THE TWEED
s e n i t n Vale
Day
Volume 3 #21 Thursday, February 3, 2011
P8
Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Heathland remnant ‘at risk from estate’ Murray Simpson
Cabarita residents up in arms over a foreshore caravan park proposal now also want a residential scheme development called Sandalwood Estate scrapped. Both are proposed for Crown land in plans drawn up by the NSW Land and Property Management Authority (LPMA) and the Tweed Coast Holiday Parks Reserve Trust. A packed meeting of nearly 400 at the Cabarita Sports Club this week were told the land in question represented virtually the last remnant of wallum wet and dry heath on the Tweed coast. A total of six speakers addressed the meeting, organised as an information session for residents.
Determined to oppose both developments The treasurer of the Cabarita Beach Bogangar Residents Association, Suzi Bourke, said some telling facts about the importance of the heathland emerged at the meeting and the association was now determined to oppose both developments. Only 0.4 per cent of the Tweed’s wallum heath remained and was far too valuable to be lost, she said, and harboured over 500 species of plants. While the association was on the warpath against the schemes, Ms Bourke said Dunecare activist and association member Ashley Baldry was also organising an alternative draft plan for the area. This included an eco-trail for 2.5km down to Hastings Point. Association president Cath Lynch told the meeting the figures did not stack up.
She said while a caravan park of between 200 and 230 sites was planned for the 8.3-hectare Cabarita site, the refurbishment of other council parks on the coast would result in a nett gain of only 47 additional tourist sites at a forecast expenditure of $46 million. Ms Lynch said the proposal for the holiday park east of the Coast Road south of Norries Headland had come as a shock and disappointment as locals had been fighting the development since 1998. The residential Sandalwood Estate project, for 37 homes and ‘additional townhouses’ on two sites covering around five hectares, is to be managed by the state government agency (LPMA) and is adjacent to an existing residential estate at the entrance to Sandalwood Avenue. A joint press release by the LPMA and the trust said all three sites ‘have long been reserved for public utilities, with the eastern parcel previously earmarked for the development of a holiday park, and the western side zoned for residential development’. Ms Lynch says the association feared the park would not be financially viable for ratepayers and it would compromise the only leashfree beach between Kingscliff and Pottsville. She also raised the issue of surf lifesaving there, questioning who would run and pay for the surf rescue service. But reserves trust manager Richard Adams said the existing land had been substantially modified and degraded by previous land uses, including mineral sand mining and unauthorised camping, fire starting and rubbish dumping.
In a spin Gold Coasters Joanne Groombridge and Valda Sprague whoop it up outside Sunday’s ‘Dance party for Queensland flood victims’ fundraiser at the Tweed Heads Civic Centre, put on by Cooly Rocks On festival organisers. Joanne said over $5,000 was raised on the night with a full house. ‘There were no spare seats, it was brilliant,’ she said. The lineup included rock and roll performers, dancers and classic cars which will also feature in the inaugural Cooly Rocks On festival from June 3-13, which replaced the old Wintersun rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia festival. Photo Jeff ‘Hounddog’ Dawson
Dual reticulation ‘should be a must’ Luis Feliu
The first two development applications (DAs) lodged with Tweed Shire Council to create 1,000 lots at the massive Cobaki Estate project has come under fire for a lack of dual reticulation to save water. Tweed environmentalists maintain that dual reticulation for Cobaki and other major housing projects in the continued on page 2 pipeline would negate the need for
any new dam being pushed by mayor Kevin Skinner. Greens councillor Katie Milne said she was disappointed to see the Leda Developments’ DAs did not, as was anticipated, provide for dual reticulation plumbing which would deliver both drinking and reclaimed (reused) water to each lot on the 594-hectare site on the Tweed side of the border west of Coolangatta airport. Last December, Planning Minis-
Win a Golf .
To enter, visit your local office for a quote, renew a policy or purchase a new policy NRMA Kingscliff at Cnr Pearl & Turnock Sts, Kingscliff NRMA Tweed Heads at Cnr Frances & Wharf Sts, Tweed Heads NRMA Murwillumbah at 1 Brisbane St, Murwillumbah
ter Tony Kelly approved the project, describing it as ‘the size of a small country town’ with a town centre, schools and major shopping centre. When completed the housing estate would house 12,000 people in 5,500 dwellings. ‘I can’t understand why they’re not being proposed; the state government’s Far North Coast Regional Strategy says it should be in all developments
02 6674 8131 07 5536 4811 02 6672 8222
Competition closes 12/02/2011. Terms & Conditions apply and are available at nrma.com.au/win or any NRMA Office. NSW Permit No LTPM/10/10682.
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