Cabarita Beach/Bogangar Residents’ Association will hold a family-friendly rally to give voice to community concerns over the proposed caravan park in the village.
Residents’ Association President Neil Moores said the rally would be held at the park next to the Cabarita Surf Lifesaving Club on Sunday, October 9 at 11am.
Mr Moores said this is the first public rally against the Tweed Shire Council and NSW Crown Land plans to build the 230-site caravan park and 37-lot residential estate on environmentally-sensitive beachfront land near the local primary school.
“‘This rally is about the future of our village and that’s all about the kids, so we’re making this a family event with music, face-painting and a sausage sizzle to raise money for the Surf Club,” he said.
The rally will also help to publicise the release of an alternative Community Plan developed by Griffith University researcher, Dr Kerrie Foxwell-Norton, on behalf of the Residents’ Association. The Community Plan will be released the following evening at a Community Meeting at 7pm on Monday, October 10 at the Cabarita Beach Sports Club (bowls club).
“We’re also pleased to announce that our new Mayor, Cr Barry Longland, has confirmed that he will be attending on the Monday night and is keen to hear our preferred community vision,” he said.
At the Community Meeting, the Residents’ Association will also present a petition, calling for a full and independent Inquiry into the plans, to local state member, Geoff Provest MP.
Backing Mr Moores, fellow residents’ association member Ashley Baldry said the planned caravan park would result in the clearing of two previous National Tree Day sites that had been approved by Tweed Shire Council. The two sites had been replanted by local school children and Dunecare volunteers with help and support from Council workers.
He said the building of the park would also result in the destruction of two endangered ecological communities of Callitris Pines (coastal cypress).
“The consultation process by Tweed Shire Council and Crown Lands showed that 90 per cent of submissions were opposed to these developments and yet planning continues,” Mr Baldry said.
“The rally is designed to give a face to the overwhelming community opposition to these inappropriate developments on our beachfront.
“We are not anti-development. We just want to see appropriate development. The proposed caravan park and residential estates are simply the wrong types of developments in the wrong place.
“As a community, we can do better and we are looking forward to presenting our alternative Community Plan to the Mayor at our Community Meeting on Monday, October 10.”
The association’s petition is available to sign online at www.cabaritabeach.org.
