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student was remembered as ‘polite, courteous and a conversationalist’ by her teachers as her classmates spoke through tears at the school-gate vigil to remember the life of Charlise. “We dearly miss our
RVC BRIEFS
LARA LEAHY
Deputy Mayor elected
Councillor Steve Morrisey was elected extraordinary meeting of Richmond Valley Council last Tuesday, as two new councillors were welcomed by Mayor Robert Mustow.
The newly minted Council elected Cr Morrissey unopposed to the position for 12 months.
This will be the fourth successive year Cr Morrissey has held the position.
New councillors welcomed
First-time councillors Patrick Deegan and Deb McGillan join Crs Sam Cornish, Sandra DuncanHumphrys and Robert seat council.
Our Big Conversation
Council also resolved to approve and adopt the Draft Community Engagement Strategy 2021-2022, which will be known as Our Big Conversation.
This strategy is a guiding framework to support development of the Community Strategic Plan in close consultation and collaboration with our local community.
It will be implemented between January and June to inform the next Community Strategic Plan, which will be adopted at the June Council meeting.
New Minister for Arts, Aboriginal Affairs and Regional Youth New portfolio for MLC
SAMANTHA ELLEY
Inspired as a child by a sport and recreation camp where he was able to be creative with other young children in drama and music across regional areas, Ben Franklin MLC knows the importance of the three new ministerial portfolios he has taken on.
With one of the portfolios being The Arts, Mr Franklin is very excited to share the same passion he had as a child.
“I was parliamentary secretary for arts for 2.5 years and working closely with art stake holders,” he said.
“This included regional arts and culture such as the Byron Writers Festival, NORPA and the Spaghetti Circus.
“I want to make sure the regions get the same support the cities do.”
The other two portfolios Mr Franklin has taken on include Aboriginal Affairs and Regional Youth.
“With Aboriginal Affairs there is clearly such a challenge with closing the gap in a whole range of different spheres,” Mr Franklin said. as MP was on the Stolen Generation inquiry in 2015-2016.
“Because of that inquiry, we landed generous package for survivors in Australia.
“It was really important to speak to those survivors. They made a deep impression on me.”
Mr Franklin said a number of issues need to be looked at, including Indigenous life expectancy, the number of Indigenous children in foster care compared to non-Indigenous children and the high rate of incarceration.
“All these metrics reduced,” he said.
“It’s not an easy thing and not something I expect to achieve in 15 months.”
Regional youth is close to Mr Franklin’s heart, having grown up outside the city himself.
“We need to ensure young people in the regions have the same opportunities as those in the cities,” he said.
“For me at 13-14 years old realising there were so many other kids with the same interests made a real impact on me.
“That’s what I want to do for kids in regional NSW.”
“In all three portfolios, stakeholders and community members know I am coming with genuine commitment to impact the lives of people in communities and do something in meaningful way.”
Mr Franklin said over the seven years he has been an MP he has seen the difference a small level of funding makes for local organisations.
Police are appealing for information following tattoo parlour in the state’s north on Sunday morning.
About 2.30am, emergency services responded to reports of an explosion at a business on Ballina Road, Lismore Heights.
On arrival, Fire and located the parlour wellalight.
The blaze was extinguished a short time later; however, the building has been
No one was in the premises at the time of been no reports of injury. to Richmond Police District attended and established a crime scene.
Initial inquiries have led police to believe the and police are appealing for anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour around the area at the time of the incident, or who has dashcam footage, to come forward.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https:// nsw.crimestoppers.com. au.
Information is treated
The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
The 2022-2024 Tenterfield Shire Council lined up for its first meeting on Wednesday, January 12 with the main item of business being election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
There are three new faces in the Councillor ranks, namely Cr Tim Bonner (A Ward), Cr Kim Rhodes (D Ward) and Cr Giana Saccon (D Ward).
Returning Councillors are Councillors Peter Petty (A Ward), Councillors Bronwyn Petrie, pictured left, and John Macnish (B Ward), Councillor Tom Peters (C Ward) and Councillor Greg Sauer (E Ward).
Nominations for Mayor were received from Councillors Bronwyn Petrie and Greg Sauer with Councillor Petrie being declared elected.
One nomination for Deputy Mayor was received from Councillor John Macnish and he was duly elected.
Chief Executive, Daryl Buckingham offered his congratulations to all elected members.
The Tenterfield Shire Council wishes to offer a vote of thanks to the outgoing Mayor Peter Petty, and the outgoing Deputy Mayor, Greg Sauer for their service to the Council and the Tenterfield Shire community.
LISMORE COUNCIL BRIEFS
Committee delegates
Councillor Elly Bird was voted to Arts Northern Rivers and Councillors Peter Colby, Vanessa to NORPA Cultural Alliance Joint Steering Committee.
A number of nominations were received for election to Rous County Council with the resulting councillors voted in being Andrew Gordon and Big Rob.
Other delegates: Lismore City Council Audit, Risk & Improvement Committee Clrs Bing and Colby; Aboriginal Advisory Group Clrs Bird, Rob, Ekins & Krieg; Access and Inclusion Advisory Group Clr Ekins & Rob; District Bush Fire Management Committee Clr Bird; General Manager’s Performance Review Committee Clrs Krieg, Colby, Gordon; Lismore Floodplain Risk Management Committee Clrs Ekins, Jensen, Rob, Bird; Nimbin Advisory Group Clr Krieg; Northern Rivers Joint Organisation Membership Mayor (not optional); NSW Rural Fire Service Zone Liaison Committee Clr Bird; Richmond Clr Cook; Richmond Tweed Regional Library Clrs Colby & Cook – alternate Clr Bird; Sister City Advisory Panel Clrs Advisory Group Clr
Council knocks back New Italy development Service centre refused
Following a comprehensive and exhaustive assessment process, the proposal for a highway service centre at New Italy has been refused by Richmond Valley Council’s Development Assessment Panel.
The proposal required consent of Transport for NSW to create a new access for the proposed highway service centre. Transport for NSW was unable to grant consent as the location of the proposed service centre is contrary to the Ministers for Planning’s Direction for Commercial and Retail Development along the
The proposed development, as lodged Pty Ltd, included a service station, heavy vehicle refuelling area, truck wash facility, shower, gym, laundry facilities for truck drivers, four separate cafes/restaurants, including two with drive-through facilities. The proposal as a whole was characterised as a highway service centre, which is not permissible in the zone.
The application was put on public exhibition for 28 days last year, receiving 56 individual submissions in response The majority of the submissions oppose the proposal. The issues of concerns raised in these submissions access, location, heritage consequences, detrimental economic impacts on local businesses, amenity and impacts on natural environment.
Council’s Development Assessment Panel found the application failed to demonstrate implications for the accessing Swan Bay New Italy Road and impact of performing U-turns, especially by up to 26-metre long trucks. has U-turn bays at each end of the development site which would attract highway, not just local
It was also concerning that all vehicles from the proposed highway service centre were required to exit into Swan Bay New Italy Road. The proposal failed to demonstrate the suitability of Swan Bay New Italy Road to volume, especially large vehicles.
The proposal included clearing of vegetation to facilitate the proposed development and it was accompanied by a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report. The subject report was not considered satisfactory by the Biodiversity and Conservation Division of Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
In addition, the proposal was unclear with respect to the quantum of clearing required to accommodate the proposed development, including ancillary services such as the new ground water bore, on-site sewerage management system, like.
General Manager Vaughan Macdonald said as with all development applications received by Council, the New Italy proposal underwent a full professional and technical assessment to ensure it met relevant NSW Government legislation and planning controls.
Mr Macdonald said Richmond Valley Council was the consent authority, however, given its cross over with a number of NSW Government agencies the proposal was referred to Transport for NSW, the Biodiversity and Conservation Division of Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, the Natural Resource Access Regulator, and NSW for input. Valley Council had a proactive philosophy to support development, but it had to be in the best interests of the community.
“Our Development Assessment Panel’s thorough investigations found the proposed development does not satisfy the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, the Roads Act 1993, the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, nor Council’s Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP),” Mr Macdonald said.
“Both the LEP and DCP clearly set out requirements to support and encourage social within the Richmond Valley, as well as manage appropriate and essential public services, infrastructure, and amenities for Richmond Valley.
“In its current form, Ltd’s application fails to minimise the risk of harm to the community through the appropriate management of the development and land use.
“Of concern is the section of road between the proposed highway service centre exit and the motorway is not an approved heavy vehicle route; having B-Double and B-Triple trucks regularly using this section would put considerable pressure on the Swan Bay New Italy Road and adversely Mr Macdonald said a number of other issues stormwater and sewage, earthworks and noise impacts. did not provided enough information to satisfy the Development Assessment Panel’s concerns these issues would not impact both the natural and built environments. information contained in the application, non-permissibility, and the non-compliances with the LEP and DCP, and the amenity impacts generated, the approval of the proposed development was not in the interests of the public and was, therefore, refused,” Mr Macdonald said.
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And the help continued, with Social Futures’ Connecting Home program connecting Chili to Housing New South Wales and a permanent, private one-bedroom unit in Tweed Heads for a small weekly sum, plus long-overdue health care and planning.
“I can now actually focus on what I want to do with my life rather than trying to survive, all that stress has been lifted,” Chili said.
‘Connecting Home’ is a government-funded, voluntary service facilitated by Social Futures to young people (16-25,) adults (of any age) and families to help find support.
“Connecting Home connects people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with the support services they need to find permanent accommodation and make meaningful, longterm changes to their lives,” Tony Davies Chief Executive Officer Social Futures said.
“We deliver the Connection Home program across the
Northern Rivers region and have case managers working in the areas of Grafton,
Lismore, Casino,
Tweed Heads,
Ballina and
Byron Bay and surrounds,” he added. “This is what
Social Futures has done, they’ve re-homed me, it’s taken so much pressure off,” Chili said.
Chili’s was just one experience in the growing phenomenon of older Australian women – once mothers with a home, job, and place – now finding themselves homeless and shunned by modern Australia when their life took an unlikely turn.
“There’s a lot of women living in their vans, parking the back streets, they hide, they know how to survive,” Chili said.
Alarming numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics back up Chili’s observation. In just a decade, between 2006 and 2016, the rate of homelessness amongst ‘older women’ aged 55 or over, rose 44 percent. It’s now the fastest growing homeless group in the country, as highlighted by research from The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
“In 2016, there were an estimated 6,900 older homeless women on Census night, an increase of 2,100 (44%) from 4,800 in 2006 (ABS 2012, ABS 2018a.)” The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported.
“Older women are increasingly experiencing homelessness due to lower lifetime incomes, less access to financial assets such as superannuation because they are more likely to take on informal care responsibilities, relationship breakdown, and the consequences of family and domestic violence.
“During their lifetime, women are more likely to take leave from the workforce and return to paid employment on a part-time or casual basis, which influences their lifetime superannuation savings,” the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found.
Statistics also show less women than men are in paid work, and of those women who are working, more do parttime work. The median superannuation balance for older women was around 70-thousand dollars or 47 percent less than an older man’s superannuation balance.
Research by the Australian Human Rights Commission also suggested there may be more ‘hidden’ homeless women than the data reveals given ‘the tendency of women to self-manage their homelessness rather than utilising Specialist Homelessness Services.’ .. As Chili reflected on her own path in life, and its unexpected twists and turns.
“I really thought I’d met the love of my life,” Chili said of her former partner.
“Coming here, we’re going to have a family, get away from all that modelling stuff, and it just went pear-shaped .. I thought I’d actually have a really nice house with a pool, I thought I’d have the perfect, picket-fence kind of lifestyle, but it didn’t happen,” Chili shared.
But for now, a one-bedroom apartment in Tweed Heads with a balcony for horticulture and a quick bike ride down the river for a morning swim is something, if not everything, for this ever-glamourous, ever-resilient woman who still has the horses, the racing industry and Ballina in her sights for hopefully final therapy.
“Equine therapy, where people like me - anyone really – can help people, just give them some joy in their life, I mean spend a day with a horse, you know it if you get a connection with a horse. It’s what keeps me motivated now to get back with them because the horses help me get through life, without them I don’t know where I’d be.”
And to her friends in the racing industry, Chili says ‘look out!’
“I’d love to rock up into Ballina and say .. I’m here.”
In all her glory.
Customer Service counters
Counters at Murwillumbah and Tweed Heads have been impacted by Covid-19, closing until Monday, February 7. Phone, live chat, and social media services are still available, for other ways to connect with Council visit www.tweed.nsw. gov.au/contact-us.
Changed hours
Tweed Regional Gallery operating hours have been reduced to 10:30 am to 2:30pm (Wednesday to Sunday).
Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre (TRAC) operating hours and squad availability are affected across the three pools. Details on TRAC’s Facebook page.
Clean Up day
Clean Up Australia Day registrations are now being taken for Sunday, March 6.
This year’s clean-up is amounts of waste littered during the pandemic, especially single-use plastics, large numbers of face masks, takeaway coffee cups and food packaging littering our footpaths, parks and beaches.
Business Clean Up Day is on Tuesday, March 1 and Schools Clean Up Day is on Friday, March 4.
To register or donate, visit cleanup.org.au.
Cane toad bust
The Tweed community has another chance at ‘Cane Toad Busting’, this time at Fingal Head on Monday, January 31 from 7:45pm to 9:30pm (NSW time).
The last event at Banora Point in December saw 26 people collect a total of 167 toads, while the summer holiday online toad busting competition saw 587 cane toads removed from the Tweed.
Register attendance at tweed.nsw.gov.au/ cane-toads or for more, contact Kristyn Way at canetoads@watergum. org.
Learn to Square Dance
Give it a go. First session Free
Alstonville
Uniting Church Hall
Sign-On Day & Dance
WaterNSW and the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) wish to advise customers and the or
TWEED COUNCIL BRIEFS
Kingscliff Triathlon
Kingscliff Triathlon is on Sunday, January 30. The race starts at at 11am. For details on road closures on Sunday, January 30 visit Council’s website.
New council
And a new-look Tweed Shire Council will Meeting of Council on Thursday, February 3 with the agenda still to be published. At a special meeting of councillors on January 11, councillors heard options for the upcoming Local Government NSW Annual conference including Councillor’s Remuneration; a investment in Regenerative Landscape peeblesjewels Management; and iVoting. The Local LENNOX HEADGovernment NSW Special Conference is rescheduled for February 28 – March 2 in Sydney.
