THE TWEED Volume 2 #41 Thursday, June 24, 2010 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 [email protected] [email protected] www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT page 10 Council backflips on illegal clearing Kate McIntosh ing significant Aboriginal heritage value. Tweed Shire Council has backed The destruction of the tree, which down on plans to pursue legal action is subject to a council tree preserva- over the alleged wilful destruction tion order, is currently being inves- and illegal clearing of trees, including tigated by the NSW Department of a sacred Aboriginal tree and other Environment and Climate Change vegetation at the site of a proposed (DECCW). industrial estate near Pottsville. Chief planner Vince Connell told A council report has recommended The Echo council officers had drawn against taking legal action on the mat- on their substantial expertise and pro- ter in favour of a negotiated settle- fessional judgement in forming their Performing ment with landowners Tagget. recommendations. Council also deferred a decision on ‘Officers are obliged to weigh up arts festival a revised rezoning proposal for the the technical merits of any legal ad- site exempting areas of environmental vice provided and any wider policy or sensitivity, including illegally cleared precedent implications, as well as the a stairway to land, pending further consultation possible financial impacts to council on the matter. and the Tweed ratepayers in any rec- stardom The recommendation follows legal ommendation for substantive legal advice received from council solici- action,’ he said. Mime performer Ashlee Pollecutt from Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School at the Murwillumbah Festival of Per- tors, the details of which are confiden- No council decision has been made forming Arts. One of the festival highlights will be the $2,000 Alton Budd Memorial vocal solo award which is part tial and will not be made public. yet on the latest council report and of the fabulous Saturday evening concert. Photo Jeff ‘Whiteface’ Dawson legal action may still proceed, said Vegetation loss Mr Connell. Tania Phillips Then there’s Gold Coast-based of dancers this year, I get a lot of The report said the landowner had The revised rezoning application dancers Aaron Smyth (Jacki Onassis feedback and people say they love outlined measures to compensate for for the site was lodged by Planit Con- The Murwillumbah Civic Centre Ballet Company in New York) and coming back here because it’s such a vegetation loss and that such steps sulting on behalf of Heritage Pacific seems a long way from the West Claudia Dean (London Royal Ballet friendly festival. would provide a better environmental and does not name the landowner. End of London or the opera houses School). With such a long history, the event outcome than legal recourse. Under the re-defined proposal, of Europe or ballet studios of New For many young performers, from has some amazing generational- The move is an apparent backflip land containing vegetation of high York but for a growing number of speech to music and dance, the iconic family stories. Already this year the on the matter which was referred ecological value, including the ille- artists it’s been a springboard to the event is their first taste of performing speech section, which starts the fes- to council’s solicitor Lindsay Taylor gally cleared zone, will be preserved big time. in front of a crowd. tival and ended yesterday, has added Lawyers last December. and revegetated. Over its long and illustrious 79- to the history. Winner of the $1,000 Greens Party councillor Katie Mr Connell said council officers year history the Murwillumbah Fes- Proud of participants JJ Richards scholarship for speech Milne said the decision flew in the deemed the balance of the site suitable tival of Performing Arts, which be- Long-time president Arthur Hol- and drama, Dylan Graham, is car- face of logic and could set a precedent for the proposed industrial rezoning, gan last weekend and will go through mes, who is as proud of all the par- rying on a fine family tradition in for future cases involving illegal land but stressed the proposal would not until July 15, has had its fair share of ticipants he’s seen come through the the section. Arthur said his cousin clearing. proceed further until the issue of veg- success stories. doors, said the event draws interest Lachlan, now a local speech teacher ‘There is a public interest in pros- etation clearance had been adequately Former Murwillumbah boys, West from all around. whose pupils include Dylan, is a pre- ecuting rather than just making a addressed. End performer Jeremy Secomb, who ‘We get performers from Newcas- vious winner of the same prize. deal, it seems to me to be a legalistic Council officers first discovered is currently starring in the Priscilla tle to the Sunshine Coast, it used to The focus now turns to music loophole,’ Cr Milne said. widespread destruction at the site on Queen of the Desert stage play and be just a week long but now it goes from today (Thursday), with opera The landowner is accused of wil- a compliance visit last July. David Hibbard, who is with the Aus- from June 18 to July 15,’ he said. star David Hibbard coming home fully destroying vegetation at the Subsequent investigations revealed tralian and Queensland Opera com- Numbers are up across the board to judge the bi-annual Alton Budd site, including the burning of a that a canopy of trees which covered panies after performing around the this year, particularly in dancing. $2,000 classical singing contest on brush box tree recognised as hav- continued on page 2 world, are just two. ‘We are going to have 391 troupes Saturday night. AUDIO ENGINEERING FILM MAKING GET THERE SOONER! ENROL NOW FOR JULY !!++ $ ! ! # ! $$ " !% !"! $ # $ " !%#"! '* ()& STUDY: AUDIO - FILM - ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION www.sae.edu %%%%"! Free call 1800 SAE EDU <echowebsection=Local News> Local News Bill McCullochs TWEED CITY Exhaust & Towbar Erosion eats away beach and budget Specialists This photo by Jeff Dawson 232 years servicing graphically illustrates the thet Tweed Valley ‘At your service’ extent of the erosion on & Gold Coast Kings cliff beach. Unit 11/12 Greenway Council has already spent around $50,000 on temporary Drive, South Tweed measures to protect the road (opp. Motor Registry) and park near the dunal area Fax 07 5524 4768 where casuarinas and panda- Mobile 0418 244 755 nus trees have been washed away. make $1,450 up to $9,500 per year. Luis Feliu ‘The foreshore erosion is be- wall around the trees. ing caused by the beach try- Ms Lofthouse said further The cost to retain a large sec- ing to level itself out. There work included battering the $5,700 tion of the Kingscliff foreshore is a sand deficit offshore so it erosion scarp and backfilling eaten up by recent erosion is is compensating for this by it with sand and covering the Tin or tile roof installation. Terms and Conditions apply likely to be around $500,000, pulling sand from the dunal slope with a high grade geo- according to Tweed Shire system. textile material, secured at the Council. ‘This is an entirely natural bottom with a combination of A 200-metre section process and only becomes an concrete blocks and sand filled stretching northward from issue when it reaches infra- geotextile bags. But she said the Cudgen Creek mouth has been severely affected by ero- ‘The erosion has been due to an overall sion, raising fears that public assets such as an access road lowering of the beach profile over time and parts of Faulks Park will and not a discrete storm event.’ be lost. Council has already spent structure or assets that have neither of the materials were around $50,000 on temporary been placed too close to the available in sufficient quanti- measures to protect the road coastline. If the dune buffer ties immediately to use one or and park near the dunal area was wider, the beach may well the other, but could take up to THIS WEEK ONLY! where casuarinas and pan- have evened out before reach- three weeks. danus trees have been washed ing the park area. Council has asked for a state away. ‘Unless structural works are licence for the dredging of the Council’s coordinator of undertaken to temporarily creek not only to improve natural resource management, hold this position, the fore- navigation and access but to ALES Jane Lofthouse, said that up to shore erosion will continue use the sand to replenish the 40 to 60 metres of vegetated until there is enough sand beach. dune had recently been lost moving into this area to fill the ‘This will go in some way along the 200-metre section, offshore area again. It would to restore the dune system, COOPERS COOPERS which was similar to the width also appear that the erosion however, the volumes avail- of dune vegetation lost in the cell is moving northward and able will not provide a large PALE ALE CARTON MILD ALE CARTON May 2009 storm along most of that further erosion is occur- buffer,’ she said. the Tweed Coast. ring to the vegetated dunes ‘The success of these works ‘The main difference here closer to the surf club,’ Ms is dependent upon the flow of being that the erosion has Lofthouse said. sand being reinstated in the been due to an overall lower- Work has already started to near future which will see the ing of the beach profile over retain the remaining pandanus beach and dune reform over time and not a discrete storm by extending the current rock time.’ event,’ Ms Lofthouse said.