Brilliant-online-magazine-June-2022

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Painting a future for sharks - Photo Credit : FinArts

Protect Our Future Issue

INSIDE: Brilliant-Online together with businesses and communities are committed to build a more sustainable future

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ED ITO R ' S N OTE

NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR Ben Tirebuck ✦ Welcome one and all to this month’s edition of

Brilliant-online.

ABOUT BRILLIANT Brilliant-Online is more than a one dimensional read. It is an empowering read for progressive individuals and dynamic businesses pushing for a better world in the digital era. Born witty, Brilliant unveils an online magazine featuring a variety of digital interactive content that makes it similar to the magical Daily Prophet newspaper from Harry Potter.

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These are just the tip of the iceberg and there is so much more to enjoy this month as we once again provide a smorgasboard of Brilliant stories! We hope you enjoy...

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Our very own Veronica Lind delights by recounting her recent visit to Spain, specifically focusing on the innovative sustainability measures that are being employed in the country, amongst

Elsewhere, we meet the team behind SupPort Macquarie’s disability support and education programme catering for young adults and catch up with headspace and profile the great work they are also doing for youngsters in relation to mental health.

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We also look at how the international sports world is lending its weight to driving positive eco-friendly progression, meeting a professional football team who are at the forefront of the movement who play in a kit made entirely of bamboo!

Closer to home we learn how WickWorming has made sustainable gardening easier with their plant boxes, and meet the latest hubstar at Wauchope Creative Hub CJ Grootenboer to learn about her recycling drive. We also meet the avid antiques and collectibles team at Port Pickers and take a trip to the dentist with Dr Raj Singh of Ocean Dental.

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As well as profiling these two events, we meet the team from Phuket-based The FinArts who are using beautifully crafted shark sculptures to aid shark and marine conservation projects.

savouring the beautiful cuisine and local atchitecture on offer.

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ith World Environment Day and World Ocean Day both taking place earlier this month, we decided to focus our attention on the topic of sustainability and how we can all work towards a greener, healthier future for us and our planet.

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IN THIS ISSUE 1

Painting a future for sharks

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TG'S Childcare - We're hiring early childhood educators

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Note from editor

Brilliant

ENVIRONMENT

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World Environment Day – aiming for a brighter, cleaner, healthier tomorrow for

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World Ocean Day: One Ocean, One Climate, One Future

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The Fin Arts - Painting a brighter future for an endangered species

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Spain is committed to making sustainability achievable and manageable

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Avery Dennison to preview new PVC-free premium digitally printable film

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Fix Potholes or Climate Action – Can we have both?

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Brilliant sustainability at Billabong Zoo Koala & Wildlife Park

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WickWorming® has an Aussie Innovation That Promotes Sustainable Gardening

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Hastings Landcare nurtures community connections, enhances the environment

everyone

and supports sustainable agriculture

Brilliant

BUSINESS

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Sustainability starts young at TG's Child Care

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The noise on the nursery… garden chat with Chook from Greenbourne Nursery

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Sustainability and Business

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Individually crafted ceremonies incorporating your own ideas

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10 Things to Minimise Tax-Time Drama

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Accomplished Tree Management awarded Top Three Best Tree Service Provider in Port Macquarie!

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What one person may consider worthless could be highly prized or valued by someone else

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J U N E 2022

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Brilliant

MINING

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How Do We ‘Do’ ESG?

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Where Does Indigenous Engagement Fit in ESG?

Brilliant

HEALTH

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headspace for Youth Mental Health

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Joanna Burk invites you to boost your brain power while having fun with LEGO® robots!

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SupPort Macquarie puts participants in the driving seat

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The Power of a Smile - Dr Raj Singh of Ocean Dental Surgery

Brilliant

SPORTS

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Driving sustainability efforts via professional sports

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Sustainable Sporting Heroes

Brilliant

TRAVEL

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Brilliant Discovery of Spainish Cities

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New Caledonia says “BIENVENUE” to tourists itching to travel once more

Brilliant

COMMUNITY

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Port Macquarie-Hastings Council backs the launch of new recycling program

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Something Old Up-cycled to Something New

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A showcase of Mid North Coast Artists on now at The Glasshouse Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie

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Puteri Ayu dessert recipe fit for a Princess and the Queen

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New Band Alert!

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Lifeline Mid Coast and Dark Alley Collectables have joined forces to host Origami artist John Hender

Brilliant

WHAT'S ON

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What's on in June, July 2022 Port Macquarie-Hastings

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Elvis Movie Premier

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pride in our repertoire – the big ➸ Theboys, our 150cm shark sculptures.

Photo credit: The FinArts

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Brilliant

ENVIRONMENT ✦

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WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY – AIMING FOR A BRIGHTER, CLEANER, HEALTHIER TOMORROW FOR EVERYONE ✦ “In the universe are billions of galaxies. In our galaxy are billions of planets. But there is Only One Earth.” - World Environment Day

Only One Earth.

Say those three words again and really stop to think about their collective meaning. It sounds really obvious right but do we take it for granted?

This was the theme for this year’s World Environment Day. Celebrated each year on June 5th, the occasion strives to highlight the need to live sustainably in harmony with nature by bringing transformative changes,

through government policies and our own individual choices, towards cleaner, greener lifestyles.

World Environment Day was created in 1974 by the United Nations Environment Programme as a means to raise awareness and definitive action to protect the environment, focusing on issues as varied as global warming, marine pollution, human overpopulation, wildlife crimes and sustainable consumption. The theme in its inaugural year in Spokane, USA

48 years ago was ‘Only One Earth’.

Seems somewhat ironic bordering on worrying then that the very same theme drove this year’s occasion, close to half a century later. It motivates one to ask, what have we learnt in that time? What have we done to improve things? Are we in better or worse shape in our contemporary state and why are we still repeating the same mantra so many years later? Has the message not sunk in yet?

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There are ongoing campaigns and pledges aplenty have been made but only time will tell if these are adhered to. China is the worst offender, a country unfortunately renowned for its unreliability when it comes to truth, transparency and cooperation.

Small steps can yield big results...

So what can WE do as individuals?

However seemingly small we believe our changes to be, the answer is a lot.

Invest in renewable energy sources such as solar power that harvest the natural energy of the sun to power electricity and thus help reduce

carbon emissions. Likewise replace older vehicles powered by petrol or diesel with more sustainable options such as electric powered cars.

We can eat less meat which will reduce the alarming number of greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture industry. Switching to a more plant-based diet can work wonders for the environment, plus it leaves you feeling and looking much healthier!

Recycle and reuse goods, stop using single-use plastics such as containers, carry bags and straws and lower the number of plasticbased products we purchase and use. Use a reusable shopping bag each time you go to the store instead of using an endless supply of plastic bags and try to buy more eco-friendly and sustainable products from trusted suppliers.

Likewise, limit the use of paper.

Adopt a robust waste management policy by using recycling bins for paper, plastic, and soft drink cans, rather than throwing everything out together.

These are just some of the small steps we can all take a conscious effort to make. Most of us know these fundamentals but exactly how many of us are honestly pursuing them on a consistent basis? Even just one small change can make a big difference and if World Environment Day serves to only remind us of this and nudge us to action then it is more than worthwhile.

As the World Environment Day website says: “We must go from harming the planet to healing it.”

Why not check out their website to see how you can get involved with their initiatives and help build towards a greener, healthier tomorrow.

Write to the Editor and tell us what you are doing to improve our environment.

editor@brilliant-online

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Given the increase around the world in recent years of natural disasters such as severe flooding, wild fires, droughts, rising sea levels and erratic temperature swings it would appear not. Further issues with air pollution, unsustainable waste management, an incessant exploitation of natural resources and an ever-burgeoning population means a big red flag is being raised right now.

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WORLD OCEAN DAY: ONE OCEAN, ONE CLIMATE, ONE FUTURE ✦ “Surely we all have a responsibility to care for our Blue Planet. The future of humanity and indeed, all life on earth, now depends on us.” Sir David Attenborough

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he world’s oceans collectively cover over 70% of our planet, providing invaluable sustenance to humanity and every other organism on earth. With at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen produced by her oceans, it is more than fair to refer to them as the planet’s lungs. The oceans also absorb around 30% of human-produced carbon dioxide, which can reduce the detrimental impact of global warming.

The ocean is one of the primary sources of protein for over a billion people around the world and it is estimated that over 40 million people will be employed by ocean-related industries by 2030.

However, as often seems human want, we are moving precariously closer to serious trouble as we take more than we need. Widespread fishing and illegal exploitation for years have seen populations of

fish, in particular big fish, decrease considerably. Mass tourism has resulted in coral reefs being damaged beyond compare and irresponsible attitudes and policies on waste management have seen levels of human-manufactured rubbish and pollution in our oceans, sadly, hit an time time high.

As the old saying goes, you never know what you’ve got until it’s gone and that is certainly something pertinent when it comes to our blue planet.

‘Revitalization’ Initiated in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development, World Ocean Day has been celebrated globally on June 8 ever since. The annual occasion supports the implementation of worldwide Sustainable Development

Goals by engaging public interest in the protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources. This year the theme was “Revitalization: collective action for the ocean”. Hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the event was broadcast live all around the world and saw a collective of thought-leaders, celebrities, institutional partners, community voices, entrepreneurs, and crossindustry experts share their opinions and expertise on the biodiversity and economic opportunity that the ocean sustains.

Each year the day is very much interactive where people can get involved in a variety of ways. There is a petition campaigning for 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and ocean to be protected by 2030 that will be presented to world leaders and policy makers which everyone can sign.

world’s oceans collectively ➸ Thecover over 70% of our planet

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B RILLIA NT EN VI RO N M ENT Similarly people are able to stage their own conservation-related events, online and in person, which help raise awareness and drive support to the initiative, financial or otherwise. This variety of events often take place before and beyond the specified date on June 8 all around the world and could be in the form of performance, art, music, film, lectures and readings, educational activities or cleanup drives; all events can be posted on the World Ocean Day website and shared globally.

Likewise there is a Youth Initiative engaging the younger generation which offers a range of educational projects.

Driven by the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council, made up of selected members from a variety of different countries, it unites youths from all around the world via the message of protecting and conserving our blue planet and ensuring our future generations work towards a more sustainable tomorrow.

Elsewhere, the United Nation’s website carries some truly fascinating and encouraging stories about efforts being made all around the world to ensure the future health of our oceans, which are very much worth the time to check out. These include The Sea Women of Melanesia, Coral Reef Survivial in Fiji, and the Sustainable Harvesting of Tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. And don’t forget our own brilliant interview with The Fin Arts from Phuket, Thailand who are using unique, beautifully-crafted art to raise awareness around ocean conservation, specifically the importance of sharks to the ocean eco-system and why it is so crucial to protect them.

pollution has become one of the ➸ Plastic most pressing environmental issues

This year’s World Ocean Day may have already passed but the conservation of our unique and invaluable blue planet is not something that requires focus, attention and action on just one day a year. It is an ongoing project that you can learn more about and support all year round.

worldoceanday.org

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For more details please visit the World Ocean Day website.

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Coral reefs have an estimated global value of £6 trillion each year, due in part to their contribution to fishing and tourism industries and the coastal protection they provide.

source: National History Museum

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THE FIN ARTS - PAINTING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR AN ENDANGERED SPECIES ✦ “Steven Spielberg has a lot to answer for,” Phuket-based German expat Holger Schwab quips when asked why the worldwide perception of sharks is predominantly negative.

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olger is owner of Sea Bees Diving on the tropical island of Phuket in Thailand and has been a keen diver himself for over 35 years. Along with fellow German expat dive instructor Alex Loew, they have been alarmed to see shark numbers declining off Phuket waters for many years now, something that has been consistent across the world.

As a result, Holger and Alex established The Fin Arts in 2017, a Phuket-based social enterprise that displays and sells shark sculptures, each one handpainted by its growing network of local and international artists, with a percentage of proceeds going to shark and marine conservation projects.

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A workshop in the southern area of Chalong affords local resident artists Sunanta Nualsomsri and her sister Saowaluck the creative space to produce the impressive sculptures and it is hoped providing more direct access to the general public will help continue to raise awareness.

The sculptures come in three sizes: 30-centimetre sharks cast in polyresin to decorate desks and shelves; and 100- and 150-centimetre sharks made from fibreglass, statement pieces that The Fin Arts uses to catch eyes at conventions. All designs can be customised in a bespoke manner to the customer’s requirements.

The inspiration for this was provided by the Elephant Parade on display in Chiang Mai in 2017. In a similar vein to The Fin Arts, Elephant Parade exhibits decorated elephant statues to raise awareness of the need for elephant conservation.

The objective is to bring the message of shark conservation efforts into everyday lives, into homes and offices in order to create a conversation, raise awareness and educate people.

“The sculptures are different, unusual,” says Holger. “They often achieve the desired effect of initiating a conversation that can result in a positive impact.”

Alex Loew of FinArts is changing the way we think about sharks

B RILLIA NT EN VI RO N M ENT Shark Guardian is the main conservation project The Fin Arts supports. Its focus is to both educate and establish a meaningful dialogue about these important creatures of the deep. The UK-registered charity collaborates with marine biologists and shark experts to share data and research, visits schools across the world to educate the next generation about the plight of sharks, and petitions and lobbies governments.

Education is the key Although Holger’s reference to Hollywood mogul Spielberg’s role in depicting sharks as villains courtesy of his 1975 blockbuster film Jaws is tongue-in-cheek, there is a simultaneous tone of definite lament and, for him, education is the key driver in effecting change.

“In 35 years of diving I have only ever heard of one serious shark attack on a diver, which occurred in Egypt several years ago,” he says. Indeed, you are far more likely to die from a popping champagne cork, being struck by lightning or a falling coconut from a tree.

✲ “Humans are not part of a shark’s foodchain,” adds Holger, stressing that rare attacks are usually the shark mistaking a human for food, taking a “test bite” but then releasing.

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If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything it is the precarious yet crucial balance between humans and nature. The importance sharks play in the eco-system of the ocean can not be understated, says Holger.

“As apex predators, sharks play a crucial role in maintaining marine biodiversity,” he says. “You take the shark out of the equation and it undermines the whole structure.

The consequence of their dwindling numbers and potential disappearance altogether would be devastating,” adding a critical reminder that 70% of the earth’s oxygen comes from the ocean.

Estimates state that between 100-120 million sharks are killed every year. A third of all sharks are threatened with extinction in the near future.

Unregulated fishing, bycatch, a continued demand for shark fins for soup and teeth and jaws for souvenirs, and contact with marine debris, such as plastics and discarded “ghost nets” are the main contributing factors to these statistics.

The fishing industry has become much more aggressive and greedy, says Holger, with an increasing number of vessels taking to the waters each year, often operating in illegal territories and utilising illegal methods.

As the demand for fish increases to record numbers, particularly across the Pacific, unregulated fishing is becoming an increasing problem.

Unscrupulous methods adopted with longline fishing in particular where the actual size of nets are decreased

below the regulated requirement means dolphins, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks are unintentionally being caught and killed.

The shark fin market is also a major issue, despite restrictions being introduced and consumption dropping.

Used for soup at auspicious occasions typically in China and its associated territories, it is estimated that 75 million sharks are killed for this barbaric practice every year. Shark fin soup is still also widely available in Thailand.

“The sad thing is that a shark’s fin is merely cartilage and therefore offers very little in terms of taste,” says Holger.

➸ Painted Hammerhead sharks

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B RILLIA NT EN VI RO N M ENT Still, Holger remains upbeat and confident that things can and will change, in the short and longterm.

Shop Sharks

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“We will continue our efforts in trying to help protect and conserve these beautiful creatures who are so fundamental in so many ways,” he says.

Find out more about The Fin Arts:

+66 80 143 5472. http://www.thefinarts.com/ www.facebook.com/thefinarts. alex@thefinarts.com

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SPAIN IS COMMITTED TO MAKING SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVABLE AND MANAGEABLE ✦ Beyond the sun and the partying, Spain has a serious side where they are quietly implementing measures to make sustainability a key characteristic of the country.

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s a people, the Spanish are very environmentallyconscious. Besides separating plastics, glass, cardboard/paper and organic waste, people take each individual bag of rubbish down to the huge recycling bins that are conveniently located in many streets or to each building's individual bins.

such as cables, plugs, devices and even used cooking oil.

Spain also has what is known as 'puntos limpios', some of which are really just a small truck or van that is parked by the street and where you can bring certain products that cannot go into the normal waste bins. These include batteries, contaminants, paint, electrical goods

Since January 2019, only zeroemission vehicles (electrical and ECO vehicles e.g. hybrids and PLG) are allowed in the centre of Madrid.

Citizens can check online where their nearest punto limpio is and the schedule and bring their rubbish there to be safely disposed of.

As you move beyond the humble household, ESG can be seen in many areas.

Spain has also introduced gender equality plans involving equal pay between men and women

and gender pay transparency in 2021. Companies with 100 or more employees are required to negotiate an equality plan by 7 March 2021, while companies with 50 or more employees must negotiate an equality plan by 7 Mar 2022. Those that already have an equality plan must ensure its compliance with the new decree by 14 January 2022.

The Urgency of Sustainability Spain is the first country in the European Union to adapt national plans to bring an end to climate change, according to the report entitled Planning for Net Zero

➸ An example of Barcelona's eco-friendly building

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Emissions 2019 by the European Climate Foundation.

If we were to look at what Spain has been doing so far and its upcoming plans, one would have to say they are certainly doing their part, and it is a clear sign of commitment to making a difference: •

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In 2018 Spain announced an environmental policy to end its dependence on fossil fuels and draw 75% of its electricity from renewables by 2030, rising to 100% by 2050.

Spain aims to completely decarbonize its economy and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% against 1990 levels.

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Spain has stopped issuing new licences for oil and gas exploration and closed most of its coal mines.

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The country is running down its nuclear energy program and is instead retraining workers in clean energy jobs and environmental restoration.

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Spain is beefing up its renewable energy program focusing on solar and wind energies. The government has committed to installing at least 3,000 megawatts of wind and solar power capacity every year over the next ten years.

Beyond Good Food Beyond the beautiful Mediterranean cuisine, I was really impressed at how self-sufficient Spain really is. One could say it is a land of plenty with its rich agricultural heritage. In fact, Spain is home to several Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), as declared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

GIAHS are "outstanding landscapes of aesthetic beauty that combine agricultural diversity, resilient ecosystems and a valuable cultural heritage… They are a living, evolving ecosystem of human communities in an intricate relationship with their territory, cultural or

agricultural landscape, or wider social environment.” (Source: Food and Wines from Spain) Climate change and migration are just some of the issues that can lead to the disappearance of these systems.

This means a loss of traditional farming techniques and native species. These systems have paved the way for the agricultural innovation technology we have today and these systems need protecting.

Spain has four GIAHS: 1. Valle Salado, in the Basque Country 2. The raisin route in La Axarquía, Málaga 3. The ancient olive groves in Sénia, Tarragona 4. The L’Horta irrigation system in Valencia

The Salt of the Earth Located in the town of Salinas de Añana, in the Basque Country’s Álava province, the Valle Salado has a unique salt bubble where you can find salt water springs. Spain is working to protect this landscape and bring back the ancient salt extraction techniques. It is also a way to keep the economy of the community going. Tourism is helping to give the area a boost, and it is considered to be on its way to an economically sustainable recovery. As the region continues to work on being financially selfsufficient, employment is starting to grow.

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A Sweet and Wrinkly Grape Málaga has the perfect climate and soil for Muscat grapes. These are turned into both raisins and muscatel wine. In the area of La Axarquía, there is a precious raisin production technique that is centuries-old. Spain has been able to preserve these cultivation techniques from Phonecian times.

Now there is a revival of interest in this agricultural system and local farmers are working hard to maintain these traditions.

The humble raisin has become an important part of the local economy, not only preserving it financially but also in terms of its terrain in preventing erosion and desertification.

Tree of Life There are ancient olive trees in Sénia, Tarragona which are 5000 years old. Just thinking about that is enough to make one awestruck.

These trees need to be constantly protected. Both the public and private sectors in Spain are working together to develop the olive oil tourism industry there as a way to preserve the ancient trees. The local community and farmers are involved and the country has done much work to increase awareness of the need to boost local businesses and gastronomy.

Water, water everywhere... ... and there is plenty to drink here.

L’Horta in Valencia is showing the world how sustainable irrigation is done. The irrigation system there extends over 28 sq km across more than 12 municipalities. There are 6,000 agricultural holdings in the area which are fed by the Turia River using a gravity-based system.

Designed in the 18th century, the country has managed to preserve the original ditches and hydraulic spaces. And they continue to function today. The land is used to grow fruits and vegetables such as pumpkins, onions and lettuce.

You are my sunshine Totana in the south of Spain is a massive solar energy system.

The area gets nearly 2,800 hours a year. The Totana Solar Plan, operated by Enel Green Power (EGP), contributes 85 megawatts of electricity to Spain's national power network. This is literally the size of Spain's commitment to fighting climate change. They are proactively finding ways to source and harness renewable energy and make it accessible and affordable.

Furthermore, the Totana Solar Plant is generating enough clean energy to save the emission of around 104,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

The answer is blowing in the wind...

With 27,446 MW of accumulated capacity, wind energy is the second source of electrical generation in Spain in 2020. Spain is the fifth country in the world in terms of installed wind power after China, the US, Germany and India. There are 1265 wind farms peppered across Spain in more than 1,000 municipalities.

Spain has more wind and sun than any other European country. Spain is seeing wind power continue to grow and according to the National Integrated Energy and Climate

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Plan (PNIEC), released last year, the installed capacity of wind turbines will almost double between now and 2030.

For Spain, 2021 was the most expensive year for energy in history, and the citizens are all feeling the burn. If Spain can get more wind turbines and solar panels to beef up the grid, the less consumers and companies will have to pay to buy their power from the regulated market (PVPC).

So yes, climate change and environmental problems are scary, depressing and heavy, AND it is also possible to make a change from where we all are. We will never have a perfect world and get it all perfectly right. As they say, if nothing changes, nothing changes! Spain is doing its bit as a country on this planet, and every single individual, every family is a microcosm that can still do their best to bring a bit of balm and relief to the environment. Perhaps that will be enough to simply make a start. Right now.

➸ Centennial Olive Trees from Mediterranean Mallorca

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AVERY DENNISON TO PREVIEW NEW PVCFREE PREMIUM DIGITALLY PRINTABLE FILM ✦ Hot off its successful launch in Europe, the new PVC-free premium digitally printable film, SP 1504 Easy Apply™, will be showcased at the upcoming PacPrint event for Australia’s top graphics solutions professionals.

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ust launched in Europe, Sustainable Print wrapping film

by Avery Dennison is a new platform comprising premium PVC-free, highly conformable, and printable wrapping film that offers outstanding performance and environmental benefits.

For Australia, the company is offering the graphics solutions industry a sneak preview of its new SP 1504 Easy Apply™ range of PVC-free premium digitally

printable film at an upcoming event, PacPrint, in Melbourne.

“We are excited to preview the SP 1504 Easy Apply premium film which garnered very positive customer reception at its European launch,” said Matthew Francis, Product Manager for Graphics Solutions, Australia and New Zealand, Avery Dennison.

“This is a great opportunity for us to engage with business visitors about our

new Sustainable Print solution. Due to disruptions in the global supply chain, however, we expect to launch the SP 1504 Easy Apply in ANZ later in 2022.”

Targeted to be launched in Australia and New Zealand later this year, the SP 1504 Easy Apply delivers easy repositioning and bubblefree applications for even the most challenging 3D applications with the company’s Easy Apply adhesive technology.

➸ Vehicle wrapping with SP1504 EasyApply film

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✲ “As a company committed to serving as a force for good both environmentally and socially, we want to spark conversations and actions that will advance the circular economy,” - David Newman, Senior Marketing

Manager, Graphics Solutions, Asia Pacific, Avery Dennison.

“At the upcoming event, we look forward to helping business visitors, partners, and customers in the industry learn and deploy our innovative sustainability-themed solutions or programs that reduce resource consumption or eliminate waste in the community.”

Other sustainability-themed solutions at PacPrint21 include the Avery Dennison Plastic End Cap Recycling Program, a new value chain for the graphics solutions industry, focusing on waste material generated in operational use. This program diverts discarded plastic waste to create raw materials for everyday products. Through this, businesses in the graphics solutions industry can take the right step in making sustainability an integral part of their daily operations.

PacPrint event will run between June 28 and July 1, 2022, at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. Check out the event at PacPrint.com.au.

For business users and installers in the ANZ region who are unable to visit Avery Dennison’s booth at PacPrint21, they can connect with their respective Avery Dennison representatives or email graphics@ap.averydennison.com for discussions. Businesses and installers can also sign up to be an Avery Dennison [Insider] to receive priority news and alerts from the company directly at https://graphicsap.averydennison.com/en/home/ news/subscribe.html.

- vehicle wrap using ➸ Detailing SP1504 EasyApply filma

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FIX POTHOLES OR CLIMATE ACTION – CAN WE HAVE BOTH? ✦ Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s proposal to revoke policy on climate change has been labelled by the NSW Minister for the Environment as ‘shirking their responsibilities’.

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he issue was raised in Parliament by Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams on May 12 after a community forum, attended by residents and regional leaders, highlighted significant concern over council’s proposal to rescind its Climate Change Response Policy.

Council’s policy proposal follows a council decision in February to revoke its Climate Emergency Declaration, making it the first in NSW to retract its support. In April, council also adopted its Community Strategic Plan (CSP) replacing all references to ‘climate change’ with the words ‘sustainable resource management’.

At the forum, the Medical Staff Council - Port Macquarie Base Hospital submitted an open letter acknowledging climate change is a ‘health emergency’. Signed by 130 local medical professionals, the letter supports the broader concerns of the Australian Medical Association (AMA).

Mrs Williams said it is disappointing the views of the local community, and those of more than 1,800 residents who participated in consultation on the CSP, are not being heard.

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Port Macquarie Climate Change

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She slammed the “blatant misrepresentation” of the NSW Government’s climate change policies during a debate at council’s April meeting.

Mrs Williams said mayor Peta Pinson’s

statement that the “two tiers of Government above us have not scripted what climate change action looks like”, was simply incorrect.

She made it clear that the NSW Government is leading the nation when it comes to action on climate change as demonstrated in its Net Zero Plan, Stage 1 2020-2030.

“The community is well past debating whether or not climate change exists, they are well past debating who is responsible,” Mrs Williams said.

Mrs Williams said the community is looking for grassroots leadership on the issue.

“I suggest what they are seeking is leadership as provided by both the Commonwealth and State governments

State Member for Port Macquarie, the Hon. Leslie Gladys Williams

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B RILLIA NT EN VI RO N M ENT and by Local Government NSW so that we can achieve a ‘connected, sustainable, accessible community and environment that is protected now and into the future’ as highlighted by council in their own documentation.”

Minister for the Environment, James Griffin MP, addressed the Parliament describing council’s actions on climate change as “shocking” and “terrible”.

The community was given time to provide feedback on council’s policy proposal until May 6.

Following Mrs Williams’ statements in Parliament, Cr Pinson responded further by tabling a mayoral minute at council’s May meeting In her statement, Cr Pinson wanted it noted that ‘there is no directive through legislation that explicitly specifies what

impacts a council must mitigate in regard to climate change’, nor was there any requirement for council to have a Climate Change Response Policy.

The mayor called for a deferral of a decision on the rescission of council’s Climate Change Response Policy until after its Micromex Community Satisfaction Survey in July/August.

The mayor recommended the community be asked in the survey if they would prefer that council invest its funds on fixing potholes and maintaining local infrastructure; spend it on climate change initiatives; or allocate funding to both.

The recommendation was dissected

by Crs Lisa Intemann and Rachel Sheppard who proposed, among many amendments, to note “that a Climate Response Policy bolsters local government advocacy of funding from both state and federal government climate change funding opportunities,

by demonstrating alignment with the funding objectives, including the delivery of road, water and sewer infrastructure that considers the impacts of climate change.”

They also urged the council to consider including community feedback gathered from all consultation activities over three-year CSP engagement process; the community engagement report on the original public exhibition response to the draft Climate Change Response Plan (2021); and other sources that evidence local attitudes toward climate change and climate action in the local context.

After robust debate, the mayor’s recommendations were adopted.

Council’s CEO will present a report on the survey results at council’s September meeting in conjunction with a report on the rescission, or otherwise, of the Climate Change Response Policy.

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BRILLIANT SUSTAINABILITY AT BILLABONG ZOO KOALA & WILDLIFE PARK ✦ Billabong Zoo has been successfully breeding some of Australia’s strongest and healthiest Koalas for more than 25 years.

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heir mission is to educate and build awareness of the plight and status of the wild population of the koala. Education is a way to support and drive conservation and boost the awareness of wild koala colonies in the local region.

Spending Time with ➸ Baby KoalaBillabong Zoo Keeper

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Billabong Zoo, Koala & Wildlife Park just celebrated 25 years of successful breeding some of Australia’s strongest and healthiest Koalas.

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WICKWORMING® HAS AN AUSSIE INNOVATION THAT PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE GARDENING ✦ How do we make something already good for the environment much better?

By making it more sustainable! WickWorming® has made sustainable gardening easier with their plant boxes.

He wanted to take the principles he was teaching students about sustainable agriculture to allow people who are time or space constrained to have a sustainable garden at their fingertips.

He shrunk the principles of sustainable agriculture, composting, vermiculture, water conservation and food production, into the WickWorming planter box.

How does it work?

Food placed into the composting area of the planter box is composted by worms, releasing nutrients into the soil and water reservoir. The watering design harnesses capillary action and saves up to 80% of the water used traditionally, also reducing the need to water plants from daily to monthly.

manner. No matter where you live, whether you live out in the suburbs or in a more urban area that can restrict you when it comes to starting a garden, WickWorming’s planter boxes may be the best option for you.

Compost Worms 101 Compost worms are pretty similar to earthworms, but they have much larger appetites and eat a wider range of materials including food scraps - and it’s fantastic that they do! Their hungry little bellies are the reason worm farms are so good at breaking down food waste.

Compost worms eat on average half their own weight in food every day!

Compost worms love kitchen scraps and organic matter but are slow to consume meat or dairy, which may go off and start to stink before the worms dispose of them. So, what should you feed them?

Raw foods that decay quickly, such as vegetable and fruit scraps, used tea bags, crushed eggshells, grass clippings and dry leaves, are best for keeping your worms happy. Foods to avoid include meat and dairy– basically anything that has a strong odour when it starts to rot.

Read Full Story

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hrinking a sustainable garden into a planter box is the idea of St Luke’s Grammar geography and history teacher Oliver White.

Having established sustainable gardening systems at the Dee Why school, Oliver said he wanted something similar for the balcony of his apartment but could not find it.

This means that if you have 1kg of worms in your compost bin, they will eat 1/2kg of food every day! So, as you increase your worm population, you will also need to increase the amount of food you provide for them.

“The worm farm will process about 2-3kg of food waste once the worms are fully established,” explains Oliver. “The average Australian family produces about 7kg a week, so it’s not going to cover everything but something is better than nothing in terms of food waste going into landfill.

This is a starting point for families and households to look at composting and worm farming and reducing food waste.”

WickWorming’s sustainable planter boxes, or sustainable self-watering wicking planter boxes with in-ground worm farms, now gives Aussies the option of gardening in a more sustainable

➸ WickWorming’s planter box

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HASTINGS LANDCARE NURTURES COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS, ENHANCES THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUPPORTS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE ✦ Keeping our water quality and the biodiversity around our water systems healthy is vital for the community, environment and agriculture.

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he Hastings region has a huge network of rivers, streams, wetlands and dams. Landcare plays an important role in facilitating farming innovation via promotional and educational activities that encourage and support rapid adoption across farms.

Many farmers and landholders in our region recognise the importance of caring for the natural assets on their properties such as bushland, wetlands and rivers.

Landcare helps by providing site visits, information, resources and, on some occasions, grants to help landholders.

Australian farmers are continuing to adapt to a changing and challenging environment, taking into consideration seasonal variability and consumer and market-led demands. Land Carers have an important role in helping to share information on successful innovations, coming together and exchanging knowledge so that all can benefit from these new ideas that address farming challenges and land management.

Carbon focuses on boosting biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and empowering communities to act with confidence in response to climate change.

So, why do we want to mess rivers up and slow them down? To answer this question, a broad range of perspectives is needed. Perhaps the most compelling argument, however, is that recent

research has shown that in the efforts to ‘neaten’ rivers has drastically reduced their ability to capture carbon.

Rivers need to be messy and have ‘room to move’ so that they can perform a range of functions, providing habitat and food for a wide range of animals, as well as having a range of flows and movement.

➸ A ‘messy and complex’ river. Photo : Haydn Burgess

Many Australian farmers recognise the importance of integrating biodiversity and sound environmental management into their production areas and Landcare groups are leading the way in many areas.

Let’s mess up rivers and slow down the water

By Dr Siwan Lovett, Australian River Restoration Centre Why would you want to mess up rivers and slow down water? This is a question often asked by landholders when they’re thinking about becoming part of the Rivers of Carbon program. Rivers of

➸ Hastings River Flow Yarras NSW

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Hastings Landcare - Nature School adventures and beginners birdwatching Hollows in the Hastings Project is creating more habitat (nest boxes and hollows) and creating community awareness of the significance of hollows, habitat and biodiversity.

Hastings Landcare spent the day with the Nature School on-site to share knowledge about habitat and hollows as well as monitor some of the recently installed nest boxes. A lot was learnt about grasses, bone structures of different animals, nest types, aboriginal cultural knowledge and much more!

The first Beginners Birdwatching Day was spent with a great bunch of lovely, likeminded people, all sharpened up on their birdwatching skills with an interactive talk

by Hastings Birdwatcher’s Peter West.

A bird walk and visit to some of the artificial hollows and nest boxes included monitoring of some of the nest boxes and hollows and the discovery of a number of sugar gliders was a delight to young and old!

These workshops are made possible due to the Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery project supported by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Program for Wildlife and their Habitat.

➸ Nature school and hollows

➸ Vickers farm regeneration

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Brilliant BUSINESS ✦

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SUSTAINABILITY STARTS YOUNG AT TG'S CHILD CARE ✦ TG’s children are proud of the gift of making a difference to their environment and community.

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G's Child Care has sustainability integrated into its very DNA. As a familiar and well-loved name across Australia, TG's Child Care has been trusted by families for more than two decades as the stewardship of their children's future.

Actually, TG's children are the stewardship of the planet's future.

For TG's, it is vital to foster values, attitudes, skills and behaviours that support sustainable development.

By showing children how to embody care and respect today, TG's is helping

children to create a better environment and society for tomorrow.

At TG's, sustainability means sharing knowledge with the children about the difference they can all make in caring for the environment and their communities, leading the way in embedding sustainable practices into their centres and making it a natural, daily practice, creating an inclusive and diverse environment supported by ancient indigenous wisdom.

TG's sustainability has three core areas - social (families and community), environment (planet) and economy (businesses).

Social TG's partnership with families and the community enriches each child’s learning journey. They take part in Uralla’s Thunderbolt Festival, Armidale's Autumn Festival and Wauchope's Lasiandra Festival. TG's is always showing up as a positive, supportive and contributing member of the local communities.

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Environment TG's children are intellectually and socially eco-intelligent. Children are entrusted with the responsibility (and joy!) of caring for the vegetables in TG's gardens. They build an appreciation and understanding of nature. It gives them an enormous sense of pride realising they have the knowledge, experience and opportunity to make the world a better place starting right where they are at TG's.

TG's natural and safe environment allows the children to develop their independent and creative young minds, as well as engage in collective thinking with their peers. This is where children build relationships with each other, identify their own strengths and share their gifts with everyone around them.

The feelings of love, care and respect flow through TG's award-winning gardens and playspaces.

Economy When TG's Child Care Urangan was being set up, it was a great opportunity for real life learning. The children in the community could see how the centre went from an empty building and land to the beautiful TG's they go to everyday where Playing is Learning for Life. Children learn to appreciate their communities as a valuable source of sustainable business and economic support. TG's children visit local businesses and learn to appreciate their trade. TG's centres in turn support and promote the local businesses.

➸ TG's Urangan Beach Kindy

Sustainability is a natural way of being at TG's. TG's is giving the children all the 'tools' they need as they take bold little steps towards their bright futures.

They are learning that with each step they take, they are growing up to be citizens of the world and leaders of our future, leaving their own unique gentle footprints in the history of the planet.

What they do now can help generations have a better future.

Learn how TG's Child Care is creating a sustainable future

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As part of their Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to boost their sustainability values and help children go even further in eco and social intelligence, TG's has been incorporating indigenous programs into their curriculum. This is how the childrenn learn their connections to their past, their culture, their community, their environment. It serves as a guide for them to go forward to make a better future for their planet and their communities.

➸ Eco - Intellegent children

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THE NOISE ON THE NURSERY… GARDEN CHAT WITH CHOOK FROM GREENBOURNE NURSERY ✦ As I write this, a cold snap is coming up from the south west, winter is on its way. While a cold winter may sound like an annoyance to many, it is something our area needs here on the mid north coast.

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have had numerous discussions with locals about the abundance of garden pests and diseases that have burdened our plants for the last 18 months or so. The last two winters have been quite mild in regard to minimum temperatures and hence have allowed breeding cycles to continue and various pests to survive the winter period.

A cold winter will hopefully disrupt this pattern and allow for a more successful spring period. It also will help to sweeten up our citrus and put a richer red pigment into anyone growing blood oranges.

they are thick and strong with a great root system. Now that the rain is starting to let up a little, it is a great time to prepare the garden beds and either add to your rose collection or begin one.

I have found a way to do a little bit of garden catch up thanks to a lovely couple who drop in to the nursery all the time. With the excess rain that occurred a few weeks ago we all have tales of missed opportunities in the

garden. The daylight length is getting shorter and many of us are not home until it is dark. The delightful couple I was chatting to were in a situation just like this, they told me the solution was simple… just garden at night.

They ran me through a few ideas that they had and used successfully.

So, based on their recommendation I dropped into the hardware a few days later and picked up a 20 metre

Speaking of citrus, we can always tell when the sweet, tangy fruit begins to ripen… we start selling bird netting like crazy! Many are flocking in (pardon the pun) and purchasing the netting to stop the birds from pinching the ripening fruit. Bowerbirds, rainbow lorikeets and currawongs to name a few, however the most frustrating are the white cockatoos.

Many customers are telling me the familiar story of how the cockies will pick a fruit, take a single bite and then discard it on the ground beneath the tree. Some say they are just bored and some say they are searching for seed inside the fruit. One of our lovely regulars swears that the cockies are doing it to spite us, getting a little back for knocking down too many trees… maybe he’s right.

Apart from talking to plenty of folk here at the nursery, we have been working on our first batch of bare rooted roses.

A true sign that winter approaches.

The roses this season have obviously enjoyed the extra water this year as

Large orchid blooms have an ➸ Hybrid Tea rose -intense old damask fragrance

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extension cord and a type of spot light that is mounted to a tripod. The setup allows me to move around the garden and find even the most hidden little nooks. The wife and kids laughed at and mocked me from the verandah as I began setting up… but I loved it. It was such a peaceful experience. Please give it a go and catch up on some gardening.

Chook’s Plant Recommendations Ornamental Plant Jungle Warrior (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) Culinary Herb Perennial coriander (Eryngium foetidum) Fruit tree

Read Chook’s full plant recommendations here

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Babaco (Carica pentagona)

Now winter is here, get out into your nurseries and see all the exciting new season plants that arrive this time of year.

Enquire with the helpful staff about what deciduous plants will work best in your area. And don’t forget to set up your spotlight in your garden! Catch up on all the little garden jobs you were unable to do due to the big wet.

Please feel free to drop into the nursery here at Greenbourne for some good advice or just a friendly chat.

Happy Gardening, Daniel “Chook” Fowler.

➸ Daniel Chook Fowler Greenbourne Nursery Wauchope

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SUSTAINABILITY AND BUSINESS ✦ Australia held a massive opinion poll on May 21 that revealed in large areas of the country there are two issues that galvanise voters – climate change and integrity.

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here is also another change that has been happening over the last 20 years or so. This is that as consumers of goods and services we are very specific in our demands and the technology is there so that our specific demands can be met.

Henry Ford is quoted as saying: “Any customer can have a car painted any colour he wants, so long as it is black.”

the end of 2029-30 (from a 2019-20 baseline), and to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity by the end of 2024-25.”

Aldi in Australia has reached its 100% renewable energy target ahead of schedule.

Whatever we think about climate change and global warming or how as individuals we can change, the reality is that large numbers of Australians want action and want to see the businesses they use take action.

Traditionally, profit maximisation has been seen as the traditional role of companies. So major supermarkets have changed their view. My practical view is that these companies have all seen that their customers (the people they earn profits from) want reductions in greenhouse gases and reductions in other types of waste.

Woolworths and Coles said in the Australian Financial Review in 2021:

The BBC has an interesting article on how much of the world’s resources different countries use: https://www.bbc. com/news/magazine-33133712

“Woolworths says it will deliver a 63 per cent reduction in emissions from its own operations (scope 1 and 2) by 2030 and a 19 per cent reduction across its supply chain (scope 3). Woolworths has also committed to source 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2025.”

The other major issue besides climate is integrity. So if as a business we say we are going to do something we need to do it.

“Coles Group has committed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to reduce combined scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by more than 75 per cent by

As always the information in this article is of a general nature and you should seek specific advice from your relevant professional adviser.

Are there steps you can take in your business to improve sustainability?

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INDIVIDUALLY CRAFTED CEREMONIES INCORPORATING YOUR OWN IDEAS ✦ Jennifer McKenzie Marriage Celebrant is here to assist and guide you create memories that will last a lifetime, whether it be Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Renewing of vows or Baby Naming.

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our marriage ceremony can be conducted any day, anywhere and anytime, giving you enormous choices to achieve the perfect ceremony at the ideal venue you have always dreamed of. Whether it be in Port Macquarie or surrounding suburbs, parklands, beaches, mountains or in your own home, the possibilities are endless.

Total freedom of choice To bring together the perfect ceremony, Jennifer gives you total freedom of choice in regards to ceremony type, including

vows, music, readings and venue. She also encourages including family and friends to take part to complete the perfect wedding ceremony. The venue's location can vary around Port Macquarie and surrounding suburbs.

Gone are the days when weddings were done by the book and each ceremony looked the same. Apart from ensuring your wedding day goes as smoothly as possible, all the paperwork done correctly and lodged through to the ceremony, you are guaranteed that the event will leave everlasting memories that will be one of a kind.

About Jennifer Professionally trained by the Academy of Celebrancy of Australia, Jennifer has also completed Certificate IV in Small Business management and is a registered member of the Australian Marriage Celebrant Inc. As a Civil Celebrant, Jennifer’s main focus is on excellence in customer service and to demonstrate the sensitivity which enables clients to discuss their thoughts and wishes. She aims to become a part of the picture the couple want to paint and together will achieve and build that perfect ceremony.

➸ Jenny with Mark and Anne Dragos

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B RILLIA NT B USI N E SS Throughout her life, Jennifer has always enjoyed helping and working with people.

She is very friendly, has good listening skills, empathy and understanding.

She loves what she does and believes it is a great privilege and honour to be a part of a Wedding Ceremony, to meet the couple´s family and friends, to celebrate the union of two people in love.

Always up for a challenge, Jennifer thrives in the creation of unique ceremonies. She will help and guide you on your very special day and onto a wonderful life together as a couple.

Pam and Graham Testimonial “Jenny, I got your lovely e-card, thank you so much. Truly you made the day so very special for the family. It could not have been more moving, more memorable or more bonding. It was also lovely to see you on the Town Green on Monday. It felt like it was an extra treat just for all of us . Such a joy to be able to play at these functions.”

Read Full Story

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Jennifer is here to assist and guide you to design your memories for a lifetime, whether it be Weddings, Commitment Ceremonies, Renewing of Vows or Baby Naming Celebrations. Each ceremony is individually crafted with your own ideas for your complete satisfaction.

➸Bride and Groom! Pam and Graham

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Dr Harry and Suzie Cooper

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10 THINGS TO MINIMISE TAX-TIME DRAMA ✦ As June rolls around once more - and with it the end-of-financial-year chaos - I want to share with you 10 tips to both reduce the stress and maximise your returns. - Liz Jarvis, Better Business Decisions

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hen you’ve been a Chartered Accountant and Business Advisor for as long as I have, you can sense the tension in the air when June 30 looms large on the horizon.

So if you’re dreading the coming month and all the numbers and brainwork you’re in for, I have 10 ways to kick that overwhelm to the curb and get your head in the game for this final stretch of FY2021-2022.

1. There is no Tax Time Woah, what? That might be a weird one straight out of the gate, but this one always stops my clients in their tracks.

Much like 'super foods' and 'anti-aging', 'tax time' is not an actual industry term.

It's a marketing term.

But much like the examples above, it's had a dangerous impact on the 'thing' which it refers to. There is no

specific 'time' to be thinking about tax.

We should be considering smart tax minimisation options as part of our regular 'sit-down' with our numbers.

As frequently as doing wages, paying invoices, checking the account or placing orders, so too should we be 'checking in' on our tax and keeping opportunities to save or spend wisely top-of-mind.

2. Tax is not the same as your car rego. It's not a bill due every year.

Another head-space shift I need you to make - stop thinking about your tax as a bill. Tax is not an annual subscription to the ATO. If you want to maximise the opportunities that the taxation system presents to your business, you need to stop treating it like a bill you have zero control over that just turns up unannounced throughout the year.

Similarly to the above, this can be one of the single biggest shifts in how you think about tax that can open your eyes to its true potential. How often do you think about wages? Balancing Xero or MYOB? Paying your suppliers?

Awareness of the way tax works means there can be all sorts of opportunities such as varying your tax instalments when things change. Even the idea of getting a refund needs to be revisited - do you want the ATO to have your spare money so you get a refund? Or is it better to keep a closer eye on the details and give them the appropriate amount each quarter?

3. Tax Avoidance is NOT the same as Tax Evasion.

"Whilst tax evasion is illegal, tax avoidance is not. Tax evasion is the illegal practice of not paying taxes by not paying the taxes owed; reporting taxes that are not allowed legally; and

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B RILLIA NT B USI N E SS not reporting income. It can apply to employment taxes, sales taxes, and income taxes.

On the other hand, tax avoidance is a legitimate way of minimising taxes through methods indicated in the tax law. Businesses can avoid taxes by availing of all legal deductions and by sheltering income from tax payments through other legitimate means." (thanks to @fclawyers for this wellworded explanation).

Too many business owners leave opportunities on the table by flinching at the term 'Tax Minimisation’'. In the immortal words of Kerry Packer: “of course I am minimising my tax… as a government, you’re not spending it that well that we should be donating extra.”

Food for thought, right?

4. Tax Avoidance does not make you a bad person.

“I’m a good, tax-paying citizen.”

How many times have you heard yourself saying this? Culturally we have connected the idea of being a good person with the notion of paying tax. So when the opportunity to minimise tax is tabled, as I mentioned in #3 we get all flinchy and cringy.

further into a potential future for you. Going into the room armed with a sense of informed curiosity signals to your accountant that you’re ready to kick things up a notch - that you're ready to graduate out of grasshopper status.

There can even be benefits of a company if you expect to make losses for a few years before turning a big profit! But without an in depth conversation about your business plans, no accountant/tax agent can get you the right setup.

(Oh and PS: those notes I gave my client? They created a lifetime tax saving of $150k - BOOYAH)

7. The Taxation system was designed to help you succeed (believe it or not!)

6. Sole Trader? The time to become a company could be NOW! For many of my smaller business owners (and often, not-so-small business owners!) the idea of shifting from Sole Trader to Company structure can seem like a decision for waaay down the track when your turnover is much higher.

In reality, if you’re making a profit of over $120k per year, the amount of tax you could be paying as a company, as opposed to a sole trader, could be MUCH lower.

Claiming business expenses on tax is a system designed to encourage you to INVEST in your business (not just leave the money sitting in the bank).

So rather than accruing profits in your business bank account and being taxed heavily on them, there are a range of ways you can put that money to work back in your business. This links in closely with the previous #6, in ensuring you’re set up as the entity that suits where you are now and where you’re heading with your business.

The benefits of this are twofold - less of your profits are paid in tax AND your business can grow!

You can AVOID tax and still be a fine, upstanding member of society. I see business owners falling into three distinct categories when it comes to their taxation philosophy: those that want to pay none at all, those who don’t want to pay a cent more than they have to and those that see tax as a moral obligation. Which makes the most sense to your business?

5. Want more out of EOFY? Bring more to the table.

A discussion with one of my clients about tax opportunities available to them turned into a series of notes she took with her to her tax agent. The agent’s response: “We WISH all our clients were this well educated about tax!”

When you’re bringing greater thirst for knowledge to the table, the conversations can progress that much

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Liz Jarvis, Better Business Decisions

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8. Your Tax Plan should look very similar to your business plan.

Do you have a strategy for your business for the next month, quarter, year or 5 years? If that’s the case, you should have a plan for minimising your tax that runs right alongside.

9. Your Superannuation Plan is ideally a component of your Tax Plan.

Another juicy topic that business owners either shy away from, or only tentatively dip their toes in, a Super plan presents a golden opportunity to minimise tax today whilst also solidifying our plans for tomorrow.

Regardless of the business that you’re in, you don’t plan to drop dead midinvoice, do you? Of course not! We built these businesses to set us free and facilitate a better life! So thinking about smart super strategies and investing in the next chapter have flow on effects to tax avoidance. (And if you cringed just then, go back and read #3 & #4 until you get it out of your system).

We buy houses, cars and investments knowing these things will come to

➸ Bring more to the table fruition in the future. So apply that same vision to both your super and your tax planning.

It’s true that you can’t access your super until you are older. Let’s face it though: ideally the retirement chapter of your story lasts at least 25 years, so when do you START saving your surplus funds in what’s effectively the “OnShore Legal Tax Haven” that is Australian Superannuation, if not now?

Did you know that under current tax law, the earnings of that nest egg (whether in a Self-Managed or other Superannuation fund) are not taxed at all once you get to “pension phase”?

Actually that’s why financial planners understand that it’s worth getting as much as you can into that zone!

10. There is an easy way to put all this into practice.

Shameless plug alert (but hey, tax is smack bang in my zone of genius).

The truth is that I love tax planning

with my clients because it’s a process full of pleasant surprises, exciting opportunities and aha! moments. Once you realise that a tax plan can make bigger things possible, we’ll no longer carry this sense of dread into June.

Heck, we might even start celebrating instead!

If you’re curious about what a tax plan might look like in your business, I’m offering 1:1 Tax Strategy sessions over on my website now. I can’t wait to dive in with you.

Disclaimer: These are yuck and boring but unfortunately a legal requirement for professionals in my industry. So just a reminder, the information contained here is general in nature and you should seek financial and business advice tailored to your own personal circumstances. Which, by no small coincidence, I can help you out with.

Head over to my website and book a free 30 minute chat with me

Book Now

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Think about it: we pay tax over the course of our lifetime. So your plan for it should be connected and flow year on year, building on the strategies of the previous year. This headspace shift sits right alongside #1 & #2 - it’s time to start thinking about tax in the context of the bigger picture in our lives.

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ACCOMPLISHED TREE MANAGEMENT AWARDED TOP THREE BEST TREE SERVICE PROVIDER IN PORT MACQUARIE! ✦ Based on a rigorous 50-Point Inspection by ThreeBestRated, Accomplished Tree Management was awarded Top 3 Tree services in Port Macquarie, NSW.

Based in Port Macquarie and servicing the Mid North Coast, Accomplished Tree Management is a professional, family owned arboricultural company

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with over 17 years experience. Over time, they have earned a reputation for excellent customer service, quality workmanship and advice.

They provide a variety of services ranging from tree removals, pruning to deadwooding, stump grinding as well as preparing arboricultural reports and hazard assessments.

Accomplished Tree Management is also fully qualified and adheres to the Australian standards of AS 4373-2007-Pruning of Amenity Trees and a registered user of the Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA) method.

The company is fully insured with $20 million Public Liability and $5 million Professional Indemnity Insurance.

Learn More

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“I

t is an honour and a big motivator to continue providing professional tree services to their clients (and this includes the trees and the greenery) with respect, love and quality care. It is also an appreciation and recognition for providing consistent high-quality service in tree services.”, says Rhys Mackney, owner of Accomplished Tree Management.

For tree removal services contact Accomplished Tree Management: 0411 443 535 www.atreem.com.au

Accomplished Tree Management, Top 3 Tree Service Provider in Port Macquarie

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WHAT ONE PERSON MAY CONSIDER WORTHLESS COULD BE HIGHLY PRIZED OR VALUED BY SOMEONE ELSE ✦ One local businessman, Darius Witecki, lives by this mantra. Taking a side hustle to new heights and establishing Port Pickers, he has turned an avid interest in antiques and collectibles into a profitable business in Port Macquarie’s industrial area.

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e caught up with Darius at his warehouse and were blown away by the eclectic mix of antiques, collectibles and curiosities on offer. Definitely a must see if you are interested in treasures from the past.

"My obsession started as a child," Darius told us. "I had a fascination with watches. I was always asking people about their watches and on Christmas and birthdays I wanted a watch. So by the time I was 15 years old, I had a watch collection of probably five or six.

The obsession continued from there to

clocks and then other cool things. I found myself just fascinated with old stuff. Collectibles, watches, clocks, knives plus lots more as you can see in my store.”

When asked if there was an item or two that he really wanted to come across and haven’t as yet Darius replied, "I would love to find a Paul Newman Rolex Daytona from the 70s that's on my wish list, and an original samurai sword from a samurai warrior, which may be very hard to find.”

What is Port Pickers and what makes it unique?

Darius explains, “Port Pickers is very different to any antique and collectibles shop out there. It's not a secondhand shop, but it is a cross between the two in a way. We prefer high end items, but the challenge we have is that we deal with deceased estates. When we are asked to buy we have to take everything - yes antiques, but also the bric-a brac and household items, you have to take the lot.”

➸ Port Pickers Warehouse Shop overflowing with eclectic items

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Despite this, Darius doesn’t like throwing anything in the bin as he believes almost everything is sellable.

As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. It's a cliche but one that is very true.

He does have a preference to keep to the more high end items, but he says what makes Port Pickers unique is that they have a little bit of everything. A wish list has been created, so they are always on the lookout to find items their customers want.

“You'll find pretty much anything and everything in here. If we find it, it’s on the shelf for sale and if it's not here I'm looking for it and I'll find it next week,” says Darius.

The shop is set out in organised categories so the team has already done the picking!

➸ John Wayne collectible plates

Truly mind blowing. Hours could be spent checking out the vintage tools and stationary, timber decor, garagenalia, petroliana, bric-abrac, glassware, breweriana, movie memorabilia, stoneware and kitchenalia.

Display cases house the precious items such as watches, jewellery, clocks, art glass, bakelite, silverware, vases, ceramics and figurines. There is something for everyone: copper and brass statues, vintage toys, travel items, records, nautical and military curiosities, antique bottles and tins.

You will even find vintage car accessories and signage, art and tribal pieces, fishing and camping gear from days gone by, tobacciana, plastic ware and vintage sewing paraphernalia.

➸ Vintage glassware display in old school cupboard

Some may not know the terminology 'Pickers'...

Pickers have nothing to do with the banjo or picking fruit. They are people that make their living looking for collectibles that others will buy. They spend their time digging through other people's barns, garages, sheds and abandoned buildings looking for particular items.

➸ Vintage Books

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They search for unique items at garage sales, markets, estate sales, church sales, and second-hand shops. They preserve history, culture, and interest in a way of life.

The Port Pickers team can be spotted in their white van, with the distinctive Port Pickers logo prominently displayed, cruising around back roads of NSW, looking for the most unusual and difficult to find antiques and collectibles you could think of.

Port Pickers have a passion for excellence that has driven them from the beginning and continues to drive them into the future. They know that every product counts and strive to make the entire shopping experience as rewarding as possible.

Visit Port Pickers to shop vintage items, collectibles, and unique home decor, picked by Darius and his team of expert pickers or check out their website and socials.

has an avid interest ➸ Darius Witecki in antiques and collectibles

➸ The Port Pickers team ready to freestyle

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34 Uralla Road, Port Macquarie

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The mining industry has long struggled with issues related to sustainability. With the growing necessity of ESG across industries now, mining companies may finally have a framework they can use to navigate through the labyrinth of sustainability.

Investors are now more interested in mining organisations that are clean and ethical in all senses of the word - Environment (caring for the planet), Social (treatment of people) and Governance (transparency of a company).

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Read the next two articles

➸ Photo credit: IWIMRA

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Brilliant MINING ✦

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HOW DO WE ‘DO’ ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (ESG)? ✦ It is one of the most common questions we get asked as environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) consultants.

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he simple answer is that you must start with an awareness of what it means specific to your company. All companies are in some way unique, therefore your ESG strategy should take this into account.

We recommend Boards and company leaders begin with six simple questions. These give an insight into the knowledge that leaders have on ESG topics specific to their organisation as well as the presence (or lack of) a proper process in place.

1. Are we clear on the ESG topics that are and will become material to our business?

Material topics, according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), are topics that reflect an organisation's significant economic, environmental, and social impacts; or that substantively influence the assessments and decisions of stakeholders.

2. Is our view of these topics informed by data captured from our stakeholders and do we review this consistently as our business and the context we operate in evolves?

stakeholders and working out the best way to give them the opportunity to contribute. Common methods include online surveys, direct calls, and workshops. It is important to document this process for records and if you will be seeking assurance of your report.

Material topics must be informed through a stakeholder engagement process to ensure all stakeholders have the opportunity to communicate what matters to them. This starts with identifying or ‘mapping’

Stakeholders can be both entities and individuals including: •

Employees

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Shareholders

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Suppliers

•

Local communities

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Indigenous communities

•

Government and regulators

•

NGO’s

These topics are determined in part by the scale and reach of your company, the industry you work within and where you operate. What is material in an ESG sense to a company today will not necessarily be in a years' time.

Boards need to be regularly reflecting (at least every 2 years) on their material topics whilst planning for future topics based on trends and company evolution.

Companies can end up with a lot of topics that could be considered material. Sometimes too many on which to have a meaningful impact. To manage this, boards then need to apply the process of principled prioritisation, weighing up the influence the issue has on stakeholder assessments and decisions, and the significance of the company’s ESG impact.

These defined issues then form a core part of any ESG strategy and reporting efforts.

Why ESG?

➸ ESG at the board level

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Stakeholder inclusiveness is an important principle when developing an ESG strategy or report. The organisation needs to ensure it connects with those stakeholders they cannot be in constant dialogue with, as well as those who are unable to express their views through traditional methods or through proxies.

Data must then be captured and analysed by leaders to crystallise an accurate and representative list of material topics.

3. Have we set up a suitable ESG framework that incorporates recognised global frameworks and standards?

ESG frameworks and standards are plentiful and somewhat overwhelming for many company leaders. They exist, just like international accounting standards do, as a tool for the accurate, transparent, and comparable disclosure of a company’s material ESG topics.

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4. Are we using our view on current and future material topics to guide the development of our core business strategy?

5. Are we executing our strategy effectively and efficiently, having a positive impact on our material topics?

Gone are the days where a company can have an ESG strategy that sits separate to its core business.

Investors and other stakeholders now demand ESG is integrated into the operations and strategy of a company. Risks must be managed, and opportunities explored through the ESG lens to protect capital and unlock value.

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Whist it starts with strategy, impact on ESG must be measured through a mix of qualitative and quantitative results.

Recent examples of the importance of this can be found throughout the passenger vehicle industry. Tesla, which is now the most valuable car company in the world has a mission statement that is “to accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy.” (www.tesla.com) Now as the leading global EV brand, it has built a powerful early mover advantage over its competitors through executing on a strategy that was driven by awareness of the climate crisis and its implications on the auto industry.

Most of the global reporting frameworks and standards provide KPI’s for material topics.

Establishment of a baseline for a company’s material topics is critical for measurement of impact and to communicate this with investors and stakeholders.

Outside of the results, execution of ESG strategy relies upon properly resourcing ESG initiatives, having the right skills and knowledge supporting ESG efforts and a genuine commitment from the company leaders on ESG.

Whilst it is still a developing space, there are several global leaders including: •

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

•

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

•

Value Reporting Foundation (VRF)

•

Task force for Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

•

World Economic Forum (WEF)

These dominate the global ESG reporting landscape and as a result, investors and ratings agencies seek these frameworks out when evaluating a business. One of the early challenges with ESG is selecting the most suitable ESG framework and/or standards. For example, junior ASX listed resources companies may find that the SDGs are sufficient for their initial strategy and reporting cycle. Mid cap resources companies that are producing and, in the process generating high emissions may want to engage with GRI and TCFD.

➸ ESG for mining companies

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6. Are we effectively communicating with our investors and other stakeholders in relation to our view on future ESG material topics and our strategy on these?

Communication of ESG is traditionally done through an ESG or sustainability report. These can range from short (up to 20 pages) to very long (up to 120 pages). Whilst it is commonplace for these to be standalone, there is a trend towards integrating these reports into a company’s annual report.

Good ESG reporting needs to be communicated in a well-structured, visual document that can tell a story.

More importantly, this story needs to be backed by data.

Outside of the traditional annual sustainability or ESG report, companies are innovating with more regular disclosures on ESG for investors & stakeholders through ASX/press releases. We expect that these methods will continue to be the dominant communication tools but that they will be complemented through impactful corporate videos and other more dynamic media.

Good ESG strategy and reporting takes time and expertise but getting

started is easier than you think. With the introduction of inevitable ESG reporting requirements in the years ahead, the cost of not acting now is likely to be significantly higher than the cost of acting.

ESG Capital are an ESG Consultancy that work with public and private companies across APAC. Our valuedriven approach focuses on the opportunities for value creation through ESG strategy and reporting.

Steve Morgan, - Managing Director, ESG Capital

➸ Making sense of the ESG landscape

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WHERE DOES INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT FIT IN ESG? ✦ 90% of mineral exploration companies do not have an Indigenous policy.

Noel Ong, Samso speaks to Florence Drummond, CEO & Co-Founder of IWIMRA (Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia) where the First Nation fit in the ESG discussion.

There are many forms of engagement which are not industry specific.

Crossing into other businesses to encourage participation with the company is a great way of engagement.

We discuss several methods and ways to form relationships with companies and indigenous platforms which create mutual benefits.

How do we measure Social Performance without making it about pointing fingers.

Listen to their conversation

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90% of mineral exploration companies do not have an Indigenous policy.

Florence Drummond, CEO & Co-Founder of IWIMRA (Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources Australia) with Noel Ong from Samso

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Brilliant HEALTH ✦

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HEADSPACE FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH ✦ The importance of Family, Friends, and Community in supporting young people

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eadspace Port Macquarie has been built on the participation of young people, their families and community members since it opened its doors in 2013.

“Having community support plays an essential role in our service delivery and development” says Community Engagement Coordinator Jules Jamieson. “Over the years we have engaged all sorts of people as part of our headspace extended family. From state and federal MPs to prominent business people, cultural advisors, sports ambassadors to concerned

parents and teachers – it is something we are proud of and are continuing to uphold”.

As the saying goes ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, as such headspace Port Macquarie are on the hunt to bring new people into the centre to join their Family and Friends Reference Group (FFRG).

The FFRG are a group of local volunteers aged 25+ who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young people. Some members of the FFRG may have experienced their own struggles

and other members may have never experienced mental ill health, but all share a commitment to advocate for youth mental health in the local area.

Additionally, the group exists to ensure parents and families of young people are supported, and community members informed.

Headspace National data shows that most young people are encouraged by family or friends to engage with headspace. Family and friends have an integral role in identifying mental health challenges in young people.

They also enable positive help seeking behaviours.

➸ The team at headspace Port Macquarie

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Lauren McAllister, headspace Family and Friends Coordinator and volunteer, understands the importance of community when it comes to young people.

“It’s vital that we involve people who use headspace services, and those around them (home, school, uni, work) in decisions about headspace. It helps us remain relevant, trusted, and respected, and deliver appropriate services and ensure that we're targeting our priority groups."

The FFRG in conjunction with the Youth Reference Group (YRG), the youth version of the headspace participation model, are fundamental to the service.

➸ Lauren McAllister If you would like to join the headspace FFRG or would like more information, head to:

headspace.org.au/headspace-centres/ port-macquarie/want-to-join-ourfamily-and-friends-group/ 02 65887300 lauren_millar@hotmail.com

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JOANNA BURK INVITES YOU TO BOOST YOUR BRAIN POWER WHILE HAVING FUN WITH ® LEGO ROBOTS! Joanna has worked with LEGO® Education resources since 1998 and is a certified LEGO® Education Academy Teacher Trainer. She will be conducting the introductory workshop for older adults using the LEGO® Education Spike Prime set.

Joanna recently finished with Modern Teaching Aids after 14 years and is now based on the Mid North Coast of NSW. She is continuing to offer her expertise to all Primary school teachers and students in Australia and NZ. She has conducted professional development workshops for teachers in the effective use of LEGO® Education Robotics resources.

This has included workshops for students in schools entering robotics competitions including Robocup Junior Australia.

Now she has decided to offer hands on workshops for older adults so everyone can have fun, not just teachers and students.

What are the benefits of the workshop for older adults?

LEGO® is a fantastic way for adults to keep working their fine motor skills, utilize spatial reasoning and engage in a creative exercise for the mind. Around the world, people are

Contak Joanna Burk :

beginning to realize that spending a little time playing with LEGO® can be great for any age.

Hands on Minds on cognitive function includes a variety of mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, decision making, and language comprehension.

Anywhere people can sit around together, sharing ideas, problem solving together is bound to be a good social time. It’s particularly beneficial for middle to older adults to try their hand at many different activities that challenge their way of thinking.

So why not try something totally different?

LEGO® ROBOTICS WORKSHOP DETAILS Wednesday June 29th 2022 TIME: 10.00am-12.00pm (Morning Tea provided) Port Macquarie Library Grant St, Port Macquarie FEE: $40.00 incl GST Bookings Essential as space is limited. www.joannaburk.com joanna@joannaburk.com

Sign up for workshop now

www.joannaburk.com +61 0405 536 337 joanna@joannaburk.com

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✦ An invitation is extended to older adults to join Joanna Burk for a fun, introductory, handson workshop at the Port Macquarie Library on Wednesday June 29th but be quick, there are only ten spots available!

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Absolutely NO prior experience or knowledge required!

✤ Participants will experience a two-hour hands-on workshop using LEGO® robots to build, code and have fun. You can use a prebuilt robot or build your own.

Ideally you will be working in pairs sharing a device and robot with another participant.

The LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime Set

Joanna said, “You may be interested to know what your grandkids are up to in school, would like to try something different or just curious, whatever the reason you are welcome to attend, bring an open mind and be ready to have fun.”

Is the go-to learning tool for combining colourful LEGO® building blocks and elements, easy-to-use hardware, and an intuitive drag-and-drop coding language based on Scratch, SPIKE™ Prime engages participants through playful learning activities to think critically and solve complex problems, regardless of their learning level or age. It illuminates that axiom that learning is fun at any age.

The only thing you need to bring is yourself as all COVID safe equipment is provided.

Maximum group size is 10. Come on your own or with a friend or make up a group.

So what are you waiting for? Book your space by calling or emailing Joanna.

There are only 10 spaces available for the workshop at Port Macquarie Library.

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SUPPORT MACQUARIE IS AN EDUCATION AND SUPPORT SERVICE CATERING TO NDIS PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES ✦ SupPort Macquarie provides individual support, small group support and a suite of creative arts group programs.

Small but Mighty Team Run by husband-and-wife team Alice and James, this family business also has a team of six amazing support workers who provide support to individuals both in their homes and out in the community.

James is an additional needs teacher from the UK who came over to Australia and found that his qualifications could not transfer. He knew he wanted to work with people with disabilities so he started off as an independent support worker and delved into the support game.

He noticed a gap in the market and that was how SupPort Macquarie was born.

SupPort Macquarie puts participants in the driving seat SupPort Macquarie is a disability support and education programme in Port Macquarie that meets participants where they're at and supports them in progressing towards their goals.

SupPort Macquarie ́s logo is the Kombi, a globally recognised icon representing adventures, journeys and chasing dreams. This embodies the SupPort Macquarie philosophy of support. It is also how they like to explain what they encourage their participants to

do - jump in the driver ́s seat to take control of their own lives!

It ’́ s an empowering position to be in, where it ́s all about what each individual participant needs and where they want to go.

They offer mostly support in the home as well as education through their group programs. Services vary depending on the needs of each individual participant. It could be helping out with chores in the home in the morning and then taking the participant out in the community to a group program, community space or out to explore the beautiful local natural environment.

What makes SupPort Macquarie stand out is that their service is truly personalised. The focus is on honouring individuality and aligning support with personal dreams and goals, to help people progress in all areas of their lives.

SupPort Macquarie group programs provide a safe and nurturing space where they can come together with their friends and build up skills that work toward their own individual goals.

Alice is an experienced teacher, who has worked in additional needs settings in the UK and primary schools here in Australia.

She is currently undertaking the administrative duties of SupPort Macquarie while caring for their two young children.

band is beating to the ➸ SupPort Macquarie music sound of their own drum

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SupPort Macquarie is currently a mobile business doing workshops at the Sea Scouts Hall at the moment.

Most of what they do is in the community and in participant homes.

On Tuesdays, they are with the welcoming and friendly Round and Round team at Roto House with their social group, which is open to anybody who wants community connection, a cuppa or a chat.

On Wednesdays, participants in the group program at the Sea Scouts Hall can do drumming, aptly called To the Beat of Your Own Drum. It ́s as much about music as it is about physical activity. The energy gets people going and helps them to open up and connect with other people.

They listen to music that interests them and develop motor skill coordination and a range of other skills. SupPort Macquarie is proud of the awesome band that has evolved through the Midweek Music program.

The aim is for their musicians to not just learn to play an instrument with support but to be able to play independently for different performances in the future.

Their debut performance was at the Tortuga Festival here in Port Macquarie.

Participants can also experience the Ability Awareness drama group on Wednesdays, where they build confidence and delve into self expression activities while also learning about filming, directing and producing performances.

SupPort Macquarie provides a warm and gentle space where goals are individualised. James guides participants to set their own goals and he works with them until they are ready to go out there and present what they ́ve got.

When they are ready, there will be a performance to showcase their skills but the key point here is when THEY are ready. After all, the participants are the ones in the driving seat of their own individual journeys. Progression is key to show participants where they are heading, so it ́s not just about coming together for the enjoyment of music and connecting with people, it ́s also about giving them that motivation to keep going and the confidence they can fully take ownership over their own progression and achievements.

For participants who choose SupPort Macquarie, they do not necessarily have just one consistent Support

Worker but will receive support from the right mix of their highly skilled team. As a small service, participants will always know who is providing their support and who is at the end of their phone calls/emails.

The Future of SupPort Macquarie For now, this small support service will continue to provide quality, personalised experiences and support for great people while allowing Alice and James to keep a balance between business and family life. In the future, they dream of finding a home base for SupPort Macquarie where people of all abilities feel welcome and safe.

Until SupPort Macquarie finds their forever home, you can find them at the Sea Scouts Hall on Wednesdays making music and having fun or at Roto House on Tuesdays ready for a chat.

Alice and James welcome you to make contact with them if you think SupPort Macquarie is the right support team for you.

Read full story

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SupPort Macquarie music band is beating to the sound of their own drum

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THE POWER OF A SMILE - DR RAJ SINGH OF OCEAN DENTAL SURGERY ✦ Whereas we all know how important it is to maintain the highest standards of oral hygeine, a visit to the dentist is never usually towards the top of anyone’s most desirable activities list.

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any people are wracked with fear at the very thought of a trip to the dentist surgery which often results in many neglecting their teeth, which can lead to serious consequences.

However, the good news for local Port Macquarie residents is Dr Raj Singh of Ocean Dental Surgery, who can help you keep your pearly whites in great shape, ensuring a smile bright enough to light up any room!

Naturally, finding a dentist who can not only do the job proficiently but who also exerts calm and fosters trust with the patient is crucial. Get this component right and visiting the dentist soon becomes much more of a pleasurable experience than a chore.

On meeting Dr Raj, one instantly feels at ease. It goes without saying that one would expect a healthy, warm smile from a dentist and this is exactly how we are met when we visit him in person at his Ocean Dental practice.

Adding to the relaxed vibe are the cool and calm environs of the surgery itself, instantly placing one at ease.

All of Dr Raj’s local practices offer comprehensive dental services such as standard check ups, cleaning, scaling and polishing to more intricate procedures such as x-rays, fillings, surgical extractions, root canal treatment, crowns, bridges, orthodontics, and denture services, including partial and full dentures.

For more complex procedures and apprehensive patients there is also the possibility of IV sedation or nitrous oxide.

On that topic, we ask Dr Raj why he thinks so many people fear the dentist.

“I think often the full ins and outs of dentistry are generally unknown to many people and that, in turn, causes an inherent fear,” he says.

“Subsequently, my philosophy and approach is to explain as much as I can in regards to procedures to try and make the patient as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

As with many things, once you understand something, you tend to feel much more at ease and are willing to accept it. I guess it comes down to clear and thorough communication.”

He is quick to add that he and his staff ensure the entire process of a patient visiting the dentist need not be a daunting prospect and that by even making the appointment the patient has taken a huge, positive step forward. “That’s half the problem solved,” Dr Raj says.

Friendly, qualified reception staff then ensure each patient is greeted and made to feel at ease when visiting the practice. For particularly apprehensive patients this is when special attention is paid and when the importance of clear communication methods come to the fore. Talking about and pinpointing any form of fear and then finding an appropriate solution is the modus operandi for Dr Raj and his staff.

It is this attention to detail and the personalised care of each patient that makes Dr Raj stand out and it is clear that the patient’s wellbeing and overall experience is paramount.

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“The person I am treating is called a patient and I ensure we provide the very best in service at all times throughout their experience,” says Dr Raj. “Receiving positive feedback as a result of this is the most rewarding aspect of my job for sure.

“There have been numerous examples where I have conducted what I consider a relatively routine procedure that has infact turned out to be life changing for the patient. Thanks to the dental work we have administered, their confidence has been greatly enhanced which has often seen them find a new love interest or secure a new job. They are the stories that I find most satisfying and that enable me to develop a strong, trustworthy relationship with my patients.”

So, whether you are nervous about visiting the dentist or not, don’t forget how important it is to maintain a healthy mouth and set of teeth.

Maybe it’s time for a visit soon? If so, paying a visit to Dr Raj’s Ocean Dental Surgery is a good place to start…

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More about Ocean Dental Surgery

➸ Dr Raj Singh

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➸ FGR: The world's greenest football club

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Brilliant SPORTS ✦

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DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS VIA PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ✦ Sustainability has got to be the goal of everyone, no matter the sport...

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t is an obvious statement to make but in sports we have winners and losers.

That being said, sport is only a game at the end of the day. However, on a broader scale, the health of our planet certainly is no game and if we continue to disregard climate change, threats to the environment and the pursuit of robust sustainability measures, there will no winners - we will all stand to be losers.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have become increasingly prevalent across all industries in recent years and continue to dictate the future. The sports industry is no

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different with many global sports enterprises continuing to take progressive and positive steps to enhance their sustainability efforts.

Recently we saw impressive efforts made at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan that were planned and delivered in alignment with five main sustainability themes of Climate Change, Resource Management, Natural Environment and Biodiversity, Human Rights, Labour and Fair Business Practices, and Involvement, Cooperation and Communications (Engagement).

Minimal construction of venues was undertaken and a major focus

was placed on sustainability and recyling. The Olympic torch itself was produced using aluminium waste from temporary housing built in the aftermath of the 2011 Sendai tsunami and earthquake and the t-shirts and trousers worn by torchbearers were made from recycled plastic bottles.

The 5,000 medals given to event winners were made from over 79,000 tonnes of discarded and recycled eletronic devices such as mobile phones, podiums were constructed from recycled plastics and even the beds used by the 18,000 athletes at the Olympic Village were made from recycled cardboard.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay was created using construction waste from temporary housing for reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

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There are fine examples in the United States with the likes of baseball’s Seattle Mariners, NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles and Ohio State University all committed to robust sustainability campaigns.

Likewise Dutch football (soccer) giants Ajax Amsterdam and the Accor Stadium in Sydney have been lauded for their impressive eco-friendly efforts.

There are many, many more examples but the most impressive of all is English football club Forest Green Rovers, described by football’s world-governing body FIFA, as the world’s greenest football club.

The Gloucestershire-based team, have been on an eco-friendly mission since 2011, driven by their owner Dale

Vince who is a huge advocate of the United Nations Sports for Climate Action initiative and who hopes more clubs will embrace greater sustainability.

Some of the sustainable practices in place at the club include a stadium built entirely out of sustainably resourced wood, an organic pitch, solar panels, electric car charging points, water recycling, an electric lawnmower, and an entirely plantbased-vegan menu for players and fans which decreases the environmental impact of the club.

Opposed to the high plastic content in traditional football kits, Vince elected for a strip made entirely of bamboo which the team sported for the last few years. However, in his never-ending quest for the best in sustainable products, Vince last year opted for a kit made entirely from recycled coffee bean waste and plastic bottles!

Each shirt consists of three cups of coffee bean waste and five plastic bottles, something that Vince believes could give the players a competitive edge as research shows them to be lighter and more breathable.

“These shirts are more sustainable because while bamboo is renewable and you can grow more, coffee is a waste product and the shirts will be completely recycled,” Vince told Reuters in 2021.

“There is an enormous opportunity that sport has and a bigger responsibility because people look up to sporting icons and take their lead from them,” Vince added.

The team were promoted to League 1 (two tiers down from the Premier League) for the first time in their history. Maybe it was the competitive edge gained from the recycled kit that contributed to their success but regardless, Forest Green Rovers sit atop all sports leagues as the true champions of eco-friendly sustainability and here’s hoping many, many more follow suite in years to come. That’s got to be the goal of everyone, no matter the sport.

Read Full Story

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Elsewhere, the International Olympic Committee and the Australian Olympic Committee have both signed the UN’s Sport for Climate Action Framework which will impact preparations and plans for Brisbane hosting the 2032 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Gold Coast was required to sign up to a sustainability framework ahead of hosting the event in 2018.

built and blending in with ➸ ECO PARK - Sustainablythelandscape at Eastington

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SUSTAINABLE SPORTING HEROES ✦ We all know how effective sport can be as a platform to inspire, motivate and unite, transcending language, cultural differences and boundaries to connect people of all genders and ages to tackle challenges and all forms of discrimination head-on.

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e regularly see personalities in the professional sporting world leverage their position of status and reach to impart important messages to their legion of fans around a myriad of topics.

Climate change and sustainability have increasingly become one such message where professional sports stars have taken it upon themselves to not only make conscious changes in their own lifestyles but to extend their message to millions worldwide in the hope of creating a greener, more eco-friendly tomorrow for us all. Here we focus on just a few of these stars striving to play their part.

One of the most active is former Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg who has very much become regarded as a sustainability entrepreneur in recent times. Heavily invested in green technologies and alternative mobility solutions and a regular speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rosberg founded the Greentech festival in 2018, a global platform for innovative and pioneering green technologies such as autonomous drone taxis, Formula E racing and Smart City initiatives.

Despite the environmentally unfriendly nature of his previous sport, he is now very much focused on the merits of electric racing

as owner and CEO of Rosberg Xtreme Racing in Formula E. In 2018 Rosberg was awarded the “GreenTec Entrepreneur of the Year” environmental award for recognition of his work and commitment to sustainable innovation.

Although he is still active in F1, seventime World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton is passionate about the environment and active in driving for change. He is a fully-fledged vegan, is completely against the use of plastic in his home and office and is a huge proponent of recycling. He is also a big advocate of electric cars, supporting Mercedes campaigns that promote veganism and ‘forwardthinking’ sustainability.

➸ Nico Rosberg receives GreenTec Award

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On the tennis court Serena Williams is among the greatest of all time and off it she is a sustainability champion too, setting an example with her brand “Serena” which is based on vegan, pollution-free products. Similarly, she is a huge advocate of a plant-based diet who invests in numerous start-ups whose goal is reducing over-consumption of meat.

Another legend in his respective field, Kelly Slater is widely regarded as the greatest surfer of all time. American Slater, unsurprisingly, is hugely passionate about ocean preservation, sitting on the Ocean Advocacy Advisory Board of ocean conservation organisation Sea Shepherd Conservation Society that combats unsustainable exploitation of marine life through illegal and unregulated fishing activities worldwide. He also founded his own sustainable lifestyle brand in 2015 called Outerknown, which uses recycled plastics from the oceans to create innovative and unique sportswear.

homeland via a partnership with anti-wildlife trade organisation WildAid, even prompting the government to ban it from menus at official banquets. It still goes on, of course, but Yao’s efforts have raised awareness and resulted in positive change.

Likewise, Yao also campaigns against the poaching of elephants and the illegal ivory trade in China. Again, he is aware there is a long road ahead of him but he is using his power of celebrity to educate for positive change. “We all know that there is ‘on paper,’ and under the paper, there’s still a long way to go to save the animals - and then save ourselves.”

Wise words and proof that change can be achieved, even when the odds seem unsurmountable – a scenario the global sports world is used to.

Aussie Olympic stars Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman have been lauded for their efforts in promoting sustainability, and British world record sailing champion Ellen MacArthur launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2009, which has grown to become one of the most globally successful and respected proponents of recycling and the circular economy.

Last but not least we turn to the mighty figure of former NBA basketball star Yao Ming whose efforts to educate those in his homeland of China to help protect wildlife is both immense and admirable.

Ming helped change common opinions among many Chinese on the consumption of shark fin soup in his

Dame Ellen MacArthur founded the Ellen MacArthur ➸ Foundation in 2009 after her circumnavigation of the globe

Photo : Ellen Macarthur

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➸ Casa Milà by Antoni Gaudí

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Brilliant TRAVEL ✦

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BRILLIANT DISCOVERY OF SPANISH CITIES ✦ Spain is so much more than the cringe-worthy stereotype of Flamenco, Bullfights and Siestas.

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hose who have wanderlust in their DNA can attest to this, that travelling opens up your mind and heart. I was in Spain recently, and I got a fresh perspective of the country that goes way beyond flamenco, bullfights and siestas.

COVID certificate Note: While countries are opening up with COVID-19 restrictions waning, remember if you travel to Spain you now have to fill in an FCS health form as dictated by Spain Travel Health if

Some awesome Spanish buildings and architecture

you do not have an EU digital COVID certificate.

Discovering modernity amongst palaces, castles and cathedrals Spain is clearly a country rich in history, so yes, there are tons of palaces, castles and cath edrals generously sprinkled around the country, and after a while you've seen so many cathedrals you can't quite distinguish which one you saw where!

➸Catedral de Sevilla

But Castles and Cathedrals are not all there is to Spain. I was also really impressed by the blend of the old and the new, the quaint and charming with the sleek and fancy.

When I was in Barcelona, I found it rather refreshing and quaint to be able to see both really old, classic historical architecture in the façades of some buildings, and at the same time, to see an art nouveau architecture looming ahead of you.

➸ Cuatro Torres Business Area

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Madrid is also a treasure trove of modernity. As you fly into the city, you may catch a glimpse of four skyscrapers towering over the city. This is the Cuatro Torres Business Area (CTBA). They are the largest skyscrapers in Spain. The tallest of them stands at 250m and these four towers house companies, embassies and hotels.

A health giant Spain´s medical services, facilities and expertise are actually one of the best in the world.

Hospital Universitario La Paz (HULP) is one of the largest hospitals in Madrid and was named the best-valued public-owned hospital in 2018. HULP's headquarters are in a campus at the northern end of Paseo de la Castellana, and it comprises 18 buildings that make up three major separate hospitals General, Children's and Trauma.

And many may not know this, but Spain has been the world leader in organ donation and transplantation for 28 years straight. In 2019, it reached 48.9 donors per million population with 5,500 transplants carried out.

Check Out Spain's sustainability

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Spain is known for their sustainability actions too. Read this article Sustainability is a Reality in Spain

Food, drink and siestas Spain is a gastronomical paradise. I think the best way to get authentic Spanish food is to borrow somebody's Spanish grandmother, who will be more than delighted to cook up a big pan of paella, or a rock solid cocido stew and feed you till you keel over with satiation.

If you want to experience sampling a variety of Spanish food and not feel like you need to go bar-hopping through the night, why not go to the Mercado de San Miguel in the centre of Madrid? This is a charming market that has been around for more than 100 years and it has been refurbished and revamped to become a place of gastronomical delight. Take a turn around the market to sample the flavours of Spain.

homemade paella to ➸ Nothing like a goodbring people together

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Remember Plácido Domingo?

Going to the opera may not be on the Bucket List of your average traveller to Spain, but it is actually a deeplyrooted element of the country. Opera has existed in Spain since the mid17th century and continues to grow strong today.

There are opera houses across different cities in Spain, and before you dismiss them as stuffy and 'boring', you may well be surprised by a tour of one of these opera houses.

The Teatro Real in Madrid for example may simply look like a classical sort of building from the outside, but you´d never guess the building actually has 22 floors, 8 of which are underground!

While in Spain, you might want to participate in their Flamenco Festivals.

It's like a music festival and everyone gets dressed up and party the night away. For me, I watched the Flamenco dance in Seville :)

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Flamenco Dance

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Brilliant meet-up in Toledo Our Brilliant team is actually all over the world! Our Content Writer, Yanntyng is based in Madrid so we met up and took a little day excursion to the nearby town of Toledo. Toledo is rich in monumental and cultural heritage. It is known as the City of Three Cultures because of its mix of Christian, Muslim and Jewish influence in its history and architecture. It is also famous for its production of bladed weapons, which have become a hot favourite with tourists to take home as souvenirs of the city.

Read Veronica's Spanish Travels

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More photos on Facebook

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I was glad travel restrictions have been lifting and we can start exploring again. I have made new friends on my travels and had a great time. My senses needed fresh input and each trip makes me richer in experience. Still, it is not a cliché for me to say home is the best place to be. It certainly is my favourite place and till I next pack my bags to explore, I am glad to wake up to the familiar sounds of my favourite person pottering about in the kitchen.

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Yanntyng and Veronica at Toledo

Veronica making new friends. Suzy Morrison and Amanda ➸ who are pharmacists in a hospital in Maryland with Eileen

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NEW CALEDONIA SAYS “BIENVENUE” TO TOURISTS ITCHING TO TRAVEL ONCE MORE ✦ A jewel of the Pacific Ocean, New Caledonia’s immense encircling World Heritage-listed lagoon hosts the world’s second biggest coral reef and some 1600 species of tropical fish.

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s two years of Covidconfinement begin to fade into the past, tourists everywhere are eagerly reviving their travelling ambitions.

And so the time’s right to re-set our horizons, too: the destinations we most desire to visit.

Now, “same old, same old” is too repetitive, too tired.

Let's head to paradise: Nouvelle-Caledonie Envisage a tropical climate where the weather’s not only for relaxing in the outdoors but ideal for a range of sports and adventure pursuits.

Imagine consistently reliable temperatures and the certainty the sun will shine daily (barring fewer

than 20 times a year). Enjoy that this paradise is reached in just two to two and a half hours’ flying time from Australia’s east coast - less than half to a third the six-hour trek to Bali.

New Caledonia - Nouvelle-Caledonie as this French territory is also known - has long been popular with niche travellers. But post-pandemic, it’s more easily accessible than ever, on at

➸ Photo credit: Marine Reveilhac

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B RI LLIA NT TR AV EL least seven return services weekly from Sydney and some four times a week out of Brisbane. Flights are provided by New Caledonia’s international airline Aircalin in codeshare with Qantas; other airlines, of course, offer domestic sectors to depart ex Sydney or Brisbane. Brisbane departures offer a shorter flying time, as little as two hours; Sydney is promoted as a 2.5hour trip.

Few places around the globe with such a small population - fewer than 300,000 - offer visitors as much variety on land, in and on the sea, and above it as this blended nation of French descendants, indigenous Kanak people and several other smaller cultures who make up the New Caledonian community.

Take to the air in an ultralight flight... fly through the skies on a paraglider... ride the wind with a billowing sail. Snorkel, dive, swim and fish in glorious translucentto-azure waters. Cycle or go horse riding amid beautiful green hills and streams or use your own horsepower trekking along countless trails that stimulate the senses with their splendour.

Then, camp where you will in the pure environment and peaceful surrounds of nature.

Ouvéa Island. ➸ Photo credit: Escape Your Life

Then, too, nothing compares to French wine. Every imaginable choice, from the finest Champagnes, fragrant vintage reds and the most fashionable of white wines to spirits and liqueurs awaits in well-stocked cellars and bars for selection with dinner, on a picnic, at cocktail hour. There are tasting experiences to please the true connoisseur, right along to casual drinks to spice up the day and night.

Plus: there’s music, music, music.

The organ-like yet lively notes of traditional, uniquely-French accordion melodies transported me on my last visit in Noumea right back to the pavements of Paris. It’s here too that I discovered popular French icon Michel Sardou, adding his charming, often “adventurous”, love songs to those of other famous chanteurs - Serge Gainsbourg, for example.

Cocktails. ➸ Photo credit: Marine Reveilhac

76 Equally, tourists enjoy perhaps most of all thrilling Melanesian harmonies reminiscent of many Pacific territories, matched with upbeat rhythmic original compositions on guitar and other strings that lure everyone to their feet, dancing and toe-tapping to joyous French-Kanak chants.

One other aspect of New Caledonia that grabs attention is the surprisingly modest cost of flight-hotel packages for an exotic international destination – and that many are on offer for booking until March 31, 2023! Just one example is at the hotel Le Lagon, near to lovely Anse Vata beach at the centre of the capital, Noumea, with return flights ex Sydney and Brisbane, plus seven nights’ accommodation and all (French-style, of course!) buffet breakfasts for $1,740 per person twin-share.

Crustacean feast. ➸Photo credit: Toko

New Caledonia Holiday Packages from Australia

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Bonuses include free hotel gym, jacuzzi, pool, sauna, Pilates lessons, aqua-gym lessons, yoga and stretching classes plus 1-hour of tennis or beach tennis per room daily as well as a return island trip and 250Mb internet use/24 hours plus 15% discount off massage and treatments at Le Spa Institut Le Lagon.

Olives ➸ Photo credit: Terres de Lumiere

(Le Lagon has some “accessible room” availability; inquire directly with the hotel if required).

If trekking and then camping is the way you’ll stay, go to aircalin.com.au/ en where flights-only promotional fares are often posted, from other gateways such as Melbourne and Canberra as well. For more information on things to do and facilities including car rental, see newcaledonia.travel/au Driving is on the right but if that’s unfamiliar a local coach network provides an easy and affordable way of getting around the entire territory of the main island.

Fun on land, sea and in the air. ➸ Photo credit: Marine Reveilhac

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B RI LLIA NT TR AV EL If driving to departure gateways, Adina hotels in central Sydney and Brisbane offer ideal stopovers to top and tail a trip. In Sydney Adina Apartment Hotel Darling Harbour is located with immediate access to all of Barangaroo’s attractions and a stroll from Circular Quay, moments off the Harbour Bridge and with excellent parking. In Brisbane a similar welllocated option with easy connections to the airport is Adina Apartment Hotel in the CBD. Search adinahotels.com There’s no pre-departure RAT test for vaccinated travellers from Australia and other green and orange countries. Currently, a RAT’s required 48 hours post-arrival but is free at NC pharmacies. For protocols see newcaledonia.travel/au/coronavirus One more thing: New Caledonians are a warm and welcoming people.

Enjoy your stay!

➸ Photo credit: Mirco De Vito

➸ Photo credit: Oneye Production Susie Boswell

Susie Boswell is an award-winning travel writer who’s visited more than 35 countries.

Her favourite destinations are Paris, Italy, European ski resorts - and tropical islands.

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II” leave painting ➸ ”The CollectorPhoto credit: Stu Doherty

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Brilliant

COMMUNITY ✦

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PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS COUNCIL BACKS THE LAUNCH OF NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM ✦ A new initiative aimed at reducing the impact of waste by encouraging residents to recycle clothing and linen has been launched in Port Macquarie.

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ot-for-profit foundation Willing & Able, in partnership with Impact Environmental Consultancy (IEC), has kick-started a new program called ReuseAbility that seeks to minimise textiles and bric-a-brac that would otherwise end up in landfill.

The partnership was formed after IEC received a successful Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) grant to help Willing & Able run their program locally.

Council has supported this program by offering its waste transfer stations as collection points for people to donate used goods, and provided its Waste Info App to use as a booking system for collections.

Donation Stations - Drop off or Request a pick-up online Quality donation stations have been installed at Council’s five waste transfer stations in Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Comboyne, Kew and Cairncross for residents to deposit linen, clothing, or bric-a-brac that are still in good condition.

Alternatively, residents may take their clothing, linen, or bric-a-brac to the Willing & Able Op Shop at 39 Jindalee Road, Port Macquarie from Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 2:00pm, or have items collected for free using the online collection service or mobile app.

For more information, or to see what you can and can’t donate, visit Frequently Asked Questions | Willing & Able Foundation :

willingandable.org.au

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B RILLIA NT COM M U N IT Y Residents can submit a pick up request online, or via the Port Macquarie Hastings Council Waste Info App, and wait for a member of the Willing & Able team to call you to confirm your collection day and time slot. Collection areas are generally limited to where Council’s kerbside waste services are offered.

The not-for-profit provides employment for adults with intellectual disabilities, and every donation made helps provide meaningful paid employment.

Supporting PMHC‘S Vision for Sustainability Council’s Acting Waste Manager Sean McKinnon said the ReuseAbility Program supports Council’s vision

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of becoming an environmentally sustainable organisation that promotes and encourages responsible recycling and waste initiatives.

“ReuseAbility helps to promote a common shared goal of creating better awareness around environmental sustainability,” He said. “Not only does this cause promote better environmental outcomes, but it also helps to facilitate important employment opportunities and social connectedness.”

Ms Elbourne stresses that the quality of donations is vital, as disposing of unusable items – such as dirty or torn clothing and broken bric-a-brac – costs the charity over $25,000 in disposal fees each year. This money could be better spent helping the Supported Employees and community.

This project is a NSW Environment Protection Authority, Waste Less Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.

Linda Elbourne from Willing and Able said clothing and linen are processed onsite by reselling quality items through its Op Shop and recycling other materials into rags for sale.

Up-cycle clothing for FREE | Willing & Able and Port Macquarie Hastings Council

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SOMETHING OLD UP-CYCLED TO SOMETHING NEW ✦ CJ Grootenboer takes beautiful old objects and gives them a second life ready for a new home. Their stories can add to your story.

Originally from Sydney, CJ Grootenboer is a Coordinator of Performing Arts at a local school in Port Macquarie, spending a lot of time guiding and directing students in theatrical productions and teaching them how to present themselves boldly and with confidence to the world.

CJ is also a mother, wife and a visual artist (painting and printmaking) on the side. Plus she is an all new hubstar at Wauchope Creative Hub.

Repair, repaint and up-cycle to give objects a second life The ability to visualise what a piece of furniture ‘could become’ is important. She told us, “Without that initial inspiration I wouldn’t have the impetus to start (and maybe finish) a piece.”

Simple woodworking, upholstery and power tool skills are important when upcycling, plus the ability to control and manipulate a brush is useful. “I wish I had more skills than I do, but I am trying to grow and build them all the time,” CJ said.

Favourite up-cycled project…

Every piece she does is a favourite. "I’m a bit of a recovering perfectionist, so I don’t like to send pieces out into the world unless I am completely happy with them," she said. "However, I think a pair of Jacobean lounge chairs that I found on the side of the road are one of my favourites."

➸ CJ Grootenboer

A friend of hers told her to put them back where they came from, but she knew they had potential!

“They were one of the first items that I completed, and I learnt how to replace woven raffia and paint fabric through upcycling them," CJ explained. "They now take pride of place in my lounge room and are sat on every day.”

A desire to up-cycle…

CJ’s first creation came about around six years ago. She always looked at pieces on the side of the road and wondered if she could do something with them, but was stopped by the thought that she would fail.

➸ The Frida table

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B RILLIA NT COM M U N IT Y In 2014-15 she was treated for breast cancer. “When I came to the other side of that journey I just decided ‘Why not?

Why not give it a go? What was the worst that could happen?” she told us.

CJ saw an old table on the side of the road that was warped and water damaged but had good bones so she decided to give it a go. It now takes pride of place in her hallway.

Why is it important to repair and restore?

“So many items from the past have been made so well from such wonderful quality materials," CJ explains. "People have spent time and energy to design and make them. It is so wasteful to simply throw them away when they could have another life with some repairs, a lick or two of paint and a little attention. Our throw away culture needs to be turned around. We need to value what we have and look at it through new eyes, rather than make more ‘stuff’.”

Where does she source materials?

A lot of items are given to her. People no longer can use them in their home and they would like to know that they will be passed onto someone who will value them. Other items CJ finds locally and very occasionally (although not as regularly as she used to) she finds something wonderful roadside on the kerb.

➸ Swimmer chair

Involvement at Wauchope Creative Hub At this present time, due to her fulltime educator role, her involvement is as a contributing commission artist.

Some of her upcycled creations are on display and for sale at the hub.

"Preloved furniture and objects for the home can be found and I am always creating something new from something old. Upcycling encourages my creativity and innovation,” CJ told us.

The environmental benefits of upcycling are huge as it reduces the number of products that are discarded and taken to landfill every year, as well as reducing the need to produce new materials and products.

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Faux bone inlay stencilled nest of tables

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A SHOWCASE OF MID NORTH COAST ARTISTS ON NOW AT THE GLASSHOUSE REGIONAL GALLERY, PORT MACQUARIE ✦ A biennial exhibition open to all artists on the Mid North Coast, the Northern Exposure 7 exhibition is by application only. One artist encouraged to submit a work is Wauchope Creative Hubstar Stu Doherty.

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tu was encouraged to submit an artwork for selection by the curator of the exhibition, Bridget Purtill after he was awarded the Bonny Hills Art prize, something he is extremely proud of.

The Northern Exposure exhibition explores themes and subjects relevant to the artist’s current arts practice, so Stu’s is a watercolour and laser cut on Arches cotton paper, named “The Collector II”.

The final selections were made by a panel of key arts professionals from across the Mid North Coast. Stu’s piece was one of those chosen and will be on exhibition until Sunday, 26 June.

back to family in the Hastings Valley and became an artist, eventually settling down in Long Flat and forming the artist collective at Wauchope Creative Hub and finally enjoying his art.

been on. I hadn't lived through one of the exhibitions, so I didn't really know much about it. So I applied and got in, which was great.”

A pretty big deal for Stu, Northern Exposure is for large scale work. “I'd only recently started doing large scale works. There's a couple in the gallery at Wauchope Creative Hub, but I hadn’t done many. “

Stu told us, “I entered the Bonny Hills Art Prize about six months ago, won it and was encouraged by Bridget the curator of Northern Exposure 7 to put in a submission. I did and was selected to exhibit an artwork.”

“The Collector II”

"Prior to this I hadn't really considered it to be honest. I'd vaguely heard about it, because it only happens once every two years, I had arrived in the area during the year that it hadn't

Not your traditional watercolour, “The Collector II” is modern and graphic.

Inspired by the local area in which he lives, the subject is eucalyptus leaves collected (hence the name) on his

The Glasshouse Regional Gallery has a strong commitment to developing the creative industries within our region Northern Exposure 7 continues this commitment by providing accessible opportunities for regional artists to exhibit and enhance their artistic practice and careers. From Coffs Harbour to Taree emerging artists, not those established artists in the community that most would recognise, are encouraged to exhibit.

Stu is a relatively new artist, only pursuing his artistic career due to COVID. Previously, he lived in the rat race in Sydney,needing to make a living like most of us. However, he then made the big switch and moved

➸ Stu Doherty was awarded the Bonny Hills Art prize

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walks through the village of Long Flat.

“I like finding objects, such as leaves, and then turning them into a graphic," Stu explained. "I've been working on a series called The Collector, which involves me collecting things. A lot of my botanical paintings are things that I've collected on walks or when I take my dog Ziggy out for a run.”

Definitely inspired by nature, the painting is a graphic arrangement in rows of leaves with heightened colour.

One of the beautiful things about the medium watercolour is that it's transparent. The white paper used lets the light as it hits it bounce back at you making colours really vibrant.

A designer in his earlier life, Stu’s artistic style is graphic and strict in a way. “Colour graduates from one row to another," he said. "The process took about three weeks for a big painting like “The Collector II”. There's lots of layers to it.”

The technique What is meant by layers? It’s a technique watercolour uses. A transparent water based paint is painted onto paper, and you build up textures and layers by painting on

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top. Once it's dry, you paint another layer, and then you can paint another layer. That’s how you end up with lots of different textures and shapes.

“The Collector II”, as part of the artwork, has a laser cut leaf in the top left corner, which has been laser cut out of the same paper that the artwork is, so there's a ghost leaf in the top.

Stu has a story behind the painting, he says it is connected to the paper because of the material and the subject.

An interesting cycle, the paper the painting is presented on comes from trees, and the subject leaves come from trees. Elaborating, he adds, “It’s kind of a metaphor, the paper is made of the tree which made the leaf which made the painting. Which came first? The leaf, tree or the paper. The chicken or the egg!”

As the saying goes, “Art is in the eye of the beholder” It is a matter of personal opinion. And your opinion counts at the Northern Exposure 7 exhibition.

➸ ”The Collector II”by watercolour Stu Doherty

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Like art and any sort of art gallery, the exhibition is a mix of different things. There's oil paintings, acrylics, watercolours, sculpture, abstract, sculpture and photography spread out across both levels of the gallery, Stu’s piece is on the ground floor.

Only one prize will be awarded, Peoples Choice, it’s not a competition as such but an exhibition. All artworks are for sale. Stu has his fingers crossed that “The Collector II” has a red dot indicating sold on it.

Either way he rounded off by saying, “It is an honour to be involved.

Especially for somebody that's only been painting for a couple of years.

My plan is to further my art career and enter more exhibitions."

Gallery Opening Hours at the Glasshouse Port Macquarie Monday: Closed Tuesday to Friday: 10:00am - 4:00pm Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am - 2:00pm Public Holidays: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Northern Exposure 7 is held at Glasshouse Port Macquarie

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PUTERI AYU DESSERT RECIPE FIT FOR A PRINCESS AND THE QUEEN ✦ This year, we celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will become the first Australian Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service.

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uteri Ayu which means Sweet Princess is a traditional Malay and Indonesian steamed dessert with a sponge-like texture and flavoured with Pandan and coconut cream with a white coconut topping. Light, fluffy and oh-so-fragrant, this is one royal treat you want to serve up for a grand celebration!

And here you have a recipe for this beautiful cupcake, courtesy of My Blue Tea. Have a go and celebrate!

INGREDIENTS: (for 15 cupcakes) COCONUT LAYER •

1 cup freshly grated coconut

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1 tsp cornflour

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A pinch of salt

TOP LAYER •

1 large egg

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70 gm caster sugar

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80 ml coconut cream (Kara brand)

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90 gm plain flour

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1 tsp tapioca flour

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½ tsp ovallete

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1¼ tsp My Blue Tea - Pure Pandan Powder (add ½ tsp water to make it into a paste)

METHOD:

➸ Puteri Ayu •

Scoop a tsp of grated coconut into each mould.

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Use another mould to compress the coconut layer tightly.

TOP LAYER

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Adjust mixer to low speed, add coconut cream and flour (alternate) and combine well.

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Pour the batter into the moulds.

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Steam those cupcakes on high heat for 13 minutes.

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Sieve plain and tapioca flour. Set it aside.

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Hold the mould and gently squeeze the sides to remove the cakes.

Serve immediately.

COCONUT LAYER •

Lightly brush some cooking oil into the cupcakes mould.

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Use an electric mixer to whisk egg and sugar until smooth.

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Combine grated coconut, cornflour and salt.

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Add ovallete and whisk till fluffy.

Have fun making them!

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Add in Pandan paste and mix it well.

Recipe courtesy of My Blue Tea

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Mix well.

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NEW BAND ALERT! ✦ Port Macquarie has been producing some great music recently across a wide range of genres. There are pockets of youthful talent sprouting up from all areas across the LGA and encompassing a wide variety of genres, including grunge, indie, and punk.

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t seems the music scene is working its way back to life following the two years of COVID-induced lockdowns.

Port Macquarie based “Mediocre Sunrise” offer up an engaging alternative rock sound that they describe as “bursting ears, beating hearts” and they’re set to etch their shoe-gaze sound in your memory with their impressive line-up of original songs.

Mediocre Sunrise came together as a trio through a common love of music and attending the same High School, St. Joseph’s Regional College in Port Macquarie. Jack, Jett and Taylah had a dedication to their instruments and craft and were all intrigued by the 90’s grunge template.

Jack Davies – Guitar | Vocals Taylah Davidson – Bass | Vocals Jett Willows – Drums

The band’s sound combines dreamy vocals with chunky riffs combining a thrilling rock concoction.

“We are a mix of 90’s grunge with a melodic shoe-gaze edge, and modern hooks and riffs,” says lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Davies.

Gaining inspiration from 90’s stalwarts such as Nirvana and The Pixies, their recent set at Hot Tropics saw them cover “Where is my Mind” – and they had the whole audience singing along. “Jack is a mad Nirvana fan, Jett is a solid Black Sabbath fan and I love The Pixies and together we just bring a mix of great musical influences," explains Taylah.

Davidson, Jack Davies ➸ Jett Willows, Taylah Photo credit: Lola Willows

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Hot Tropics

Jack Davies

The band recently played at the first All Ages Hot Tropics show at the new Terrace venue at Wave bowl. “We are so grateful for opportunities like this,” says Jett.

"Cristian Campano from Hot Tropics is really supporting live music and giving us a chance to experience what it’s like to play on a full bill.”

“My band is one of the most important aspects of my life. It brings out a part of myself and my bandmates that I cannot find anywhere else. Every time we perform, or get in a perfect rehearsal, it feels incredible.

Cristian Campano says, “Hot Tropics is a celebration of original live music featuring bands from Port Macquarie, the mid-north coast and beyond. We strive to give up and comers and young bands the opportunity to play on the Hot Tropics stage with their musical peers.”

An exhilaration I cannot capture anywhere else in any other way. So it means a lot to me. I think as a team we are all chasing that feeling every day. And so it is all our common goal, to go further and help make our music reach out far.”

Taylah Davidson

experiences and opportunities it has given me. These experiences hold very dear to me. Being able to do this with two of my closest friends mean everything to me and we are continuing to learn and build on our skills.”

Jett Willows “I have been drumming for about five years and had been jamming with Taylah and Jack during lunch times at school. It was a natural progression to start the band, and it was good to put all that drumming practice into something sustainable. Now I get to hang out with my best friends, write songs and make music.”

“Although we have not been a band for very long, I appreciate the

Mediocre Sunrise ➸ Photo credit: Lola Willows

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LIFELINE MID COAST AND DARK ALLEY COLLECTABLES HAVE JOINED FORCES TO HOST ORIGAMI ARTIST JOHN HENDER ✦ Hailing from Port Macquarie, John Davidson, or “Origami John” as he is known in these parts, has been a paper engineer and folding artist for the past two years – specialising in origami designs.

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t all started a few years ago when John was taught to fold a paper crane. He was trying to give up smoking and needed something to do with his hands. Folding that single crane ignited a passion in him for the folding art.

Lifeline Mid Coast met John through Endeavour Clubhouse and through the support of both services, John kept on folding and started researching more complex designs.

His subjects now range from flowers to animals and everything in between.

John says precision is the key, whether folding a butterfly or an interlocking modular structure. John is enthusiastic in his work, exploring representational and structural objects in this time-honoured practice of folding paper into eye-catching works of art.

Each Friday, John heads up to Maker Space in Port Macquarie with the Lifeline Crew and he sits and folds his complex designs.

“Origami John is always presenting us with gifts of his amazing creations," says Lifeline’s Marketing Manager Lisa Willows. "Last year Lifeline’s Suicide Prevention Manager, Kelly Saidey received a beautiful sunflower and Peer Support Worker Karen Hamilton received a beautiful pig and they were all lucky enough to receive hand crafted “Origami” Santa cards for Christmas last year. John truly has a

is proud to ➸ Origami artist Johnbe aHenderson part of Art Walk 2022

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B RI LLIA NT COM MU N IT Y gift and we have watched it grow into more complex designs over the past 12 months."

More recent sessions at Maker Space has seen John branch out into decoupage. Both the Lifeline office and Maker Space are filled with beautiful decoupage lampshades, covered tissue boxes and much more.

Dark Alley Collectables are honoured to be hosting a curation of John’s Origami designs, during Artwalk 2022.

The artworks are on display now until June 17th.

This is Origami John’s first exhibition of folded arts forming part of the Artwalk event for Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in 2022.

Drop in to Dark Alley Collectables 125 William Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444.

practice creating ➸ A time honoured eye-catching works of art

➸ Paper Engineer and Folding Artist John Henderson specialises in Origami designs

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✴

Brilliant WHAT'S ON ✦

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WHAT'S ON IN JUNE, JULY 2022 PORT MACQUARIE-HASTINGS ✦ Community events Arts, Culture and Entertainment, Markets, Business events

Community Events

TORTUGA Festival

Celebrations Book Club, 18 June at the Laurieton Library 10am11am. Book discussion on Eckhart Tolle’s “A new Earth” for the June reading. Maggie Adkins 6559 4745 or email earthwomandreaming@ bigpond.com

The Tortuga Festival has been running since the 10th and will continue through to the 19th

Ride The Wave Festival Starts on the 18 June, with the Ride the Soundwave Event beginning on the 25th-26th starting at 10:00am-9:30pm at Town Beach, Port Macquarie. Get your tickets here: bit.ly/mad-rtsw22

Wednesday 15th June

Lego Robotics Workshop with Joanna Burk, Wednesday 29th June 10.00am-12.00pm. Boost your brain power by having fun with lego robots. Port Macquarie Library, Grant Street. Get your Lego Robotics tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ boost-your-brain-powerhaving-fun-with-lego-robotstickets-354318735877

More info at www.facebook.com/ tortugaportmacquarie Here is a peek at what's on at Tortuga:

Check out All Abilities Band Performance, SupPort Macquarie 3.30pm, Westport Park Thursday 16th June Arrr We There Yet - Head First Acrobats 4.00pm, Westport Park Friday 17th June Best of Kids Cabaret 5pm Westport Park Saturday 18th June Pirates and Mermaids Disco, Festival Hub, 4.00pm Westport Park Sunday 19th June Dr Hubble's Bubble Show, Shep Huntly, 2.00pm Westport Park

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Arts, Culture and Entertainment

4.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel, Nickolina Rive

5pm Angourie Cafae and Wine Bar, EP Launch Party Yamba, Pam Hata

WEDNESDAY, 22ND JUNE

WEDNESDAY, 29TH JUNE

6.30pm Botanic Wine Garden, Damon Winter

6.30pm Botanic Wine Garden, PepperJack

6.00pm The Coast Hotel, Pam Hata

THURSDAY, 23RD JUNE

THURSDAY, 30TH JUNE

6.30pm Botanic Wine Garden, Pure Acoustic

6.30pm Club North Haven, Roger Pryor

6.30pm Club North Haven, Leigh I'Anson

THURSDAY, 16TH JUNE

FRIDAY, 24TH JUNE

JULY 2022

6.30pm Club North Haven, Reggie Sinclair

5.00pm Wicked Elf Beer, Ann Woodland

FRIDAY, 1ST JULY

FRIDAY, 17TH JUNE

6.00pm Port Mac Golf Club, Leigh I'Anson

5.00pm Wicked Elf Beer, Finn Hoy

7.00pm Wave Bowl, Live Music

7.00pm-10.00pm Little Fish Cafe, Dinner in the Vines, Angie Lee' and Le Trio

6.00pm Port Mac Golf Club, Damon Winter

7.00pm Woolgoolga Diggers Club, Pam Hata

7.00pm Wave Bowl, Pure Acoustic Duo

7.30pm Port City BC, Heath Lancaster

7.30pm Port City Bowling Club, Brody Ireland

SATURDAY, 25TH JUNE

8.00pm Finnians Irish Tavern, Leigh I'Anson

2.00pm Brew Haven, Akoostik Chillz

SATURDAY, 18TH JUNE

6.30pm Comboyne Services Club, Hannah Lee

June 2022 WEDNESDAY, 15TH JUNE

7.30pm Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, Port Macquarie Glass House 11.00am Sovereign Place Town Centre, Nikki Rudge 2.00pm Brew Haven, Beau Bennett 4.00pm Wicked Elf Beer, Bill Roberts 6.30pm Little Turkey, Leigh I'Anson 7.00pm Bago Tavern, Young Floyd 7.30pm Angus Gill at Hickinbotham Winery, with special guests Eric McCusker & Courtney Keil

4.00pm Wicked Elf Beer, Brock Colley

6.30pm Little Turkey, Chris Rose 7.00pm Bago Tavern, Cheryl Hall & The Wisemen 7.00pm Wave Bowl, Lo Monaco 7.30pm Port City Bowling Club, Finn Hoy 8.00pm Finnians Irish Tavern, Dirty Coverz 8.30pm Laurieton Hotel, Gotcha Covered

SUNDAY, 26TH JUNE

7.30pm Port City Bowling Club, Gotcha Covered

8.30am The Brew Box, Music and Marshmallows, Liam Moylan Music

8.00pm Finnians Irish Tavern, Lockout 8.30pm Laurieton Hotel, Goody 2 Shoes

10:00am-5:30pm Ride the Wave Festival, Soundwave Event

SUNDAY, 19TH JUNE

11.00am Douglas Vale Vineyard, Poetry in the Vines Open Mic

8.30am The Brew Box, Music and Marshmallows, Cheryl Hall

1.30pm Wauchope Country Club, Nikki Rudge

1.30pm Wauchope Country Club, Pure Acoustic Duo

2.30pm Laurieton Hotel, Simon Gudgeon

2.30pm Laurieton Hotel, Brody Ireland

3.00pm The Beach House, Bill Roberts

3.00pm The Beach House, Kailey Pallas

4.00pm Bonny Hills Hotel, Besty

SUNDAY, 3RD JULY 9.00am The Brew Box, Tairek Hart

WEDNESDAY, 15th JULY 10.00am-1.00pm 15th-17th Jul Elephant Trail Race, Cairncross State Forest

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MONTHLY MARKETS SUPPORT LOCAL Bring the family and join the markets trail, you will discover the finest from our regions local businesses, farmers and artisans.

EVERY TUESDAY Real Food Local Produce Markets 12.00pm to 6.00pm Port Central Hay Street Forecourt, Port Macquarie

EVERY SUNDAY Port Macquarie Art Society Market Bazaar 8.00am to 1.00pm Hamilton House 198 Hastings River Drive, Port Macquarie

FIRST SUNDAY Grown and Gathered Community Markets 9.00am to 12.00pm 1493 Pappinbarra Road, Pappinbarra

SECOND SATURDAY The Foreshore Markets 8.00am to 1.00pm Westport Park Cnr Buller & Park Streets, Port Macquarie www.marketplaceevents.com.au

SECOND SATURDAY

www.facebook.com/ johnsrivercommunityhall/

Wauchope Showground High Street, Wauchope

THIRD SUNDAY

www.wauchopefarmersmarket.com. au

Laurieton Riverwalk Markets 8.00am to 1.00pm

FOURTH SUNDAY

Cnr. Tunis & Short Street, Laurieton

The Local 8.00am to 1.00pm

www.riverwalkmarkets.com.au

Maritime Museum William Street Port Macquarie www.marketplaceevents.com.au

Johns River Markets 8.00am to 12.00pm

FOURTH SATURDAY

Johns River Community Hall 54-56 Johns River Rd, John’s River

Wauchope Farmers’ Markets 8.00am to 12.00pm

GO WOW!

From

SNAP PORT MACQUARIE 1/106 Horton St (02) 6583 7544 portmacquarie@snap.com.au

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BUSINESS EVENTS •

23rd Jun 22 9.30am-2.30pm Elvis Movie Premiere and Networking Event, Laurieton Plaza Cinema (sponsored by Brilliant-Online and Vermilion Pinstripes)

•

Micro Business Forum Coffee Connect on Thursday 14th July 10am at Brew Haven.

Come network with other small business owners.

Advertised dates are subject to change. Contact the individual venues for further information.

To list your event, please send details, images or videos to :

editor@brilliant-online.com

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PREMIERE AT PLAZA THEATRE LAURIETON ON JUNE 23

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