Richmond Valley Notes

with Therese Schier

Paperbark Gallery's 5th Birthday

The Paperback Gallery, Evans Head is five in November and they're celebrating! The gallery, in the Evans Head Arts and Industry Estate, on the entrance to Evans Head, features the work of owners Vanessa and Justin Crisp, and other regional artists.

Vanessa is a calligrapher whose work features Australian ballads and Justin is a cabinetmaker who was commissioned to make a cabinet featuring Australian Flora inlays for the new Parliament House in Canberra.

Christmas gifts will be available for all of November and on the weekend of November 1 and 2 there are discounts on gifts over $20. Come and have a piece of birthday cake and share in the celebrations," Vanessa said. "There are paintings, prints, pottery, glassware, woodwork, ceramics, calligraphy and lots more!"

Cassino Sister City Visit

'Benvenuto', 'Welcome', and 'G'Day' to our Italian guests from sister city Cassino, who arrive next week for their long-awaited visit. The Italian visitors will be touring the whole of the Richmond Valley whilst they are here so give them a warm Aussie welcome if you see them.

The organising committee has arranged a full itinerary including a civic reception and dinner, a welcome from the Junbung Elders and visits to the Northern Co-operative Meat company along with a tour of the Richmond Valley.

No Fence for North Casino Pond

The filtration pond in North Casino where toddler Chloe Ensby tragically drowned in 2001 will not be fenced, Richmond Valley Council decided at this week's council meeting.

Ignoring calls by the child's family and many local residents to fence the filtration pond, Council accepted a consultant's recommendations that said in part:

"Prohibition often is met with retaliation through the deliberate disarming/destroying of the prohibition control method (such as fence) or disregarding/overcoming the prohibition mechanism."

Council accepted in full the consultant's recommendations and according to general manager, Brian Wilkinson, will complete the installation of warning signs and a handrail at the top of the outlet end of the Fairway Drive road underpass drain "as soon as practicable".

Other recommendations will be included in Council's September quarterly budget and should be approved by the end of the year. These include more extensive landscaping and stabilisation of the bank and construction of a pathway to divert persons away from the pond edges.

Mayor Charlie Cox said he thought council had followed the correct process in obtaining advice. He referred to the consultant's emphasis on "acceptable risk management" and said that fences tend to attract people, adding that adults who "can read signs" normally accompany young people.

Director's Positions announced

Two of three advertised Director's positions have now been filled and general manager, Brian Wilkinson, has advised that Wayne Halcrow had been re-appointed Director Corporate Services and Ken Exley, formerly from Pristine Waters Council, would commence as Director Environmental and Development Services on November 3. An announcement on Director Works will be made soon.

Evans Head sewerage treatment

Council's wastewater committee will now take the political approach and lobby the Minister for the Environment, Mr Bob Debus, in an attempt to break the impasse on development of the new Evans Head sewerage treatment plant.

At this week's council meeting Cr Don Harvey expressed dismay at the quality of advice from the Environment Protection Authority's representative on the committee saying the representative was part of the process that recommended wet weather effluent discharge into the Richmond River.

"Not one word was spoken about possible impediments for this option during the committee's deliberations," Cr Harvey said. "We have been disgracefully served."

Cr Col Sullivan supported these comments saying, "We have been too nice. We need to go and knock on doors and send a representative directly to the Minister."