Ballina Information Blog

The Federal member for Page, Janelle Saffin, says the fast-tracking of the Alstonville Bypass is good news for the local community.

In Tuesday’s Federal Budget, the Government announced $13.6 million in advanced funding for the project in 2008-2009 so work could start a year earlier than scheduled.

Federal Labor’s election commitment was for $90 million to be available from Auslink 2 funding, covering the period from 2009 -2014.

Ms Saffin said the Rudd Labor Government has released some of the $90 million commitment early because it regards the Alstonville Bypass as a significant and long overdue road project .

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The Medibank Junior Development Series (JDS), the largest tennis tournament series for juniors in NSW, heads to Ballina this weekend.

Local junior tennis players will head to Ballina Tennis Club on Sunday May 18 to compete in the Ballina JDS event.

Encompassing over 80 round-robin tournaments throughout the year and an average of 100 participants at each event, the Medibank JDS provides junior players, particularly those in regional NSW, with an introduction to competition tennis and tournament play.

Players compete in age groups ranging from 10 years and under through to 21 years and under.

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Saturday May 10 saw the 14th Annual Byron Bay Triathlon held on a glorious afternoon, and Ballina Triathlon Club members performed well.

The ever growing event attracts more than 1000 world-class athletes as well as age-group participants.

The 1500m swim in a clear and calm ocean bay led into the 40km bike ride out to Lennox Head and back, finishing with a 10km run round a 2.5km circuit – giving the spectators a great opportunity to watch and cheer their favourite athletes, friends and families.

The overall winner was Lennox Head resident and professional triathlete, Simon Thompson, in a superb 1hr 48min and 9 seconds.

Leading the field for women was professional Liz Blatchford in1hr 58mins 18seconds.

Ballina Triathlon Club continues to nurture and produce excellent athletes.

Long-term member, and now professional, Josh McHugh, pictured, came 6th in the Professional male division.

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Family, friends and fellow surfers gathered at Lennox Head last Saturday to bid one final farewell to Ballina shark attack victim Peter Edmonds.

Peter, 16, of Wollongbar, died after being attacked at North Wall, Ballina, on April 8.

Last Saturday Peter’s ashes were scattered into the ocean.

After a brief ceremony on the beach at the Lennox Head spot known as the Bream Hole, friends and surfing mates performed a symbolic paddle-out.

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The winter pattern is really kicking in, with south-west to southerly winds, crisp, clear mornings and good waves.

The swell has hovered between three and six feet over the past week or so, and today it’s a solid four to five feet — big enough for the point breaks.

A high pressure system in southern Australia is expected to keep the wind from the south through until Monday, so things are looking good for the weekend.

Marine weather:

• Today: S/SW 15/20 knots reaching 20/25 knots offshore at first. Sea: 1.5/2 metres. Swell: S 2/3 metres decreasing.
• Saturday: SW/SE 10/15 knots reaching 15/20 knots offshore. Sea: 1/1.5 metres. Swell: S 1.5/2 metres.
• Sunday: S/SE 10/20 knots. Outlook Monday: S/SE 10/20 knots.

Breakers Bootcamp is taking part in the 2008 Kokoda Challenge - a cross country team event signifying the experience of Australian troops on the Kokoda track during World War II. The Kokoda Challenge is Australia’s ultimate team event, combining endurance and mateship, as teams of four trek 96kms in 39hours. 96 km represents that actual distance of the Kokoda Track and 39 symbolises the 39th Battalion who were the first Australian troops to arrive at Kokoda in 15th July, 1942.

The event requires four person teams to trek through a route in the Gold Coast Hinterland which consists of rugged terrain and climbs totalling 5000 metres! Read the rest of this entry »

Ballina MP Don Page is encouraging members of the local community to nominate individuals, organisations or business networks for the Regional Achievement and Community Awards for 2008. 

“These awards are about recognising our dedicated individuals and groups committed to promoting our community. I ask fellow community members to nominate these worthy people to ensure they get the recognition they deserve through this years Awards,” Mr Page said.

Nominations are now open in six categories:

• The Department of State & Regional Development Business Enterprise Award
• The Department of State & Regional Development Events and Tourism Award
• The Integral Energy Regional Service Award
• The Kleenheat Gas Environment and Landcare Award
• The Department of Lands Crown Reserve Trust Award
• The Department of Lands Community of the Year Award.

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GeoLINK and Ballina Shire Council are once again inviting the business community of Lennox Head to show their support for the annual Community Tree Planting Day on Thursday  June 5.

The event is designed as an opportunity for the businesses of Lennox Head to give back to the community that supports them by restoring Lennox Head’s most prominent natural icon while at the same time offering an opportunity to offset greenhouse gas emissions from the day-to-day activities of their business.

“We are also asking local businesses to show support by offering vouchers we can give away as prizes on the day, donations to help sponsor the sausage sizzle and cold drinks or donations toward sponsoring a tree,” organiser Sally Elliott said.

“Every little bit helps to making the day a truly successful event.”

You can support the local business event by coming along (even if it’s for just an hour) between 9am and 12pm on Thursday June 5.

If you are unable to participate, but are still keen to support the event, contact Sally at GeoLINK on 6687 7666.

PICTURES: An aerial shot of Lennox Point taken about 1965 by Slim Fuller (above) and below, a Colin Cooksey shot taken more than 40 years later.

An estimated 700 runners and walkers took part in the annual Northern Star-Ballina Lions Club fun run and walk this morning.

The men’s winner open 10km was Alstonville elite-level triathlete Josh McHugh.

Josh clocked 34 minutes and 16 seconds as he warmed up for next Saturday’s Byron Bay Triathlon next weekend and an event in China soon after.

It was Josh’s second successive win in the Ballina event.

The winner of the women’s 10km event was Jessica Purbrick, a 25-year-old from Ballina. She clocked 37:17.

Josh, aged 20, moved to Germany last year to train and compete with a development team, and recorded an impressive 17th place in a Pro-Men race in London last year

Josh said the event he will compete in in China is part of the Asian Continental Cup series.

This morning’s Ballina fun run and walk was another success, with an estimated 700 men, women and children taking part.

PICTURES: Competitors in the Under-17 5km run (above) and men’s open 10km winner Josh McHugh. Scroll down for more pictures.

The 2008 Combined Services Club charity ball on May 17 at the Ballina RSL Club will be a fundraiser for the Ballina SES unit.

Tickets cost $60 per person and proceeds will go towards the SES unit’s efforts to raise about $120,000 to buy a new truck for the road-crash rescue team.

The local team is one of the busiest in the State.

But the 1984-model Ford Cargo truck which it uses has reached an age where it’s difficult to find parts and it’s just getting old, putting its reliability into question.

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