The Nimbin Mardi Grass THE TWEED SHIRE is on again this weekend! Volume 1 #34 Yes you can Thursday, April 30, 2009 find out more Advertising and news enquiries: on page 14 Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 [email protected] [email protected] www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Bay Street Potters fire away! sell-off on hold Ken Sapwell Tweed Shire Council has bowed to mounting public pressure to lift some of the secrecy sur- rounding its controversial push to sell part of Bay Street for a multi-storey development. It has decided to put negotiations for the sale on hold until Walker Corporation agrees to consult with the community and publicly dis- close details of its proposals with joint venture partner and retail centre giant, Centro. It has also reversed its stand against releasing a confidential probity plan which removes po- tential legal obstacles in selling the 640 square metres of road reserve without going to tender. The moves are aimed at trying to reverse a massive community backlash which followed a closed-door decision by the council at its very first meeting authorising the general manager to negotiate a sale to smooth the way for an Rhonda Luland, Ann Lee, Janette Cernigoi and Nora Prior with some of The crew came back to the Fernvale site two days later on Friday morn- apartment block. the pots just removed from a huge pit firing. ing full of excitement and anticipation. They then dug their creations out They will lift a veil of secrecy over the height, Last Wednesday, 12 potters from Tweed Unlimited Arts Potters and of the embers. design and footprint of the building and how it Murwillumbah Potters put their pots, glazed with salt and copper car- ‘Firings of this size are fairly rare and quite ambitious. The results we could achieve the council’s stated aim of trigger- bonate, in a bed of sawdust then covered them with pine cones. They got from this, such a large firing, are quite remarkable,’ spokesperson ing the ‘commercial re-activation’ of the nearby then filled the pit with recycled timber, set it alight and went off for a Ann Lee said. Jack Evans Boat Harbour precinct. cup of tea. Interested potters can call Ann on 02 6672 3300 or 0428 723 300. Community opposition But according to council sources, Walker had seen a formal request from the council. presentation of the architect’s concept plans. The extent of the community opposition was Corp has ignored an informal request to con- Residents’ groups say the council’s stand is ‘From a business point of view it will en- revealed in a report to last week’s council meet- tact community groups and other major stake- long-overdue. courage people into the area – it has a type of ing showing that of nearly 500 residents ques- holders. ‘The lack of detail about how the building Southbank appeal. tioned in one survey, only two agreed with the As a result, the council has unanimously de- would impact on traffic, parking and the Jack ‘I believe the development has to happen. concept. cided to formally ask Walker to consult with the Evans Boat Harbour foreshores and the true ex- They have come up with a lovely concept but we Operations manager David Oxenham said community over its plans, and to provide details tent of the road closure has made a mockery of are yet to see any development application.’ one of the main issues raised by residents was of the consultation process and submissions the consultation process,’ said Save the Harbour Ms van Lieshout likened it to development the lack of detailed information about the within three months. spokesperson Stephanie Deane. surrounding a similar natural harbour in Ki- project since the council gave the green light to It also put pressure on the company to come ama, a town on NSW’s south coast which she talks last October. good on its undertaking to consult by putting Mayor applauds plans said set a great example for the Tweed’s future He says the Walker Group, after giving coun- the proposed sale on the backburner until Mayor Joan van Lieshout said she urged Walker direction (see page 5). cillors a power-point presentation of its devel- Walker complies. Corp, which she described as acting as an agent Corporate services director Troy Green in a opment plans three weeks ago, also agreed to A spokesman for Walker Corp said this week for Centro, to go public with their plans. report to council recommended that it reverse a inform the public. it would not be releasing any details until they ‘I though they were fantastic,’ she said of the continued on page 2 SHELL HELIX 20W50 5LT HEAVY DUTY Hard-working protection for either petrol or LPG engines. Particularly DEGREASER 2.5LT suitable for older vehicles. SKU OA00326 Suitable for domestic, industrial & marine use. B?C?J)F;H9KIJEC;H$ PREMIUM 2 STAR Simply spray on. DEH7?D9>;9AI$ SHEEPSKIN SKU DI04749 SEAT COVERS Fully lined. 18mm pile. Rear map and $ mobile phone pocket. 8KO?D 99 8KBA 12 I7 L; SAVE $12$ $ 99 LIMIT $ 3 PER 1CUSTOMER 119 fh I7L;-& I7L;+& HARVEY NORMAN BBQ GALORE TWEED HEADS STH Harvey Norman Centre, BUNNINGS Greenway Drive PH: 5523 2055 AMART FURNITURE AUTOQLDNO2572AAUUTOQLLDNODNNOO2572 Sale ends 17th May ‘09. Savings are off regular ticketed price. Local News Tweed’s first rice harvested Luis Feliu The Riverina rice-growing region’s loss could be a win for the Tweed where its first rice crops were harvested this week. Former NSW and Tweed Canegrowers Association president Graham Martin planted a crop on a 10-acre block formerly planted with sugar cane on his aunty Nancy Boyd’s Dulguigan property as well as a crop on a seven-acre block on his nearby cane farm last October. ‘Oh yes, it’s definitely a viable crop, Australia has been im- porting rice this year because of the drought in the Riverina where it’s grown, there hasn’t been enough water at all there Graham Martin, former canegrower, harvesting his rice crop. this year and the SunRice cop- Photo Sebastien Garcia-Cuenca (Tweed Shire Council) operative is urging anyone and everyone to do so,’ he said. The Tweed harvest, expect- many years, apparently Tim ‘The second reason for ed to yield around two tonnes Fischer (former federal Na- planting rice up here is that it’s an acre or 34 tonnes, is being tionals leader) took some over so water resistant, whereas the stockpiled at the Broadwater and cooked it up for them and soya crops currently being tri- Sugar Mill ready for transport- convinced them it was the best alled on the Tweed have been ing down to the Riverina for rice in the world. killed by too much water after processing and sale on the do- ‘So it’s definitely worth it sitting under about four inches mestic market. and comparable if not bet- of it for a couple of days. But the export market is ter than growing soya beans, ‘I’ve grown soya beans for ready for Aussie rice growers the only downside is rice does the last three to four years with to expand into as well. not fix nitrogen (which re- mixed success, as we had to ‘We’ve got a big leg in Japan plenishes the soil) like soya replant the last two crops.’ which resisted imports for beans.’ Learning life skills Calling all Artists Links to Learning program co-ordinator Glenn Keir (centre) and participants from Tweed Heads Discover the Difference (left-to-right) Mika Scowcroft, 18, Grayson Allison, 16, Chloe Bancroft, 17, and Matt Renwood, 15, learn a few basic kitchen skills in the kitchen at the Coolangatta Senior Citizens Club recently. Queensland Villages for Active Retirees Early school leavers in the ing run by Nortec Youth Servi- Referrals to the program can Tweed have a chance to learn ces in partnership with Tweed be made by families, youth, or BROOKLAND SAMFORD MALENY some handy self defence skills, PCYC and St Joseph’s Youth agencies involved in suppor- VILLAGE GROVE GROVE cooking tips or even speech Services and Coolangatta Se- ting youth, or by contacting 18 Romulus St, Robertson 18 Camp Mountain Rd, Samford 9 Palm St, Maleny and drama as part of a ten- nior Citizens Club. Glenn on 0400 260 299. week program which kicks off this week. Links to Learning is aimed at Bay Street sell-off on hold Friday 24 July – Saturday 25 July 2009 early secondary school leavers continued from page 1 anytime it found there were no aged between 15 and 24 who previous decisions and release grounds for the restriction. Brookland Village Community Centre have been unable to operate in- a probity plan drawn up ‘to ‘Following receipt of legal side the education system and manage confidential informa- advice it is recommended that $9000 prize money available have either left school by their tion’ relating to the proposed council removes the confiden- across various sections own choice or asked to leave. deal. tial document restriction of the Program co-ordinator Glenn The Tweed Environment probity plan,’ he said. Entry form available on line Keir said that as a result, many Group requested the release of The group’s Richard Murray Closing Date 12 June 2009 of these young participants the plan under freedom of in- welcomed the decision, saying were at risk of ‘disengaging formation laws but was initially he believed it would shed light 4964 from the community with all knocked back before appealing on why the council decided the associated problems that the decision.