Karl Allen, Mullumbimby.
Last November all nine councillors voted in favour of taking 22 hectares of Mullumbimby recreation ground and rezoning it urban land consisting of 200 lots of minimum size 200m2.
Council bought the 29 hectares (Lot 22) in 2004 for sports fields. It did nothing to develop it except for the Community Gardens. Now Council is relying on 14 years of inactivity to change the zoning and develop a manufactured home estate on flood prone land.
Councillors relied on a Draft Recreational Needs Assessment Report of which 124 respondents were from Mullumbimby.
The Report states ‘Overall, Mullumbimby is well supplied with land for sport, especially considering the Mullumbimby Recreation Ground is under-utilised. Lot 22 does not need to be retained for sporting purposes.’
It’s under-utilised because Council does not maintain it to an adequate standard; just ask the Cricket, Netball, Soccer, Tennis, Hockey Clubs and Little Athletics clubs all of whom were not contacted regarding the assessment! And, according to the Soccer Club, based at Pine Ave and Cricket Club at Brunswick Heads more land is needed.
When denying the residents of Ocean Shores sports fields on land Council had bought at Shara Boulevarde, councillors said that the Mullumbimby recreation ground when developed could accommodate both Ocean Shores and Brunswick Heads sporting needs.
Residents should be rightly concerned about the increases in flooding from filling this site and Councillors giving away their recreational parkland of the future. Voice your objection.
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