Ballina Information Blog

Ballina Visitor Information Centre is set to offer Visitor Information Services at the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport.

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.

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Great news for those who commute between Lennox Head and Ballina – The Coast Road has been reopened to traffic.

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.

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As part of the Ballina Shire Liquor Accord’s drink drive prevention project, a new anti drink drive message will be installed on the rear of toilet doors, above urinals and wash basins in licensed venues across the Ballina Shire over the Festive period.

Pubs, hotels, licensed restaurants and cafes have joined forces to support the “Don’t Let Your Mates Drink and Drive. It’s Stupid” convenience advertising campaign.

“Alcohol continues to be a major contributor of road trauma in our local area. Over the past five years alcohol was involved in 71 crashes on our local roads. And of the people killed or injured 64% were male, says Jodie Hewett, Ballina Shire Council’s Road Safety Officer.

We are using convenience advertising to drive the message home this Christmas. Convenience advertising allows you to create a hard-hitting campaign to reach an already captive audience. This new anti drink drive message states the hard facts about drinking and driving”, continues Jodie.

The project, a partnership with the Ballina Shire Liquor Accord, Ballina Shire Council, Transport, Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Police and licensed premises, will continue to deliver a series of messages throughout the year to minimise harm associated with alcohol use”, says GavinFensom, Chairman of the Ballina Shire Liquor Accord.

The Accord aims to deliver simple messages. The first message reminded drivers how to avoid drink driving and this message states the facts, the myths and the consequences.

Patrons who are planning to drink alcohol are encouraged to leave their car at home and arrange a lift, designate a driver who is not drinking, or catch a taxi or hire car.

Local licensees and restaurant owners recognise the need to continually target drink driving and support the placement of these important messages in their establishments.

The launch of the “Don’t Let Your Mates Drink and Drive. It’s Stupid” convenience advertising campaign will commence Christmas Eve.

The speed limit on The Coast Road between Lennox Head and Ballina is being reduced to 80 kilometres an hour.

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.

Professional and amateur fishermen will welcome the announcement that the NSW Government has signalled its intention to dredge river bars and navigation channels in a major policy shift.

Minister for the North Coast and Member for Ballina Don Page said: “The dredging of the Ballina Bar is a step closer with the NSW Government currently evaluating tenders for an entrance bar feasibility study, which will include costings for the dredging of the Ballina bar.

“This study will identify the most practical solution to restore adequate clearance over the bar, which provides value for money and long-term benefits.

“It will also look at environmental issues associated with dredging.

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The chairman of the Ballina Jockey Club, Dr Bob Jemison, has released the names of the two new additions to the Iris Nielsen Lady Jockeys Hall of Fame for 2102.

The Selection Committee has met and the Directors have accepted their recommendation that Lesley Bellden and Julie Krone join the list of inductees.

The induction will take place at the Iris Nielsen Memorial meeting on Sunday 29th January 2012.

Lesley Bellden, the first woman to ride a winner at Randwick, will be present to accept her honour at the track where she won the Ballina Bracelet in the 1980s when it was a $40,000 event.

Julie Krone, the rider of 3704 winners and the only woman to have ridden a winner in America’s Triple Crown, will also be trackside to receive her award.

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Two boat ramps in the Ballina electorate are to be upgraded as part of the NSW Government’s Better Boating program, the Member for Ballina, Don Page, said.

“Parking at the Cawarra Park boat ramp on North Creek in Ballina will be improved with $55,000 to be spent on reconstructing the car park,” Mr Page said.

“At West Ballina, an 8m x 4m pontoon with a gangway adjacent to the existing boat ramp will also be built.

“This project has a budget of $69,000 and when completed will be a significant asset for anglers, providing improved access to the Richmond River.”

The two grants are part of more than $4.5 million in allocations to provide new and improved boating facilities across NSW.

“It is estimated more than 1.5 million people go boating in NSW each year, and making access to our waterways safer and more convenient is good news for the community and the economy,” Mr Page said.

Nominate a local hero this Australia Day in the 2012 Ballina Shire Australia Day Awards Program.

The annual awards program is an opportunity for members of the community to be recognised for their outstanding achievements and commitment to our shire.

Award recipients will be announced at the official Australia Day celebrations on Thursday, 26 January, at the Lennox Head Cultural & Community Centre. 
 
Ballina Shire Council is currently seeking nominations for recognition in the following categories: Young Citizen of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Sports Person of the Year and Community Event of the Year.

All nominees must reside in the Ballina Shire local government area.  
 
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If you’ve noticed white crosses marked on Ballina’s North Wall, here’s why …

The NSW Government has committed funding for major maintenance on Ballina North Breakwater next year, Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, said.

“The breakwater is made from rock and concrete armour units that absorb most of the sea’s energy but they naturally degrade over time due to the effects of waves and wind,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

“Damage to the northern breakwater has occurred over the past few years and this has meant that the structure is in need of a major upgrade.

“Aerial photography is the first stage of the maintenance process, with white crosses painted on the breakwater to obtain ground control for the aerial photographs.

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Ballina MP Don Page and Minister for Heritage Robyn Parker have congratulated the Crew of the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum on being recognised at the NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Awards.

“Volunteering makes a significant contribution to protecting, preserving and bringing to life our heritage places and stories,” Mr Page said.

“The Crew of the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum was nominated within the maritime heritage category for working tirelessly to develop an impressive collection of artefacts, models, weapons, flags, photos and paintings that explore Ballina’s naval and maritime history.

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