The Rexit affair
Geoff Helisma. Clarence Valley Council is hoping that Page MP Kevin Hogan can help fill the hole left by Rex regional airline’s announcement that it will cease operating its Sydney to Grafton and Lismore routes as of Friday March 26.
Stranded
About 100 people were stranded for five days last week at Green Pigeon by the floodwaters of Fawcetts Creek. The usual wooden bridge access was gone. Matthews Bridge, known as Burgess Bridge by locals, was pulled down because Kyogle Council was building a new one in its place.
Endangered emu becomes road kill
Geoff Helisma. It was a particularly sad day for Brooms Head resident Steve Otton when he discovered an emu he had been following and photographing had been killed crossing Brooms Head Road at about 6pm on February 19 near Tailem Drive ... "On top of this, not one but three NPWS Emu warning signs have been yet again ripped from their stakes overnight ... After finding the signs down late Saturday I then spotted, with delight and horror, a pair of emus about to cross the road. I waved down this red car as to the action ahead as the pair of emus tip-toed across the road at the 'Emu Crossing' half way along the horror 100km overtaking straight."
Backyard explorers bring boost to the Scenic Rim
The Scenic Rim region is reaping the rewards of Queenslanders exploring their own backyard according to the most recent Tourism Research Australia data. Mayor Greg Christensen said that after a year of international and state border closures, the September 2020 year-end data shows that, while visitor numbers were down in the Scenic Rim, we fared much better than in other parts of South East Queensland.
Agenda change for councils
Ahead of an event to encourage women to become councillors, we ask three current councillors about their experiences. Four of the nine Kyogle councillors are female. Richmond Valley Council has two out of seven.
Beauty of Art Deco hall to be restored
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.
Council welcomes VinFast to Bass Coast
Representatives from Bass Coast Shire Council met with members of VinFast’s management team at the Lang Lang Proving Ground complex recently. VinFast, a Vietnamese car manufacturer, purchased the site from GM Holden last year and will continue to operate the Proving Ground as a vehicle testing and development facility.
Tackling Mosquitos Together
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.
Dunoon Dam – Ballina Council resolves to revive Dunoon Dam option
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.
Dunoon Dam – Respecting the wishes of traditional owners on Dunoon Dam
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.
Official Opening – new Esperance jetty
Local acoustic musicians playing throughout the day and market stalls spread across the Jetty Headland. Other small activities like giant games, a Tanker Jetty History stall and first on the new Jetty competition are planned.
Council seeks community feedback on future of waste
... “Even foods you wouldn’t put in a home compost bin could go in because the processing of the waste occurs in a controlled environment. Cr Dickson said our region’s organic waste could be turned into high quality compost which could be put to good use in parks, gardens and farms, instead of rotting in a landfill and producing methane ...
Huge success for Ngukurr Leak Reduction Project
Roper Gulf Regional Council would like to congratulate the Ngukurr community, for winning the 2020 Tidy Towns Sustainable Community Award for Water Conservation. The town’s water conservation success has been a result of Power and Water Corporation’s Ngukurr Leak Reduction Project, a joint project with the Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development (DLGHCD) that located and repaired water leaks in Ngukurr. Through its not-for-profit subsidiary Indigenous Essential Services, this project enabled Power and Water to provide sustainable water supply to the Ngukurr community and support continual community growth.
Electric bikes offer a new Barossa perspective
Bike hire has returned to the Barossa Visitor Centre, with the exciting addition of electric bikes to make your journey safe, easy and fun. he Barossa Council’s Manager Tourism Services said electric bikes have become a popular way for visitors and locals to explore the region, because they cater for a wide range of ages and cycling abilities.
Let’s rename Clarence Way the Pothole Way
Classification is crucial when it comes to funding roads. Clarence Way is classified as a regional road and not a rural road. This affects state funding. Kyogle mayor Danielle Mulholland said it put Clarence Way in the same pool as roads in Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie and this meant tougher competition for funds.
Coober Peedy – water shortage
District Council of Coober Peedy, Media Release, 22 January 2021. Water consumption in the town remains excessively high. This may be due to leaks in the network or some customers using excessive water, such as filling up swimming pools. At the current rate of consumption, the town has two days of water in storage. During the day, the water employees will shut down various parts of the network in an attempt to isolate the cause. This means that some customers will have no water for about half an hour. If water leaks are found, the water outage could be longer. All outages will be notified on Council’s website, Facebook page and Mailchimp half an hour in advance.
Kingston District Council rolls out Australia’s first boat-ramp-on-a-roll!
Kingston District Council, Media Release, 14 January 2021
Council has rolled out an innovative new ‘boat-ramp-on-a-roll’ to improve launching and general beach access in Kingston....
Mildura Mayor Cr Jason Modica the new Chair of Murray River Group
The Murray River Group of Councils, Media Release, 13 January 2021
The Murray River Group of Councils has welcomed Mildura Mayor, Cr Jason Modica as...
Accommodation to support hospitality industry
Temporary accommodation will be offered to local hospitality staff in the Clarence Valley to lure more workers to fill vacancies in the hospitality industry.
Clarence...
Clancy pushes for acknowledgment that CVC investments are having adverse impact on climate change
Geoff Helisma
At Clarence Valley Council (CVC), the lone Green (and only politically declared councillor), Greg Clancy, has regularly brought up a concept he put...
Clarence Valley Council’s confidential water and electricity business … $415k and counting
Geoff Helisma. Clarence Valley’s nine councillors unanimously resolved to “not make public the recommendation” regarding its discussions about “Essential Energy and Nymboida water supply assets”.
Sham opening of bridge ignored the community
"People who want to save the bridge say 'It's not over until it's over'." State MP Janelle Saffin was quoting Tabulam cattle farmer John Cousins at the official opening of the $48 million two-lane bridge at Tabulam on Sunday.
