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Casino NSW News

All Breeds sale go ahead a ray of light

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ALL BREEDS SALE TO GO AHEAD
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Casino All Breeds Sale go ahead, a ray of light

By Tim Howard

A ray of hope has burst through the gloom over the future over Casino’s Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange, with news a deal has been reached to hold the All Breeds Sale later this month.
The sale, a major event in the town’s calendar on the fourth Saturday of July for the past 24 years, was under threat because auctioneers have refused to sign new contract with Richmond Valley Council gain a permit to operate from the NRLX.

 

Bruce Lyle - Casino All Breeds

Bruce Lyle – Casino All Breeds

But on Saturday the council announced it would will issue a one-off operating licence to allow the Casino All Breeds Bull and Female Sale to go ahead at the NRLX on Saturday July 29.
Casino All Breeds Committee president Bruce Lyle was pleased the council had relented for all.
“This is a good news story for the community,” he said. It might take a bit of the angst and heat out of the situation for both parties.”
But he wanted to stay away from commenting on the dispute other than to say this All Breeds go ahead showed him both parties did have the community’s interest at heart.
Casino Auctioneers Association president Andrew Summerville agreed, but warned not to read too much into it.
Last week the association revealed it would hold a sale at the Lismore saleyards on Wednesday.
Mr Summerville said the agents refused to sign a contract with the council that would give them a permit to sell cattle at the NRLX for three years, after they went through an expression of interest process.

The previous agents’ permits to operate at the NRLX expired on June 30.
The new contract changed the fee structures, including a switch in the yard fee from a per head charge to 0.2% of gross revenue charge.
The council has also flagged it would take over handling cattle from the fall of the hammer, an area the agents have traditionally handled.
Mr Summerville said the new fees were based on council having an unrealistic assessment of the industry.
“We’re coming off the two best years we’ve ever seen as agents,” he said. “There’s no denying that.

“We’re all realists. We don’t live in a world where we think weaners are going to average $2000 for the next 20 years. We know that’s not the case.
“Given the market we’re in now, which is a lot closer to a realistic one, than the one we have seen, I think it proves the fact the honeymoon is over in the cattle industry.”
He said people in the industry would now be watching their pennies, including the agents.

“We’ve got to survive, our producers have got to survive and the council has got to survive, that’s what it comes down to,” he said.
He said he could understand the council getting excited at the cattle numbers going through the NRLX,
“They’ve definitely been looking at the throughput numbers, which have looked amazing, but it’s not a realistic number based on the cattle industry as we know it,” he said.
“I don’t blame them for seeing the throughput that’s gone through and saying we want a bit more out of it.

“Where we are at, at the moment – I hope it’s an over correction in the cattle market – is not a real good spot for anyone.”
Mr Summerville said the council’s assertion the agents were not doing a good job handling the cattle post sale was “disappointing”.
“I feel like the people on the whole – and especially over the last 12-18 months – I feel like they’ve been doing a good job and I’m happy with the staff we’ve had,” he said.
“I think its been an unfair comment.

“When you’re dealing with cattle there’s always going to be issues, whether its Casino Agents Association delivering the cattle or NRLX, there’ always going to be issues.
“The key to any business is to minimise them. That’s essentially what we’re trying to achieve, minimise the issues and have people we’re happy with handling the livestock.”
Mr Summerville described the decision to take this week’s cattle sale to Lismore as “a stopgap”.
“We want to be selling in Casino, it’s built well and ready to handle the cattle we’ve been able put through it,” he said.
“The standoff between agents and council has to be resolved.”

But he does not see the the council allowing the All Breeds sale to go ahead as anything but a one-off decision.
“It’s a good result. It would be very disappointing if it wasn’t to go ahead in Casino,” he said.
“It’s a community sale, It brings a lot of people into the area. Casino is the place to have it.
“I’m pleased we’re allowed to have the All Breeds sale. It’s a good result and I’m thankful that the council and councillors could recognise that fact it needs to be in Casino and differences had to be put aside to have it.”

But he would not use it as leverage in the current dispute.
“That’s not the game we’re playing,” he said. “We’re not about saying you’ve done that and we’ve done this.
“At the end of the day we’re trying to get the best outcome for our vendors.
“They’re the people who are going to be affected. They’re the people who support us week in, week out and unfortunately they’re the people who the most minimal amount of say on the whole saleyards,”

But an interview aired on ABC Radio on Monday with agents association member Darren Perkins, the manager director of George & Furhrman Casino, flagged there were many more concerns than the new fees.

“We have at least 60 or 65 of the schedules and clauses that we don’t agree or want discussion with,” Mr Perkins said.
“At this stage we’re not going to do anything until we can all get together and go through this.
“There have been a number of communications, but it has not come to prevail and we will not be signing this agreement.
“As have all the agents that sell at NRLX until this is sorted.”

Mr Perkins said on the issue of council taking on stock handling it was a matter of cost and value for money.
“Their charges amount to a cost of $8.80 with inexperienced staff taking delivery of the livestock,” he said.
“We can do it for $4.60 to $4.80 a head with a lot of experienced people, particularly when it comes to some of these agencies which have been in the Casino district for 111 years.”
Mr Perkins said the fee issues were there, but said the problems went much deeper.
“It’s unsignable,” he said of the contract the council has offered agents.

He said the problems began when the council went to agents with an expression of interest for the first time in the history of saleyard operations.
“They were going to get seven new agents,” he said. “That’s fine, I don’t have any problem with competition.
“We get to the closing time. We’ve allegedly got five that went in the EOI process.
“Out of the five, one of the agents that’s been there for 14 years is basically told that their EOI was unsuccessful.
“We get to July 1 and we find that there’s no agents signed. What would that tell you out there?
How good is this agreement?

“If this agreement is so great and so industry-level, where has anyone come to sign this.
“That basically tells me that it’s unachievable and no-one should sign it.”
M Perkins did not go into detail on the specifics of the issues in the contract, but said they amounted to council telling agents how to run their businesses.
And he said it posed a threat to the stock and station agency business model.
“We have been training lots of people to come out and be a high standard for stock and station agents,” he said.
“This here is so detrimental to that it could cease youngsters coming through.”
He said agents provided a full suite of services to cattle growers right through the process of selling their cattle.
“The council want to take that away from us,” Mr Perkins said. “Basically they want to control our businesses and that’s not going to happen.”
Neither RVC or the agents have given any sign of backing down. The council did not comment further on the impasse, so its statement that a “fair and reasonable offer” was on the table must still stand and until the offer was signed there would not be sales at the NRLX.

“That’s correct,” Mr Perkins said. “We don’t find it fair and reasonable and there will not be sales at the NRLX.
He said the agents had decided to hold a sale at Lismore on Wednesday this week to help vendors at the start of the financial year.
He also said local cattle had already been taken to sales at Lismore, Warwick and Inverell since the standoff with council became public.
“At this stage Lismore and the Casino Agents Association will be selling there,” he said.
Mr Perkins said the continued dispute would have wider affects with businesses in the Casino CBD, but warned the agents would not back down.
“This is very toxic,” he said “We want intervention from outside sources to get this right.
“The council is saying they’re not backing down. And we, as agents, aren’t going to sign the agreement and we’re not going to back down.
“And if we have to, we will send cattle and keep sending them to other centres, even if this takes until Christmas.”
Mr Perkins said the council was well aware of the issues the agents had with the contract.
“We sent them an email in the last couple of days with 62 to 65 things we want to be discussed,” he said.
“We’re not going to let the council tell us how to run our businesses, that’s what it comes down to.”
He dispute claims agents should pay more, but he said statements that agents collected 4.5% to 5.5% commission were incorrect.

“Livestock agents guarantee payment to their vendors regardless of whether they pay or not,” he said.
Mr Summerville said vendors and people in the community were also supporting the agents’ stand.
“The vendors do seem to be right on side with us,” he said. “They realise that any increase in fees is essentially going to result in higher selling costs.
“We’ve had plenty of calls of support. Essentially at end of the day the whole lockout is for the vendors, because, the long and the short of it is, they’re the ones it will effect the most.”

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Casino Truck Show to Auction Custom-Made Bar for Charity

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Casino Truck Show Auction of a bar
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Casino Truck Show to Auction Custom-Made Bar for Charity

 

The North Coast Petroleum Casino Truck Show organising committee is thrilled to announce the auction of a custom-made bar to raise funds for charity.

Generously donated by Queensland-based Moore Trailers, the 2.4m x 2.4m bar is crafted from steel with mirror stainless ends, designed to resemble the rear end of a trailer. Valued at $6,500, this versatile bar is perfect for entertaining and recreational use.

Enhancing the auction, Engel Australia has contributed a 95-litre upright fridge valued at $1,699, ensuring this auction is a highlight of the event.

The auction will take place on Saturday, 3 August, at the Mafeking Lamp roundabout at 2:45 pm, just before the trophy presentation. The Casino Truck Show extends gratitude to Moore Trailers’ Scott Gollan and Engel Australia’s Jason Dwyer for their support.

For 2024, men’s health charity Movember has been chosen as the Casino Truck Show charity partner. Movember, a leading men’s health organisation, focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Since 2003, Movember has funded over 12,500 projects, engaging more than five million participants worldwide.

In 2023, the Casino Truck Show donated $10,000 to local charities, including the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Casino Soup Kitchen, and Jumbunna Community Preschool.

Mark your calendars for the 2024 North Coast Petroleum Casino Truck Show, set to take place in the Casino CBD on Saturday, 3 August. This must-attend event for truck enthusiasts will showcase innovation, performance, and community spirit.

The festivities kick off with the street parade at 10 am, followed by the trophy presentation at 3 pm. Entertainment will feature performances by Mossy Rocks and the Tony Q Band on two stages, along with kid-friendly activities like amusement rides and face painting. Exhibitors will display industry-related products and services.

The event will culminate with a thrilling bull ride by J&J Rodeo under the new arena at the Casino Showground.

Online registrations open on Monday, 1 July, with the entry fee remaining at $30 per participant. For more information, visit the Casino Truck Show website.

 

For more Casino Truck Show news, click here.

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Casino NSW News

Personal touch never stronger for Troy

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Between the Fires - Troy Cassar-Daley
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Personal touch never stronger for Troy

 

By Tim Howard

On tour again for the first time since 2019, Australian country music singer/songwriter Troy Cassar-Daley, will showcase the most personal music he has written in his 30-plus year career.

The 33-date national tour kicks off in Pomona, Queensland this week, then heads to the Casino RSM on May 30.

He will play six shows at venues on the North Coast

The tour combines with the May 10 release of his latest album, Between the Fires.

Troy says the album, which was written as he dealt with the death, in mid-2022, of his mum, Gumbaynggirr Elder Auntie Irene Daley, was the most personal music he was written.

“Losing mum was the most confronting experience of my life,” he said. “It took me 12 months to unpack that stuff, but writing music has really helped me heal.

“Performing these songs is going to be very personal. It’s me living out how I came to terms with mum’s passing.”

He wrote and recorded the album in his mum’s home at Halfway Creek, south of Grafton, which has added another layer of feeling to the album.

“Mum’s spirit was very much there, almost overseeing what was being made,” he said.

“The song Somedays is about mum not being part of my life any more.”

He said writing the album brought home the loss of both his mum and dad.

“The simple fact that you can’t just pick up the phone and just say ‘hi mum’ or ‘hi dad’ really comes home to you,” he said.

“I never thought I’d be making a record around those emotions.

“But it shines a light for you on the track to find your way ahead.”

The period after his mum’s death also put pressure on his marriage to wife Laurel and Troy has said the album title Between Two Fires was inspired by his feelings during that time.

Although the music is the most intensely personal he has written Troy is looking forward to sharing it with his audience, particularly on the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast.

“There are people, family and friends, who will be in the audience, who saw me get into fights under the trees at school,” he said.

“Now they’re seeing me up on stage writing and singing music as a career.

“These shows are very special because of that.”

He said revealing his most personal feelings was part of his role as a singer/songwriter.

“If a musician doesn’t have anything to say, it’s not worth them getting up there to perform,” he said.

Troy said his 90-minute show will be packed with music picked from his 30-year career but will include five songs from his new album.

He said a song like Old Road Home, from Between the Fires, would resonate with a lot of people on the Northern Rivers.

“It’s an old bloke recalling what it’s like to drive from Brisbane down to Coffs Harbour,” he said.

“Remembering all those little places you use to call into and the stories that go with them.”

Writing and singing about such personal experiences has made Troy – a proud Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man – one of Australian music’s most powerful story tellers.

It has also brought him countless awards, including 40 Golden Guitars, five ARIA awards, four CMAA Entertainer of the Year titles, and three APRA Song of the Year awards.

There have also been 32 number-one chart singles and numerous gold and platinum albums that confirm him as an icon of Australian music.

But he also realises the importance of passing the baton and the Between the Fires tour will also allow him to showcase some of the next generation of musicians.

Troy Cassar-Daley will perform in Northern NSW on: 

  • May 30 – Casino RSM – Casino – NSW
  • May 31 – Twin Towns Showroom – Tweed Heads – NSW
  • June 6 – South West Rocks Country Club
  • June 7 – Coffs Harbour CEX
  • June 8 – Yamba Yamba Bowls
  • June 9 – Coutts Crossing Coronation Hall

To get tickets, go to the offical Troy Cassar-Daley website.

 

For more Casino news, click here.

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A visit with Gary Eck and the moon

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Gary Eck reading his book The Day the Moon Came to Stay to children at Casino Christian School.
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A visit with Gary Eck and the moon

 

By Samantha Elley

It’s not every day you get to hear about the moon coming for a visit, but that was what happened to Casino Christian School students when author and standup comedian Gary Eck came to visit last week.

As part of Beef Week celebrations, Gary read his latest children’s book, The Day the Moon Came to Stay to a group of very invested and intrigued Kindie and Year One students.

“I kind of see myself in a sense as a story teller,” he said.

“Everything I do has some sort of narrative. I am a stand up comic by trade.

“I’ve been doing it for 30 years and that in itself is micro-storytelling, telling short jokes, long jokes.

“I’ve always aspired to longer form stuff.”

From the days of Tropfest, where he won with his short film The Money in 2014, to his work in Happy Feet 2 with George Miller, Gary has always been involved in telling stories.

His recent work has been involved in telling stories to children, including the animated series Ginger and the Vegesaurs, which can be viewed on ABC Kids.

“We are in our third season, which comes out in June,” he said.

“It’s the number two show on the BBC, just behind Bluey.”

His latest book, which he was able to read to the students at the school, is entitled The Day the Moon Came to Stay.

“This one, I remember when my son was about three and there was a big full moon,” he said.

“I was holding him and he was looking up at the moon and he was trying to grab (it).”

“Then I thought ‘what if the moon came here and it was only six feet tall?’.”

From there, as Gary said, the story wrote itself where the main character, Billy, sees the moon is sad and so sends an invitation to the big celestial being to come for a visit.

A captivated audience of young listeners giggled and watched as Gary narrated the story, showing the effects of what happens when the moon visits.

Afterwards, he proceeded to show how you send a message to the moon via the Zoomer Boomer 3000 paper airplane.

The book, written by Gary Eck and illustrated by Nick O’Sullivan, is available online via Amazon.

 

For more Casino news, click here.

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