THE TWEED SHIRE Volume 2 #06 Thursday, October 8, 2009 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 [email protected] [email protected] www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Full steam ahead for historic boat regatta Rumours of ‘lucky-dip’ rig scotched Ken Sapwell Senior Tweed Shire Council staff have scram- bled to scotch suggestions that last month’s ‘lucky-dip’ decider for mayor and deputy may have been rigged. They have threatened one resident with def- amation and persuaded a state MP to withdraw part of a statement to Parliament amid grow- ing disquiet about the improbable comeback of sacked mayor Warren Polglase. The council’s corporate services chief Troy Green says the draw from a cardboard box to decide a tied vote for the positions of mayor and deputy was in line with Local Govern- ment general regulations and was properly supervised. His assurances follow speculation about the process which came to a head when Greens MP Sylvia Hale rose in Parliament to inform the NSW government that the mayor of the council it had sacked just four years earlier was back at the helm. She told MPs the new mayor was already ‘crowing about development opportunities and Freya threatening to go after anyone who dared ob- Classic boat fan Peter Wade chats to another keen boatie about his beloved steamboat replica , which will feature in this year’s Tweed River ject’ despite an inquiry by Professor Maurice Classic Boat Regatta on Saturday. Photo Jeff ‘River Rat’ Dawson Daly which found he and other Tweed Direc- tions candidates had corrupted the democratic Kim Cousins the regatta, which is part of the Tweed River ‘Boats come from up and down the coast. process. Festival and continues all this week as well as One chap is coming down from Brisbane via ‘Mr Polglase’s enthusiasm for promoting his Murwillumbah boat enthusiast Peter Wade next week. water,’ he said. ‘Each year we do something local developer mates has clearly not subsided,’ has one of the cheapest modes of transport He said the members had quite a collection different.’ she said, ‘His comments demonstrate that he around with his single-cylinder steamboat, of vessels, ranging from steamboats and putt ‘Most of us are retired, it’s a hobby a bit like has learnt nothing from the Daly report, and Freya, which will be on show this Saturday at putts to sail boats. blokes with their cars.’ has no remorse about his previous actions.’ the Tweed River Classic Boat Regatta. ‘The putt putts are slow but very pretty. It’s Boats will launch from Chinderah in the The anti-corruption campaigner described ‘It’s a replica of an early 1900s steamboat,’ he fun on the water, especially in a big group.’ morning and land at Jack Evans Boat Harbour Cr Polglase’s comeback as ‘amazing’ and said. ‘It has a steam boiler which runs on coal. Peter has purchased another steamboat, this at 12pm on Saturday, October 10, where you claimed it had ‘made people shake their heads I’ve just got to pick up some driftwood.’ one from 1907, that is currently being rebuilt can get up close and personal with this unique and wonder what is happening in the Tweed’. Named after a lusty Viking goddess, the boat and he said he hoped he would be ready to hit fleet. Ms Hale, in further comments which she can reach a maximum speed of 8-9 knots and the water in time for next year’s regatta. Another viewing area for the boats is Pio- has since unreservedly apologised for and uses one bag of firewood for a day of travel. Organiser Bob Modystack is looking for- neer Park in Kennedy Drive, Tweed Heads. withdrawn from Hansard, suggested a lack of Peter is just one boating enthusiast getting ward to the event, with people coming from as For more information call Bob Modystack scrutineering when she said council boss Mike on the water this Saturday, October 10, for far away as Sydney and Kingaroy. on 0417 714 456. continued on page 2 <echowebsection=Local News> Local News TAFE arts students stand out Two students from Murwil- Annette Walters, also study- lumbah TAFE have excelled in ing a Diploma of Visual Arts, the finals of the North Coast was awarded second place in TAFE Art Acquisitive com- the two-dimensional award for petition held in Lismore last her set of prints which she says month against tough competi- are ‘about the process of death tion from 17 TAFE campuses and the physical body’ depict- throughout northern NSW. ing ‘how in our culture death is LAST STAND FOR KOALAS Visual arts student Helen a taboo subject that’s not talked Tweed Shire Councillors decide at their meeting this Luna took first place in the about’. month if they would prefer eco and koala friendly three-dimensional award for Helen’s and Annette’s works, development in Kings Forest near Kingscliff, a massive her series of 14 rings made along with their classmates’ new development. World leading Koala expert has from different materials (such work, will be on display at the confi rmed the current development proposed will be as coffee grounds, beard hair, Tweed River Art Gallery from the fi nal nail in the coffi n for the Tweed Coast Koalas. If concrete, candle wax, newspa- Friday, November 20, to Sun- you would prefer eco koala friendly development please per, charcoal, sponge) which day, December 6. speak up now. Contact TSC either write (PO Box 816, she says represents ‘love and Applications for visual arts Murwillumbah NSW 2484) or email ([email protected]. gov.au) or contact the Department of Planning or email its many facets and permuta- courses at Murwillumbah Kristina Keneally, (offi [email protected]). tions’. TAFE in 2010 close on Octo- Team Koala Inc is trying to save this valuable icon of Head teacher Sandra Guy ber 30. For info call 02 6672 the Tweed. The widespread support of the general said Helen’s work, made over 0800. public is their only hope, please support us. a period of two weeks, was Only 1 line will make a difference. a collaboration of her interest Right: Murwillumbah TAFE It is the only thing that will! (and business) in jewellery de- students Annette Walters (left) sign and her work in sculptural and Helen Luna at the TAFE Authorised by Team Koala Inc. Jenny Hayes 02 6672 7312 design. workshop. Bilambil village subdivision plan cut Ken Sapwell He said that the proposed velopment which he identi- She said it is beyond what development, which would fied for further investigation is allowable in the zoning but Tweed Council has urged the also include a general store, and recommended some lots is yet another major develop- NSW Planning Department to was consistent with the zon- be sacrificed for other uses, ment which will be assessed reduce the size of a proposed ings for the site and the coun- the Milne amendments car- by the NSW government with 52-lot subdivision in Bilambil cil’s strategic plans. ried four-three go much fur- the council given a chance for village to just 10 lots. ‘But the council’s officers ther. input at its next meeting. Greens councillor Katie have identified a number of But Cr Milne says the proj- The Rise development is the Milne won support for reduc- significant issues with the lay- ect pales into insignificance latest in a string of so-far failed ing the scale of the develop- out and the siting of the pro- compared to a proposed de- ventures planned on land once ment because of adverse im- posed open space and riparian velopment at nearby Bilam- owned by the former Terra- pacts on the already stressed zone,’ he told the last council bil Heights comprising 1,804 nora Lakes Country Club and Bilambil Creek and the historic meeting. dwellings and a town centre will boast views more elevated character of the tiny village. While Mr Connell raised a with buildings as high as eight than the Gold Coast’s iconic She also won backing for a raft of concerns with the de- storeys. Q1 building. ban on residents keeping cats and dogs and a series of oth- er changes to the layout and Rumours of ‘lucky dip’ rig scotched design to create more buffer continued from page 1 in council’s own e-mail box- Ms Mann, who watched zones and improved footpaths Rayner wrote names on pieces es when local resident Trish from a distance, says she’s and roads. of paper and ‘showed them to Mann urged councillors and happy to withdraw any infer- The proposed development, no one’ before drawing them Mr Rayner to move a vote of ence that proper procedures by Sydney-based firm Jack- from the box. no confidence in the mayor were not followed, but believed son International Pty Ltd, will She said this week she ac- and his deputy, also citing there would have been more more than double the village’s cepted assurances from Mr post-election comments by Cr confidence in the process if population and is the subject Green that both he and the Polglase. the public could have seen the of a major project application public officer Neil Baldwin had The regular gallery watcher names. to the NSW government. properly acted as scrutineers says she copped a threat of ‘It was not a good look from Council’s chief planner Vince and accepted that she had been legal action from Mr Rayner where we were sitting in the V«>iÌ Connell said under an agree- ‘misinformed’ about the proc- after saying in the email that public gallery and it was not ment with the department the ess when she levelled her criti- the draw ‘was not scrutinised made clear that either Mr Bald- council was able to have input cisms.