Council Briefs
PLANS to build a new service station for northbound traffic on the Pacific Highway at Chinderah have been deferred to a workshop after councillors called for more details on plans and design.
The service centre is proposed to be built near Melaleuca Station, at the intersection of Tweed Valley Way and the Pacific Highway, and will provide services including facilities for truck drivers and take-away food outlets.
The workshop will be held in the next fortnight with the item due to be brought back to council on Thursday 12 December.
KINGSCLIFF EROSION
TWEED councillors have endorsed plans to continue the management of coastal erosion between Kingscliff and Dreamtime Beach by extending the council’s existing coastal zone management plan.
The plan involves managing erosion either via terminal protection through a seawall, sand nourishment and land use planning or via planned retreat, with both options to be investigated as the erosion creeps north.
COUNCIL FINANCES
TWEED Shire Council will have to examine ways to either tighten its belt or increase revenue after delivering an operating deficit of $13 million for the 2012/13 financial year.
The final income statement for the 2012/13 year was presented to council last Thursday and showed council’s finances remained in a “satisfactory” position, with $181.6 million in revenue compared to $169.5 million in expenditure, resulting in a surplus of $12.132 million.
However, the picture is less rosy once capital grants and contributions are excluded, resulting in an operating deficit of $13 million.
Council’s acting director of technology and corporate services Michael Chorlton said council would need to increase revenue, restrain expenditure and review service levels in consultation with the community in order to address the issue.
POTTY TAVERN
AN application to extend the opening hours of the Pottsville Tavern has been knocked back by Tweed Shire Council.
Proprietors of the tavern were seeking permission to extend their opening hours to midnight on selected Friday and Saturday nights but their plans were rejected by a majority of five-two on the grounds of ongoing concerns by surrounding residents of increased noise and anti-social behaviour.
