The Green Seats of the Clarence Valley are more than somewhere to sit – they are a reminder that missing people must not become forgotten people and that families should not have to stop asking questions simply because decades have passed.
Two new Green Seats have been launched, one in Grafton and one in Yamba, creating a visible reminder of local people who have gone missing and the families who continue to wait for answers.
The seats feature a QR code linking to the Missing Matter website, an initiative of Sally Leydon, daughter of a missing person.
For families who have spent years living with unanswered questions surrounding missing loved ones, unsolved deaths and historical investigations, keeping these cases visible matters.
Clarence Valley Councillor Debrah Novak said the seats were intended to ensure that missing people and the families still searching for answers remain part of the community’s conversation. ‘These seats are a simple but powerful reminder that behind every missing-person case is a person, a family and a story. Time should not mean that people are forgotten or that families stop being heard.’
Living with unanswered questions
‘The Clarence Valley community has a role to play in remembering those who are missing and supporting families who continue to live with unanswered questions.’
The project comes at a time when renewed attention is being given to historical policing, missing-person investigations and the preservation and availability of records.
The Wood Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service, conducted between 1995 and 1997, examined significant issues within NSW policing.
For families whose cases date back decades, questions about historical investigations, records and information-sharing remain deeply important.
Unidentified human remains
The issue of unidentified human remains has also received renewed attention, including calls for independent forensic testing to help identify people who have died without being identified.
Australia’s National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons provides a pathway for DNA testing and comparison to assist in identifying unidentified human remains and missing people.
An opportunity to be heard
An opportunity to be heard is still open, with the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry currently accepting submissions until late October 2026.
Families, witnesses and community members with information or experiences relating to missing persons, cold cases, historical policing, information-sharing failures or related systemic issues can make their own submission and have their experiences placed on the official parliamentary record.
Cr Novak said community awareness could play an important role in keeping these issues visible. ‘For some families, these questions have remained unanswered for decades. Keeping these cases visible gives people an opportunity to remember, to share information and to understand that their loved ones have not simply been forgotten.’
A new Facebook page, Clarence Valley Cold Cases and Missing Persons, has also been established to help keep local cases in the public conversation.
The page will share publicly available information, relevant news, historical information and updates relating to missing persons and unresolved cases across the Clarence Valley.
Missing a loved one
Missing a loved one living with unanswered questions or revisiting traumatic events can place enormous emotional pressure on individuals and families.
If you or someone you know needs support:
Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 — 24/7
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 — 24/7
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Emergency: Call 000 if someone is in immediate danger.
Find out more at The Missing Matter.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
