WE ARE CALLED TO BE ARCHITECTS OF THE FUTURE, NOT ITS VICTIMS – BUCKMINSTER FULLER The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 34 #51 • Wednesday, May 27, 2020 • www.echo.net.au
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At just six weeks of age, baby Sylvi has no idea that 2020 is the World Health Organisation (WHO) International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Her mum Priscylla says she wouldn’t be without her midwife. ‘Birthing is women’s business’, she says. ‘The support and knowledge they bring to birthing… it just feels so right. As my mum’s not around, maternal support is really important for me’. ‘There’s a lot of nurturing beyond just scientific medical support.’ From home births to hospital surgical units, nurses and midwives play a vital role in providing health services. At the Byron Central Hospital, a small but dedicated team of midwives continue to care for local women and their families, despite our changing and evolving circumstances. This year already, more than 50 babies have been welcomed through the Byron Birth Centre.
Paul Bibby Byron Council has been fined $1,000 over last year’s Tallow Creek fish kill, with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) finding that it breached its licence to maintain the entrance to the vital waterway. Thousands of mullet, bream, whiting, flathead, and eels died on June 14, 2019 after Council officers elected to artificially open the entrance to the Creek, which had been closed for eight months. This caused an influx of water with low oxygen levels to flow from shallow areas of the creek to deeper areas as the water level in the lagoon area dropped.
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Javier and mum Priscylla, with baby Sylvi, and midwife Michelle. Photo Eve Jeffery
Health boss says region is prepared for virus clusters Mandy Nolan Wayne Jones, chief executive Northern NSW Local Health District, says he is extremely positive about the way our region has adhered to the COVID-19 regulations and how well health services have adapted to be ‘COVID ready’. Part of this readiness is being ready for the upcoming school holidays. ‘We planned for bigger numbers coming here, and have positioned our services to manage COVID in
phase one by the doubling of intensive care, then quadrupling, should the need arise. ‘There are hospital-based and community services if we get a huge wave of cases – if a cluster evolves we can manage it.’ Local people testing COVID positive have decreased to nil. As of 22 May, ‘There hasn’t been a confirmed case for 23 days. ‘That reflects [that] the community are doing social distancing hygiene, and that our time to test following symptoms, is about a day.
How a pandemic reformed a problem gambler ▶ p6
Bluesfest director offers ticket refunds ▶ p8
‘We are anticipating an increase in numbers here, and plans are in place to respond to schools and nursing homes should someone test positive for COVID-19’, said Mr Jones. This would involve closing the facility, doing a thorough cleaning, and following that up with contact tracing to rule out transmission. While police have reported a drop in crime, health authorities have also seen a drop in seasonal admissions for the flu and other contagious illnesses. ‘The irony was, at the height of
Donations flow for those in need ▶ p8
the isolation restrictions, we saw a significant reduction in presentations in emergency and in elective surgery. ‘It allowed us to take our staff and train them in intensive care management – it means we have a workforce to supplement the need, should it arise,’ said Mr Jones. Although with elective surgeries resuming, hospitals are becoming busier, he said. ‘We are back up to 40 per cent of what we call business as usual, and expect that to be up to 75 per cent by the end of June,’ said Mr Jones.
Byron Shire Council Notices ▶ p10
As a result, more than 12 tonnes of fish died of asphyxiation. Council voluntarily reported the incident to the NPWS for investigation, with the body finding that the mechanical opening of the Creek had been undertaken an hour and 20 minutes after the recommended time for taking such action. It also found that the channel at the point of opening was more than double the recommended width. Both of these actions were in breach of Council’s licence to maintain the opening of the creek. Another independent investigation, commissioned by Council, found that there was a shortfall in the risk planning and management policies for Tallow Creek, and other similar waterways. ‘The mitigation measures for managing fish kills outlined in these documents essentially ▶ Continued on page 2
Not quite out of uncharted waters yet ▶ p17