The Northern Rivers Times
December 7, 2023
18 NEWS
“Leemo has views on just about anything”
‘MUM, let’s do a survey on SHOPPING LOCAL’
‘Mum-Jane, do we buy everything for us and our house locally?’ (‘Leemo Cat’ here!) I want to know ‘cos me and my buddies had a talk about this subject after hearing & seeing all the stuff saying “SHOP LOCAL”. SO, we made a nifty questionnaire to ascertain the shopping habits of our own humans. When our surveys are done, we will put them in an envelope and send them off to the ‘Shopping Research Unit’ at the Universidad de Morón in Morón City in Buenloeis Airles, Argentinneea; the results may be of great value in fact-finding ways to encourage everyone to shop local. So, Mum, let’s start with our own ‘Our House’ Survey: Are you settled? A cup of tea perhaps?’ (She scowled at me!) ‘Leems, just GET ON with it please!’ ‘OK THEN MUM, let’s start; you may answer YES or NO but nothing else, OK? A ‘YES’ is 5 points, and a ‘NO’ is ½ a point. Gottit? Question 1. “Do you buy MY special dietary Vet recommended cat food from a local shop?’ Answer was NO = ½ point. Next: ‘do you buy ALL your local fruit & vegetables from a local kinda corner shop? Answer was NO = ½ point. Next: ‘do you buy our meat & stuff like that from a local stand-alone Butcher? Answer was NO = ½ point. Next: ‘what about clothes & shoes & stuff? Answer was ‘kinda 99%.’ (Ooooh, I just HAD to
stop.) ‘Mum, I TOLD YOU the answers are either YES or NO so stick to the rules, OK? Continuing: Next: ‘Do you go to local Hairdressers & Beauty Salons?’ Answer NO, ‘cos I’ve never gone to them in the first place.’ (I muttered softly to myself, ‘perhaps Mum, just perhaps you should consider doing so!’) Next: ‘Do you buy your hair/skin & other health & body product stuff locally? Answer was ‘Well, I ‘spose I do, but only if I see things on special & I don’t buy much of that stuff anyhow.’ (OMG!) “Mum, it is a YES or it is a NO. Don’t DIVERGE from the script. I started on the next question but was told to STOP RIGHT THERE! (Ooooh?!) ‘Leemo, you & your buddies might perhaps like to reevaluate the most inane questions in your totally hare-brained survey as I truly don’t get the point of it. Were you all just bored? Shopping Local, to me, means buying from shops in our town, be they ‘stand-alone’ shops or well known Supermarkets. I would never-ever for instance, go to the Gold Coast or Brisbane or well known Coastal towns, to simply SHOP! We have all we need here Leems, near where we live. Most everything I buy comes from shops owned or franchised by a local person, including Supermarkets. To me, this is called SHOPPING LOCAL; it provides jobs for local people and keeps our town’s economy moving, even through and after difficult times. And YES, sometimes Leems I DO buy things things on-line, generally related to cost & availability locally. Do you comprehend what I’m trying to clarify for you? Go make up another Survey with your buddies, OK? Something along the lines of the PRICE OF CAT FOOD maybe?’ I am going to stare at grass now after that most unsatisfactory interview & Mum’s appalling score rating. Nitey, Leemo.
Council urges government to back food inquiry findings By Tim Howard The NSW Labor Government has been urged to get moving on recommendations to improve food security in the Clarence Valley after issues emerged following the 2022 floods. At the November Clarence Valley Council meeting Cr Debrah Novak was successful in moving a notice of motion to urge the new government to implement strategies recommended in a report commissioned by the previous NSW Coalition Government ‘Food Production and Supply in NSW’ Inquiry and Report (November 2022). In particular, Cr Novak’s NOM urged action on Recommendation 6 from the Food Production and Supply in NSW’ inquiry, that the NSW Government works with local councils to develop and implement strategies to improve local food systems, and provides appropriate funding as required. Cr Novak’s original motion praised the Coalition for the report and implied criticism of the new Labor administration for failed to meet the May 2023 deadline to respond to the inquiry recommendations. But Cr Bill Day urged his colleague to drop the partisan aspects of her motion. “I find items one and two. Rather unfortunate, in that item one is praising a political coalition that’s in opposition,” he said. “And item two is criticising the other side, which is in government, and I find that number one I don’t like party politics, it being brought into council. “And number two,
Cr Debrah Novak was successful in gaining support for a notice of motion calling for the NSW Government to act on the findings of a 2022 inquiry into regional food security.
I think this is a fairly strange way to get go about seeking support.” Cr Novak had no problem agreeing to this and dropped the first two points, although she said did not see it as political, but was just recognition of the work done. She was also gobsmacked the Clarence Valley Council was not invited to participate. “It’s a pretty significant inquiry and unfortunately, our council wasn’t invited to participate, whereas Ballina council was,” she said. “I was stunned to understand why, but it’s when you consider the major number of businesses that are involved around food production and food growing in our region, and in particular, the Clarence Valley and we have 65 commodities, this is a pretty important inquiry for us to be a part of. “Even more so knowing that of the 35 recommendations the NSW State Government has identified five of
them have direct relation to local councils, and they’re offering money to be a part of this food system conversation.” Cr Novak said food security should be a bi-partisan matter. “The reason of the motion was to actually ask the Labor Government ministers to respond to this because during the natural disasters that we on the back of continually food production is impacted all the time on the back of these disasters,” Cr Novak said. “So if we can work with the government, make it a bipartisan approach it’s really important that we’re able to work with the government to get this moving to get policies and systems in place to support us going forward so that we are sustainable.” The council voted unanimously that the Clarence Valley Council: 1. Write to the following NSW Labor Government Ministers requesting the Government to respond to the NSW 2022 Food Production and Supply
Inquiry Report as a matter of urgency: • NSW Premier the Hon. Chris Minns MP • Minister for Agriculture the Hon. Tara Moriarty MP • Minister for Local Government the Hon. Ron Hoenig MP • Minister for Regional New South Wales and North Coast the Hon. Rose Jackson MP 2. Write to the Chair of the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation, Cr Sharon Cadwallader to have this matter put on the agenda for their next quarterly meeting. 3. Write to the Northern Rivers RDA GM Nathan McGrath and ask to have this matter put on the agenda for the next RDA meeting. 4. Acknowledge Recommendation 6 from the Food Production and Supply in NSW’ inquiry, that the NSW Government works with local councils to develop and implement strategies to improve local food systems, and provides appropriate funding as required. The inquiry received 77 submissions from government, nongovernment, community, and organisations on the front line of food waste and recovery. The council report said the Clarence Valley Council once led the way with their Sustain Food Model and it is appropriate that this Council 15 years later again take the baton and run with the recommendations from this inquiry on the back of the adopted Rural Lands Strategy and the impacts on food security felt during the 2019 bush fires, 2020 pandemic and 2022 floods which saw food not able to be delivered to many for more than five days.
