News and Views in Bingara

Bingara's local newspaper The Advocate (published weekly) has a circulation of about 1000 copies.

Its latest edition features a front page report about the North West Film Festival to be held at The Roxy on September 17. The festival is "open to emerging filmmakers, students, young people and members from isolated communities across the New England North West region of NSW."

The Advocate also carries three letters to the editor:

1. "Lost Souls" are wandering round and round and up and down the streets of Bingara during the day and night in their "chariots" with the windows down so that all may hear their music.

2. The local Cancer Action Group's appreciation of community support on Daffodil Day. $2305.50 was raised - that's a totally amazing amount for such a small population.

3. Visitors to the town in motorhomes are bludging off the community by not paying camping fees.

But, shock! horror!

A report titled "Senate vote varied" informs readers that The Sex Party was not as popular at Upper Horton as it was in Bingara. It received only one vote in Upper Horton, but 17 in Bingara!

And, if that wasn't enough to scare the socks off the good folk around Bingara, the real devil was in the detail. Four voters in Bingara gave their #1 preference to the Communists.

(Editor's note: To ensure balance and objectivity is maintained in Clarrie's report, it is acknowledged that there were 19 One Nation supporters but the Greens managed to get just 3 #1s.)

Phew! Terror Australis avoided by the narrowest of margins

Australia can now exhale.

The Labor Party has formed a minority government after the 2010 general election produced a hung parliament and, as of yesterday, Julia Gillard is now the prime minister-designate.

By the narrowest of margins Labor negotiated an agreement with The Greens and three Independents resulting in 76 aligned seats to the Coalition's 75.

The spectre of Liberal Party Leader Tony Abbott holding the office of prime minister has been banished for the time being.

As a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, federal member of parliament, former minister in the Howard Government and latterly as Leader of the Opposition, Abbott has clearly demonstrated that he acknowledges few (if any) ethical boundaries to the exercise of political power.
For this reason alone Abbott is a politician to be wary of and one who could have become a dangerous prime minister.

However, the nation is not out of the woods yet. By now Abbott will have convinced himself that the process he so recently hoped would deliver him control of the country was not legitimate and, will be seeking ways to disrupt parliament, destabilise the political process and sabotage confidence in government.

The rest of the Coalition will also soon be shouting that they were robbed of the crown and (based on past performance) no political dirty trick will be too small and no lie too large.

The nation may well be in for a few very painful years.

Truth can be stranger than fiction

From the Twitterverse:

bridgitgread

Tory MP's wife exposed as a working prostitute. Nice to see spouses in the same line of work. http://tinyurl.com/28kt82h via web Retweeted by rod3000

Please report sightings of coastal emus to NPWS

Image taken from Daily Examiner (7/9/2010)

In and around Bingara

The touring party really took to Bingara, which is a neat small town that appears to be well serviced. We drove and trekked around the township and its surrounds and engaged in numerous conversations with the locals.

A prominent building in the central part of the town is The Roxy (pic, left above). An art deco cinema built in 1936 and recently restored, it's now a multipurpose venue, cinema and performing arts centre. The 7th North West Film Festival will be held there later this month.

Breakfast at The Regent Cafe was quite an experience - our tour captain was almost overcome by an attack of nostalgia as he tucked away a bushman's brekkie that consisted of a T-bone steak and fried eggs topped off with a very liberal layering of Holbrook's Worcestershire Sauce.


Others in the party preferred the home-style scrambled eggs on toast (and, in case you're wondering, tomato sauce was readily available). Terrific vanilla milk shakes were served up in metal containers that carried scars and dents inflicted in years of yesterday.

Friday's Legacy Day fund raiser took the form of a raffle - the prize was a load of chopped fire wood. We reckoned that was an excellent prize, given the local area's climate and demographics.

While Bingara seems to cater well for the needs of locals and visitors we couldn't help but wonder what the place might be like in another 20 years. Its current population (approx 1200) has a significant skew towards those of mature and very mature ages (about 50% of the population is 55 +) - they are well catered for (pics below show the civic centre, town hall and senior citizens rest centre), but what will the town be like in 2030 when most of those citizens have moved on.

Just can't take the situation seriously anymore....

Kudelka & The Australian 26 August 2010

Are you around 10 years old and hankering to be a star? Look no further than the Lismore Show in October 2010

North Coast National Exhibition
125 Years Celebration
21 - 23 October 2010, Lismore, NSW

GIRLS - WHERE ARE YOU?

The search for a star continues across the Northern Rivers for a young girl to sing a feature song in LOCAL HEROES, the arena spectacular at the 2010 North Coast National (Lismore Show) in October.

The song will pay tribute to the SES volunteers who are always at the ready in times of need.

Local Heroes producer Mark Eady says he is looking for a girl, around 10 years old, who will have a leading role in the production and will be backed by a full choir. Mark is also looking for an experienced adult female singer.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for a girl and a woman with immense talent to sing to an audience of thousands," Mark said. "I've already cast the male roles but the perfect girl and feature female singer are still to be found!

The 125^th anniversary Arena Spectacular, held over the three nights of the Lismore Show (October 21 – 23), will celebrate those ordinary men and women who daily do extraordinary things within our community.

"Local Heroes will be the largest theatrical tribute to our emergency service people ever staged and a behind the scenes peak at these ordinary women and men who achieve extraordinary things.

In my view we can't thank them enough," says John Gibson, North Coast National President.

Some of the groups to be celebrated are NSW Fire, SES, Police, Ambulance, Westpac Helicopter Rescue, Lifeguards and Nippers, Road Safety Officers (lollypop ladies), Animal Rescue groups, and more.

Already chosen to appear in Local Heroes are singers Jesse Mathews-Cooke from Ballina, St John's College Woodlawn student Courtney Macdade and young actors Shyarnah Tryhorn, Matilda Pleace, Marnie Johnston and Kathleen Caughey, Year 9 and 10 dance students from Trinity College, Lismore, Year 9 and 10 dance students from St John's College Woodlawn, junior dancers and the choir from Our Lady Help of Christians, the Woodlawn Senior Choir and the Winsum Loosesum Gospel Choir.

Real life local heroes, members of our region's emergency services, will also be a vital part of the arena spectacular.

To audition for Local Heroes, contact the producer Mark Eady on 0418 150 306, or North Coast National secretary Janelle Hancock on 6621 5916. You can also apply to audition on-line at www.ozworks.net - Click on Local Heroes Auditions.

Media enquiries:

Tracey Mair

TM Publicity

For the North Coast National

Ph: 02 6680 7106 or 0419 221 493