THE TWEED Volume 2 #46 Thursday, July 29, 2010 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
Education We e k – p 1 2
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Tourism denied ‘fresh flavour’ Kate McIntosh
Piggabeen celebrates Kate McIntosh
Piggabeen’s rich history and strong sense of community will be on show at upcoming centenary celebrations for the village hall and former school. The Piggabeen Hall, which was built by volunteer labour, has been a central focus of the village throughout its long history, hosting weddings, fundraising events, theatre shows, bush dances and community meetings. ‘If a family were having a celebration then they would have it there,’ said Piggabeen/ Cobaki Residents Association secretary Rewa Jarman. A series of events are planned, kicking off with a family day on Saturday, August 7. Activities planned include a
Piggabeen resident Kaylene Mason (foreground) with colleagues Maria Atkins, Chris Disney, Donna Chemello, Leslie Jordan and Rewa Jarman. Photo Jeff ‘Blow In’ Dawson
vintage-vehicle parade, historical displays, tree planting, afternoon tea, live music and the burying of a time capsule. A book on the area’s history written by local couple Kathy and Rick Jobson to mark the occasion will also be launched on the day. Mrs Jobson and her husband, who have lived in Piggabeen for 29 years, wrote the book titled Two Valleys Over Time during a three-month period. The book traces 150 years of Piggabeen history from the first timber getters in 1850, the release of the first landholding lots, which sold at the time for one pound per acre, the rise
and decline of the dairy industry, to the advent of electricity in the 1950s and major subdivisions which took place in the 1970s. The book also provides a snapshot of the area’s well known pioneering families. Mrs Jobson said the origins of the book stem from a conversation she had about the area’s history over a cup of tea with well known local identity, the late Eva Dawes. More than 10 years later, Mrs Jobson took up the project again, piecing together the area’s history through personal accounts and archival records from the Tweed Heads Historical Society. She also tracked down
archives from the Piggabeen School, which have been stored at Armidale’s New England University since the school’s closure in 1974. School registers obtained by Mrs Jobson showing enrolments from when the school opened in 1904 will be on display during centenary celebrations. All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Piggabeen/Cobaki Residents’ Association. Ms Jarman said the community, which has its own page on social networking site Facebook, had got behind the event. continued on page 8
Tweed Tourism is poised to take on a series of lucrative contracts for the provision of tourism and economic development in the region after Tweed Shire Council resolved to enter negotiations with the peak industry body following an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday. Cr Phil Youngblutt used his casting vote to carry the motion to decline tenders for four of the five contracts worth about $1 million, pending the outcome of further negotiations between council, Tweed Tourism and Tweed Economic and Development Corporation (TEDC). Mayor Warren Polglase, who is a privately elected board member of TEDC, abstained from voting on the matter after declaring a conflict of interest. The decision follows a series of presentations to council from leading tenderers which included Tweed Tourism, Southern Cross University (SCU), TEDC, Victorianbased company .id (informed decisions) and international consultancy firm RPS. Cr Katie Milne, whose motion to readvertise the tender failed to find support from fellow councillors, labelled the decision a missed opportunity to inject ‘fresh flavour’ into the Tweed industry. ‘We should take the time to send the message out there that we are serious about the way we present tourism and eco-
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nomic development,’ she said. Despite not lending support to Cr Milne’s motion Cr Joan Lieshout also expressed disappointment that the tendering process had not produced more diversity. She warned that Tweed was facing a potential ‘double dip recession’ and called on councillors to weigh its decisions relating to economic development carefully. Tweed Tourism has been endorsed as the preferred tenderer for three contracts including tourism development, operation of the Tweed and Murwillumbah visitor information centres, as well as tourism marketing.
Negotiations Council has also recommended negotiations be held with Tweed Tourism for taking over marketing and promotion of the Tweed for business investment. TEDC stands to lose out altogether after refusing to tender separately for the statistical research and promotion of business investment contracts, arguing the two components were ‘critical and fundamental’ and therefore inseparable. Council awarded the remaining contract for statistical research and business investment to .id. In a letter to council TEDC chief executive officer Tom Senti criticised moves by council to outsource the provision of tourism services to continued on page 8