About 5.55pm Tuesday 17 January 2012, emergency services were called to Bangalow Road near the intersection of Friday Hut Road at Binna Burra after a station wagon and Holden Statesman collided.

One male passenger in the station wagon died at the scene of the crash.

The male driver of the wagon has received serious injuries and was airlifted from the scene by helicopter.

He will undergo further treatment at Lismore Base Hospital.

The female driver of the Holden Statesman has been taken by road ambulance to Lismore Base Hospital. She is understood to be in a serious condition.

Police attached to Ballina Crash Investigation Unit will continue inquiries into the circumstances leading up to the crash.

Anyone who saw either car prior to the collision should contact Ballina Crash Investigation Unit or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

About 2.55pm Monday, 26 December 2011, a black Holden Barina was travelling north on the Pacific Highway near Broadwater, when it crossed the southbound lanes and crashed into a tree.

Police from Richmond Local Area Command and emergency services attended the scene.

A five-year-old girl, a passenger in the Barina, was thrown from the vehicle on impact.

She was airlifted to Lismore Base Hospital in a critical condition.

The 49-year-old female driver and an eight-year-old boy were taken to Lismore Base Hospital for treatment.

Lanes in both directions of the Pacific Highway were closed to allow the helicopter to land and remained closed for more than two hours while investigations continued.

Officers attached to Ballina Crash Investigation Unit are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Anyone who witnessed the crash, or the events leading up to it, is urged to contact the Ballina Crash Investigation Unit or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Mr Gay and Mr Page today visited the site of the future Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Pacific Highway upgrade to unveil the options.

“I’m very pleased to be here today with the hard-working local Member Don Page,” said Mr Gay.

“In July a working party was formed between Bangalow community representatives and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to develop alternate concepts to replace the previously proposed interchange.

“Unlike the former Labor Government, we are determined to listen to the community.

“The message was clear – the people of Bangalow overwhelmingly did not want a major interchange from the upgraded highway to their village.”

Mr Page said extensive research had been carried out by the working party, which fully explored various possibilities.

“The research done by the working party has resulted in three shortlisted options for the community to consider,” he said.

“The three options have no direct access from the upgraded highway to Bangalow while still meeting the incident management requirements for the St Helena tunnel, which will be built as part of the upgrade.”

Mr Page said the shortlisted alternative options to the Bangalow interchange were available to view online at www.rms.nsw.gov.au/pacific.

“The options are also displayed on posters at various locations around Bangalow and residents will receive printed information in their letterboxes soon,” he said.

“The plan to build an interchange at Bangalow was changed because of community opinion, so it’s important the community provides feedback about the shortlisted options.

“Comments and feedback will be accepted until close of business on Friday 10 February 2012.

“All feedback received will be considered and included in the decision report which will be produced early next year.”

The project team is preparing for major work by obtaining the necessary environmental approvals. Work to build the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale upgrade will start in first half of 2012, weather permitting.

For more information about the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale upgrade, follow the links from the RMS Pacific Highway upgrade homepage or call the project’s toll-free information line on 1800 882 787.

“We were thrilled with the crowd,” said festival organiser Remy Tancred. “There were of course locals from across the Northern Rivers and I also met many visitors down from the Gold Coast and Brisbane throughout the day.”

Hundreds of children enjoyed entertainment from Cupcake the Clown, Lenny the Lion, Byron Bay Kidz Club, the Macadamia Castle and others. Non-stop entertainment from Kurtis, Kato and Wolf, Eliza McLeod, Ilona Harker and Tres Hombres had the crowd kicking back on the grass, enjoying the restaurant offerings.

Nearly all of the 22 restaurant marquees sold out of their $5 and $10 tasting plates, some before they could even offer the Sample Judges a taste.

Belinda Jeffrey, Joanna Savill, Barbara Sweeney and Steve Snow judged the best of the plates over the course of the day, presenting the Golden Fork Awards at the Sample Gala Dinner on Saturday night at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa.

The sell-out dinner was attended by 150 guests, who enjoyed four courses with matching wines prepared by eight of the region’s top Chefs – Monique Gutteres-Harrison, Gavin Hughes, Adam Smith, Perry Hill, Katrina Kanetani, Scott Frost, Peter Busara and Joe Griffin.

The $5 plate winner was Satiate for their lemon myrtle and lime meringue cupcakes, with Harvest achieving the runner-up place for their Harvest brioche roll with John Singh’s braised shredded pork, onion jam and Coopers Shoot Tomatoes.

The $10 plate winner was Fleurs Restaurant in Ballina for their saffron infused mussels with chorizo. The Beautiful Feast achieved the runner-up place for their Ploughman’s plate with marmalade glazed Bangalow ham.

Seaweed Cuisine and The Boardwalk were awarded People’s Choice Awards for their record number of plates sold on the day.

“I was so pleased the exhibitors had a successful day and really appreciated the support of my sponsors who made the festival happen” said Remy Tancred.

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PICTURES (from top): Judge Steve Snow with Byron Mayor Jan Barham; Katarina from Satiate; Rory Twoomey and Chi Desmond-Weller; Kurtis performing for the crowd; there was plenty to entertain the children.

Member for Ballina Don Page congratulated Satiate, saying it was a tremendous achievement to be recognised by Australian Gourmet Traveller, one of Australia’s premier travel, food and dining magazines.

“Satiate has an outstanding reputation locally. The restaurant is also a valuable drawcard for visitors to our region, and being named in these awards adds further prestige to their already outstanding reputation,” Mr Page said.

Minister for Tourism, Hospitality, and Racing and the Arts, George Souris, said 46 of the top 100 restaurants in this year’s awards were won by NSW restaurants.

“I want to congratulate all the winners of this year’s awards, and especially our local restaurants who did NSW proud,” Mr Souris said.

“NSW features unique dining experiences with stunning restaurant locations, diverse cultural styles and leading chefs and Destination NSW has aggressively sought to position the State as Australia’s premier dining destination.

“The NSW Government has supported these efforts with an ambitious promotional campaign called Destination Dining, which involves our State’s leading chefs actively promoting NSW’s dining credentials to an international audience.”

Leading regional restaurants in NSW for 2012 named by the Australian Gourmet Traveller:

• Vulcans – Blackheath
• Biota Dining – Bowral
• Lochiel House – Kurrajong Heights
• Bacchus – Newcastle
• Bells at Killcare – Killcare Heights
• Satiate – Bangalow
• Racine Restaurant at la Colline – Orange
• Restaurant Como – Blaxland
• Rick Stein at Bannisters – Mollymook
• Margan – Broke, Upper Hunter

For more information on the 2012 Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Awards and a full list of winners, go to www.gourmettraveller.com.au

For information on Destination Dining go to www.visitnsw.com

Mr Page said the community representatives on the Working Group would be Greg Crump, Tony Hart and Rex Harris, all of whom have a good understanding of the issues involved. 

RTA representatives will be Bob Higgins, General Manager, Pacific Highway, Peter Borelli, Project Manager, and Mike Bulmer, Design Manager.

“It is anticipated the Working Group will meet at a mutually convenient time in about two weeks to discuss options,” Mr Page said.

“When the Working Group has completed their work, the preferred proposal will be brought back to the broader community for their consideration.”

The line-up of performers for the festival has just been released. Non-stop live entertainment will fill the air at the Bangalow Showground with Kurtis, Kato and Wolf, Eliza McLeod, Ilona Harker and Tres Hombres gracing the entertainment ring.

The festival, which will become an annual spring event, aims to “celebrate and share the food, restaurants and creativity of the Northern Rivers”.

Food produce, health and lifestyle stalls will fill the Bangalow Showgrounds from 9:00am. Twenty-two restaurant marquees will serve $5.00 and $10.00 tasting plates between 9:00am and 3:00pm, with the best of these greeting the Sample judges – Joanna Savill, Barbara Sweeny, Belinda Jeffery and Steven Snow – for the test of who will win the prestigious Golden Fork Award.

For only $5.00 festival goers can tuck into coconut pannacotta with vanilla, pineapple compote and local wild fingerlimes from Katrina Kanetani at Satiate in Bangalow; salt cod fritters from Adam Smith at Fleurs in Ballina; or a Harvest brioche roll with John Singh’s braised shredded pork, onion jam and Coopers Shoot Tomatoes from Harvest in Newrybar.

“We’re really excited about the day,” said Harvest chef Joe Griffin.

“We want to celebrate local produce by showing it in its integrity and by not destroying it any more than it already has been by transport and overhandling. This is a great opportunity.”

Cooking and lifestyle demonstrations will be held throughout the day, including Simon Grigalius from My Restaurant Rules, Gavin Hughes from The Byron at Byron Resort, Monique Guterres-Harrison from Seaweed Cuisine, Scott Frost from Seven Mile Restaurant and Phil Dudman and Julie Ray showing us garden to kitchen tips.

Leah Roland from the Bangalow Cooking School will be joined by Perry Hill from Palate in Lismore, Phil Dudman and Julie Ray to deliver cooking classes for young cooks and adults. A class for 9–16 years will be held at 10:30am ($50), with the adults class commencing at 12:30pm ($90).

The winners of the Golden Fork Award will be announced at the Sample Gala Dinner, being held at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa. A meeting of the Gala Dinner chefs was held at the resort recently to fine tune the menu (see photo).

Sample Food Festival, Saturday 10th September, 9:00am – 3:00pm Bangalow Showground. Entry is free. For festival enquiries including cooking class bookings contact Remy Tancred on 0414 925 811 or info@samplennsw.com

PICTURE: The Sample Gala Dinner chefs: Back row – Scott Frost from Seven Mile Restaurant, Joe Griffin from Harvest, Gavin Hughes from The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa; Front row – Peter Flemming from 561 Alphadale, Adam Smith from Fleurs in Ballina, Monique Gutteres-Harrison from Seaweed Cuisine and Perry Hill from Palate in Lismore.

“The NSW Liberals and Nationals developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Clubs NSW prior to the March election,” Mr Page said.

“I was pleased to sign the MOU in December last year, and even happier today to see key aspects of that commitment delivered with legislation introduced to Parliament today.”

The Gaming Machine Tax Amendment Bill reduces tax paid by registered clubs and introduces changes to the Club Community Support Scheme.

“Local clubs in the Ballina Electorate currently donate more than $5 million annually to community groups and activities, and this will increase by an additional $112,000 from September 1 this year,” Mr Page said.

The new ClubGRANTS Scheme will provide an estimated $85 million, in additional community support across NSW from registered clubs over the next four years.

“The reduction in club taxes will save clubs in the Ballina electorate more than $300,000 a year,” Mr Page said

“Clubs make a major social and economic contribution to our local communities. They provide funding to community and sporting organisations, employment opportunities and high-quality facilities that are accessible and affordable for everyone.”

The 18 clubs in the Ballina Electorate employ more than 400 people and make significant contributions to the local economy.

Under the former State Labor Government, more than 100 clubs had to shut their doors due to tax increases.

Further reforms outlined in the MOU will be announced shortly.

“When a club in a small community is forced to close, it has an enormous impact. The NSW Liberal and Nationals want to support regional and rural communities and we understand the important role that clubs play. This legislation will help support clubs both large and small,” Mr Page said.

“I urge everyone who has any concerns or is not familiar with the proposed Bangalow Interchange to come along to the A&I Hall next Wednesday at 6pm,” Member for Ballina Don Page said.

“It will be an opportunity for the community to be heard by representatives from the RTA and to also find out the detail of what is proposed.
 
“It is extremely important to the community of Bangalow that we get this right, so I hope that people come along to hear what is proposed.”

The Tintenbar to Ewingsdale (T2E) upgrade is budgeted to cost $780 million and funding has been allocated by both State and Federal Governments.

Planning approval has also been given. Construction is due to commence next year. The project is due for completion in 2014 and will create 400 jobs while under construction.

“I listened to the Bangalow residents’ concerns and committed prior to the last election to put the Bangalow Interchange on hold. We have done that. We also committed to having a community forum so that residents would have the opportunity to properly consider the proposal,” Mr Page said.

“Wednesday night is that opportunity and anyone who wishes to either have input into the future of the project or to find out more about what is proposed is urged to come along.”

The information session will be held at the Bangalow A&I Hall next Wednesday 6th July between 6pm and 7.30pm. Anyone interested in attending should RSVP by calling 1800 653 092 for catering purposes.

“The response has been heartwarming,” said Remy Tancred, festival organiser.

“We had a minor setback with a change of venue, but now it’s all systems go.”

Organisers have relocated the festival to Bangalow Showgrounds. The Gala Dinner will be held at the Byron at Byron Resort.

The Festival, which is being held on Saturday 10th September and will become an annual Spring event, aims to “celebrate and share the exquisite food produce, restaurants and people of the NSW Northern Rivers region”.

Farmers markets and a range of food produce, health and lifestyle stalls will fill the Bangalow Showgrounds from 9:00am.
Twenty restaurant marquees will serve $5.00 and $10.00 tasting plates between 9:00am and 3:00pm, with the best of these greeting the four Sample judges – Joanna Savill, Barbara Sweeny, Belinda Jeffery and Steven Snow – for the test of who will win the prestigious Golden Fork Award.

Cooking and lifestyle demonstrations will be held throughout the day, including Simon Grigalius from My Restaurant Rules, Gavin Hughes from The Byron at Byron Resort, Phil Dudman and Julie Ray showing us garden to kitchen tips and Leah Roland, Principal of the Bangalow Cooking School, giving cooking classes for both adults and kids.

Eight of the region’s top chefs will gather at The Byron at Byron Resort to prepare the Sample Gala Dinner for 150 guests.

Chefs involved in the dinner are Katrina Kanetani from Satiate in Bangalow, Gavin Hughes from The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa, Joseph Griffin from Harvest in Newrybar, Perry Hill, Monique Guterres-Harrison from Seaweed Cuisine Byron Bay, Peter Flemming from 561 Alphadale, Scott Frost from Seven Mile Restaurant in Lennox Head and Adam Smith from Fleurs in Ballina.
The winners of the Golden Fork Award will be announced at the Gala Dinner.

“There are still some produce, health and lifestyle stalls available, however, there are no remaining restaurant marquees,” said Remy Tancred.

Sample Food Festival, Saturday 10th September, 9:00am – 3:00pm Bangalow Showground. Entry is free. Sample Gala Dinner 6:30pm 10th September, Byron at Byron Resort. $160 per head including canapés, four courses and matching wines. Bookings essential.

For festival enquiries including Gala Dinner bookings contact Remy on 0414 925 811 or info@samplennsw

PICTURE: Chefs Monique Guterres-Harrison and Gavin Hughes with Remy Tancred.