THE TWEED Volume 3 #15 Thursday, December 9, 2010 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 [email protected] PAGE 12 [email protected] www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Cobaki project gets green light Luis Feliu Mr Kelly said he expected strong demand for the new homes in the Developers of the proposed Cobaki township which would create an Estate for 5,500 new dwellings to ac- ‘enormous’ number of jobs over the commodate around 12,000 people next 20 years, especially in the build- wasted little time in lodging a devel- ing industry which needed projects opment application (DA) with Tweed like this to survive. Council this week to build the es- Leda Developments general man- tate’s first 1,000 homes, only days after ager Greg Campbell told reporters NSW planning minister Tony Kelly on Monday that the first DA for con- announced approval for the concept struction of the project’s first 1,000 plan on site. lots would be lodged with Tweed Mr Kelly said the housing project, Council later that day. However, a the size of a ‘small country town’ on a Leda spokesman yesterday told The 594-hectare site on the Tweed side of Echo a delay in preparing some docu- the border with the Gold Coast just ments meant it was due to be lodged west of Gold Coast Airport, would yesterday afternoon (Wednesday). Russell Costin shows off a piece of green malachite from Africa and a small help cater for the area’s fast-growing Mr Campbell said the plan had un- slab of the more commonly occurring rhodonite, on display at the Rock On population. dergone extensive and rigorous en- Gem gallery Gallery in Limpinwood. Photo Jeff ‘Rock Steady’ Dawson The Leda Developments project, vironmental assessment with ‘some estimated to cost over $3 billion when 15 environmental management plans rocks Tweed Sharon says her husband’s eye- and polished by Russell on site. finished, includes a town centre based covering the site’. catching images, which are not digi- The couple, who have lived in the around a full-line shopping centre, Lot size reduced tally enhanced, capture the inner area for 34 years, also run a nursery, with medical and childcare facilities Kate McIntosh colours, shapes and textures of gem- specialising in native plant varieties, as well as two primary schools. Mr Kelly said the Tweed Local En- stones, with visitors invited to view on an adjoining property. The concept approval includes en- vironmental Plan’s (LEP) minimum Limpinwood couple Russell and the works using 3D glasses for full- They hope to eventually wind down vironment protection and rehabilita- lot size for the urban zone in the new Sharon Costin have turned a unique effect. that business and focus on photog- tion for 194 ha of land with an extra estate site would be reduced from 450 hobby into a way of life. ‘Obviously we’d like to show people raphy and gemstones in their retire- 87 ha of open space and recreational square metres to 120 square metres to The lapidary enthusiasts and life- the real beauty of gemstones,’ said ment. areas. The proposed 17 residential ‘allow for a range of different types long nature lovers recently opened Sharon. The keen nature lovers were also precincts will contain a total of 5,500 and sizes of housing depending on a gallery showcasing Russell’s 3D ‘The layers and the colours, it’s defi- founding members of the Tweed Val- dwellings, including detached hous- people’s different needs, which was in photographic work of semi-precious nitely a new way of looking at rocks.’ ley Wildlife Carers, a volunteer-run es, townhouses and unit blocks up line with a trend across Australia and gemstones. The gallery stocks a wide range of organisation helping rescue and re- to three storeys, a town centre and the world’. The Rock On Gallery is situated on products for sale, including t-shirts, habilitate injured wildlife. neighbourhood centre containing He said his department was cur- a hilltop in the centre of the Limp- mugs, bags and jewellery boxes, de- ‘We’ve always had an interest in na- 18.8 hectares for retail, commercial, rently considering an application for inwood Valley offering expansive signed by Sharon and incorporating ture – whether it be plants or rocks or community and residential uses, also earthworks and drainage, landscaping 360-degree views of the McPherson Russell’s images. animals,’ said Sharon. with a three-storey height limit. of the central parkland and rehabilita- Ranges and Mt Warning, and Rus- Also on display is a selection of Rock On Gallery is located at 235 The minister said the site had been tion of riparian corridors. sell and Sharon hope it will become a the couple’s impressive private col- Limpinwood Valley Road (between zoned for residential development for The developer had made some tourist drawcard for the area. lection which has been sourced from Chillingham and Tyalgum) and is over 20 years and ‘covers about 30 per substantial changes from the original The idea for the gallery came af- internet sites, gem shows and col- open Thursday to Sunday from 10am cent of the region’s need for housing plan, including removing a series of ter Russell began experimenting with lectors. These include jasper, agate, to 4pm. over the next 20 to 25 years’, as per the man-made lakes from the proposal macro photography of local gemstone chalcedony, rainbow calsilica and ti- For more information visit www. government’s Far North Coast Re- to avoid potential water quality or specimens about 18 months ago. ger eye, with many of the stones cut rockondesigns.com.au. gional Strategy. continued on page 2 ABN 82 087 650 682 <echowebsection=Local News> Local News Bill McCullochs TWEED CITY Exhaust & Towbar Book mines Kingscliff’s early years Specialists Kate McIntosh 232 years servicing thet Tweed Valley ‘At your service’ A curiosity about her adopted & Gold Coast hometown led Julie Murray to Unit 11/12 Greenway seek out its early history first hand from those that lived Drive, South Tweed through it. (opp. Motor Registry) Julie sourced photographs Fax 07 5524 4768 and collected stories of some Mobile 0418 244 755 60 Kingscliff old-timers now aged from their 50s into their 90s. Their recollections are con- tained in her self-published book Kingscliff to 1975: We have Stories to Tell. A long-time Kingscliff resi- Happy Holidays dent, Julie said she hoped the book would help preserve from ... some of the area’s early heri- Lightforce tage. We’re Local & We Beat The Apple Store’s ‘A lot of new people are * moving to the area and I didn’t Everyday Apple Retail Product Prices! want those stories about what Kingscliff was like in the old So...Why Drive 90 Km to Pacific Fair ? days to be lost,’ said the retired school teacher. From Lightforce- an ‘Exclusive’ Julie’s book contains person- Long-time Kingscliff resident Julie Murray has self-published a book of personal histories from Apple Holiday Special: al stories spanning Kingscliff’s the coastal town pre-1975. Photo Jeff ‘Secrets to Hide’ Dawson idyllic beach lifestyle, early de- Our $989 inc . Mac Laptop Deal velopment and the impact of Julie said sand mining indus- recording their stories in their their parents’ workload has MacBook 2.26 Ghz industry. try had had the biggest impact own words. been acknowledged.’ ‘New-in-box’ The book shows that long on the town, resulting in the She says the experience was The book is currently being w/ Full Apple Warranty before the development of development of infrastructure enormously rewarding. reprinted and will be available 13” LED - Unibody Case modern holiday homes, and formalised community ‘It was a bit like sitting on from Kingscliff newsagency 250gb HD - 2gb RAM Kingscliff was prized as a sea- settlement in the area. your grandmother’s knee,’ she and Boardwalk Books in the Glass Trackpad side getaway, with early visi- Julie, who worked with a said. run-up to Christmas. OS X 10.6 & iLife tors attracted by its excellent team of three friends to pro- ‘And people are just delight- Proceeds from the book, Hurry - Limited Supply! fishing and recreation oppor- duce the book, personally in- ed that their stories were told after publishing costs, will be tunities. terviewed old-time residents, and so many are happy that donated to charity. Model MC207X/A $989 Cobaki township plan approved (continued from page 1) Add A Tucano Neoprene Sleeve $38. $24.50. maintenance issues and wid- Add Office 2011 Edu or Home 1 User $169. $147. ening Cobaki Parkway reserve Add AppleCare 3 year totalWarranty $328. $288. to improve future access to the Upgrade to 4Gb RAM (2X 2Gb chips) $258. $189. estate. It was the second visit to the Tweed by the minister in as many months to announce major projects. Early in Sep- The New iPad: tember, he approved Leda’s Wireless or concept plan for the Kings Forest estate for 4,500 homes 3G/Wireless on the large 856-hectare site 16-32-64 gb west of Casuarina and earlier that day he turned the sod for the upgrade of the $36 mil- Starting at $625. lion Banora Point Wastewater Treatment Plant which would cater for the Cobaki develop- Add A Griffin Elan Folio Case $54. $42.50. ment. Add A Griffin ‘Passport’ Case $49. $39.50. The minister fended off me- dia questions about traffic con- gestion on Tugun’s Boyd Street north of the airport sparked by the new development, say- ing his government was nego- tiating with Gold Coast City Council on a proposed access to the Pacific Motorway (M1) nearby and that Leda would During a rain-drenched media launch on Monday, Gold Coast Councillor Chris Robbins asked spend $12 million to develop NSW Planning Minister Tony Kelly about traffic congestion on Boyd Street (Tugun, Queensland) a four-lane extension of the as a result of the new housing estate across the border at Cobaki (in NSW).