KOALA rescuer Maria Matthes will be able to save more wildlife while keeping herself safe thanks to a new thermal imaging camera.

The $20,000 thermal equipment was donated by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), funded by furniture company koala.com, via Ballina MP Tamara Smith.

Ms Matthes, who has a member of Friends of the Koala for five years, remembered the fires that affected the area on October 16, 2019.

"I saw two koalas up in a tree after the fire went through, and the RFS sprayed the trees so we could rescue the animals, but it was dangerous work," she said.

Pictured: Tamara Smith MP, Member for Ballina and Ian Kirkland, President, Alstonville Plateau Historical Society

Tamara Smith MP announces $17K in funding for Alstonville Historical Society

Tamara Smith MP, Member for Ballina announces $17,280 in funding through the Community Building Partnership for the Alstonville Plateau Historical Society.

The NSW Government commissioned an independent expert inquiry into the 2019-20 bushfire season to provide input to NSW ahead of the next bushfire season.

Safeguarding the welfare of older people

Safe Visitor Access campaign launched today to help older people in our community throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Member for Ballina Tamara Smith today announced she is calling on the State government to urgently provide funding to safeguard the welfare of older people in New South Wales throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Hopefully you have had time to re-vamp your submission to Byron Shire Council opposing West Byron 2.0. 

Thankfully we have a 1 month extension of time to get our submissions in by 7th May 2020.

Everything you need to know to prepare your submission is below.

Even though we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic we are paying attention and this mega development for West Byron has no social or environmental license. 

NO WEST BYRON! 

$300,000 for Ballina Electorate announced today through the Community Building Partnership Program

Member for Ballina Tamara Smith today announced the electorate of Ballina has secured $300,000 in funding for a total of 16 projects through the NSW Government’s 2019 Community Building Partnership Program.

TWO significant renewable energy projects have attracted almost $4.5 million in state funding between them.

Under the State Government's Regional Community Energy Fund, $3.5 million has been allocated to the Byron Bay Solar Farm and Battery Storage Project, spearheaded by Coolamon Energy.

A further $998,000 has been awarded to Enova Community Energy to part fund a new initiative.

I join my colleague the member for Balmain, Jamie Parker, who spoke on behalf of The Greens, in wholly supporting the motion and extend my deepest sympathies to the victims of the bushfires that swept through our State and our nation.

I DON’T think any of us feels like we have had a holiday over the usual festive season.

Whether you have been ­affected personally by recent extreme weather events or the worst fires in living memory, every one of us has been ­affected emotionally by the loss of life, the destruction of places we love and the devastating loss of animals and ­biodiversity.

When Tamara Smith talks about a ‘gracious U-turn’, Byron readers might be surprised to learn she isn’t referring to drivers waiting patiently on Jonson Street outside the Mercato shopping centre.

The Greens state member for Ballina wants mainstream society to give conservatives on climate change another chance.