Having spent a long time reflecting on the last 13 weeks since the floods devastated our region, many important issues have come to my attention – loss of homes, possessions, safety, schools suspended from flooding, chaos, death, loss of animals, extreme anxiety and desperation, and so much more.

As nesting season approaches, wildlife carer and local bird expert Deb Pearse has contacted The Echo about her concerns for the precarious state of the Brunswick Street osprey nesting platform, near the river in Ballina.

Local community members stepped forward to help coordinate and respond to the disaster; from people getting into boats and kayaks recusing strangers in Lismore to coordinating local response hubs in the hinterland and local towns. But it wasn't all a bed of roses.

As Australians head into another election season just as many parts of the east coast are recovering from ‘unprecedented’ flooding since February, and the national psyche is still reeling from the trauma of the ‘unprecedented’ Black Summer bushfires before that, it is critical now more than ever to vote according to your environmental conscience and fear for the future.

'Grifters come in all shapes and sizes, from all kinds of background. This one is used to skipping just a step ahead of impending disaster and exposure. Many times in marketing and politics, which he sees as identical pursuits, his nimble lies have saved his career.'