Ballina Deputy Mayor and Rous County Cr Sharon Cadwallader. Photo David Lowe.
The Dunoon Dam made an unscheduled appearance late in the last Ballina Shire Council meeting, on the back of a motion put forward by Cr Phillip Meehan and seconded by Cr Sharon Cadwallader.
Cr Meehan said he had growing concerns about Rous County Council’s plan to purchase the Marom Creek Water Treatment Plant and the associated water licences from Ballina as part of the Future Water Strategy. He also said he was alarmed about Rous’s plans for the Alstonville aquifers.
‘This is another example of water mining except the water’s not being put into bottles,’ he said. ‘But there’s a whole lot of public concern about it… We actually need to consider whether we want to move ahead with this or not.’
Members and volunteers at the Lennox Community Gardens objected to a shed taking over their recently established orchard. Photo Tree Faerie.
Yesterday Ballina Shire Council reversed its earlier decision to allow the Lions Club to use the orchard area of the Lennox Head Community Garden for a new shed. Lions is now likely to use its grant to get an improved shed at Skennars Head.
In a deposition, Bill Farrow from Lennox Lions said the group was non-political, and he was disapppointed that it had become a political issue. He said both potential sites had issues, but both could be dealt with. Mr Farrow said three of the four neighbours were supportive of the proposed shed site within the community garden at Ocean Breeze Reserve.
4WD track through dunes. Photo David Lowe
An attempt to enlarge the list of approved 4WD beach users allowed to access South Ballina Beach failed to get the numbers to progress at the last Ballina Shire Council meeting.
The motion from Cr Keith Williams thanked the Minister for Crown Lands for closing the beach but asked that community consultation be undertaken to consider certain local beach users who have been excluded from 4WD access, such as members of fishing clubs, wildlife rescuers and the disabled.
There were no deputations against the motion (
The Echo was contacted to say such requests were made, but not accepted for some reason), which left two supporters of the motion speaking instead.
Ballina Shire Council. Photo David Lowe.
Ballina Shire councillors managed to cover a lot of territory at their last meeting, which finished before a very late lunch.
Farmers market expansion
An expansion request for Ballina Farmers Market was approved at Commemoration Park, in spite of councillors expressing some concerns about parking. Following will be a DA, likely to request a doubling of the market size to sixty stalls. Ballina Deputy Mayor Sharon Cadwallader. Photo David Lowe.
Deputy Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said, ‘When you’ve got something like this the community is really responding to, I am very happy to support.’ Cr Eoin Johnston opposed the motion, but was overruled.
Pickleball at BISC. Photo supplied.
Combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the USA. Recently the ‘Ballina Picklers’ travelled to Sydney to compete in the NSW Pickleball Championship Open.
If you’re curious to see what all the fuss is about, Ballina Indoor Sports Centre (BISC) is proud to be the home of pickleball for the far north coast.
Roberta O’Brien, Ballina Council’s Coordinator of Community Facilities, said, ‘We started to promote pickleball after the sports centre reopened following the easing of COVID restrictions last year.
‘It’s a safe sport that was a way to reconnect people, bring patrons back to the sports centre and lift the spirits of our community at a time when they needed it most. We’ve been overwhelmed by the interest in the game, and our ‘Picklers’ are growing each week,’ said Ms O’Brien.