Ballina Information Blog

Newrybar producer Duck Creek Macadamias will showcase their products at this year’s Food and Hotel Asia Trade Show in Singapore.

On Tuesday (27 March) local identity Gavin Hughes, Head Chef at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa, joined Adam Brown at Duck Creek Macadamias in Newrybar for a cook-up.

The pair produced four dishes between them, using magnificent Duck Creek products including Macadamia Oil, Couverted Chocolate and Wasabi Macadamias.

The event was filmed and will be aired in April at Singapore’s Food and Hotel Asia Trade Show, where Duck Creek Macadamias will display their award-winning range of local macadamia products for the first time.

“Duck Creek are a small unique company and are trying really hard,” said Gavin Hughes, “so I am happy to give my time. They use the grade zero nut, which is the biggest nut. Their plantation is gorgeous, we are so lucky to live where we do and have the opportunity to create from this abundant region.”

Local Chef Adam Brown is the face of new cooking show “Extremely Hungry”.

PICTURE: Gavin Hughes at Duck Creek Macadamias this week.

Ballina athlete Jay Meaney has been selected to represent Australia at the World Junior Championships in Spain in July after an outstanding performance at the Australian Junior Championships in Sydney from March 15-18.

Representing Queensland, 17-year-old Jay won two gold medals and a bronze.

He won the Under-18 400m in a personal-best time of 47.67 seconds.

Jay anchored the Under-20 Queensland 4x400m relay team which won gold and broke the meet record with a time of 3:14.81.

He finished third in the Under-18 200m.

Jay won selection in Australian team as a member of the 4x400m relay team for the World Junior Championships to be held in Barcelona in July.

The World Junior Championships are contested by Under-20 athletes, and, at 17 years of age, Jay will still be eligible for the next World Juniors to be held in 2014.

Jay is coached by former Australian Olympian Glynis Nunn-Cearns, who won the heptathlon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

His performance at the Nationals will qualify him to become a member of the Australian Under-19 talent squad.

Ballina Shire Council’s General Manager, Paul Hickey is encouraging community-based and not-for-profit groups operating in Ballina Shire to register their details in Council’s online community directory.

“The directory has recently been established as a key point of contact for all of these eligible groups which provide important and broad-ranging services for our shire residents and visitors,” Mr Hickey said.

Groups may enter their information, or access information relating to groups already within the directory by simply going to Council’s website at www.ballina.nsw.gov.au. The directory is listed under Online Services.

Mr Hickey said that Council’s aim in establishing the directory is to enable people to connect easily and conveniently to the range of educational, health, recreational and social support services they wish to access.

Persons interested in finding out more about the community directory may telephone Ms Lee Hillyard in Council’s Strategic and Community Services Group on 6686 1284.

Bunnings says its new warehouse on the Big Prawn site at West Ballina will create 70 new jobs for local residents.

The Warehouse will be located at the corner of the Pacific Highway and Horizon Drive, West Ballina, NSW, and is set to open early 2013.

Bunnings will invest more than $30 million in the development, fit-out and stock for the new store on the 2.5 hectare Ballina site.

Bunnings Chief Operating Officer Peter Davis said Bunnings is committed towards supporting local communities.

“Bunnings’ investment in the Ballina area will provide great job opportunities for the local community, with over 70 new positions available in the Bunnings team, along with continued employment for the 44 existing team members, representing strong employment and on-the-job training opportunities for local residents and school leavers,” he said.

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Parents are being encouraged to look at ways to reinvigorate their child’s journey to school as an effective response to preventable diseases like diabetes and obesity. And there are numerous road safety benefits as well.

“The majority of students live within two kilometres of the school gate,” said Ballina Council’s Road Safety Officer, Jodie Hewett.

Council is urging teachers, parents and caregivers to encourage children to ride, walk or skate to school not only for the health benefit but also to reduce congestion and improve road safety around schools.

“In some parts of the Ballina Shire we are seeing the roads again busy with cars doing the school run. Riding, walking or skating to school is a great way to reduce the amount of vehicles dropping off and collecting from the school gates each day,”Ms Hewett said.

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A new market, the North Coast Kids and Babies Market, will begin at Lennox Head in May.

Market-goers are invited to come along to purchase necessities or to sell your own pre-loved goods.

There will be more than 40 stalls of pre-loved, new and locally hand-made items, including cots, prams, high chairs, car seats, scooters, bikes, clothes, nappies, shoes, hats, linen, books, bouncers, toys and swings.

“The North Coast Kids & Babies Market aims to give families an affordable shopping destination,”the organisers said.

“Sellers from across the North Coast will make up the biggest Kids and Babies market in the region. The market will have a mix of quality-controlled pre-loved items, giving families the opportunity to pick up all of the essentials at bargain prices.

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The Garage Sale Trail – Australia’s largest and most successful real world community-based marketplace – is back on Saturday 5 May, 2012 and this year ‘Everything’s For Sale’.

On Saturday 5 May, join the Garage Sale Trail ambassadors Michael Caton, Angus Stone, Dave Rastovich, Tracey Spicer and thousands of other Aussies nationwide who will be searching for gold, connecting with neighbours, bagging a bargain, making pocket money and just generally having a little fun.

The multi-award winning Garage Sale Trail (Green Globe Award 2010), Community Contribution of the Year (2010), AMIA Green Marketing of the Year (2011), International Green Award (2011) and Sydney Magazine Top 100 (Dec 2011) is a people-powered program that’s about sustainability, community and creativity.

“We were completely overwhelmed by the level of interest and support that the Garage Sale Trail’s national debut generated in 2011. It was so fantastic to see all the interpretations people made of the day from the schools and community groups who organised monster sales to fundraise for the respective causes; households that used it as a way to de-clutter and make a little pocket money; local businesses who got involved by selling goods at garage sale prices; and, not to mention all the makers and creators who used Garage Sale Trail as a marketplace to sell their wares. Consequently, this year we are providing tools for all these different types of community stakeholders to get involved,” says Darryl Nichols, Co-Founder.

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Record crowds have visited the Northern Rivers Community Gallery’s current exhibitions during their first week on display. The program currently features five including Sew Inspired, The Knitted Garden, The Tea Cosy Show, Liaison and The Loose Threads.

A spectacular showcase of quilting, embroidery, knitting, crocheting and painting – the exhibitions are colourful, quirky, beautiful and fun!

Marie Curnow of the Ballina Coastal Quilters group says of the Sew Inspired exhibition: “We received a Seniors Week Grant from the NSW Government Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, to present this show.

“”It is a really important opportunity to come together as a group and showcase our achievements over the past 2 years.

“Our group approximately 40 members we range in age from 50s to 90s. With our exhibition we hope to increase public awareness of the interests, achievements and aspirations of seniors in this community.”

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Ballina Shire sports fields will be safer with Ballina Shire Council receiving a $90,000 grant for lighting under the Federal Government’s Safer Suburbs program.

Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare made the announcement last Friday day at Saunders Sports Field – home of the Ballina Soccer Club – with local member Janelle Saffin and Ballina Mayor Councillor Phillip Silver.

The funding will be used to install 11 light poles with integrated solar and lighting equipment – four each at Saunders Sports Field and Bicentennial Park and three at Elizabeth Ann Brown Park in Alstonville.

“This is a big win for our community, especially for the sporting clubs that use these grounds,” Ms Saffin said.   “I want to thank all the parents and kids who worked with me and Ballina Shire Council to get this done.

“During the last election the Labor Government promised this funding. I’m pleased to see it being delivered, and I thank Ballina Shire Council for all their hard work in developing this project.”

Mr Clare said there is a clear need to improve lighting at these grounds.

“The Saunders Sports Fields are used as a pedestrian route but there is no existing lighting. Bicentennial Park is remote, studded with trees and poorly lit. Elizabeth Ann Brown Park is popular with teenagers at night but is also poorly lit”, Mr Clare said.

“By installing these lights we will make the grounds safer for sporting clubs and for residents who live nearby.   “This is one of the 43 projects the Federal Government promised at the last election. We are spending $5.42 million to improve safety in communities right across Australia.”

Ballina Shire Council is currently assessing planning proposals for land at Cumbalum and there will be a public information session on Saturday.

The planning proposals provide for the rezoning of parts of the land for future large-scale development located in two separate precincts, being north of Ballina Heights Estate and south of Ross Lane respectively.

The planning proposals are currently on exhibition for public comment. Council has extended the exhibition period until the end of March.

Submissions relating to the Cumbalum Precinct A and Precinct B planning proposals will now be accepted until 4:30pm on Friday 30 March 2012.

To support this exhibition, Council staff will be conducting an information session concerning the rezonings. The session will be held at the Lennox Head Cultural and Community Centre commencing at 10.00am on Saturday 10 March 2012.   Members of the community who wish to obtain information concerning the planning proposals are invited to attend.

More information on the Cumbalum plan.