Bellingen!

Helsinki Kruunuvuori Bridge opens to pedestrians and cyclists

"Kruunuvuori bridge an exceptional project by international standards. Bridges of this scale are rarely built exclusively for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists."

"From the outset, the focus was on pedestrian and cyclist safety, a comfortable travel experience, and barrier-free accessibility...Opening the bridge to light traffic marks an important milestone, providing a safe and distinctive route across the surrounding urban landscape." >>

https://www.wsp.com/en-au/news/2026/helsinki-kruunuvuori-bridge-opens-to-pedestrians-and-cyclists
#bridges #pedestrians #ActiveMobility #PublicTransport #cyclists #CarCentric #Bellingen #LavendersBridge #safety #walking

Image: Young people on Bellingen's Lavenders Bridge. A dangerous space for pedestrians.

Slips, trips and fall risks from ubiquitous dogs

In dog-friendly Australia it seems the non-native canine is the most dominant species. They are allowed to roam the (dog-free) beaches, the national parks and (pet-friendly) workplaces, flats, cafes, restaurants etc. If not straying, then they are on long or flexible, extendable leashes stretching across hallways and footpaths.

This trip-and-fall risk is human-unfriendly. The health, safety, and well-being of the bipedal companions is not considered. Pet dogs pose hygiene issues, potential zoonoses and allergy risks. The mental well-being of bite victims and phobia affected can trigger distress.

Foreman, A.M.; Glenn, M.K.; Meade, B.J.; Wirth, O. Dogs in the Workplace: A Review of the Benefits and Potential Challenges. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 498. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14050498
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/5/498

Image: Dog-friendly Coffs Central Shopping Centre, trip and fall hazard for customers

#Dogs #hazards #pets #PublicSpaces #Workplaces #falls #Food #zoonoses #hygiene #CoffsHarbour #cafes #Bellingen #PetRelatedInjuries #hospitalisations #DogFriendly

Bellingen urged to swap diesel for electric buses as fuel costs soar

“Every bus running on Australian-made electricity is a bus that isn’t dependent on the strait of Hormuz, isn’t spewing exhaust into our communities, isn’t contributing to lung cancer or childhood asthma, and they’re so much quieter – for commuters and communities alike.” >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/26/australia-electric-buses-transition-from-diesel-fuel-crisis
#EV #buses #Bellingen #NSW #transport #EnergySovereignty #transport #war #climate

Image: Polluting school buses on small country roads, Bellingen

Bellingen shire favours roaming cats over biodiversity
The council is too poor to manage the overpopulation of cats

"Management of wandering cats was in the spotlight at the Bellingen Shire Council’s Ordinary meeting last week. That caution stems from a lack of council resources and the results of a NSW parliamentary inquiry into management of pet cats held last year. "

"While the inquiry found “there is an urgent need to implement cat management strategies in NSW to address the overpopulation of cats, both in urban environments and in the wild”, they also found NSW “may not be ready to adopt mandatory cat containment laws”.

"Cr King said management of wandering cats should be a “top of the list” issue for Council. “It feels like it’s a do nothing, too hard basket response to a really concerning issue we have in our shire,” Cr King said." >>
https://bellingenshirenews.com.au/2026/03/26/council-favors-education-over-cat-curfews-in-bellingen/

"Domestic cats are estimated to kill many of our native animals each year, including an estimated 53 million reptiles, 61 million birds, and 67 million mammals. Keeping cats home and wildlife safe " >>
https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/keeping-cats-home-and-wildlife-safe
#cats #CatCurfews #Bellingen #InvasiveSpecies #pets #biodiversity #Wildlife #BellingenShire #NSW

Image: 'Missing cat' roamed too far, Bellingen poster

Americana meets the Aussie bush

Trying to get some bread in a cafe on Bellingen's main drag. Once the obstacle course of the packs of dogs on extendable leads are overcome it is time for waiting in a long queue on a Saturday. Many hipster families are there to have breakfast done for them.

One set was showcasing their three toddlers in a full 'American Western-inspired aesthetic', cowboy hats and boots. Mum had that Instagrammable ‘Mar-a-Lago face’.

Wide-brimmed hats are ideal to protect oneself from Australia's sun, but this was in the comfort zone of a cafe.

The "cowboy core" aesthetic facade harks back to the wide‑open‑spaces where cattle-herders (cowboys, stockmen/ringers) managed grazing livestock, for the pastoral industry, particularly in the Australian outback or American Western frontier.

Already in the 16th century, the Conquistadors and other Spanish settlers brought their cattle-raising traditions to Mexico and Florida.

The Western portrayed the cowboy as an enduring cultural figure representing freedom.

So why are these urban folks from the suburbs running around in 'costumes' looking like pastoralist workers from a mythical past? What 'sense of belonging' do they buy?

Maybe the fashionable habitus points to a vibe shift of the wannabe cowboys expressing preemptive subordination or imperial obsequiousness?

The rise of cowboy core: What's behind it.>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/dr-karl-how-things-work-cowboy-core-fashion/106336574

Plastic surgeons wrestle with requests for ‘Mar-a-Lago face’:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/18/mar-a-lago-face-plastic-surgery

Image :
In 1859 European wild rabbits were introduced into Australia so they could be hunted for sport. Now hats are made out of some of the invasive species.
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/rabbits-introduced

#cowboys #pastoralism #SettlerSociety #fashion #WesternWear #CattleHerders #belonging #Bellingen #culture #MiddlePowers #subordination #RupturedGlobalOrder #BellingenObservations

The CAT-astrophic hazards roaming cats face and responsible cat ownership

"Australians love their cats. In 2019, roughly a quarter of Australian households owned a cat. By 2025, that figure had risen to a third. Over the same period, households reporting they kept their cats indoors rose from 36% to 48%."

"Your cat is likely to live longer if you don’t let them roam – new study
Australia’s 5.3 million domestic cats kill a total of 546 million animals each year in Australia. About two-thirds of all Australian cat owners have had a cat die while out roaming. The top risks are road traffic accidents, fighting and falls."

"The simplest way to protect your cats is to contain them on your property, just as Australians do with other domestic animals."

It appears that cat owners in the Bellingen/Gleniffer area do not care for their pets or respect their neighbours, as their cats are roaming 24/7 killing wildlife in the bush and gardens. >>
https://theconversation.com/your-cat-is-likely-to-live-longer-if-you-dont-let-them-roam-new-study-276282
#cats #pets #InvasiveSpecies #wildlife #biodiversity #cars #roads #trauma #Bellingen

In Bellingen all space seems devoted to parking for combustion machines. Every lawn, river banks, footpaths - everywhere space is eaten by cars with an expensive need for petrol from the Middle East. Carparks litter the landscape of the small town that has very few footpaths.

Image: Bellingen, Church street, Public toilet pathway blocked by oil guzzlers
#Bellingen #access #accessibility #AccessibleAmenities #footpaths #cars #SUVs #storage #hazards #MobilityDesign #walking #climate

Constellations: new, decentralised writers' festivals are emerging

"I feel like lots of the local writing community haven't necessarily had a place in (Adelaide) Writers' Week for a while."

"Organisers reckon there are lessons to be learned in the opportunities of "bottom-up", inclusive programming and extending festivals beyond city hubs, including attracting a more diverse audience." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-07/constellations-not-writers-week-adelaide/106420422

Only the suppressed word is dangerous. - Ludwig Boerne

#writers #books #PublishingIndustry #events #FreedomOfSpeech #MuzzleWriters #WritersFestivals #Constellations #BRWFest #Bellingen

PFAS contamination sites and dead platypus
Mapping "hazardous concentrations" of PFAS plumes on NSW waterways

A study "found alarmingly high levels of PFOS in the livers of eight dead platypuses, collected from waterways across NSW."

"…Due to the shape of the valley, groundwater from beneath the landfill "ultimately flows towards the Ourimbah Creek catchment”.

"When you look at some of the research that's coming through, clearly it's raw water, our waterways, that we also need to be concerned about because we know PFAS gets into wildlife."

"The research that I've seen, not just in platypus, but in some other species, is really frightening. If that isn't enough to get the government to act on looking at PFAS in waterways, not just drinking water, then I don't know what is."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-07/pfas-contamination-investigation-ourimbah-creek-catchment-nsw/106037472

"Scientists...have discovered PFOS in the livers of eight deceased platypuses collected from numerous eastern NSW rivers, from the north coast in Bellingen to the alps of Jindabyne." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-20/australia-forever-chemicals-pfas-drinking-water-platypus/104244072

#rivers #water #pollution #biodiversity #wildlife #platypus #wetlands #NSW #roads #crashes #spills #landfill #runoff #petrol #PFAS #PFOS #FirefightingFoam #OurimbahCreek #Bellingen #governance