$16 million tender accepted for civic centre

By Tim Howard

There has been some positive news for the Clarence Valley with a number of projects that have been on the drawing board for some time reaching significant milestones says Clarence Valley Mayor Ray Smith.

He said two controversial projects, the Clarence River Aquatic Centre and Treelands Drive Community Centre in Yamba, would be completed this year there was good news for Maclean.

At the last council meeting it was revealed the long awaited Maclean Civic Centre is about get underway with the acceptance of a $16.19 million tender offer.

The successful tender came from award winning building company Reeman Constructions, which has only recently completed works in Coffs Harbour on St John Paul College and received glowing reviews.

The council has been given a hurry-up however, with the NSW Government threatening to terminate its $4.977million Bushfire Local Economic Recovery grant.

The grants, which were awarded for projects that built resilience into communities affected by the 2019-20 bushfires, had deadlines associated with them.

The Maclean Civic Centre project experienced significant delays due to design and planning changes and the funding body, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development warned it would terminate the grant unless it was spent ahead of a June 2025 deadline.

The BLER representatives were concerned the council was not committed to the project and in January told council they did not accept a variation request submitted last year to extend the deadline.

The department was concerned the council could spend the grant on the basement slab, while delaying construction of the building, which was not part of the funding agreement.

But the council has said it was confident the BLER funding could be spent ahead of deadline and it could confirm with certainty that council was committed to delivering the project.

Demolition of the old civic centre at 48 River St, Maclean, began in November.

Cr Smith said it full steam ahead with the aquatic centre official opening locked in for March 22, although the centre’s 50m pool was already open.

“The 50m pool is already open every day and schools have been holding swimming carnivals there,” he said.

The new centre will be open all year, with two indoor 25m pools also part of the centre.

Cr Smith said the third item of good news was that work on the Treelands Drive Community Centre in Maclean was on target for a July opening.

He said the community centre would provide Yamba with a state of the art facility including a much larger and improved library for the community.

For more local news, click here.

Police called to council meeting

By Tim Howard

A protester whose actions required police to intervene in the latest Clarence Valley Council meeting has vowed to ramp up community civil disobedience.

A prominent council critic, Craigh McNeill, began interjecting during debate at the council meeting last Thursday in Grafton, causing Mayor Ray Smith to adjourn the meeting while police were called to restore order.

The protest occurred when the first item of business on the agenda was called, a Mayoral Minute dealing with the performance review of the general manager, Laura Black, which recommended she receive a 2.5% pay rise.

The protesters began calling out, objecting to the recommendation in the Mayoral Minute and making claims about Ms Black’s performance since she became general manager in 2022.

Mr McNeill and two other protesters left the chambers escorted by police.

Mr McNeill is the administrator for a Facebook page called The Clarence Forum, on which he has posted many criticisms of the council and its staff.

After the protest, a video was posted on it of Mr McNeill and the two others talking to a police officer outside the council chambers.

The police said no charges had been laid and the protesters were allowed to leave after giving assurances they would not return to the meeting.

But Mr McNeill has promised the protests would continue and has written to Cr Smith warning that there would be a protest at the next council meeting calling for a “no confidence motion” in the general manager.

“As part of our preparations, I am completing a Notice of Intention to Hold a Public Assembly to ensure safety and minimise impacts on the surround area,” he wrote.

“Could you please advice on the number of supporters you would need to see in order to consider moving forward with a ‘no confidence motion’?”

In the post containing the video of his interaction with police, Mr McNeill

A Grafton police officer speaks with one of the protesters, Craigh McNeill, outside the Clarence Valley Council chambers in Grafton last Thursday, after polce were called to the chambers to deal with a disturbance during the meeting. The image has been taken from a video posted on social media by Mr McNeill.

“Today, I stood up at a Clarence Valley Council meeting to address serious concerns about misleading information being provided by Ms Black to councillors, the state government, and the public,” the post read.

“Instead of being heard, I was silenced. The police were called, and I was told that I had created ‘fear and alarm’.

“Is this what democracy looks like in our community?

“When we speak out against potential wrongdoing, are we to be met with intimidation and accusations of causing fear?

“It seems that questioning authority is now a threat to public order.”

Cr Smith said he was pleased Mr McNeill had decided to go through the proper channels of advising him and the police that he was organising a public assembly at the next council meeting.

But he disagreed completely with the substance of Mr McNeill’s criticism of the general manager.

“I would refute completely any claims of misconduct by the general manager,” he said.

“And I won’t be supporting his request for a vote of no confidence in the general manager.

“Only last Thursday I moved a mayoral minute which endorsed the performance of the general manager and recommended a pay increase for her.”

Cr Smith said the decision had been reached during confidential session, but confirmed the vote had been tight, 5-4 in favour of his Mayoral Minute.

He also confirmed that two of the four councillors on the performance review panel had voted against the pay rise for the general manager.

The panel consisted of Cr Smith, deputy mayor Cr Greg Clancy, Cr Cristie Yager and Cr Debrah Novak.

Cr Smith said the during the process of the performance review panel meeting, there had been a consensus on the performance of the general manager.

There had been discussion of the process of the performance review panel and to give it some “tweaks” to reduce generic content and add more specific, localised performance indicators.

On social media Cr Debrah Novak said the protesters achieved nothing and councillors “had another cup of tea” while police spoke to the them.

“The three people who sought their five seconds of FB fame achieved zero,” she wrote.

“The police were called not because they were protesting, not because they were yelling at us, but because they refused to leave the chamber so that the meeting could continue with the important business of the day.”

Once the councillors returned to the meeting, the Mayoral Minute was moved into confidential session, on a motion from Cr Greg Clancy.

But some uncertainty remains about the decision as both the recording of the meeting and the minutes of it have not been released.

Cr Smith said he understood there had been some technical issues with the recording, but the minutes would be available by Tuesday.

For more local news, click here.

Elderly Woman Airlifted After Serious Crash on Big River Way, Ulmarra

A woman in her 70s has been airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital after a motor vehicle collision on Big River Way, Ulmarra on Wednesday, 19 February.

Emergency services were called to the scene around 10 AM, with NSW Ambulance paramedics and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter’s critical care medical team treating the woman for multiple injuries before transporting her to hospital.

Further details on her condition have not been released. Authorities are urging motorists to exercise caution on the roads as investigations into the incident continue.

Williamson Slams Minns Government for Failing To Act On Youth Crime In Richmond And Clarence Valleys

State Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson, has condemned the Minns Labor Government for failing to address rising youth crime in the Richmond and Clarence Valleys, following its $4 million funding boost to tackle youth crime in Bourke and Kempsey—while ignoring other high-need areas.

Mr Williamson said while the funding for Bourke and Kempsey is welcome, it does nothing to assist victims of youth crime in his electorate.

“Youth crime is spiralling out of control, and the Minns Government continues to sit on its hands,” Mr Williamson said.

“Every day, I hear from families, small businesses, and community members who are suffering because of escalating crime.

“The people of the Richmond and Clarence Valleys deserve real solutions—not selective handouts that leave communities behind. We need urgent legislative reform and real investment in crime prevention because right now, this government is failing us.”

A long-time advocate for crime reduction strategies, Mr Williamson is calling for stronger bail laws, increased police resources, and targeted intervention programs to address the root causes of youth crime.

“Chris Minns and his Government cannot continue to ignore the crisis in the Richmond and Clarence Valleys. We need action now—our communities deserve better than failed policies and empty promises.”

For more local news, click here.

Winner’s work to grace Plunge booklets

By Tim Howard

Just in time for the launch of the 2025 Plunge Arts & Culture Festival, the winners of the 2025 InFocus photography competition have been released.

The timing is important as the major prize winning photograph appears on the cover of the 2025 Plunge program.

This year’s major winner in the Plunge category is local radio announcer Misty Fisher with her work entitled Jacaranda Sky.

The major prize winner of the 2025 InFocus photography competition is Misty Fisher’s work, Jacaranda Sky.

Judges described Jacaranda Sky as a contemporary composition of Jacaranda blossoms in vibrant colour.

In the community category Abigail Smith, pitched her work, the Woodford Island Crew to the judges.

The photo of Woodford Island Crew is a joyful image that celebrates canine contributions to our community.

Kathy Brown’s Little Dandahra Creek is a well executed concept that is a literal representation of ‘plunge’.

In the Landscape category Kathy Brown’s Little Dandahra Creek caught the eye of the judges.

They said Little Dandahra Creek is a well executed concept that is a literal representation of ‘plunge’.

The Environment category winner was  Mitchell Forrester with The Milky Way, Cane Fire and McFarlane Bridge.

Mitchell Forrester’s The Milky Way, Cane Fire and McFarlane Bridge is a technically difficult and successfully executed scenic photograph.

Judges said The Milky Way, Cane Fire and McFarlane Bridge was a technically difficult and successfully executed scenic photograph.

In the People category Paisley Faith Padayachee’s In the Spotlight was the winner, described as quirky self-capture that is unique and interesting.

Five winners will each receive a $500 prize, and their images will be featured in the 2025 program.

Paisley Faith Padayachee’s In the Spotlight selfie took out the People section with its quirk subject matter.

Large-scale banners featuring the winning photographs will be on display in the courtyard of the Grafton Regional Gallery from Thursday, March 27 through the month of April.

Since the judging the photographs have been displayed at the gallery and other venues across the Valley.

The festival is the Clarence Valley’s premier month-long celebration of culture offering a smorgasbord of more than 120 events throughout April.

Abigail Smith’s photo Woodford Island Crew is a joyful image that celebrates canine contributions to our community

The free, 84-page program gives locals and visitors everything they need to know to ‘plunge’ head-first into arts and culture.

Printed copies are available at council offices, libraries, galleries and a range of arts and cultural businesses.

For more local news, click here.