THE TWEED SHIRE Volume 1 #39 Thursday, June 4, 2009 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
State takeover undermines rule of law Luis Feliu
The state government’s move to push ahead with the controversial world rally and sideline Tweed Shire Council in the process will undermine public faith in the rule of law in NSW, according to a legal activist. Minister for State Development, Ian Macdonald, announced on Friday the government’s intention to enable special legislation to ensure the event goes ahead, instead of waiting for council approval, after a request from international motorsport body, the Parisbased Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The shock announcement was made the day after a large and vocal protest group against the rally involving more than 300 people marched down Murwillumbah’s CBD and on to council chambers. The protest was told by North Coast-based Greens MLC Ian Cohen that the state government was about to override council planning powers to approve the rally and warned the move would inflame objectors, who were set to protest during the rally itself. Opponents say the minister has ‘joined a long list of victims of spin from the organisers’ while the Northern Rivers Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) says there is no reason why the normal planning process could not have been complied with in the time available.
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‘It’s not as if this is a huge project that is of vital importance for the state’s future,’ lawyer and education officer for the EDO Mark Byrne told The Echo. Circumventing normal planning processes under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, he said, also ‘disempowers local residents and groups, whether they oppose the rally in principle and want their voices heard or seek good environmental and other safeguards if it does go ahead’. ‘It could also override the need to consider the impact on threatened animals along the route under the Threatened Species Act,’ Mr Byrne said. But Mr Macdonald said the legislation ‘will permit the Government to impose environmental protection measures to manage any temporary impacts on affected local areas’. The minister claimed the three-day event would bring $100 million to the state economy by driving tourism and creating jobs and that the event was backed by Murwillumbah’s business chamber and Tweed Tourism. But No Rally Group (NRG) president Michael McNamara said the minister had fallen for a ‘deliberate and mischievous misinformation campaign’ by rally organisers in that various community groups had contradicted their claims that they had been consulted, which the minister repeated in his release.
Festival shows off young talent
Victoria Cosford
Ex-ballet dancer Judith Kingston (pictured above) reckons it’s one of the biggest performing arts festivals in country NSW. The Murwillumbah Festival of Performing Arts, now in its 78th year, starts on June 26 and for nearly an entire month will showcase the talents of over 5,000 young performers in a seemingly endless round of competitions. The event just gets bigger every year, according to Judy, the festival’s dance convenor since 1992. Her own involvement in dance stems back to when, aged 17, she won the prestigious Peter Stuyvesant scholarship which took her to London for two years to study at the Royal Ballet School. Back in Australia she started teaching dance, ending up running two continued on page 2 small schools, one in her birth-
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place Coffs Harbour and the other in Grafton. Her husband’s job in the dental profession brought them both up to Murwillumbah about 19 years ago and Judy resumed teaching dance, albeit part-time in 2005. While dance is just one of the sections of the festival, it is such a substantial one that not only does it span 11 days but it also requires Judy to be
assisted by two co-convenors. The other sections are speech and drama as well as music. This is a festival which has produced major talent over the years, with many of the young performers having gone on to become professional entertainers in their respective fields, Australia’s Got Talent finalist Aaron Smythe, for example, as well as actor Rachel Beck and soloist for the Queens-
Planning panel nominations meeting off The extraordinary council meeting planned for today (Thursday, June 4) to consider nominations for two representatives for the new Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) has been cancelled. The meeting has been rescheduled as part of the ordinary meeting on Tuesday, June 16, after council was advised by the government that a deferral could be made
to coincide with the ordinary meeting if an extension was needed for council to nominate panel members. A spokesperson said Council apologised for any inconvenience caused by the change. Meanwhile, the government has allocated $2.4 million in the 2009/10 budget to establish, operate and administer new planning panels. Plan-
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ning Minister Kristina Keneally announced the funds this week at the Shires Association annual conference, saying that from July to August this year, six panels will begin operation across NSW. The panels will consist of three state government appointed members and two nominees from the relevant local council.
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land Ballet Company Natalie Hammond. Another local star is Burringbar’s Nobel Lakaev, who despite making it into the grand final of this season’s Australia’s Got Talent, will still be dancing in this year’s festival. This well-attended entertaining family event will be held at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre. Tickets are available at the door. For information call Arthur Holmes on 6672 1563.
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