of dollars in accidents.

By Eve Sinton

Drivers know that the trips between Lismore and Bangalow, and on the Bruxner Highway between Tenterfield and Ballina, are frustrating and hazardous. Now an NRMA-commissioned study of the two regional roads, released in Lismore on Monday, confirms the views of local motorists.

The study says both roads have crashes and fatalities well above NSW averages, offer few safe overtaking spots and are riddled with black-spots and black-lengths.

NRMA director Wendy Machin says the community is carrying a high cost from the State's failure to invest in fixing the two vital road links.

"The total cost to the community on the 180km stretch of the Bruxner Highway from 2001 to 2003 is estimated to be close to $50 million - that's more than $45,000 a day in crash costs being borne by the community," she said. "There is a crash on the Bruxner Highway almost every two days. Coupled with the cost of crashes on Main Road 65 (MR65) from Lismore to Bangalow, this is equivalent to $60,000 in crash costs every single day of the year for these two roads."

Ms Machin said building the Alstonville bypass could have prevented seven crashes that caused injuries, saving the community almost $1 million.

She said that traffic on both roads was growing rapidly, but no major works were planned for MR65.

The report recommends improvements for both routes, including more overtaking opportunities, improved curves and intersections at black-spots, as well as replacing the wooden bridge at Tabulam. Improvements at known crash locations could save an estimated $14.6 million in crash costs over three years.

The report was welcomed by local MPs Don Page and Thomas George.

"The problems with the east-west corridor are huge and this report will help us push for improvements," Mr George said.

Mr Page called for an east-west dual carriageway following the rail corridor from Bangalow, skirting Lismore and Casino, linking to the Summerland Way.

"The Lismore to Bangalow Road in particular is a disgrace," he said. "If we had a dual carriageway, you'd be doing that trip in about 10 minutes."

A dream show for Julie

Newrybar's Julie Hood (rear right) with other 2005 Alstonville Showgirl hopefuls Bethany Collins (rear left), Margaret Quinn (front left) and Danielle Higgins. Photo: Colin Cooksey Photography.

Alstonville Public School line dancers (l-r) Drucilla Templeton, Lorissa Haley, Joanna Law, Anneke Vandenbosch and Jasmine Williams, who will be performing at this weekend's Alstonville Show.

By Julian Ryan

Ever since she was six-years-old, Julie Hood, of Newrybar, has dreamed of being named Miss Alstonville Showgirl.

And this Saturday, the 22-year-old Southern Cross University student's dreams could turn into reality when she goes before the judges at this weekend's Alstonville Show.

As one of four contestants in Miss Showgirl, Julie admits competition will be tough, but is certain she has done everything she can to shorten the odds in her favour.

"I bought a lovely outfit including a beautiful new frock, heels and a matching purse, and I brushed up on my knowledge of rural issues," Julie said. "I have always been interested in agriculture and as a proud country girl I am going to use this experience to gain both confidence and knowledge and hopefully wear the winner's sash - hopefully looking as glamorous as the Showgirls did when I watched them as a little girl!"

Organisers of this weekend's Alstonville Show say the ring events and sideshows are probably the best on record and will keep the whole family entertained.

The fun starts at 6am this Friday, October 28, with dog trials. At 3pm there are horse events in the ring, followed by the camp draught.

Friday night has a family theme with clowns, a magician and country music, stunt bikes and performances by local school students, followed by fireworks at 8pm.

Saturday begins with ring events at 8am before beef and fat cattle judging, and the Championship Dog Show. And don't miss the local produce and handicrafts in the pavilion.

The grand parade and Miss Alstonville Showgirl sashing is at 1.30pm. Then country singer Adam Brand will have his foot to the pedal in his racing ute for the spectacular ute show at 3pm. Then it's the bull ride at 6pm, calf riding for kids and a special display by trick rider Barry Conlon.

"This year the show will be fantastic because the committee has made a lot of improvements to the showground and the pavilion entries have exceeded all expectations," said Show Society president Greg Gordon. "I would like to thank our sponsors and everyone else who supports this wonderful country show."

Entry on Friday is $3 for adults and $1 for children. After 4pm it's $10 per family and $2 for children. On Saturday entry is $7 for adults, $5 for pensioners and $3 for children. After 4pm it's $15 per family, $10 for adults and $2 for children.

Family passes are $20.

Art takes centre stage in Coraki

Coraki Tea Tree Art Prize coordinator Kate Welch with the painting Seafood by Narelle Jarvis - just one of more than 400 artworks that will be on display in Coraki this weekend.

This weekend's Coraki Tea Tree Art Prize and Artsfest is one of Coraki's most popular annual events - drawing hundreds of people to the small village for two days of arty activities.

Coordinator Kate Welch says the event, featuring an exhibition, workshops on everything from silk painting to chalk art, a film festival, free music by the river and much more, is the perfect excuse to take a day trip to Coraki.

"The quality of art in this year's art prize is phenomenal and entries have doubled in some categories - there is a lot of respect out there for the event, and we're very proud of how its grown and developed," Kate said. "It's an easy trek out to Coraki and there's plenty to see and do and be part of."

The Coraki Tea Tree Art Prize opens tomorrow, October 28, at the Youth Hall in Bridge Street, where more than 400 artworks - from painting and sculpture to photography and Aboriginal art - will be on display. The opening is at 7pm, and $6 gets you wine and nibbles. The exhibition continues throughout Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday the Artsfest kicks into high gear, with workshops in silk painting, basket making, mosaics, card making, kids painting and chalk art all happening in the Youth Hall car park. That evening the Conservatorium Big Band, a large jazz ensemble led by George Urbaszek, will play on the riverbank from 4.45-6.15pm, and people are encouraged to bring a rug or cushion and enjoy dinner from a nearby cafe or restaurant. That night from 7pm the Homegrown Filmfest will screen on the riverbank. It features more than 20 locally produced and award-winning short films. Tickets are $5 and BYO a picnic hamper or munchies. If it rains Saturday night's events move to the Conference Centre in the hospital grounds.

Saturday also includes a six-hour filmmaking workshop at the Coraki Conference Centre. For $20, you'll receive a 'toolkit' of simple techniques used to make a short film. For bookings phone 6660 0203.

On Sunday the Lismore Rowing Club will hold its annual regatta. Spectators are welcome to come and cheer on the competitors and enjoy a day on the riverbank.

For more information on the Art Prize or the Artfest, phone Kate on 6683 2325.

St Paul's welcomes new minister

St Paul's Presbyterian Church's new minister Reverend Gaius Goh and his wife Verily are very keen to get to know the local community.

Gaius Goh, the new minister at Lismore's St Paul's Presbyterian Church, has a very simple message for his congregation.

"We are in the business of dealing with people and my job is to see that they come to know Jesus in a personal way and live to glorify his name," Reverend Goh said. "As a minister the challenge for me is to preach the Holy Gospel because it's so easy to compromise and say what people like to hear rather what they ought to hear."

Reverend Goh, formerly of Brisbane, said some of the major issues he has to deal with involve social breakdowns, whether it's relationships, accommodation, abuse or unemployment.

"I am very keen to meet anyone who wants to learn more about Jesus and help them to understand how he can impact positively upon our lives."

Services at St Paul's Presbyterian Church are held every Sunday at 9am and 7pm. Everyone is welcome. For information phone 6621 3017.

Orchids on show

Ron Campbell with some of the beautiful orchids that will be on show at Lismore Shopping Square over the next three days.

The Northern Rivers Species Orchid Society is holding their annual three-day spring show at the Lismore Shopping Square from today (Thursday, October 27).

The show is free and according to the Society's publicity officer, Ron Campbell, there will be plenty of magnificent orchids to admire.

"We have orchids from all over the Northern Rivers, from Tweed Heads in the north and from as far south as Coffs Harbour," Ron said. "We encourage anyone who is interested in orchids to come along and inspect the blooms and have a chat to the growers about the latest advice on cultivating these magnificent flowers."

The show finishes with an awards presentation this Saturday at 12.30pm.

For more information phone Ron on 6624 2316.

Lucky Laura a big winner

Goonellabah resident Laura Henkel is off to the Melbourne Cup in grand style thanks to Lismore Shopping Square.

Laura Henkel will celebrate her 75th birthday next Tuesday, November 1, and she couldn't have asked for a better birthday present than a free trip to the race that stops a nation.

The Goonellabah resident is off to the Melbourne Cup with her friend Lynda Bell after winning a Lismore Shopping Square promotion that includes grandstand tickets to the race, airfares, accommodation and a trackside picnic.

Laura says the Melbourne Cup falling on her 75th birthday makes it all the more special and she fully intends to take her good fortune with her all the way to Flemington.

"When they phoned me to say that I had won I just couldn't believe it and I thought it was a joke - when I realised that it wasn't I was on cloud nine and I still am," Laura said. "To get in the spirit I bought a brand new outfit and a hat. I'm definitely going to have a bet on Makybe Diva if she's in the race because I would just love to see her win for the third consecutive time."

Council gives nod to Goonellabah development over North Lismore

After two years of haggling with state Government bureaucrats over the city's future residential land releases, Lismore Council has finalised its urban strategy, preferring development around Goonellabah, despite fierce lobbying from landowners on the North Lismore Plateau.

In the process, Council has moved away from Trinity Drive as the single site for future development to include two other areas, Invercauld Road and the Tucki Creek/Chilcott's Grass area.

With the Department of Planning capping the number of Greenfield lots it was prepared to approve, Council has halved the Trinity Drive release from 350 to 175 lots, then included 65 lots on Invercauld Road and 130 sites at Tucki Creek as part of first stage releases.

The move was based in part on the cost of developing infrastructure, with the block costs estimated at between $18,000 (Invercauld) and $34,500 (Trinity). While the developers will meet most of those costs, Council is also conscious of having to shell out towards water and sewerage development.

But a Council estimate that developing land at North Lismore would cost around $49,000 per block raised alarm bells with the landowners, who claimed that the development costs had trebled from previous estimates to more than $10 million for 204 lots.

Plateau spokesman Mark Lee said they were alarmed by the estimates and disputed the dramatic rise in costs.

"These figures, we can only assume are errors," he said.

Mr Lee also said Council staff had failed to invite them to a workshop on the issue, despite the developers contacting them four times. Acting general manager Lindsay Walker apologised and was succinct in his explanation: "Staff got it wrong".

While some councillors expressed concern about rubbery figures and were considering postponing a decision once again, Cr John Hampton was ready to act.

"This matter's been going on for months and some of these developers are ready to go. It would be crazy to hold it up for another two months... let's get these three things going to put these blocks on the market," he said.

Cr Ros Irwin described the issue as "vexed" but said it was important to get the process right.

Council voted 6/5 (Crs Henry, Tomlinson, Irwin, Ekins, Dowell against; Cr King absent due to a conflict of interest) to approve the new strategy with the three potential release areas. The move means development of the North Lismore Plateau is now likely to be more than a decade away.

Father and son presumed dead in ultralight crash

A father and son are presumed dead after the ultralight they were flying in was seen crashing into the sea off Byron Bay around 12.30pm last Saturday.

Will Banks, 54, of Ocean Shores, and his 25-year-old son Joel, a Lismore resident who had been living in California, took off from Tyagarah airstrip. Witnesses say they later saw the plane plunge into the water about 800m offshore.

Police believe the bodies of the two men may still be trapped inside the plane's fuselage, however, rough weather conditions have prevented police from locating the wreck.

Tweed/Byron Local Area Command acting inspector Greg Swindells said on Wednesday that rescue services had repeatedly been forced to abandon the search due to heavy seas and windy weather.

"There's nobody out there on the water today - we're just searching the beach for anything that might wash up," he said. "We have a fair idea where the plane is, but we can't search out there until weather conditions calm down."

The only traces of the missing aircraft to date have been an oil slick and a few small items of debris. Police will use sonar equipment to help locate it when weather permits.

Aviation authorities are investigating to determine the cause of the incident.

Tanker spill closes highway

The case for building the Ballina bypass was further highlighted on Tuesday morning when a fully-laden fuel tanker rolled at the bottom of Tintenbar Hill, spilling most of its hazardous load and closing the Pacific Highway for hours.

The south-bound tanker was the centre of a 500-metre exclusion zone as fire service personnel battled to contain the spill and prevent it from catching fire. Nearby farmhouses had to be evacuated.

Environment protection officers were called in to advise on how to minimise damage from the spill, which flowed into a creek bed.

Firefighters managed to contain about 16,000 litres of fuel in the creek and used skimming equipment to remove it, while more was salvaged from the ruptured tanker.

The tanker driver escaped from the wreck uninjured.

Councillors line up against comrades

With workers getting nervous about John Howard's planned changes to industrial relations laws, staff at Lismore Council were keen to find out who'd be lining up with them at the barricades when the workplace revolution comes.

Goonellabah's friend of the worker, Cr Frank Swientek, sought to have Council side with its staff by proposing at their last meeting that Lismore Council sign a charter of working rights, a four-part partisan document that opposed the federal Government's laws and reinforced the primacy of unions in negotiating wages.

"We should also support our staff by showing them that we'll protect their working conditions and their standard of living," said Cr Swientek, who has been prone to pondering on previous occasions that Council might be overstaffed.

Acting general manager Lindsay Walker said wages and conditions would not be eroded and that Council already has a good working relationship with the unions and its workforce.

But despite an impassioned plea from staff representative Craig Chandler and a strong turn out of Council staff to witness the decision, Cr Swientek's motion was defeated 5/7 (Crs Crimmins, King, Chant, Graham, Hampton, Henry and Meineke against). Staff walked out disgusted.

But not everyone is taking Lismore's hardline stance. The Local Government Association and the Shires Association, representing 166 councils, including Lismore, has written to the Prime Minister outlining their concerns with the workplace reforms, believing that some of the reforms might disadvantage councils.

Shires Association president Col Sullivan, from Richmond Valley Council, signed the letter saying they were concerned about the complexity and legal nature of the reforms; the limiting of the Industrial Relations Commission's dispute resolution powers; and the potential for the new laws to expose councils to claims in other resolutions.

Local police shortage critical, says MP

Lismore MP Thomas George is calling on the Minister for Police to provide the Richmond Local Area Command (LAC) with extra police after he discovered the LAC's police numbers are around 20 per cent less than what is allocated.

"The LAC has 13 officers on long-term sick or stress leave, 12 on restricted duties and nine vacancies," Mr George said. "Add these figures to those that are on regular holidays and it leaves the LAC with a critical shortage. The result of this is police are being drawn from all stations to cover these shift vacancies, which in turn leaves some areas without the expected police presence. For example, a vacancy in Lismore could draw police from Nimbin or Casino, therefore leaving a shortage there," Mr George said.

Mr George says while he understands that the vacancies at Nimbin, Tabulam and Woodburn are being advertised, he said there is a critical need to have not only those positions immediately filled but also the other five vacancies throughout the Command.

"I call on Minister Scully to have these problems addressed immediately as the pressure of having 20 per cent of the workforce unavailable is creating an unacceptable work environment for those police doing a tremendous job in not only carrying out their normal policing duties but covering the shortfall as well," Mr George said.

Women march against violence

Members of the Women's Reclaim the Night Collective are encouraging women and children to come out in large numbers this Friday to protest against violence and abuse.

Women and children will inundate Lismore's CBD this Friday, October 28, to protest against violence and abuse during the annual Reclaim the Night rally and march.

"Lismore was one of the first regional areas to organise a Reclaim the Night march in Australia in 1988, and since then many other rural areas have also initiated similar marches in their communities," said Marie Reilly from the Women's Reclaim the Night Collective. "We invite all women and children to come along and bring a candle to share in this colourful, strong, loud and inspirational demand for an end to the escalating levels of violence against women and children in Australia and around the world."

The Reclaim the Night rally and march begins in Carrington Street, outside Caddie's Cafe, at 6pm. The march will pass by places considered unsafe for women at night.

"Earlier this year the death of Simone Strobel affected a lot of people and I think many were shocked that that sort of violence could happen in the middle of their town," Marie said. "We march to reclaim our public space and demand the right to walk alone in safety."

Women are asked to bring candles and instruments, while men are encouraged to show their support by lining the footpaths.

For more information, phone Marie on 0427 227 412.

Tintenbar Hall 100 not out

Bub Grant (centre), her daughter Anne Daley (left) and Tintenbar Hall committee member Karen Ingleman will all be celebrating the Tintenbar Hall's centenary over the next two weeks.

Story & photo:Julian Ryan

When Alstonville resident Bub Grant moved to Tintenbar in 1939 after marrying her husband Paddy, she remembers a simpler life when people helped one another and the Tintenbar Hall was central to community life.

Now in her 92nd year, Bub believes the hall is just as important today as it was all those years ago.

She will be one of the very special guests at the Tintenbar Hall's centenary celebrations this weekend. She says she is looking forward to catching up with old friends from as far away as Sydney, Canberra and the Sunshine Coast, and reminiscing about the good old days.

"In the early days the hall was the only place to come for our entertainment and we all came here for euchre tournaments, balls, dances and kitchen teas, and we used to decorate the hall with flowers and dance the night away," Bub said. "I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends that I haven't seen for years that are making the effort to come and the names that come to mind are Armstrong, Clavan, Dufficy, Grant, Skennar, Lowe and Ross just to name a few."

The Tintenbar Hall centenary celebrations begin this Friday, October 28, with a matinee performance of the play She Was Only a Country Hall at 2pm. There are also evening performances on both Friday and Saturday at 8pm.

On Sunday there is a Devonshire tea at 10.30am and a parade featuring costumes from the 1890s as well as a BBQ lunch, talks by current and former residents, bush poetry and the re-hanging of the WWI Honour Roll, recently retrieved from the Tintenbar-Teven School.

As part of the centenary celebrations there is also a ball next Saturday, November 5. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased from the Tintenbar Store.

For more information on the celebrations, phone Karen on 6687 8280.

Cows moo-dy about daylight savings

Goolmangar dairy farmer Christine Howard (pictured) says milking an hour later makes for grumpy cows, and grumpy cows make lumpy milk, so Christine is taking her cows to Queensland for the duration of daylight savings (which begins this Sunday, October 30, at 2am) to have her milk in the shops an hour earlier than anyone else's.

Christine added that she believes all farmers in NSW will eventually move their cows to Queensland during the summer months to corner the early milk market and avoid both the grumpy milk syndrome and the fading curtain effect.

"Actually some of my dairy farmer friends are considering moving their farms up there as well. It's just transport's a bit of an issue - the trees get car sick. Wish we still had a train," Christine said. "The good thing is we'll arrive in Queensland just before we leave."

From 2am this Sunday people should put their clocks forward one hour, although the NSW Government has decreed it's okay to do it before going to bed on Saturday night. Daylight savings will continue until April 2006.

RTA offers four Pacific H'way route options

By Eve Sinton

Residents living in suspense over the impact of the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Pacific Highway upgrade have finally been given a glimpse of the RTA's preferred route options.

Planners have whittled down dozens of choices on their long list - a map that looks like varicose veins on overdrive - to a short-list of four.

Roads Minister Joe Tripodi is now inviting community comment.

"The route options for this project have been developed following considerable community consultation, as well as investigations on a range of environmental, transport, engineering, transport, land use and social issues," he said. "Depending on the final route chosen, up to 17 kilometres of dual carriageway will be constructed from Tintenbar to Ewingsdale."

The options are on display at the Ballina and Lismore motor registries, Byron and Ballina council offices and the Newrybar Hall.

For more information see www.rta.nsw.gov.au/pacific or phone 1800 882 787.

* In related news, the NSW Legislative Council's inquiry into the Pacific Highway upgrade will be hearing submissions today (Thursday, October 27) at the Ballina RSL, followed by a public forum tonight. More information on the inquiry can be found at www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/gpsc4.

Looking out for our koalas

Friends of the Koala president Lorraine Vass and Lismore Council's bushland management officer Michael Hallinan helped Burribi Koala fill in an online koala survey form to find out how the region's koala numbers are changing.

If you've seen a koala lately, or even if you haven't, Friends of the Koala (FOK) and Lismore City Council would like to know about it.

Council and FOK volunteers are working together to find out how koala numbers are changing, and to aid their research Lismore Council is hosting an online koala survey on its website so residents can share their observations.

"The community survey follows on from a similar one undertaken in 1999," said FOK president, Lorraine Vass. "Survey information will help Council and FOK to plan tree planting and habitat restoration to preserve Lismore's fragile koala population. We are asking people to complete the survey even if they do not see koalas in their area. It is extremely important that we have data on those areas in which there are no koalas as well as those where they are."

The easy-to-complete survey form is available at www.liscity.nsw.gov.au throughout November, while printed copies are available at Council's Goonellabah chambers and CBD office, local libraries and the Visitor Information Centre. Alternatively, phone 6622 3964 for a copy.

A shared future for all

Lismore's newest multicultural group, the International Rainbow Club, marked Refugee Week with a special luncheon in Lismore on Tuesday, where many of Lismore's new Sudanese refugees came to mingle and share their stories.

Many of the Sudanese refugees have been re-settled in Australia over the last 12 months by local charity Sanctuary Northern Rivers and it's fitting that this is the first year Lismore has observed Refugee Week.

Other events this week include a Sudanese cultural awareness day and a morning tea at Lismore TAFE to celebrate the richness and diversity refugees bring to the local community.

"In line with the theme for Refugee Week 2005 - Different Past, Shared Future - we encourage people from all cultures to meet, talk and learn from one another so we can build a strong, safe and supportive Lismore community," said Shauna McIntyre from Lismore Council, who helped organise the luncheon. "We'd like to thank all the local refugees for their presence, their patience with us, and for so generously sharing their cultures."

* Sanctuary Northern Rivers' next fundraiser is a gala dinner on Saturday, November 5, at Lismore City Hall with guest speaker Anne Deveson, the writer, broadcaster and documentary maker. Peeter Pruul of Basilico Restaurant is cooking and there will an art auction, raffles, prizes, and much more. Tickets are $60pp. For bookings and information phone Annie Walton on 6629 5285 or Melissa Barnes on 6685 4619.

Casino sailor sees the world

Casino's Leena Lehtonen at a temple in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, which she recently visited as part of a six-month tour of south-east Asia on board the HMAS Adelaide.

Casino's Leena Lehtonen is far from the hills of home, on a six-month tour of south-east Asian waters onboard HMAS Adelaide.

After graduating from Casino High School and studying nursing at TAFE, the 23-year-old joined the Royal Australian Navy in 2001. With her experience in nursing she specialised as a medic and has now been promoted to Able Seaman.

As a part of her medic training, Leena worked with civilian paramedics to see how they operate in emergency situations - valuable experience for whatever might befall her on a warship.

"I've visited many ports within Australia as well as Penang and Kemaman in Malaysia, Singapore, and Sihanoukville in Cambodia," said Leena, who's still at sea. "I love to see the culture and talk with the locals and I do community work in the countries we visit if I get the chance. I like to make the most out of each port, eating the local food and experiencing the traditional lifestyle of each country."

Leena is expected to be home in time for Christmas with her family.

Auction raises $4000

A weekend auction to assist Norply workers left out of a job after the Kyogle factory burnt down has raised just over $4000.

The auction at Bunnings Warehouse raised $3070, while a BBQ by the Rotary Clubs of Summerland Sunrise and Kyogle raised $879.45, along with $77 from a raffle.

"The generosity of Lismore businesses was unbelievable and in particular thanks must go to Toyota, Harvey Norman and Spotlight for their wonderful support," said Brian Hyde from Bunnings. "We hope the money will ease some of the strain on the employees."

Jobs spared in re-shuffle

Northern Rivers CountryLink employees have been spared the chop in the latest round of travel centre re-shuffles. Casino actually gains seven jobs, bringing the total number of employees to 13. Lismore's six employees will stay on while Byron Bay retains its three jobs, Mullumbimby holds one, and nine jobs at Murwillumbah remain unaffected.

Around NSW 14 CountryLink travel centres will be closing down and a total of 82 jobs lost.

How to be Spielberg

Lean how to write, produce, direct, shoot, perform and crew a short film in TAFE's Certificate II in Media and Performance. Learn how to make your own short digital drama or documentary as well as acting in and performing a range of crew roles on other students' films. The course runs two days a week for 16 weeks from February 2006. Applications close this Friday, October 28. Call 6626 6400 or log onto www. nci.tafensw.edu.au.

Beware of cheap oysters

The theft of 250 dozen oysters from the Brunswick River - the second oyster heist from the river in a month - has prompted a warning from NSW Food Authority director-general, George Davey, who urges people not to buy or eat black market oysters.

Water quality problems in the Brunswick River mean the little critters are not harvested directly from it.

"Oysters that have been stolen could potentially be very dangerous," Mr Davey said.

Anyone with information about the thefts should call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000, or the NSW Food Authority on 1300 552 406.

Researcher wins top science award

Dr Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik has been recognised for ground-breaking research into steroid use.

A Southern Cross University researcher has won a prestigious science award for her work on the effects of steroids.

Dr Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik, a post-doctoral fellow in Lismore, received the John Sutton Best Young Science Investigator Award at the Australian Conference for Science and Medicine in Sport for a research project investigating the effect of anabolic steroids on immune system function.

The award is for research considered to be pioneering and Dr Marshall-Gradisnik will be given a position at the American College of Sports Medicine, where she will present her research next year.

"It is a great honour to receive this award," she said. "My study was looking at the immune system and how it's affected by anabolic steroids. There were performance gains, but I found a particular immune cell function was reduced after exercise. This may potentially make people more susceptible to infections as this cell is responsible for killing viruses."

The research involved a strictly controlled study using moderately trained men as volunteers, who were given therapeutic doses of the steroid, testosterone enanthate, over six weeks.

"My findings are a first. Other side effects of steroids are well known, but this is the first time a link has been shown with immune function," Dr Marshall-Gradisnik said. "People using steroids often only see the positives of taking steroids. This study demonstrates another reason why they are detrimental."

Dr Marshall-Gradisnik said she would be continuing her research into the immune system, particularly in relation to supplements and other pharmaceutical agents.

Broadwater rejects home mail

Broadwater residents have rejected a plan for the letterbox delivery of mail in a poll conducted by Australia Post.

From the 162 Broadwater households polled, 101 responded, with 82 of these indicating that they are happy with their current mail delivery arrangements, where their mail is either collected from the local post office, or from a post office box.

The poll, conducted by Australia Post last month, was in response to a petition received from some Broadwater residents, keen for the introduction of a street mail delivery service.

Rubbish dumping crack down

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is asking the community to help catch people illegally dumping rubbish in National Parks.

Regional manager Mark Johnston said that there had been a spate of domestic rubbish dumping in Broadwater and Bungawalbin National Parks.

"We have problems with people dumping all sorts of things from common household garbage to cars and tyres," Mr Johnston said. "Dumping not only threatens native wildlife and spoils the beauty of our National Parks, it also requires time and money to remove that would be better spent on conservation programs. Dumping waste is illegal and subject to substantial fines."

He said local residents are a great asset in the fight against illegal dumpers.

Anyone with information on dumping should contact the NPWS on 6627 0200. Information will be treated in confidence.

The Dukes of adventure

Eight students from St John's College Woodlawn were presented with Duke of Edinburgh Awards by Lismore MP Thomas George this week.

To qualify for an award, participants must take part in a community service project, a skills section, such as learning to drive or learning to play a musical instrument, a form of physical recreation and some form of expedition.

Pictured at the awards presentation are (rear l-r) Tim Harris, Sam Aldridge, Hamish Webster, Brodie Fish and Jackson Purtle, and (front) Samantha Ballingall, Lismore MP Thomas George, Joanne Ethel, Duke of Edinburgh coordinator Ted Davey and Danielle Byrnes.

Friends for 38 years

Celebrating the Lismore Day View Club's 38th birthday last week were (l-r) View Club zone councillor Gwynne Glendenning, View Club national councillor Maureen Boyce, Lismore Day View Club president Norma Parr and inaugural Lismore Day View Club president Betty Booth.

View Club members from across the Northern Rivers gathered to celebrate the Lismore Day View Club's 38th birthday last week.

Lismore Day View Club president Norma Parr joined the club 37 years ago. During that time she's seen countless women benefit from meeting others and by regularly participating in club activities.

"We have a very strong club here in Lismore and many women have made lifelong friendships and, through our charity work, have been given the opportunity to give something back to people in need," Norma said. "Every month we meet for a meal and a guest speaker addresses the members, and at the same time we raise money for The Smith Family. We also regularly have outings, morning teas and sausage sizzles and the emphasis is always on light heartedness, fun and friendship. I'm sure we will be just as strong in another 38 years."

For more information and membership details, phone Norma on 6628 2208.

Teachers agree to pay deal

By Eve Sinton

Public school teachers have accepted a three-year pay deal from the NSW Government without resorting to industrial action following a state-wide vote on Wednesday morning.

North Coast NSW Teachers Federation organiser Dorothy Redfern was delighted that the offer was unanimously accepted by local teachers.

"It's a good thing we have this settled for the next three years, because the Howard agenda will completely change the industrial relations climate," she said. "We got exactly what we were asking for and there were no trade-offs."

Teachers will get between 3 per cent and 4.5 per cent increases annually over the next three years and class size reductions will continue. Long service leave will be granted after seven years, and new parents will be entitled to 14 weeks maternity leave or a week's paternity leave.

"The agreement should encourage graduates into teaching, and allow senior teachers to plan their retirement with certainty," Ms Redfern said.

Student's design counts the drops

Rous Water sticker and poster competition winner, Angela Bettess (left), with Rous Water education officer Barbara Jensen and runners up Paul White and Isolde Kopping. Below: Angela's winning poster design.

A vibrant blue river snaking through a rainbow-coloured landscape is Rous Water's latest way of reminding residents to use less water this summer. The scene features in two colourful designs by Lismore's Angela Bettess, which will be used in promotional material for Rous Water's demand management and education program, following a competition at Lismore TAFE.

TAFE arts and media students were invited to design a sticker or poster that would spark interest and build awareness about water conservation. Angela, a Diploma of Fine Arts student, won both categories, while fellow students Isolde Kopping and Paul White were named runners up.

"We wanted some refreshing new images to remind people of the value of water and Angela's was so bright and inspiring - it's perfect for the water wise family packs coming out for Christmas," said Rous Water education officer, Barbara Jensen. "Angela's was a very eye-catching design and it depicts the catchment and the natural water cycle."

Lismore TAFE students and teachers voted Susan Gourley's poster design the People's Choice winner.

Show success despite heavy rain

Renae Clark with her Holstein cow 'Leduc Paris' - this year's North Coast National Show supreme junior champion in the dairy cattle section. Renae is pictured with her twin sister Shannon and her Guernsey cow 'Charles Bernadette', which was judged reserve junior champion. Inset: Renee Redmond from McLeans Ridges is the 2005 North Coast National Showgirl.

Last week's rain didn't dampen Lismore's enthusiasm for the North Coast National Show, with around 35,000 people attending over the three days.

According to Show Society secretary Ian Mulligan Saturday night's attendance was the largest for many years, helping to ensure this year's Show was still a success.

"On Friday night we were doing it pretty tough but then Saturday dawned beautiful and sunny and people came out in force to support us," Ian said. "The Ashton's Circus was very popular and the pig racing was an enormous hit - we'll definitely have it back next year. We've had tremendous feedback and we'd like to thank all the patrons who came and especially the kids who performed, in gumboots, on Friday night in the arena. It was a mud bath but the kids had the time of their lives and performed their little hearts out."

Renee Redmond from McLeans Ridges was named the North Coast National's Showgirl for 2005 and was presented with her sash last Thursday night. She said the win was a huge thrill and is looking forward to the next level of the competition to be held in Taree in February next year.

Recycle mobiles and help people with disabilities

A special drive to reduce the amount of mobile phones going to landfill and poisoning the environment is now underway, and by taking part you'll be helping young children and adults with disabilities.

According to the Aussie Recycling Program (ARP), mobile phones contain a cocktail of highly toxic elements. When left to decompose the phones can leach poisonous substances into landfill, which then seeps into groundwater and contaminates the soil.

The ARP says there are an estimated 10-18 million unused mobile phones lying around in homes and offices, and they are now encouraging people to send them in for recycling.

The Spastic Centre will receive $3-5 dollars from ARP for every mobile phone donated, which means you can help people with disabilities and the environment without it costing you a cent.

For a free satchel to send off your unused mobile phones contact Jill Lennon at The Spastic Centre on 1800 004 364, email jlennon@tscnsw.org.au or visit the website at www.mobilephonerecycling.com.au.

Volunteers needed in case of Clunes disaster

Clunes would face a shortage of trained people to deal with victims of a disaster should one strike the area says Red Cross regional manager, Vahideh Hosseini.

"The urgent need for appropriately trained emergency services personnel has been highlighted by the bushfires and floods in NSW," Vahideh said. "Fortunately, we haven't had a lot of natural or man made disasters in Clunes, but if disaster does strike in the area, there is a shortage of trained people to care for those affected. It is extremely important to increase the number of trained volunteers in this region so that they can work in shifts if necessary. If people are not trained beforehand they cannot be effective in times of disaster."

As part of the NSW Disaster Plan, the Red Cross is recruiting members of the local community to be part of 'Personal Support Teams' and all training is free.

"Personal Support volunteers need to be team players, caring and practical, with a good deal of common sense and a listening ear," Vahideh said. "People need to be 18 years or older and be able to work an occasional shift of six to 10 hours."

Red Cross is conducting a free one-day training course for interested people on November 14 at Clunes Coronation Hall from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Morning tea and lunch will be provided. To find out more or register phone Lyndall on 6622 3244.

RRISK wins award

A Richmond Health Promotion project to reduce risk-taking behaviour amongst year 10 and 11 students in 26 high schools in northern NSW recently won a Service Excellence Award at the NSW Quality in Health Care Awards.

The RRISK (Reduce Risk, Increase Student Knowledge) project was a partnership involving the North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS), Southern Cross University, media and law enforcement agencies. It focused on reducing risky teenage behaviour often related with alcohol, drugs and drivingThe awards ceremony marked the beginning of NSW Quality in Health Care Week (October 17-21). The NCAHS has also been short-listed for a Baxter Quality Health Award for its Smoke Free Health Facilities project.

Environmental education planned

A seminar for people involved in environmental education and communication will be held in Lismore tomorrow (Friday, October 28).

Participants will discuss key aspects of the draft 'Learning for Sustainability 2006-09' plan to establish the future direction of environmental education in NSW.

The seminar is one of six to be held around NSW in the next fortnight.

To register or get a copy of the draft plan, visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/cee or phone 8837 6392.

The secret to the perfect cuppa

Long-time volunteer at the Red Cross Tea Rooms and Lismore Red Cross branch president Mrs Betty Morton (front) shows off some of the delicacies made by the volunteers, while Red Cross regional manager Vahideh Hosseini (right) hands over a certificate of appreciation to Northern Rivers Echo sales and marketing manager, Heather Williams, for the paper's support of the tea rooms.

After more than 20 years working in the Lismore Red Cross Tea Rooms, Betty Morton makes a pretty mean sandwich and a cup of tea that would be the envy of any Pom.

The Red Cross Tea Rooms in Keen Street have been operating continuously for more than 47 years thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers who produce Lismore's best-value lunches.

The morning teas and lunches are a taste sensation and eating at the tea rooms helps the Red Cross continue its valuable community work.

"The tea rooms are a place of friendship and happiness, and we always receive wonderful comments from the regulars and travellers passing through Lismore," said Red Cross regional manager, Vahideh Hosseini. "We are very thankful to The Echo for promoting our tea rooms every week in the paper and we'd just like to invite more people to come and discover why the tea rooms are so special. They've been going for nearly half a century, so the volunteers must be doing something right!"

A lunch tray of mixed sandwiches with a pot of tea or coffee and piece of cake costs as little as $4. The money raised helps Red Cross continue delivering programs such as Telecross, Hands On and the Trauma Teddy program.

The Red Cross Tea Rooms are located at 132 Keen Street, Lismore, and are open from 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday.

* More volunteers are always needed at the tea rooms. If you'd like to help out, phone Lyndall Lee on 6622 3244.

Planting the seeds for a greener Nimbin

Nimbin Central School students Jack Jones and Luke Asi joined Gil Schilling from the Nimbin Garden Club for a special tree planting last Thursday in the school grounds. The school planted around 100 native trees, which were bought from Friends of the Koala with $1000 donated from the Nimbin Garden Club, which they raised during the April Nimbin Open Gardens.

"As part of the Nimbin Garden Club's commitment to greening Nimbin we decided to embark on a project with Nimbin Central School that would provide shade and beauty for the children and screen the playground from the public car park next door," said Lindy Bentley-Knight from the Nimbin Garden Club. "Other recipients of cash donations were the Headers Soccer Club, the Blue Knob Gallery, and the Nimbin Community Gardens. The long-term vision is to make Nimbin a greener, more eco-friendly village."

High petrol prices good for your health

Is there anything good about the current price of petrol? The answer to this question is 'maybe'. If the persistently elevated price of petrol changes some habits that result in us using our cars less, public transport more, our feet more and bicycles more, then it will be good for health.

A significant contributor to the obesity epidemic is our sedentary habits. We tend to burn up at least 700kcal less per day than in the 1970s. Add to that an increase in our caloric intake through the overconsuming of energy dense food and energy imbalance has gradually become severely obesogenic.

Encouraging people to exercise more has only had limited impact. Changing the environment with something like a 30 per cent price rise in petrol may have a significant effect. Time will tell.

Using walking and cycling more, at least for shorter trips, will have benefits for health as well as for the environment. Always remember physical activity is good for not gaining weight in the first place, preventing regain after losing weight, increasing insulin sensitivity (which helps prevent diabetes and improves control of diabetes for those who already have it) and reduces the chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Plus there are other benefits for the joints and muscles as well as for feelings of wellbeing.

So, save petrol, save money, help the environment and improve your health by using your legs more for short journeys where possible - everybody doing a bit will potentially have a big impact.

- Andrew Binns