In honour of Uncle Ron Heron during NAIDOC week
Lynne Mowbray. The old concrete pump station in River Street Maclean has been given a facelift over the weekend, with a mural painting depicting one of our prominent Yaegl Elders. Highly respected Yaegl Elder, Uncle Ron Heron of Yamba, has had the artwork created in his honour, to celebrate NAIDOC week.
Driven to help local farmers
Emma Pritchard. Aussie Hay Runners have partnered with Feed for Friends and the Rotary Club of Melton to transport 1000 bales of hay and several pallets of hard feed from rural Victoria to the Clarence Valley in support of local producers and small hobby farmers who have been adversely affected by the unprecedented flooding which devastated communities throughout Northern NSW earlier this year. A convoy of 31 trucks arrived in Grafton over the weekend.
Three different figures equal confusion
Emma Pritchard. When Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis recently announced the promised redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital (GBH) will become a reality following the unveiling of the NSW Budget for 2022/23, members of the Grafton Base Hospital Community Committee (GBHCC) reacted with confusion ... Speaking with the Clarence Valley Independent last week, members of the GBHCC, including Ron Bell, Des Harvey and Phil Belletty, revealed none of the announcements made by the NSW Government make sense.
Races rescheduled at Grafton
Emma Pritchard. The Clarence River Jockey Club (CRJC) postponed Races 4-9 on the opening day of the 2022 XXXX July Winter Racing Carnival, the Westlawn Finance Prelude Day on July 3, following a shocking incident in the concluding stages of Race 3, the Westlawn Business Loans 2YO Maiden Plate over 1015m. Apprentice jockey Leah Kilner, 24, was dislodged from her mount, the Owen Glue trained Stella’s Turn inside the final 100m when the filly tragically went amiss and crashed to the turf.
Clarence apiarists on alert as first time Varroa mite detected
Rodney Stevens. A tiny insect never before seen in Australia has Clarence Valley apiary businesses and owners lives on hold after Varroa mites that could decimate the industry were first detected in beehives at the Port of Newcastle last week. A state wide emergency biosecurity order has been issued by the Department of Primary Industries DPI to control the movement of bees and stop the spread of Varroa mite.
Council’s concerns raised at National General Assembly
Rodney Stevens. As Clarence Valley Council's only delegate to attend this month's National General Assembly in Canberra, Councillor Allison Whaites ensured the valley's concerns were heard, while inviting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to visit ... "I invited Minister Watt and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to come to the Clarence Valley to see what we are actually talking about."
From Woodford Dale to the world
Geoff Helisma. Everyone loves a success story, especially if it’s someone they’ve known or with whom they’ve brushed elbows - the Lower Clarence’s Ry X, who is on the cover of the June 17 French Rolling Stone magazine, is one of those success stories and, potentially, he might soon become a global name on the lips of music lovers, as well as makers and shakers clamouring for a piece of the action.
Yaegl People celebrate a step towards self-determination
Geoff Helisma. The NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Aboriginal Land) 2019 aims “to provide for development delivery plans for areas of land owned by local Aboriginal land councils [LALC]” and “to declare specified development carried out on land owned by LALCs to be regionally significant development” - last Saturday June 25 the Yaegl Traditional Owners Corporation (YTOC) held a gathering at Hickey Island to recognise and promote another step towards self determination.
