More than 200 residents and concerned citizens attended a rally to protest against the Tweed Byron Local Area command headquarters being proposed for the current site of the Kingscliff Police Station.
Held in the park opposite the site on Saturday morning, the rally was organised by Kevin Skinner, not in his official capacity as former mayor and current councillor but as a concerned Chinderah businessman and resident.
Mr Skinner said he was concerned about the volume of traffic that would be generated by the headquarters
“I’m not here to propose one particular site,” he told the rally.
He said the council were looking at five or six alternate sites and he had hoped an extraordinary meeting of council on Monday night would propose one or two alternate sites to present to the Police Minister.
However on Tuesday morning a disappointed Cr Skinner said no agreement had been reached on alternate sites which includes Banora, Cudgen, Chinderah and Pottsville locations and more discussions had been called for. With tenders originally being due to be called last week – he said it all may be a little too late to stop the demolition of the existing police station and two houses, which is expected to cost $3 million.
Local residents and groups, however are continuing to lobby against the proposed building.
Speakers at the rally included: Cudgen Progress Association president Carl Redman and local resident Neville Jennings, who were against building the police station at Kingscliff or an alternate site on farmland at Cudgen; Rory Curtis, representing the Combine Chamber of Commerce; Chinderah business man Idwall Richards; local resident Carolyn Byrne who has been working hard behind the scenes representing the interests of local residents; and former Sergeant in Charge of Kingscliff Police Station, retired police officer Ian Spiers.
A petition for those against the building of the police headquarters at Kingscliff, is currently available for signing at LJ Hooker in Marine Parade, Kingscliff.
