The Tweed Shire
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THE TWEED SHIRE Nvsxjmmvncbi Volume 1 #10 Thursday, October 30, 2008 Show Advertising and news enquiries: FRIDAY 31ST Phone: (02) 6672 2280 OCTOBER Fax: (02) 6672 4933 & SATURDAY [email protected] 1ST NOVEMBER [email protected] Pages 14 - 15 www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Shire’s retail strategy challenged Ken Sapwell The Council is arguing that the centre, comprising a 3250sqm super- A court battle whose outcome will market, 1500sqm of speciality shops, decide the shopping habits of people a day-care centre and service station living on the southern Tweed coast with room to expand to a town centre Retired animal trainer Charles Knie braves the and parts of Byron Shire began in a double the size, is over-the-top and parrot enclosure at the Crystal Creek Parrot tent on an open paddock at Pottsville threatens to wreck the viability of the Garden Cafe and Animal Park. this week. existing village’s commercial centre. The makeshift courtroom was The Melbourne-based developer, erected on a grassed four-hectare which originally planned to build a site on the fast-growing Seabreeze small neighbourhood-style centre on Family swaps circus life for cafe estate where developer Metricon, in its site, believes a much bigger com- a joint venture with Peninsula De- plex is now needed to service the Luis Feliu Charles, 61, grew up with the lumbah and the valley, and fell in love velopments, wants to build a major population growth in Pottsville and Swiss National Circus Knie where he with it,’ he said. shopping centre to rival the two retail surrounding areas. Th e old framed photos and art post- worked from an early age caring for ‘We returned home and browsed centres in Tweed Heads. Retired radio personality Bob Small ers around the Crystal Creek’s Parrott animals and soon became one of the through the internet looking for a Amid loud blasts from nearby was the fi rst to step forward to express Garden Cafe and Animal Park say it most renowned animal trainers of his business we could buy and saw the heavy machinery clearing soil for his views, saying he hoped it would go all – life for the Knie family running time. fruit and vegetable store which we more housing blocks on the estate, ahead because it would create local the small tourist attraction was, at one His ancestor Friedrich Knie start- thought maybe we could make some- the Land and Environment Court’s jobs for himself and his son-in-law stage, one big circus. ed the famous and successful circus thing out of it so we bought it. But we chief commissioner, John Roseth, sat who now works on the Gold Coast. But the exciting life travelling in 1784 which is still pulling huge still had to run our circus before the in a plastic chair at a trestle table to Estate resident Irene Lewis told the around Europe with a family circus crowds. new season and so we returned to hear what some of the residents had commissioner that she was forced to was traded in two years ago when Before starting their new life, Switzerland and sold it. Now we’re in to say. make the 60-minute round trip to Charles Knie, his wife Doriana and Charles and his family ran their own Crystal Creek. Th e dozen-odd witnesses to give Tweed Heads each week to do her their two children Clinton, 25, and circus called Zirkus Charles Knie in ‘Because we were always around unsworn evidence opened a mixed- shopping and socialise with friends Deborah, 15, packed up and migrated Europe with the performing animal animals and grew up with them we bag of strong emotions, either arguing but would much prefer to have the to Australia where they bought a fruit attractions including rhinos, hippos, thought it would be nice to have a passionately for or against the pro- choice of a major centre on her door- and vegetable store at Crystal Creek buff alos, zebras, ostriches, even the little animal park here and now we’re posed development which the Coun- step. and converted into the animal park. odd big red or grey kangaroo. Dor- growing and hope to have more ex- cil says will amount to a regional Several other residents, who ad- ‘I was born into circus life – I was iana used to perform with range of otic animals in future.’ shopping centre. mitted being contacted by Metricon’s the sixth generation of my family in- exotic parrots. Th e park has a large aviary for ex- Th e high-stakes showdown involv- marketing team, also spoke of the volved in the circus and my wife was ‘We used to come to Byron Bay for otic and native parrots as well as en- ing barristers on both sides will de- hope that a major centre would result the seventh-generation of her fam- family holidays during winter time closures with llamas, alpacas, rabbits, cide whether the Council’s adopted in more competition leading to lower ily running a circus in Italy but her in Europe when our circus had a few goats and ponies. retail strategy, which seeks to retain prices and more job prospects. cousin has children so there are eight weeks off , and on one holiday two Charles learnt the art of animal Tweed Heads as the shire’s only re- But other residents, who confi rmed generations of Knies still involved in years ago we hired a car and drove training and performing from his gional shopping destination, stands they had been contacted by Council the circus,’ Charles said. around this area seeing Uki, Murwil- continued on page 2 or falls. continued on page 2 VISIT OUR NEW BIGGER & BETTER AUTOBARN STORE HARVEY Ef[di<h_ZWo)'ijEYjeX[h NORMAN BBQ GALORE TWEED HEADS Huge Range Of Accessories, Performance, HARVEY NORMAN CENTRE, Electrical, Tools, Car Audio, BUNNINGS GREENWAY DRIVE Navigation, Seatcovers, AMART FURNITURE PH: 5523 2055 Oils & Additives AUTOQLDNO2131 Local News Shire retail Trainer runs away from circus strategy continued from page 1 late mother Eliane Knie and mals and never got hurt, un- challenged late uncle Freddie Knie who like others who have worked he said was ‘the best animal with rhinos or hippos, which continued from page 1 trainer there ever was’. are very dangerous and kill to appear aft er lodging objec- ‘I was always around mum as hundreds of people in Africa tions to the proposed develop- a young child so it was natural I every year as well as in circus ment, said they were concerned wanted to be an animal trainer accidents. about the impact it would have when I grew up... I was eventu- ‘Zebras are wild and were on the environment and the ally apprenticed to the Swiss seen as untrainable but they’re viability of Pottsville’s existing National Circus as an animal very much trainable if you commercial centre. trainer and Uncle Freddie was know how to communicate Seabreeze resident Scott my boss.’ with them, I’ve also worked Newman said he bought into Charles, who recently visited with sea lions which can bite. the estate four years ago af- the Great Moscow Circus at By- ter studying Metricon’s mas- ron Bay where he knew several Rhino challenge ter plan which showed they of the performers, said circuses ‘You have to communicate planned to build a relatively in Australia did not compare with them and know how to small shopping centre of with those in Europe. treat them. Like everything around 2000sqm. (In Australia the use of ex- with life if you know what ‘We came here for the sleepy otic animals for performances you’re doing you should be lifestyle and I was impressed in circuses is limited due to fi ne, if I tried fl ying a plane I with their master plan but what concerns from animal welfare wouldn’t get very far and I’m they’re planning to do now is groups about their treatment sure my pilot trainer would not too big for the site,’ he said aft er The Land and Environment Court’s chief commissioner, John Roseth, at work in the temporary and lobbying from animal make a go of training a rhino. the hearing was re-located to tent court at Pottsville this week. rights activists.) ‘Look at that picture with the town’s less noisy commu- ‘They’re different kinds of me on the rhino... before you nity hall. estate via a proposed connect- the court that it would seek to on the viability of their new circuses in Europe... our ani- do that you have to know each ‘I think it would be a terrible ing road. amend its development appli- Coles shopping centre. mals are looked after really other – he has to know you’ll shame if it went ahead because Koala Beach Residents fo- cation to limit operating hours Th ey were forced to watch good because it’s like a part- not do anything and that he’s a I think it will put a lot of small rum member Alan Johnston to 7am to 10pm. from the sidelines aft er a court nership with the animal and friend and I know he won’t do businesses in the village out of predicted the traffic would Among the crowd of about had earlier refused the devel- you feel obliged to treat them anything when I sit down on action and will have to draw play havoc with the estate’s 23 80 people who attended the oper of the seaside residential nicely as you have dedicated him because if it charges me, people from Mullumbimby, threatened species, including first day of the hearing in community, Kings Beach No 2 your life to work with them, that would be it.