Far North Coaster Magazine » Local Community

Council Planning for Indoor Sports & Events Centre

Dave Beck — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:50:41 +0000

Sport, recreation and community events are the focus of an important Community Study being
undertaken by Ballina Shire Council. Council’s General Manager Paul Hickey said Council is
undertaking a Feasibility Study into the scope and facility needs associated with the development
of a multipurpose Indoor Sport, Recreation and Event Centre. The study follows on from
preliminary work completed earlier this year that identified a new indoor venue should be further
investigated as part of the master planning for the Ballina Shire. The report recommended Council
investigate the need for such facilities as; multiple indoor ‘multipurpose’ sports courts, areas for
child care; meetings , a stage for special events, a fitness gym, area for arts and crafts and a cafe
to name a few.

“Ballina is a ‘central hub’ for the Shire and already delivers a wide range of sporting and
recreational activities for our community,” Mr Hickey said. “Population growth and tourism has
brought with it a demand for a wider range of sport and event opportunities. This feasibility study
will help the Council plan for indoor sporting facilities, aquatics, and other recreation facilities and
services over the next decade or two.” “Such projects are obviously expensive and Council wants
to ‘future proof’ the planning process by obtaining as much feedback from our community as
possible about current needs and future expectations”.

Leisure planning and management consultants, The Strategic Leisure Group, are assisting the
Council. ‘Strategic Leisure Group’ representative, Mark Upson, said “Local Councils are traditional
providers of sport and recreation opportunities for their communities and the demands on them are
growing. Ballina Shire Council is to be congratulated for carefully planning the delivery of this
important community service.”

“A Community Workshop will be held in Ballina on Monday 11th August. This is a great opportunity
for sporting and community groups to have input into the planning of the development of a
multipurpose indoor sport and event centre in Ballina that will be an asset to the Shire.” Mr Upson
said.

Details of the workshop are as follows:

VENUE: Ballina Shire Council Chambers, Cherry Street, Ballina
TIME: 6:00 PM
DATE: Monday 11th August 2008
RSVP: The Strategic Leisure Group on 1300 734 626 (local call cost).

A resident survey will shortly be distributed to 500 Ballina households and the consultants will also
be talking to sport and recreation organisations and schools. Community groups, tourism
representatives, youth groups, indigenous groups, health and other key interest organisations will
also be contacted to ensure the planning takes into account the widest possible range of ideas and
opinions.

Residents can also share their thoughts directly by writing to Strategic Leisure Group, PO Box
1358, Capalaba, Brisbane 4157, emailing their views about the planning needs for any Indoor
Sport & Event Centre to ballina@strategicleisure.com.au or telephoning 1300 734 626 (local call
cost).

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Teven Tintenbar students are inspiring Australia

Barry Cheadle — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:53:01 +0000

Year Two and Six students from Teven Tintenbar School have been specially selected to feature in a DVD designed to inspire teachers and school communities around Australia.

The DVD is being created by Learnscapes Planning and Design, and will showcase the Learnscapes environment created at Teven Tintenbar School, where the school grounds have been purpose designed as outdoor learning spaces.

“Learnscapes is a unique program where school grounds are used to improve learning opportunities for students. Our school has embraced this concept and was a pilot school for the program during its inception in the early 90s,” said Year Two teacher Bert Berghuis.

“Our rice paddy project, vegetable plot, rainforest area and our Asian classroom which features a Japanese-style hut were all developed along the Learnscapes Program principles, and provide unique hands-on learning opportunities for our students.”

In addition to its inherent educational benefits, the Learnscapes Program helps foster within students a greater responsibility for their natural and cultural heritage, as well as opportunities for play and enjoyment.

“Learnscapes is about teaching outside the square, educating outside the classroom and encouraging children in ways that are not offered within the conventional school curriculum,” said School Principal, Keith Scott.

Filming for the DVD took place at the school on June 5, with many students from Years Two and Six featuring in film footage.

“We are delighted to be involved in this project, and very proud that our students are helping educate students around Australia about this important initiative,” Keith said.

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Fix the Pacific Highway Facebook Group

Dave Beck — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:18:56 +0000

The New South Wales Chamber of Commerce obviously has some forwardthinking people on board who have leveraged the power of the incredibly popular social networking Web site Facebook to create a common interest group targeted at fixing the Pacific Highway.

The description of this Facebook group is as follows:

This group calls on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Premier Morris Iemma to end the blame shifting and buck passing over responsibility for the Pacific Highway.

An NRMA audit of the Pacific Highway in 2007 revealed that the highway’s accident rate has increased in the past five years. There have been almost 10,000 car crashes on the road in the past decade in which 326 people have died and 3778 people were hurt or maimed.

We call on Prime Minister Rudd and Premier Iemma to implement a dedicated strategy to fast track the roll out of a complete and continuous dual carriageway upgrade of the Pacific Highway to save lives and remove the handbrake the Pacific Highway has become on the economies of communities that rely on the road.

Please encourage family, friends and colleagues to join this group.

NSW Business Chamber is NSW’s largest business network representing over 30,000 businesses and is affiliated with over 110 chambers of commerce.

I encourage anybody who is a Facebook member to support what is a piece of infrastructure that is vitally important and in long need of significant government funding by joining up the fix the Pacific Highway Facebook group!

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Byron Bay is changing!

Dave Beck — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 04:29:59 +0000

There is absolutely no doubt that in recent times Byron Bay has been dramatically changing from an idyllic and somewhat hidden gem on the New South Wales north coast to a world wide destination for visitors and those escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

If you talk to long-term locals they are finding living in Byron both expensive and crowded, however at the same time you can find endless opportunities for business and development. I found this particular video on YouTube whilst trawling for a feature video that looks to have been put together by a local production company.

We would love to hear from anybody who lives in Byron, whether they are a long-term resident will have only been there for a short while as to what they think about Byron Bay in 2008.

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