18.2 C
Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Have your say on canal management in the Tweed

Latest News

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.

Other News

Breakfeast, Bluesfest weekend

Victoria Cosford Oh to be a cow with a four-chambered stomach system! Farmers’ market, Bluesfest long weekend, a spot of...

Richmond MP again called on for immediate Gaza ceasefire 

On Saturday, March 16 Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine unfurled a 20m scroll with the names of murdered children and host a ‘die-in’ action at the office of the federal Member for Richmond, Justine Elliot (Labor).

Zoom meeting

Just to clarify the report that Michael Lyon now declares ‘no’ to developing Ann St and New City Road....

Murwillumbah’s Rebecca Whan recognised for tireless work post 2022 floods

Murwillumbah was severely impacted by the 2022 floods and it was a huge community effort to support, rescue and inspire everyone to move forward. 

‘Smooth stroking’ Rainbow Dragons earn trophies

Rainbow Dragons (Lennox Head Ballina) won three trophies and had a fantastic weekend of fun, fitness and friendship at Grafton Dragon Boat Club’s regatta earlier in March.

Dynamic, rustic yet polished

Animal Ventura is the brainchild of Byron Bay-based singer-songwriter Fernando Aragones. Growing up playing punk and reggae in noisy garage bands in Southern Brazil, Aragones ventured to Australia where the eclectic sounds of the Sydney music scene beckoned.

Paul Bibby

The introduction of an annual licence fee for canal pontoons in the Tweed is part of that Shire’s new approach to canal management, which includes a new draft Canal Management Policy which is on public exhibition from 23 September to 4 November 2020.

The Venice of the Northern Rivers… Tweed Shire’s canals.. Image: Tweed Council

Tweed Shire Council manages nine canal estates – comprised of both navigable and non-navigable waterways – and the foreshores adjacent to several hundred residential allotments.

Within canals, facilities such as pontoons, boat ramps and beaches present maintenance considerations that affect both Council and residents.

The draft Canal Management Policy outlines Council’s position on a number of matters relevant to canals, including maintenance of beaches, unapproved structures and use of vessels.

Importantly, the policy also describes Council’s licensing of pontoons and the fees charged.

Council has now resolved to begin charging an annual licence fee for pontoons, commencing at the beginning of 2022. The annual pontoon licence fee will be used to fund the maintenance required in Council’s canal estates.

The fee is a flat annual fee of $255 per year for the pontoon license and $196 for a pontoon license application or transfer, indexed to CPI.

The majority of the canal systems are more than 30 years old and located in an environment where deterioration can have a significant impact on their safety and functionality.

Currently Council budgets $40,000 annually for canal works and this will need to increase in the future.

In recent years funding has been allocated to projects such as navigation dredging in Endless Summer and Seagulls canals, beach nourishment at Anchorage Islands and flood debris removal at Oxley Cove.

Tweed canal residents have been invited to make submissions on Council’s draft Canal Management Policy.

Increasing the revenue available to maintain canals and public waterway facilities will improve the safety and durability of these assets.

The charging of an annual licence fee for private structures in Council-owned canals is consistent with NSW Government practice, where fees are charged for private structures in Crown waterways.

The NSW Government application fee is currently $626, with an annual base fee of $240, plus a rate of $4.65 per square metre.
A 30-square metre structure on a Crown waterway reserve would currently cost approximately $380 per annum, plus GST.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

4 COMMENTS

    • Boohoo. Maybe you need a smaller boat?
      And some commonsense – did you expect an artificial waterway in the lower reaches of the river wouldn’t silt up the same way as the rest of the river?

  1. The council has never done anything for the canal system known as Crystal Waters. All the residents have their beaches replenished every two years at their own expense.

  2. Whether you have a pontoon or not has zero to do with recent projects funded. Canal home rates are higher than usual as is, what are these extra funds used for?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region. 

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

Lennox Park and the shelter shed has now been upgraded and reopened.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.