By NIKKI TODD
THE regulation or even prohibition of commercial wakeboarding activities in the Tweed Shire will be examined by council in an effort to put the issue to bed once and for all.
Councillors last Thursday called for a report outlining a comprehensive proposal addressing the possibility of regulating commercial wakeboarding operations and events in the Tweed Shire.
The report is to be prepared by council officers before April next year.
The decision passed by a narrow margin of four to three after councillors sought to water down a motion by Greens Cr Katie Milne calling for the complete prohibition of all commercial wakeboarding activities in the shire.
The decision is the latest development in the long-running saga which plagued council for much of last year when pro-environment councillors blocked several applications by Pro-Wake Academy from operating commercially on the Tweed River.
The issue has reared its head again after a new consortium, Tweed River Wake and Ski Pty Ltd, lodged a development application last month to operate a wakeboarding coaching clinic on the Tweed.
The application, lodged on 7 May, seeks permission to operate a pontoon and water sports board from Fingal boat ramp with passenger pick-up and set down from the beach at the old Barney’s Point Bridge jetty.
Cr Milne said the situation was becoming “quite untenable’’.
“We’re getting over and over again this commercial wakeboarding application for the river,’’ she said.
“This is creating an environment of angst in the community.
“I don’t believe it would be terribly onerous to just include one word in the LEP (Local Environment Plan) to prohibit commercial wakeboarding activities – the only area we want to control is commercial activities.
“These commercial wakeboarding activities do have a big impact and change the nature of the shire – the community has long asked for only passive use of the river.’’
But Cr Carolyn Byrne said she was concerned such a move would restrain a lawful activity.
“Wakeboarding is a legal activity,’’ she said.
“It is something that potentially can be managed.’’
Council’s director of planning and regulation Vince Connell said council had a duty to assess the current development application under existing legislation.
Pro-environment councillors in the past argued wakeboarding could potentially increase riverbank erosion and adversely impact marine flora, birds and fish and increase noise pollution.
But Pro-Wake, a locally-owned wakeboarding company, argued recreational wakeboarding was a legal activity and should be allowed to be commercially run.
