On Tuesday, 10 January, 2012, a 61-year-old South Golden Beach man was arrested by Detectives from Northern Beaches Local Area Command assisted by Detectives from Tweed Byron Local Area Command.

The arrest follows a two-year investigation into allegations of child sexual assault when the man was a school teacher at a Northern Beaches secondary school.

The nine alleged offences occurred between 1984 and 1985 and involved three male victims. The offences he has been charged with involve three male victims.

He was charged with administer intoxicating substance to commit an indictable offence (x 6), attempt to administer intoxicating substance to commit an indictable offence (x1), indecent assault, supply prohibited drug.

The 61-year-old man was refused bail and appeared at Tweed Heads Local Court yesterday.

He was granted conditional bail by the court and is due to reappear in Lismore Local Court on March 12, 2012.

Nikon Australia and Surf Life Saving are urging people on the Far North Coast to nominate a local surf lifesaver for a chance to be named the first ever Nikon Clubbie of the Year.

This inaugural people’s choice award gives the community the ability to recognise the vital and selfless commitment Surf Life Saving members make.

Any SLS member can be nominated, from a local hero to the volunteer who has tirelessly hosted the charity sausage sizzle each weekend, to the promising young Nipper!

As part of the ongoing partnership with Surf Life Saving, Nikon developed this award as a way of recognising the huge commitment Clubbies across Australia make all year round.

Nikon has contributed a prize pool of up to $330,000 of cash and credit redeemable for Nikon gear which is designed to help SLS clubs across Australia at a local level.

The cash prizes up for grabs will help fund surf lifesaver training programs, rescue gear and first aid supplies and enabling clubs to continue their vital work.

Matt Thompson, Coastal Safety Services Manager from Surf Life Saving Australia, said: “We want everyone to get behind their local surf lifesaving club and nominate a member to ensure their club has access to this generous prize pool. The additional funds will have a huge impact and make a real difference at a local level.”

To nominate yourself or your local Clubbie, visit www.nikonclubbieoftheyear.com.au to register your details by answering three simple questions and uploading a photo. Entries are open until Sunday 4 September 2011. Voting starts Monday 8 September.

During the public voting stage, every vote a Clubbie receives through the Nikon Clubbie of the Year Award earns their club Nikon gear credits and gives them a better chance at being the 2011 Nikon ‘Clubbie of the Year’ and the $5,000 cash prize for them and $5,000 for their club.

For more information about the competition and full terms and conditions, visit www.nikonclubbieoftheyear.com.au

About 8.15pm, a maroon Subaru was travelling north along Woodford Lane at Ewingsdale when it turned a corner and collided with a truck.

Police from Tweed/Byron Local Area Command, NSW Ambulance Paramedics, Rural Fire Service and Brunswick Valley branch of the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) crews responded to the incident.

Three men aged 22, 23 and 25 died as a result of the collision.

The driver of the truck assisted police with their inquiries.

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or the circumstances leading up to it is urged to contact Byron Bay Police Station via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Just after 3pm yesterday (Wednesday 9 June), a 52-year-old man entered a hotel in Billinudgel and told the publican he had been assaulted by another man, armed with a baseball bat.

The publican drove the man to his home in Ocean Shores where, upon arrival, the alleged victim suffered a seizure and lost consciousness.

An ambulance was called and the man, suffering a fractured skull, was taken to the Intensive Care Unit of the Tweed Heads Hospital.

He was transferred to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandria Hospital where he remains in an induced coma.

Police from the Tweed/Byron Local Area Command attended an address in Gilba Avenue, Ocean Shores, where they located the man’s car, which had blood smears on it.

They also found a pool of blood on grass nearby.

Officers conducted a search and canvass of the neighbourhood.

Police placed a guard on the premises pending further forensic examination later today.

“For many years I have been concerned about the lack of public infrastructure at Ocean Shores. I believe it would be extremely shortsighted of council to allow the Roundhouse site to be sold off and not kept for community use,” Mr Page said.

Despite Ocean Shores having a population of around 5500, it has very few community facilities compared to other towns of similar size.

Mr Page said that Ocean Shores needs public infrastructure much more than it needs a few additional blocks of land. 

“Once this site is sold it is gone forever as far as community use is concerned,” he said.

“I am currently sitting on a State Parliamentary Committee which has conducted an inquiry into Arts and Cultural activities in NSW beyond the Sydney CBD. We have concluded that arts and culture not only enhances a community’s sense of identity, it also brings lasting economic benefits.

“You only have to look at the way Bangalow has embraced an arts and cultural agenda to see a local example of this on our own doorstep.

“There is an obvious need for this site to remain in community ownership to enable a suitable arts and cultural centre to be established.

“I sincerely hope that Byron Shire Council makes the decision to retain the Roundhouse site in public ownership for a much-needed arts, cultural, heritage centre for many decades to come.”

A new online community Dolphin Sighting Network to monitor dolphin behaviour in the region stretching from Coffs Harbour to the Gold Coast has been set up as part of the University’s Dolphin Ecology and Acoustic Project.

Leading the project is Dr Liz Hawkins, who has been monitoring dolphins in the North Coast region for more than seven years.

“We are calling on people along the North Coast, from Coffs Harbour to the Gold Coast, to report their dolphin sightings and if possible send us their photos of the individual dorsal fins,” Dr Hawkins said.

“One photo can give us so much information, and if we have multiple sightings, that really helps us build up a valuable database of information.”

Dr Hawkins said very little was known about many of the dolphin populations that lived along the northern New South Wales coastline.

The information provided by members of the public will be particularly valuable for assessing the habitat use and abundance, as well as the health of dolphin populations.

Anyone in the community can become a certified Dolphin Sighting Network member by attending one of the workshops being planned up and down the coast.

The first workshop session will be held at the Byron Bay Community Centre, SCU room, on Friday May 21. There will be two workshops on this day, the first from 2pm to 4pm and the second from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

“The workshops will be presented by researchers and provide an overview of dolphin ecology, behaviour and communication and provide tips on what to look for, how to distinguish individual dolphins and how to take a good photo for research purposes,” Dr Hawkins said.

As part of the Dolphin Ecology and Acoustics Project, members of the community, businesses and schools can also participate in the ‘Adopt-a-dolphin’ program which will assist in providing funds for ongoing research.

“This program gives people the opportunity to support our research and to learn about the characteristics of individual dolphins,” Dr Hawkins said.

“Anyone can ‘adopt’ one of six individual dolphins and in return they will receive regular updates about the movements and behaviour of their dolphin and an official adoption package,.

“We already have a number of businesses supporting the program, including the Ramada Hotel and Suites in Ballina and the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for schools and businesses to assist in the conservation and protection of our dolphins.”

Dr Hawkins said over the next two weeks a team of 20 volunteers would be participating in a field survey in the Cape Byron Marine Park, observing and tracking dolphins from the land and at sea.

Anyone interested in joining the Dolphin Sighting Network or the ‘Adopt-a-dolphin’ program can visit the website www.dolphinresearchaustralia.com or email info@dolphinresearchaustralia.com

The first Dolphin Sighting Network workshops at Byron Bay are being offered at a special price of $25. Bookings can be made via the website.

PICTURE: Community members are being encouraged to get involved in a Dolphin Sighting Network.

The Alzheimer’s Australia NSW Memory Van is a mobile education resource that travels statewide to help raise awareness on the importance of brain health and dementia risk reduction.

The Memory Van provides communities with information designed to help educate and assist people living with dementia, their carers and health professionals.

Staff can also assist with enquiries about memory loss.

The Memory Van is fully equipped with Help Sheets, Fact Sheets, DVD and video resources and a Nintendo Brain Game.

The Alzheimer’s Australia NSW Memory Van and experienced staff will be at:

• Ballina District Community Services Association Community Centre, 20 Bangalow Rd (next to IGA) on Tuesday, 9 March, from 1.30pm – 4pm
• Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club, Dalley Street, Mullumbimby, on Wednesday, 10 March, from 1pm – 4pm
• Byron Bay Plaza carpark, Jonson Street, on Thursday, 11 March, from 2pm – 4.30pm
• Ocean Village Shopping Centre, Rajah Road, Ocean Shores, on Friday, 12 March, from 9.30am – 12.30pm

1300 new cases of dementia are diagnosed a week in Australia and 1 in 3 Australians with dementia live in NSW. Dementia is a fatal disease and there is, as yet, no cure.

The Memory Van visit has been made possible by Community Development Support Expenditure funding from the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club.

Alzheimer’s Australia NSW is the peak body for people with dementia and their families and carers. It provides advocacy, support services, education and information.

Currently 257,000 people have dementia in Australia. This number is projected to double by 2030. 

National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500

About 8am today (Thursday 28 January 2010), a co-ordinated search utilising a specialised police dog commenced in bushland.

About 12.55pm, human remains and a number of personal items were located near Oola Place.

The body has not been positively identified and investigations are continuing.

Since Wednesday 20 January, police from Tweed/Byron Local Area Command have conducted a series of searches for a 70-year-old man.

Kevin Kirk was last seen walking his dog through the Ferry Reserve Caravan Park at Brunswick Heads at 9.30am on Monday 18 January.

Theresa Mason has embarked on her PhD research project – an oral history of the Northern Rivers – and already has many a fascinating tale to tell, thanks to locals sharing their stories for her earlier Honours project.

Her interest in the region’s history began when she was editing and writing for The Village Journal, a local newspaper based in Rosebank, serving the rural areas between Dunoon, Federal and Bexhill.

“I came across all of these older people who had fascinating stories to tell,” she said. “Many of the stories around people’s experiences during the Great Depression and in times of war were particularly interesting.

“People who lived on the land told me how it became essential for them to learn how to make their own fuel, and all sorts of mixes were developed and tested in backyard sheds. Many people also self-converted cars, buses, trucks and farm machinery to run on coal gas. While there were some tragedies from explosions, many of the designs were innovative and worked quite well.”

Theresa said that a lot of people had great ‘flood stories’ to tell.

“One woman told me how, during the big 1945 flood, her father hailed the cream boat that went from Coraki to Lismore, thinking it could drop them on the other side of the river because their house was flooding,” Theresa said.

“Instead, they were taken all the way to town where the boat was tied up to a hoop pine on the riverbank. Their family spent the night on board eating chunks of bread and cream, and early next morning, the waters had receded and they walked around town.

”The woman said the paper-mâché dress shop models in their beautiful gowns had collapsed onto the floors of the dress shops in the most grotesque attitudes, still with silly smiles on their faces.”

Theresa would like to gather as many oral histories as she can and is seeking 50 people aged 65 and over, living in the Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Kyogle Shire areas, who would like to participate in her research.

She can be contacted on 6688 2387 or by email at theresa.mason@scu.edu.au.

PICTURE: Theresa Mason, who is doing an oral history of the Northern Rivers area for her PhD.