2022

DECEMBER
Rainbow Road Walking Trail Community Day - Your Say: As some of you may recall, at the beginning of 2021 the Nimbin Community Centre, with the support of the wider Nimbin community purchased the property at 11a Alternative Way to facilitate and support the long held community plan for the Rainbow Road Walking Trail and to increase the green belt in the village. The Lismore City Council (with support and input from the Nimbin Community) secured funding of $2.6MILLION from the state and federal funding bodies to build the walking track in Nimbin. There has been considerable background work since the funds were approved and Lismore Council is now ready to seek community feedback on the design. (more)

NOVEMBER
It’s hard to believe that we are already in November and 2022 is almost at an end. We are racing towards our AGM (Nov 10, 5pm at B&B), finalising a few outstanding projects and starting to work towards next year which is already promising to be a significant one for our village with the 50th anniversary of the Aquarius Festival to look forward to in the early part of next year. (more)

New Tenants
We are excited to welcome 3 new tenants to the Community Centre this month. Simon Chmeilewski, who is opening an IT support business (New Era Tech) in the Casuarina Building. Sally Flannery, who is opening a Vintage and Quality clothing business (Worn Better), in the Bark Hut Garage next door to the Nimbin Aquarius Foundation. Mahlie Bayles who has taken on refurbishing, revitalising and reopening the Aboriginal Cultural Centre space. We wish them success with their enterprise, hope that they will enjoy the support of the community and look forward to getting to know them all better.

Section 94 Funding
We are pleased to announce that the Section 94 funding approval, that we applied for at the beginning of the year, has come through from the Lismore City Council. There were a few delays due to the incredible disruption and workload put on Council staff after the disaster event earlier this year. Now we have the go ahead to start replacing the very last section of covered walkway on the Community Centre site. This has been a 10-15-year project slowly replacing section by section as we got the funds.

CCTV cameras
After the break-in we experienced earlier this year, where we lost over $10,000 worth of garden and maintenance tools, the centre committee decided that we would seek funding to install a comprehensive CCTV system on the Community Centre Grounds. We applied to the Lismore Workers Club for funding via the Clubgrants scheme and were successful. Many thanks to the Lismore Workers Club who supports many local community organisations with their program. We now have a comprehensive CCTV system that covers most of our grounds. We hope that this will protect not only the Centre grounds and infrastructure but also the staff, volunteers, tenants, community members and visitors who use our shared space.

Our wonderful Volunteers
After a couple of hard years with COVID lockdowns and then the flood event stopping our last lot of volunteers from being able to get here, the centre grounds and gardens have suffered without the massive help that volunteers provide to the Community Centre. Our volunteers pick up rubbish, weed garden beds, brush cut, mow, clean up tonnes of green waste and plant out the garden beds under the supervision of our gardener. Our part time gardener Robyn Berry has struggled to manage all the work needed to maintain both sites for the Community Centre with her few hours a week. Fortunately, in the last couple of months we have welcomed 4 new volunteers to the Community Centre and our gardens and grounds are once again looking tidy and well cared for. I would like to thank and acknowledge our volunteers; Moni Moore, Paxi Cheah, Chris Duffy and Jane Treasure and our dedicated gardener Robyn for the wonderful job they all do for the Community Centre. If you have a bit of time to spare, would like to work with a great crew of people and would like to contribute to your community centre you would be welcomed. We are registered with Centerlink if you have some volunteer obligations to fill. Just contact me (Centre Coordinator) on 66890 000 when I am in the office (Mon-Wed) and I will make some time to register you as a volunteer for the Community Centre.

Regards
Teresa Biscoe (Coordinator)

(less)

OCTOBER
September has proved to be a month of back to back events in our village. It’s been incredibly positive to see the culture, community, range of arts and community volunteers who have worked so hard to create these opportunities to showcase our community. This has been much needed after such a traumatic start to the year with many families still on the long slow journey to recovery. (more)

Our community courage, compassion and resilience continues to remind me why I came to Nimbin in the 1st place. I hope the wider community gives these events the support they need to ensure that we continue to showcase our vibrant village culture and community.

Economic Development
Like many organisations the Nimbin Community Centre has been reviewing the income and budget of the Centre and looking for ways to maintain and strengthen the Community Centre for now and into the future. In August the Nimbin Community Centre attended an Economic Development Forum organised by Lismore City Council. During this Forum we were introduced to a number of agencies offering free federally and state funded advice and support. We have engaged Stuart McPhee from AusIndustries – Strengthening Business Entrepreneurs Program to look at how we manage and provide our income and where we can improve. He has made a visit to our Centre, met as many tenants as possible and we are really excited to see his advice. We hope that other organisations and businesses take advantage of this great free program to help us through this difficult economic time and ensure the survival of all of our organisations and small businesses into the future. Thanks to the Nimbin Chamber of Commerce for organising the forum.

Community Engagement
As part of an ongoing review of the Community Centre the Committee has been looking at how to engage with the community on a wider level. The Centre relies on volunteers in our management committee and to help us manage, develop and maintain our beautiful gardens and grounds. We would love to get your feedback and ideas about how we can improve our communication with the wider community, attract more volunteers and members and how we can support the development of infrastructure and services in our precious village. You can send us your ideas via email (ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au) or drop of a written suggestion into out suggestion box at the community centre office. Your feedback is important to us. NCCI AGM 2022: 10th of November 2022 5.00pm at the Birth and Beyond Meeting Room, 54 Cullen St Nimbin. Membership sign up will occur at the beginning of the meeting. All current and new members welcome.

Regards

Teresa Biscoe (Coordinator)

(less)

SEPTEMBER
Spring has sprung, things are getting warmer and promising to be wetter (don’t know if I am ready for that). The garden is growing fast around the centre. Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers Jane, Moni and Chris who have been working hard, with Robyn our gardener, to make the grounds and gardens tidy and welcoming for visitors. September promises to be a busy month in Nimbin with an event scheduled for almost every weekend. (more)

We have the Nimbin Poetry Performance Cup (4th and 5th Sept), The Nimbin Fashion Parade (10th Sept), The Mardigrass (16th-18th Sept) and the Spring Arts Exhibition (24th Sept-9th Oct). Wonderful opportunities for the local community to enjoy and participate in local arts and culture.

The Indigenous Culture Centre
Many thanks to those individuals, businesses and organisations who saw our plea last month and have chosen to contribute to the pay the rent fund to keep the Centre going. If you are still deciding but have lost the bank details? Contact us at ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au and we will share the details of this dedicated account with you.

Volunteers
The Community Centre relies on the contribution of volunteers to keep the centre going. We are not a funded organisation and only have a small amount of funds available for our gardens and grounds. Over the disaster we lost our regular volunteers and we could all see the difference. Our gardener just couldn’t keep up with the few hours a week she has. In the last couple of months, we have attracted 4 new volunteers. Jane and Moni who have been doing wonderful work in the gardens supporting our gardener Robyn, the wonderful handyman Chris who has been busy unblocking drains, fixing gutters, cleaning pathways and any other job that needs doing, and recently Paxi who has just started engaging again in community after a long period of recovery. I want to thank you all for your unique contribution to our centre and the community. If you want to become a volunteer, please contact us and I would love to have a conversation with you about how you can make your own contribution to our wonderful community centre.

Rainbow Road Walking Trail
The Walking Trail Project is at an exciting stage with the project team having sorted out the route so all the details about where furniture should be put, art, signage, vegetation plans etc. will be the next area for development. The group working with council are hoping that there will be an opportunity soon for wider community consultation about this stage of the design so we all get a chance to give feedback about this important future community space. A project 25 years in the making that will give us all more choices in our shared community spaces. The Community Centre is proud to have been a partner in realising this important community project.

(less)

AUGUST
We had a fantastic day in Allsopp Park on the 8th of July celebrating NAIDOC day. After the survival day march into the park we experienced the smoking ceremony and heard a great introduction from local respected culture man Gilbert Laurie, who gave some home truths about the impact that colonisation has had on the indigenous people and culture of this country. Steve Didge and the Widjabal Dancers provided some fine traditional song, music and dance reminding all of us of the rich cultural traditions that are still being practiced today. (more)

Then we were treated to the classic golden country tones of Billie Smith, the powerful and lyrical songs of Blakboi, a didge duo with Roland and Tiago and well known and loved Monkey & the Fish to finish up. Once again Nicolette and Ryan from the Nimbin Cultural Centre with volunteers from the Nimbin Neighbourhood Centre and the CWA Nimbin Branch put on an amazing feed for all who were there.

This day would not be possible without community support and partnership- The Nimbin Aboriginal Culture Centre, the Nimbin Neighborhood and Information Centre, the Nimbin Community Centre and the Nimbin Aquarius Foundation all contributed to the organisation and funding of the day, with various groups coming out to support on the day.

Many thanks to the Rainbow Power Company for the use of their Marquee, the Ngulingah Nursery, NNIC, NACRS, Spotty Girl face painter and Jullums program for their support and the stalls on the day. The beautiful artwork of the NAIDOC banner painted by Oral Roberts and Daniel (Boon) Wilson formed a perfect backdrop for the performers. There was also great support for the signing of support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart from those who attended and we hope that the village community will continue to support Indigenous rights, identity, culture and practice. The Nimbin Community Centre is proud to continue to support the annual Nimbin NAIDOC celebration and pledges its support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its full implementation.

If anyone has any photos of the day they would like to share with us that would be great. You can email any images to the Nimbin Community Centre and we will share them with all those who supported this event.

SUPPORT FOR THE CULTURAL CENTRE: I am writing on behalf of the Nimbin Aboriginal Cultural Centre and the Nimbin Community Centre to seek community sponsorship for the Cultural Centre. The Waibal Aboriginal Cultural Centre is the only dedicated Indigenous cultural space in the Lismore LGA. This space, which has been in use as an indigenous cultural space since 2005 when Johnny Bayles 1st secured it, represents not only a space for Indigenous expression of culture and art it also represents the non-indigenous communities support and respect for our 1st nations people. Nimbin’s history for cultural engagement was born out of the 1973 Aquarius Festival where for the 1st time consent was sought by the non-indigenous community to hold the festival and the indigenous community responded by giving one of the 1st Welcome to Country ceremonies held for a non- indigenous community.

The space has been supported by the Community Centre since that time through improvements to the infrastructure (kitchen, toilet, landscaping, gardens), the auspice of grant projects (arts, youth, NAIDOC, mural, language) and with our continued support of the various leases with the indigenous community representatives in that time. Support for the Cultural Centre remains a cornerstone of our Reconciliation Action Plan.

Due to COVID and the disruptions created by the disaster the cultural centre has been very quiet over the last couple of years. However, with the support of the Creative Koorie- Waibal Art grant to renovate and landscape the front entrance, improve disability access and set up the interior as a proper gallery space, we hope to have a grand re-opening in December. Oral Roberts, Daniel (Boon) Wilson and a number of Indigenous Artists have been working hard getting the interior space ready and works of art completed for this re-opening and have painted and installed a brand new entry sign. They plan to have it open regularly after the opening, so people can come in and purchase local indigenous artists' work.

Unfortunately, the Cultural Centre is still struggling to afford the monthly rent on the room and the quarterly electricity bills. The indigenous artists who are working out of the space and the local indigenous community can’t afford to cover these ongoing costs. The Community Centre can’t afford to cover this deficit due to rising costs and our own limited income. We depend entirely on rent to run the community centre and we are running a deficit budget this year. That is why we are seeking further sponsorship from within the Nimbin Community. We have a number of individuals and community groups contributing to the monthly rent but still have a shortfall of just under $400.00 per month. If you are able to contribute even a small amount as a regular monthly to the cultural centre it would be greatly appreciated.

You can make a deposit or set up a monthly direct debit into the following account: Name: Aboriginal Cultural Centre
Account: 22269889
BSB: 728 728

BIRTH & BEYOND ROOM RENOVATIONS: The NCCI committee has decided to do some renovations to improve the storage capacity in the B&B room. This work was decided because concerns were raised about the safe storage of the expensive media equipment in the B&B cupboard and the realisation that the storage available was not adequate for NCCI or the room user’s needs. This work began with the removal of the big wooden cupboard against the wall. This has been relocated to the Hemp Embassy where it will be used for storage.

Extensive storage/seating is to be provided along the wall to allow safe storage of yoga equipment etc The cupboard will no longer be available for storage and the stairs will be removed as part of the renovation for safety. Suggestions regarding storage design are most welcome but be quick to input as the work will begin soon.

Apologies for any inconvenience.

If you wish to contact the Nimbin Community Centre feel free to call us (66890 000) or email us ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au and our coordinator will be happy to answer your concerns and queries.

Regards
Teresa Biscoe

(less)

JULY
We’ve all been feeling the chill in the last couple of weeks with winter solstice on the 21st of June having come and gone. But the chill is welcome while we enjoy the wonderful clear and sunny weather. My heart goes out to all the rough sleepers who haven’t got a warm and safe space to shelter in, or those who, due to rising energy costs, can’t afford to heat their homes. (more)

Thank goodness we have the totally awesome Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre and the CWA Nimbin Branch. Both these organisations have been working tirelessly to support and care for those people in need in our community.

The Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre continues their work providing food to those in need with the Food Bank project, washing, phone and electricity vouchers, access to Centerlink and other Government Agencies, Counselling and referrals to support as well as access to the internet and printing. I know that they have worked tirelessly throughout the Flood disaster recovery to link victims of the event to the support and funding agencies they need, accept and manage donations and to provide whatever they can to those who have lost everything. This work continues with them providing ongoing support for victims of the disaster to help them get through the funding process and providing advocacy to funding bodies to ensure that those affected by landslips (which represents many of the people affected in the community) could also access the disaster relief funding. If you have been affected and have not yet sought assistance please contact them on 66 891 453 and they will do all they can to advise and assist you.

The CWA Nimbin Branch, who are working closely with the Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre, swung straight into action when the disaster hit, as they did in the 2019 Bushfires. They collected and stored food and clothing donations for disaster victims, cooked meals for elderly and vulnerable people, organised boots and generally tried to support the Neighbourhood Centre in the recovery effort. They continue to provide support and are opening their room at the Nimbin Community Centre every Wednesday between 10am and 2pm. They are located next to the Sibley St carpark in the Nimbin Community Centre. They have second hand clothes, and home baked goodies available and usually a warm pot of soup. All sales of clothing or baked goods go towards the various community projects that they support like the pay the rent fund for the Waibal Culture Centre, an annual bursary for students at Nimbin Central School and towards the rent on their room.

The Nimbin Community Centre is proud to have these organisations as tenants. They remind us all of why the community worked so hard to keep the old school site in community hands all those years ago. Both these organisations rely on volunteers and community support to help keep them going. We hope the community continues to support and appreciate the valuable contribution these organisations make to the village.

Along with the Waibal Culture Centre, Nimbin Aged Care and Respite Service, Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre and the CWA Nimbin Branch, Nimbin Community Centre is helping coordinate the Nimbin NAIDOC 2022 celebrations on Friday the 8th of July. The celebration will be held on Allsop Park and it promises to be a great day of community, culture and entertainment. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to show our appreciation and support for our 1st nations people in this proud display of survival and culture. The

Waibal Culture Centre needs more support to help pay the rent and keep the centre going. Anyone interested in supporting the Waibal Culture Centre can contact the Nimbin Community Centre either by phone (0266 890 000) or by email ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au and we will let you know how you can help.

This event and the work of all the wonderful community groups and other tenants at the community centre remind me how lucky we are to have such a caring and cohesive community. If you don’t know about this check out our websitewww.nimbincommunity.org.au or pop into the Nimbin Community Centre and have a wander around.

Regards
Teresa

(less)

JUNE
After months of wet weather, I am grateful for the occasional glimpse of sun, less grateful for the forecast that we can expect months more of this wet weather. It has made the business of recovery much more difficult for those who suffered loss during the flood events and I cross fingers and toes every time we have a prediction for heavy rain. (more)

My heart goes out to those up north who have experienced 3 heavy flood events this year so far, I can’t imagine what that feels like. It certainly puts my problems with mould, mud and squelch into perspective and I feel eternally grateful that I live in such a dynamic, connected and supportive community.

Nimbin Rocks for Youth: Last month the Nimbin Community Centre agreed to auspice a grant application for a group (mostly parents) wanting to provide events and services for the young people of Nimbin. We have all acknowledged the impact of the loss of the youth space and services in the village in 2012. I have had discussions with some of the members of the group last year about the need for more events and activities for youth in the village but the loss of all the venues and services in Lismore has made the situation much more critical. It’s great that we have this group ready to be get more events and activities together for young people.

The Nimbin Rocks for Teens group has been awarded a grant $10,000 by the Northern Rivers Flood Relief Fund. They held their 1st event Saturday the 14th of May with a Youth dance night in the Nimbin Hall. It was really well attended with twice the number of young people turning up as was expected (in spite of the awful weather).

At least 2-3 other events will be held with the group also exploring other activities and resources to support young people in our community so keep an eye out for more events. Many thanks to the Northern Rivers Community Foundation for providing the funding. The Nimbin Community Centre is proud to support activities and events that provide for our young people.

Loss of Garden Equipment from Centre: Last month I reported the theft of all our gardening equipment from the garden shed at the Community Centre. Unfortunately, the police have been unable to track down the lost equipment. We have replaced most of the lost equipment and soon we will be back in action. We wanted to thank the outpouring of support we received from the community when we publicised our loss. It reminds us that we have the love and support of our community behind us.

Birth & Beyond Mural: We are updating the lovely mural that sits above the shop front at 54 Cullen St. Local artist Aiti Kordiono is touching up the night scene above the Apothecary and creating a beautiful day scene above the Nimbin Environment Centre which complements the existing image. The image uncovered during renovations last year of the Chinese Sages will be conserved. Below is the proposed design.

Volunteering for the Community Centre: The Community Centre relies on the work and support of our volunteers to help manage and maintain our buildings and grounds and provide some office support. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, flood disaster in February and the damage done to the roads and infrastructure we have lost our volunteers and need to attract more. We are registered with Centrelink, so if you have an obligation to volunteer we would be happy to have you volunteer with our organisation, although this is not a requirement for our volunteers. Your volunteering will improve the grounds and gardens at the centre which are enjoyed by our whole community. If you have other skills to offer, we are happy to explore how that can contribute to our centre. If you are interested volunteering at the community centre, you can contact us on our phone- 0266890000 or via email- ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au or pop into our office during office hours.

Regards
Teresa Biscoe
Coordinator

(less)

MAY
As we get back to some kind of normal the classes and activities in the Dance Studio and Birth and Beyond meeting room a getting back into full swing. There are dance, tai chi and yoga classes, support groups and other services. You can view the bookings in the What’s On calendar on the Nimbin Community Centre Website. Dance Studio bookings are blue, Birth and Beyond bookings are red. (more)

If you click on a booking all the details will come up including any contact details, costs and times.

These two great spaces are available for casual hire at very reasonable rates they can be booked online through our venue hire pages or contact the community centre office on 02 66890 000.

Our tenants at the Nimbin Comskool are also starting a new term of Adult Education Classes including Life drawing and creative writing. You can check out their program on the Nimbin Adult Learning Facebook page. The CWA is having a pop up shop every Wednesday between 10-3pm with great bargains, scones and beverages to help with their fundraising efforts.

On Tuesday the 26th of April we discovered that someone has broken into the garden shed at the Nimbin Community Centre and stolen all our garden equipment. It’s heartbreaking to think that there are people out there who will steal from a community asset.

So far we have lost:

3 Honda brush cutters
1 self propelled mower Victa Mulch master 560 1 brand new Gurnie
1 small blower Shindaiwa EB220S
1 x 20lt petrol jerrycan
2 x 5lt petrol jerrycan
4lt can 2 stroke oil
2 x 1lt 2 stroke oil mixing can
4lt 10-30 motor oil
Secateurs Felco x 3
Fiskars lopper 1x big and 1 x small

There may be more and we will discover this as we go through everything that is left.

We last went into the shed the Friday before. This is all our grounds equipment that we use to manage and maintain our gardens and grounds. We are running a deficit budget this year due to various financial impacts from the last couple of years so this will hurt us to have to replace this equipment.

If anyone has seen anything or knows anything, please let us know.

Regards

Teresa Biscoe

(less)

APRIL
As April arrives with more flood warnings we are all bracing ourselves and hoping we just get a bit more rain and not more havoc while we are still in recovery. The Nimbin Neighbourhood Centre is still coordinating support for affected community members. They have support services from Service NSW and Resilience NSW available to help people get funding and other support and are also coordinating local ongoing support from businesses and community. (more)

They are saying that lot’s of people who are in need are not taking up the services because they don’t think their problem is “bad enough” or they think the support is only for property owners and not tenants. It’s really important that everyone who has been affected register what has happened so they not only get the support they need but these services know what’s happening and can direct resources and funding to the village. I met one of the staff from these teams, she was really helpful and understanding and had herself been affected as her house in Lismore was flooded as well.

The staff at the centre are really helpful and will direct you to whatever support that is available.

Community events like the “Illuminate Nimbin” festival and the “Nimbin Mardigrass” have been postponed till Spring when we hope we get some dryer weather and the region has had the opportunity to recover. Spring is proving to be an action-packed month starting with the “Illuminate Nimbin” festival on the last weekend in August and finishing with the “Nimbin Show” on the last weekend in September. In between we have the “Nimbin Poetry Performance Cup”, “Nimbin Fashion Parade”, the “Mardigrass” and the annual “Spring Arts Exhibition”. It’s a great time to get out, support your community and enjoy the talent and variety that Nimbin has to offer.

We have lost a few Community Centre volunteers from our office and grounds maintenance crew in the last month. Our office volunteer Ann Matzaros has left the area. Linda Bell and James Gardner have retired and Glenn Sparkes is busy for the next 3 months working as a maintenance person for Council at the Lismore Caravan Park where many displaced people are now residing. They have all been wonderful and reliable volunteers whose contributions can be seen in the tidy grounds and beautiful gardens and we will miss their presence and contributions in the Community Centre Grounds. This leaves Paul Sims as our lone ranger who comes all the way from the Channon to volunteer. If you are thinking of volunteering anywhere or know someone who may be interested please direct them to the Community Centre. We are registered with Centrelink and welcome any assistance.

The Centre can be contacted by phone (02 66890 000) or email ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au if you are interested in volunteering, want to know about our casual hire spaces or queries about tenants. Our office is staffed 3 days a week (Monday to Wednesday) but leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Stay safe, look after each other and if you know someone in need direct them to the Neighbourhood Centre and they will do their best to help and support you.

Regards
Teresa Biscoe
Coordinator

(less)

MARCH
We live in interesting times. The last few years of various emergency events have demonstrated what a great community we have. Each time a disaster event has occurred our various community organisations and volunteers from around the village have stepped up to look after us. A special thanks to the RFB, SES, Neighbourhood Centre and CWA who swung into action within days of the disaster hitting. (more)

The Nimbin Chamber has also been busy and their members have been sent lots of information about funding and grants for those member businesses impacted by the disaster event.

Many thanks also to Janelle Saffin who despite being personally impacted has worked tirelessly on behalf of the Northern Rivers to advocate and lobby for the community.

This is probably the worst event we have had to deal with. Some members of our village community have lost homes, cars and roads, our shared infrastructure has also taken a huge battering and it may take years for a full recovery. Our heart goes out to those in our village community who have suffered these great losses and the other villages and communities of the Northern Rivers.

Joining a volunteer organisation is a great way to get to know people and make a valuable contribution to your community. Nimbin happens because we have great volunteers who contribute to various organisations. The Nimbin Community Centre has many opportunities for volunteering. We are registered with Centrelink so if you have a volunteer obligation you will be very welcome in our organisation.

NCCI currently has a vacancy on the management committee and we are inviting interested members of the Nimbin Village Community to contact us if you wish to join us. If you are not sure about joining the committee you would be welcome to attend a couple of meetings so you can check it out. It’s a great way to get to know your village community and the crew who manage this fantastic community asset on behalf of the community.

Call 026689 0000 or email ncci@nimbincommunity.org.au at the office if you are interested and speak to our office coordinator.

It is a time for kindness, sharing and supporting each other especially over the next few months when the impact of the current disaster really starts to hit.

Take care and be safe.

Regards
Teresa Biscoe
Coordinator

(less)

FEBRUARY
As February swings around and school goes back, the staff, tenants and volunteers at the Nimbin Community Centre are getting back into the swing of things. (more)

FEBRUARY
As February swings around and school goes back, the staff, tenants and volunteers at the Nimbin Community Centre are getting back into the swing of things.

NCCI Gardens and Grounds: We seem to be having a most glorious mild Summer due to the frequent rains. The Community Centre Grounds are looking lush and magnificent. Many thanks to our grounds and gardens volunteers Paul, Glenn, James and Linda who under the supervision of our Centre Gardener Robyn have managed to tame the wilderness and whip the Centre gardens back into shape. We would not be able to have everything looking so lovely without all the great work they do and I know Robyn is grateful for the help and support they give. We hope you all take the time to enjoy our lovely gardens and grounds when you are next in the Village. It’s a wonderful and quiet space to get away from the bustle on the streets.

NCCI AGM: Was held on December the 16th 2021. It was a fairly quiet affair. Long-time committee member Linnet Pike resigned and will be sorely missed for her attention to detail and advocacy for the vulnerable members of our community.

The Committee for 2022 consists of:

President: David Hallett elected unopposed
Vice-president: Louise Graves elected unopposed
Treasurer: Diana Roberts elected unopposed
Secretary: Michael Balderstone elected unopposed

Election of two ordinary members: nominations were received from Wil Polson and Darren Maxwell.

Membership fees: Membership fees for the community centre were raised from $15 to $20 per year.

What’s On: Check out the 'What's On' calendar on our website for new classes and programs for 2022, available at the Nimbin Dance Studio and the Birth and Beyond Meeting Room. Yoga, Dance, Tai Chi, Art, Life Drawing and more with Adult learning courses staring in February.

Thanks to all our staff and volunteers: Our Community Centre manages due to the dedicated work of the part time staff we employ for necessary admin and maintenance and our wonderful volunteers on our management committee and the crew who work in our grounds and Office.

(less)

JANUARY
After a long and often isolated year with disruptions and closures due to Pandemic restrictions we are all looking forward to a year where we can hopefully plan an event and not have it cancelled at the last minute or visit loved ones or even get some work done around the place. (more)

NCCI Gardens and Grounds: We seem to be having a most glorious mild Summer due to the frequent rains. The Community Centre Grounds are looking lush and magnificent. Many thanks to our Gardener Robyn and our awesome volunteers Glenn, Paul, Linda and James. We would not be able to have everything looking so lovely without all the great work they do and I know Robyn is grateful for the help and support they give. We hope you all take the time to enjoy our lovely gardens and grounds when you are next in the Village. It’s a wonderful and quiet space to get away from the bustle on the streets.

Holiday Closures: Our office will be closed for 4 weeks over the X-mas break with the Coordinator returning on the 17th of January. Bookings for venue hire can still go ahead via our online booking system and we have lots of great information and services up on the website (www.nimbincommunity.org.au) if you want to know more about the community centre and its projects.

Grants: As an unfunded organisation with a relatively small income base, which is largely taken up by operating costs and ongoing maintenance, we rely on grant funding to improve the facilities and infrastructure at the centre. Grants are a demanding process that take a lot of time to cost and write. We often miss funding opportunities because we simply don’t have enough time to complete applications.

The larger grants have been done by Diana Roberts, our Committee Treasurer, with smaller grants by the office coordinator. Thanks Diana for your volunteer efforts on our behalf. Many thanks also to Sam our maintenance man for the all the work he has done to ensure these projects get delivered and the hours he puts in to create detailed costs for priority projects for future grant applications. Last year the Centre completed 3 grant projects and had to delay some others;

Clubs Grant-Energy Audit: Rainbow Power Company installed smart meters on the Community Centre site, to allow us to monitor and track our energy usage. This is part of the NCCI long term Climate Chaos Strategy to improve energy use. Once we have been monitoring for a period, we will be able to better understand our energy usage and be able to plan ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce our Carbon Footprint.
NRCF-Recovery and Resilience-Water tanks: As you are all aware we all experienced a lot of water stress in the Village during the drought and bushfires of 2019. In particular, our gardens and grounds suffered with ongoing water restrictions. With this grant we installed 2 new tanks onto the NCCI site at 81 Cullen St. This improvement to our water storage capacity along with our strategy of planting local native species will ensure the resilience and survival of our lovely grounds and gardens in times of drought and water restrictions.

FRRR-Strengthening Rural Communities: Covered Walkways: Each year we work on getting funding to upgrade and replace the old covered walkways that link all the buildings together. They provide important shelter from the sun and rain but have been falling apart since we moved in over 20 years ago. We have just finished another stretch around the back of Acacia and Casuarina. The new look walkways are taller and better protected and Sam has worked right down to the wire to get this section done before X-mas.
NAIDOC-21-Funding Variation: Unfortunately, due to the closures and disruptions last year The Nimbin NAIDOC organising committee were unable to hold the NAIDOC 21 celebrations even though we postponed several times. We have requested that the funding we received in 2021 be used for the 2022 celebrations. So look for the posters and news in June for our own special Nimbin NAIDOC celebrations. I know the Nimbin Wai:bal Cultural Centre and Friends will again host a wonderful event where we can all share, enjoy and learn about the magnificent country and culture we are privileged to share with the original people.

Our staff;

Helen Lynne our bookkeeper who provides not only meticulous records and manages our bills but also shares the wealth of admin experience she brought with her from her previous incarnation in the corporate world.
Teresa (Biskit) Biscoe our office coordinator who brings her love of community and her enthusiasm for the centre into her daily interactions with the village and all who walk into our office.
Sam Herren our maintenance man who deals with all our maintenance emergencies and does his best to do as much as he can with the budget he has.
Robyn Berry our gardener whose overall vision and ongoing work in the gardens, ensure we have lots of lovely green quiet spaces to enjoy.

Our Volunteer Management Committee;

David Hallet our President
Michael Balderstone our Secretary
Diana Roberts our Treasurer
Linnet Pike
Louise Greaves
Darren Maxwell
Wil Polson

Gardens and Grounds Volunteers;

Paul Sims
Glenn Sparkes
Linda Bell
James Gardner

Office Volunteer

Ann Mazaros

(less)

2022

Signup for the latest news:

Copyright 2024 Lismore & Nimbin Tourism Contact • Privacy Policy • Designed by Dogwhistle Creative • Developed by Evolved Websites