The campaign consisted of four prize packages to give away and entrants had to tell us in 25 words or less why they loved the Ballina Coast and hinterland.

The winners are Allison Goodman, Lennox Head; Kathy Allen, Ballina; Susan Scott, Ballina; and Graeme McGregor, Kingscote (South Australia).

“Ballina offers the warmth of a country welcome with beaches and bushland. It has shopping and entertainment that rivals a city’s. Ballina is everyone’s paradise!” was one of the winning entries by local Ballina resident Susan Scott.

“Ballina Coast is like NO other. It’s not breathtaking, it is heart-taking…” was an entry from Lennox Head.

Graeme McGregor from South Australia noticed the impacts of the bypass: “With through traffic bypassing Ballina and Alstonville, it’s time to rediscover the delights of these beautiful towns!”

“We have the best of the land and sea at our doorstep and our prawns can’t be beaten anywhere. It’s hard to find an escape to paradise when I’m already there,” was Kathy Allens’ entry from Ballina.

“The Locals Rewards campaign is just another example of Ballina Shire embracing both locals and visitors into its heart,” said Susan Scott when told of her win.

Caroline Klose, Council’s Tourism Co-ordinator, had the pleasure of advising the winners.

“This is one of the best parts of the job. I have to thank all the supporters of the prizes including Amaze N Place, Ballina Beach Village, Ballina Lakeside Holiday Park, Ballina RSL Club, Byron Bay Air Charters, Grandview Apartments, Harvest Café, Kool Katz Surf School, Macadamia Castle, Ramada Hotel and Suites, Tassiriki Ranch, The Point Restaurant, Wicked Restaurant, and the Ballina Visitor Information Centre for co-ordinating all the prizes.”

Locals Rewards loyalty cards are still valid and available for collection from the Ballina Visitor Information Centre. For information on the deals available, visit the discoverballina.com website.

The program provides $50,000 in funding to support festivals and events held within Ballina Shire between July 2012 and June 2013.

Applications will be assessed by an independent panel and reported to Council in March for a commitment to funding in the new financial year.

Community organisations and non-profit groups planning festivals during the eligible period are encouraged to apply. To be eligible for support the total cost of the festival/event must be estimated at over $20,000, with a minimum of $15,000 allocated towards cash expenses, excluding Council’s contribution.

The proposed festival should contribute to the delivery of one or more of Council’s strategic priorities as identified in the Ballina Shire Community Strategic Plan, specifically targeting Community Development and Economic Value and Environmental Awareness.

In this sense, the festival should provide a public benefit in the fields of either art and culture, sport and recreation, general health, well-being and education or learning and knowledge, whilst ensuring the event makes a positive contribution to the local economy.

Council is also looking to support events that have long-term viability and a commitment from other sources in the community.

Events that were successful in receiving funding in the 2011/12 program were Ballina Coastal Country Music Festival, Ballina Boat and Leisure Show, Ballina Island Paddle Challenge and Alstonville New Year’s Eve Family Festival.

The Festivals and Events Policy detailing the criteria for selection, and the application form, is available on Council’s website www.ballina.nsw.gov.au

For further information, contact Holly Archibald, Council’s Events and Grants Support Officer, on 66861 457 or at hollya@ballina.nsw.gov.au

The council says it intends to design a centre for the entire community, from sporting groups and community groups to a centre for civic functions.

The preferred location for the centre is Kingsford Smith Reserve and Council’s preferred option is to design a centre which will include a two-court multi-court centre for sports, trade shows or concerts and performances.

The facility would also include a catered function centre with movable internal walls to allow for a fully flexible space that can be one large function room or divided up to form four individual rooms.

The final design will be such that the centre can be extended in the future to include a third court to meet the growing demands of the Ballina community.

PDT Architects will be conducting information gathering sessions on 17 February 2012 at the Ballina Shire Council Chambers.

Council is inviting interested sporting and community groups to register to attend by contacting Chris Allison on 6686 1442 or email chrisa@ballina.nsw.gov.au

Time slots will be allocated to organisations when registering. It is intended that these sessions will formulate the basis for possible inclusions in the centre.

Also during the citizenship ceremony, Ballina Shire welcomed 10 new Australian citizens who pledged their loyalty to Australia and its people. They are Julian Chlopicki, Cathrine Dela Cruz, Jubilee Dougherty, Lyndin Graeve, Amy Roberts, Mark Serdina, Lee Young, Bethany Young, Lee George Young and Thomas Young.

Ballina Shire Council also took the opportunity to recognise and thank our local heroes through the announcement of the 2012 Australia Day awards. Australia Day award winners were:

• Col Lee – Citizen of the Year

• Jason Sines Jnr – Young Citizen of the Year

• Jacqueline Freney – Sports Person of the Year

• Our House – Community Event of the Year

Due to an outstanding number of applications received for Volunteer of the Year, Council awarded three recipients:
 
• Richard Lutze – Volunteer of the Year
• Dawn Sword – Volunteer of the Year
• Christopher Cook – Volunteer of the Year.

For award winner’s biographies visit ballinaaustraliaday.com.au

All activities that were scheduled for Williams Reserve, Lennox Head, including the Market Stalls, Byron Bay Kidz Klub, and music activities will no longer be held.

The official ceremony will still be held inside the Lennox Head Cultural & Community Centre tomorrow and will include a citizenship and Australia Day award ceremony from 9am.

For more information, please visit ballinaaustraliaday.com.au or call the Ballina Visitor Information Centre on 6686 3484.

Alcohol restrictions have been put in place in response to incidents experienced in previous years that have occurred as a result of excessive alcohol consumption.

In Ballina the following reserves will be alcohol prohibited areas on Australia Day – Commemoration Park, Missingham Park, Kingsford Smith Reserve, Pop Dennison and the reserve adjacent to the entry to the Shaws Bay Caravan Park.

In Lennox Head the following reserves will be alcohol prohibited areas on Australia Day – the public reserve surrounding Lake Ainsworth, Ross Park, Lennox Park, Williams Reserve and the foreshore reserve along Pacific Parade.

In Wardell the Wardell wharf and pontoon and will be an Alcohol Prohibited area this Australia Day. 
 
Residents and visitors are also reminded that Alcohol Free Zones (AFZ) are already in place in the Wardell, Alstonville, Ballina and Lennox Head CBDs.

The AFZs operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and apply to the roads, footpaths and public car parks. Alcohol is not permitted to be carried or consumed in areas that have been declared an AFZ.

A map showing these areas is attached and is located on Council’s website www.ballina.nsw.gov.au.

All sports fields in Ballina Shire are Alcohol Prohibited and alcohol may not be carried or consumed in these areas unless there is a licensed bar operating in association with a sporting event and alcohol may be consumed in the licensed area.

Under the alcohol prohibited regulations, police may confiscate alcohol and dispose of it without warning.

Council and NSW Police are seeking community support to ensure these restrictions are observed.

To find out more about alcohol regulations in the Shire. visit Council’s website www.ballina.nsw.gov.au or
phone 6686 4444.

Dr Walker, known to many through his regular appearances as a health presenter on the Channel Nine, will join with the community on Australia Day in Lennox Head, to help celebrate a day that truly brings together a community and a nation.

Dr Walker has an infectious passion for people and health and is regarded as one of the world’s best keynote speakers. His special interests are advanced echocardiography, preventative screening and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Dr Walker runs a busy cardiology practice in Pymble on the North Shore of Sydney, as well as his speaking and media commitments.

Known for his entertaining and emotive style of presentations, his Australia Day address is set to captivate audiences.
 
Australia Day Celebrations will be held on Thursday 26 January 2012 at the Lennox Head Cultural & Community Centre from 8.00am – 1.00pm. The full Australia Day program of activities will include a special Aussie Day market on Williams Reserve from 8.00am – 1.00pm.

Leading children’s entertainment specialists Byron Bay Kidz Klub will be running kids’ activities from 9am – 12noon including
parachute games, tug o war and free face painting. There will also be plenty of live music in the park!
 
The official ceremony will commence at 9.00am inside the community centre and includes the official raising of the Australia Day flag, welcome to country by local Bundjalung elder, ambassador address, citizenship and award ceremonies.
 
To find out more about what’s happening this Australia Day or to view Dr Walker’s full biography visit
www.ballinaaustraliaday.com.au  or contact Holly Archibald, Council’s Events & Grants Support Officer on 66861 457.

The initiative, which commenced last week, saw Visitor Centre staff meet and greet 10 jet services from Sydney and Melbourne providing visitors with information about the Ballina Coast and Hinterland, and inspiring them to see and do more in our backyard.

To add to this service, the tourism section has also commissioned promotional footage to be displayed in the arrivals terminal showcasing our lush hinterland and magnificent waterways.

“Whilst this is not the first time we have provided meet and greet services at the airport, it is the first time we have had a dedicated space in the newly renovated arrivals terminal to provide such a service,” said Caroline Klose, Tourism Co-ordinator, Ballina Shire Council.

Leanne Cawley, President of Ballina Tourism & Hospitality Inc, said: “This is a fantastic initiative of Ballina Council, enabling us to get straight to the source of visitors.

“Now we have a chance to provide authentic information on the region coupled with visually appealing footage. All of this can
only enhance tourism in the Ballina Shire.”

The service is expected to run for the holiday period, with volunteers being recruited to extend this service into 2012. If you’d like more information on this service or to become a volunteer, contact the Ballina Visitor Information Centre on 1800 777 666.

The Coast Road at Lennox Head had been completely closed to traffic since October this year to allow for the road and foundation to be excavated and rebuilt after a landslide in January 2011.

Council general manager Paul Hickey said: “The road was reduced to one lane but the reconstruction was extensive and we were forced to close it to traffic completely to allow repairs to be carried out.

“The landslide originally occurred due to effects of continuous heavy rain, and a subsequent assessment of the damage revealed a section of the road foundation was very unstable. The location of the road, on the side of a ridge, meant repairing the damage was difficult and expensive.

“The cost of the project for this stage of works is $1.35 million and this was jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments under Natural Disaster Recovery arrangements.”

“I am extremely proud of the effort of the Ballina Shire Engineering Works staff to complete this project ahead of schedule.

“The project was not expected to be finished until mid to late January but staff worked longer days as well as weekends, including some Sundays, to allow the road to be opened earlier than planned.

“We would also like to say thanks to the community for their patience and understanding in respect to this project, as we understand that the diversion through North Creek Road impacted on the amenity of some residents and travel times for commuters.”

The reconstruction of The Coast Road at Lennox Point required the removal of the original road embankment. This resulted in a 10m deep excavation beneath the original road and the removal of approximately 14,000 cubic metres of material.

This was replaced with 8500 tonnes of rock foundation and 10,000 cubic metres of fill for the rebuilding of the road embankment.

Council has provided its own funding to match RTA grant funding for the reconstruction of the road pavement section of The Coast Road north of the landslide, with this work to be completed in early 2012.

The NSW Government’s Roads and Maritime Service decided to reduce the speed limit from 100km/hour to 80km/hour in response to complaints and requests from residents.

John Truman, Civil Services, Group Manager, Ballina Shire Council, said that the NSW Roads and Maritime Service was the only authority designated to change the speed limit on State roads.

“After assessing requests from residents and members of the public, and reviewing the road, traffic volumes, speeds and the history of incidents on The Coast Road, the State Government’s Roads and Maritime Service decided to reduce the speed limit to 80km/hour,” Mr Truman said.

“The Roads and Maritime Service is independent of the Ballina Shire Council and no doubt it believes there was a justified argument for the reduction in the speed limit.”

It is expected the new speed zone will reduce the number of traffic accidents on The Coast Road.

The new 80km/hour speed zone will apply from Tuesday, December 20, 2011.