THE TWEED CENE S Volume 2 #44 N Thursday, July 15, 2010 E E Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 R [email protected] [email protected] G www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT page 10 Speed on Giant Bilambil Tweed off to projects get good start Kate McIntosh Speed on Tweed festival is rev- the green light ving up for another year of rac- ing action following the event’s Ken Sapwell The Echo observed signs of official launch at Kingscliff on illegal squatting on a visit to Tuesday. Planning minister Tony Kelly the site this week, with bed- Organisers are hoping to at- has given the green light to ding, used furniture and other tract some of the finest all-Aus- two major residential projects debris strewn around the dis- tralian racing cars, with up to in the Bilambil area during a used former country club. 200 vehicles from various eras flying visit to Tweed Heads Mr Kelly rejected a push expected to contest the annual that caught councillors and by the land owner, Terranora street races in Murwillumbah. residents by surprise. Group Management (TGM), Competing cars will also join Mr Kelly arrived unherald- to increase building heights to in a traditional street parade, ed last Thursday to announce eight storeys after the council with the town’s main street to concept plan approval for 1,600 objected to what it said would be closed off in the evenings new homes at Bilambil Heights be a development more suited to cater for festival-goers and and the go-ahead for a 52-lot to the Gold Coast. vehicle displays. subdivision at Bilambil village A spokesman for TGM says The popular event came which will more than double the approval clears the way for close to shutting down two its population. the site to ‘be redeveloped as an years ago after failing to secure exciting new master-planned a major sponsorship deal, but Concerns skirted residential and retirement liv- was revived during last year’s He skirted contact with ing community.’ controversial world rally. councillors and residents want- But while the minister’s This year’s event takes its ing to discuss concerns with concession to limit heights theme from the so-called ‘Aus- the projects and met instead pleased some councillors, his tralian Specials’, which domi- with developer Godfrey Man- subdivision approval for a dis- nated the race tracks of Aus- tle’s team on a hilltop to an- used quarry in the tiny village tralia from the 1950s to 70s. nounce concept plan approval of Bilambil has angered local Unable to afford the costs of for the Brisbane millionaire’s residents concerned that too running professionally built $140 million Bilambil Heights many lots were being crammed imported sports cars local project. onto the site. racing enthusiasts improvised Approval to redevelop the The approval clears the way and built their own cars from 187ha site formerly owned for small 475sqm house blocks scratch. by the bankrupted Terranora despite submissions from Organising committee Lakes country club and golf council and residents to in- chairman Bill Larkin hopes course ends nearly two decades crease them to at least 600sqm this year’s event with its mix of wrangling over plans for the and to substantially reduce the of fast-paced racing action, prime hilltop location which number of lots. historic vintage cars and well boasts 360 degree views. They were also concerned known racing identities will It includes 1,604 residential about narrow street layouts help draw some 15,000 spec- dwellings, a 200-bed nursing and inadequate footpaths, as It seems if you have a Ferrari you can park it in the foyer of Mantra at Salt. Or more likely they tators. home, 10,000 square metres well as the lack of infrastruc- had brought Ian Maudsley’s 1982 308 GTSi into reception for the official launch of this year’s ‘Every year we strive to make of retail and commercial space ture to service a population in- Speed on Tweed festival of classic cars and cubic inches (see story, right). Speed on Tweed something and nearly 40ha of open space crease in Bilambil village from With Maudsley in the red coupé is Speed on Tweed committee member and Murwillumbah different and special and I’m and conservation lands. continued on page 2 Chamber of Commerce president, Toni Zuschke. Photo Jeff ‘Magnum PI’ Dawson continued on page 2 Number 1 For Your Car SOUTH TWEED HEADS Harvey Norman Centre, Greenway Drive Phone: 5523 2055 20% OFF *SEATCOVERS SALE ENDS: 18th July 2010. *% is off regular ticketed price. AUTOQLDN03626 <echowebsection=Local News> Local News Rifle club aims to boost interest Luis Feliu Target shooting is one of Aus- Totara tralia’s oldest organised sports so it’s no surprise that the little- Marlborough known Murwillumbah Rifle Sauvignon Blanc Club has been around for about 100 years. The club, which operates $ from a rifle range on a private 99 property at Dunbible near Mur- per dozen willumbah, has a steady mem- bership of over 100 shooters, For more great brochure specials see drawing keen marksmen not www.emmanuels-wineshop.com.au only from Tweed but across $#>RcZ_VARcRUV<Z_XdT]ZWW!#''(%)%!! northern NSW and southeast Queensland. Club secretary Winston Shoobridge, a Burringbar ba- nana grower, is keen to swell An Open Letter To The the club’s membership ranks further. Mac Computing Community He told The Echo that mem- Geoff Burfoot (back), from Tyalgum, Jason Waugh (centre) from Brisbane, and Ron Millingen from Lightforce Computers: bership of rifle clubs through- (front) from the Gold Coast, take a breather as The Echo’s camera takes aim at them during a out Australia had suffered as a practice shoot at Murwillumbah Rifle Club.Photo Luis Feliu In this time of financial uncertainty we result of the Port Arthur mas- sacre in 1996 which sparked a Geoff, a former patrol/district want you to know we’re doing our part crackdown on gun ownership. officer in Papua New Guinea, to keep Byron economically viable & our However, he remains confi- proudly declares: ‘I’ve still got Giant Bilambil projects dent more people would join- that rifle’. ‘Resident Mac Users’ shopping locally. up once realising it was a social Youngsters can be licensed to get the green light (from p1) What steps have we taken? We Will BEAT sport and satisfying pastime for shoot from as young as 14 years the whole family. of age, but safety remains the 55 to about 175 people after the ners which they had since * Apple’s Web & Store PRICES Everyday ... ‘We still battle on and there’s club’s highest priority. project is finished. apologised for. Not just on our Sale Items! still much interest in target Winston said the club runs a Long-time resident Michele Mr Kelly said the subdivi- shooting. Generally, it’s a sport fullbore and smallbore program Fay said she was disappointed sion would create a residential you can do from your teenage and ‘tries to cater for everyone’ that the minister had only re- hub, contribute to better water Winter Computer Maintenance years to an 80-year-old, in fact including shot guns and mili- duced the number of residen- quality in Bilambil Creek and Hardware/Software Tune-Up most of your life,’ he said. tary firearms shooting. tial blocks from 50 to 48 but set aside a public reserve to Indeed, the club has a few Member Jason Waugh, 37, made no other substantial con- be replanted with subtropical On Sale Now @ Lightforce father-son duos and seasoned, who lives in Brisbane, says the cessions despite the high level rainforest species. From Sad to Happy lifelong marksmen such as reason he joined the Murwil- of concern. He said modifications to the For $99. Now $69. 86-year-old veteran Geoff Bur- lumbah club was because it was ‘I’ve tried on numerous oc- design would ensure it was foot of Tyalgum, who said he friendly and not overly com- casions since February to meet sensitive to the surrounding started using a gun as a four- petitive. with the minister to discuss village character and rural-res- Special Closeout! year-old when he would ‘rest ‘We’re competing to a degree residents’ concerns and I was idential land uses, with future SALE the rifle between my big toe and but it’s really enjoyable,’ he said. dismayed he flew in to make applications for construction 24” MB418X/A the back verandah and shoot To join or for more info call the announcement without to be considered against the iMac 24” 2.66GHz $1489 at a stump near the clothesline’. Winston on 02 6677 1424. any further consultation,’ she surrounding character of the 4GB RAM • 640Gb HD said. village. Was $1799 NOW $1489 Speed on Tweed ready to go (from p1) ‘I thought I may have had Mr Kelly said the two proj- Our Final Stock - Only two left an opportunity to talk to him ects heralded a wave of new ‘New in Box’ With Full Apple Warranty sure the appearance of many The festival is a not-for-prof- when his office contacted me residential developments on Australian Specials will make it event run by the Rotary Club last week to clarify what I the Tweed which would re- Authorised Reseller 2010 one of the most memo- of Murwillumbah and Rally wanted to raise at a meeting quire 19,000 new houses by rable,’ he said. Australia. More than $300,000 – but it seems from his hit and 2031 to keep pace with project- Authorised Service Provider Proceeds from this year’s has been donated to local run visit he didn’t want to take ed population increases.