An audit has revealed Charles Sturt University (CSU) owes almost $4.7 million in back payments to thousands of current and former casual staff.
Key points:
CSU commissioned the audit which covered the period from July 2015 to June this year
It found $4.7 million in payments were owed to 2,526 current and former casual employees
The union welcomed the announcement but said the university was too reliant on casual and contract staffing
A statement from vice-chancellor Renee Leon said CSU commissioned the external review in response to widespread wage compliance issues in the higher education industry.
More than 2,500 employees have been identified as missing out on pay and superannuation since July 2015.
CSU said 75 per cent of the back payments owed were for $1,000 or less.
The National Tertiary Education Union’s Bathurst branch secretary Greg Auhl said it was pleasing that the “enormous” problem had been acknowledged.
“We’re very happy that our members will get what they have actually earned and what they should have been paid for in the first place,” Mr Auhl said.
It comes after the university cut hundreds of jobs and subjects in response to a $50 million deficit in 2020.
Universities reliant on ‘good graces’
CSU’s statement said the underpayments were the result of unintentional errors, due to “mistakes” in interpreting the Enterprise Agreements.
But Mr Auhl argued that explanation was not good enough.
“As academic and professional staff we understand what our work entails, so why can’t our management understand that?”
He said there was an industry-wide over reliance on casuals.
“For far too long, the higher education sector has relied on the good graces of casual and contract staff to work above and beyond what they’re actually paid for,” Mr Auhl said.
“What we’re starting to see here now is that being exposed.”
CSU said the review had also identified instances of overpayments, but would not seek that money back.
It said it had identified “procedural enhancements which are being implemented to ensure ongoing wage compliance”.
Taiwan fires flares to drive away drones near Kinmen islands
Taiwan’s defense ministry said on Thursday that unidentified aircraft, probably drones, had flown on Wednesday night above the area of its Kinmen islands, which are just off the southeastern coast of China, and that it had fired flares to drive them away.
A senior military official at Taiwan’s outlying kinmen islands added that the situation is “normal” on the islands, including its military alertness level, according to a recent Reuters report.
Relics of Kinmen’s history of warfare are scattered across the islands. Kinmen is Taiwan territory but just a few kilometers from the Chinese mainland. Photograph: Helen Davidson/The Observer
G7 calls on China to resolve Taiwan dispute
The world’s most powerful democracies have slammed China for “increasing tensions and destabilizing the region” over its response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
The G7’s top diplomats on Wednesday said they were “concerned by recent and announced threatening actions by the People’s Republic of China, particularly live-fire exercises and economic coercion, which risk unnecessary escalation”.
The statement from the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the EU, read:
There is no justification to use a visit as a pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally.
The PRC’s escalatory response risks increasing tensions and destabilizing the region.
It urged China not to “unilaterally change the status quo by force in the region, and to resolve cross-strait differences by peaceful means”.
They also made clear there was “no change in the respective one-China policies, where applicable, and basic positions on Taiwan of the G7 members”.
[We] encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency, and maintain open lines of communication to prevent misunderstanding.”
South Korean President won’t be meeting Pelosi in Seoul, on holiday
Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s high-profile visit to Taiwan, the senior US official arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night as part of her Asian tour.
The congresswoman, who is second in line to the US presidency, will on Thursday meet South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and leaders of the ruling conservative People Power Party, as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
However, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol has no plans to meet Pelosi as he is currently on a summer holiday, an official at the presidential office told SCMP.
The official denied earlier press reports that Yoon, who is taking a break at his home in Seoul, may head out to receive Pelosi.
In the first place, there was no such a plan (for Yoon’s meeting with Pelosi) as the president’s vacation schedule coincides with her visit here.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will not be meeting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as he is currently on a summer holiday. Photograph: Presidential Office Handout/EPA
The presidential office “welcomes” Pelosi’s visit to South Korea and it hopes her talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim will be productive, the official said.
Asked about Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan, she said: “Our government’s stance is that we will maintain close communication with the nations concerned on all issues under the banner of the need for peace and stability in the region through dialogue and cooperation.”
Speculation mounted on social media.
“Because of vacation? No way. Yoon is not meeting Pelosi as he is nunchi-ing around China,” one post read. Had this happened to Yoon’s predecessor – liberal former president Moon Jae-in – conservatives and news media would have “raised hell with it” and accused Moon of nunchi-ing around Beijing, the post added.
China claiming Taiwan’s territory a ‘historical inevitability’, former ambassador to UK says
The former Chinese ambassador to the UK issued a scathing statement overnight, warning the US to stop obstructing China’s “great cause of reunification” and describing the process as a “historical inevitability”.
Liu Xiao Ming said:
The United States should not fantasize about obstructing China’s great cause of reunification. Taiwan is part of China.
Realizing complete national reunification is the general trend and a historical inevitability. We will never leave any space for ‘Taiwan independence’ split and interference from external forces.
No matter what way the US supports and condoms ‘Taiwan independence’, it will ultimately be a sham, and it will only leave more ugly records of the US grossly interfering in other countries’ internal affairs in history.
The Taiwan issue was born out of the country’s weakness and chaos, and it will surely end with the rejuvenation of the nation in the future.”
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of tensions between China and Taiwan.
I’m Samantha Lock and I will be bringing you all the latest developments.
It is approaching 7am in Beijing. Here is everything you might have missed:
China is to begin a series of unprecedented live-fire drills that would effectively blockade the island of Taiwan, just hours after the departure of US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, whose controversial visit this week has sparked fears of a crisis in the Taiwan strait.
Taiwan has characterized the drills as a violation of international law. The drills will last until Sunday afternoon – and will include missile tests and other “military operations” as close as nine miles to Taiwan’s coastline.
Ahead of the drill, Taiwan said 27 Chinese warplanes had entered its air defense zone.
Pelosi arrived in Taipei on Tuesday night under intense global scrutinyand was met by the foreign minister Joseph Wu and the US representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk.
Pelosi addressed Taiwan’s parliament on Wednesday before having public and private meetings with the president, Tsai Ing-wen. “Our delegation came to Taiwan to make unequivocally clear we will not abandon Taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship,” she said, adding that US solidarity with Taiwan was “crucial” in facing an increasingly authoritarian China.
In a later statement, she said China could not prevent world leaders from traveling to Taiwan “to pay respect to its flourishing democracy”.
Pelosi’s trip generated condemnation from Beijing and sparked fears of a new Taiwan strait crisis.
China vowed “consequences” and military exercises announced in waters around the island on Thursday to show their dissatisfaction.
Taiwan’s defense ministry accused Beijing of planning to violate the international convention on the law of the sea, by breaching Taiwan’s sovereign territory.
Taiwanese authorities have said the proximity to some major ports combined with orders for all aircraft and sea vessels to steer clear of the area amount to a blockade.
While China’s military often holds live-fire exercises in the strait and surrounding seas, those planned for this week encircle Taiwan’s main island and target areas within its territorial sea.
China to conduct a series of live-fire military drills in waters surrounding TaiwanChina to conduct a series of live-fire military drills in waters surrounding Taiwan
A leading loans expert is urging mortgage holders to be wary of the hidden dangers associated with refinancing as the big four banks look to entice more customers with “cheap deals” following this month’s rate rise.
Peter White AM, the managing director of the Financial Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA), is asking Australians who are considering whether they should switch up their home loan to proceed with caution, warning that “cheaper isn’t always better”.
The director’s message comes after the Reserve Bank of Australia increased the cash rate by 50 basis points for the fourth time in as many months on Tuesday.
With the base rate now standing at 1.85 per cent, Mr White is asking borrowers to be on alert as major banks look to lure vulnerable customers who are struggling with their repayments to sign up to its services.
“Some banks at the moment are offering cheap variable rates to new borrowers only. This is a trap,” Mr White told news.com.au.
“For the lender it’s about using a marketing budget to generate more customers, knowing that most customers will stay as it costs to change again.”
It’s all part of a “vicious cycle” lenders use to draw customers into borrowing from them, Mr White explained, where new customers are blindsided as the rate on offer doesn’t always mean the customer will be better off in the long term.
“There is a hidden danger at times like this that is rarely spoken about,” Mr White said.
“Banks will be looking to attract those considering refinancing as new customers, and will offer cheaper variable interest rates that are significantly below their fixed rates, which are rapidly climbing. This is a case of ‘buyer beware’.”
Cashbacks and exclusive rates at discount prices for new customers are some of the lures banks are using to attract new borrowers.
Both come at the cost of disadvantaging the lender’s current customer base as their higher interest rates make up for the lower rate offered to new customers.
“Borrowers should be aware that next time around they will be the existing customer facing higher rates and will be disadvantaged during rate increases,” Mr White said.
“It’s an old game to lure new customers with a perceived advantage only to be taken advantage of with the next move.”
Additionally, some banks use a tactic where they attempt to give you a better rate after you’ve agreed to another offer.
“If they were serious about looking after you they would have offered this when you first approached them, so ignore this offer and don’t be distracted as this will cause you even more headaches, and makes the process even more complex,” he said .
While Mr White advises borrowers to refinance with caution, saving on your home loan isn’t entirely off the cards.
Rather than focusing on the big four banks, Mr White recommends looking at what second tier banks such as Suncorp, and non-banks such as Bluestone, have on offer.
“Going with the major banks is often the most expensive way forward and may not be in your best interests due to constraints and other factors specific to you,” Mr White said.
“Remember the big banks can only sell you their products, and their aim is to look after themselves and their shareholders, not to act in your best interests.”
It’s also advised that borrowers go through a mortgage broker, rather than directly through a bank. Brokers are free to use as they receive commission from lenders once they sign a customer up to a service.
They also have access to a range of offers that aren’t always available to borrowers who go through the back directly and can find a rate and repayment schedule that suits a borrower’s needs.
“A finance broker is obliged to act in your best interests and sometimes this means explaining that the best option may be not to refinance,” Mr White said. “(They’re also) charged by law to act in your best interests, whereas banks are not.”
Google Maps is no stranger to odd discoveries on Street View but rarely do we get two in one shot.
Eagle-eyed explorers couldn’t believe what they saw when virtually nosing around the island of Majorca in Spain.
If you look closely you will spot a woman in a bikini performing a jaw-dropping move off the Cala Na Clara beach, which is along the east coast of the holiday island, The Sun reports.
The skilled beachgoer appears to be balancing on her head while on a surfboard in the water.
But if you thought that was wild, look again, as she’s not the only one on a surfboard.
Google Maps users also noticed that a dog is out on one as well.
“Wait a minute is that a dog on a surfboard in the distance?” one user said on Reddit.
The canine looks pretty chilled in the distance as his owners splash in the water.
As for the woman, it turns out she’s actually practicing paddleboard yoga.
“I was like, is that woman doing a headstand on a paddleboard in the crystalline waters off the coast of Spain?” one observer said.
“I’ve never been more jealous of a stranger, lol!”
British TV star, best known for her work on game show countdown, Carol Vorderman is among the big names to have tried the sport.
Last year, the 61-year-old showed off her youthful figure and flexibility by doing yoga on a paddleboard.
“Someone dared me to ‘yoga’… this is the best I could do… ‘downward dog’… rubbish,” she captioned an Insta photo showing off her moves.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission
Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papalii has reportedly pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup held in England later this year.
Papalii has dabbled in the Samoan and Kangaroos camps in the past with four games with Samoa and 11 with the Kangaroos.
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The Maroons veteran is the latest Australian eligible player to commit to a Pacific Island nation, joining Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.
“As an older player, I feel like it’s a movement I just don’t want to be missing out on,” Papalii said.
“Just seeing the likes of a few of the Penrith boys coming out and I’ve had few text messages from other players who haven’t come out yet saying they’ve put their hand up for Samoa.
“I have put my hand up to play for Samoa. Mal Meninga knows that and I’ve had a coffee with Mal as well to speak about what I’m planning to do… but that’s a long way from here, anything can happen in the next hopefully eight weeks.”
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This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be Papalii’s second for Samoa. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Papalii represented Samoa at the 2017 World Cup but has since pulled on the green and gold of Australia.
“I guess probably my last World Cup wasn’t the best, I sort of treated it as a little vacation and probably drank a bit too often, ate more than I should have,” he admitted.
“I’m looking to just play a bit of World Cup for the Motherland and represent my wife and my kids and especially my parents as well and just make Samoa proud.”
This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be hosted in the United Kingdom, making it Papalii’s third appearance in the major tournament, being his second with his native country of Samoa.
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A Queensland boy has died after he was hit by a four-wheel-drive, which was reportedly being driven by his grandmother.
Police say the one-year-old was on a footpath outside a home in Heatley in central Townsville about 5.30pm Tuesday when the tragedy took place.
“He was immediately taken to Townsville University Hospital where, sadly, the boy later died,” a spokesperson said.
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It is understood the boy was hit by the vehicle when he ran out of the home as the grandmother was leaving. She had been unaware the child was near her vehicle, The Townsville Bulletin reports.
The grandmother reportedly rushed the boy inside, before placing him in her car and taking him to hospital.
The one-year-old was on a footpath outside the central Townsville home when the tragedy took place. Credit: 7NEWS
A close neighbor recalled the shocking moment her husband saw the little boy injured on the ground.
She said he heard a commotion and saw a passing car stop in the middle of the road as the driver tried desperately to get the attention of the grandmother in a Toyota Prado, who had just hit the child.
“He saw him lying there … We would never have expected this to happen,” she told The Bulletin.
Forensic Crash Unit police are investigating the incident.
Secret Service Director James Murray sent an agency-wide memo on Tuesday, the details of which are being first reported by CNN, informing employees that it is considering temporarily suspending the use of texts while the agency fixes gaps in how it retains those messages, according to sources who described the memo.
The Secret Service has been under heavy criticism after the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general told Congress last month that the agency had erased text messages from the time period surrounding January 6 that had been requested by Congress.
While the agency has said that it has cooperated with the inspector general — and that messages were lost as a result of a pre-planned phone data migration in January 2021 — the memo is the latest sign that the Secret Service sees a need to change its data practices amid the backlash over the January 6 messages.
One of the sources said the Secret Service leadership made clear it would not stop the use of text messages without first understanding what kind of impact it might have on the performance of Secret Service agents. Agency employees, for instance, text with local police officers, one source said, and the agency wouldn’t want to lose that channel of communication.
There is concern, the source said, that fully disabling the agency’s texting capabilities could harm the Secret Service’s protection capabilities.
Politico first reported the agency was considering suspending the use of texts.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Secret Service declined to comment.
The Secret Service and DHS — as well as the Defense Department — have all faced questions about missing messages around the time of January 6, as Congress, government watchdogs and the National Archives have all demanded answers into how the messages were deleted. The DHS inspector general told the Secret Service last month his office was conducting a criminal investigation into possible erased text messages.
The Secret Service memo says that the agency has a four-point plan to prevent data loss and fulfill obligations to preserve records, according to one source. The memo states that there were regulatory and security reasons why the agency’s text messages weren’t backed up on a server but said that significant efforts are underway to cover the gap between technological capability and record preservation requirements.
The Secret Service’s chief information officer and executive resources board plan to assess the benefits and impacts of suspending the use of text messages temporarily until a technological solution is identified, the memo states.
The effort is also intended to serve as a roadmap for the next Secret Service director, as Murray had planned to retire before saying he would remain in place until a new director is appointed.
Australia’s largest bank has finally responded to the interest rate rise two days after it was initially announced.
On Thursday morning, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia revealed it will pass the full cost of the rate hike onto customers.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) hiked interest rates on Tuesday for the fourth consecutive month.
Australia’s central bank increased the interest rate by 50 basis points, or by 0.5 per cent, bringing the cash rate from 1.35 per cent to 1.85 per cent, largely in line with economist’s predictions.
Up until now Australia’s biggest four banks — The Commonwealth Bank (CBA), ANZ, NAB and Westpac — hadn’t made any changes in response to the latest rate hike.
But just before 10am, the CBA said variable home loans would increase by 0.5 per cent per year from August 12 while term deposits would kick in with the higher return from August 8.
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The CBA’s variable mortgages as well as term deposit accounts and its NetBank Saver accounts will be impacted by the change.
Owner occupiers and investors on variable rate home loans will have to fork out an extra 0.5 per cent in interest every year.
Term deposits and CBA’s savings account will also increase by 0.5 per cent/
The new term deposit rate will be available from 8 August, while the new NetBank Saver rate will take effect on August 12 along with home loans.
Group Executive, Retail Banking, Angus Sullivan, said: “We have been helping customers understand the changing rate environment and consider what it means for them, and we will continue to be there for them.”
Since May, the cash rate has risen by 1.75 percentage points, after four months of back-to-back increases by the central bank.
However, the CBA is so far the only one of the big players to respond, and that was nearly 48 hours later.
In stark contrast, within hours of the announcement, a smaller bank, Macquarie Bank passed on the rate rise almost straight away.
Macquarie Bank was the first bank to say it would increase variable mortgage rates by 0.5 per cent by August 12.
Rates on its savings and everyday transaction accounts also increased by 0.50 per cent.
The move impacts the estimated 2 million people who are customers of Macquarie Bank.
However, CBA, ANZ, NAB and Westpac have between 8.5 million to 17 million customers each, according to Statista.
Last month, Westpac gave customers the most amount of time to prepare for a change in its variable mortgages and also its savings rates, taking two weeks for the change to come into effect – although it announced the change within 24 hours.
The other three banks passed the change onto customers within 10 days after a swift response.
The August hike isn’t expected to be the last, with economists forecasting that interest rates could peak up to two per cent by the end of the year.
Tuesday’s rate rise means those paying off the average home loan of $500,000 will need to cough up an extra $140 a month.
Tuesday’s decision marks the first time the RBA has lifted the rates for four months in a row since the introduction of the two to three per cent inflation target in 1990 in a sign of the inflation and cost of living crisis across the country.
This follows last week’s increase in annual inflation, which hit 6.1 per cent, which was its highest level in 21 years since 2001.
Tuesday’s rate rise means those paying off the average home loan of $500,000 will need to cough up an extra $140 a month.
Bose’s Noise Canceling Headphones 700 are now on sale at Amazon for 20% off or $300 (opens in new tab)down from their retail price of $380.
We are generally big fans of Bose headphones, and the 700 are no different, with us giving them a solid four-star review. They’re stylish, comfortable, produce a crystal-clear sound, and add excellent noise-canceling into the bargain.
Best Bose 700 deal
The Noise Canceling Headphones 700 are blessed with exceptional noise-canceling, they’re extremely comfortable (and stylish), and they produce a clear, upfront sound. Throw in intuitive touch controls and the $80 you’re saving with this deal, and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Sure, there’s better sound quality to be had if you want to spend more on a pricier pair such as the Sony WH-1000XM4, but the Bose Noise Canceling 700s sound more than good enough, especially with this $80 discount. Their excellent comfort levels and noise-cancellation will make these cans a great fit for any traveling you’ve got coming up.
If you’re in the market for a new pair of premium noise-canceling headphones but want a healthy discount too, check out the Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones.
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Check out our list of the best noise canceling headphones
When Lismore was hit with its biggest flood in recorded history, the national Indigenous newspaper the Koori Mail responded quickly to the needs of the community.
Key points:
The Lismore-based Koori Mail newspaper says it’s been “doing the government’s job” for months by providing crucial flood support
The NSW state government says its recovery centers were up and running five days after the February 28 disaster
Indigenous leaders have told an independent flood inquiry they would like to see support for First Nations first responders
The newspaper’s general manager Naomi Moran said she was able to salvage laptops and hard drives, but the building and most of its contents were destroyed.
In the wake of the mud and wreckage, Ms Moran said they were forced to face the reality that for the first time in the organisation’s 30-year history, they would not be able to print the next edition, and possibly several after that.
“We lost our building, we lost our first floor, we lost everything that the Koori Mail was for the past 30 years,” she said.
Floodwater reached just below the top storey of the Koori Mail building (the white building pictured).(ABC: Matt Coble)
Far from calling it a day, the organization pivoted and became a flood hub responding to the community’s needs for food, supplies, clothing and support.
“We came up with a strategy and some ideas around how we, as an Aboriginal organization – an independent organization and business in this region – could utilize all of our resources, our contacts in our networks, to support the local community,” she said .
The Koori Mail newspaper has been at the forefront of the flood response in Lismore.(ABC North Coast: Leah White)
Government response an ‘absolute embarrassment’
In the days, weeks and months that followed, the Koori Mail team helped coordinate food, clothes, counseling and essential items for thousands of flood-affected residents relying on financial support from donations.
It was more than three months before the Koori Mail and the adjoining Koori Kitchen received any financial support from the government.
The Koori Kitchen has been providing free hot meals to flood-affected residents since the February flood.(ABC News: Nakari Thorpe)
Ms Moran said while the financial assistance since June was appreciated, the newspaper had effectively been “doing the government’s job” for months.
“I think it’s an absolute embarrassment to the government,” she said.
“I think they have a lot to answer for, coming in the 11th hour, some months later, to support a community after we’ve all done the work.
“It’s actually been the community and the community groups that have carried this region through their time of crisis.”
Naomi Moran says there is a strong case for First Nations first responders.(ABC: Matt Coble)
In a statement, Resilience NSW said:
“The first Recovery Centers were established by the New South Wales Government on 5 March 2022, providing food, access to accommodation and a range of other support services to any flood-affected community member.
“Recovery Centers and Recovery Assistance Points continue to operate across the Northern Rivers.
“Funding is currently available to non-government organizations (NGOs) across the Northern Rivers through a $13.3 million NGO funding package.”
Calls for First Nations first responders
When the NSW government’s independent flood inquiry held an Indigenous roundtable in Lismore in June, First Nations leaders called for government support to train and resource Indigenous communities to respond to natural disasters.
“We’ve been talking about things like a First Nations first responders unit,” Ms Moran said.
Naomi Moran (centre) at an Indigenous roundtable hearing in Lismore with independent flood inquiry co-chairs Professor Mary O’Kane (left) and Michael Fuller (right).(ABC North Coast: Leah White)
“That’s probably the biggest seed that we can plant here today, is to take a look at what it means to support a group of Aboriginal communities, service providers and organizations to map out what it looks like to respond to our people immediately and safely in times of crises.”
The inquiry’s co-chair Michael Fuller told the Indigenous roundtable that training and resourcing communities to respond to natural disasters would be part of the report.
“The reality is communities will always do it better than government – we see that in most disasters,” he said.
“But this point about training and resourcing communities – it’s not lost on us and it will be part of the report.”
That report was delivered to the state government on July 31 but has not yet been made publicly available.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the report would most likely be released “some time in the month of August”.
Doors closing for op shop and food bank
Aunty Rose Walker has been managing the mountains of donations through the free Koori Mail op shop, in the Koori Mail building, for almost five months.
“I wouldn’t be able to tell you how many people have come through here, but it would have been a lot,” she said.
The Bundjalung woman said without access to the free items, many flood affected residents – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous – would have been in dire straits.
Aunty Rose Walker has been volunteering in the Koori Mail op shop since early March.(ABC North Coast: Leah White)
“You’ll see a bit of tears because it’s still affecting them inside… losing everything,” she said.
“Just to let them know that whatever they need, whatever we can provide for you, it’s here. Please, we are willing to give.”
Aunty Rose Walker has been a friendly face and a fixture in the op shop since early March, but after months of volunteering she’s preparing to take a step back.
Aunty Rose Walker estimates thousands have been through the Koori Mail op shop since the February flood.(ABC North Coast: Leah White)
Ms Moran said there was additional funding to keep the Koori Kitchen running but they would look to wind up the op shop and adjoining supply bank at the end of August.
“Our volunteers are so exhausted,” she said.
“They’ve been with us side-by-side every single day. The expectation for us to have them continue on for, you know, another few months, we can’t ask that of them.”
Koori Kitchen future uncertain
What started as a box of produce in a tent beside the Koori Mail building quickly grew into a free food kitchen, supplying close to 2,000 meals per day to flood victims.
The Koori Kitchen is still providing hundreds of meals to flood-affected residents on the Northern Rivers.(ABC: Matt Coble)
The Koori Kitchen has been run by Chelsea Claydon and chef Izzy Walton who say that even five months on demand for the service is still high.
“We’re still doing 600 to 800 meals a day,” Ms Claydon said.
Next to the Koori Kitchen is the “Koori Coles”, where flood victims can stock up on free essential items.
Both have been made possible by donations, and more recently state government funding, but it’s unclear how long that will last.
Chelsea Claydon (left) and Izzy Walton (right) have been running the Koori Kitchen in Lismore.(ABC: Matt Coble)
“I think we need to raise more money basically in order to keep feeding these numbers,” Ms Claydon said.
Ms Walton said the free meals were still an essential service in a town where few shops were open and people were struggling financially.
“A lot of them still don’t have cooking facilities at home, heating facilities at home, so I think it would be really difficult if we had to shut up shop,” she said.
Rekindling response above and beyond
Across town, Aboriginal health service Rekindling the Spirit has been on the ground since day one providing essential care to flood victims at a time when many of the region’s medical services were down.
Georgina Cohen (right) is the CEO of Aboriginal health service Rekindling the Spirit.(ABC: Matt Coble)
CEO Georgina Cohen said of the three Lismore-based offices, one went under, the other was high and dry and the third, opposite the squareLismore Square, had water lapping at the street gutters.
“There was what seemed like hundreds of boats coming in… and staff were helping whoever was in need,” she said.
“On the Tuesday our power was restored and we were able to reopen the medical service.
Floodwater reached the gutters around Rekindling the Spirit’s office on the corner of Uralba and Diadem St in Lismore.(Supplied: Georgina Cohen)
“The staff that were not flooded, and not affected with people staying with them after the floods, were able to come in and support any and every client, with appointments, with GPs via telehealth.”
The Koori Mail team and volunteers received the national NAIDOC award for innovation, recognizing their “coordination and leadership” post flood.
Ms Moran said she hopes lessons are learned from the Koori Mail’s flood response.
“What you see here is a community that can absolutely self-determine what it looks like to look after our people,” Ms Moran said.
