6 Local News Thursday, August 22, 2019
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Tweed Valley Weekly Locals Supporting Locals
Disappointment over RSPCA Op Shop By Jonathon Howard TWEED SHIRE residents have expressed their disappointment with the “sudden closure” of the RSPCA Tweed Heads Op Shop on Boyd Street for renovations, with no set time frame for the op shop to reopen. RSPCA Op Shop volunteer Margaret Radcliffe wrote to The Weekly and said she was “disappointed” the staff were given 48-hours’ notice of closure. “The RSPCA head office deemed that we were not producing enough profit and they intend to convert our little community hub into a “boutique” RSPCA,” Mrs Radcliffe said. “Some years ago, when they abruptly terminated the animal housing side of our service, lots of volunteers and staff left in protest. “As I was assured we could still provide a valuable contribution to our loyal local clientele, including subsidising desexing of their pets, I stayed and have worked two afternoons a week in the Boyd Street premises. “Many of our regulars would come in for a chat as well as the bargains available. “Now it’s all gone, no warning, they didn’t even have the common courtesy of advising
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us but left that to the manager they had just dismissed.” The Weekly send several questions to the RSPCA head office who said subject to council approval, RSPCA NSW is looking to provide a “facelift to the RSPCA NSW Tweed Heads Op Shop on Boyd Street”. “As we are still in the planning process and no builder / contractor has been appointed yet, so time frame is dependent on different factors,” a RSPCA spokesperson said. The spokesperson also said the proposed development “could include the potential to adopt kittens and cats” from the site to “improve our service to the community”. “The proposed changes will keep the site consistent with the rest of the state and the store will be reopen subject to council approval and all building works have been completed,” the spokesperson said. “The improved returns through the ability to adopt animals from the site will go back into servicing the community and to help fight animal cruelty across the state.”
Protesters eager to meet with Cape Byron
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“We will seek a meeting with company officials as soon as possible.” Mr Sledge said he was personally delighted with the assurance that “Cape Byron Power does not source any native timber directly from state forests or private native forest”. “We object to company claims that resident groups’ question amount to “misinformation”, as we have sought answers that the company has yet to address,” he said. “These include: the number of trucks carrying wood “waste” to their mills from forestry operations that disturb the safety and peace of rural neighbourhoods. “And the need to update methods of producing electricity due to increasing public concerns about global climate change.” “We still want to know what government incentives or subsidies are going to promote biomass burning for electricity instead of genuinely carbon neutral practices such as solar, wave and wind generation. “We are not targeting one company but have significant concerns about future industry plans which involve allegedly selling our forest “waste” including increasing sale overseas of Australian wood chips and pellets.”
Protesters gathered outside the Cape Byron Power Company site at Condong on Tuesday, August 13
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By Jonathon Howard THE GROUP behind a recent protest at the Cape Byron Power Company at Condong, have expressed their eagerness to meet with the company after they received an invite to discuss their questions and concerns. Northern Rivers Guardians Inc president Scott Sledge said the article in The Weekly (August 15) regarding the Biomass Action Group and a response from the company “was welcomed by the group” as they raised recent questions about the use of wood chips to burn for power. “The company has offered to meet with representatives from the Biomass Action Group (BAG) and to supply information, which is very welcome,” he said. “Resident groups have been trying to get answers for months regarding the environmental effects of biomass burning for electricity at their Condong and Broadwater plants. “This is their first response - issued several hours after our protest rally at Condong last Tuesday.