We urge those in the community who are interested in our plantation harvesting and planting practices to understand that forestry is a balance of a number of competing objectives. In balancing these objectives we are trying to finding a way to sustainably produce timber while to the greatest extent possible meet the community’s valid expectations of good land and environmental management. 

It is unfortunate in finding this balance that we will be criticised for our decision making, as it is not possible to meet everyone’s ideals. But in the end we believe that we have delivered a balanced outcome for the community as a whole. Our forest management practices are certified to the internationally recognised Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management and this certification was independently audited by experts in the field just last month. It is our role and our goal to find an appropriate balance in managing all of these issues and we believe that we have achieved this balance in Tarkeeth State Forest.

The Greens have certainly earned their 'few hours off to bask in green glow' after the council elections. Then they need to absorb how narrow and lucky was the outcome. After distribution of preferences, Dominic King won the mayoralty by a mere 126 votes over a comparative outsider. While he won 44% of first preference votes in Bellingen, he managed only 16% in both Dorrigo and Urunga. His main rival, Steve Jenkins, won 32% in Dorrigo and 35% in Urunga, as against 17% in Bellingen. 

Its the same story in the battle for councillors. The Greens won 48% of first preference votes in Bellingen, but just 17% in Dorrigo and 13% in Urunga. Carter's team took 53% of first preference votes in Urunga; Jenkins' and Harrison's teams took 31% and 27% of the Dorrigo vote. Klipin's support (13% of overall first preference votes) was more evenly spread across the shire.

All three Green representatives on council are from the Valley portion of the shire. Challenges going forwards include. Can the Greens transcend their tribal attitudes and boundaries, and  govern in the interests of the whole shire? Will council work harmoniously, or will we see four years of warfare: Greens vs the rest? Will Steve Jenkins still look like a 'mayor in waiting' after he has been through four years of trench warfare in the council chamber? We shall see!

To all those concerned parents of young children, who are being bullied by well meaning politicians and health professionals, to immunise their children, even though it is against their better judgement, there is something you should consider. In a book published by Dr Cilento in 1979, titled You can't live without Vitamin C, she maintains that many newborn babies are deficient in Vitamin C, which can also lead to cot death – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Dr Archie Kalokerinos saw these deaths actually happening mostly among aboriginal babies in his practice in far western NSW. Their mothers brought them to his hospital with some trivial ailment, many of them went into shock and died before his eyes and there was a practically 50 per cent mortality, as his book Every second child describes. Maybe, he reasoned, when these infants became ill, they needed more Vitamin C, so the infant received an injection of 100mg of Vitamin C and recovery was dramatic.

He also noticed that any severe stress, such as sedatives, anaesthetic, immunisation injections whilst teething … these were sufficient to so deplete the little bodies of Vitamin C that they could become victims of sub-clinical scurvy and at risk of SIDS. He deduced that deficiency of Vitamin C – sub-clinical scurvy, is the one common factor in SIDS.

Factor X, the instigating cause, may be anything from infection to immunisation that sets off the syndrome. He was particularly concerned by the frequent reactions of babies to triple antigen and to other vaccines given without first testing at the infant has sufficient Vitamin C in his body to produce an immune response in his blood.

Otherwise he may show a sharp reaction to the vaccine or be thrown into a state of shock. He believes that all babies and young children should have enough Vitamin C to spill over into their urine,a sure sign that there is at least 1mg per 100gm in their blood. That when a baby is off colour, irritable, teething, sniffling and particularly when he has to meet the stress of an immunisation needle, his urine should be first tested with a C-Stix – a simple matter of a few seconds, to make sure of his Vitamin C status.

It is well-recognised that babies who have an infection should not be immunised. In fact, a warning is issued in the instructions enclosed in every triple antigen pack. This should be meticulously heeded by every doctor giving their shots to 3-6 month old babies. And mass immunisations programs should not be undertaken without first ascertaining the health and Vitamin C condition of each child.

The Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in South Brisbane does a wonderful job in looking after children’s health, and this brief extract from Lady Cilento's book may help some parents make an informed decision on whether and when to vaccinat.