THE TWEED G REE
Volume 2 #44 Thursday, July 15, 2010 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
page 10
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Speed on Tweed off to good start
Giant Bilambil projects get the green light Ken Sapwell
Planning minister Tony Kelly has given the green light to two major residential projects in the Bilambil area during a flying visit to Tweed Heads that caught councillors and residents by surprise. Mr Kelly arrived unheralded last Thursday to announce concept plan approval for 1,600 new homes at Bilambil Heights and the go-ahead for a 52-lot subdivision at Bilambil village which will more than double its population.
Concerns skirted He skirted contact with councillors and residents wanting to discuss concerns with the projects and met instead with developer Godfrey Mantle’s team on a hilltop to announce concept plan approval for the Brisbane millionaire’s $140 million Bilambil Heights project. Approval to redevelop the 187ha site formerly owned by the bankrupted Terranora Lakes country club and golf course ends nearly two decades of wrangling over plans for the prime hilltop location which boasts 360 degree views. It includes 1,604 residential dwellings, a 200-bed nursing home, 10,000 square metres of retail and commercial space and nearly 40ha of open space and conservation lands.
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Kate McIntosh
The Echo observed signs of illegal squatting on a visit to the site this week, with bedding, used furniture and other debris strewn around the disused former country club. Mr Kelly rejected a push by the land owner, Terranora Group Management (TGM), to increase building heights to eight storeys after the council objected to what it said would be a development more suited to the Gold Coast. A spokesman for TGM says the approval clears the way for the site to ‘be redeveloped as an exciting new master-planned residential and retirement living community.’ But while the minister’s concession to limit heights pleased some councillors, his subdivision approval for a disused quarry in the tiny village of Bilambil has angered local residents concerned that too many lots were being crammed onto the site. The approval clears the way for small 475sqm house blocks despite submissions from council and residents to increase them to at least 600sqm and to substantially reduce the number of lots. They were also concerned about narrow street layouts and inadequate footpaths, as It seems if you have a Ferrari you can park it in the foyer of Mantra at Salt. Or more likely they well as the lack of infrastruc- had brought Ian Maudsley’s 1982 308 GTSi into reception for the official launch of this year’s ture to service a population in- Speed on Tweed festival of classic cars and cubic inches (see story, right). With Maudsley in the red coupé is Speed on Tweed committee member and Murwillumbah crease in Bilambil village from continued on page 2 Chamber of Commerce president, Toni Zuschke. Photo Jeff ‘Magnum PI’ Dawson
Speed on Tweed festival is revving up for another year of racing action following the event’s official launch at Kingscliff on Tuesday. Organisers are hoping to attract some of the finest all-Australian racing cars, with up to 200 vehicles from various eras expected to contest the annual street races in Murwillumbah. Competing cars will also join in a traditional street parade, with the town’s main street to be closed off in the evenings to cater for festival-goers and vehicle displays. The popular event came close to shutting down two years ago after failing to secure a major sponsorship deal, but was revived during last year’s controversial world rally. This year’s event takes its theme from the so-called ‘Australian Specials’, which dominated the race tracks of Australia from the 1950s to 70s. Unable to afford the costs of running professionally built imported sports cars local racing enthusiasts improvised and built their own cars from scratch. Organising committee chairman Bill Larkin hopes this year’s event with its mix of fast-paced racing action, historic vintage cars and well known racing identities will help draw some 15,000 spectators. ‘Every year we strive to make Speed on Tweed something different and special and I’m continued on page 2
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