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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.

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“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.”

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Mr Kirk was last seen on the morning of Friday 15 January this year, when he left his home at Brunswick Heads to walk a friend’s brown Staffordshire dog.

The dog was located by a member of the public on Friday 22 January in the area of Divines Hill but it was not wearing a distinctive pink leash used by Mr Kirk.

An extensive search of Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shores and surrounding areas has been conducted by police, members of the SES, local surf lifesaving clubs and the Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter but failed to find any trace of Mr Kirk.

Police are continuing their inquiries in relation to Mr Kirk’s disappearance and are continuing to search the areas where it is believed he regularly walked with the dog.

Any person with information regarding Mr Kirk should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Byron Bay Police on 02 6685 9499.

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He said the Byron Shire’s councillors are a hard-working group of individuals dedicated to the community.

“They are paid less than $15,000 each per year, with an additional Mayoral allowance of $33,000,” he said.

The Daily Telegraph news article reported a figure of up to $47,000 spent on ‘sustenance’ within Byron Shire for the period 2008-09.

Mr Faulkner said this figure included approximately $13,000 on catering for council meetings and $32,500 attending conferences, seminars and the associated costs for travel and accommodation.

“There were no overseas trips and $32,500 is a frugal amount for nine councillors over a 12-month period,” he said.

“We are a regional shire and naturally there are costs associated to attend events that are pertinent to the interests of the shire.”

He said if a councillor wished to attend a conference, it must be identified within the approved yearly council budget or approved at a council meeting.

Councillors have the opportunity to debate the nomination of attendees including who attends and the number of delegates.

Other councillor expenses reported in the $78,682 include the provision of office equipment to the newly elected councillors in 2008 ($10,424), telephone calls ($13,977), Mayor’s vehicle expenses ($7905) and training ($660).

Byron Shire councillors during the 2008/09 period attended 39 council meetings which included Ordinary Meetings, Strategic Planning Meetings, Reserve Trust, Quarterly Reviews and Extra Ordinary Meetings. Councillors were also extensively involved with numerous Council Project Reference Groups, Section 355 Committees and regional committees.

• Councillors’ Remuneration 2008/09
• Mayoral Allowance 33,010
• Councillors – Attendance Fees 134,598
• Mayor Vehicle Expenses 7905
• Provision of dedicated office equipment to councillors 10,242
• Telephone Calls made by councillors 13,977
• Catering 12,909
• Attendance of councillors at conferences and seminars 17,383
• Training of councillors and Provision of Skill Development 660
• Interstate visits by councillors, including transport, accommodation and other out-of-pocket travelling expenses 15,206.
• Expenses involved in the provision of care for a child or an immediate family member of a councillor 400

Councillor expenses were paid in accordance with the council’s adopted Policy 1.1 – Mayor and Councillors’ Payment of Expenses and Provision of Facilities. The total paid, as reported in the Annual Report, was $246,290.

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About 1.20pm (4 December) police and emergency services were called to the intersection of the Pacific Highway and Brunswick Valley Way, Yelgun following reports of a collision.

Upon arrival, a 67-year-old Ocean Shores man who was the driver, and only occupant, of a Toyota Camry was located trapped. He was released after a short time and conveyed to Tweed Heads District Hospital in a serious condition, where he later died.

It appears the man was attempting to turn right onto Brunswick Valley Way from Tweed Valley Way and collided with a Ford Falcon.

The occupants of the Ford Falcon, an 80-year-old Crabbes Creek man and his wife, were not seriously injured.

Ballina Crash Investigation Unit attended and a crime scene was established.

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