Yamba locals watch release of rehabilitated green turtles
April 30, 2009
An excited group of around 20 Yamba locals and visitors watched as a rehabilitated juvenile and two hatchling green turtles were released from Pippi Beach on Tuesday evening.
The juvenile green turtle had been found washed ashore at Yamba’s Whiting Beach in late January entangled with fishing line and hooks. It would not have survived, without rehabilitation at the Australian Seabird Rescue facilities in Ballina.
Drivers asked to be alert for exchidnas
April 30, 2009
North Coast drivers are being reminded to be alert for echidnas which move around more at this time of year.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Community Relations Ranger Lisa Walker said that wildlife carers have had a dramatic increase in the number of calls in the past few weeks about echidnas being injured or killed on local roads.
“Motorists need to keep an eye out for these unique little creatures,” Ms Walker said.
“Autumn is a busy time for echidnas when young ones are dispersing to new territories.
Julian Rocks fishing closure to benefit grey nurse sharks
April 30, 2009
Fishers are reminded that the seasonal fishing closure over an area to the north of Julian Rocks, incorporating reefs known as the Mackerel Boulder, will be in place from Friday May 1st until 31 December 2009.
Manager of Cape Byron Marine Park Andrew Page said the seasonal closure is part of the Cape Byron Marine Park zoning plan and aims to provide protection for endangered grey nurse sharks which aggregate in the area and are most abundant during this time.
“The grey nurse shark is a fascinating animal. One of the reasons their numbers are low is that the female shark can only reproduce every two years,” Mr Page said.
“The female has two uteruses and produces eggs which hatch inside each uterus. The young sharks then eat each other inside the uterus until there are only two left – one in each uterus. Then after two years the female gives birth to the young sharks.
Bypass not the answer to Byron Bay’s traffic woes: study
April 30, 2009
It’s the scourge of Byron Bay all year-round: traffic congestion!
But despite many calls for bypass of the town, Byron Shire Council says that, according to the findings from the Main Road 545 (MR545) traffic study, Byron’s traffic solution is about access and not a bypass.
Byron Shire Council’s director of asset management services, Phil Holloway, said the MR545 study found over 80% of vehicles enter and stay within Byron Bay for at least three hours, with most staying longer.
“The MR545 Study shows Byron Bay town is the destination for most vehicles and therefore improved access to, and traffic distribution within the town centre, is required. Not a bypass of it,” he said.
$1.17m granted for road black spots in Page electorate
April 30, 2009
The Rudd Labor Government will invest $1,170,000 to fix three additional dangerous black spots on local roads, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, and Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, announced today.
The three additional projects in Page that have been approved as part of the Government’s $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs package are:
- $950,000 to upgrade the alignment on a 900m section of Kyogle Road near Leycester Road at Lismore
- $170,000 to install curve and advisory signage and reflectors on guideposts on Murwillumbah Road from Fawcetts Plain Road to Lillian Rock Road at Cawongla; and
- $50,000 to provide a left turning lane into Chatsworth Island Road off the Pacific Highway at Chatsworth Island.
2000 tipped to take part in Byron Winter Ocean Swim
April 30, 2009
Organisers of this Sunday’s Beach Hotel Byron Bay Winter Ocean Swim Classic are predicting that about 2000 swimmers will take the plunge and compete in the event.
Former Australian swim star Hayley Lewis is one of the competitors, and regular competitor, 87-year-old Bill Ringland, is again expected to be the oldest swimmer in the event.
Lismore hosts Country Rugby League championship games
April 30, 2009
Local rugby league competitions will take a break this weekend as Lismore hosts the Country Rugby League Regional Championships Northern Zone games, with Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League players lining up for the Northern Thunderbolts team.
The Thunderbolts will take on the Oxley Pioneers at 1.30pm on Saturday.
That match will follow the clash between Newcastle and Central Hunter Power at noon.
On Sunday, the winner of the Newcastle-Central match will play the loser of Thunderbolts v Pioneers at 11am.
The winner of Thunderbolts v Pioneers will play the loser of Newcastle v Central at 12.30pm.
Southern Zone teams will play at Wagga Wagga on May 9: Western Rams v Southern Stars; Bidgee Bulls v Illawarra.
Teams for the Lismore games:
Speed on Tweed is back
April 30, 2009
The sight and sound of historic racing cars in the popular Festival of Speed on Tweed will return to the streets of Murwillumbah as part of the Repco Rally Australia entertainment program in September.
Speed on Tweed, in which around 200 historic racing cars of many types and some of Australia’s best drivers of past years race against the block on closed public roads, will be staged on 5-6 September, organisers announced today.
FNC players chosen in Country Colts rugby squad
April 29, 2009
Three Far North Coast rugby union players have been chosen in the NSW Country Colts squad.
They are Josh Damen, David Makejev and Dominic Morris.
Twenty-three players were named in the squad at the conclusion of the training camp which was held on the Central Coast last weekend.
The team’s first match will be against the ACT on Sunday, 3 May at Bowral, before they head off to Melbourne mid-May for matches against the VRU Invitation XV, Tasmanian XV and VRU XV.
NSW Country Colts squad:
Extraordinary Meeting called by Tweed Shire over Nightcap Village proposal
April 29, 2009
An Extraordinary Meeting of Tweed Shire Council will be held on Tuesday 5 May at 4.30pm at the Murwillumbah Council Chambers to consider the Nightcap Village proposal.
The meeting will consider a development application for a staged development application under Section 83(B) of the EP&A Act 1979 for a concept plan approval for a village and ancilliary development and stage one works involving construction of an access road to the village from Kyogle Road, construction of car parking area for 69 cars and three bus bays, road bridge and a six-lot subdivision at Lot 3 DP 771335; Lot 4 DP 737440; Lot 121 DP 134446, No. 2924 Kyogle Road, Kunghur and Crown Roads.
The Nightcap Village proposal was deferred at the last council meeting held on 21 April 2009.
The Extraordinary Meeting has been called because of advice from the NSW Land and Environment Court that the council needs to deal with the matter urgently or it will be referred to the court for determination.
