Latest NNIC News

Vale Lesly Howard The NNIC team was very sad to learn of the sudden passing of our longest serving staff member, Lesly, in July. Lesly has been a community worker at NNIC for 18 years, and in that time has assisted countless people though times of hardship. Our sympathies and condolences go out to her family and friends. RIP Lesly, you will be missed.

Nimbin Show and Sustainability Alley - 

The weather this year was perfect for The Nimbin Show with Sustainability Alley.

The NNIC had it's stall once again and collected 100 of our Community Sustainability Surveys. If you haven't filled out this survey yet, be on the look out for us or come into the NNIC.

This year we focused on demonstrations, the large outdoor marquee (thanks to Gillian and Dolph) was perfect for learning how to start a fire using local materials and how to build a rocket stove.

The centrepiece to this years Alley was the subtropical yurt. Assembled on site on Saturday it also served as the display board for this years Sustainable House Day tiny homes award winners.

NEW!!! Launching the 2016 Community Sustainability Survey Did you participate in the recent census? Did you feel frustrated that the questions did not throw much light on some key issues? Did you not participate because you didn't trust the process? NOW LAUNCHING the 2016 Community Sustainability Survey. We are collecting data relevant to our Community Sustainability Plan and this will be the 4th survey of its type in Nimbin since 2009. This is our own census. The data is used for the good of Nimbin and Nimbinites (e.g. to attract funding) . If you only do one survey this year DO THIS ONE!! Available at NNIC, the Nimbin Show this weekend and can also be downloaded from our website here. Please return your surveys to NNIC by 30th November 2016. You may need to refer to the picture board here to help you with the wildlife ID question.

ATTENTION Nimbin Centrelink Customers - IMPORTANT - Changes to Nimbin Centrelink Agency support worker hours - As from 1 September 2016 the hours during which customer support is available at the Centrelink Agency are changing.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT will be available Mondays-Thursdays 10am to 2.30pm.

On Fridays the Agency will be open for on line and telephone access but will be SELF SERVICE ONLY 10am-2.30pm.

Welcome on board to Dave Julian who is your new Centrelink Agency Customer Support Worker from now on.

(Please note that Ruth is NO LONGER in the Centrelink agency role.)

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Sibley Street Fundraiser October 2016 - Turn Your Pre-loved Art into Re-loved Art and help us to Raise the funds to Save the House at 7 Sibley Street!

Do you have a work of art or craft that is in a cupboard rather than on your wall?
Is there a piece that you once loved but is no longer to your taste?
Have you been given something as a gift that doesn't suit your space?
Have you bought art over the years and don't have the space?If so, please contact Mandie.

Sustainable House Day Northern Rivers - 2016 Design Competition Winners - see the website for info and pics from the 2016 Expo here.

Life Beyond the Feed In Tariff - 

The session was a great success with nearly 100 people attending. Watch this space for links to articles and some of the recordings. You can also check out the Infographic we handed out on the day.

Smart Meter Signal Strength - There was info given on the day regarding the strength of the smart meter signals. It has been pointed out to us that the information given is not supported by the research undertaken in Victoria, which indicates that smart meters have a similar power output to mobile phones, only transmitting every 4 hours instead of every 30 seconds, and much further away from the human body. The radiation is less than that produced by many other household appliances and less than some current analogue meters.See http://www.smartmeters.vic.gov.au/about-smart-meters/reports-and-consultations/ami-meter-em-field-survey-report

Nonetheless, we understand that people have concerns about any radiation and the aggregated effect of more and more devices coming on line.

Gross meter re-wires -  Since the 24th July we have been able to confirm that the rewiring of existing meters to make them into (non-smart) net meters will indeed be possible (for most meters) and Essential Energy will be releasing information about this soon. As soon as we have this to hand we will let you know.

At the info session we provided a Handout from the Report on “Life After FiTs” by the Alternative Technology Association commissioned by the Total Environment Centre. The full report is available on the Solar Citizens website plus a 1 minute video: http://www.solarcitizens.org.au/life_after_fits

There will be a roadshow coming around the region in relation to the findings of this report very soon. Watch the usual places for updates.

Volunteering positions available at NNIC - Are you looking for a way to contribute to the community? Maybe you are retired and want to keep using your skills, or maybe you are a young person looking to gain some new skills. Or perhaps you need to do work for the dole or fulfil a mutual obligation, for Centrelink? We have quite a few volunteer positions available:

Position 1: Sibley Street Fundraising Coordinator: we are looking for someone to help us raise the $70,000 needed to rescue the old house.

Position 2: Sibley Street gardener: we are looking for someone to garden at Sibley street at least once a month to conquer the evil weeds and start beautifying the site with some flower gardens.

NNIC Management Committee: a couple of our MCers are off on holidays for a few months and so we are looking for some new members to help us keep NNIC running smoothly. NNIC is a vibrant organisation doing lots of interesting stuff and behind it all is the Management Committee. This involves a commitment of 3 hours a month for the regular meetings which are usually on a Wednesday at 5.30pm. Plus there is plenty to do depending on your interest, availability and choice.

If you are interested in any of the above positions contact Nat or Guy at NNIC.

Sustainable Nimbin Community Plan 2016-2021 - NNIC is VERY pleased to announce that the new and revised SNCP, plus the Report on Achievements from 2009 to 2015 are NOW AVAILABLE here. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the revised SNCP and also to all of you who are out there working on the various strategies that have been identified to progress Nimbin's aims towards sustainability.

Nimbin CDAT Community Drug Survey Report - The full Report on the survey is now available here on this website. Check it out.
We are open to new CDAT members to help us progress the recommendations arising for the survey findings. Apply to Nat at NNIC.

Did you know that seniors are the fastest-growing age group in Australia (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-18/fastest-growing-age-group-is-65-and-over-abs-says/5164202)? Over 14 per cent of our population is aged 65 or older, and that rate is expected to continue to grow over the next several years. Here are some excellent health links for seniors and carers -

Healthy Eating Over 60
http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/healthy-eating-over-60

Be Active: A Physical Activity Guide for Older Australians
http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/3244D38BBBEBD284CA257BF0001FA1A7/$File/choosehealth-brochure.pdf

Ageing-in-Place Guide for Australian Baby Boomers
https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/health-insurance/guides/ageing-place-guide-australian-baby-boomers/

Activities for Seniors: 10 Best Hobby Websites
http://www.yourlifechoices.com.au/community/other-resources/activities

12 Tips to Prepare the Elderly for Disasters
https://www.agingcare.com/Articles/elderly-disaster-emergency-preparedness-145628.htm

Connections Matter: Helping Older People Stay Socially Active
http://resources.beyondblue.org.au/prism/file?token=BL/1366

Caregiver’s Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviors
https://www.caregiver.org/caregivers-guide-understanding-dementia-behaviors

Dementia and Driving
https://fightdementia.org.au/about-dementia/resources/dementia-and-driving

Tips for Avoiding Caregiver Burnout
http://www.circlecenterads.info/resources/tipsheet_caregiver.pdf

Bioenergy Social License Report - The Report on the findings of the Social License surveys, workshops andconsultations is NOW AVAILABLE here. Thanks to everyone who participated in this research.

 Help with electricity bills and other material aid NNIC now has electricity vouchers (NEW!! Yippee!) for people on benefits experiencing electricity bill stress. We can also assist folks on low incomes with Emergency Relief vouchers, food parcels, and right now we have a lot of donated baby gear including nappies and clothing. To find out if you are eligible for assistance, make an appointment with one of our Community Workers.

Struggling with unpaid fines? NNIC is a Work Development Sponsor which means that you may be able to work off your unpaid fines by volunteering for us. Make an appointment to find out if you are eligible.

TELSTRA Mobile Phone Tower: the proposed location has been announced - Lot 2, Falls Rd Nimbin -see pic below provided by Aurecon. Here is the link to the info.

Latest NBN Info: the NBN is now operatonal in Nimbin. click here to find out whether you will get coverage.
Click here to access pdf file: "Preparing for Fixed Wireless NBN".

For all the other info previously provided/gathered re the NBN in Nimbin go to our Jobs and Skills page.

Youth Stuff  For info on comps and other stuff for youth, go to our youth page. Latest info on youth activities in Nimbin.

Koalas in Nimbin - click here for more info.

As from 1 September 2016 the hours during which customer support is available at the Centrelink Agency are changing.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT will be available Mondays-Thursdays 10am to 2.30pm.

On Fridays the Agency will be open for on line and telephone access but will be SELF SERVICE ONLY.

Welcome on board to Dave Julian who is your new Centrelink Agency Customer Support Worker from now on.

(Please note that Ruth is NO LONGER in the Centrelink agency role.)

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Latest News 7 Sibley St - Nimbin's Sustainable Living Hub

Sibley Street – there’s stuff happening! Many thanks to Lismore City Council for granting us some funds towards enable the purchase a shipping container for the site to use for secure storage of tools and materials. Funds were also provided to enable us to consult with some local school kids about the project.

Thanks also to Bunnings Lismore for donating a $200 voucher and to Rob Fisher for donating some second hand guttering.

Council also recently did some renos on the old skate park and there has been lots of action on the new basketball hoop.

Fundraising update: the first major fundraising milestone has been achieved and the loan paid off. We are gearing up to start fundraising for Stage One of the project. Watch this space.

To see what we need for Stage One and what you can do to help or get involved see the website.

NEW Bank account for STAGE ONE of the Sibley St project: Stage One is to relocate and renovate/upcycle the old house on the site. The estimated cost and the fundraising target is $70,000. We already have about $1,000.00 These funds will be used specifically for Stage One and NOT for any site management overheads and usual outgoings such as the Council rates. To donate to Stage One you can make a direct deposit or else donate any branch of Summerland Credit Union to the following account details. remember to give yur name unless you want to be anonymous, so we can acknowledge your donation.

Bank: Summerland Credit Union 

Account Name: NNIC – Sibley St Fundraising account
Account Number: 2230 4372
BSB : 728-728
Key three letters for the target account: NIM

Consultations: the full hisory of community consultations in relation to the project, inlcuding all the Outcomes Reports, are available on the project website.

The old house - Stage One of the project is to relocate and retrofit the old house currently standing on the site, with the following aims:

• To demonstrate sustainable retrofitting design and technologies on an existing old timber home.
• To demonstrate ‘size matters’ tiny house concept.
• To preserve the heritage of the old house and provide a street presence for the site which is in sympathy with the style of the rest of the village.
• To provide a ‘home base’ for the Sibley Street project and for other community sustainability projects.

The Master Concept Plan - was launched on 24th August at the Big Auction. Feedback is always welcome. The Concept Plan and feedback forms are available here.

Fundraising - If there is something that you are willing to do or contribute to the fundraising mission. please contact us at NNIC. To donate go to our project website.

Rainbow Dreaming - Tales From the Age of Aquarius - buy this great book to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Aquarius festival - all profits go to 7 Sibley St.  Click here to buy the book. If you pledged funds as part of the Rainbow Dreaming Pozible campaign, you can make your pledge good (ie cough up the cash!) by going to the link above.

For more info about the project including how to donate TO STAGE ONE see the project's website

Sustainability Plan Updates

Progress against the goals of the SNCP can be found via the Sustainability tab above under each key Focus Area's own page. Here is some of the very latest news: 

Energy - the NSW North Coast Bio-Energy Scoping Study Report is NOW AVAILABLE here. The report was commissioned by Sustain Northern Rivers Energy Working Group.

Energy - Renewable energy supplied a record 13.14 per cent of Australia’s electricity in 2012, according to new figures released by the Clean Energy Council today. Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green said the 2012 Clean Energy Australia Report showed that energy efficiency and renewable energy such as wind, solar and bioenergy were starting to make a major difference to the way we produce and consume electricity.

“The clean energy industry contributed $4.2 billion in investment and approximately 24,300 jobs to the Australian economy in 2012,” Mr Green said. Click here to go to the full report.

Health and Wellbeing - We have set up an online list of all health and health-related services and practitioners in Nimbin as part of this website. (See the Health tab). To become listed, please download this form and either email it back to us or drop it back into NNIC. You can also get the form at NNIC.

Murals Restoration Project: click here for more info.