THE TWEED Volume 2 #37 Thursday, May 27, 2010 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 [email protected] page 21 [email protected] www.tweedecho.com.au LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Rally too divisive says ecologist Luis Feliu up in court’ because the community would challenge the legislation to try The ecologist who conducted the and stop the rally. environmental impact study for last Running the rally on national park year’s controversial world rally said roads proved to be ‘most divisive’ due the event had split the community to the potential impact on world her- like nothing he’d seen before. itage and biodiversity values which he Dunecare Tweed-based Dr Stephen Phillips ‘shared’ because he lived and worked told a special Tweed Shire Council in the Tweed. briefing for councillors, senior staff The decision to accept the con- nursery and media on Tuesday that the rally sulting ecologist job for the rally had been marked by so much ‘misin- job had put him ‘between rock and formation, mistrust, conjecture and hard place’ but ‘ultimately I took a opens speculation’ and he personally found deep draught from the proverbial the backlash of his involvement with poisoned chalice’. the event ‘offensive’ . He gave a detailed outline of the Annie Pollard, Cabarita Dunecare Nursery co-ordinator, to bring friends and family along to the official opening Dr Phillips cast doubt on whether research done by his firm Biolink with her daughter Liv in the thick of it while Dunecare of the new nursery at 2pm this Sunday, May 30, and then he would take up such a task again, Ecological Consultants of fauna and volunteer Ashley Baldry looks on. enjoy an afternoon of barefoot bowls. saying ‘we took such a battering, I flora along the rally stages and praised The Dunecare group held a sign-on day at the Cabar- During National Tree Day last year, Cabarita Beach wouldn’t put his workers through the Rally Australia for co-operating fully ita Beach Sports Club last Sunday to coincide with the Dunecare organised around 300 pupils from Bogangar experience again’. with all his recommendations. opening of their new native-plant nursery, funded by Public School to plant nearly 1,000 trees. With the new He said he was ‘ashamed’ that some Dr Phillips concluded that there donations from Cabarita Beach Sports Club, Tweed Shire nursery, a lot of these trees can now be grown from of the abuse and false claims came was no evidence to indicate the event Council and Bogangar Public School. Locals are invited seeds collected locally. Photo Jeff ‘Bad Seed’ Dawson from his own community. had significantly impacted on threat- ened species of fauna or flora, with ‘Lot of mending to do’ around 12 animals killed during the ‘We now appear to be a community three-day event, mostly reptiles and Developer wins $1.8m concession divided by the rally and its ideologies, small birds as well as a small wallaby. Ken Sapwell most controversy-prone subdivisions. to bring the long-stalled develop- there’s a lot of mending to do, how I He said he was also ‘disturbed’ The council backdown clears the ment to fruition. don’t know,’ he said. about a claim that the planting of One of the shire’s biggest land-owners way for Richtech, a subsidiary of the But at a series of court-ordered me- Dr Phillips said he ‘copped abuse 1,000 trees by rally organisers as a will avoid more than $1 million in Barclay Group, to develop 24 blocks diation sessions Richtech offered to all through this process from both carbon offset for the event did not charges after Tweed Council backed- on the Seaside City Estate, nearly 90 foot all payments except a $3,200-a- sides’, and felt personally let down by happen, as he had approached Land- down in a long-running stoush over years after the council first gave the block charge for shirewide open space people he knew ‘who turned on me care and other community groups fees being levied to develop a prime 32ha site bordering Cudgen Creek and recreation areas, which council because I was the sacrificial lamb to with the offer from Rally Australia to slice of beachfront land. subdivision approval. planners say will deprive their cof- another cause’. fund the plantings but was rejected Under an agreement hammered The company, which was embroiled fers of $1.8 million over the life of He said ‘lots of people’ including at the time. out with Richtech Pty Ltd at court- in the inquiry which lead to the coun- the project. himself, were offended by the state He said he was disappointed be- ordered mediation sessions and given cil’s sacking in 2005, took the council to Details of the behind-the scenes deal government overriding threatened- cause the company wanted to ‘throw the thumbs up at last week’s meeting, court to contest more than $9 million to let Richtech off the hook were re- species legislation with a special law money’ at it but ‘doors were closed all the council will waive its demand for a in section 94 payments for roads, open vealed in a report in last week’s council to ensure the event went ahead, and the time’. contribution for open space. space and other council services. agenda, coming at the same time as a he felt his work had been ‘arguably ‘I’m still unable to find sources Richtech Pty Ltd won the conces- Richtech claimed the charges had plea from the Cabarita Surf Lifesaving nullified’ as a result but was instructed in the community to apply for that sion after it challenged a range of been negated by a 2007 agreement Club for a reduction in their own sec- by rally organisers to continue the money,’ he said, so the claim was council charges for developing up to with the council when it first began tion 94 charges. study as normal. ‘hyp ocrisy’. 175 blocks of prime beachfront land drawing up plans to create roads The report reveals that councillors He also said he ‘knew it would end continued on page 2 within one of the shire’s oldest and and other infrastructure necessary continued on page 2 LIMIT 3 PER CUSTOMER. 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Savings off regular ticketed price. <echowebsection=Local News> Local News we1005_14 Locals farewell Mt Burrell store owners WORLD Tania Phillips When Donna and Des Cecil Environment took on the Mt Burrell Gen- eral Store almost 12 years ago, Day 2010 they thought it was just an- other job but what they didn’t International year realise was they were becom- of biodiversity ing an integral part of a close- knit community. This Sunday, May 30, the community near Uki will say not goodbye but thank you, with music and food at the Sphinx Rock Cafe next to the store. The pair have sold the store that has been their life (seven days a week, some- times 14 hours a day) but will stay in the area on one of their two farms. Sunday June 6, 10am to 3pm ‘I’m looking forward to com- Knox Park, Murwillumbah ing down for a coffee and not Donna and Des Cecil: saying goodbye to the general store. On the right new owners Aaron having to do the orders,’ Donna Gooley and Brent Kasey say hello. Photo Jeff ‘Up For Sale’ Dawson WORKSHOPS quipped. LIVE MUSIC The couple say they’ve been cal dairy farm in the Tweed, Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel and amazing, we have met a lot of Murray Kyle with GUEST SPEAKERS very lucky as store owners of and Sydney-born Donna be- the Angels, they were probably different people from all differ- SOULARSONIC information the community they have now came store owners almost by my favourites! There were a ent walks of life.’ become such a part of. accident. few egos out there but most of Sunday’s festivities, which Donna and Des, who raised A former groundsman the bands were really pleasant also serve as a welcome for and L’il Fi stalls four kids (now aged 35-20), at the Murwillumbah Golf to work with.’ new store owners Aaron Goo- Children’s Tent and SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS most of whom were teenag- Club, Des went on to work He said the owner of the club ley and Brent Kasey, will start school kids art spacep community art ers when they started at the in the hospitality industry at also owned a nursery out in the at midday and feature local byy Caldera Art by Planet eARTh store, say they will miss the Seagulls before becoming the Mt Burrell area and he went on music legends Murray Kyle human company but not the manager of Jet Club nightclub to manage that and from there and the Perch Creek Family long hours.