NPWS Pest Management Officer Lisa Wellman said that prior to the start of each program, which began in 2006, advertisements are placed in local newspapers to advise people that the baiting is commencing.

“The program is undertaken twice a year in spring and autumn and looks for evidence of wild dogs which can then be controlled,” Ms Wellman said. 

“Control programs are based around baiting programs, and monitoring is also undertaken to determine how successful the program has been.

“The reserves to be targeted this spring are Maryland, Toonumbar, Richmond Range, Mebbin, Mt Jerusalem, Bundjalung, Nightcap, Mt Pikapene, Fortis Creek and Goonengerry National Parks, Whian Whian State Conservation Area and Bungabbee and Muckleewee Mountain Nature Reserve.

“In Mount Pikapene National Park, south-west of Casino, the wild dog program is being conducted as a collaborative program with adjacent landholders for the first time. Monitoring will commence next week, with baiting to follow if required.

“About a dozen enthusiastic landholders are already involved in the program and will conduct baiting on their own properties in conjunction with control in the national park. We would like to encourage other landholders to join in.

“Landholders in areas nearby who wish to conduct baiting on their own properties should contact their local Livestock, Health and Pest Authority.

“Our monitoring allows us to target wild dogs in specific areas where they are found and in the past has shown that control has been effective.’
 
“We have received very positive feedback from the community in response to our programs. We encourage park neighbours to report wild dog incidents to the NPWS and the LHPA.”

For information on where wild dog control programs are taking place, contact your local NPWS office: Kyogle Area 6632 0000, Tweed Area 6670 8600, Richmond River Area 6627 0200, Clarence North Area 6641 1500.

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The Gillard Labor Government today released for the first time maps outlining the path for the new network to stretch across Australia under the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The maps:

• Show that every house, school and business in Australia will have access to high-speed broadband under the NBN
• Confirm optical fibre will be extended to 93 per cent of homes and businesses in more than 1000 cities and towns by the end of the roll-out
• Show how communities will be served by next generation wireless and satellite technologies under the NBN.

Ms Saffin said local cities and towns set to be connected to the optical fibre network include Alstonville, Ballina, Casino, Evans Head, Grafton, Iluka, Kyogle, Lismore, Woodburn, Wooloweyah, Woombah and Yamba.

“The NBN will offer speeds of 100 megabits per second – 100 times faster than many people experience today,” she said.

“And NBN Co will also deliver next generation wireless and satellite services with speeds of 12 megabits per second to local centres including Coutts Crossing, Lawrence, Urbenville and Woodenbong. This would provide average data rates more than 20 times higher than most users experience today.

“Today’s release of the maps follows the news earlier this month that Coffs Harbour would be one of the next roll-out sites for the NBN and the nerve centre for the roll-out to the North Coast corridor.”

Details of the NBN mapping is available at: http://www.alp.org.au/agenda/nbn/

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As a major exhibitor and long-time supporter of the event the local Elders team are pleased to be joining with the local farming community at the field day.

Regional Sales Manager Mark Witherdin said Elders considers Primex to be a highlight on the agricultural calendar and wouldn’t miss it for the world.

“The field day will provide the perfect setting for our clients and team to chat about the current season conditions and trends and what this means for them in the coming year,” Mark said.

“It will also give our clients the chance to meet and spend some time with Glenn McGrath, who is just as comfortable chatting about farming as he is about cricket, having grown up on a family farm in Narromine, New South Wales.”

McGrath will be in Casino on 17 June where he will attend Primex in the morning, attend a barbeque with local kids in the afternoon and a client dinner in the evening.

Tickets are available for the general public for the dinner, and may be purchased at the Casino RSM Club.

On 18 June he will head to Kyogle for a breakfast cricket clinic before travelling to Beaudesert, Brisbane and Gatton.

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The Rudd Labor Government will provide $1.2 million towards the redevelopment of Kyogle’s town centre.

“The main street upgrade will bring the town centre to life and be a great boost for Kyogle,” Ms Saffin said.

“I was happy to support the Council in their submission for funding because this was a project that would clearly benefit the whole community.

“I congratulate Mayor Ross Brown, Council General Manager Arthur Piggott and the staff involved in putting together this successful submission, which had to compete against bids from other councils around Australia.”

Mayor Ross Brown said the announcement was a great result for Kyogle and a credit to the council staff and Janelle Saffin, who worked so hard in pushing the project for Kyogle.

“The Council had already done a significant amount of work on the main street redevelopment but didn’t have the budget to complete the work,” he said.

“This $1.2 million investment takes the pressure off our budget, and means in future we will be able to direct funding into other infrastructure.”

Council General Manager Arthur Piggott said the council had received great feedback from the community about the first stages of the redevelopment and this funding means it will now be able to complete the job.

Mr Piggott said the work will create work for local contractors and create the equivalent of six jobs.

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The work involves widening the existing lanes and providing sealed shoulders to improve the road surface and boost road safety.

Some minor traffic delays may be experienced. Work hours are between 7am to 5pm on weekdays and 7am to 12.30pm on Saturdays. Work is expected to be completed in June, weather permitting.

Traffic will be controlled by portable traffic lights outside work hours, with a 40km/h reduced speed limit in place until the repair work is completed.

Motorists are asked to comply with all temporary signposting and traffic control measures and to proceed with care through these worksites.

The work will be undertaken by the Kyogle Shire Council on behalf of the RTA.

The RTA asks motorists to be patient during this necessary work.

For further information on travel conditions, motorists can contact the RTA on 132 701 or visit www.rta.nsw.gov.au.

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About 1:30am, police and emergency services were called to Kyogle Road, north of Birril Creek and Palmers Road at Wadeville following reports a pedestrian had been hit by a car.

Police and NSW Ambulance Paramedics attended the scene and found a man aged in his mid forties deceased after being hit by a blue Hyundai.

The male driver of the car was taken to Lismore Base Hospital where he will undergo mandatory blood and urine tests.

Police established a crime scene on Kyogle Road with officers from the Crash Investigation Unit conducting examinations of the scene.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash are continuing and police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash to contact Nimbin Police on (02) 6689 1244 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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A 21-year-old man was stabbed and kicked in an attack at a lookout on Lions Road, Cougal, on Friday afternoon (9 April). His attackers then dragged him several metres and rolled him over an embankment before leaving the scene in his car.

The victim managed to stagger to a farmhouse some three kilometres away to raise the alarm.

He was then driven across the border to Rathdowney Police Station and has since been transferred to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandria Hospital for treatment of six stab wounds and a broken jaw.

Police from Richmond Local Area Command have been conducting inquiries into the incident and yesterday arrested a 20-year-old man, 19-year-old woman and 17-year-old girl.

The trio was subsequently charged with wound with intent to murder, wound with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and take and drive conveyance, and refused bail to appear in Lismore Local Court today.

The victim’s car, which was found abandoned at a park in Casino, has been seized for forensic examination.

Police are appealing for two men and two women aged in their 60s to come forward to assist police with their inquiries.

It’s believed they were travelling from Queensland to Kyogle and spoke with the victim at the Lions Road lookout between 9pm and 11pm.

The group or anyone else with information about the incident is urged to contact Lismore detectives on 6626 0599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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“My office was alarmed to hear that Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC), the company contracted to review the Repco Rally, was not going to be undertaking an economic cost benefit analysis. Mike Cahill, the managing director of IMC, confirmed this in correspondence with a resident in the Rally area,” says Ian Cohen.

“I asked the Minister in Question Time today why IMC was not doing an economic analysis and how IMC could possibly recommend the continuation of the Rally to the Minister if such an analysis has not been done.

“The Minister’s initial response was his usual bluster about what a great event it was and how local businesses did such good trade over that weekend.

“Such anecdotal assertions are spurious and mean nothing if not supported by a full economic analysis of the event. I have heard of businesses that actually suffered as a result of the event.

“A proper analysis is the only way to determine if the event was financially viable.

“I have reservations as to how we will discover the real cost benefit of the Rally, since the amount of funding given by Events NSW to the Rally organisers has been kept secret under ‘commercial in confidence’. If we don’t know the initial outlay, how can final figures be determined?

“Many local people fear the review process will go the way of the ‘community consultations’ that took place before the event. Locals were consulted then their concerns overridden by the special legislation that enabled the event and switched off all planning and environmental laws that would have prevented it.

“The Minister must have consulted his own Act and remembered that he is bound by Section 25 of the Motor Sports (World Rally Championship) Act that says, ‘The Minister is to conduct a review of the impact in the Northern Rivers region of the rally event to determine whether future rally events should be conducted in that region’.

“Minister Macdonald announced to the House at the end of Question Time that there would be an economic analysis of the Rally. Whilst an economic analysis is important, the real concern about the Rally is the impact it has had on the environment and the community and the likely negative impact any future rallies will have.”

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NPWS Pest Management Officer, Lisa Wellman, said prior to the start of each program, which began in 2006, advertisements are placed in local newspapers advising people.

“The program is undertaken twice a year in autumn and spring and looks for evidence of wild dogs, which can then be controlled,” Ms Wellman said. 

“Control programs are based around baiting programs, and monitoring is also undertaken after control to determine how successful the program has been.

“Neighbours of these reserves are notified of this program and areas that are baited are signposted.

“Our monitoring allows us to target wild dogs in specific areas where they are found and in the past has shown that control has been effective.’
 
“We have received very positive feedback from the community in response to our programs. We encourage park neighbours to report wild dog incidents to the NPWS and the LHPA.

“Local LHPA Wild Dog Management Plans outline where and when wild dog control should be undertaken and have a central objective to reduce the impacts of wild dogs on agriculture and biodiversity.
 
“The local LHPA Wild Dog Management Plans are to be reviewed in 2011 and this provides an opportunity for the community to have input into the priorities for wild dog control in the region.

“The reserves to be targeted this autumn are Maryland, Toonumbar, Richmond Range, Mebbin, Mt Jerusalem, Bundjalung, Nightcap and Goonengerry National Parks, Whian Whian State Conservation Area and Bungabbee and Muckleewee Mountain Nature Reserve.

“Landholders in areas nearby who wish to conduct baiting on their own properties should contact their local Livestock, Health and Pest Authority.”

For information on where wild dog control programs are taking place, contact your local NPWS office: Kyogle Area 6632 0000, Tweed Area 6670 8600, Richmond River Area 6627 0200.

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“This is especially important in times of emergency,” said Cr Jenny Dowell, president of the Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils (NOROC).

“Although the new system will show roadworks and scheduled road closures on an everyday basis, it will come into its own during a flood or in other emergency event.

“It is the experience of most councils that the information people request most is ‘what roads are closed?’ and ‘how can I travel from A to B?’

“This new system will put that information at their fingertips.”

Travellers will be able to view a map of the Northern Rivers region, from Clarence Valley in the south to Tweed in the north and out to Kyogle in the west which shows ‘roads closed information’ with markers placed at the location of the closure.
This visual guide will indicate the most reliable routes for travel across the region.

The RoadInfo website, www.myroadinfo.com.au, will be launched at the NOROC meeting on Friday, 26 February at 11am.

The initial idea came up during the post-flood review conducted after the January 2008 flood.

Councils applied for and received $14,000 from the Natural Disaster Mitigation Programme courtesy of the NSW Department of Emergency Services in May 2009.

The past nine months have been spent designing and developing the website.

The development of the website has seen strong collaboration between Lismore, Ballina, Kyogle, Richmond Valley, Tweed, Byron, and Clarence Valley councils.

Cr Dowell said, “It is really good to see our Councils working together, especially to provide such a useful service. This project shows just what can be achieved by us working together.

“We have shared resources and kept the cost down to an absolute minimum. I would like to thank all the councils for their hard work.

“Giving people across the region easy access to road closure information will be a real benefit to the whole Northern Rivers community, and although during a flood people should keep their travel down to a minimum, this new website will help to keep people safe when travel is essential,” she said.

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