NAMBUCCA COMMUNITY NEWS NAMBUCCA HEADS - MACKSVILLE - AND SURROUNDING AREAS ISSUE 5. June 2021 Published by the Nambucca Senior Citizens Club Inc.11 Kent Street Nambucca Heads NSW The Dying with Dignity Dilemma By Rachel Burns Dr Max Brimsmead (pictured with Dr Helena Johnston) of Coffs Harbour, is a retired obstetrician with a career span- ning nearly forty years. He recounts, “it was my privilege to watch and medical- ly assist mothers and many fathers to prepare for a new life.” It is remarkable that in retirement he has taken up the campaign to get a bill through the NSW Parliament that would permit doctors to assist those at the other end of the spectrum, the ter- minally ill, who wish to undertake Volun- vanced, incurable, irreversible and will tary Assisted Dying (VAD). cause the person’s death in the next six Victoria was the first state in Australia to months or twelve months for neuro- legislate VAD laws in 2017, which came degenerative disorders. into effect in 2019. West Australia fol- In the case of Tasmania three requests lowed, then Tasmania. must be made to access VAD, each of To be eligible to access VAD in these which comes with checks and balances. states you must be over 18, have the ca- Tim Jackson, Tasmanian chair of the Roy- pacity to make the decision, be acting al Australian College of GPs, says, voluntarily and be suffering intolerably “It’s a world class bill with plenty of safe- from a medical condition that is ad- guards.” (cont. page 11.) WHAT’S INSIDE: What’s On- pages 12/13 United Hospital Auxiliary-page 2 History Story- page 14/15 Nambucca Orchid Show- page 3 Arts Council Concert- page 18/19 Kian Road Fire Book Review-p. 5 Councillor David Jones- Page 20 Mayors Feedback -page 7 Library Book Review- page 22 Tackling Youth Issues- page 10 Note from the Editors- page 26 Nambucca Red Cross Award p.11 2NVR News-p. 29 & Back Page 1 BowraMacksville United Hospital Auxiliary Volunteers recently held a raffle in Nambucca, Macksville and Bowraville to raise funds for our local Macksville Hospital. Many locals may not be aware of the important role this active group have in our valley, raising funds and sup- plying equipment to our local hospital. The President, Isabelle Hooper said, ‘our volunteers do such a wonderful job for our valley.’ In this financial year, they have raised over $60,000 and included: 1. An Ultrasound machine for the Renal Unit- $26,000 2. Education equipment used for training- $16,500 3. Emergency Department—$10,250 ( includes a pain relief machine) 4. Perioperative Life Pak defibrillator- $9000 The groups main fundraiser is the Hospi- tal Café but May was the first time the group were able to fundraise with a raffle since November 2019. In the previous financial year: 2019-2020, the group also donated close to $60,000 with major purchases of 2 bathing beds for Maternity and a defibrillator. UHA THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Does your community group have a story you would like to share with our readers? Would you like to list your event on our What’s On page? Just send the details to [email protected]. Contributions must be in by the 20th of the month for publication in the next month’s issue. Note that content may be edit- ed for correctness and space restrictions. Nambucca Community News is published monthly with a circulation of 700 copies and an estimated readership of 2,000 in Nambucca Heads, Macksville and surrounding areas. Download available from our website: https://nambuccacommunitynews.org.au Enquiries Email [email protected]. Nambucca Community News reserves the right to alter, omit or change classifications and advertise- ments. The Nambucca Community News does not endorse or promote products or services contained in the newsletter. While every care is taken, the views and or opinions expressed in this newsletter within editorial articles do not necessarily represent the views and or opinions of the Nambucca Senior Citizens Club or any other organisation associated with the production of the Nambucca Community News. Nambucca Community News recognises the Gumbaynggirr nation as the original custodians of this land and pays respect to their elders past present and emerging. 2 Orchid Society May Show: A Blooming Fragrant Event The Nambucca Orchid Society held it’s first show for 2021 at the Nambucca Seniors Hall over the Mother’s Day weekend. The show allows the forty members of the Orchid Society to showcase orchids, bromeliads and cut flowers over three days with a steady stream of locals and visitors admiring the fragrant and colourful displays. Society president, Grahame Beatton was pleased to resume the show after Covid 19 prevented last year’s shows and was happy with the new venue at the Seniors. “We are one of the largest and oldest groups in the area but would welcome new members. Just come along to the Seniors Hall at 11 Kent Street Nam- bucca Heads on the first Monday night of the month. You will be very wel- come.” Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey was one of the admirers at the show and being a keen gardener snapped up some of the plants on sale. The next Orchid Show for spring will be over the Father’s Day weekend in September. Photos show Melinda Pavey MP, Grahame Beatton, Orchid Society president and Seniors president June Boag at the show and a creative piece by Max McKay. Just for Laughs:- A guy goes to a pet store to buy a goldfish. The salesman asks him, "Do you want an aquarium?" The guy responds, "I don't care what star sign it is! "Two cows are grazing in a field. One cow says to the other, "You ever worry about that mad cow disease?" The other cow says, "Why would I care? I'm a helicopter!" 3 4 Eighth November: The Kian Road Fire 2019 A Story For All Of Us By Rachel Burns Reading Eighth November The Kian Road Fire 2019 by Carrolline Rhodes is no light task. There is much to inform, confront, shock, sadden, challenge and one or two laughs (I will get back to that later) in this book. But overwhelm- ingly this book is a tour de force of the story of a community faced with a “violent invasion” and how it changed them. Reading the book changed me. Here are the people I stand next to in the shop queue. The people at the cafe and those at events by the river. Our neigh- bours who confronted disaster and somehow survived are on every page. The system failed frequently. Where is Kian Road everyone asked when the fire warnings came up. Truly no one knew. How do you get people to follow apps when they have no internet reception? What fool at Family and Commu- nity Services said homemade emergency donations of food had to have the ingredients listed or not be used? Why was Centrelink closed? What effect did the failure to have local consultation on fire prevention and backburning have? The book tells the story in a way that all disasters should be ultimately re- counted. So that figures, charts and statistics don’t dominate our recall. That the human voices come through. So that the recommendations if spells out are meaningful. I am trying to be cheerful after reading this book, but it is difficult. Just Raymond the al- paca springs to mind. He was last seen charging towards an immense fireball in a crazed effort to find the safety of a home surrounded by fire. He was given up to his fate. The next morning, with paddocks still on fire, who should come sauntering up the driveway complete with smug expression but this heroic alpaca. Everyone should read this book. If we could all appreciate the danger, the loss, the fear that our community went through then maybe the healing will be a little faster. Photo is author Carrolline Rhodes at the book launch at Macksville Ex-Services Club. 5 Gumbaynggirr Words of the Month From Kerrie Anne Jarrett, Project Officer Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) 6 Feedback from the Mayor Cr Rhonda Hoban OAM In response to a reader: In 2010 after community input Coun- cil adopted the Nambucca River Masterplan which includes improvements to the foreshore in the lower estuary area de- signed to both protect and enhance the natural environment and to improve the accessibility and enjoyment of the area by the community. A more site specific detailed plan for the V- Wall area was adopted in 2019 again after pubic exhibition and community in- put. Actually implementing these plans has been subject to funding and we have been very fortunate recently in receiving grant funding which has al- lowed us to complete a significant amount of the identified work. There is still more to be done and Council will continue to progress the plans as funding be- comes available. The current funded work is almost complete. We are expecting contract line markers in the valley before the end of June and one of their tasks will be to mark hatched areas at the pram ramp to the BBQ area and other locations which should clearly identify the access points and resolve the problem of in- appropriate parking. Council will monitor the area near the showers. Temporary bollards will re- main until we can access further funds to continue with the widening of the foreshore promenade past this point. Constructing a safe access to the eastern side of the short wall will be a diffi- cult and expensive project however Council has lodged an application under the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery (BLERF) Program to design and con- struct an access.