Eve Jeffery
Once upon a time Graeme Batterby was travelling in India and met a young man who asked for help to build a health clinic in his rural village. This gradually morphed into a women’s empowerment program as he and partner Wendy Royston saw the need.
‘Given my background as a child of Holocaust survivors, I have always felt very keenly the need to address inequality wherever I’ve seen it,’ says Wendy. ‘First we worked in micro-finance and now we are working in reproductive and child-health, education and literacy.
The project, now called Women’s Empowerment in Indian Villages (WEIV), is an NGO established by Northern Rivers residents Wendy and Graeme and managed by a team of Byron and Lismore-based volunteers.
Since Rous County Council voted to abandon the Dunoon Dam as a potential solution to the future water needs of the Northern Rivers, a new group has emerged called Our Future Northern Rivers. As of this morning, 74 people have liked the group on Facebook and it has 103 followers. Austin Curtin. Photo supplied.
Tregeagle macadamia farmer Austin Curtin stood unsuccessfully for the Nationals in the state seat of Lismore at the last election. He is the spokesperson for Our Future Northern Rivers.
Mr Curtin agreed to answer a few questions from
The Echo on condition that his answers were printed in full.
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Bluesfest has received a massive international honour amid the continuing aftermath if its shock 2021 cancellation.
The Byron Bay music festival was named a finalist in the Pollstar Awards nominations for Music Festival Of The Decade on Wednesday â the only Australian festival, event or venue to be nominated for this award.
Bluesfest Festival director Peter Noble said the recognition was âup there with the greatest things that has ever happened in (his) 50 years in the industryâ.
âAfter all we have been through since the start of the pandemic, with two cancellations, including one which occurred the day before we were all set and ready to open our gates, it is a pleasure to be offered something positive for Bluesfest,â he said.
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Bluesfest has received a massive international honour amid the continuing aftermath if its shock 2021 cancellation.
The Byron Bay music festival was named a finalist in the Pollstar Awards nominations for Music Festival Of The Decade on Wednesday â the only Australian festival, event or venue to be nominated for this award.
Bluesfest Festival director Peter Noble said the recognition was âup there with the greatest things that has ever happened in (his) 50 years in the industryâ.
âAfter all we have been through since the start of the pandemic, with two cancellations, including one which occurred the day before we were all set and ready to open our gates, it is a pleasure to be offered something positive for Bluesfest,â he said.
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Subscriber only The Future Water Project 2060 includes a new plan for underground water extraction on the Northern Rivers. After the Dunoon dam was shelved by Rous councillors at the December 2020 meeting, a new plan was needed to secure water delivery to Byron, Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley. Currently, the four shires get their water from Rocky Creek Dam, Emigrant Creek Dam and the Wilsons River. But since NSW Government estimates that demand for water in the area will be higher than the supply by 2024, Rous chair Keith Williams said the need for a new action plan was urgent.