Was it divine intervention or western democracy that changed the fate of a former country church on the Northern Rivers last week?
‘I didn’t realise we had elections in Ballina Shire,’ Echo reader Peter Hatfield commented recently, ‘I thought David Wright was divinely appointed for life, if not beyond’.
David Wright has been mayor of Ballina Shire for the past eleven years and has held a seat on the council for the past seventeen so it’s fair to say his time has been epic in local government terms.
But Mr Hatfield’s joke could also be a subtle reference to the councillor’s famous – at least locally – flamboyancy.
Cllr Mark Anderson, inset, is asking BCP residents to contribute ideas towards the Green Infrastructure Strategy. Pictures by Echo Camera Club Dorset members Suzanne Singleton, Peter Hadfield, Zoe Smithland and Clive Metcalfe THE future of parks and green spaces across the conurbation is up for discussion. Residents in the BCP Council area are being asked to help shape a plan on what they would like to see done with parks, woodland, beaches, gardens, street trees, rivers and streams. All of these areas will be included in the local authority s first ever Green Infrastructure Strategy (GIS). The strategy will look out how green infrastructure is used and designed going forwards.
When car company Mitsubishi closed its assembly plant in Tonsley south of Adelaide in 2008, more than 1,000 jobs were lost. But a transformation has taken place. Now Tonsley has become an innovation precinct for science and technology companies with labs, workshops, and common areas to encourage collaboration. Peter Hadfield reports from the Tonsley Innovation District where more than 1,700 people are now employed.
Or should we get on with building the rail trail? A new company, Northern Rivers Rail Ltd, has been established in an effort to get the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line reopened for trains. They will host their first public meeting this week. But the issue of what our rail corridor should be used for continues to divide our community. On The Northern Star s Facebook page, readers were vocal with their opinions. On the pro-train side, Doug Moses wrote: I remember travelling from Murwillumbah on that train back in 1958. Train was ancient, carriage letting rain in everywhere, but the country scenery was beautiful, making it a thoroughly enjoyable journey. Wish the proposal well.
Or should we get on with building the rail trail? A new company, Northern Rivers Rail Ltd, has been established in an effort to get the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line reopened for trains. They will host their first public meeting this week. But the issue of what our rail corridor should be used for continues to divide our community. On The Northern Star s Facebook page, readers were vocal with their opinions. On the pro-train side, Doug Moses wrote: I remember travelling from Murwillumbah on that train back in 1958. Train was ancient, carriage letting rain in everywhere, but the country scenery was beautiful, making it a thoroughly enjoyable journey. Wish the proposal well.