300 Needles Found in Recycling Bin

Lismore council’s waste minimisation officer, Lesley Trott, with hypodermic needles... Ballina’s sorting plant found more than 300 needles in a bottle recycling bin.

Moves by Ballina Council to charge for recycling material have halted plans by Lismore City to develop supervised drop-off centres.

At last Tuesday’s meeting, Lismore council rescinded plans to spend $200,000 developing two staffed drop-off centres in response to increasing contamination in the recycling loads.

In a letter to Lismore, Ballina’s general manager, Stuart McPherson, said his council was reviewing its fees.

“It is anticipated that [Ballina] Council will no longer pay for recyclable materials and will in fact charge a fee to receive and process co-mingle recyclables. This fee is yet to be determined,” Mr McPherson wrote.

In the meantime, Ballina has requested Lismore clean up its act when it comes to contamination in the recyclable materials.

Over the past week, more than 1500 Lismore residents were surveyed when they turned up to use the city’s six recycling drop-offs. University students interviewed people between 7am and 7pm about their recycling and waste habits. The information will be used to determine Lismore’s next step in managing its waste.

But the survey also revealed recurrent problems in Lismore’s bottle recycling. A 17 cubic metre container of recyclables from the Dawson Street drop-off centre was rejected after it was found to contain more than 300 hypodermic needles. Another, from the Wyrallah Road centre, contained ceramics and window glass, while four loads from the Brewster street drop-off contained garbage and polystyrene off-cuts.

Ms Trott said the contamination was causing expensive headaches for Lismore council.

“Contamination of the recycling stream is adding significantly to the cost of recycling. It’s a tragedy because community support for recycling has never been stronger,” she said.

Syringes also put the manual sorters at the Ballina recovery centre at risk, with needles stick injuries already occurring.

Ms Trott said that needles needed to be disposed of carefully. Under law they should be incinerated and cannot go to landfill. An investigation of the advice given to injecting drug users by health officials is currently underway with a view to improving safe disposal.

And people who simply want to drop off bottles are also being urged to lift their game.

Ms Trott said people need to wash and sort material before putting it in the recycling bin

“Residents can help by putting only glass bottles and jars, aluminium and steel cans, and plastics numbers 1, 2 and 5 in the recycling skips,” she said.

Meanwhile, Lismore mayor Bob Gates is writing to NSW Premier Bob Carr urging the government to introduce container deposit legislation (CDL). Despite commissioning a $250,000 into the issue, Mr Carr has already ruled out CDL before the report could be handed down. The mayor is arguing that Lismore’s recycling commitment is under threat unless CDL is introduced.

Scholarships Reward 63 Uni Students

Scholarships worth $258,000 were presented to 63 Southern Cross University students by Vice Chancellor John Rickard (pictured), on Monday.

There are 30 winners of SCU Residential Scholarships valued at $3,000 each, which covers accommodation costs for the academic year at the University’s Colleges in Lismore. Others received academic scholarships

Professor Rickard said that the University’s industry partners should be particularly acknowledged for their generous commitment.

Among the local recipients receiving the 9 Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships and 13 Industry Scholarships are Anne Bonhote-Mead, Rea Bundock, James Duncan, Alanna Horgan, Andrew McLennan, Mary Mitchell, Cherie Reid and Kate McFarlane.

Nearer to God in the Garden

Bundjalung Elder Fay Smith plants a tree in memory of her late son, James, with her daughters Jenny Smith and Diane Harrington and her grand-daughter, Taleah Smith.

Her eyes filled with tears and her hands shook with emotion as Fay Smith tentatively planted a beautiful flame tree in memory of her youngest son James Edward Smith, who lost his life last November.

The tree stands beside a plaque remembering James in a rose garden he planted during his six years as a gardener at Wollongbar TAFE. The dedication was organised by his colleagues, who miss James’s dedication and cheerful disposition.

“The gardens were James’s world and so it’s fitting his life is remembered in the place he loved most,” said his close friend, Wollongbar TAFE operations manager Wayne Eliasson.

“He was highly respected and liked by everyone on campus. We are a very close-knit family here and it was an enormous shock when James died. Here he will be remembered for many years to come and this garden will stay as a reminder of his unquenchable spirit.”

The moment doesn’t fill the “empty void” in Fay’s heart, but it did offer her a final farewell to a cherished son.

“It will talk me a lifetime to come to grips with this... nothing can replace my son,” Fay said, her voice choked with emotion.

“A mother’s love goes a long way and that love gives me the strength to go on. It’s a wonderful thing to see my son honoured by so many people. He was there watching, standing proud and keeping watch over the roses he loved so much.”

The ceremony was also a dedication for the late Barry Gibson, the former head teacher of horticulture at Wollongbar TAFE.

Story & photo:
Terra Sword

Perch Research Nets $2000

SCU science student Jamie Knight accepting the John Holliday Student Conservation Award from NSW Fisheries Minister, Eddie Obeid, in Lismore on Tuesday.

Tramping through creeks and mosquito infested swamplands in search of a fish you can barely see might not be everyone’s idea of fun.

But for Southern Cross University science student Jamie Knight the successful pursuit of the endangered Oxleyan Pygmy Perch has resulted in a prized set of honours.

The first is the Applied Science (Honours) degree that he will soon be awarded for his thesis documenting how he found the tiny fish in 25 waterbodies in and around the Broadwater National Park, near Evans Head.

The Pygmy Perch, one of six species listed as endangered, had previously been recorded in only four NSW localities in the past two decades.

Knight’s work, funded by SCU, State Fisheries and Australian Geographic, will be used to draft a recovery plan for the rare native species.

The second honour came when Fisheries Minister Eddie Obeid presented him with the $2000 John Holliday Student Conservation Award during a visit to Lismore this week.

The Minister described Knight’s work as a “great example of how innovative research by outstanding students can help the NSW Government conserve and protect our fish.”

Robin Osborne

Aussie-Made Man at Menins

Dick Smith tastes Norco Ice Cream during a visit to Lismore last year.

Outspoken entrepreneur and buy Australian campaigner Dick Smith will visit Lismore on Saturday, spending the morning speaking to shoppers at the locally-owned Menins Foodstore.

Last year Mr Smith launched Dick Smith Foods as a challenge to foreign-owned food companies. He visited Lismore, where he signed up Norco to produce ice cream under the Dick Smith Foods label.

Dick Smith will be in Menin’s Foodstore in Leycester Road, from around 11am. Along with his wife Pip, he’s visiting the North Coast to attend his daughter’s wedding.

“I’ve had lots of requests to visit supermarkets. I get a great thrill from talking to Aussie shoppers and seeing the level of support for my products in stores. At present about 85 per cent of products in a typical supermarket trolley are either foreign-owned or imported,” Mr Smith said.

“I want a better balance. Australian made is fine, of course, but Australian made and owned is even better because the profits generated stay in the country, helping to generate more wealth and a better future for our children.”

Sales of Dick Smith Foods products have already exceeded $76 million.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the support from the Australian public and supermarket managers for my Australian food campaign,” he said.

Councils Receive Funds for Summer Storm

Public works and services minister, Morris Iemma, met with multicultural representatives, including Centrelink’s migrant liaison officer, Riteria Nikora, Bundjalung Elders Agnes Roberts and Fay Smith, Malia Ritaningsih from the local Indonesian community and community settlement services worker, Mei-Lin Marlin, during his visit to Lismore last week.

The Richmond Valley and Kyogle Councils will receive a total of $297,000 from the NSW Government to help repair damage caused by January’s devastating storms.

Public Works and Services Minister, Morris Iemma, announced the funding during a visit to Lismore last week. Richmond Valley Worst was hit by the storms and will receive $285,000 for emergency works, debris removal, replacement of fallen trees and restoration of parks and gardens. It will also be used to help restore three Casino schools damaged in the storms.

Kyogle Council will receive $12,000 - a reimbursement for the cost of bringing in emergency power equipment during the storms as a result of a prolonged power failure at the sewage treatment plant.

“The funding will enable the two Councils to rebuild and repair all the essential infrastructure. We know the money won’t solve all the problems the Councils are experiencing, but it will certainly help,” Mr Iemma said.

While the cost of Lismore’s clean-up from the February floods was an estimated $300,000, the Minister has yet to approve compensation for Lismore City Council.

During his visit Mr Iemma also met with multicultural representatives in Lismore to discuss the new Community Relations Commission, which recently replaced the Ethnic Affairs Commission.

“There is a strong feeling in migrant communities that the word ethnic has come to be more derogatory and divisive than unifying,” Mr Iemma explained. “The old commission was also too city-based. This new Commission, through Regional Advisory Councils, will give more time to identifying and addressing the needs of migrant communities in regional places such as Lismore.”

Story & photo:
Terra Sword

Council Approves Charcoal Chooks

Richmond Valley Council has amended the development consent plan for an Ellangowan chicken farm to allow dead chickens to be incinerated on site.

The previous consent required all carcasses to be refrigerated and disposed of off the site. Under the new conditions they will be incinerated using a dual-chamber incinerating system

The operator will be required to keep records of times and dates of the incinerator’s operation and the number of chickens disposed of.

The decision follows long standing complaints from neighbours about odours emanating from the property on the Coraki-Ellangowan Road.

Since approving six chicken sheds on the site in December 1998 council staff have carried out a number of inspections. While they did not reveal an odour, council inspectors did discover carcasses being burnt on site in open drums.

The burning stopped after council issued an environmental planning order in March 2000.

In February this year, Richmond Valley council resolved to take no further action over the odours, which could not be detected, and to advise the complainants of their right to take action under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act.

Of the 30 surrounding land holders contacted by council regarding the incinerator, only five objected.

Dave Fawkner

Volunteers Sought as Pelican Chicks Prepare for Flight

4-week old pelican chicks shelter in mum’s shadow.

The change of the seasons heralds the migration of many species of waterbirds and in May, each year, pelicans hatched inland during the summer, follow age-old migratory routes to the coast at just 10 weeks of age.

And while pelicans are a much-loved coastal icon, they can also be found in rural dams, lakes and wetlands, where they rest en route. The weaker ones will fall short of their journey and crash-land in unlikely places such as rain-forests, housing estates and cow paddocks.

The juveniles are full size on arrival and can be distinguished from adult birds by their immature brown colouring.

Lance said his group, Australian Seabird Rescue (ASR) is gearing up for their arrival.

“Rescue calls increase dramatically as the inexperienced youngsters get into difficulties and we need to be ready. In past years, we have retrieved pelicans from Minyon Falls, a Rosebank orchard and the verge of the Highway!”

ASR is on a recruitment drive for helpers. Lance will be sharing his knowledge in a seminar this Saturday, March 24, at the CWA Rooms in River Street, Ballina.

In just one day, anyone with an interest in the welfare of pelicans, seabirds and stranded sea turtles can learn how to help. Bookings are essential for the workshop, commencing 9.30am, Phone the ASR on 66 862 852. Cost is $18 ($15 conc) and includes morning and afternoon tea.

Where There’s Smoke There’s Education

Vistara Primary School students had a visit from The Channon Rural Fire Service last week as part of the service’s Fire Guard for Kids program.

The children watched a video and were told about fire by the firefighters.

They also got to try the Fire Service’s new simulated telephone teaching aid, which lets children talk to an emergency services officer so they know who to call and what to say during an emergency.

Fourteen schools will be visited this year under the program

“We’re trying to instill a sense of respect for fire and make children aware of the dangers. For example, one child who recently attended the program was in a dangerous situation with fire and due to his knowledge and quick thinking he escaped with very minor injuries. If he hadn’t known what to do it could have been a lot more serious,” Fire Guard for Kids facilitator Tony Roden said.

“A significant number of fires are caused by children playing with matches and if we can prevent even one call out, then the program is a success.”

Any schools interested in the program should phone Eileen on 6622 6088.

Terra Sword

A Book for the Trees

Author David McInnes-King (pictured) calls them tree dinosaurs, the family of pines known as Araucaria, which includes the hoop pine, Norfolk pine, and Bunya nut pine.

But they fascinated the amateur tree buff, who says their origins date back almost 240 million years. His passion for things pine turned into eight-year labour of love which took him to the New Guinea highlands and New Caledonia and South America.

The result is a self-published and illustrated book on pines, appropriately titled Tree Dinosaurs. Rather than writing dry academic text, McInnes-King has attempted to share his common knowledge with people interested in these striking trees.

The book will be launched at Caddies next Monday and David McInnes-King will be on hand to sell and sign copies between 10am and 6pm.

“It’s a bit of a quest book,” David explains.

Tree Dinosaurs is $40.

Grab a Bargain at New Op Shop

The new Life Community Church Op-Shop at the Wyrallah Road Shopping Centre opens this Saturday with lots of bargains and a free BBQ. Attending the ceremony will be (l-r) councillor Merv King, volunteer worker Pamela Butler, church pastor Ian Phillips, op-shop manager Isaac Smith and shopping centre owner Barry Robinson.

After months of fundraising and a lot of hard work, the Life Community Church Op-Shop at the Wyrallah Road Shopping Centre will be opened this Saturday, March 24 with a special sale and free BBQ from 10am.

The church received $4,000 grant from the Churches of Christ Community Care Welfare program to set up the op-shop, with the funds doubled through community donations.

Volunteers staff the op-shop, which has been trading for several weeks.

Manager Isaac Smith said the vision was to offer decent clothes at a reasonable price, with the local community seeing the benefit of the profits.

“Funds will also be put towards the redevelopment of Jobson Park in Avondale Avenue, East Lismore, a project we are working on in partnership with Lismore City Council. Currently there are some very dodgy-looking rusty swings and some lopsided benches. We want to install a new, colourful playgym, construct a fence around the park for safety, provide some shading and install new tables, chairs and bubblers so the whole community can use and appreciate the park.”

During Saturday’s sale there’ll be plenty of bargains up for grabs – especially the sausages, thanks to donations from Mr T Meats, Crusty’s Bakehouse and the 5-Star Handimart.

Adult clothing will be $1 per item, children’s clothing at two for $1 and books and household items will be three for $1.

“People seem to appreciate the effort we’ve put in and we are constantly being given donations which exceed all our expectations. Anyone who wants to donate goods can drop it in at the op-shop or if people want to donate big items such as wardrobes then we can advertise them in our monthly church newsletter,” Isaac said.

The Op-Shop is next to the East Lismore Post Office in the Wyrallah Road Shopping Centre complex. It is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am-5pm, and on Saturdays 9.30am-12pm. Phone 6622 5377.