All agreed: The Point should be a Surfing Reserve
Lennox Point could be declared a National Surfing Reserve by the end of the year following a meeting at the Lennox Point Hotel this week.
Representatives from surfboard and surf lifesaving clubs, the Jali Aboriginal Land Council and others who attended the meeting agreed unanimously that the iconic surfing location should be granted Reserve status.
Representatives at the meeting will now go back to their individual clubs — shortboard, longboard and surf lifesaving clubs — to get feedback on the proposal
National Surfing Reserves recognise sites of cultural and historic significance in Australian surf culture.
In January this year, Angourie, on the NSW North Coast near Yamba, was declared the first legally protected national surfing Crown reserve in NSW.
The Department of Lands worked in partnership with the local Angourie community and the National Surfing Reserves Committee to create the reserve under the Crown Lands Act. The Lennox committee intends to follow the same process.
“The dedication of the Angourie surfing reserve is recognition by government of the contribution surfing makes to the Australian lifestyle and of the iconic status of Angourie to the surfing community,” the Department of Lands said. “The Angourie surfing reserve recognises the importance of the coastline for recreation.”
Long-time Angourie surfer Peter Cuming, who was involved in the Angourie move and is a member of the Spirit of Surfing Trust, outlined to the Lennox meeting the nomination procedure.
Ballina Shire Councillor and former surf film producer Alan Rich, who was asked to organise the meeting by the National Surfing Reserves Committee, said dedication of Lennox Head as a Surfing Reserve needn’t impinge on or conflict with existing uses. “This nomination is a confirmation of the heritage importance of Lennox Head to Australian and international surfing” he explained.
He told the meeting how he and local surf legend Rusty Miller first heard of Lennox Point as surfing uni students in the United States in the mid-1960s.
“Lennox Point is a really important spot on the world (surfing) scene,” Cr Rich said.
Rusty Miller, a former United States surfing champion who now lives in Byron Bay, attended the meeting and gave wholehearted support to the proposal.
There was a wide cross-section of the surfing community invited to the inaugural meeting, including ‘elder statesmen’ such as Phil Myers, Eric Walker, Chris Brock, George Greenough, Terry Chandler, Phil Calnan and Miller, along with All Girls Surfriders representative Rachel Bonhote-Mead, and Le-Ba Boardriders president Rod Steeles.
Bryan Lyndon represented Lennox Head-Alstonville Surf Lifesaving Club, and Jali Aboriginal Land Council chairman Des Bolt also attended.
Working groups were formed to co-ordinate furthering the nomination, and the various club and user-group representatives now will consult with their members on what was discussed.
They will report back to the next meeting, scheduled in June.
June 1st, 2007 at 10:06 am
Hi Barry, Good article. I heard the news the other day and thought it was a good idea. Remember many a morning going to Lennox Point early in the morning with Chris for him to have a surf. Many surfers hold Lennox as a specail place so a surfing reserve makes good sense. Hope it goes ahead.
June 1st, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Where will the boundaries be for the Surfing Reserve and does it exclude ride on chainsaws (you know what I mean - can’t think of their name) and other non surfing craft from the zone?
June 1st, 2007 at 4:18 pm
There was some discussion at the meeting on the issues D Clarke has raised, but no decisions were made. It was thought that the purpose of the inaugural meeting was to establish whether there was support for the Reserve, and then to establish working groups to get things moving.
It was also decided that user groups go back to their members (for example, Le-Ba Boardriders), and get their thoughts on where the boundaries should be, plus other issues.
Ballina.Info is a perfect forum for those people who are not members of shortboard, surf lifesaving or longboard clubs, so let’s hear your opinions on issues such as those raised by D Clarke, and we’ll put them forward to the next meeting.
June 1st, 2007 at 5:36 pm
[…] doubt one topic on the agenda will be the plan to declare Lennox Point an Australian Surfing […]