A member of our community, Dawn Walker, has been invited to the international stage later this year to present to the world the wonders of Fingal and our Tweed River. The potential economic windfall from this is the promotion of Fingal and its priceless environmental, Indigenous cultural heritage and historic values as a tourist destination for passive recreation, to enjoy the wonders it has to offer.
The Australian Government Database Report includes places of national environmental significance that are registered. Under Australian Heritage Sites – historic, Fingal Head Lighthouse is listed – Indigenous and natural Ukerebagh is listed and is also listed as a Nationally Important Wetland Site and Reserves and Conservation Area.
Migratory birds use this area to rest/breed when they escape the northern hemisphere winter. The species that travel this incredibly long return journey are protected under International Agreements.
An application for a commercial wakeboarding proposal in this area is before council. Council’s professional staff have recommended refusal of this proposal as it does not comply with many regulations/policies. Also, it is not compatible with existing recreational river uses, scenic values, low density residential and impacts on environmental protection areas, ecological critical habitat and areas important to the fishing industry. Many concerns raised are also supported by government agencies. To add to these impacts, the report on the impact of vessel wake on bank erosion on the Tweed River highlights the significant issues of erosion of our river banks and is most relevant to this proposal.
Having reviewed the proposal, council’s report and googled the promotion material for this proposal, it defies belief that we have councillors that treat all the above with such contempt to support this commercial extreme sport proposal in the interests of a few in this area of our river. It is our priceless natural environmental and scenic values that are the core of our economic assets for passive recreational activities for so many more and, properly managed, can be enjoyed for many more generations.
That the proponent in their response to submissions did not even acknowledge the many environmental concerns raised and then simply ignored many others, rings alarm bells for the future of this precious area.
L Smith
Tweed Heads
