NSW

The Civic Hall was once the pride and joy of Casino, and a major landmark built at an important time in the town's history, Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow said. Now the interior of the hall has been repainted and restored to its glory. Next the drab exterior of the 84-year-old Art Deco hall is to get a lift.

The impending cut to Jobseeker isn’t only about the hardship those on $40 a day will endure. More than a million dollars a week will be pulled out of our local economy if Jobseeker returns to pre-covid levels.

Forestry Corporation of NSW is recommencing timber harvesting on the South Coast and Eden with additional environmental safeguards and restates our commitment to ecologically sustainable forest management which ensures good environmental outcomes.

Emergency services, the Central Coast Aero Club and other users will be able to fly more freely now that the NSW Upper House has voted overnight to repeal the Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Act 1996.

The Tackling Mosquitos Together campaign is a co-operative effort of seven councils located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales - Tweed Shire Council, Ballina Shire Council, Byron Shire Council, Kyogle Council, Clarence Valley Council, Richmond Valley Council, and Lismore City Council - supported by the Department of Local Government.

Emma Pritchard. “I just shared what I have in my head, which is do small things with great love,” Hayley Talbot said. “When we feel overwhelmed by the world, and it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and disempowered and when I get like that, I just bring it all back down to doing small things with great love and there’s greatness in those moments.”

“Clarence Health Service have recruited medical registrars this year who are completing specialty training, rural generalist, advanced skills and a vocationally registered GP who is updating their skills in emergency medicine through GP proceduralist training program”

Emma Pritchard. After the unfortunate cancellation of the 2020 Grafton Show, only weeks prior to the event, Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan visited the iconic T. J. Ford Pavilion at the showground last week and announced a grant of just under $18,000 through the Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days Program to reimburse costs for the cancellation of the popular attraction last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The new church stands upon an excellent site in the township of Dunoon which has been purchased from Mr. W. Munro. It has been built and furnished at the cost of £635, and the price of the site was £100. An Estey organ has been provided by Messrs. Paling and Co. at the cost of £35 18s. The total outlay is therefore £770 18s, of which £161 9s has been raised by subscriptions, fairs ..."

In its first meeting for 2021, Ballina Shire Council has voted to support further investigation into the Dunoon Dam in an effort to revive the proposal and secure the region’s future water supply.

WATER Northern Rivers Alliance calls on Rous County Council and state water planners to respect the wishes of Widjabul Wia-bal people who have voiced their opposition to the proposed Dunoon Dam. The dam would obliterate important cultural heritage ancient burial sites. Yesterday John Roberts, a senior Elder of the Widjabul Wia-bal stated that when he and other traditional custodians were consulted about the dam in 2011 they made it clear that no level of disturbance was acceptable.

Kendall Jennings. Mawson's T20 Blast Cricket third round was held on Thursday, February 4. Wandella hosted Barham/ Koondrook at Riverside Park in Kerang. Entering round three, the two top teams on equal points on the ladder faced off. Playing conditions were challenging with storm clouds looming and northerly twenty-kilometre winds. The white playing ball was challenging to focus on in the sky, making way for on-field action with close runouts and dropped catches.

Are you a team player? Like helping your community? Want to increase your income? Then maybe you should join Fire Rescue NSW in Barham. From fires to road accidents, the team of dedicated retained fire rescue employees serve our community when people are at their most vulnerable. I recently spent an evening with the crew at Barham as they performed a simulated road accident.

Nathan Dawes is the new energetic publican at the Top Pub in Kyogle. Having lived between Coorabell and Sydney for two decades working in the corporate world, he has changed his lifestyle and taken on the Commercial Hotel. He lives upstairs at the pub.

All eyes are on Casino as the next region to become a job precinct. Called the Casino Industries Activation project, the aim is to establish a strong case for businesses to locate to the Richmond Valley and includes cutting red tape to lure manufacturing businesses to the area. Last Wednesday in Townsend near Maclean, Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow, council's general manager Vaughan Macdonald, Casino Food Co-op's Simon Stahl and State MP Chris Gulaptis were at an event where Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced Casino as the location for the next Regional Job Precinct.

A proposal to build a large battery to store excess energy from the grid prompted 80 residents to attend an information session at McKees Hill Hall on Wednesday evening. The mood in the hall was tense as Maoneng’s director for Australia Allison Hawke faced a torrent of questions from residents who said they had been kept in the dark about the proposal.

... By bringing Mr Priest to Townsend, they believe it will help raise the profile of the gym and hopefully showcase the long list of professional bodybuilders and athletes that have been raised through Bodyrock. “We’ve had one world champion out of our Townsend gym, we’ve had two ladies that have made it into the top five in the world. We’ve crowdfunded two athletes to Vegas, one who won the world title and one who came fifth in the world…not too bad for a little gym out of Townsend”, the proud gym owner says ...