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Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Delivering power to the people

Latest News

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.

Other News

Premier yet to respond to Albo’s offer of disaster recovery funds

Northern Rivers community groups are renewing calls for the NSW premier to formally ask the Commonwealth to fully fund the region's 2022 disaster recovery.

It’s a biggest little town festival! 

Supporters, performers, and volunteers gathered to launch the Mullum Laneways Festival 2024 last Friday. 

Queer family visibility

Did you know that, statistically, if you’ve met a redhead, you’ve also met a trans person? Over 800 trans and gender diverse people live in the Byron Shire, which includes at least 200 children. They’re often a bit hidden though, so come on down and celebrate with them this Trans Day of Visibility!

Richmond MP again called on for immediate Gaza ceasefire 

On Saturday, March 16 Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine unfurled a 20m scroll with the names of murdered children and host a ‘die-in’ action at the office of the federal Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot (Labor).

Mayoral casting vote gets Lismore’s Affordable Housing Strategy over the line

At the recent Lismore City Council meeting former Mayor Vanessa Ekins and councillor Elly Bird moved the motion to introduce an Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme and submit it to the state government for a gateway determination. 

A seasoned bard

Guy Kachel had an idyllic entry to the world of music. Born in Tamworth, he was raised on the banks of the Peel River. The landscape was a fertile ground for his imagination. Seeing this rustic world change, as Tamworth developed into an inland city and friends grew to sometimes troubled adulthoods, provided insights for the artistry that later powered his career as a performer.

Magenta Appel-Pye, Mullumbimby.

This year they are implementing a pension assets test for the hoi polloi whilst the fat cat bureaucrats sit back for the rest of their lives, licking the cream with their excessive, non-means tested pensions. I guess there’s little we can do about that.

Then there’s the Chinese multi-billionaire who bought the Victorian electricity distributor. Every time a Victorian turns on their lights, he makes more money. Unfortunately, as reported by Four Corners, he shirks paying tax and when looked into offers the ATO a tenth of what he owes, and they accept and are silenced.

This is the perfect example of why owning our own power company is so important. Enova is doing an excellent job and will keep growing. They are to be congratulated on the excellent business model they have incorporated. They will make money, as business must, but they also have ethics and invest heavily back into the area in which we live.

This model of business is what is needed to change the world from rampant greed and capitalism gone to it’s worst extreme where the very rich are prospering and everyone else is floundering.

Thank you Enova for giving us the chance to make powerful choices that directly influence our families. This enables us get the power back into the right hands and ensures a prosperous community.

Let’s hope one day this model is incorporated everywhere and money, the power-god of our times, is more equitably spread.

 


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1 COMMENT

  1. Magenta

    It is unclear what you see as the relationship between the pensions of former public servants and the new assets test. Australian public servants who started their Commonwealth employment before 2005 receive a pension that is a form of superannuation. Those who joined the APS after 2005, which would include many if not most of those advising the Government on retirement issues, receive superannuation contributions of about 15%, the extra 6% over other people’s super reflects that the former PSS nd CSS schemes were a bit more generous than the 9% compulsory contributions, but not that much more. Like any other superannuation, or pension that you fund from your superannuation, it is not means tested – it is something they earned as part of their work (unlike other superannuation pensions of post 60 retirees it is taxed albeit concessionally). The pensions do count as income for the aged pension income test. Many lower level members of the old CSS who retired or were packaged-out on the nineties have found their superannuation pensions, which were not indexed to the fast wage growth in the following years, and find their superannuation pension is less than the old age pension. You could ask the government to cut those defined benefit pensions pensions if you think they are excessive, but why not ask the government to appropriate money from other peoples’ superannuation accounts -it would amount to the same thing, taking money that people earned as part of their employment.

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Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

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Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

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Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

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