Fifth Annual NSW Statewide Street Count of homeless people sleeping rough - results for the Northern Rivers region from Clarence Valley to the NSW-Qld border

TheEcho, 10 May 2024:

Byron Shire topped the state with a 16 per cent increase in rough sleepers, but the count also showed significant increases in numbers across Tweed, Ballina and Lismore shires.

While Sydney has remained stable with a one per cent increase it is the regional areas experiencing the biggest surge in homelessness in the past year. The 2024 street count found 2,037 people sleeping rough in 2024 compared to 1,623 people last year.

‘The sobering street count figures again paint a harrowing picture of homelessness and street sleeping across our state.,’ said Minister for Homelessness Rose Jackson.

‘While levels of street sleeping have stabilised in Sydney, we are still seeing an unprecedented increase of homelessness in many of our regional towns. We don’t just need data to tell us this – our regional communities are feeling this every day.’

The impact of climate disasters like the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, the 2022 floods, the rising interest rates, cost of living pressures and a shortage of rental homes are just some of the factors that are continuing to drive homelessness and street sleeping.

It is important to note that these are just the people sleeping on the street and in their cars, they do not reflect the number of people who are homeless and for example are staying with family or sleeping on friend’s couches etc.

Lismore saw an increase of rough sleepers jump from 40 in 2023 to 64 in 2024. Tweed Valley went from 145 to 174 in 2024, Ballina went from 30 to 63 and Byron Shire went from 300 to 348.....

Read the full article at:

https://www.echo.net.au/2024/05/byron-shire-sees-biggest-increase-in-rough-sleepers/

According to NSW Government Communities & Justice, 2024 NSW Statewide Street Count: Technical Paper, published on 8 May 2024:

Street counts took place between 1 February and 1 March 2024, in more than 400 towns and suburbs in 76 local government areas (LGA) across NSW.

Half of the counts took place in the evening, scheduled between 10:00pm and 3:00am, with the remaining half occurring in the morning between 3:30am and 9am.

Over 300 local organisations either consulted in the planning phase or participated in the delivery of street counts. Partners included Community Housing Providers, local councils and Specialist Homelessness Services, as well Aboriginal organisations, Local Health Districts, local community groups, and Police.

In 2024 in the Northern Rivers region local government areas (LGAs) with the largest decreases in people sleeping rough were:

Richmond Valley - 3 rough sleepers as of 22.02.24 at 5 locations. Down from 19 persons in 2023.

Clarence Valley - 58 rough sleepers as of 20.02.24 at 6 locations. Down from 69 persons in 2023.

As for the other five LGAs:

Kyogle Shire - had no rough sleepers as of 23.02.24 and zero persons in 2023

Ballina Shire - 63 rough sleepers as of 28.02.24 at 6 locations. Up from 30 persons in 2023

Lismore City - 64 rough sleepers as of 23.02.24 at 5 locations. Up from 40 persons in 2023

Tweed Valley - 174 rough sleepers as of 27.02.25 at 15 locations. Up from 145 persons in 2023

Byron Shire - 348 rough sleepers as of 29.02.24 at 9 locations. Up from 300 persons in 2023.

Across all 400 NSW sites counted in February 2024 there were 2,037 people considered homeless and sleeping rough. This represents a 26 per cent (414 person) increase compared to 2023.

 

When political & business interests compete with environmental & societal needs, there is usually only one winner and in this case the Nimble Estates P/L-NSW Minns Government urban release proposal is shaping up to be just that

IMAGE:  REA Group 

Lismore City Council is in the process of progressing an urban release proposal on land at 1055 and 1055A Bruxner Highway, already given the preliminary nod by a Delegate of the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully on 13 September 2023.

The site is being put forward for mixed-use development, expected to deliver est. 320 dwellings and 150 commercial/industrial lots.

It is worth noting that in November 2022 a planning proposal was received by Lismore City Council from Nimble Estate Pty Ltd (Qld) landowners at 1055 and 1055 Bruxner Highway, Goonellabah (lots then identified as State Significant Farmland) and, it sought to amend the land zones, minimum lot size and height of building controls within the Lismore Local Environment Plan 2012 to enable future residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational development across the 75 hectares of this site.

Note: Nimble Estates Pty Ltd (registered 24 December 2021) is jointly owned by shareholders BG GRANT PTY LTD and EJUPI ENTERPRISES PTY LTD - Nimble Estate directors being BRIAN GERARD GRANT and NAGIP EJUPI. [ASIC, April 2024]

There is no firm undertaking for the provision of affordable lots or affordable house land packages on the residential section of this site.

Of the site as is, a Lismore City Council document has stated:

The site contains two small patches of Lowland Rainforest EEC under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act, 2016. But these areas would not meet threshold requirements under the Commonwealth EPBC Act. Similarly, there are patches of vegetation that could be recognised as ‘Lowland Rainforest in the NSW North Coast and Sydney Basin Bioregions – Endangered Ecological Community’. Council’s ecologist notes that the majority of the vegetation on the site is unmapped and that there is a high chance that scattered paddock trees are rainforest remnant trees and recommends that the scattered trees assessment of the BAM 2020 should be applied when assessing impacts on clearing any native vegetation at the Development Application stage....

A Council-owned strip of land adjacent to the site (which will provide access into 1055 Bruxner Highway) and the Tucki Tucki creek corridor are identified in the NSW Biodiversity Values Map, see Figure 11 in Part 4 Maps. It is considered that the Biodiversity Offset Scheme will be triggered due to a combination of a minor impact to the Biodiversity Values Mapping (approximately 260m2) and the native clearing threshold likely being exceeded due to clearance of native paddock trees. Based on the current proposal, the associated DA will be required to undertake a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report and calculate offset requirements in accordance with the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method (2020).

The attached ecological report also identifies that a targeted survey for Hairy Joint Grass (Arthraxon hispidus), will be required as part of any future development application process and that Tucki Tucki Creek is mapped as habitat for the Purple Spotted Gudgeon (Mogurnda adspersa) which is a threatened freshwater species. Whilst not identified on the site, future restoration along Tucki Tucki Creek may assist with local recovery of the species.

This was the site 2014-2018.

            IMAGES: REA Group

Although the relevant planning documents were obliged to be on public exhibition from 3 March until 1 May 2024, there was an express statement that a public hearing is not required to be held into the matter by any person or body under section 3.34(2)(e) of the Act.

Echo, 25 April 2024:

Locals from Goonellabah and Lindendale have called out the proposed Goonellabah industrial precinct at 1055A Bruxner Hwy (Lot1 DP957677) and 245 Oliver Ave (Lot1 DP 1285218) as being the wrong use of the site.

Residents have told The Echo that they don’t oppose development of the site (Precinct 5) but that it should be developed for housing, not as an industrial precinct.

‘We support a residential development on this site, providing much needed housing for Lismore’s flood impacted residents as well as new workers and families to the area,’ said concerned residents of Goonellabah and Lindendale who contacted The Echo.

The Lismore City Council (LCC) Affordable & Diverse Housing Strategy (2022) forecasts a 13.6 per cent increase in the number of houses required in the next 20 years. There were also around 1,800 houses either destroyed or damaged in the 2022 floods that need replacing or moving to higher ground.

‘The 350 houses proposed in the Harmony Estate development is a good start, but we could do so much more.’

In a residential area

Residents have pointed out that the proposed industrial precinct is in the middle of the suburban growth corridor for Lismore and Goonellabah saying they expect the entire area up to Alphapdale Road could all become an extension of the Goonellabah residential community, as flood free housing is needed.

‘Why risk land use conflicts now and in the future including noise, odour, dust, smoke, heavy vehicle traffic, biosecurity and more?’ they asked.

They also point out that the proposed site is on the most elevated area and is positioned along an elevated ridge so it will be visible by surrounding residential areas as well as from the Bruxner Highway.

‘Surely this will create a shameful eyesore at the gateway to Goonellabah and completely contradict the council’s intent as stated in the Harmony Estate Urban Release Area DCP… “provide a positive scenic vista along the Bruxner Highway” (1.2.1 Harmony Estate Urban Release DCP). Why not retain the high ridge across Precinct 5 for much needed housing and community green space offering vistas across Goonellabah and out to the ranges?’ suggest residents. ....

Read the full article at:

https://www.echo.net.au/2024/04/housing-not-industrial-precinct-say-lismore-locals/

for further community opinion on potentially polluted/toxic surface water runoff during high rainfall from the industrial section of the proposed development and the three areas of potential Aboriginal Cultural Heritage significance with the 74ha site.

North-east NSW coastal waters since 1850: a 'hot spot' for shark numbers

 

There are 8 real-time, satellite-linked VR4G listening stations deployed in approximately 10 to 12 metres depth of water approx. 500 metres offshore along the stretch of coastal waters off the Northern Rivers region in north-east New South Wales.

These listening station buoys are located at:

Kingscliff Beach, Tweed Heads

Clarkes Beach, Byron Bay

Lennox Point, Lennox Head

Sharps Beach, Ballina

Lighthouse Beach, Ballina

Main Beach, Evans Head

Main Beach, Yamba.

VR4G listening station off Lighthouse Beach, Ballina

IMAGE: NSW DPI Shark Smart

In 2023 the total number of shark detections at each of these 8 listening buoys were:

Kingscliff Beach - 305 (302 Bull Sharks & 3 White Sharks)

Clarkes Beach - 409 (213 White Sharks & 196 Bull Sharks)

Lennox Point*         | These 3 sites combined

Sharps Beach*        | 2,026 detections of

Lighthouse Beach* | 1,175 Bull, 755 White & 116 Tiger sharks

Main Beach, Evans Head - 3,135 (3,031 Bull Sharks & 96 White Sharks)

Main Beach, Yamba - 17,501 (17,306 Bull Sharks, 103 White Sharks & 2 Tiger Sharks).

Although in 2023 Yamba might have been the main contender for the title of shark capital of New South Wales, particularly in the months of April to August, there have been zero fatal shark attacks in Yamba river or ocean waters since 1850 and, only 37 injuries resulting from contact with a shark recorded by the Australian Shark Incident Database in that same 174 year period.

DPI Fisheries advise: tagged Bull Shark #1874 detected by Yamba receiver at 06:47:38 AM (AEST) on 24-April-2024. Last detected at 05:52:50 PM (AEST) on 19-April-2024 by Yamba receiver. Tagged and released 28-April-2023(AEST) at Main Beach, Yamba.

— SharkSmart (@NSWSharkSmart) April 23, 2024

As for the entire coastline of north-east NSW along with its saltwater river mouths, from the Clarence Valley up to the NSW-Qld border, there have been est. 361 interactions with sharks resulting in injury since 1850, including est. 37 deaths.

Australian Bureau of Meteorology: Northern Rivers NSW rain forecast for today 5 April 2024

 

Australian Bureau of Meteorology rain forecast for north east New South Wales, today Friday 5 April 2024.

http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/rainfall/pme.jsp?ref=ftr

 

As at 2:45am on 5 April none of the major rivers in north east NSW were in flood. Updated river heights can be found at http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDN60140.html

For those interested the half hourly updates in recorded rainfall at the ten Northern Rivers weather stations can be found at http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/observations/nswall.shtml#NR

Youth crime and crime generally are always good ways to scare rural and regional communities and a scare campaign has been running hot and cold in 2024

 

Youth crime and crime generally are always good ways to scare rural and regional communities and a scare campaign has been running hot and cold since the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) released the state's 2023 December quarter crime statistics.

The National Party members of the NSW Parliament have been beating up these figures and supporting any group who will drink the political Kool-Aid.

On 23 February 2024 the NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley in Budget Estimates described the Country Mayors Association calls for an inquiry into regional crime as calling for nothing more than a “talkfest”.

By 14 March 2023 the political situation but not the statistics had changed.

TheCountry Mayors Association of NSW has welcomed the NSW Premier’sannouncement that the NSW Government will implement new initiativesto start to address regional youth crime.

The mayors' law and order concerns were somewhat recent given the last annual survey conducted by the CMA saw the 69 rural and regional local governments who answered this survey placing law and order low on their priority lists.

Readers of Murdoch media and local Northern Rivers newspapers may also have noticed the sudden flurry of journalistic and National Party concern about local crime rates.

The Clarence Valley Independent of 13 March 2024 was a case in point:

News of an escalation in youth crime in the Clarence Valley has gone right to the top of the Coffs Clarence Police District, with the Commander, Superintendent Joanne Schultz involved in implementing prevention and intervention strategies to prevent re-offending....

Last month, Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson joined calls by the Country Mayors Association of NSW for the Minns Labor Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional crime, following a spike in crime in the Clarence and Richmond Valley’s.

“The most recent data from the authorities show that youth crime continues to rise, especially for stealing motor vehicles and break and enter offences,” Mr Williamson said.

So what had changed for the Minns Government?

Well, firstly the state electorate is now only six months away from the NSW Local Government elections on Saturday, 14 September 2024 and both incumbent governments and their political opposition like to play the 'laura norder' card in an election year which sees party politics playing a significant but rarely openly stated role in council elections.

Secondly, the NSW Premier has announced new punitive legal measures aimed at youth offenders when it comes to matters like consideration of bail applications and certain increased penalties and, what better way to win support for this move and a policy of "proactive policing" of vulnerable groups than to further demonise young offenders.

Thirdly, a 'helpful' study was released by BOSCAR this month titled "Crime in Regional and Rural NSW in 2023: Trends and Patterns".

While this study openly admitted that in the last 20 years property crime had fallen by 48 per cent in regional NSW, this was seen as deficient because property crime had fallen by 67 per cent in Greater Sydney over the same period and as due to the different rates of decline, in 2023 the rate of recorded property crime was 59 per cent higher in Regional NSW compared to Greater Sydney. A most unfortunate statistical clash.

The study also stated: In 2023 the aggregate rate of recorded violent crime in Regional NSW was equivalent to the recorded rate in 2004. In Greater Sydney, however, violent crime declined significantly in the two decades to 2023 (down 20% from 2004 to 2023). The long-term decline in violence in Sydney and relative stability in Regional NSW has increased the disparity between the rate of violent crime in the regions versus the capital city. In 2023 the rate of recorded violent crime was 57% higher in Regional NSW compared with Greater Sydney.

Leaving a distinct impression that the comparisons being made are beginning to resemble the apple and orange variety and are unhelpful to anyone except state and local government politicians on the make in a local council election year.

The icing on the cake was the following paragraph, which totalled five years of crime statistics to achieve impressive numbers which are broken down in red annotations:

Four major offences, however, significantly increased in Regional NSW over the five years from 2019

to 2023:

o Motor vehicle theft (up 20% or 1,239 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 248 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. In this category and unspecified number of youth offenders are alleged to be found.

o Non-domestic assault (up 14% or 1,825 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 365 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. On a yearly average est. 204 were youth offenders.

o Sexual assault (up 47% or 1,505 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 301 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. In this category it is solely adult offending.

o Domestic violence related assault (up 24% or additional incidents)

An est. average increase of 659 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. On a yearly average est. 86 were youth offenders.

For those interested BOSCAR released a set of graphs which breakdown the trends into more specific crime categories at:

https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Publication%20Supporting%20Documents/RCS-quarterly/Supplementary%20charts%20-%20Recorded%20Crime%20Charts%202019%20to%202023.pdf

As for "stealing motor vehicles and break and enter offences" the Nationals MLA for Clarence points to in relation to youth crime, BOSCAR data for January to December 2023 show NSW Police proceeded against a total of 27 vehicle thefts in the Clarence Valley LGA, with 9 of these thefts alleged to be by young offenders aged between 10-17 years of age. While break and enter offences proceeded against totalled 33 offences, with 9 of these break and enters alleged to be by young offenders aged between 10-17 years of age.

As for motor vehicle theft and break and enter statistics for the Coffs Clarence Police District, BOSCAR shows Coffs-Grafton statistical district was considered "stable' over the last five years. With the change in motor vehicle theft being +113 thefts between 2019 and 2023 totals. While break and enter dwelling fell by -145 incidents and break and enter non-dwelling fell by -9 incidents between 2019 and 2023 totals.

From a personal perspective - yes let's all insist on higher numbers of police in all regional areas to improve crime clear up rates and because police are often spread thin on the ground during emergencies and, in the Northern Rivers region in particular we now have such events far too often.

However, does the desire to have more police in our towns mean that we need to endorse a more punitive response to young offenders by a state government and its police force?

ABC News, 18 March 2024:

Some of the country's top legal and criminal justice experts have written to NSW Premier Chris Minns about proposed bail changes. Sixty organisations signed the letter, including the Aboriginal Legal Service and the Sydney Institute of Criminology....

Amnesty International, Save the Children and the Human Rights Law Centre are also signatories to the letter, which states the premier's bail changes will "make crime worse in regional communities, not better".

"Your new policy to increase youth incarceration is a betrayal of your Closing the Gap commitments," they tell the premier....

Tweet of the Week

 

Two years ago today, I was sitting in the roof cavity with water lapping at the roof, waiting for the SES to rescue us. It took the SES 2 days to call me back. By then our neighbour, Sandro had rescued us in his tinnie. I remember it just wouldn’t stop raining & I thought it… pic.twitter.com/3K7IPPes8b

— Eddie Lloyd (@worldzonfire) February 27, 2024

 

Only two of the seven local government councils in the NSW Northern Rivers regions have made a genuine effort to divest themselves of fossil fuel industry investments

 

ECHO, 28 February 2024:

Byron Shire Council investments in fossil fuel projects as of Jan 2024 PIC Byron Shire Council

Byron Shire Council investments in projects linked to fossil fuel production decreased significantly after the NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp) relaxed rules last year.

Investment reports included in last week’s agenda for the council’s ordinary monthly meeting showed the council had 56% of its investment funds lodged with fossil fuel aligned projects by the end of January 2024.

The figure was a decrease compared to 71% at the end of December 2023 and 85% at the end of the 2022-2023 financial year.

Staff credited the removal of a state covenant requiring local governments to invest TCorp loans mostly in institutions with A+ credit ratings or stronger.

Institutions offering investments in the ‘ethical’ area still mainly had lower credit ratings of BBB, or weren’t rated at all, staff said, citing credit unions as an example.

Staff noted the council’s diversified approach to investment was aimed at achieving short, medium, and long-term results.

Investment was regulated by TCorp, which until late last year effectively forced NSW local governments to bank at least a quarter of their low interest TCorp loans in A rated institutions or higher.

The council wasn’t allowed at the time to invest any more than 40% of the loans in A- rated institutions, 30% in BBB+ rated institutions and 5% in institutions rated BBB- and below.

Credit ratings allowed ranged from BBB- and below, or not rated, to AAA, with councils also encouraged to invest in TCorp itself.

End of financial year 2022-2023 figures from the council showed of nearly $65 million invested at the time, 85% was helping support fossil fuel aligned projects via various bonds, term deposits and other accounts..... [my yellow highlighting]

Read the full article here.

At the end of the 2022-23 financial year Richmond Valley Council had a cash held in banks & investment portfolio of $90.668 million. Of which $48.087 million or 53 per cent of the total was invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry.

As of 30 June 2023 Clarence Valley Council investment portfolio stood at $156.357 million. 

Of which only $12 million is invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry. Representing a paltry 7.67 per cent of council's investments. 

At the ordinary monthly meeting of 25 July 2023 all nine councillors voted to simply note Clarence Valley Council's investment position. Which appears to indicate that this local government is not overly interested in living up to rhetoric expressed in the past.

On 30 June 2023 Ballina Shire Council's investment portfolio stood at $104.300 million, of which only $8 million or 7.67 per cent was invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry. As councillors there also voted to note the report without comment, there is no indication that council will be increasing its green investments anytime soon.

Tweed Shire Council valued its investment portfolio at $431.958 as at 30 June 2023. None of the investments listed were identified as being invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry.

Lismore City Council listed the face value of its investment portfolio as $133.719 million. Council also had approximately $1.9 million held in various bank accounts which were deemed as transactional accounts and are not included in the investment portfolio. Council takes care to note that it holds no funds in fossil free investments or 0 per cent.

Finally, Kyogle Council published its 2022-23 financial statement in December 2023 and did not identify investments as a single line item, so nothing was to be gleaned as to what if any money it had invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry.

Saturday's Mood: HOT!

Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Rivers Forecast, issued at 4:30 pm EDT on Friday 2 February 2024:

Weather Situation

A high pressure system over the Bight extends a ridge into southern and western New South Wales today, while a trough of low pressure lies over the northeast. This trough will decay early Saturday as the high moves to the Tasman Sea, although a new trough is forecast to develop in the west during the weekend. This pattern will direct hot air from central Australia across New South Wales, peaking in many areas during Sunday. The remnants of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily look set to be drawn into the inland trough during Monday, potentially bringing significant rain to some western areas, before the whole system weakens and shifts to the state's east on Tuesday.

Heatwave Situation for 3 days starting Saturday 3rd February 2024 

Click on image to enlarge

NOTE: Heatwave mapping for this cycle commenced Wednesday 31 January 2024.

A lost and found story playing out on little island near Chinderah Bay on the Tweed River in north-east NSW

 

Small island flood refuge
IMAGE: Google Earth, 19.01.24

First there was a cow caught up in the Northern Rivers flood waters in 2022 which managed to swim to safety on a small island in Boyd's Channel, rather than being swept further down the Tweed River.

Then in January 2024 a handsome black bull was sighted on the island as well.

IMAGE: ABC News, 17 January 2024

When the cow first stepped on dry land was she hiding a pregnancy or did that black bull arrive on the island in recent months with amorous intent?

ABC News, 17 January 2024:

Authorities are working to solve a mystery involving cattle thought to have been washed onto a small island in the Tweed River by floodwater.

Fisherman Nathan Hall told the ABC he spotted a brown cow on the 5.67-hectare Chinderah Island about two weeks after catastrophic flooding in northern New South Wales in February 2022.

He has been keeping an eye on it ever since.

"Looking at the island it's living on, there's only a very small amount of grass area, and the rest is all mangroves and mud," Mr Hall said.

"It's not really the sort of grass that I'm used to seeing cows live in."

The island is close to the mouth of the Tweed River, and the water surrounding it is usually salty.

Mr Hall said he had been making regular deliveries of fresh water "for the last six months, at least".

"I've got three 20-litre drums, and every time I go down that way in the boat, I stop and pour 60 litres of water into a half-drum tin we've got down there," he said.

Recently, Mr Hall discovered a new resident.

"I have stopped in and visited [the cow] over the time until now, but then seeing the black bull a few days ago was a bit of a shock to me," he said.

How the bull arrived on the island is a mystery and no-one has claimed ownership of either animal.

Hunt for owner

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a farmer with cattle agisted on nearby Dodds Island said he had 30 cows wash away in the 2022 floods.

He said 20 of those animals were still unaccounted for and that the cow could be his.

He suggested the bull may have washed onto the island during last week's floods or that the cow may have calved him on the island.

Mr Hall said that both seemed in good condition.

"When I saw them the other day, the floodwater was still very fresh and they were drinking straight from the river," he said.

"They came within six feet of the boat like they wanted to hop in with me."

Mr Hall said he would like to see the cattle brought back to the mainland.

"The best way to do it would be when the run-out tide is, and the animals could swim with the water rather than against it," he said.

"There's been plenty of interest, and give us another week and we'll get them off the island and get them back to living where they should be."....

Lismore City - life is bouncing back

 

A month short of two years after Lismore City made national and international news for all the wrong reasons - a record breaking climate change-induced flood in a region being devastated by widespread unnatural disaster - it is back in the news in a happy and upbeat way.

 ECHO, 9 January 2024:

Lismore has been named as one of the world’s ‘Coolest Places to visit in 2024’ by the Qantas magazine.

The town was listed alongside New York, Shanghai, London and Venice as one of the world’s 25 must-see tourist destinations.

Acting Mayor Jeri Hall said it was a humbling but not surprising accolade which spoke to the renowned experiences Lismore offered through its vibrant arts and culture scene, and stunning natural environment.

‘I was not surprised to see Lismore up there with some of the world’s most popular destinations,’ Acting Mayor Hall said.

‘Lismore is becoming more and more vibrant with its ever-evolving dining scene, creative arts, culture and unique venues offering everything from live music to theatre and performance.

‘Lismore City recently hosted thousands of festival goers from right across the country who travelled here specifically for the legendary Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve Festival. They all left with smiles on their faces and plans to return.’......

New South Wales might still be in the grip of drought, however December rains did some good

 

Those rolling thunderstorms, wind, rain and flash flooding that plagued the state in December were not just uncomfortable - at times they were dangerous. 

Even now in the first two days of 2024 the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to more than 115 incidents in the past 24 hours, in response to the impacts of storms and flooding in the north east of the state.

However, all that weather has produced one set of images to bring smiles to the faces of some people in a number of coastal districts.

It's not enough to come out of drought but areas of intense drought have shrunk somewhat.

The Northern Rivers region has seen the Intense Drought category sink back down to 14.5 per cent from a Spring high of an est. 42.8 per cent of all land. While the Drought category fell from 41.6 per cent to 29.1 per cent, with those decreases moving over to being Drought Affected land sitting at 56.3 per cent of the region. 

This of course is 2024, the year of accelerated global warming and erratic weather patterns, so it feels like a coin toss as to whether the Australian east coast and the Northern Rivers in particular have three months of destructive storms ahead or a return to below average rainfall until Winter arrives.

NEW SOUTH WALES DROUGHT PERCENTAGES 29.12.23

NSWDPI Combined Drought Indicator