The Northern Rivers Times
December 14, 2023
2 NEWS
See the Tweed’s best Christmas displays By Sarah Waters To celebrate the holiday spirit, Tweed Shire Council has launched the Tweed Festive Glow Guide: an interactive map of festive light displays and decorations around the Tweed. Residents are encouraged to share in the festive fun by decorating their properties and registering their displays online for all residents to browse and enjoy. Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry launched the Tweed’s first official map of festive displays, which relies on residents registering their properties to build up the map. “Each year many residents around the Tweed create incredible
displays of lights and decorations and I am pleased we will now have a one-stop portal to showcase their efforts,” Ms Cherry said. “Many families also have Christmas traditions of touring around the Tweed in search of spectacular festive displays. “The Tweed Festive Glow Guide means they will have a map to follow while they create these precious memories,” she said. Pottsville residents Danny and Cherie Brentnall have already registered their display on the Festive Glow Guide and said the collective excitement in the neighbourhood makes all their decorating worthwhile. “It’s just really great
Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry
to bring the community
into the festive spirit.
the weekends too.
together,” Mr Brentnall
“Most of the
“The kids love it and on
said.
neighbours in the street
Christmas Eve, the street
“We enjoy making
get into it and decorate
is packed with people
people happy, meeting
their houses - we have a
-it’s great,” he said.
new people and getting
snow machine going on
Ms Cherry said she
hoped the festive map would help to bring the Tweed together over the Christmas season. “Our community deserves lifted spirits and festive season joy as we count down to Christmas and New Year’s Eve - it’s been a big year for everyone as we have navigated many challenges and celebrated many wins,” she said. Residents are encouraged to register their merry and bright displays at tweed.nsw. gov.au/Christmas. The most impressive displays will be published as a special feature in the last edition of Tweed Link for 2023. For more information on Christmas in the Tweed visit tweed.nsw. gov.au/Christmas.
New place for kids to venture in Ballina By Sarah Waters Children in the Ballina Shire will have a new and exciting go-to spot for adventure these holidays with the new Pop Denison Park playground opening just in time for Christmas. The playground includes larger and more challenging equipment for bigger kids including, a double flying fox, three-tower treehouse structure, pendulum basket swing, tunnel climbing feature and carousel. Ballina Shire Council’s manager open spaces Cheyne Willebrands said there was nothing else Local News Business Rural Entertainment Puzzles/Horoscope
like it in the shire. “It was just over a year ago that we opened the junior playground, and now with this brandnew senior children’s playground we’ve got an incredible regional-level facility perfect for all ages and abilities,” Ms Willebrands said. “Once again, this second stage features a strong nature-play based theme, with the new playground integrated into the site’s natural landscape. “There is also plenty of additional space for kids’ birthday parties or picnics at the park, with the upgrade including five new shelters, a 2 22 23 25 26
PLAY TIME: Stage two of the new Pop Denison Park playground has opened just in time for the school holidays
double BBQ, additional seating and drinking fountains,” she said. The NSW Government provided a $1.4 million contribution for the stage two park upgrade
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through the NSW Regional Housing Fund. The Regional Housing Program accelerates new housing opportunities while also providing critical infrastructure and Cooking Wine Health/Seniors Gardening Funerals
high-quality public and open spaces projects. At the recent opening, Labor upper house MP Emily Suvaal said recreational investment was vital for the Ballina 42 43 44 46 47
Shire as it continued to grow with new housing. Ballina Shire Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said council was absolutely thrilled to open the playground and thanked the NSW Government for its support. “Ballina Shire is experiencing significant population growth, and this facility will provide so much fun and physical activity for kids as well as a wonderful space for families to gather,” Ms Cadwallader said. For more information about the playground upgrades visit ballina. nsw.gov.au/PopDenison-Park-MasterPlan
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