Volume 1 #9 Thursday, October 23, 2008 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
p15-14
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Minister agrees to reserves draft plan changes Ken Sapwell
NSW Lands Minister Tony Kelly has made a flying visit to Tweed Heads to calm growing disquiet in local Labor Party ranks and the wider community over his department’s draft plan of management for the shire’s crown lands. Mr Kelly (pictured), one of the few ministers left standing in their portfolio after the recent bloodbath, faced
questions from a small group upset over most of the development proposals contained in the draft and its lack of detail and clarity. It included three representatives from the village alliance whose spokesperson, Julie Boyd, emerged from the meeting to say she was happy Mr Kelly had acknowledged their concerns and taken some steps to address them. She said Mr Kelly agreed to a range of requests, including reopening the
submission period, establishing a community liaison group and improving the level of liaison between his department and the Planning Department. The Minister also agreed to personally read more than 70 submissions which individuals and community groups had written objecting to more than a dozen development proposals, ranging from marinas to holiday parks on prime waterfront reserves. ‘He seemed interested in what we were talking about and I believe the meeting was very fruitful,’ Ms Boyd said of the meeting organised by local ALP branches. One of Mr Kelly’s staff, Alex McGregor, who accompanied him on his lightning visit, said the Minister assured the meeting the draft was ‘not a binding planning document but more a strategic document’. ‘He acknowledges the community’s concerns over the draft plan and has undertaken to receive further submissions and to establish a community liaison group,’ he said. ‘The group will work with the Lands Department, government agencies, the council and the broader community to explore individual proposals that might arise from the plan of management.’ Mr McGregor said any revenues raised from developing the crown land would no longer just be spent on maintaining crown reserves but would go to community and public facilities such as schools and hospitals. Asked if the Minister would guar-
Land (and a cool drink) ahoy!
It was all smooth sailing for Simon Hill, Duncan Gibbs and John Richard Everett-Caldwell of the Gold Coast when they navigated the Tweed River in their sloop Ruwach during the Tweed River Festival’s classic-boat regatta last weekend. The trio took to the regatta like ducks to water travelling, from Chinderah to Murwillumbah in their replica 1800 Winkle Brig, a vessel which plied the Thames River in England during the 19th century. Photo Jeff Dawson
antee that the money would stay in the Tweed, he said ‘I don’t want to give a guarantee or anything like that but it’s not going to be highway robbery – there’s no intention to take the money and run. ‘And it’s not our intention to lock the community into something they don’t want’. Mr McGregor said he was also unable to say whether the state government or the council would be the consent authority for any developments on crown land. Ms Boyd said the community representatives at the meeting tackled the Minister over concerns about the process as well as the confusion created by the document’s presentation and lack of supporting detail.
20 50 TO
She believed closer liaison between the planning and lands departments would highlight planning and environmental restrictions facing some of the more controversial development proposals such as the two marina projects. Mr Kelly had been told that the draft plan also raised concerns about inappropriate development, overdevelopment and the impacts on the health of the Tweed’s coastal waterways. Meanwhile, Tweed MP Geoff Provest says he still intends to attend a meeting with Mr Kelly and his department’s director general, Warwick Watkins, scheduled for this week to further discuss community concerns.
The National Party MP says he is worried that some of the revenue raised from any developments on crown land will be diverted to the state’s coffers to help the cash-strapped government pay for major infrastructure projects in Sydney. ‘The government said that money from its new poker machine tax would be spent in the community but that hasn’t happened and I suspect the same will happen with crown land revenues,’ he said. Mr Provest said the government, in a little publicised move two years ago, had also decided to divert royalties from sand extraction in the Tweed away from community projects and into their general revenue fund.
% RELOCATION SA FF
O
*
STOREWIDLEE ation & items already on sale. *Excludes gift cards, Carryboy. Navig ends 25th Oct ‘08 *% off regular ticketed price. Sale
J>?I <H?:7O (*J> I7 JKH:7O (+J> E9 JE8;H Edbo WlW_bWXb[ Wj
HUNGRY JACKS
KFC
We are moving to a Bigger & Better Autobarn Re-opening on FRIDAY 31ST OCT ‘08 at the
Harvey Norman Centre Greenway Drive Tweed Heads South
Melbourne
Cup 2008
THE TWEED SHIRE
THE GOOD GUYS
TWEED HEADS SHOP 7, HOMEMART ON TWEED, MINJUNGBAL DRIVE
PH: 5523 2055 AUTOQLDNO2130