Enhanced Support Amplifies Impact of Rural Landholder Initiative

Lismore City Council is expanding its Rural Landholder Initiative (RLI), a successful program supporting 218 restoration projects aimed at protecting the region’s biodiversity. The RLI, established in 2015, has been instrumental in funding various projects to enhance rural land quality and sustainability in the region.

In the latest iteration, successful applicants will receive more substantial grants over an extended period, recognising the time and effort invested in each project.

Lismore City Council unveils innovative ArtVenture Trail in the CBD

Over the past eight years, the initiative has achieved notable milestones, including the planting of 56,000 trees, restoring 360 hectares of bushland, and installing 17 kilometres of habitat and riparian fencing. The program collaborates with environmental champions, Landcare, and other community groups to engage and educate the public.

The revamped RLI offers individual landholders grants of up to $15,000 over three years, an increase from $7,500 over two years. Additionally, starting next year, community Landcare groups, industry entities, and other incorporated groups dedicated to improving natural habitat can apply for a $50,000 grant over three years.

David Dreher, Council’s Environmental Strategies Officer, highlighted that these changes leverage lessons learned over the years. The adjustment includes shifting the annual grant cycle to every two years, enabling the focus on other opportunities in alternate years. This modification also allows industry, community, and other groups to apply for funding during these alternate years.

Enhanced Support Amplifies Impact of Rural Landholder Initiative

Dreher emphasised that the changes provide successful applicants with more options and enhance the quality of environmental projects. The increased funding and extended project timelines allow for better stabilization of sites before moving on to the next implementation stage.

Expressions of Interest for the RLI are currently open, with a closing date of December 18, 2023. Applicants are encouraged to review the RLI Policies and Guidelines before submitting their applications online. The program aims to continue its success in promoting environmental conservation and community engagement.

For additional information, applicants can visit the official website and participate in planning field day events. A community workshop, ‘Realising the Dream: Project Planning for Bush Restoration,’ is scheduled for Saturday, November 18, offering practical advice on bush regeneration, site planning, and exploring restored forests. For further inquiries and updates, interested parties can contact the Council’s Rural Landholder Initiative projects officer at environmental.strategies@lismore.nsw.gov.au or phone 02 6625 0500.

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National Recycling Week – What goes around comes around

Northern Rivers residents are being reminded that ‘what goes around comes around’ as North Easte Waste and local councils celebrate National Recycling Week from November 13-19.

Planet Ark’s theme for this year’s event – What goes around comes around – reminds us that much of what we currently send to landfill is actually valuable material that could be reused, repurposed, recycled and kept in circulation.

North East Waste and its member councils have already been working to encourage a regional shift to a ‘circular economy’ through recent initiatives including the Reuse and Repair Trail and Secondhand Saturday.

North East Waste education coordinator Linda Tohver said National Recycling Week was not about recycling more, but recycling better.

“It’s about quality over quantity and keeping materials in circulation for as long as possible,” Ms Tohver said.

“This benefits the environment by reducing the extraction of virgin materials for new products, as well as the resources it takes to make them.”

As part of this year’s National Recycling Week, North Easte Waste is encouraging everyone to preference reusable products, and to check if they’re recyclable.

Check it before you chuck it! The Australasian Recycling Label Program has made the process of identifying which household products can go in which bin much easier now for householders. Keep an eye out for the instruction labels on common household items (eg. meat trays and cheese containers) that shows which bin each component of the packaging can go into as well as where recycling can occur.

For further information or interviews contact Linda Tohver on 0427 770198.

Also, see our guide to recycling ‘beyond your bin’ here:

• Return and Earn – Currently accepts drink containers such as cans, beer and mixer bottles, cartons, juice boxes and poppers.

• Various take- back schemes through TerraCycle are now in place for a variety of beauty, self-care and dental products.

• Handheld and car batteries, paints, oils, gas bottles, fluoro globes and tubes and smoke detectors are accepted for FREE at any of the north coast’s Community Recycling Centres (CRC).

• For small quantities of some problem wastes, such as handheld batteries and mobile phones, residents have access to the region’s network of 30 FREE Community Recycling Stations (CRS) installed by Councils and North East Waste. They can be found at various easy to access locations across the region including some libraries, Council Administration Centres and Community Centres.

• Most handheld batteries can also be recycled at any B-cycle drop off point available at participating retailers including Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Bunnings and Battery World.

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Green alert for blue-green algae in Oxley River

Bray Park Weir amber alert remains in place, Clarrie Hall Dam alert downgraded – Tweed Shire Council has issued a green alert for blue-green algae in the Oxley River after low algae levels were detected at the Tyalgum Weir.

Although a green alert means algae is present in low densities in the waterway, tap water across the Tweed remains safe to drink and bathe in.

Today, Council also downgraded its alert for Clarrie Hall Dam, with reduced algae levels recorded in the waterbody.

The amber alert for blue-green algae at the Bray Park Weir issued in October 2023 remains in place.

The Tyalgum Weir pictured on Monday 6 November. Council has issued a green alert for blue-green algae in the Oxley River at Tyalgum.

Council’s Water and Wastewater Operations manager Brie Jowett warned the community and visitors to stay clear of the affected waterways and not to eat fish caught from them.

“Council always takes a precautionary approach with blue-green algae and we are advising against any recreational activities that involve contact with the affected water,” Mrs Jowett said.

“If anyone comes into contact with the algae, we advise them to rinse it off with fresh water and seek medical advice if symptoms appear.”

Scientists from the NATA-accredited Tweed Laboratory Centre are testing the affected waterways twice a week.

Mrs Jowett said tap water throughout the Tweed remained safe to drink and bathe in despite the alerts.

“We source the Tweed’s tap water from the Oxley and Tweed rivers but our water treatment processes are robust,” she said.

Council advises against any recreational activities that involve contact with waterways where algae is present. If you come into contact with the algae, rinse it off with fresh water and seek medical advice if symptoms appear.

“We remove blue-green algae from affected water when blooms occur, so our tap water remains perfectly safe to drink and bathe in.”

Blue-green algae occurs naturally and can reproduce quickly in still or slow-flowing water, when it is warm and sunny and the water is nutrient-rich.

Affected water may appear to have a green paint-like scum on the water or near the edges, or greenish clumps. It can have a musty odour.

Warning signs are being placed near the Oxley River at Tyalgum to inform the public of the presence of blue-green algae and any potential risk.

Warning signs remain along the Tweed River upstream of the Bray Park Weir.

For the latest, visit Council’s website at tweed.nsw.gov.au/waterandwastewater. For more information on blue-green algae, visit waternsw.com.au/water-quality/algae.

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