And you thought your local government election ballot paper was going to be unwieldy?

Pity the poor voters in Lismore LGA who cannot possibly separate the wheat from the chaff in this paddock absolutely chocka with candidates for the 1 mayoral and 10 councillor seats on offer.

Councillor Candidates Lismore City Council

Local Government Elections 2012 - Saturday, 8 September 2012

Draw Status: Not Complete

Candidate Ballot Name	Locality	Party Affiliation or Independent
BATTISTA Gianpiero	GOONELLABAH	Independent
BENNETT Greg	NIMBIN
CLOUGH Simon	LISMORE HEIGHTS	Our Sustainable Future
DOWELL Jenny	GOONELLABAH	Country Labor
GRINDON-EKINS Vanessa	LISMORE HEIGHTS	The Greens
LARSEN Peter	TUNTABLE CREEK
MARKS Neil	GOONELLABAH	Independent
MEINEKE Graham	EAST LISMORE	Independent
OLIVIERI Kate	GOONELLABAH	Independent
SCHEIBEL Mathew	GOOLMANGAR	Independent
YARNALL David	TERANIA CREEK	Independent
BATTISTA Rebekka	GOONELLABAH	Independent
BEOHM Katrina	KEERRONG	Independent
BONNER Marny	SOUTH LISMORE	Our Sustainable Future
CHANT John	EAST LISMORE	Independent
GRAHAM Kel	WYRALLAH	Independent
MATHEW Angela	GOONELLABAH	Independent
MURPHY Paul	CANIABA
RODEN Tony	TUNTABLE CREEK	Independent
SMITH Isaac	EAST LISMORE	Country Labor
STOCK Susan	NIMBIN	The Greens
BATEMAN Clive	NIMBIN
BORDIN Adrian	TULLERA	Independent
DARDENGO Denis	GOONELLABAH	Independent
HARLOW Ruth	LISMORE	Our Sustainable Future
HOUSTON Ray	GOONELLABAH	Country Labor
KAVANAGH Catherine	GIRARDS HILL	Independent
O'NEILL Paul	LISMORE	Independent
SALMON Shae	SOUTH GUNDURIMBA	The Greens
SYMONS Scout	EAST LISMORE	Independent
VERARDO Sante	SOUTH LISMORE	Independent
ALBERTINI Angela	MODANVILLE	Independent
CASSON Nancy	GOONELLABAH	Independent
COLES Marilyn	WYRALLAH
DAVISON Leigh	TERANIA CREEK	Our Sustainable Future
JOHNSTON Shanelle	THE CHANNON	Independent
LAWRENCE Terry	LISMORE	Independent
MCDOUGALL Ross	NUMULGI	Independent
PILATI Anthony	NORTH LISMORE	Independent
RITCHIE Glenys	GIRARDS HILL	Country Labor
SHELLEY Beth	BOOERIE CREEK	The Greens
BARNES David	TUNTABLE CREEK
BELL Kevin	REPENTANCE CREEK	Country Labor
BREASLEY-SMITH Vicki	TERANIA CREEK	Independent
BRUCE Matt	LISMORE	Independent
DEEGAN Paul	GOONELLABAH	Independent
FINDLAY Vicki	NORTH LISMORE	Independent
GUISE Adam	LISMORE	The Greens
HENRY Brian	GOONELLABAH	Independent
KIA Annie	THE CHANNON	Our Sustainable Future
MILLER Dusty	NORTH LISMORE	Independent
ANDERSON Stuart	TUNTABLE CREEK	Our Sustainable Future
GORDON Andrew	GIRARDS HILL
KING Amanda	EAST LISMORE	The Greens
MARKS Deborah	GOONELLABAH	Independent
NOTT Belinda	TUCKI TUCKI	Independent
PEARCE Brendan	GOONELLABAH	Independent
WOODHAM Nick	EAST LISMORE	Independent
WORRALL Naomi	NORTH LISMORE	Country Labor
ROBINSON Barry	EAST LISMORE	Independent

MONEY TAKEN FROM CRIMINALS TO FUND LISMORE PCYC

THE HON. JASON CLARE MP

MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS

MINISTER FOR JUSTICE

MINISTER FOR DEFENCE MATERIEL

JANELLE SAFFIN
MEMBER FOR PAGE 

MONEY TAKEN FROM CRIMINALS TO FUND LISMORE PCYC

9 March 2012

Lismore PCYC will receive a $75,000 grant funded by money confiscated from criminals to fund their Bundjalung Midnight Sports program.

The program will be delivered in conjunction with the Aboriginal Community Justice Group and will operate in Ballina, Lismore, Casino and Coraki targeting young indigenous people aged between 14 and 18. 

The sessions will be held in prime time for youth crime – with participants being picked up from home at 5pm and taken to Lismore PCYC, where they will have dinner and undertake educational and sporting activities. They will then be taken home at 11pm. 

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare made the announcement today with Page MP Janelle Saffin, PCYC President John Maxwell and Lismore Police Inspector Matt Kehoe.

Ms Saffin said the grant would make a huge difference for the local community.

“I congratulate Lismore PCYC and the Aboriginal Community Justice Group for this grant, and thank them for all the work they do in our community”, Ms Saffin said.

“The Lismore Crime Prevention Plan and the Lismore Youth Survey both identified the lack of activities for young people as a contributor to crime.

“This program addresses the problem head on.”

Mr Clare said money seized from criminals was now helping young people and communities across Australia.

“We’re taking money from criminals and investing it in PCYC’s across the country to help young people who are at risk of falling into a life of crime,” Minister Clare said.

“PCYC’s are terrific organisations. They’re a great example of community policing at work.

“That’s why the Federal Government is supporting the crime prevention work they do.”

The program will run over eight weeks, each session will match a recreational activity like basketball or kickboxing with an educational component such as road safety, drug and alcohol use and aboriginal culture.

The eight week program will run four times a year with 20 young people participating at once.

The funding is part of almost $2 million provided to 16 Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYCs) around Australia to help young people at risk of falling into a life of crime.

The funding comes from the Proceeds of Crime Fund which enables money confiscated under Commonwealth laws to be returned to the community to prevent and reduce crime across Australia.

A list of the funded projects is attached. Information regarding crime prevention funding can be found at http://www.crimeprevention.gov.au/.

Lismore Council blocks CSG testing and calls on other north coast councils to do the same

Today's Northern Star reports:

Lismore City Council has received unprecedented community support for its popular, though legally uncertain, moratorium on coal-seam gas activities on all council-controlled land.

Lismore mayor Jenny Dowell said she had been flooded with emails and phone calls from a wide range of community members who were "one-hundred per cent supportive" of the council's controversial decision.

At its final meeting for 2011 last week, the council rejected initial legal advice and voted six to five to reject a seismic testing application by Metgasco along up to 14 kilometres of council road reserves at Rock Valley, before imposing a full moratorium (nine to two) pending further legal, community and industry consultation.

"It is now up to Metgasco to decide if they want to override council's refusal of this application, and our decision to impose a moratorium on further applications," Cr Dowell said.

"If they choose to go to a higher authority, they do so in the knowledge that not only is council against their activities, but so is the community at large."

Metgasco chief Peter Henderson was fiercely critical of the council arguing it had no authority to block the company and the action threatened to deprive the Northern Rivers of "a significant and environmentally attractive source of gas (and) infrastructure needs".

"In opposing our activities and incurring additional legal costs in challenging its own staff's advice, Lismore Council might wish to question if it is spending rate-payers' money in a responsible manner," he said.

"We aim to be a long-term participant in the Northern Rivers region and would still prefer to have the support of council for our activities. As such, Metgasco is reviewing its position in regard to the proposed seismic activity in Lismore Council areas."

Lismore City Council's decision follows a similar moratorium at Moree Plains Shire Council and preceded another at Gloucester Shire Council last Thursday.

Cr Dowell said the pressure was now on other councils to act, particularly those on the Northern Rivers, in order to send a strong message to Macquarie Street.

Read the full report here.

Source: The Northern Star, 19/12/11