Big Country Radio

By Yvonne Gardiner

A NEW chapter in the long-running saga of a proposed high school at Pottsville is being written.

Labor candidate for Tweed, Craig Elliot, and Shadow Education Minister Prue Car were in Pottsville last Friday, February 10, to announce their commitment to a new high school.

Ms Car said the school was overdue and sorely needed.

“How ridiculous is it that there’s not a high school in this community when the primary schools are growing rapidly,” she said.

“It’s just the (Coalition) government’s poor attempt at saving money.

“We’d need to source the land where it’s more appropriate for the community.

“The communities of Pottsville and the Tweed Coast need a new high school.

“We know it won’t be delivered overnight but Labor is committed to making it happen.”

Ms Car said the commitment would stand in the event of Labor gaining power statewide at the NSW election on March 25 but not in the Tweed.

“We will provide funding to where it is needed,” she said.

“If elected, community consultation will be a hallmark of our government.”

If the NSW Department of Education has the final say, there will be no high school at Pottsville.

Minister for Education and Early Learning

Sarah Mitchell told the Weekly, based on the latest population data, including long-term growth for the Pottsville area, the current schools in the area could meet the educational needs of primary and secondary school students.

“This includes Kingscliff High School which, thanks to this (Coalition) government’s investment, is undergoing a $32 million upgrade to provide students the latest education facilities and cater to the growing local community,” Ms Mitchell said.

“We’ve also funded an upgrade to Tweed River High School and the Murwillumbah Education Campus.”

Pottsville resident Daniel Fleming, a father of two young children, was invited to the Labor announcement.

He lives in Seabreeze, the estate where a high school site has previously been earmarked. He believes a better site would be the parcel of land between Pottsville Beach Public School and the Shell service station on Tweed Coast Road.

As a former student of Kingscliff High School, Mr Fleming is well aware of the commute times facing Pottsville youngsters.

He says having a high school at Pottsville will free up students’ travel time to play outside or do their homework.

“Young families, a lot of time they get overlooked,” Mr Fleming said.

“I’ve got dozens of friends with kids at Pottsville and Cabarita primary schools.

“They would be very keen for (a new high school) to happen.

“I think it’s a good step in the right direction.”

Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry said the Seabreeze site remained undeveloped and identified as a school site in the Pottsville Locality Plan.

“Council has again recently defended its decision in the Land and Environment Court to refuse a residential subdivision on this land due to its identification in the DCP as strategically the best site for the school and the lack of an alternative site being secured for our growing Pottsville community,” Cr Cherry said.

“We are now waiting on the court determination. If we win, it will be the third time we have had to go to court to defend trying to protect the site the developer promised to our community back in 2000 when this development was approved.

“The entire way through selling this development, a high school was promised on this site in the sales material. There needs to be some way to hold a developer to their promises.”

Mayor Cherry said Tweed Shire Council’s strategic planning had long shown this site to be superior to any other that had been put forward, and that had been backed up by the court.

“It is ridiculous to think of a population the size of Pottsville and growing, not having a high school,” she said.

“I do think there has been a real oversight by the Department of Education for a long time on this issue. They are obviously seeing the way of the future as the mega-schools but I don’t believe the community want that.

“ I have tried to ensure for many years that our children of Pottsville no longer have to travel 30 to 60 minutes each way each day to attend high school.

“Pottsville already has a population in the order of 10,000 people. Dunloe Park is also planned to bring a further 2000 houses, expanding Pottsville even further.”

Mayor Cherry said council was trying to ensure that a site was retained to make sure Pottsville could have a high school in the future.

“This site was set aside for this purpose; it is central, close to the sports fields and is the right size and zoning. Until there is another site, secured by the Department of Education for a high school, we have to do what we can to protect this one,” she said.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson maintained that, based on current population projections, Pottsville students could be accommodated at existing high schools.

“High school students residing in the Pottsville are within the designated school intake area for Kingscliff High School,” the spokesperson said.

Tweed Labor candidate Craig Elliot said fundamental groundwork had to be done now to get high school education right for the future.

“The Tweed coast is becoming increasingly popular with young families.

We know a new high school is needed and the delays need to end,” he said.

Lumus Imaging Tweed Heads South celebrates its’ first-year anniversary.

On 7th February 2022, Lumus Imaging Tweed Heads South opened the doors of our brand new state-of-the-art facility with the goal of providing a comprehensive medical imaging service to the Tweed Coast community.

Our range of services includes a partially Medicare-funded MRI machine and a dedicated women’s imaging service. If you have had the pleasure of visiting Lumus Imaging Tweed Heads South during the past year, it is no doubt that you were greeted with a warm and friendly smile by one of our welcoming team.

Onsite principal Radiologist, Dr Kevin Leong had to say the following:

“Having opened our doors to the Tweed Coast community just twelve months ago, we are extremely proud of the role that we have played in helping many patients along their healthcare journey during that time. I am grateful for the strong relationships and mutual trust that we have built with local practitioners and our collaborative approach to patient care which is invaluable to the clinical outcome for our patients. On behalf of our team, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Tweed residents for welcoming us with open arms. We look forward to continuing to support our community, and providing the knowledge that matters by people who care for many years to come.”