Ballina Shire Council returns to its chambers tomorrow after an extended break. The agenda is even more hectic than usual.
There will be a report on the findings of the recent Finance and Facilities Committee meeting, which resolved to abandon the dream of building medium density community housing in Wollongbar, due to cost, and confirmed the scope of Ballina’s CCTV network upgrade.
In the same meeting, an attempt to sell 26 Endeavor Close Ballina, and compensate the main tenants, the Lismore naval cadets, failed by four votes to six.
Tomorrow, Cr Therese Crollick is bringing a motion to take steps to create a North Coast Convention Centre in Ballina, possibly utilising the current Wigmore Car Park, with an additional car park to be created elsewhere.
Cr Crollick says, ‘Council has spent a significant amount of money over the years upgrading our airport which could have greater use and capacity.
‘Corporate/conference tourism is a significant part of the tourism market and benefits the local economy plus providing an income to Council for the hire of space within a Convention Centre.
‘The Ballina RSL – the go-to venue for events over many years – does not now have the capacity that a centre like Ballina needs to host major events, we previously hosted an LGA conference in conjunction with Lismore,’ said Cr Crollick.
‘We should be able to do that again but simply don’t have the capacity to do so – we do host a number of events but we could bid for and host many more diverse events if we had a state of the art, modern convention facility.’
Food security
In another motion, Cr Erin Karsten is seeking to support protection for high quality agricultural land across the shire, with a view to better complementing the national Food Security Strategy.
Cr Karsten says, ‘While I know the idea of looking at rural land use has been explored in the past, the review of the Food Security Strategy and the global pressures on food systems, as well as the demand for housing and development, I feel, makes this a prescient issue.
‘In particular the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in looking at food security highlighted that climate change, economic shocks, biosecurity threats, geopolitical factors and supply chain disruptions can all have a significant impact on food security.’
The long-running saga of 23 Compton Drive, East Ballina, currently the site of a ruined restaurant, is likely to be determined tomorrow, with staff recommending that Ballina Council support its demolition and transformation into a large house, as the owner has been requesting for some time.
Ballina’s mayor Sharon Cadwallader will present two mayoral minutes, the first calling for the establishment of a National Coastal Hazards Adaptation Strategy, and the other to investigate paving options to create a space suitable for dancing outside the Wharf Bar and Restaurant.
More stories about Ballina Shire Council:
Ballina Shire Council says it now has three new overland flood studies on public exhibition for community feedback. The studies cover Alstonville, Wardell and Lennox Head. Ballina Council's October meeting opened with Mayor Sharon Cadwallader acknowledging the attack on Dr Helen Haynes and calling for respectful public service. She said, 'Democracy depends on people being able to participate freely, respectfully, and without fear'. The agenda for Thursday's meeting includes six notices of motion from four councillors, with issues including missing persons, volunteer recognition, and arts funding. Construction on a $4.35 million flood-resilience upgrade of Ross Lane at Lennox Head is due to begin today, ahead of a nine-week closure of the busy road later this month. With Ballina Shire Council General Manager Paul Hickey deciding to retire after almost twenty years in the role, and even longer as a staff member, the task of finding a replacement has begun. Cr Damien Loone was also returned as Deputy Mayor after Cr Simon Chate withdrew his nomination.
Overland flood studies open for community feedback
Ballina debates regional arts funding, missing people and live music
Big meeting for Ballina Council this week
Ross Lane flood-resilience works begin ahead of nine-week closure
Ballina Council will be getting a new general manager
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