THE TWEED SHIRE CHINDERAH Volume 1 #28 Thursday, March 19, 2009 feature Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 [email protected] pages [email protected] 17 - 19 www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Council approves Son jumps aboard dad’s full rate hike surf fest Ken Sapwell the global downturn would worsen and that many people would be forced to change their Tweed residents face another 9.5 per cent rate lifestyles. hike this year after councillors narrowly decided ‘We should be holding a workshop to look at to stick with the council’s seven-year plan. ways we can make savings in the organisation,’ In a surprise four-three vote on Tuesday, she said. Tweed Shire councillors rejected moves to limit But deputy mayor Barry Longland launched the increase to 6.5 per cent and opted instead to a stong defence of the plan, saying it was ir- endorse the controversial plan put in place by responsible of councillors to dump it in what the administrators three years ago. would be a ‘short-term populist decision.’ The decision means that most projects ear- He said the council was faced with a range marked for funding under the plan will go ahead of increases, including wages and depreciation as scheduled, including an overdue facelift for costs which were outside its control. the Jack Evans Boat Harbour and major envi- ‘We risk digging ourselves into a big hole if ronmental works. we start going weak at the knees over this issue,’ he said. Decision brought forward ‘No one wants an increase but if we abandon Senior council staff moved to end speculation the plan now we could be facing a 20 per cent about the future of the plan by forcing council- increase in the future to catch-up.’ lors to show their hand some three months out He said a report to the council indicated from the period when the annual budget and that under a proposed 6.5 per cent increase the rate rises are normally considered. council would barely be able to hold its head Corporate services director Troy Green told above water. councillors that staff needed an early indication of their intentions to provide time to formulate Duty to stick to the plan the budget for 2009-2010. Cr Dot Holdom said councillors had a duty to He recommended they continue with the im- stay with the plan which would deliver projects plementation of the plan but gave them a choice the community had indicated they wanted. of three other options involving lesser rate in- Newly elected councillor Kevin Skinner sur- creases, but warned they would all involve cur- prised some by breaking ranks and voting with tailing a range of services and projects. the community councillors including Katie Former Tweed Mayor Warren Polglase im- Milne, saying that he did not want important mediately moved to limit this year’s increase projects such as river bank stability work de- to 6.5 per cent, saying the council needed to be layed any further. prudent during tough economic times. Mr Green told the meeting that the council ‘A smaller increase allows us to do some of the faced a range of expenditure increases and a fall projects contained in the plan but perhaps not in revenue because of the economic slowdown at the same speed,’ he said. amounting to a $960,000 shortfall which would Roxanne Millar McKeown dragging him to the beach most He was backed by mayor Joan van Lieshout absorb around 2.7 per cent of the rate revenue. days, KJ took up longboarding to beat the bore- and veteran councillor Phil Youngblutt who This meant that some projects earmarked for KJ McKeown (pictured hanging ten) may only dom of days sweating in the sun. urged their colleagues to bite the bullet and the next financial year would have to be axed be 12-years-old, but the pint-sized longboarder This year he is the youngest entrant in the reduce the proposed rate rise which would see but the council would address the cuts during knows full well the meaning of the old adage ‘if annual Malfunction longboarding competition most people paying an extra $64 a year. its budget deliberations. you can’t beat them, join them’. held as part of the 26-year-old surf festival at Cr van Lieshout predicted the fallout from continued on page 2 Growing up with surf obsessed dad Sean continued on page 2 ALL ALL AUTOQLDN02362 ALL NUMBER 1 FOR PENRITE RHINO % % % MMEGUIARS OFF! OIL OFF! RACK OFF! YOUR CAR 20REGULAR TICKETED PRICES 15REGULAR TICKETED PRICES 10REGULAR TICKETED PRICES SOUTH TWEED HEADS Harvey Norman Centre, Greenway Drive Phone: 5523 2055 On sale until 25/3/09 or until sold out. *% off regular ticketed price. Personal shoppers only. Local News Seniors sailing in calmer waters Roxanne Millar Yachties have gone from the Where do you get teeming maelstrom of Bass Strait to the calming waters of Banora Point where they are your copy? feeding their sailing habit with If you don’t receive The Echo at home or the weather remote control fun. is too bad for house to house delivery, pick up a Almost 15 avid boaties from copy of your Echo from the following places: the Twin Towns Radio Yacht Banora Point: Banora Point Mooball: Pub and petrol station Club held an open day on Shopping Village, Chris’ Paradise Mount Burrell: Store Tuesday to entice new mem- Fruit Shop, Tweed Heights Mullumbimby: Echo offi ce Shopping Centre IGA, Zaraff a’s bers as part of Seniors Week Coff ee in Banora Central Murwillumbah: Echo offi ce, Bulk celebrations. Whole Foods, Escape Gallery, Bilambil Heights: Stores Caldera Environment Centre, Club commodore Richard Burringbar: Real estate agent and Sunnyside mall stand Harradine, 65, (pictured) said service station Pottsville: Supermarket, they had seniors come from as Byron Bay: Echo offi ce, bottleshop, newsagent, fruit far as Brisbane to sail remote Community Centre, newsagent, market Visitors Centre South Tweed Industrial Estate: control yachts on Lake Kim- when he retired and took up on Monday,’ he said. Mr Harradine used to sail Cabarita Beach: Beach Bar, SLSC 5-Star Machinery Drive, Casa Del berley with a view to taking it remote controlled yachting. ‘We have sailors in our club catamarans competitively and cafe, newsagent, bottleshop Cafe, East Coast Bulk Food, Eat Me up as a hobby. It is one of almost 60 similar who have sailed the Sydney to in Sydney and still exhibits a Casuarina/Salt: IGA, Salt Bar, Cafe ‘So many retired people are bottleshop South Tweed: Dry Dock Road clubs in Australia that all com- Hobart yacht race to people in competitive streak during the Chillingham: Store convenience store, South Tweed looking for something to do pete in state and national radio their 70s who are just learning. local races. Chinderah: Art Gallery, pub, Bowls Club and Sports Club, and that is what is great about controlled yacht competitions. ‘Each Monday we hold a ‘We sail to the standard of newsagent Tweed/Coolangatta Golf Club, Seniors Week – it gets them out Tweed City – Echo stand, Tweed ‘I’m now addicted. I go to race that is handicapped, so the international rules but if you Coolagattta – Griffi th Street Tavern trying new things,’ he said. Palm Beach on Wednesday to learners get a head start and sail in state or national titles it and The Esplanade: Three Mr Harradine formed the newsagents, Visitor Info Centre, Stokers Siding: Store sail and Emerald Lakes on Sat- the experienced sailors have is like you are racing for cattle 7-11 Supermarket, Coolangatta Terranora: Supermarket local yacht club five years ago urday as well as hold races here something to chase.’ stations.’ Sands and Coolangatta Hotel, Surf Tumbulgum: Post Offi ce store Club, Coolangatta Senior Citizens Tweed Heads – Wharf Street: Club, Twin Towns Bakery, Community Centre/Library, Tweed Shire Council’s image rebranding goes ahead Condong: Store Hospital main foyer, Ivory Tavern, Crabbes Creek: General Store newsagent, Tweed Heads Bowls Tweed Shire Council will forge Greens councillor Katie Fingal Head: Sheoak Shack Club, Twin Towns ahead with controversial plans Milne said the council should Tyalgum: Store Hastings Point: General store, to re-brand its image after forget the idea because of the service station Uki: Store, pub Kingscliff : Bowls Club, Library/ West Tweed: Seagulls, mayor Joan van Lieshout un- high costs likely to be involved Community Centre, two Cellarbrations, Broadwater Village derwent a conversion. in pasting the logo on traffic newsagents, Rings Realty, Echo Retirement Park, Spar Supermarket, The council voted 4-3 to pay signs and buildings at a time stand in shopping mall Panorama Newsagent consultants $45,000 to create a when everyone else was pulling The Echo If you miss your printed copy of get it online at corporate-style identity for the in their belts. www.tweedecho.com.au organisation, complete with a Cr van Lieshout, who previ- new council logo. ously rejected the idea of im- Council general manager proving council’s image in place Mike Rayner described a of ‘winning the respect of the brand as a visual identity and community’, said she had been ‘a promise of a level of quality Council’s old uncopyrighted logo, now turning up in some odd impressed with other logos in Planned or service’. places, according to the general manager. recent travels and believed the ‘For council, as for any or- council needed an image show- ganisation, particularly one central requirement that the Mr Rayner said the existing ing ‘it was forward looking.’ supply with such a diverse range of organisation has a strong and logo was not copyrighted and Crs Kevin Skinner and War- products, services, operations, explicit brand and be uniquely was now appearing on boxes of ren Polglase also voted against interruption customers and staff, it is a identifiable,’ he said.