Fatal collision – Mullumbimby

A brief will be prepared for the Coroner following the death of a man involved in a single-vehicle collision on the state’s Far North Coast last night.

About 7.40pm, (Monday 22 April, 2013), a 38-year-old man was driving a Maserati sedan in a southerly direction along Goonengerry Road, Mullumbimby.

Just near Beatties Creek Road it appears the driver has lost control of the car, causing it to leave the roadway and collide with a number of trees.

The driver, the only person in the car, was trapped and died at the scene.

A crime scene was established and investigations are continuing.

Man dies in single-vehicle crash – Mullumbimby

A man has died following a single-vehicle crash at Mullumbimby yesterday.

About 1.50pm, Tuesday 5 February 2013, a 57-year-old man was driving a Holden utility north on Coolamon Scene Drive when he lost control of the vehicle.

The Holden left the road and collided with a tree.

Police and other emergency services attended the scene but the driver had died.

An examination of the crash site was conducted and investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash are continuing.

Police will prepare a report for the information of the Coroner.

Police investigate double stabbing – Upper Main Arm

Police are investigating an incident which left two men with stab wounds on the state’s Far North Coast last night.

Around 11.30pm (Friday 21 December), the two men were talking to each other outside a community hall on Main Arm Road in Upper Main Arm.

The pair had just attended a Christmas gathering at the hall with around 200 others.

An unidentified man approached the pair and stabbed them both with a pair of scissors.

The offender then drove from the scene.

The two victims, aged 46 and 36, suffered wounds to their face and neck.

They were taken to Tweed Heads Hospital and remain in a stable condition.

Police from Tweed/Byron Local Area Command are investigating the incident and are in the process of the identifying the man involved.

Anyone who can assist the investigation is urged to contact Tweed Heads Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Sing to win the ultimate festival song competition!

Free social commerce website Community Engine and the Mullum Music Festival have put together a prize pack for the winner of the Ultimate Festival Song Competition.

Anybody over 18 and all you have to do is sing your favourite festival song ever and upload it to Youtube.

Entries close 5pm Wednesday 14th November. Create a short video (2 minutes or less) singing at least 3 lines from your favourite festival song. You can even get a little help from your friends.

Upload the video to Youtube with “MMF12 Fest Song” in the title then share it around. Mullum Festival Director Glenn Wright will be judging on originality, entertainment and popularity. The two women behind The Office Collective in Byron Bay cleverly promoted their business while singing Queen’s “Radio GaGa”.

Entry is free and you can enter as many times as you like. The winner and other entries will be published on communityengine.com.au/mullummusicfestival on 16th November.

“We tried to think of the most fun way to come to the festival” said Glenn Wright. “As well as great music there’s great fun on the Magic Bus. Mullumbimby is very much a community and that’s why it’s so perfect that we’ve hooked up with Community Engine as our technology partner”.

Ultimate festival song prize pack-

• • Two nights for two people at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa
• • Two Gold Passes to the 2012 Mullum Music Festival
• • Private concert with Little Bastard on the Magic Bus
• • Festival pack including 20 signed CDs
• • Dinner at Milk and Honey

www.communityengine.com.au/mullummusicfestival

Rainforest Rescue makes another Daintree purchase

Future generations of Australians will inherit a little more rainforest thanks to Rainforest Rescue’s recent purchase of its 16th Daintree Rainforest property on 17 May.

Rainforest Rescue CEO Kelvin Davies said the settlement of Lot 82 Rosewood Road in Cow Bay represents a milestone for the Daintree Buy Back and Protect Forever Project.

“Together with six other rainforest properties we have purchased, the addition of Lot 82 expands a vital rainforest corridor – the Baralba Corridor Nature Refuge”, he said.

“This corridor connects two isolated parts of the Daintree National Park World Heritage Area and is crucial for wildlife such as the Endangered Southern Cassowary.”

As well as being strategically located, Lot 82 Rosewood Road harbours amazing diversity; 135 species of plants grow on the block, among them some impressive canopy trees anchored to the ground by giant buttress roots.

“Lot 82 had building approval. It will now be protected forever. The rainforest will be looked after, not bulldozed for rural residential development,” said Mr Davies.   Mr Davies accepts that people need to live somewhere but questions why, in a developed, environmentally-informed country like Australia, we continue to clear rainforest and build houses and infrastructure right in the middle of it.

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Police investigate death of woman near Mullumbimby

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman on the state’s Far North Coast.

Police and emergency services located the body of a woman near Boogaren Falls at Mount Jerusalem National Park shortly after 7am today (Sunday 30 April 2012).

It is believed the body is that of a woman who went missing earlier this week from Mullumbimby.

Inquiries into the woman’s death continue and a report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

Anyone with information about the woman’s death is asked to contact Byron Bay Police or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.

Police appeal for information into woman’s disappearance – Mullumbimby

Police are seeking assistance from the public after a woman went missing from the Far North Coast town of Mullumbimby.

Krista Bernard, aged 41, was last seen when she dropped her partner at work at Tunnel Road, about 9am on Thursday 26 April 2012.

She was driving a white 1990 Holden Barina Hatch, NSW registration number AGW 341 at the time and has not been seen since.

Ms Bernard is described as having a tanned complexion, a medium build, with greying hair and about 160cm to 170cm tall.

When last seen she was wearing long, purple-coloured cotton pants, a navy blue jumper and green-coloured shoes.

There are concerns for Ms Bernard’s welfare as her disappearance is highly unusual.

Anyone who has information regarding Ms Bernard’s whereabouts is asked to contact Byron Bay Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Afford your own home – information night brings hope for Richmond-Tweed

An information night is being held on Thursday May 3rd to help local people understand how they may own a home of their own. On offer are the results of research into changing home needs and strategies that make ownership affordable and tailored to this region. All are welcome.

Australian industry leaders have come together as the Future Housing Taskforce to bring back The Great Australian Dream of home ownership. The Taskforce set a new industry record for enquiries when they built an eco-friendly affordable home in a warehouse to demonstrate how councils were so out of touch with the real needs of the Australian public. The Smarter Small Home was profiled on A Current Affair (smartersmallhome.com.au).

Future Housing Task Force founder Kevin Doodney (pictured), who will be the main speaker at the information night, has been working with 16 councils to help bring home ownership closer to ordinary Australians.

“The Future Housing Taskforce is responding to a media story by Peter Weekes of January 24, which put Richmond Tweed as the highest land value in Australia,” said Kevin Doodney.

“This makes the region the most unaffordable in the whole nation, putting massive pressure on new families being able to live and work in the region without renting for life. “On the night we are not there to just talk, we are there to deliver immediate solutions that are up to $130,000 cheaper than what is currently on offer. We are spending these weeks leading up to May 3rd focusing on ideas which end up in the delivery back to people of home ownership at various price points, instead of the current one size fits all scenario.”

The information night will show new approaches to housing that suit changing buyer needs from work at home to single households. Kevin will explain how different income levels can access home ownership and the types of homes to suit their budgets. He will also profile some flexible housing options including dual key and duplex.

“Kevin Doodney’s achievements and innovative concepts are world class,” said Peter Sherrie, National President of the Urban Development Institute of Australia.

The event is sponsored by Tallowood Ridge Estate in Mullumbimby, who are offering generous incentives with land from $195,000.

7:00pm Thursday 3rd May, Mullumbimby Civic Hall MC Mandy Nolan, food and coffee available from Cafe Xpress $5 entry fee, which goes to Mullumbimby Youth Cottage. Kids free and welcome. For more information about the night contact 6687 1492 or johnbennettcedar@gmail.com

 

Tallowood Ridge first NBN site

Mullumbimby’s new community at Tallowood Ridge is the first site in the Northern Rivers to be connected to the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network. The estate, just next to the Mullumbimby Hospital, saw the final “haul in” of the fibre-optic trunk main cable earlier this week, and is now fully connected to the network.

“It’s great news for our residents,” said Christopher Dean, Chair of Tallowood’s Management Committee. “They’re on the edge of town, surrounded by rolling green hills, yet connected to the whole world better than people in major cities.”

Tallowood Ridge and Armidale are the only places on the North Coast and inland region to be connected to the network.

NBN coverage represents superfast broadband speed (up to 100 MBs per second), the ability to access all channels, including those previously only on pay TV, quality and high resolution in picture to an exceptional standard, the ability to have large numbers of phone lines into your home and all of this through one place, rather than dealing with a multitude of service providers.

Business and marketing consultant Roe Ritchie is perhaps best-known as Producer of the wildly successful childrens fairytale The Grimstones. Roe has recently purchased at Tallowood Ridge with her partner Trace.’

“I work remotely, as a lot of my business occurs in Melbourne and Brisbane,” said Roe. “So to have access to really fast internet is invaluable. The NBN coverage makes it possible for us to live in the most beautiful part of Australia and be connected in a fast efficient way to the rest of the world.”

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Visionary new community at Mullumbimby

Since September 2011 a new collective of local people have immersed themselves in the management of Tallowood Ridge Estate at Mullumbimby. Since that time they have been actively pursuing policies to improve the future liveability of the estate and also protect and enhance the environmental qualities of the area.

One of their first achievements was to finalise a Biodiversity Conservation Management Plan, which was approved by Byron Council in December 2011. That plan will see over 100,000 native trees planted throughout the estate, which was degraded from 50 years of intensive cattle farming.

More recently the team has focused on ensuring that the estate happily coexists with koalas, which in November 2011 were found to occasionally use a small patch of forest on the edge of the estate as a transit lane.

Along with the old growth trees on the ridge, all trees used by koalas for food will be preserved in the area where they transit, and this area will be screened with a special koala-friendly fence.

“When we discovered this path, we immediately took the decision to modify our planning so the whole estate is more koala friendl,y” said Management Team Chair Christopher Dean.

“We have brought experts in and will prepare a Koala Plan of Management before the lodgement of any DAs for future stages. This plan will define strategies to protect and enhance koala habitat. We will also establish a covenant ensuring that households that keep a dog have a fenced area. It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy their presence and protect their lifestyle”.

As the community’s first homes go up, the first stage of the children’s park is being built. Community gardens, landscaped walkways and sports facilities will follow.

“The development of Tallowood Ridge is a series of gentle strokes that will form community,” Mr Dean said. “Our planning for biodiversity conservation and koala protection are a first step in this approach.”

Tallowood Ridge is the most affordable new land release in the Byron Shire and the last major land release in Mullumbimby. Land is priced from $195,000 to $294,000, with house and land packages from $384,000.

Tuckeroo Road, Mullumbimby tallowoodridge.com

 

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