THE TWEED
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Volume 2 #26 Thursday, March 11, 2010
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Prime land sought for police station Ken Sapwell
Government agencies are eying prime agricultural land at Cudgen for an emergency services centre. The Police Department has entered into preliminary talks with council staff about the possibility of using the land for a new headquarters to replace their Kingscliff facility, according to well-placed sources. Fire and ambulance services from other parts of the shire are also interested in establishing a so-called super centre on the Tweed Coast and will be watching to see if Police Minister Michael Daley agrees to forge ahead with the site.
Controversial plan But he will first have to convince his Planning Minister Tony Kelly to exercise rarely used powers to overturn his government’s own classification as State Significant farmland before the controversial plan is pursued any further. The department is investigating a site on the eastern side of the Tweed Coast Road which was purchased by the Kingscliff Land Company (KLC) in a joint venture deal with supermarket giant Coles Myer for $4.5 million in 2004. KLC investor Rob Nichevich confirmed this week that government agencies were looking at using their 48ha prime hilltop site with frontage to Cudgen Creek for new headquarter buildings. ‘We’ve been short-listed by some emergency services and we have been talking to them about locating facilities on the land,’ said Mr Nichevich, head of the Melbourne-based Viento Group. ‘It’s a very good location. It’s flood-
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free and at the crossroads of the shire and economically it makes sense when you compare the costs of alternative sites, especially those closer to the town.’ The site has been clouded in controversy ever since KFC acquired it in the hope of winning council approval for a residential estate and major shopping centre, despite its high classification as valuable farmland. The deal attracted national media attention when mortgage documents revealed KLC entered into a conditional arrangement with then sitting councillor Lynne Beck and her two sisters, promising to pay an extra $5 million if the land was rezoned before November last year. Ms Beck says she no longer has an interest in the land. KLC’s first attempt to rezone the land later came unstuck when the council was sacked in 2005 amid findings it was a puppet of developers. A second bid by KLC to rezone the former small-crop holding for up to 200 houses and a new regional fire station was last year rejected by the council and the NSW government because of its high value as farming land. The behind-the-scene negotiations come after a long search for a floodfree site to house the shire’s emergency services took a more urgent turn following new flood studies showing their Tweed Heads bases would be isolated by as little as a one-in-100 year flood. The new rezoning push is backed by the Kingscliff Chamber of Commerce but the local residents’ association and other community groups have been opposed, saying it’s among the top 10 per cent of farmland in the State
Every little bit helps
Cleaning up the Cudgen Creek foreshore at Kingscliff during Clean Up Australia Day last Sunday were local youngsters Summer Bradshaw, 3, left, and Jack Kerridge,4, who both targeted recyclable rubbish such as plastic bottles. The littlies, parents and staff of Kingscliff Community Playgroup took to the annual event with relish, collecting 21 bags of litter plus five bags of recyclables. Photo Jeff ‘Unrecyclable’ Dawson
Farming ‘sustains our tourism’ Ken Sapwell
It is critical to Tweed’s future to retain farming land on the Cudgen plateau in productive capacity, according to a Southern Cross University researcher. Research and industry development manager at the university’s school of tourism and hospitality, Rose Wright, says covering the plateau with development will not only undermine the agriculture sector but also impact negatively on tourism. ‘Tourism is one of our key economic drivers,’ she said. ‘The region’s beautiful agricultural landscape with rich red soils and lush green paddocks set against the world heritage rainforest has earned this continued on page 2 region the honour of being named
as one of Australia’s iconic National Landscapes’. She says if a combined emergency centre is established at Cudgen it would open the way for other development on the plateau which would compromise the ability of current and future farmers to undertake farming activity.
Short term financial gain ‘Housing and other development only yield a short term financial gain for the land owners and developers of the day,’ Ms Wright said. ‘This is among the best land for fresh food production in the state with rich soils, microclimate and access to high yield markets and water. ‘Additionally with increasing day and overnight visitation rates we have
the potential to develop the Tweed as a high quality food tourism destination. ‘It will help increase yield for farmers and add significant value to our local economy, encourage food manufacturing, create new jobs and build the regions brand and reputation based on the very reason locals live here. ‘Research demonstrates that regions such as King Island, Tasmania, Barossa Valley and Margaret River all leverage their agriculture, food and wine sectors to generate a unique regional experience and build their brand, adding value to their products and visitation. ‘Yet in the Tweed we still fail to see the value of these significant farmland continued on page 2
ABN 82 087 650 682
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