Terania Times #107

Editorial Your magazine

is isa communitymagazinesowewant ittobe lledwitharticles frommembers ofour local community!

We welcome your articles,photographs, stories and other contributions. It’s always a good idea to have someone else read it to see if it makes sense.Please keep articles to under 800 words,letters under 300 words and include a phone number in case we need to contact you. All letters are,as far as practicable,left in their original form.Some stylistic or formatting alterations may be made to t layout requirements but the spelling, grammar,punctuation,expression,opinions and information they contain are all their authors’own work.

Executive contributors

Editor,Advertising Enquires&Layout

Ray Flanagan

AccountsSteve Cooke

Cover photograph- disc golfers,Danny,Devi, Donovan,Geoff,Miz,Moni,Jason,Heather and their new "Proper" basket

T.T.#107 contributors

Bob Keane

Jason Gough

Cath Lewis

Robyn Kelly

Ivy Young

Susan Paget

Geoff Allen

Keith Gasteen

Lina Svensson

Terri Nicholson

Andy Putnam

Gaz Moore

Helena NorbergHodge

Hugh Nicholson TCCC Committee

Liandra Martiniello Jen Ireland Disclaimer

e views and opinions expressed in Terania Times are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the editors,the advertising or administrative team members.

The year marches on! I sit on my couch with computer on my lap and leg elevated to relieve the swelling in my broken foot - the show must go on!

I had occasion to make a road trip to Brisvegas recently to get a couple of bandsaw blades sharpened among other things.Now it's not easy to transport a 3.6 metre x 25mm blade so I decided to 'fold' the blade as I had in the past with smaller blades.I only vaguely remembered the technique so decided to consult the digital oracle,'you tube'.As my failures mounted I trolled my way through the many video tutorials,each with their own variations on the technique,I began to accumulate more cuts and scratches and to add more body protections.I had almost given up hope on day 2 when,dressed in full body armour, my 'one last try' yielded success.

Brisbane was equally as stressful as bandsaw folding.I had a few locations to visit spread around the metropolis and had planned to rely on the GPS on my phone to navigate.Unfortunately my GPS decided not to talk to me and I was forced to keep pulling off the road to consult my Gregory's street directory.In future I will be doing my business by mail and telephone.

is month (April) we lost two

long-time locals Merle Bellmaine and Kev Lutherborrow.Merle lived in Terania Ck and e Channon and Kev,a personal dear friend,in e Channon then Rose Road.May they rest in peace.I hope to have their stories in our next edition. We have a new book to serialise - 'Local is Our Future' by Helena Norberg-Hodge.Helena is a pioneer of the worldwide localization movement,recipient of the 'Alternative Nobel Prize' and producer of award-winning documentary e Economics of Happiness.I hope you like it.

ere has been a necessary increase in our advertising rates due to the rising cost of printing.It seems there hasn't been an increase since the inception of e Terania Times in early 2005 - that's 18 years.It's still good value as we don't actively solicit new advertising and consequently the ads we do have stand out.New rates are on page 19.

OnSat 15th April,the AGM of e Channon Resilience Inc.was held at e Channon Hall.

It was well attended and it was wonderful to hear the summaries by the outgoing committee.It really is inspiring, everything that has been achieved since we became incorporated to enable us to go for grants etc as a community.Please know that as the umbrella hub for community projects that help our resilience on all levels,it is a-happening.We always welcome people to get involved. anks and welcome to executive committee members. anks to the outgoing committee members for their input and energy since we formed at the last AGM.Ivy Young (president),Zoe Dodd (vice-president),Robyn Kelly (treasurer), Martha Beasley (secretary),Annie Kia (chair),Terri Nicholson (public officer).

Welcome to the new executive members Lee Duncan (president),Zoe Dodd (vice-president),Robyn Kelly (treasurer) Rebecca McKenna (secretary),Kath Fisher (chair),Terri Nicholson (public officer),and to the other general members,new and ongoing,who contribute to decisions and focus for the group.We value every one of you.

Current projects that e Channon Resilience is focussing on

• e Channon Emergency Radio Network

• Terania-Keerrong Flood Safety Project

• Container with disaster preparedness tools and equipment & workshops

Re-vamping of e Commons Project (the triangle of land between the shop and the pub).Years ago there was alot done in terms of planning for a much prettier and more functional community space in that area,but funds ran out and so it is only now getting focussed on again with current funds.If you are keen to be part of a sub-group relating to decisions and actions about e Commons,please email thechannonresilience@gmail.com and we’ll let you know when a meeting is happening.

ere are many other projects and topics to do with disaster preparedness, overall resilience or community wellbeing,that have already been identi ed by our community as being of bene t.We just need people to get involved or to convene a meeting to get the ball rolling again.Feel free to take the initiative.To see the disaster plan list or the community action groups that need some energy to get momentum going again,please have a look on our community website www. thechannonhub.org .

eVoice toParliament

Following on from my story about Foundation Documents and the Voice to Parliament, in last month’s Evening Nibble,I was pleased to read a ne article in a recent episode of the Guardian,written by Aboriginal academic,Professor Ian Anderson.

I’ll just quote his nal paragraphs: “ e referendum gives Australians a clear choice.Vote yes to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as rst peoples and create a constitutional principle upon which the government must establish an Indigenous voice to parliament.

The Evening Nibble

support for the Government environment legislation.

Contesting the progressive case for no,ANTAR

https://antar.org.au › Blog

Emergency Housing Flatpacks

Another great article I picked up from the Guardian is contained in the link below.It is a very inspiring account of how a small group of motivated and switched on retirees set up a Go Fund Me site to fund the construction of emergency housing on the far south coast in the Bega Shire,following the devastating bush res.

https://www.theguardian.com/ australia-news/2023/mar/19/its-up-tous-squeezed-by-housing-crisis-communitynds-own-solution

I took the kids toTennant Creek for a stint making mudbrick houses,my old friend Peter Hamilton from Bodhi Farm shared some of his experience a generation before,living with the Pintubi people in Central Australia.He suggested I should scoop out a hollow in the sandy soil and line it with spinifex grass and then pour Aquadhere glue over it to make reinforced panels.It sounded plausible but I had no idea when I would lay my hands on such quantities of glue! Who knows what might have happened if I had followed through on Pater’s suggestion and sourced a large commercial quantity.

e nal details of the Voice will be resolved through legislation,creating a structure to speak truth to power.It will strengthen Indigenous self-determination as envisioned by the protest movement of the 1970s.

A no vote rejects this recognition and the principle of consultation.What does that say to the 50 years of black activism in our country?”

( e full article can be found in the link below.)

As I have observed elsewhere,politics is the art of the possible and compromise is usually required in order to seal a deal which is better than no deal; c/f Greens

is morning (Easter Saturday) I listened to a very humorous and informative show on Radio National Blueprint for Living about at-pack housing and the role of a certain Swedish designer in the development of some very innovative at pack housing that is being delivered to an array of locations in our war-torn and shattered world. e Better Shelter Foundation has developed a at pack that is easy to erect.You start with tubular steel frame,to which is attached well insulated hard plastic sheeting walls and oor,with photo-voltaic cells on the roof, for lighting and also recharging mobile phones. ese shelters are more secure than the traditional tents and much better served to withstand extremes of weather.(Not an allen key in sight,just a hammer!)

Another company has developed a concrete impregnated roll which you lay over the frame and it sets after it is sprayed with water.A bit like our old plaster cast days for immobilising broken bones and gathering autographs.

ACentralian touch

irty years ago when Andrea and

It couldn’t have been any worse than the style of housing we were building then.I remember the joy that our mudbrick machine operator,Bindi, expressed when he came to his tin house and found that someone had locked his prized rooster inside to keep it safe from the camp dogs.All the mob just used their tin houses to store meat and other perishables; and sleep outside in a bough shelter or on the ground behind a windbreak made with a couple of sheets of tin.

ePinknosed surfboard movement

In a delightful follow up to Ray’s story about sur ng in the Solomon Islands in last month’sTT,I caught a story on Radio National Saturday Extra 25.3.23, detailing a move by some of the sur ng fraternity in Australia who are fundraising and painting surfboards with a pink nose in order to safeguard the donated boards so that they go to aspiring women surfers instead of being snaffled by the guys! Change is under way,with women now being allowed to hold positions in surf clubs in PNG,where the whole movement is having positive spin-offs into other parts of the society.

AQUARIUS 50 CELEBRATION MAY 12-21st

With this year's 50th Anniversary of Aquarius we revisit many of the things that were birthed from the early days.

ere are 70 intentional communities in the Northern Rivers that grew from ideals to live more in tune with the land and with our own tribes.Energy and the Rainbow Power Company.Organic farming and agriculture.Homebirth and midwifery care.Self knowledge and the idea of being a healer to oneself. is was all with a steady mix of activism in many areas including saving forests while working with our indigenous brothers and sister.Nuclear protests,CSG,drug law reform and many more.Over 10 days we will be exploring the many ways that things come to pass.You will be able to see all the events on the website.

GreeenNews

GlobalEVSales

Onthe topic of electric transport, global sales of electric vehicles continue to ramp up,with record numbers of full battery electric vehicles sold in 2022.

Unsurprisingly,the biggest pure EV company in the world, Tesla,also sold more BEVs than any other manufacturer, topping out at over 1.3 million vehicles.Chinese company BYD was the second largest EV maker at over 900,000 vehicles,which is not surprising, given they are also the second largest battery manufacturer on the planet.

Overall,total BEV sales

Each day will have a theme as follows:-

Friday 12th First Nations day welcoming of Elders and Aquarians

Saturday13thSpirit.Let there be light

Sunday 14thHolistic Health,Healing and Homebirth.

Monday15thAlternative Energy,Building and Agriculture

Tuesday16th Politics,Activism and the Environment

Wednesday17th Art and Artists – Life is Art

ursday18th Community Let's live together.

Friday 19th Honouring Elders and Remembrance.Death and Dying

Saturday20th Youth day.Young and

young at heart

Sunday 21st Renewal and Peace day

www.aquarius50.com.au

FB: Nimbin Aquarius 50th

Insta: Nimbin Aquarius

Radio: NimFm Fridays 5-7 live or online.

TICKETS are availablenow. www.aquarius50.com.au/ticketing/ $300/250 for a10DAYPASS or$40perday.

Program is nowonline

approached 7.7 million, but sadly only around 0.5% of those were in Australia. Around half,or 3.8 million of that total were from just the top ve manufacturers—Tesla,BYD,SAIL,VW Group and Geely/Volvo.It's interesting that only one of the incumbent manufacturers,VW is in the top ve, and doesn't bode well for the other incumbents,most of which should be far further along with electri cation than they currently are.

ev-volumes.com,bit.ly/ CTEVR2022

Lung sh are a rare and prehistoric sh aptly named for the fact that they have a lung and breathe air just as we do. is unique adaptation has allowed them to survive since prehistoric times,surviving during dry times and when water quality is reduced.Hence Lung sh have retained a special niche in the evolutionary scale and attracted scienti c interest and research.

Following a number of interesting reports from local residents,Tuntable Creek Landcare discussed the possibility of testing for the presence of Australian Lungsh in Terania Creek.Emily from Richmond Landcare Inc.was at that meeting and took some of the enthusiasm to contacts in OzFish.More interest and support from OzFish resulted in a eld day looking at stream health and sampling protocols for eDNA testing.eDNA testing involves trying to detect traces of shed DNA in the creek water close to where sightings have been made.Participants had a chance to get wet and put into practice the sampling techniques taught on the day.As well as getting samples for eDNA testing we scooped with dip nets to gather invertebrates which we keyed out for identi cation.

e type and prevalence of different species gives telling clues about the health of the stream.Also,we were instructed on the use of baited camera traps,however no monsters of the deep revealed themselves on the day.

We met at our rst sample site just behind the Tavern,a part of e Channon that was metres underwater in March 2022. e deluge receded to reveal a remodelled creek

bed with some lovely sandy beaches and pebbly creek bottom ideal for our eld-day and perfect for a picnic. ere was general agreement that the wonderful natural assets of e Channon’s creeks are largely unappreciated by most residents.If the riparian zone of our creeks is left unmanaged it is most certainly going to be weed-infested and inaccessible. is is obvious when comparing the side of the creeks where regen work has been undertaken with the untreated side which is an impenetrable thicket of exotic weeds including Madeira Vine and Small-leaved Privet. e oods again reminded us of the dynamic nature of stream morphology in this area.Walking the creek-side it’s clear that the sandbanks and meandering of the creek can and do change with every high ow through the creek.Once established,riparian plantings, such as behind Coronation Park,can slow the water and reduce its abrading effect, shade the water and encourage variety in the stream bed including all-important deep holes.Once established,riparian plantings require much less maintenance to remain weed-free but considerable labour input is required to get to that stage.At the moment that work is being done by very few dedicated folk (not inclined to blow their own trumpet) who are pretty well stretched keeping up with the workload they have created for themselves.

e Lung sh eld day was a great success with learning and interaction with experts in aquatic ecosystems and similarly motivated people involved

in an activity inspired by local citizen scientists,which if it were to yield positive results would bring great enthusiasm and presumably funding to e Channon. e side bene ts to this eld day are considerable but if we were to nd convincing evidence of such a rare and ancient animal it would be big news indeed.Perhaps,like the Nightcap Oak,the Lung sh has been around,under our noses all this time.

Initial sampling of invertebrates in Terania Creek indicates a healthy

creek.Results of eDNA tests (within months) will tell us some of the larger inhabitants of the creek and whilst a negative result for lung sh would be inconclusive,if the results come back positive you won’t have to wait for the next Terania Times to nd out.

A short video was made on the day which we will make available in due course.

If you’re reading this,well,I’ve made it.I haven’t thrown in the towel,packed the bags and bought a one-way ticket back to the city.

Actually scratch that.

WE have all made it through the “I Give Up”time - what I’ve come to call the months between December and March.It’s a big deal.

As I begin my fth year of living up here,I’ve learned that humidity clashing with summer sunshine is a recipe for fast and furious plant growth.Tis the season when looking after our property becomes an exercise in chasing our tails.Everything grows as if blasted with steroids. e weeds sprout weeds.I often hear myself saying that we should put a time-lapse camera on the overnight garden growth spurts,but on those hot and sweaty days the idea of picking up another tool doesn’t seem that enticing and we never do.

For someone like me,who prefers life on the tidy side and drools over properties mowed like golf courses,this “I Give Up”time brings on extreme overwhelm. Our place starts looking more feral than usual and my head gets heavy with to-do lists as a million outdoor projects demand attention.It gives me some

comfort that my local mentors admit that this time of year leaves them feeling the same.I guess I just haven’t clocked up enough hours here where I can let the demands of this full-on season roll off my back and not give a ying fark.

You can’t say I don’t try though.Each summer I give “giving up”a red-hot go.Logically I know it’s impossible to

at happened at the end of March when I had a show down with a bold cane toad,smack in the middle of some garden stairs alongside our house.Rather than thinking about removing it (or realistically asking my husband to do it for me),I simply looked at the thing and said,“You’re safe today mate”and kept on walking.

As much as I’ve learned that these summers are testing,I also know they don’t last and that come Easter,there’s an abrupt climate change that happens almost overnight. e temperature drops,the air dries and everything,even the damn weeds, seems to breathe a sigh of relief. You can whipper-snip and the orderly results will actually hold for a week,maybe more.And that’s where we are right now.

keep up.I tell myself this over and over. Spiritually I see the lesson,an excellent opportunity to practice non-attachment and be gentler with the expectations I set for myself.

But it’s freaking hard and so far,the only way I’ve been able to let go is when my mind,body and soul have had a gut full.

e “I Give Up”time has become the “I Can Get Ahead”time. But emerging out of these hectic few months,I have to admit that I’m nursing a kind of hangover. e sweat,heat and futility of trying to create order from chaos will take a while to shake off.It’s still fresh.Right now,comfortably out in the garden on an Autumn afternoon,I can’t help but re ect that once again I made it through the “I Give Up”time.And it feels like a victory.

patch

Most people nd ants annoying at best.Usually the aim is to kill them.To stop them marching in single le along the skirting board into the kitchen.Ants are a part of our everyday life.Ants are a part of our ecology.

Ants are everywhere,except Antarctica,Greenland,Iceland and a few remote islands.Australia has about 1300 species of ants.Ants can be bene cial or destructive in the garden.Some ants sting and/or bite. ey always cross the picnic blanket!

Ants form colonies consisting of a queen,non-fertile female workers and the fertile male drones. e colonies are superorganisms,with a division of labour between members.Some ants might guard the nest entrance while some forage for food and some tend to the ant larvae in the nest. ey communicate with each other through scent to indicate food sources,pathways and threats.

e queen lays eggs which hatch into grubs or larvae. e larva is fed by nursery ants that regurgitate liquid for them, and later feed them solid food. e larva will develop into a particular member of the colony dependent on what nutrition is supplied.Queens can live up to 30 years,workers 1-3 years,and drones a few weeks.

Ants are known as nature’s engineers. Most species build nests underground where the soil becomes aerated and allows greater water penetration.Some

Greencath Gardening with

Ants (Hymenopteraformicidae)

species live in logs,wall cavities or the bases of potted plants.

Ants prefer dry areas,so greater water absorption into a pot is an ant deterrent.To increase the water-holding ability of potting mix add organic matter and water the potted plant well.Move pot plants regularly to stop ants from nesting in them.

If you spot ants on your citrus,you can be almost certain that aphids,psyllids,mealy bugs or scale will also be present.Ants carry sap-sucking insects onto plants then the ants feed on the pests sugary secretions. ey protect the pests for food reward. e outcome is a weakened plant and a black sooty mould that covers the plant’s leaves,a result from the sugars on the leaves’surface. Horticultural glue or vaseline applied to masking tape wrapped around a tree trunk will prevent ants climbing up.If there is a load of pests a spray of white oil will kill them.Otherwise leave the infestation to natural predators.

feeding on caterpillars,various larvae including fruit y and codling moth (the bane of apple growers),and many small insects.

My ant management is to do nothing much.I have blocked off the hole that let them into my kitchen,hosed off the aphids,squashed the scale and mealybugs.I am adverse to the lazy option of quick x chemical use.

at said,when I once had a vege garden in Far North Queensland I was painfully stung every other day by the aggressive jumping ant.Regrettably the only way I could get rid of them was by using a deadly ant dust.

Some ants have been introduced into Australia and if spotted need to be reported . e exotic plant pest hotline (also for insects)1800 084 88 or email biosecurity@dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Ants are an important vector in seed dispersal.Around 1500 species of Australian plants produce seeds that have a coating that ants eat after transporting the seeds to their underground nest.

e seed itself is discarded into the nest rubbish tip where it is inadvertently protected from predators and re.Stick insects lay seed lookalike eggs which ants transport to their nest. e hatchlings even look and smell like ants.

Ants are predators in the garden,

Argentine ants are an ecological pest. ey eliminate other ants from their area,will attack nesting birds and their hatching eggs,native fauna and beehives.

Yellow Crazy ants have a long body and very long legs and antennae. ey have an erratic walking style. ey can disrupt natural ecosystems,affect horticulture and cause skin and eye irritations. ese ants are on the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species list. ese ants were detected and eradicated in the quad area in Lismore a few years back.

(continued on page 9)

CathLewisshares somehandytipsto helpyougetmore fromyourvegie

Richmond Landcare Calls on Landholders to Join Koala Habitat Restoration Projects in

Lismore and Ballina Shires

Richmond Landcare is inviting landholders in the Lismore and Ballina Shires to participate in koala habitat restoration projects,in a bid to improve the quality and extent of koala habitat. ese projects aim to help achieve the NSW Government's ambitious target of doubling the number of koalas in the state by 2050, as outlined in the NSW Koala Strategy.

Kath Kermode,Executive Officer at Richmond Landcare,emphasized the importance of collective action and collaboration in preserving this iconic species."We want to be part of the solution and work together with landholders to improve koala habitat and help preserve koalas for future generations," Ms Kermode said.

Koalas were listed as endangered in 2022 and are facing serious threats from habitat loss and climate change,making it crucial to signi cantly increase the area and quality of their habitat in order to achieve the goal of doubling their numbers.

Richmond Landcare is

(continued from page 8)

seeking landholders who have koalas in residence or visiting their properties to register their interest with Richmond Landcare for future funding opportunities.

“By working together,we can help preserve the koala population in the Lismore and Ballina Shires and improve the quality and extent of their habitat,which will in turn bene t a range of other native ora and fauna in the region,” Ms Kermode said.

“Participating landholders will make a valuable contribution to the preservation of the koala population in the region. By registering their interest, landholders will have the opportunity to receive assistance and support from Richmond Landcare to identify what they need help with to preserve koalas into the future.”

To register your interest and join the koala habitat restoration projects,please contact Kath at Richmond Landcare on eo@richmondlandcare.org with your name, location,and contact details.

Let's work together to help preserve and increase the koala population in the Lismore and Ballina Shires.

numbers will swamp a person or animal,repeatedly stinging them.No gardening in re ant territory! Fire ants currently infest SE Qld,but Northern NSW needs to be on the lookout for their nests.

Fire ants have a severe burning sting. ey are aggressive.Large

Rather than destroy insects just because,consider their place in the world and indeed their remarkable physical structure. ey are amazing creatures that are such a vital part of our ecology and deserve our respect.

Flood resistance

Over a year ago now we all awoke one morning in a landscape altered to how we had known it the night before.With such relentlessness the rains came and remained and washed mountains into rivers and calved new paths for ancient creeks.Such an epic moment in time to be witness to.I know I was in shock as I realised the dramatic way in which the landscapes,the creeks,the trees and the plants that I knew had changed.I think many of us were and have remained so over the last year.Some of the scars evident still but for the most part eroded creek banks are regrown with weeds.

When I went to e Channon Gorge after the event,I wondered how bad this really was,was it as bad as it looked? I’ve spent the last 14 months trying to nd answers to this question,here is what I have found so far.

It might not be as bad as it seems.

Let us examine this graph (called an nMDS ordination plot). e points on the plot are labelled according to six survey sites in e Channon Gorge where myself (and Nan Nicholson) have been identifying and counting plants at regular intervals (3,6 and 12 months post ood). e upwards triangles represent before the ood,the inverted triangle represents 3 months after ood,squares are 6 months after ood and diamonds are 12 months after ood. e grey lines with arrows connect each survey site through time. e closer the points are to one another, the more similar they are. e further away they are from one another the less

similar they are.We can see the points on the graph are grouped together based on site number.A pattern can be seen where at 3 months after ood the plots become more different to before ood,then at 6 months post ood they become more different again (the squares are further from the triangles then the inverted triangles). en,at 12 months we can see the sites (aside from 4) becoming more

that all the species that make up that special community are there persisting because they have ways to cope with intense ood events,making the community overall resistant to ood.

So it might not all be as bad as it has seemed.Despite the apparent drama of the ood our beloved rainforest is recovering,still as ecologically valuable as it once was despite cosmetic changes.A

celebratory architectural component in our local landscape in the grips of a changing climate and ampli ed disasters. All hail the holy inspiration, all hail the holy wisdom to be gifted to us from rainforest that has persisted through millions of years in time.

Respect for country,respect for each other

similar to how they were before the ood. So we see a trajectory of each site through time to be ‘recovering’,moving toward a pre- ood state- happy days!

Other facts include that 35% of species were able to resprout after being damaged in the ood and 28% of species were able to germinate seed. e density of seedlings has been increasing exponentially and all tests point to the idea

OpenMic‘23inreview

As many would know,the long awaited return of the Open Mic to the Tavern is done and dusted. is happened in February when we nally set up the marquee in it’s once familiar position. ere was a steady lineup of musicians includingTobi, Glenn,Luke Robinson, eTeraniaTree-o and Norm.It was good to once again be at an iconic local venue experiencing a wider audience.

e venue was still good in March but the weather was not and not for the rst time we moved onto theTavern verandah and Glen and Ray opened the show followed by the ever-reliableTobi.

e next act was a couple from Sydney who are part of a 4 piee band called ' irty YearsToo Late'. ey just happened to be passing through and saw the Open Mic sign outside the park. Saadi followed them saying he hadn't played for some time due to an injury.As there was still plenty of daylight remaining Gerry,usually known as a bass player,picked up a 6 string and led a blues jam with Ray (on drums) and Saadi (on bluesharp).

Unfortunately our April Open Mic had to be cancelled due to a foot injury sustained by our convenor,Ray.At this stage we hope to be back for the May Open Mic at 2pm on 28th.So do come along and join in the fun.

e kitchen is now back in operation,so you can grab

Bluesfest2023

Easter on the North Coast is Bluesfest time. is year my partner and I attended our rst one in three years.Covid had gotten in the way and we got out of the habit but this year the line-up was too good to miss.I am so happy we did as we had a lovely time punctuated by some stellar performances and almost perfect weather.Being a veteran of many Bluefests I was ready with 4 pairs of footwear and two different rain jackets. ankfully apart from a pissy little storm on Friday, the sun blessed us with its healing rays.

Bluesfest 2023 was very much underattended. ere was almost no difficulty getting around the place which made it even more relaxed for punters. Unfortunately this gave the festival a reported $1.5 million loss after some already very tough years. ere are probably a number of reasons for this but tightened purse strings in general is probably the best explanation.Regardless I hope the Bluesfest manages to keep going. It is a great,albeit expensive festival that does very much boost our region’s economy and just as importantly boosts our souls with excellent live music both new and established.

We took in around a dozen acts in three days which is admittedly a bit of a leisurely pace compared to other keener festival goers with long tick lists and a faster walking pace.We had our own goals though and watched full sets of many of the acts we saw.One has to commit and get in early to be up front

for favourite acts as the older Bluesfest audience has much less tolerance for late pushing in.Tent hopping is a great way to check out many acts but not to experience them intimately. at is unless you are watching an artist with the power and presence to reach to the back of the tent and beyond. at was de nitely the case with a singer called LP who is my best stumble upon nd of any festival,ever.

Apparently I am a little late to the LP bandwagon because many people I gushed to about them are already fans. Suffice to say my mind was blown by their incredible voice and remarkable show skills.LP has two voices in one person.One is a low vibrato Piafesque story teller which as a song progresses expands into this otherworldly soprano/ falsetto that does not seem to have a limit in power or range.LP's videos don't quite impress as much as their charismatic live performance but are still a great entry point in checking out this star on the rise.

Jackson Browne was on our list and didn't disappoint with his very polished and beautiful Americana sound.Beck was anything but polished.He had a bare three piece (acoustic set) ensemble. I am a fan and being on the front rail I enjoyed his playful ramblings,but others found Beck a bit boring.Beth Hart is a true Blues Diva who always brings 100% and leaves nothing in the tank.We very much appreciated her talent and effort. I'm not a fan of Gang of Youths or Counting crows but both acts surprised me with the quality of their shows.Gang

of Youths were especially well received by the younger half of the audience.It is the Bluesfest though and my hat goes off to Joe Bonamassa for putting on an incredibly vibrant and entertaining set.Joe's band is at top level and his screamingly perfect sound proves that he is one of the best blues guitarists going.I only regret that Beth Hart didn't get up with Joe as she has in the past but you can't have everything. ere were many great acts and moments to Bluesfest 2023.In all it was a truly enjoyable weekend.

The Channon Craft Market Inc warmly welcomed back e Rainbow Chai Tent in April,after a long time of being absent from the markets. e Jacks and Benny Zable raised the Chai Tent in its new location,adjacent to the creek and the beautiful restoration work of locals and Tuntable Creek Landcare rejuvenating and replanting the riparian area. e space was alive with atmosphere, chai,cake and conversations, bringing the warmth and colour to the market once again. e Rainbow Chai Tent was away for many reasons and everyone was excited on their return.Find them at all future markets alongside the creek,big thanks to the stall owners who moved to make this occur.

April market also saw a new wave of stall owners join us,which created the wholesome market we all love dearly,so much hustle and colour,it was de nitely alive and 1000’s of folks visited the region to soak up the sunshine and the array of ne arts and crafts.

e market celebrates Mothers Day in May and we look forward to having the entire family come to take in the markets and what our locals bring to make the market that special place.In May we will host our stage near the playground to help acknowledge and celebrate 50 years on for the Aquarius Festival. e stage will be set with wonderful musicians,magicians and acts that will perform all day and make the entire area alive. e performance arena will compliment e Rainbow Chai Tent.Come down and be part of the live music with surprise guests.

We expect Phillippe Petit, Fantuzzi and Mick Conway, Famous French Circus performer

- Fantuzzi,a 21st century Rainbow global troubadour will also be arriving in Nimbin.As described in his book,Love at First Bite…“Fantuzzi’s music and life de es categorisation. For over 45 years he’s travelled the globe bringing joy,passion, dance and an unending source of vibrant energy to people in venues ranging from huge outdoor concerts to intimate house gatherings.Latin,Afro’beats, Reggae,Salsa…all accompanied by amazing musicians who gather to call Fantuzzi.In every country and venue there are people who have played with, danced with,sang with,loved with and lived with this energy vortex called Fantuzzi; he whirls around the globe spinning magical webs of joy - a constant delight in life and living.”He was an inspiration for many of us in the Northern Rivers Rainbow region.Among them. Paul Joseph,the song-man during the 1973 Nimbin Aquarius festival.

If you're keen to join us as a stall owner please visit our website and apply - thechannonmarket.org.au,if you do not have access to the internet, please give us a call,we will get back to you asap.

We love supporting our cottage industry,it's what makes our market stand out.

Please remember to like and share our social media,invite your mates,your neighbours, your boss,invite the world. However please leave your pets at home!

https://www.facebook.com/ the.channon.craft.market/ https://www.instagram. com/the.channon.craft. market/

Local Is Our Future Steps to an Economics of Happiness-

Helena Norberg-Hodge

For our species to have a future,it must be local.

e good news is that the path to such a future is already being forged.Away from the screens of the mainstream media,the crude 'bigger is better' narrative that has dominated eco¬nomic thinking for centuries is being challenged by a much gentler, more 'feminine',inclusive perspective that places human and ecological well-being front and center.People are coming to recognize that connection,both to others and to Nature herself,is the wellspring of human happiness. And every day new,inspiring initiatives are springing up that offer the potential for genuine prosperity.

At the same time there is a growing awareness — from the grassroots to academia — that the real economy is the natural world,on which we ultimately depend for all of our needs.Only when we embrace a structural shift in the current economy — away from dependence on a corporate-run global marketplace,towards diversi ed local systems — will we be able to live in a way that re ects this understanding.

Tragically,our political and business leaders remain blind to these and other realities. ey are taking us down a different path,one where biotechnology will feed the world,the Internet will enable global cooperation,and robots will free people from the drudgery of physical and mental effort. ey believe that life was brutish and hard before the modern era of global trade and megatechnology,and that only through ever more economic

growth can our most pressing problems be solved.

A companion belief is that another technology — money —can somehow generate wealth out of thin air. is fantasy is embedded deep within the global economic system,a system built upon trillions of dollars of debt backed by nothing but more debt.We also have leaders who are convinced that enriching the 1% will somehow 'trickle down' to bene t the poor. ey point to arbitrary measures — GDP,per capita income,the availability of consumer goods — whose rise 'proves' that their policies are working.But the reality is that the rich have gotten richer than ever,while the majority must work harder and faster just to provide their families with shelter,education and medical care.

e path of progress through technology that was supposed to save us time has,ironically,succeeded in robbing us of our time: we all must work at the speed of the available technology. is is leaving people ever more stressed,and taking a tremendous toll on our connection to others,to the natural world and even to ourselves.

But instead of questioning the role of the economic system in severing these connections,people tend to blame themselves for not managing their lives well enough,for not spending enough time with family and friends.In addition to feeling guilty,we often end up feeling isolated because the ever more eeting and shallow nature of our social encounters with others fuels a show-off culture in which love and affirmation are sought through such

super cial means as plastic surgery,designer clothes and Facebook likes. ese are poor substitutes for genuine connection,and only heighten feelings of depression,loneliness and anxiety.

e dominant narrative of 'progress' fails to capture these psychological costs.Just as importantly,it also omits the looming threats of climate chaos,species extinction and the collapse of ecosystems worldwide. e truth is that, in fundamentally important ways,conditions have actually worsened,year by year,for several decades now.

Why has this happened?

In the last 40 years the world has undergone a process that has been more momentous than the industrial revolution - and yet most of us have been only dimly aware of it. at process is known as economic globalization. Built largely through 'free trade' treaties that free up or deregulate global banks and businesses,it has exponentially increased the exploitation of both human and natural resources,with impacts that no techno- x can hope to alleviate.

Consider what has happened in the political sphere. Even nominally democratic countries have been subjected to what amounts to a series of

coup d'etats that systematically siphoned power away from elected governments into the hands of deregulated global business and nance.

International bodies like the WorldTrade Organization, the World Bank,the International Monetary Fund and even the COP climate negotiations have become centers of power for a de-facto global government of multinational corporations and banks — one that is wholly unaccountable to citizens or communities.Every step of the way,this path has taken us further and further from the natural world and from real democracy; it is leading to the disintegration of the social fabric,and to epidemics of divisiveness,fear,addiction and violence.

In most quarters,the enormous signi cance of systematic deregulation remains poorly understood. At neither the governmental nor the grassroots level has this process been examined from a global perspective. Even climate activists have largely overlooked the fact that globalization has led to a massive increase in CO2 emissions from global trade — emissions that do not appear in any nation's carbon accounting.

(continued on page 15)

Our collective ignorance has led many to blame human nature or overpopulation, rather than the economy,for all the destruction we see in our world.I hear people ask, "What is wrong with humans — why are we so greedy and sel sh?!" ey often conclude, " e human race has become a cancer.Maybe we don't deserve to survive."

As the global economic system has grown bigger and bigger,it has become extremely difficult for us to see what is actually happening. Many of our basic needs have criss-crossed the planet several times before we purchase them: how can we know whether they were produced under fair and humane labour conditions,or what impact their production had on the environment? Even within academia,knowledge has become so specialized that 'experts' know little beyond the narrow focus of their single discipline.Corporate funding,meanwhile,helps push students into business administration or STEM subjects - science,technology, engineering and math - while interdisciplinary approaches, ecology,the humanities and experiential knowledge are pushed to the margins.

With giant corporations and media conglomerates gaining so much wealth and power,they have been able to shape not only government and academic policy,but also public opinion and intellectual discourse.

Targeted corporate funding has even in uenced the environmental movement: as we'll explore in greater depth in Chapter 11,corporations have set the agenda for the global environmental movement,encouraging NGOs and nation-states to shift their focus away from fundamental political change, towards market solutions like green consumerism,

ethical investment,and carbon trading - pseudo-solutions that ensure corporate power remains unchallenged.

In the era of fully- edged globalization,what is 'economic' has become absurd. Fish from Europe are own to Asia to be deboned,then own back to Europe to be sold.Hundreds of thousands of tons of hay grown on irrigated land in droughtstricken southern California are shipped to China,England and Australia recently exchanged 20 tons of bottled water,just with each other.

ese examples of insane trade are no longer outliers: they are now typical of how the global economy operates.

And yet very few people are aware of this.Instead, narrow reductionism,linked to ever larger-scale structures, has enabled a global technooptimist narrative to dominate discussions of humanity's future.From Net ix to TED talks,from Washington,DC to Silicon Valley,the cliche of a high-tech,totally globaleven interplanetary - society continues to be trumpeted as the singular destiny of our species.

What does this future look like? Google's Ray Kurzweil informs us that our food will come from "AIcontrolled vertical buildings' and include "in-vitro cloned meat".According to Tesla's Elon Musk,building a city on Mars is "the critical thing for maximizing the life of humanity",while "30 layers of tunnels" will relieve congestion in Earth's highdensity cities.Goldman Sachs explains that the digitization of everyday objects will "establish networks between machines,humans,and the internet,leading to the creation of new ecosystems that enable higher productivity, better energy efficiency,and higher pro tability".

ese ideas are lauded as

visionary and bold,but what they promise is simply the escalation of dominant trends - neo-colonial expansion, urbanization and commodication - turbo-charged with fancy gadgets.What they don't tell us is that,at every level,the system is dumping the most abundant natural resource of all - human energy and labor - on the waste heap. At the same time,our taxes are subsidizing a dramatic increase in the use of energy and scarce natural resources. We have a system that is simultaneously creating mass unemployment,poverty and pollution.

is system is not the expression of the will of the majority: on the contrary,we have been actively excluded from having a say.But I do not believe that a 'good guys vs.bad guys' narrative is accurate either.It is true that the people consciously pushing corporate monoculture represent only a tiny fraction of the global population - perhaps less than 10,000 individuals worldwide - but even they are so mesmerized by abstract economic models and indicators that they are often blind to the real-world effects of their decisions.

In a sense,the system has entrapped us all.Even the CEOs of large corporations and banks are driven by speculative markets to meet short-term pro t and growth targets - they are under intense pressure to stay on top for fear of losing their own jobs and letting down their shareholders.So it is the system itself that must be called to account and changed - not the interchangeable individuals who wield power within it.

But as I said at the outset, this is not the only direction in which the world is being taken.People around the globe are yearning for the deep bonds of community and connection to nature that

we evolved with for most of our existence.And from the bottom up they are pushing for a fundamental shift in direction. eirs is not a vision built upon a few billionaires' fetish for high-tech gimmicks and knack for money-accumulation: instead it emerges from a deep experience of what it means to be human.

At the grassroots on every continent,people in their diverse cultures are coming together to reweave the social fabric and to reconnect with the Earth and her ecosystems. ey are building prosperous local economies and intergenerational communities that provide more meaningful,productive work. From community gardens to farmers markets,from alternative learning spaces to local business alliances and co-ops – what all these have in common is a renewal of place-based relationships that re ect an enduring and innately human desire for love and connection.

ese localization initiatives emphatically demonstrate that human nature is not the problem – on the contrary,it is the inhuman scale of a techno-economic monoculture that has in ltrated and manipulated our desires and our needs. is understanding is reinforced by observing what happens when people come back into contact with human-scale structures; I have seen prisoners transformed,delinquent teenagers given meaning and purpose,depression healed, and social,ethnic and intergenerational rifts bridged.

In many cases,these initiatives stem more from common sense than any intention to 'change the world'.But together they nevertheless present a powerful challenge to the corporate order,and articulate a very different vision of the future.

Weeds.Let them go and they will take over,even swallow your house. I should know.At my house I feel as though I have the whole weed list plus a few that haven’t been discovered yet. More than being unsightly,weeds are a huge hindrance to the biodiversity of our region.While there are many instances of fauna enjoying weeds as food and in doing so becoming vectors for their transmission,on a grander scale weeds are generally very bad for animals.For instance,the Giant Devil's Fig which is giving parrots and pigeons a snack is literally taking over great patches of land and not letting plants grow which may be vital as food or shelter for other animals.

Battling weeds takes a combination of energy,money and ideals.Pulling them up is bloody hard work,cutting uses fuel ($) and in this region and season they just seem to pop up again as soon as they are cut.Herbicides bring with them a dilemma.Yes,they work and save on labour but they are also bad for the environment especially if they get into the waterways.I support the organic movement but having felt the despair of being overwhelmed by weeds,I understand the attraction of herbicides as an easier way out.

Knowledge is the key and there is no better way to learn than to do. at’s where Landcare comes in.Being part of Landcare is a gift that keeps on giving. rough helping the local environment by battling weeds as a group one learns effective weeding and planting techniques,safe and minimalistic use of herbicides (if that is a route you choose) and plant taxonomy.All of this is achieved while meeting like-minded neighbours, making friends and generally helping to bring the community together in a spirit of localized achievement and resilience.

is has been my experience with Tuntable Creek Landcare.Over the years I have had a lot of fun and learned much about weed management. is knowledge I have taken back to my patch to put to good use.Along with working in public places such as verges,reserves and parks,Tuntable Creek Landcare goes to private properties for workdays.Weeds

know no boundaries and all our work is for the good.

A great example of this good work is the riparian zone of Rocky Creek on Anne McKenzie’s property just North of the old Robertson bridge.On two consecutive workdays,(March 5th and April 2) we have been uncovering and mulching a planting of trees that went in over a year ago between the two oods. Most of the trees are doing remarkably well and will thrive with a little bit of love. is planting is part of the Bridge to Bridge project which has been funded

by the NSW DPI Fisheries’Recreational Fishing Trust’s Habitat Action Grant Program.Much of Tuntable Creek Landcare’s work is in fact linked to other environmental projects going on in the area with the combination of skills, resources,knowledge and effort being bene cial to all.

Workdays are the rst Sunday of every month.All are welcome to come along to help,learn and enjoy.

Contact Lina on 0427891781 or email tuntablecklandcare@gmail.com

LOCAL SEASONED TIMBER

*SILKYOAK-Planks

*BLACKWOOD-Slabs&boards

*BLUEQUANDONG-Boards

*CAMPHORLAUREL-Slabs

*HARDWOOD-Slabs

*ALSOBAMBOOTIPI&FLAGPOLES

Term 2 is off to an exciting start for us all at Preschool. Construction building work began in the holiday break,and nally after 3 years of delays we will will have a roof extension,new paved area and retaining wall replaced after the ood damage.We are super excited to create a much needed outdoor learning space that can be used in wet weather and hot weather days…of which we have plenty!

As always the amazing community and parents have supported this project from the very beginning,with architect Michael Murphy drawing up the plans and Malcolm Scott helping put the DA through council,both volunteering many hours…thank you.A huge thanks also goes out to Darren Watts and family for use of his excavator and to Bill Ransome and family for donating some lovely bush poles,Nick Murray and family for lending his car trailer. Builders Nick and Snowy are busily working long days to complete this work as soon as possible for the children,we really appreciate their huge effort on a difficult site.We have had to adapt and use the back access steps and path to come into the building,and will have no

use of the front playground area for at least 2 weeks of Term 2.Educators have been busy planning ideas to make best use of our indoor spaces and to engage in the back butter y garden area daily. Unfortunately there will be no Playgroup sessions until the building work is completed,as space is so limited for us. is Term our valued Educator Sheree will be on long service leave for the rst 8 weeks,we hope she has a wonderful break and some lovely time at home.Educators are Lisa,Marie,Alice & Lilly over theTuesday, Wednesday and ursday. We have enrolment spaces available on all days,please contact the preschool if you are interested in enrolling your child on 66886330.

We are planning to celebrate the completion of our building extension with a community open day/ garage sale here at Preschool towards the end of term,so stay tuned for info on how

to book a stall to sell items. ere will be food,cakes and tea/coffee available, music from talented parents and face painting for the children.

The Channon Disc Golf Collective

We have been playing Disc Golf (Frisbee Golf) at the Coronation Park since Laquicia Woolbank's 4th birthday party which makes it 18 years....yikes.For the rst four years we had a wonderful Wednesday night game with a bunch of little kids,BBQs and even sing-a-longs.Stalwarts carried on the game at e Birdwing Butter y Walk Park in Goonellabah for a few years.Disc Golf at the Channon has re-emerged in the last three years,now on Monday afternoons. e laughs,good sport and BBQs continue while an in ux of younger players has boosted our already healthy energy.Some of these participants are returned original Disc

Golf kids and some are new to the game.It seems then that now is a good time to put out the call .All are welcome to try out the great (and reasonably priced) lifetime game of Disc Golf at Coronation Park Mondays from 3:30 until night.We have plenty of discs to lend. Join us on FB at e Channon Disc Golf Collective group or just come along for a throw.See you there.

See cover photo showing discgolfers,Danny,Devi, Donovan,Geoff,Miz,Moni, Jason,Heather and their new "Proper" basket

Sudoku is a puzzle based on pure logic. e numbers 1 to 9 are used,no mathematics is required to solve the puzzles. e grid consists of nine boxes and nine cells within each box.Each column and each row must contain one each of the numbers 1 to 9.And each box must likewise contain one each of the numbers 1 to 9.

ese puzzles have a rating (from 1 to 6) according to the degree of difficulty.I will usually include one puzzle in the upper range and one in the lower range (solutions on page 19).Happy solving!