The possibility of the new Kingscliff Ambulance station being placed on State Significant Farmland (SSF) was raised following the announcement of funding for the new ambulance station by Health Minister Brad Hazzard earlier this month.
This followed the divisive decision to build the new Tweed Valley Hospital on SSF on the Cudgen Plateau near Kingscliff.
Peter Newton, President of the Kingscliff Ratepayers and Progress Association Inc (KRPA) told The Echo at the time that residents were seeking a further guarantee from the local MP Geoff Provest (Nationals) that the ‘iron-clad guarantee that no remaining state significant farmland will be subject to development’ would be honoured.
Speaking to The Echo Mr Provest reiterated that commitment saying, ‘We’ve made a commitment before that hasn’t changed. It will be on a site, but not a State Significant Farmland site. I can give that guarantee.’
Mr Provest explained that to build on SSF there are significant and lengthy re-zoning issues that need to be done. ‘I want the shovel in the ground by the end of the year,’ he told The Echo.
‘The current ambulance station was built in 1964/5 and has no meeting rooms, medication rooms etc. This new ambulance station will form part of an important network including Pottsville, Murwillumbah, Tweed Heads and Byron ambulance stations.
‘The new ambulance station is not going on to SSF – absolutely not,’ he said.
Responding to Mr Provest’s commitment to not building the new ambulance service on SSF Peter Newton, President, Kingscliff Ratepayers and Progress Association told The Echo that ‘Our members are heartened by reassurances provided by Mr Provest. We appreciate his reaffirming his “iron clad” guarantee to preserving the remaining state significant farmland.’
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