THE TWEED
S ’ R O T A V RENO
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HOME & GARDEN
Volume 3 #50 Thursday, August 25, 2011
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Pages 11 -14 LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Industrial estate push upsets Clrs Steve Spencer
Bloomin’ marvellous orchids Story and photo Albert Elzinga
For the last 10 years, Tweed Heads retiree Peter Howell (pictured) has devoted his time to the art of growing orchids. In most subjects, a decade of experience would make someone an expert, however, in the orchid-growing business, Peter is still a novice. His relatively junior status hasn’t stopped him from producing some beautiful specimens and on September 1, 2 and 3, Peter and his fellow Tweed District Orchid Society members will display the fruits of their labour at the society’s annual Spring Show at the Jessie McMillan Hall in Murwillumbah. The 70 society members will show the best examples of varieties such as Dendobrium, Cattleya and Saga Doll and the most outstanding efforts will receive the coveted title of ‘champion’. Peter said the growers competed in Division 1 or Novice and judges awarded points for shape, colour and overall health of the plants. The most difficult issue faced by most growers was the impact bugs
such as ants, slugs and snails had on the plants. Eliminating the damage insects did to his specimens was an ongoing battle, he said. Show coordinator Maureen Styman said examples of the spring flowering variety Dendrobium Speciosum would be the highlight of the show while the customary potting demon-
strations always attracted plenty of attention. A range of orchids will be on sale while members will offer advice on how to care for the plants and explain which varieties suit local conditions. The show opens from 8am until 5pm next Thursday and Friday and from 8am until 2.30pm on the Saturday.
Echo launches online daily David Lovejoy
Well, it’s here! After the best part of six months’ preparation Echonetdaily hit the region’s inboxes this week. Produced by a new editorial team who are also tapping the resources of the long-established Byron and Tweed Echo newspapers, the online title uses innovative technology to present a daily package of local, national and world news. Add entertainment coverage, upto-date weather and surf reports, video clips, photo galleries, etc and there’s a snapshot every morning of life and events in the Northern Rivers.
Echonetdaily editor Chris Dobney has been working in digital journalism for over a decade, and has spent the last four years as online entertainment editor for the Sydney Morning Herald. Now living in Binna Burra, Chris says, ‘Nowhere is the spirit of the region reflected better than in the pages of The Echo. I’m glad to be on board and helping it extend its reach across the region.’ Assisting Chris with the audiovisual aspects of the new project is local film-maker Sharon Shostak. Sharon recently completed a fullcontinued on page 2
HUTCHISONS
A push to create an industrial estate near Pottsville has been given the tick of approval by Tweed Shire Council despite a controversial history of unauthorised clearing and the near destruction of a registered sacred Aboriginal scar tree which was set alight. One councillor said she was ‘ashamed’ and another ‘embarrassed’ by the decision to approve the developer’s preferred option for the site, which includes massive earthworks near the Pacific Highway embankment on the corner with Cudgera Creek Road. Greens Cr Katie Milne this week called for a NSW Planning Department investigation into the decision and the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has concerns that earthworks will endanger the stability of the highway embankment. She said the RTA also had concerns about the visual impact from the highway and the capacity of the Cudgera Creek intersection to cope with the extra traffic. ‘The RTA has highlighted significant concerns. I find it quite embarrassing that Option 5 [the developer’s preferred plan] is being adopted contrary to staff advice,’ Cr Milne said at this month’s council meeting. Cr Dot Holdom agreed, saying she was ‘ashamed’ councillors were pushing the developer’s option against the recommendation of council officers and other options which offered better outcomes. ‘Good planning was thrown out the window. It all went belly-up.’ Cr Holdom said she was also concerned about the near destruction of the historical scar tree and
the unauthorised clearing. Deputy mayor Barry Longland also voted against giving council approval to the project, but mayor Kevin Skinner and Crs Warren Polglase, Phil Youngblutt and Joan van Lieshout supported the development. It is now up to the planning department to decided whether to give final approval to the light industry estate, which has yet to be fully designed. Cr Polglase told the meeting the shire needed ‘good employment-generating land’ and that ‘any good council would push ahead for planning for the future to keep up with the shire’s population growth’.
Earmarked for growth The 23-hectare development site, in Kudgeree Avenue, just west of Pottsville, was earmarked in 2006 as a future growth area by the planning department’s Far North Coast Regional Strategy. A decision not to prosecute over the unauthorised clearing was made by the NSW Department of Environment, after council staff inspected the site and compiled a report. Earlier this year the department said it had issued an official caution to the landowner Rhonda Tagget for damage to the scar tree while unauthorised land clearing was being carried out. And in a forceful letter to the council the department’s Aboriginal heritage section manager Richard Bath said the council had been far too slow in reporting the destruction. ‘The council were aware of the alleged breach six months before it was reported to the department,’ he said. ‘And the National Parks and continued on page 2
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