Hopefully the much promised & long awaited redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital will begin under the NSW Minns Labor Government

Since 2011 successive NSW Coalition Governments had been making promises about upgrading or redeveloping Grafton Base Hospital.

Having received $19 million in 2010-11 from the federal Rudd Labor Government a new emergency department & operating theatres were eventually built largely due to community pressure and effective lobbying by the then NSW Labor Member for Clarence.

However, by 2018 the NSW Berejiklian Coalition Government was only promising to spend $263.8 million to achieve the much needed larger redevelopment.

Half promises to this effect began to appear in December 2018, while the then Nationals MP for Clarence made repetitive promises during the following year 2019 - after which he rather ignored the growing unmet need for public hospital health services in the Clarence Valley unless cornered by local media for comment.

As late as 25 January 2023 the junior partner in the NSW Perrottet Coalition Government was still promising that substantial rebuild in this election promise similar to the one made in 2019:

Regional Health and Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor, Nationals’ Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis, and Nationals’ candidate for Clarence Richie Williamson have announced a major step forward in the $264 million Grafton Base Hospital redevelopment.

So it comes as something of a relief that the redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital appears to have moved on from promises towards concrete build planning.

NSW Health, media release, 8 January 2025:

A healthy future for the Old Grafton Gaol

08 January 2025

The Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment has taken an important step forward, with a portion of the former Grafton Gaol set to be acquired from Property and Development NSW to support the upgrade of the hospital.

The Minns Labor Government is investing $263.8 million in the Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment to improve health outcomes and meet the growing needs of Grafton and surrounding communities.

In addition to the site acquisition, a Development Application has been approved by the Northern Regional Planning Panel to refurbish two administration blocks within the former minimum-security portion, on the north-eastern corner of the gaol, to provide contemporary administrative, office and training support facilities.

Clinical services will remain on the existing Grafton Hospital site.

The former Grafton Gaol operated between 1893 and 2020, it was closed following the opening of the new Grafton Correctional Centre in Lavadia. The former Grafton Goal was added to the state’s Heritage Register in 1999.

The adaptive reuse of a portion of the former gaol site aligns with the conservation management plan prepared for the site in 2021, to ensure areas of heritage significance within the site are preserved and activated.

Work is underway on the planning and design for the main works of the $263.8 million Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment, which will deliver a new three-storey acute services building, including a new Emergency Department, Emergency Short Stay, Medical Imaging and MRI, and inpatient unit.

The current Day Surgery and Operating Suite will be expanded to provide two additional operating theatres, increasing overall capacity. Construction timeframes for the full redevelopment will be confirmed once planning has been finalised and a builder has been appointed, with the refurbishment works at the former gaol site expected to start this year.

For more information visit: Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment

Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park:

“The acquisition of this section of the old Grafton Gaol will provide critical new space to support the redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital.

“This multi-million dollar redevelopment will improve healthcare capacity and ensure the hospital has the best, most up to date models of care for the residents of Grafton and the surrounding communities.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper:

“The transfer of this part of the subdivided site to NSW Health ensures the Old Grafton Goal doesn’t remain an unused relic.

“This great outcome enables new uses for this important community asset, while also providing a major economic benefit for the Grafton community.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong:

“We have delivered another important milestone to revitalise and reuse one of our state’s key former correctional centres.

“Grafton Gaol is an iconic place with a somewhat dark history, so it is wonderful we are delivering a positive new chapter that will ensure this monument serves the local community for years to come.”

Quotes attributable to Labor Spokesperson for Clarence, Emily Suvaal MLC:

“This is a fantastic outcome for the Grafton and Clarence communities as it secures the future use of this historic site, which will really benefit the local residents.”

Concept designs unveiled for Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment

"...there’s something special about Yamba"

 

It is said that during the Christmas holiday period the little New South Wales coastal town of Yamba (2023 est. resident population 6,467) easily doubles its population and this year, 2024, appeared to be no different.

December visitor numbers are still manageable, but thankfully for the rest of summer and other holiday periods thoughout the year visitor numbers are a little lower.

Something I suspect one Time Out magazine editor discovered when she visited.

Clarence Valley Independent, 18 December 2024:

Yamba has been named one of the 10 best Australian destinations” Time Out magazine’s editors travelled to in 2024. Image: Rodney Stevens

The accolades keep coming for the paradise we know is Yamba – much to the dismay of some long-term locals – after the town was announced in “The 10 best Australian destinations” Time Out magazine’s editors travelled in 2024.

This is the most recent recognition in a growing list of acknowledgements for Yamba, following the September 2024 announcement Yamba was the fifth most searched hidden gem in Australia in a study by worldwide luggage storage app Bounce.

In 2009, Yamba was named Best Town in Australia by a panel of tourism and travel experts in a survey conducted by Australian Traveller magazine.

And in the 2023 NSW Top Town awards, Yamba was a finalist in the Top Tourism Town greater than 5000 residents’ category.

While some locals dislike the idea of promoting Yamba as beautiful destination we know and love, the economy and businesses of the town, and to a degree, the entire Clarence Valley is reliant on tourism.

Time Out’s Sydney Lifestyle writer, Winnie Stubbs visited Yamba and fell in love with the town, penning this review.

“The NSW coast has no shortage of magical beach towns, but there’s something special about Yamba,” Stubbs wrote.

“Sitting with an unpretentious air on the southern edge of the Northern Rivers, the laid-back beach town is home to just the right amount of everything.

“There are surfing spots for every ability, hidden coves and rockpools for dreamy summer days, a charming old-school cinema for rainy evenings, and a delightfully unintimidating range of must-try eateries and drinking spots.

“A pod of dolphins has made its home below the southern headland, punctuating the sparkling coastline beyond the ocean pool on quiet, sunny mornings, and during whale watching season you’ll see migrating humpbacks stopping to scratch off their barnacles at a rocky outcrop beyond the beaches.

“Now home to two super-luxe hotels, Yamba is on the up – get there before the crowds do.”

Four Clarence Valley local government councillors chosen to "chair and support" First Nations Community Roundtable meetings across the valley

Clarence Valley Council, News, 27 November 2024:

COUNCIL BRIEFS: Outcomes from monthly meeting held 21 November

Published on 27 November 2024

Councillors 2024

Clarence Valley Council held its monthly Ordinary Council Meeting on Thursday 21 November 2024 at the Maclean Council Chambers.

One Mayoral Minute and one Notice of Motion were considered and followed by 16 of 30 items debated and the other 14 adopted by consent in a meeting which lasted four hours.

Councillors Appointed to First Nation Roundtable Meetings

Four councillors have been nominated to chair the First Nations Community Roundtable meetings planned to be held in Baryulgil, Grafton, Maclean and Yamba in early 2025.

Councillor Debrah Novak will chair and support the Baryulgil and Yamba First Nations Community Roundtable meeting, Councillor Christie Yager will chair the Maclean First Nations Community Roundtable meeting, and Councillor Greg Clancy will chair the Grafton First Nations Community meetings.

Mayor Ray Smith has been appointed to chair meetings held with Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Yaegl Traditional Owner Corporation.

Councillor Karen Toms will also be supporting the Yaegl and Grafton Elders Group meetings twice a year.

Earlier in the meeting, Councillors also voted to endorse the Clarence Valley Council Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2024 – 2026 after the document was officially accredited by Reconciliation Australia for implementation.

The RAP Framework sets out four types of RAPs (Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate) depending on what stage of the reconciliation journey an organisation is up to.

Council's 'Innovate' RAP aims to:

• implement actions that work towards achieving the organisation’s vision for reconciliation

• understand the sphere of influence and establish the best approaches to advance reconciliation

• focus on strengthening relationships with First Nation people and piloting strategies for further reconciliation commitments and empower First Nation people

• be implemented over a two-year period between July 2024 - July 2026.

The RAP will be implemented over the next two years with regular updates to Reconciliation Australia on progress as well as completion of an annual RAP Impact Survey.

Councillor Greg Clancy called the item to bring attention to the new Reconciliation Action Plan praising it as “another good news story”.

Councillor Debrah Novak echoed Councillor Clancy’s praising.

“Now that it’s been accredited, we can hit the ground running and do so much more for our First Nation people and work closer together.” 

[my yellow highlighting]

Clarence Valley State of Play: as the first day of Summer draws closer memories of past summers surface

 

Right now the Clarence River flow at Newbold Crossing is registering in the >80% stream flow percentile, the Shannon Creek side dam is at 99% capacity and soil moisture is for the most part within acceptable limits across the Clarence Valley which is classified 100% non-drought.

However, the Australian Summer officially begins on 1 December 2024 and air temperatures and water evaporation rates are bound to rise.

So how is the New South Wales Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) Map likely to look come December?

Where we are going?

NSW Dept. of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Climate Branch, Drought Forecasting, 17 November 2022:

NOTE: The DPIRD drought forecast for NSW presents the ‘Most Likely’ Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) category for the forecast period. The Most Likely CDI category is determined by identifying the 'mode' of the CDI. The mode is the category that appears most frequently across all possible forecast outcomes in the ensemble run. It is the most common prediction for drought conditions in the forecast period based on the model's simulations.

Where have we been along the Clarence Valley drought history continuum, 20 November 2019 to 9 October 2024?

Click on graphs to enlarge

Fine Flower & environs

Heifer Station & environs

Grafton & environs

Maclean & environs

Yamba

*All maps & graphs were created on 17.11.24 using interactive tools created by NSW Dept. of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Climate Branch

Combined Drought Indicators

The NSW Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) includes four indicators for rainfall, soil moisture, plant growth and drought direction which, used together, can indicate the five phases of drought.

Rainfall Index (RI)

The RI is the percentile rank of rainfall aggregated over 12 months. The ranking is made using a 30 year (1980-2010) baseline which captures recent big shifts in climate variability, and factors in climate change. This provides an index between 0 and 100 where values approaching 0 are close to driest, and those approaching 100 close to the wettest, for any given region. Percentile-based indices like the RI have a uniform distribution regardless of their climatic setting, which is an attractive feature in NSW given the presence of rangeland, temperate and sub-tropical climates which have skewed, normal and log-normal rainfall distributions.

Soil Water Index (SWI)

The SI is calculated using the same procedure as the RI, but uses a soil moisture field derived from the DPI AgriModTM soil water balance. Plant available soil water from layer one (0-10cm) and layer two (11-45 cm), the assumed maximum rooting zone, are aggregated and used to calculate the SWI. Similar to the RI, the SWI is an index between 0 and 100. In most districts of NSW a value of 0 means there is no plant available water held in the profile. The SWI is a hydrological index, but its configuration means that it is more useful as an indicator of conditions for dryland than irrigated agriculture.

Plant Growth Index (PGI)

The PGI is calculated using the same general procedure as the RI, using the output from DPI’s crop and pasture models. Crop stress and pasture growth data are taken from DPI AgriModTM, and the percentile rank calculated for each day. If the predominant land use in a given area is cropping, the PGI uses the crop-derived data, otherwise it uses the pasture growth indicator. The PGI is an agronomic drought index which is not only sensitive to moisture but also temperature variation and seasonal events such as frost. It is important to note that the PGI tracks the influence of climate on production potential across broad areas only. This provides a regional indicator of conditions. In the paddock, management decisions like fertiliser application and timing, sowing times and stocking rates drive outcomes on the ground, and in-field conditions can be above or below the regional indicator reported by EDIS.

BACKGROUND

The main water supply (other than the village systems of Wooli and Minnie Water) in the Clarence Valley is sourced from the Nymboida River, flowing through a section of the wider Clarence River catchment area.

At this time of year the Clarence Valley urban water supply is drawing around 14.26ML/per day from the river weir.

The Nymboida River also gravity feeds water to Shannon Creek Dam when required and, if the Nymboida river flow is too low (less than 225 Megalitres a day) or turbid post-flood, the Clarence Valley's principal urban areas receive water sourced from the off-stream storage at Shannon Creek.

Overall, Shannon Creek Dam is used to supply the Clarence Valley’s water about 5% of the time. Right now this dam is at 99% capacity.

This scenario is complicated by the fact that historically the Clarence Valley also supplies water out of the catchment to Coffs Harbour City local government area and this draw on catchment water is constant and always exceeding an optimal sustainability level for average daily drawn down.

HOUSING RENTAL STATE OF PLAY 2024: Residential rental costs in coastal towns at the mouth of the Clarence River in Sept-Oct 2024

Yamba, NSW
Image: Getty Images

Iluka, NSW
IMAGE: Visit NSW

The small coastal townships of Yamba and Iluka in north-east New South Wales are on opposite sides of the Clarence River as in empties into the Pacific Ocean.

Respectively they have estimated resident populations of 6,467 (382.2 persons per square km & over 4,000 residential dwellings) and 1,793 (139.5 persons per square km & est. 1,313 residential dwellings).

Looking at the rental situation in Yamba using realestate.com.au data for Oct 2023 to Sept 2024:

• Three bedroom house average rental was $590 per week

• Two bedroom unit average rental was $450 per week.

According to NSW Government Rent Check tool using data for postcode 2464 as from 16 Oct 2024:

• That three bedroom house rental cost falls within the $550 - $633 median price range for similar rentals

• That two bedroom unit rental cost falls within the $408 - $495 median price range for similar rentals.

In relation to the est. 49 social housing dwellings in Yamba (ABS 2021), rental prices are understood to be approximately 30-50% lower than the aforementioned weekly private rental prices.

Looking at the rental situation in Iluka using realestate.com.au data for Oct 2023 to Sept 2024:

• Three bedroom house average rental was $460 per week

• Two bedroom unit average rental was $450 per week.

According to NSW Government Rent Check tool using data for postcode 2466 as from 16 Oct 2024:

• That three bedroom house rental cost falls outside the $500 - $525 median price range for similar rentals, being $50 to $75 lower across median price range.

• Available two bedroom unit median price range data is insufficient to calculate a range.

The rental situation in both coastal towns is tight with only est. 358 residential dwellings (1-4 bedrooms) available over the last 12 months in Yamba and very limited residential rental stock available in Iluka.

According to both rental yardsticks, rental properties in these two coastal towns are unaffordable for a single person on unemployment benefits and likely to cost on average est. 70-80% of a single person's disability or age pension.

Priority Site 9 land release at Junction Hill in Clarence Valley been given the go ahead under the NSW Government Resilient Homes Program

Junction Hill, Clarence Valley NSW
showing undeveloped elevated land
between Summerland Way & Trenayr Road
IMAGE: Google Earth, July 2024

More homes for the Northern Rivers as another site is released

Published: 29 August 2024

Released by: Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

As part of the Minns Government’s plan to build disaster-resilient housing in the Northern Rivers, a new agreement to progress the delivery of up to 1,000 homes for families in the Grafton area through one of Australia’s largest flood-resilience programs is now underway.

This is the seventh land release of the $100 million Resilient Lands Program (RLP), which is being delivered alongside the joint State and Commonwealth funded $790 million Resilient Homes Program, providing safer choices for people to live in the Northern Rivers after the 2022 floods.

Junction Hill has been released alongside sites in East Lismore, Goonellabah, North Lismore, Brunswick Heads, Casino and Lennox Heads-Ballina already identified. Combined, the current RLP sites will see potentially more than 4,300 homes delivered across the region.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA), Transport for NSW and the Clarence Valley Council will identify transport infrastructure improvements for the Junction Hill site near Grafton, a vital step to supporting growth and more homes for the region.

The NSW Government also announced the details of the Resilient Lands Strategy which includes additional sites in Murwillumbah, Goonellabah and Kyogle and underpins the NSW Government’s commitment to provide more housing choices by accelerating the supply of land for residents impacted by the 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers.

The Resilient Lands Strategy involved a process of community consultation and expert peer review, which began in late 2022 with more than 300 potential housing sites identified under an EOI process. The Strategy has been designed to complement, not replace, current land releases and other housing developments in the region.

The RA is now working with Councils, landowners, infrastructure providers and a range of delivery partners to accelerate land and housing developments as quickly as possible.

For more information, visit the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“It is critical that communities are assisted in building resilience to natural disasters.

“The release of land at Junction Hill and the release of the Resilient Lands Strategy demonstrates the Minns Government is serious about properly planning for the future.

“In the Northern Rivers, housing stress and homelessness remains high. More than 16,000 households are paying more than 30% of their gross income on housing.

“With this land release up to 4,300 flood resilient home sites are being created and are in the planning pipeline across the Northern Rivers.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“The Resilient Lands Program will accelerate the delivery of new land and housing to provide locals with more options in safer locations.

“Clarence Valley becomes the fifth council to be announced for assistance under the Resilient Lands Program, while work with other councils will continue.

“We know this requires a team effort, and I am pleased to see the collaboration between government agencies and councils to bring the reality of more housing closer for people in the Northern Rivers.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

"The Minns Labor Government is committed to collaborative development through the Resilient Lands Strategy to ensure people in the Northern Rivers have safer homes, that are connected to health services, education, jobs and other opportunities.

"Good transport infrastructure and connectivity is vital for the success of new housing developments, particularly in the regions, and the release of land at Junction Hill will provide that."

Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin said:

“Flood-affected communities across the Northern Rivers region have been keenly interested in safer land and housing options being identified.

“I’m pleased to see the Clarence Valley LGA, which I used to represent as a Federal MP and where I still have strong connections, added to the councils receiving support under the Resilient Lands Program, and there is more to come.”

Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson said:

“This site has been zoned for development for some time. It’s flat, flood free and has services available and is within a few minutes of town, a rarity in the Northern rivers.

“The only thing holding back development is the upgrades needed to transport infrastructure. This is a great initiative of the NSW Government which is working collaboratively with the partners involved.”

 

STATE OF PLAY NSW NORTHERN RIVERS 2024: The risk of property uninsurability continues to concern the region

 

When record flood events hit south-east Queensland and Northern New South Wales in the first quarter of 2022 the Australian insurance industry was already dealing with est. 85,953 open insurance claims, driven by six declared insurance events that occurred in 2021 [Insurance Council of Australia, November 2023].

In September 2022 the Insurance Council of Australia observed:

The south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales flood has so far cost the insurance industry $5.28 billion – almost triple the cost of the 2011 Brisbane floods and now the second most costly extreme weather event in Australia’s history.

At that point in time the Insurance Council was asserting that:

At present no region in Australia is uninsurable, however worsening extreme weather events are driving up premiums in parts of the country most exposed to extreme weather risk and rendering insurance unaffordable for some.

A neat piece of hair splitting made despite the fact that three months before, the Climate Council had issued a media release highlighting an analysis indicating that:

One in 25 Australian properties will be effectively uninsurable by 2030, due to rising risks of extreme weather and climate change.

An analysis which, in breaking the Northern Rivers region into the two federal electorates which encompass its land mass, predicted that in the Richmond electorate 20% or 22,274 properties were at "high risk" while up to 11% or 11,691 properties were at "high risk" in the Page electorate.

In Yamba alone, in the Clarence Valley section of the Page electorate, in a worst case scenario 5,237 properties are likely to become progressively uninsurable across a 70 year span commencing in 2030. A number that would contain all residential dwellings and other buildings in present day Yamba. 

While the Lismore City section of the Richmond electorate, in a worst case scenario is likely to see 5,711 properties become uninsurable over the same time period.

In the two years since the Insurance Council's statement the word "uninsurable" has continued to crop up in discussions concerning flood prone land and existing homes that had been built on such land - and as a region we have continued to twist this way and that trying to comes to terms with a grim reality.

The National Insurance Brokers Association in its October 2023 short submission to the federal parliamentary Inquiry into insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims was frank it its assessment of the insurance situation for so many households:

Increasing insurance losses due to more frequent natural disasters, as well as changes to actuarial and underwriting models and underlying risk profiles, have resulted in significant increases in insurance premiums in many parts of the country.....

The paradox of insurance is that those who are most impacted by natural perils, i.e. low socioeconomic households, are least likely to be able to afford to protect themselves from the effects of such events. Uninsurability has the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities by trapping vulnerable populations in high-risk areas and exposing them to greater social harm. Low socioeconomic households are less likely to be able to recover from natural disasters due to lower household incomes and less secure work. Low socioeconomic households are also more likely to be engaged in part-time or casual work. This demonstrates that the impacts of uninsurability will disproportionately affect those who are least able to protect themselves against these impacts.

The issue continues to be problematic for the NSW Northern Rivers region.......

Echo, 23 August 2024:

Insurance isn’t something that you necessarily have front of your mind most of the time but when you lose your house in a flood it suddenly takes on a whole new importance.

Insurance means that you have the opportunity to rebuild, to try to put your life back together – but flood insurance is not available to everyone, particularly those in flood risk areas and leaves them extremely vulnerable following natural disasters such as the 2022 flood.

Flood rubbish around You Are Here sign in Lismore, 7 March 2022. Photo David Lowe.

For a town like Lismore, and many others around the world, this lack of insurance means that they are unable to effectively rebuild following floods. The Inquiry into insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims has highlighted that ‘areas with low insurance cover have significantly worse post-disaster outcomes that negatively impact households, local businesses, and local economies’.

This Inquiry was commissioned by the then NRRC for the Community Leaders Forum that was led by Lismore MP Janelle Saffin, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and made up of State MPs Tamara Smith (Ballina), Geoff Provest (Tweed), and Richie Williamson (Clarence); Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan; and mayors Cr Steve Krieg (Lismore City), Cr Chris Cherry (Tweed Shire), Cr Kylie Webster (Kyogle), Cr Michael Lyon (Byron Shire), Cr Sharon Cadwallader (Ballina Shire), Cr Robert Mustow (Richmond Valley) and Cr Peter Johnstone (Clarence Valley).

‘I thank its authors, academics from the University of Queensland’s Business School – Professor Paula Jarzabkowski, Dr Katie Meissner and Dr Matthew Mason – who are very learned in this area,’ Ms Saffin said.

‘They have made a case study of Lismore that can be extrapolated across the Northern Rivers region, New South Wales, and indeed, other places in Australia....

...Whatever is done, government needs to be very involved in the response, and we must require mitigation and adaptation to be in the mix,’ she said.

Ms Saffin has made a submission, on behalf of the Community Leaders Forum to the Federal inquiry into insurers’ responses to the 2022 major floods claims utilising this report as the basis for that submission.

‘This analysis shows that the current problem of insurability will remain a wicked problem for Lismore, with no foreseeable reduction in the pricing of private sector flood insurance,’ states the report.

‘Without access to affordable insurance:

• Lismore property owners will struggle to attain or maintain mortgages;

• Lismore landlords will struggle to provide a robust residential or commercial rental market;

• Lismore businesses are likely to have their credit and growth compromised;

• The commercial attractiveness of Lismore is likely to suffer.’

Mitigation, relocation and adaptation key

Ms Saffin noted that the submission found that there is no single, per-existing solution for the complex problem of uninsurability in Lismore.

It makes four recommendations about the potential of a new insurance ecosystem for Lismore:

1. A national risk pool is a tested solution that, when well-designed, could support affordable insurance in Lismore for residents and small businesses providing it is accompanied by a medium and long-term program of risk reduction including relocation.

2. Small parametric products, which can be spent flexibly by policyholders, have potential to provide economic benefit to Lismore business owners supporting them with rapid response to business interruptions, particularly from small-scale events.

3. Parts of Lismore fall within the uninsurable zone and could be considered for insurance innovations to support planned migration and provide insurance cover during any transitionary period.

4. Lismore residents and business owners will benefit from a sustained program of embedding risk management capabilities throughout the community to support them in reducing their risk and increasing their financial ability to respond to hazards.

AUGUST 2024: a reminder to motorists that the endangered Coastal Emu has new chicks moving across paddocks & local roads in the Clarence Valley

The Daily Examiner online, 21 August 2024:

Ryan Walsh took this photo of endangered coastal emus near Grafton in the Northern Rivers.

There’s less than 50 coastal emus left on the planet – all living in a relatively small area of the Northern Rivers – so it’s no wonder locals are quite protective.

As young chicks start to emerge at this time of year, adding slightly to the endangered population, the community is on high alert – sharing updates and urging motorists to slow down.

Ryan Walsh has shared a dramatic image of three of the rare emus snapped on McIntyres Lane, at Gulmarrad near a highway overpass north of Grafton in the early evening. Mr Walsh warned motorists to keep a look out for the large birds on the move.

The emus cover large distances to forage and often cross roads in their travels, where they face a stark risk of being struck by cars and other vehicles.

“Yeah, the locals are very protective because we don’t want to lose our beautiful emus,” Mr Walsh said.

“There is one emu sign on the approach to the bridge – it’s dangerous, as coming from the opposite side you wouldn’t have seen them until you were on them.”

Clarence Valley Council urges landholders to install emu-friendly fencing that can help the last of the endangered animals survive and hopefully thrive.

Clarence Valley Council collaborates with the state government and several community groups including Coastal Emu Alliance on programs to try and save the coastal emu from extinction.

Work includes a citizen science tracking project and a campaign pushing for the use of more emu-friendly fencing......

Coastal emus remaining in the Clarence region are generally found between Red Rock and Evans Head, with a key hotspot in the Brooms Head area.

A coastal emu with chicks. Picture: Caring for Our Coastal Emus / Clarence Conversations

As part of council efforts to warn motorists, signs have been placed across the region. There’s even two large solar powered flashing lights using radar to detect and warn approaching vehicles installed along a key seven kilometre stretch of Brooms Head Rd.

While residents do their best to safeguard the emus, chicks have been emerging after being ‘brooded’ (basically sat on gently to keep warm, as smaller birds do too) for eight weeks by the males, who will continue to raise the chicks.

Locals like Lou Law noticed the first chicks of the season emerging this week and shared rare photos of one male – “Kevin” – and his tiny brood to keep the community in the loop.

“The kids are excited to see Kevin with his babies – they are so tiny you have to zoom right in to see them,” Ms Law posted on social media.....