Lennox Head Residents' Association September 10
by Margaret Richardson
The latest on the Flat Rock to Pat Morton Lookout section of the cycleway is that the GeneraL Manager and Mayor are to report on a decision to the August Council meeting and it seems that the consultants' recommendation could be favoured with separate walkways to follow existing tracks which would need upgrading. By the time you read this the decision has hopefully been made as too much money has been spent on consultations with no result so far.
At the July Council meeting it was revealed that another $1.5 million needs to be spent to complete our Lennox Head Community Centre. This has resulted from one and a half pages of problems inherited from the original architect. Reading this list of faults makes one wonder about the processes that go into choosing the best person for designing and overseeing such a costly facility. Surely Council must insure that people with expert knowledge are included in committees when spending millions of the ratepayers money. It is hoped in this instance that some of the additional funds may be recouped through insurance.
Our Association is throwing their support behind the Volunteer Fire Brigade of Lennox Head. These are the people who were first on the scene when the tornado hit, are quickly on the spot whenever there is a house fire and attend to motor accidents and other emergencies and they are being given a very raw deal by Council. As you know their fire shed was moved across to the opposite side of Mackney Lane to make a space for the Community Centre - the shed was just picked up and dumped on the new site with the promise for it to be a tempory site till July 2010. Their conditions are third-world - a dirt floor ( the Firies have put carpet over the dirt in some places), no hand-washing facilities (just a hose) and NO toilet (they were using the public toilets in Ballina Street till they were kindly given a key to the toilet at the back of 9092 Ballina St.)and in the move they lost a mezzanine floor where they had stored their equipment. Council now says that they cannot provide a new facility until 2012 however there is a current approved Development Application for a fenced plot on Byron Bay Road not far from Byron Street. The Fire Brigade consider this the most ideal and favoured position but the problem is that after the D.A had been passed by Council the Aboriginal community made an objection that it was too close to a sacred site. In ordinary circumstances this late objection would not be given any credence and the Fire Brigade have stated that they would respect the Aboriginal significance however Council are not considering use of this site which could have a suitable building erected on it immediately. At our request Don Page is also throwing his support behind the investigation of this matter.
The funding of the toilets at Pat Morton Lookout did not meet the criteria for the grant I mentioned last month so the funds are to be used to put steps up to the top of Lennox Headland however we hope that there is some way the toilets can be built as they are badly needed in such a popular tourist spot.
At the B Ward Committee there were none of our Councillors present which makes the aim of a Ward Committe quite disfunctional. A resolution was passed to seek cooperation of the other 2 Ward Committees to make sure the Councillors are formally advised of deliberations as they are not aware of them if not at the meeting.
Lennox Head Residents' Association August 10
by Margaret Richardson
Well once again the Flat Rock to Pat Morton Lookout cycleway/shared pathway merry-go-round is in operation and once again Council has ignored another consultant's preferred option and their own staff's recommendations. This means another few thousand dollars of ratepayers money wasted and the Councillors have been unable to come up with their preferred option. Jeff Johnson was the only Councillor who made any sense when he rightly stated that one multi-purpose pathway will not be suitable for both the cyclists and the walkers so there must be a compromise - a designated commuter cycleway located close to the existing road reserve and a separate walking track with lookouts, signage and rest points. Sue Meehan on the other hand is adamant that it should be as close to the coast as possible and the Mayor says that you can't please everyone whatever you do. Something important that they all seem unconcerned about is that if the route does not meet the requirements and approval of the Dept. of Planning's Great Eastern Cycleway standards there will be minimal government funding forthcoming so the ratepayers will need to meet the 5 million dollar cost which has not been included in the current Council budget.
A Brownie point for Council has been their stand in endorsing the importance of maintaining control of all Ballina Shire Libraries in the Richmond -Tweed Services assets. Also a date has been set for the opening of our new Library in February 2011 and the new School Hall should be in use shortly.
I would recommend that those interested look at the plans for the low rental affordable housing Development Application in the Greenwood Grove Estate that are currently on display in the Library. It is right that affordable housing is needed in Lennox Head but of concern is that 74 one, two and three bedroom units of single or double storeys are to be constructed in an area where Council rejected 18 building blocks because of open space concerns. Another concern is whether the road infrastructure will be able to cope with the increased traffic. As this development is no longer in Council's hands any comments should be sent to the Dept. of Planning or Ballina Shire Council.
I was very surprised to see so much empty space in the Caravan Park during both Qld. and NSW school holidays. Surely people aren't avoiding Lennox because of the tornado!
Our Coast Care group have spent their last two working bees erecting "wallaby proof" fencing around an area at Boulder Beach for the Lennox Landcare group. It is proposed to revegetate this area on Sunday 1st August for National Tree Day. Many may not know that wallabies are so prevalent at Boulder Beach and that the new seedlings are a wallaby's gourmet's delight.
Lennox Head Residents' Association December 09
by Margaret Richardson
Looking back over 2009 we seem to have been dealing what so many, what we've considered unpopular Council decisions, and, no doubt 2010 will be similar. I don't know if many people appreciate our Association's work in striving to keep the village atmosphere in Lennox Head, which is the reason we all chose to live here, and keeping as well the respect of the Council that we have fostered.Our average age would be about 70 and we are not going to be able to continue for ever which is the reason that we really need younger members so that we can be sure the association continues in good hands for the future. A positive at our last meeting was the attendance of Councillor Sharon Cadwallader who was able to answer many questions which cleared up some misgivings we had concerning what we perceived to be the complacency of our representatives.
Recently a resident, when paying his rate installment, asked that the shadecloth over the children's playground in Ross Park be replaced before the summer heat only to be told that they were waiting for the insurance money from last May's storms to be paid. This is quite ridiculous as I know that other monies have been paid and surely even without the insurance the Council coffers could find funds for such an important cover. We will be following this up!
It is good to see the sand returning to our beach with the help of our Coast care groups' sand accretement fences and that Council have extended at least 3 stormwater outlets so that the dunes will not be battered as badly should such another storm event happen. As an end of year project and with the approval of Council some of our guys are building a wooden table with attatched seating which is to be placed near the Surf Club. The cost of this seat plus installation is only one sixth that of the aluminium seating at present in use. It will also be more comfortable as it will not be as hot to sit on in Summer. The group are hoping that they will be able to make many more seats when Council sees the advantages of saving money.
Lennox Head is really coming-of -age with the construction of both the Community Centre and the school Assembly Hall after waiting so long for a suitable venue for so many activities and meetings that happen in Lennox.
We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Santa will be presiding over the northern entrance to the village by the middle of December riding on his surfboard so look out for him as he has had a facelift.
Our meetings will resume on the first Monday in February at 7PM in the Anglican Church.
Lennox Head Residents' Association November 09
by Margaret Richardson
The launch last month of our Heritage Committee's book "Silent Echoes" on the history of Lennoox Head and North Creek post offices was attended by a capacity crowd with many old residents and descendants travelling from afar to be present. The book was sold out by the end of an afternoon that was filled with many memories being discussed,so that a reprint was necessary.The publication is available at the Post Office. Congratulations to the Committee and the author Dorothy Thompson.
Preliminary plans have been provided to us for the road relocation to Camp Drewe and the Fitness Camp and the Lake Ainsworth Reserve upgrade. Pacific Parade is to terminate in the vicinity of the Surf Club with a turnaround closing the road on the southern side of the lake. Traffic going north will turn left at Ross Street then go through the Caravan Park and onto the existing Camp Drewe Road. There are plans for shared pathways on the eastern and southern side of the lake, a perimeter boardwalk on the western side and several disabled ramps leading into the lake all of which will make the lake more accessible. It would seem that this could become a reality in 2011 and I suggest could incorporate " a permanent market site" that our Mayor feels is needed because of flooding of the lake and traffic congestion at the Surf club neither of which has been a big problem over the last 20 years.
The proposed cycleway/shared pathway debate continues with recent newspaper "Letters to the Editor" from Councillors Susan Meehan and Alan Brown in which I notice the word cycleway is omitted and that it is now just a "shared pathway".Do these two Councillors really believe that a senior on a scooter, mothers and fathers pushing prams and the disabled can negotiate the Council "preferred route" from Boulder Beach to Pat Morton Lookout and down the other side? Maybe when Councillors are making decisions it should be manditory for an on-site inspection to be made as our Shire is so wide-spread that all Councillors cannot be expected to know all areas. We all want a cycleway to Ballina that can be used by the majority of people. Those opposed to Council's "preferred route" are in favour of a route that closely follows the Coast Road but is separated from the traffic. All users including the elderly, handicapped and family groups should be connected to coastal viewing points along the way with offshoot paths or loops from the cycleway making it a universal utility. In a recent letter to our Association from the NSW Department of Planning, who have already supplied grant funds for the consultants, it was advised that unless Council meets their cycleway guidelines no contributing funding will be forthcoming. The estimated cost is now $5.5 million for the Flat Rock to Lennox section and without funding from the department it will have to be funded by us, the ratepayers!
With the construction having commenced of both the Community Centre and the Public School hall Lennox Head is at last coming of age!
Lennox Head Residents' Association October 09
by Margaret Richardson
At our September meeting a representative of the Kings Court Reserve Protection Group addressed us and asked for our support. Kings Court Reserve is the grassed area on the corner of Castle Drive and North Creek Road (opposite Pidcock's house) where Council are considering erecting a reservoir 26 metres in height and 6 metres high to contain 3.4 million litres of recycled sewage water, but not for the use of residents in that area. Council's plan for many years has been to site this reservoir in Pacific Pines as the new subdivision planned for there plus Elevation and Aspects of Lennox are the only ones geared to use this "grey water". Only 4 households out of 60 in Kings Court/ Sandstone Crescent area were notified of this plan. This parcel of land is zoned public reserve for the use of the community so we have sent our protest to Council and also have had this item added to September's B Ward Committee meeting.
Council seem to be completely out of touch with the will of the majority of the community lately. The poll on 2 hour timed parking showed that over 70% were against it however Council went ahead and installed it. As far as the Council "preferred route" for the cycleway from Flat Rock to the Shire boundary was concerned, once again 67% of 183 submissions and 239 of 289 petition signatures were in opposition. The B Ward Committee of 20th July found this route unsatisfactory, the consultants found fault with it and the Council's Coastal Hazard Study stated that nothing should be built on the dunes beside Pacific Pde or on Boulder Beach. However on 2nd September at a Civil meeting Council adopted all their "preferred route" except the beach section in front of Rayner Lane and deferred discussion on the section from the Caravan Park north.Of our B Ward Councillors, neither Jeff Johnson nor Peter Moore were present and Sharon Cadwallader, who voted against it in the B Ward meeting, voted for it. One councillor recently admitted that he had never been on Lennox Head Beach and I wonder how many more are in the same boat. Maybe when important decisions are being made a manditory on site inspection should be made as our Shire is so wide spread that we can't assume that Councillors know the area. We all want a cycleway to Ballina that can be used by the majority of people. Those opposed to the Council "preferred route" are in favour of a route that closely follows the Coast Road but separated from the traffic.
The Market Manager,Joni Teale, was also at our last meeting after the trial market in the main street and was made aware that those present preferred the lakeside site. Of concern was that many businesses had a bad trading day, that the market accessability was fragmented, that constant use of the grassed dune was detrimental and that should a market coincide with Gromfest, All Girls' Surfing Titles or other surfing events in this area, parking and traffic flow would be worse than chaotic. The Mayor in his September Shire notes expressed the need to find a permanent market site because of flooding and traffic congestion at the Surf Club neither of which has been a big problem for the last 20 years.
With plans to close the eastern and southern roads along the lake when the new road is established along Ross Street and through the Caravan Park to Camp Drewe and Sport and Rec. leave our market where it is - a Lakeside Market on either or both the roads to be closed.
On a happier note! Isn't it great to see construction of the Community Centre under way?
Our meetings are held at 7PM on first Monday of the month in the Anglican Church.
Lennox Head Residents' Association September 09
by Margaret Richardson
We have been concerned by the hasty decisions made by Council recently with no public consultation, namely the temporary relocation of 5th Sunday market in August and subsequent markets, if the flooding on the road into the Sport and Recreation complex continues, and the temporary relocation of the existing Rural Fire Station Shed to the grassed area in Park Lane on the right as you enter from Byron Street.Letters were sent expressing our concerns and answers recieved. In both cases it was a matter of expediency that did not allow for community consultation.
In the case of the market, relocation to Ballina Street near the bus shelter and north to the hotel will also serve as a trial opportunity to see if this could become a new permanent site. This has been suggested before by Council and vehemently opposed by our Association as we believe that the charm of our market is its position by the Lake. A survey of businesses and residents in Ballina Street by the Market Manager,
since the Council approval, recieved a level of support but we wonder how there can be adequate parking when Ballina Street is closed from Rutherford St. to Lennox St. There will also be the problem of how Park Lane is going to cope with all the extra traffic as it is to be the detour from 6AM to 3PM. The water has now receded from the usual market site alongside the lake so there should be no need to continue the relocation into September.
The Development Application for the relocation of the Rural Fire Service Shed to a site near Ross Lane was approved by Council. A late objection from part of the Jali Land Council was recieved, which we believe should not have been considered as closing dates for D.A's are always adhered to, however Council decided to investigate it and as the shed had to be moved before work can start on the Community Centre there needed to be a temporary relocation. The site in Park Lane was chosen adding extra unnecessary cost and not a pleasant experience for the adjoining owners and tennants who were notified and discussions held. These people graciously made no objection on the understanding that July 29th 2010 be the expiring date with subsequent removal of the shed to a permanent site.
Last month I wrote about the condition of the Coast Road from Pat Morton Lookout to the roundabout and the fact that it was unlikely to be repaired before 2011/2012 because Council were relying on funding from the RTA which is not available until that date. We have had subsequent advice from the RTA that the NSW Government provides annual funds under the Regional Roads Block Grant to Councils for use on road repairs as they wish. In addition funds from the Federal Financial Assistance Grants and the Roads to Recovery Program could apply to work on this road. We are going urge Council to consider these means to repair the Coast Road or bite the bullet and fund it themselves.
One of our members, Brian Smith, has been responsible for designing and making the Santa Claus cut out that is erected at the Byron St. entrance to the village each Christmas then replaced by a dolphin cut out for the remainder of the year. Our dolphin is looking rather sad so Brian is going to design and make a Humpback Whale to replace it after Christmas this year. Another example of volunteering in the community.
Lennox Head Residents' Association August 09
by Margaret Richardson
We have recieved a reply from Council in regard to our request that something be done to the Coast Road between Pat Morton Lookout and the roundabout and the bad news is that nothing will be done till 2011/2012. I will quote part of the reply "I advise that the Coast Road is able to recieve 50% funding under the RTA repair program. The program is locked in for a 4 year period ending in 2010/2011 so this section of the Coast Road is proposed to be rehabilitated in 2011/2012 at the commencement of the next 4 year RTA program." This is the main entrance to our village and gives visitors and residents a "bone-shaking" welcome at the moment. As 2011 is not really an acceptable time frame Council may need to cover the cost themself or request an earlier grant from the RTA. If you use this road frequently or live beside it you might like to add your support to the request that it be done earlier as we intend doing.
At the moment the road beside the Lake is flooded so the back road to Camp Drewe is the only access to the Sport and Recreation facility and the extra traffic and rain has impacted badly on this gravel road. It could be months before the water goes down so we are asking that some maintenance be carried out to keep it in acceptable condition.
You may not be aware that the Heritage Committee of our Association some years ago put out a Heritage Trail leaflet which takes you on a walk or drive around places of interest in Lennox Head such as the Bora Ring, dry stone walls and the old school house and has been distributed to tourists and locals by the Ballina Tourist Information Centre. The supply of these has been depleted and some of the things on it are no longer relevant so a new one is ready to go to the printers and I will advise you when it is available as many residents would enjoy following the trail to learn some of the history of their village. A new book is also at the publishers about the history of the Post Offices of North Creek and Lennox Head. This would be very worthwhile reading after it is launched in September and will be available locally, probably at the Post Office.
Our Coast Care group have begun replacing the sand accretement fences along the beach which were destroyed in the May cyclonic weather.This small band of "not so young" guys do such a good job while at the same time enjoying the companionship of their mates even happily working "overtime" to finish the task of the day. What would we do without the volunteers of this world? Lloyd Hargrave who died on July 3rd at 89 years of age was one of these not so young men. He was a member of the Association at its inception and attended dune care work whenever his health allowed. This stalwart of the Residents' Association did a lot for Lennox Head and will be sadly missed.
Lennox Head Residents' Association June 09
by Margaret Richardson
The time since writing my last article in mid May has been the most dramatic weatherwise in the 17 years I have lived in Lennox Head. The damage done to our beach seems very dramatic however looking at other beaches in this area we seem to have survived better than most. Our Coast Care group has found that some of the accretement fences for catching and holding sand that they put in 1999 are still under the sand, others are now visible on the edge of the dune, rather than under it as they were, this means we still have several more metres of sand than at that time. Amazingly however the sand has started to come back in again and they are repairing the 1999 fences and starting to build new ones further out to catch the new sand. What a pity the slatted walkways could not have been pulled up in time, especially as some of them had only been down for a short time, so that some of them disappeared into the sea. However Council must be congratulated for storing slats that were found on the beach and repairing what was left then dropping sand at the ends to form safe walkways onto the beach. Council also did a wonderful cleaning up debris on the beach (even the poor drowned cow!) Once again more erosion occurred around the stormwater outlets but our group have met with council staff and the extension to the pipes and rectification of the headwalls will now be carried out more easily as they are so highly visible.
By now submissions have closed for comment on the proposed cycleway from Flat Rock to the Byron Bay border which the Councillors decided should be " as close to the beach as possible".Whatever possessed a group of sane adults to think this was possible and to have the audacity to suggest it was the most cost effective. What a waste of money to pay consultants to come up with a route and then completely ignore their advice. Steep gradients, rainforest areas, swamp land and unstable dunes have been ignored as well as not considering that the end of Ballina's section must end in the place where Byron Bay Shire would be able to join to it. This is a part of the Great Eastern Cycleway from Cairns to Melbourne and should be providing residents and cycling tourist with a safe and practical way into Ballina. Residents would use it to commute to work or school and for the tourists it should have finger-boards advising of places of interest so that they can leave the cyclepath wherever they wish by means of roadways or purpose-built pathways.
Our new Community Centre is at last becoming a reality with ads printed for the sale and removal of the Recreation Hall and Rural Fire Station. It is a shame that the Recreation Hall is to become a casualty to progress. It was built in 1962 for the Tennis Club Committee with locally raised funds and a grant from Tintenbar Shire Council Many people would have fond memories of functions held there however the possibility of moving it is made untenable by the fact that it there are structural problems, it contains asbestos and there is no suitable land to move it to. The new Rural Fire Shed is to be situated near Ross Lane.
Lennox Head Residents' Association May 09
by Margaret Richardson
The Lennox Head meeting for the Council's 2009-2010 Management Plan was held on May 20th and our Association was well represented as usual. We had a few concerns, the main one being that in the planned upgrade of Park Lane, in conjunction with the construction of the Community Centre, there was no provision made for lighting which is an essential for this area and needs to have all the underground work completed before the new road surface is laid. An amount of $940,000 has been allocated for the Caravan Park without any plans being made available as to how such a sum is to be spent and another $560,000 for Lake Ainsworth and once again no plans to hand. We have been told that a parking area is to be constructed south of the Surf Club and a revamp of the Surf Club itself but with no plans it is hard to say whether these are included as part of the lake spending. Money has been allocated for extensions to stormwater pipes along the beach with rubbish collectors attached and our Coast Care committee are in consultation with Council on this project.
Although our General Rates will definitely rise above the accepted 3.5% we have the lowest rates for this area with Byron, Tweed and Lismore all being in excess of ours. Waste Management rate increases have already been made as they do not have to be approved by State Government as General Rates do.
The deplorable state of the Coast Road from Pat Morton Lookout to the roundabout needs urgent attention. This road is in constant use not only by Lennox Head residents but also all traffic between Ballina and Byron Bay. The water seepage coming down from the escarpment is the main problem and needs to be addressed as well as a better road surface. It is a noisy and bumpy ride in a vehicle and must be a constant source of noise to the residents along that stretch. We have written to both Don Page and the Council to address our concerns with the appropriate authority and would urge concerned residents to do likewise as the more complaints the better chance we have of getting some action.
Another beach walkway has been installed and the one at the Surf Club re-done where the wild seas ot the past month or so had undermined it. Once the stormwater pipes have been extended the sand will build up on the dunes again and our beach will be looking great.
It was disappointing that only one of the many people who attended our April meeting with the police in attendance turned up to the May meeting and became a member. Our Association represents all the residents in Lennox Head and we are all getting past our use-by date. It is important that in the future there will still be a Residents' Association because without it there will be no group looking out for the interests of our beautiful seaside village.
Lennox Head Residents' Association April 09
by Margaret Richardson
Our April meeting was so well attended (over 50 present) that we abandoned our general meeting business and dedicated the whole 2 hours to policing matters. Inspector Greg Moore from Ballina and Superintendent Bruce Lyons from Lismore were our two visiting officers and were very happy to listen to questions and comments from the floor after Inspector Moore had brought us up to date on matters relating to Lennox Head. Not everyone got the answers they wanted but that is life and although we all feel that Lennox needs a police presence it is not envisaged that this will happen in the near future. We do not have the population yet to warrant a Police Station and we have to admit that Lennox is not the "crime capital" of the shire. Listening to local news reports in the past month and hearing some of the horrific bashings that have occurred elsewhere we must admit that things in Lennox are not as bad as we who live here may think. A lot of youth problems are being addressed quietly by police not necessarily in uniform and I for one feel that there has been an improvement in this area. A suggestion from police is that once the Community Centre has been built there will be a venue for youth activities to be planned and supervised perhaps on a weekly basis .The new centre is for all the population and it must be administered with this in mind.
The unfortunate incident at Lake Ainsworth on Australia Day this year will not be allowed to happen again and people must realise that it was not the fault of local Lennox Head youth and the newspapers did sensationalise their reports. This is not an excuse for the occurence and on this occasion the police response was in record time and we are assured that next Australia Day more police will be on the ground before any incident begins.
It is disturbing to be made aware that some parents are aiding and abetting their underaged teenagers behaviour by supplying them with alcohol and not being available when those children feel threatened. This is a sad situation and what sort of message does this send to children who know that their parents are deliberately breaking the law and are quite happy to condone what they do as long as they are out of their hair. This is effectively wiping their hands of any parental responsibility and is to be deplored.
The consensus of opinion among the police and residents was that we need more police here during holiday periods and at high risk times especially Friday and Saturday nights. All agreed that police do their best with the resources they have, often working with insufficient numbers because of under staffing and people on leave not being replaced so that most officers have to do their job plus part of someone elses. We too must play our part by reporting all crime no matter how small or supposedly insignificant because without stastics the "powers that be" presume that eveything must be alright.
The terrible weather last month means that our beachfront has suffered more erosion and it is noticeably worse where storm water pipes end in the dune so we are requesting that Council extend them further out to the dune edge to alleviate this problem. The walkway at the boat channel has been completed and has made such a difference getting onto the beach - Council are to be congratulated on all of the eight walkways along our beach. Our Coast Care group have completed and delivered 8 Myna bird traps to Council and have decided to have a break to see what success or otherwise these have been before making any more.
We were saddened recently by the death of Peter Dawson a past Vice-president and a very valuable member of our association. It would be nice to see some of those who attended our last meeting become members on a permanent basis to help make a difference in Lennox Head. We meet on 1st Monday of each month (except Jan.) in the Anglican Church and membership costs $5 per annum.
Lennox Head Residents' Association March 09
by Margaret Richardson
The last word on the picnic table! Surprisingly, after our executive had a meeting with the Mayor and General Manager about matters concerning us and our exasperation that still no plaque had been attached to the table, it miraculously was attached the next day. Saga over!
The fracas at the lake on Australia Day once again highlighted the need for a police presence in our village. Community organisations are concerned, however the Residents Assoc. have been pursuing this problem since December 1982 when we wrote our first letter and could fill a book with all the letters written since then. Back in the 60’s and 70’s a policeman was placed in the Caravan Park over the Christmas school holidays to holiday with his family but still be on duty when needed. This meant that any crimes during this time could be nipped in the bud as a policeman was only minutes away and also acted as a great deterrent to would-be offenders. Of course today in this politically correct age this would not be possible, however it shows that a permanent police presence would produce the same result. Please support us by reporting all crimes, no matter how insignificant, as we need statistics to show the need for a policeman. A call to the local police station on 66818699 or to the Police Assistance Line 131444 is all that is needed.
You have read about the push to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags in Lennox Head (see Ballina Postcards Article) but bags used in the retail trade are not the main cause of danger to the marine environment on our beaches. My husband and I pick up rubbish on our daily beach walk and plastic bait bags and those used for fishing tackle are by far the largest number we pick up. I suspect that many of these have come out of the river and the current carries them north as we find more on occasions when other river rubbish is on the beach. Please if you are a fisher person or know someone who is make them aware that all plastic needs to be kept out of the water and off the beach and please everybody start picking up beach rubbish. I know it is annoying to have to pick up after others but it is one way to shame those who litter.
INDIAN MYNA (PEST) |
NOISY MYNAs (NATIVE) |
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Dog litter is another thing that should not be left on the sand – please dog owners carry a bag in which to collect your dog’s droppings. It is also about time that some locals start walking their dogs on the designated “dog beach” north of the surf club and not on the southern end where dogs are not allowed. We need to see more of the Ranger in Lennox policing the regulations.
Our Coast Care group have been asked by Council to build traps for Indian Myna birds so are getting together for an extra day each fortnight to do this. These birds, which are becoming more prevalent in our area, drive out all the other birds and need to be eradicated but should not be confused with the common Noisy Myna. Look at the picture and if you see any around your area contact Council for a trap which will come with instructions for its use and what to do with any you catch.
Lennox Head Residents' Association December 08
by Margaret Richardson
I am pleased to report that the long awaited picnic table donated by the association has been erected in Ross Park on the beachfront and we intend christening it with a fish and chips dinner one evening soon. New "state of the art" playground equipment has replaced the old variety in the park also. Ross Park and especially the equipment would be one of the most used in the Shire as many groups with children use it for get togethers and birthday parties. What a brilliant idea to use such an area with good facilities that most backyards do not have and only need to leave the area as you found it. Council workers clean up most days and it is usually in a very acceptable condition.
I wish the report on the D.A. for the Community Centre was as good however, it will not be presented to Council till early next year as there needs to be a noise evaluation done. I would have thought that this would have been done initially as it is obvious that soundproofing will be essential with so many dwellings close by.Some of us older generation are wondering if we will live long enough to use this facility!
A suggestion by Seabird Rescue and Councillor Jeff Johnson that Council investigate a report on restricting the use of plastic bags in the Shire and that Lennox would be a good place for this to be trialed has much merit, but our Association feels that the trial should be shire-wide not just in one area. Because of our proximity to the seafront and our awareness of how harmful these bags are to sea creatures all of us who use the beach could make a conscious effort to pick up any bags seen in the water or on the sand and dispose of them in a garbage rather than hope that the next person who comes by will do so.
Our Coast Care group will be sand bagging the entry points to the Lake to inhibit erosion over the next month as well as erecting the one remaining Santa Claus at the northern entrance to the village before enjoying a break over the holiday season and their return to work in February. It takes some time to complete some of the projects with the small number of workers but you must admit that the improvements to the beach and the lake are quite substantial when you look back on what it used to be. One gripe is the removal of bollards and posts around the lake so that vehicles can be driven closer to the water and the BBQs. These are there to protect sensitive areas and it is not much to expect people to walk the few extra metres. Seven Mile Beach won awards again this year in the Clean Beach Challenge thanks to many hours of voluntary work.
Geolink are to be congratulated on the time they have spent getting community consolation on the preferred options for the cycleway from Rutherford St. to the Byron Bay border. All interested organisations were consulted and a Saturday morning spent outside the newsagency collecting ideas from all who bothered to participate was very popular. This was advertised so anyone who is not satisfied with the final result has only themselves to blame. A meeting of Geolink and one representative of each interested group met on 17th November and no conclusive route was decided upon . Geolink will now consult with Council however the final decision rests with the R.T.A. who are the body financing this project.
A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all and please stay safe. Till 2009 goodbye!
Lennox Head Residents' Association November 08
by Margaret Richardson
It is hard to get back to "normal living" after nearly 6 weeks overseas.We had a base at a friend's place in Finchley, a northern suburb of London, where through lots of walking, we got to know most of the district. They have a series of laneways which make interesting walking from A to B in a much quicker and more informative way than following the streets. By reading the local free newspapers (similar to the Advocate and the Wave) we realised that no matter where you are in the world the same problems exist. Hospitals which are inadequate for the growing population, vandalism and associated crime so that parks are locked from sunset to sunrise and roads that just can't take the volume of traffic generated by the population. English drivers are much more tolerant than those in Australia. As most homes do not have garages their cars are parked along both sides of narrow streets and two way traffic is effectively reduced to one way in each direction however everybody politely waits their turn giving way as appropriate. I could imagine the road rage that would be generated in our country. The Government bus and train systems are brilliant and NSW could learn a lot from them.
Last month Fred Goodman wrote my article for me for which I thank him. He reported that the Association had donated and paid for a table with seating to be installed in Ross Park near the beachfront as we try to do what we can for the betterment of our village.Well don't plan to take your picnic or fish and chips there so that you can watch the whales go by because it is still not installed. It has been 9 months since we first discussed this idea with Council and still no result. Maybe by the time of publishing the Wave we may have had a result!
At last Council are taking steps to complete missing links in the Ballina Shire bikeway system and have asked Geolink to come up with routes for one at West Ballina and the Rutherford St. Lennox Head to Byron Bay Shire boundary section. Our Association have been asked by Geolink to have input into the Lennox/Byron Bay route. When many of our streets and lanes were built there was no provision made for a decent footpath much less a cycleway and shared footpath. Hopefully plans can be drawn up quickly so that we can have a satisfactory cycleway way and once the East Ballina to Lennox Head part is resolved people from Lennox can safely cycle into Ballina.
In these very unstable economic times one wonders how housing is going to be affected in our area and whether all the proposed developments will actually eventuate as planned and whether there will be funds for an adequate roading system. There will be uncertain times ahead! We are hopeful that the Development Application for the Community Centre might be on display in November.
After being in England, Ireland, Belgium and France no place was as good as Lennox Head. There certainly is no place like home!
