TVW January 29 2026

Local Australia Day honours

Residents say ‘no’ to Seabreeze high school

By Jonathon Howard

THE LONG-RUNNING proposal for a new high school in Pottsville, potentially located within the Seabreeze estate, has again sparked intense community debate, with residents raising concerns about transparency, planning impacts and whether the site is appropriate for such a development.

The Weekly put the question to readers with more than a dozen responses, many expressing concern with the Seasbreeze proposal, but most in support of a new high school for Pottsville.

A high school was mooted in the original Seabreeze plans, with the state government announcing late last year it was in the process of buying the land held for the school.

Many reports have focused on the growth of the once sleepy seaside village and how that growth can be managed including from waste water, roads, parking and education.

Demography firm ID estimates Pottsville’s population could overtake that of Kingscliff by 2036, with the former having 10,224 residents and the latter 10,186.

However, residents say details have remained vague for years, leaving many homeowners, particularly those who have built or purchased in the estate over the past decade, unaware that a school was planned for the site, with Council and politicians suporting locals who petitioned for the school over the years.

Several residents have reached out to The Weekly this month stressing that previous development applications for residential housing on the land led many to believe the site would ultimately be used for homes, not a major educational facility.

Local resident Tim Higgins argues the

proposal has been driven more by political agendas than community need, describing it as a “flawed concept from its inception”.

He points to significant ratepayer funds spent by Tweed Shire Council opposing residential development on the land, suggesting that abandoning the school proposal now would be politically uncomfortable.

“The council or particular council member will have egg on their face if the land was used for something apart from a school as significant rate payer money has been spent to reject the developer to build and let’s be honest much needed homes that will be in a residential estate,” he said.

Mr Higgins also notes that recent development applications for housing on the site attracted more public support than opposition through Council’s “Have Your Say” process.

“When DAs have been lodged in recent years for proposed residential land more people have supported the proposals for more homes than against, this is reflected in “Have your say” option in the council DA website,” he said.

Another key criticism is the lack of direct consultation with current Seabreeze residents.

Locals say no opinion poll or targeted consultation has been conducted among those now living in the estate, despite the scale of the potential impact.

“Not a single opinion poll has been conducted for the residents of Seabreeze estate that live their now in 2026 versus when it was originally suggested decades ago for their feedback or concerns,” he told The Weekly.

Instead, Mr Higgins is backing calls to build the Pottsville high school on Crown land.

“In a 2015 media post, the current local

member suggested “There is Crown land adjacent to the Pottsville Beach Public School that has been reserved for future government use so acquiring land for a future high school in this location is not a problem - this just makes more sense,” Mr Higgins added.

Environmental and lifestyle concerns have also been raised.

A Sawtell Circuit resident highlighted the proximity of the proposed site to Cudgera Creek and surrounding wetlands, warning of potential after-hours impacts including noise, rubbish, damage to birdlife and increased trail bike activity along the existing walking tracks.

“These issues already occur intermittently and fear they would intensify with hundreds of students accessing the area daily,” the resident, whose wanted their name withheld, said.

“Traffic congestion is another major concern, with locals predicting significant pressure on the three roundabouts along Seabreeze Boulevard during school drop-off and pick-up times, affecting residents’ ability to enter and exit the estate on weekdays.”

While opposition to the Seabreeze site is strong, many residents stress they are not against a new high school in Pottsville.

Alternative locations have been repeatedly suggested, including Crown land adjacent to Pottsville Beach Public School and Council-owned land between Overall Drive and Mooball Road, which residents argue could accommodate a school with far less impact on existing neighbourhoods.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: Do you believe Seabreeze could be made flood free and fit within the this growing community? Share your thoughts and letters via email: editor@theweekly.net.au

“Pottsville’s population could overtake that of Kingscliff by 2036”

CONGRATULATIONS

You

Support Friends of the Koala

Team Koala would like to acknowledge the effective work Friends of the Koala in Lismore carries out in caring for sick and injured koalas.

We stand in solidarity with Friends of the Koalas’ need for $500,000 to complete their upgraded hospital as reported in the Tweed Valley Weekly on January 15.

In June 2020 the NSW Veterinary Board granted Friends of the Koala a licence to operate the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital, the only specialist koala hospital in the region with the largest number of admissions of any koala hospital in NSW.

Stage 1 of the Hospital’s planned expansion which includes a purpose-built laboratory, a sterile surgical suite, three new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) rooms, and a dedicated chlamydia Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory has been completed to lock-up.

Thanks largely to World Wildlife Fund Australia’s Regenerate Australia Program.

Team Koala supports Friends of the Koala in seeking additional funding for the completion of their hospital and Team Koala will be making a public announcement of our financial contribution, but more is needed. In the meantime, we encourage all Tweed Valley Weekly readers with an interest in koalas and their care and survival to contact Friends of the Koala on (02) 66 214664 (info@ friendsofthekoala.org) and please make a donation.

Jenny Hayes, Team Koala president, Murwillumbah Australia Day is not invasion day

In reply to Pierre Masse (TVW, Letters, January 15), the date of Australia Day, January 26, is not an

invasion day and never was.

Captain Cook didn’t land then nor did anybody else. He actually landed on April 29, 1770.

On the April 26, 1949, the Australian Nationality came into existence when the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 was enacted.

That was the first day we were first called Australians and allowed to travel with passports as Australians. Prior to that we were called British subjects.

Until this date Aboriginals were not protected by law.

This new act gave Aboriginal Australians by inference and precedent the full protection of Australian law.

If true history was taught in schools today in future our children would know the facts.

Jean Laundy, Banora Point Kingscliff residents have had enough

For several months now when we go to the Kingscliff Community Hall for our yoga class (TVW, Page 5, January 22), to enjoy mindfulness and exercise.

We are regularly confronted with the rough sleepers. We politely open the front doors to let them know the class is about to commence, sometimes they move and sometimes they don’t.

The tall male, who is a regular, often gets abusive and our beautiful softly spoken yoga teacher is stood over as she tries to provide a beautiful experience to all her class participants.

Our lovely teacher has approached the Tweed Shire Council to whom she pays for the hire of the hall – and they say they can do nothing.

People have spoken to the police about the tough sleepers, who say they can approach them and move them on for a while, but they can return.

This doesn’t just happen at the classes I attend on Tuesday and Friday

mornings; it happens every other morning too.

These beautiful yoga teachers are providing a wonderful service to the community by helping people keep mentally and physically fit.

It is also a business for these yoga teachers trying to make a living for their families. There are between about 15 to 25 people attending these classes each day and paying for the experience.

Why are the rough sleepers allowed to affect so many other people’s lives who may have their own struggles and are trying to manage them in a positive way.

The rough sleepers are seen regularly up at the Tweed Valley Hospital who are also struggling to manage them, where they often experience aggressive behaviour from them. Enough - the community has had enough.

S Hicks, Kingscliff Homeless waiting room for splendour

Stop your whinging of the jobless, the homeless, of the anti-social-behaviour folk.

They were enticed to call their home on the far north coast.

The good carers have them on pedestals whilst providing them with tents, sleeping-bags, food, washing-machines and dryers.

They’re sitting idle awaiting those who work to part with their earnings in the form of tax to provide them with top-rated accommodation for life. What did you expect?

They might be ragged but they’re not idiots.

News of this idyllic lifestyle freely provided is spreading from big city to big city so expect more jobless and anti-social folk to treat the far north coast as their idyllic waiting room for splendour.

Ian Pratt, Bilinga Syringes in toilets is just the beginning of issues

In response to your article, Syringes in Kingscliff Toilets, (TVW, January 22) I was glad to see this issue being brought to wider public attention.

I have spoken to many concerned locals about the ongoing presence of homeless individuals engaging in drug use at Rowan Robinson Park, which is having a significant impact on public safety and the amenities of the area.

I have previously contacted Tweed Shire Council regarding this matter but have not received a response.

I have also contacted police after witnessing an individual attempting to conceal the smoking of a substance in a pipe-like object in close proximity to children using the park.

This is a serious issue that requires urgent attention. Many local residents are increasingly concerned that our parks and beachfront areas will become further unsafe and unusable for families if meaningful action is not taken, reflecting challenges already evident in parts of Tweed Heads.

Addressing this situation is critical to ensuring our public spaces remain safe and accessible for the wider community and the many tourists who visit our town.

A Wallace, Kingscliff Shark prevention thoughts

Over the last couple of weeks, it’s been reported a great white shark was spotted in Tweed River and at Cudgen Creek a large bull shark lurking in the shallows.

The Tweed has magnificent natural waterways so perhaps certain popular creeks need netted areas?

Case in point, Tweed Shire Council has done a terrific job renovating Little D’ Bah, which is a popular swimming and snorkelling location

at mouth of Tweed River.

Maybe a shark barrier that doesn’t interfere with fish or birds and doesn’t impact tides and natural river flow might be a useful protection to keep the public safe and provide peace of mind.

Stevie Barr, Tweed Heads

My dream to climb Wollumbin (Mt Warning)

Let me share my dream experience of climbing Mt Warning/Wollumbin.

Prebooking the climb avoided disappointment because the time of closure has lead to unprecedented demand.

The shuttle bus from the information centre to the base solved the problem of access and parking.

On the trail it wasn’t hard to see the improvements which justified the entry fee.

Boardwalks replaced erosion in parts and the twoway staircase at the summit is far safer than the chain.

Information signs enabled me to come away with increased knowledge of rainforest environment.

The reopening has also enable Indigenous youth to represent their culture via the Indigenous Skills and Employment Program.

The people I met on the trail expressed their pleasure at having an attraction in addition to the Rail Trail and the Tweed Regional Gallery. It has even enabled Mavis’ Kitchen to reopen.

But the best bit. Thanks to the Minns government Darryl Kerrigan won’t need to tell me “I’m dreaming”. Peter Smith, Round Mountain

Please note the views on the letters page are those of the letter writer and not of the Tweed Valley Weekly. Letters must include a suburb and contact number for verification. Letters may be edited for length or legal reasons. Send your letters to editor@theweekly. net.au or phone: (02) 6672 4443

Illegal Airbnb owners fined

By Jo Kennett

THE OWNERS of a Tyalgum property who illegally built and rented out a dwelling as an Airbnb without any Tweed Shire Council approvals, will have to pay $36,000 in legal fees and reparations and will never be able to rent it out.

The home at 7 Charbray Place, Tyalgum, was illegally built in 2015 and was allegedly illegally rented out as a short term stay on Airbnb for over eight years until March 2023 as Tyalgum Springs. Even after enforcement proceedings the owners continued to put the property on Airbnb requiring repeated intervention from Tweed Shire Planning Officers.

The owners have since admitted to contravening several parts of the Environment Protection Act.

Tweed Shire Council was asked by the media about the case and have shared their responses with The Weekly. When were you first made aware the owners were illegally renting out an unapproved property?

Council received a report that an illegal dwelling had been constructed at the site (7 Charbray Place, Tyalgum) on March 21, 2023.

What are the laws and regulations in Tweed Shire regarding something like this?

There were two problems with the development – it was built without any form of DA or construction certificate so the Council had no opportunity to consider whether it met the regulations outlined in the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 and the National Construction Code, and then it was rented out as a short term rental even though it wasn’t approved which is against the law.

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Did the council give them any warnings?

Council began investigations around the construction and use of the dwelling at the end of July 2026. Within days the owners had lodged a Building Information Certificate Application and a Development Application on the NSW Planning Portal.

How much have they been fined?

Under the Enforceable Undertaking the owners have agreed to pay $21,000 in legal costs to the Council and a financial contribution in lieu of a fine of $15,000. The $15,000 will be wholly contributed to Council’s public education program about illegal and unauthorised buildings.

action in our region highlights why it is essential to obtain development approval and the required construction certificates before starting any building work.

Development approval exists to protect everyone

Have they cooperated with the investigations?

The owners have, in consultation with their legal advice, admitted to contravening a number of sections of the EP&A Act and offered to enter the Enforceable Undertaking.

Are they seeking approval now?

The owners have a Development Consent for use of the building as a dwelling but given that it was built without a DA originally, under law it can never be used for short term holiday letting.

What does council say in regards to others who are maybe thinking of not getting their new dwellings approved.

Building a house – or carrying out other significant works – without the proper approvals is not a shortcut. It is unlawful, risky, and can have serious financial and legal consequences. Recent compliance

The NSW planning system is designed to ensure that development:

• Is safe and structurally sound

• Is suitable for the land and surrounding area

• Complies with zoning and environmental controls

• Does not place people, neighbours, or the environment at risk.

A development application (DA) allows Council to assess these matters before construction begins. Some types of development are not permitted at all in certain zones. Starting works without approval removes these safeguards.

What happens now?

The building can be used as a residential dwelling by the owners in accordance with the Development Consent that was issued in October 2024.

LEGAL TOPICS FOR SENIORS – 2026

Great news… the extremely popular ‘Legal topics for seniors’ diaries have arrived in my office.

The diary offers useful tips and practical information about a range of issues that can be commonly faced by seniors including scams, disputes with neighbours, elder abuse and retirement villages and aged care.

Diaries can be collected from my office at 103 Minjungbal Drive, Tweed Heads South.

Be quick, there is only a limited number and they go fast.

Geoff PROVEST

New Tweed hospital general manager

By Jo Kennett

THE NEW general manager (GM) of the Tweed Valley Hospital comes with a wealth of experience, having faced some of the toughest challenges any hospital administrator could confront.

Graham Guy, who took over the role from acting GM Adam Reid last June, is originally from England and was a physiotherapist before going into health administration.

He spent 20 years working in the Waikato region in New Zealand including different managerial roles at Waikato Hospital.

White Island disaster

Following the 2019 Whakaari eruption, Waikato Hospital, among others, activated its mass casualty plan to treat victims who suffered severe burns and injuries.

Mr Guy says his role was “part of a whole hospital response which became a North Island response”.

“Victims were triaged and went to different places,” he said.

“Our part was to make capacity for patients as we were the largest major hospital in the area.

“It was really challenging for staff in terms of the damage to patients that came our way and the condition they were in, and making sure we had ICU beds.

“Then it became the ongoing management of the patients.

“As a hospital we became well-versed in coordinating emergency responses.”

Cyber attack experience

Even more challenging for hospital staff was a cyber attack in 2021, when hackers, demanding ransom, shut down all the IT systems and phone lines at the five Waikato District Health Board’s hospitals. It took six months to get back online.

“We didn’t have a single piece of electronic information available,” Mr Guy said.

“You couldn’t use the phone, you had no information about the patient in front of you and the information you had was what they told you.

“Every single piece of equipment was off so we had to rebuild each program from scratch and test each one - you have roughly 600 programs across a hospital.”

They might retest a system three or four times only to find it infected and have to go back to square one. Everything had to be hand-written and ferried around the hospital.

“You couldn’t speak to someone on the phone, you had to go and find them,” Mr Guy said.

“We, as a leadership team, were on site 24 hours a day, in eight hour shifts with three people walking the floor, reassuring staff, making sure they knew what was happening.

“The surgeons were amazing because you couldn’t transfer information into the screens in-theatre so they had to photograph it on their phone and take that into the theatre.

“COVID was similar. You had to respond very quickly to changes of situation.

“While disaster management is quite common here (in the Tweed Shire) with floods and cyclones, your response is always fairly consistent in these situations.”

Tweed Valley Hospital

Moving to Australia, Mr Guy became executive director at Hervey Bay and Maryborough hospitals, then worked on the Health Round Table, visiting hospitals in the N.T, W.A and Queensland, to see where improvements could be made.

“That’s brought me here which is a really unique and exciting experience because every hospital I’ve worked at has outgrown its footprint many, many years ago,” Mr Guy said.

“All the innovation comes out of crisis but here we have an opportunity where innovation is built off a really good platform.”

Mr Guy said the real potential is to grow com-

munity services so future capacity is there when the population grows.

He has already started some work around the hospital’s older persons model of care which he describes as, “a big opportunity.”

“We have this growing proportion of our population that is older; we are going to be one in three or four people over the age of 65,” Mr Guy said.

His goal is to “keep them safe at home for as long as possible” and, if hospital care is needed, return people home quickly with community services to prevent readmission.

“We delivered that really well in New Zealand,” Mr Guy said, where strengthened community models halved 90-day readmissions and cut older patient bed days by 40 per cent.

He is also working on making parking more efficient at the hospital to help reduce the frustration of visitors and staff.

Pragmatic, easy-going and already hugely popular with staff - who he enjoys regaling with tales of his beloved Evertom Football Club’s latest results - Graham Guy has a bold vision for the hospital that will help shape its culture and operations into the future.

Tweed Heads Medicare Urgent Care Clinic

NOW OPEN

7 DAYS

As your local Labor MP I’m proud to be delivering on my election commitment for a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in the Tweed region.

The Medicare Urgent Care Clinic is located at Tweed Health for Everyone Superclinic, 33/35 Corporation Circuit Tweed Heads South.

This means you can get the free, fully bulk billed, urgent care you need.

Federal Member for Richmond

Tweed honours achievers and welcomes citizens

By Jonathon Howard

THE TWEED Shire’s rich community spirit took centre stage at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre on Friday, January 23, as locals and groups were honoured at the Tweed Shire Council Australia Day Awards, followed by a citizenship ceremony welcoming new Australians from around the world.

A total of 43 residents from 13 countries, including Brazil, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and Spain, made the pledge to became Australian citizens in the Tweed this year.

Tweed Citizen of the Year

The highly coveted title of Tweed Citizen of the Year was awarded to Jennifer Booth, recognised for her leadership in emergency response and decades of volunteer service. A Murwillumbah resident for more than 45 years, Ms Booth has supported the community through some of its most challenging moments, including floods, bushfires and cyclones, while raising five children.

Her volunteer efforts have included coordinating support at the 2017 and 2022 flood evacuation centres at Murwillumbah TAFE, the 2019 Uki bushfire evacuation centre and the 2025 Cyclone Alfred evacuation centre. Her service began long before disaster response, volunteering with St Vincent de Paul, Anglicare and local churches, and later serving on committees supporting people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.

“Not only did I heal myself, but I also found out that I could heal other people by giving to these services,” Ms Booth said. Today, she continues to play a vital role in

coordinating local evacuation centres and ensuring essential supplies are ready when emergencies strike.

Mayor Chris Cherry paid tribute to her commitment and to the wider community spirit.

“We know hardship all too well in the Tweed over the past few years, yet every event reminds us of the remarkable spirit that lives here,” Cr Cherry said.

“Our community shows up for one another in ways that are truly inspiring, and this care for each other continues to build stronger community bonds and support for those who need it most.”

Other Australia Day award recipients reflected the diversity and strength of the Tweed community.

The Arts and Culture Award went to the Murwillumbah Philharmonic Choir, a community ensemble with roots dating back to 1923. Despite interruptions during major events such as World War II, the 1960s and the COVID-19 pandemic, the choir has endured for more than a century, sustained by volunteers and a shared love of music.

The Community Event of the Year was awarded to the Tyalgum Music Festival, now in its 33rd year. The festival continues to bring opera and classical music to the region, combining worldclass performances with the natural beauty of the Tweed, while keeping ticket prices affordable and offering free entry for children and the Tyalgum School community.

The Senior Ambassador Award was presented to Karen Dawson, whose extensive volunteer work since 2017 spans health, welfare, education, creative arts and environmental projects. Drawing on her professional background, she has mentored individuals and organisations while leading creative initiatives that connect generations.

Sporting excellence was recognised with the Sporting Achievement – Group Award going

to the Tweed Netball Association Under 18 Green Representative Team. The team of 10 young athletes claimed the Queensland State Championship title at the State Carnival in Ipswich in mid-April 2025, demonstrating talent, leadership and determination both on and off the court.

The Sporting Achievement – Individual Award was awarded to tenpin bowler William Mison.

Competing in both able-bodied and disability events, William has represented Queensland multiple times and earned selection in national inclusion squads, overcoming the challenges of Autism, ADHD and sensory processing difficulties in pursuit of his dream to represent Australia.

Volunteerism was also strongly celebrated. Volunteer of the Year – Group was awarded to Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary in Tyalgum, a volunteer-run organisation that has grown from a small educational project into a sanctuary caring for more than 100 rescued animals.

The Volunteer of the Year – Individual Award went to Amos Suthern, known as “Moss”, for more than eight years of dedicated service with Tweed Palliative Support. His quiet but

Murwillumbah Public School

vital work delivering hospital beds and recliner chairs — often on his own — has helped countless residents spend their final days at home in comfort and dignity.

The Young Achiever in Community Service Award was presented to Ruby Allen, creator of the ‘Kids of Purple’ website. Launched while she was still in high school, the platform supports children and young people affected by domestic and family violence, providing age-appropriate information, validation and pathways to help.

Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot, State Members (Lismore) Janelle Saffin MP and (Tweed) Geoff Provest MP, Deputy Mayor Reece Byrnes and Cr Meredith Dennis OAM, Cr Kimberly Hone and Cr Nola Firth joined the celebrations, alongside Mayor Cherry. The awards ceremony was followed by a Citizenship Ceremony, with the 2024 Tweed Shire Citizen of the Year, Mic Julien, attending as Australia Day Ambassador and welcoming both award recipients and new citizens. Award videos can be viewed at tweed.nsw.gov. au/australia-day.

An exciting year ahead at MPS

Murwillumbah Public School is set for another outstanding year in 2026, with staff returning recently for Staff Development Days to prepare for the return of students next week. With a strong focus on learning, wellbeing and opportunity, MPS is shaping up to be a real winner in the year ahead. Teaching and learning will continue to be a priority, with an emphasis on explicit teaching across all subject areas. Small class sizes and dedicated support staff enable tailored learning for students, including phonics-based literacy intervention programs such as MiniLit for Years 1–2 and MacqLit for Years 3 and above, supporting accuracy, uency and comprehension. In numeracy, students will bene t from daily ability-based groups that provide both targeted support and opportunities for extension. High Potential and Gifted Education programs will continue to nurture student strengths across numeracy, literacy, music and sport.

dance group also takes part in the Far North Coast Dance Festival, providing students with inspiring performance opportunities that foster con dence, creativity and a love of

Beyond the classroom, Stage 2 and Stage 3 students are eagerly anticipating annual camps to Lake Ainsworth and Hastings Point, while sporting opportunities remain strong. Several teams will compete in PSSA competitions, and all students will participate in the MiniFit program — a tailored perceptual movement program focusing on body management, locomotion and object control.

In 2026, MPS will also implement The Resilience Project, an evidencebased wellbeing program built around the principles of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM). This program equips students with lifelong wellbeing skills, supports educator resilience and empowers families to nurture wellbeing at home. With a strong focus on academic excellence, wellbeing and rich opportunities, Murwillumbah Public School is looking forward to an exciting and successful year ahead.

By Jo Kennett

At around 5.55pm on Wednesday, Jan uary 21, police executed a search warrant at a home in Banora Point.

During the search, police allegedly lo cated and seized 28 gel blaster firearms, a rifle, two shotguns, and ammunition.

He was charged with six offences, including possessing more than three unregistered firearms without a licence or permit.

Other charges included the possession of an unregistered firearm that was not a pistol or prohibited firearm, possession of an unauthorised pistol, failure to keep a firearm safely that was not a pistol or prohibited firearm, failure to keep a firearm safely - a pistol - and possession of ammunition without holding a licence, permit, or authority.

The man was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday, March 2.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is managed on a confidential basis.The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

B E A T with Jo Kennett

Police boss honours

By Jo Kennett

TWEED BYRON Police Detective Chief Inspector Matt Kehoe and Superintendent Christopher Schilt, who recently took command of the Tweed/Byron Police District, are two of nine NSW officers honoured with an Australian Police Medal (APM) for exceptional service and commitment to the community.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said an APM “reflects the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and leadership within our organisation.”

Det. Ch Insp Matt Kehoe

Detective Chief Inspector Kehoe has dedicated 38 years of distinguished service to the community, marked by outstanding performance, quality, and significant contribution to the development of the NSW Police Force.

“The award was something I did not expect but I’m very humbled and grateful to receive it,”

Det Ch Insp Kehoe told The Weekly.

“I have been fortunate to work with some great people during my career and had some great leaders who supported me,” he said.

“Community engagement has always been a big part of my policing and I have met some wonderful people during my career.

“Sadly, my father Nev, who was a retired police commander with 35 years’ service, passed away in late November and wasn’t able to witness this award, but I’m sure he would be proud of me. “Most importantly, the support of your family is essential, and I have been blessed with a very supportive wife, three great kids and a large supportive family.”

Det Ch Insp Kehoe joined NSW Police in 1987, working at Dee Why, Manly and Frenchs Forest, the Corrective Services Investigation Unit, State Crime Command and was promoted to sergeant at Lismore in 2005.

In 2018 he transferred to the Tweed/Byron Police District, then in 2019 was promoted to a detective chief inspector at the Tweed/Byron Police District.

He led major policing operations at Bluesfest, Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival, supported the family of a missing Belgian backpacker, and coordinated responses to bushfires,

floods and COVID-19 border operations.

Det Ch Insp Kehoe is currently in charge of Byron Bay Police Station and is popular among the local community.

“He has consistently navigated complex challenges throughout his career,” the award states.

“His ability to maintain public trust and uphold the integrity of the NSW Police Force has been achieved through proactive engagement with locals, community groups, and business owners within the tourism industry.

“These strong relationships have been instrumental in fostering community confidence and collaboration.

Suptintendent Chris Schilt

Superintendent Chris Schilt joined the NSW Police in 1996, serving at Waverley, Marrickville, Botany Bay and Kings Cross police stations.

Promoted to sergeant in 2004 at Kings Cross and inspector in 2008 at Botany Bay, he was recognised for strong operational leadership and a focus on officer welfare and community engagement.

In 2012 he moved to the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command as commander of the Security Management Unit.

Promoted to superintendent in 2016, he became the inaugural commander of the Hume Police District, leading emergency responses during the 2019–20 bushfires and later flood emergencies.

District commander of the Manning Great Lakes Police District from 2020, he prioritised youth engagement through programs such as Fit for Life and Boxing with the Boss.

A boxer and president of the NSW Police Boxing Club since 2005, Supt Schilt has been a driving force behind the NSW Police Force boxing fundraiser, helping to raise a significant amount of money for charities.

He has fought in the ring to help raise funds and mentored many young people at crossroads in their lives. His direct intervention has changed the course of those lives for the better.

Supt Schilt is now the commander of the Tweed/Byron Police District and was described as “a respected member of the NSW Police Force, who shows genuine care for all staff, the community and the NSW Police Force brand.”

Why protect camphor

By Jonathon Howard

TWEED SHIRE Council is facing mounting criticism from farmers and landholders over its draft planning controls that propose retaining large exotic trees, including camphor laurel, despite the species being classified as an invasive weed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

Chair of the Far North Coast Branch of the NSW Farmers Association, Craig Huf, recently wrote to The Weekly raising alarms with the councils proposed DCP, which he says would entrench a weed that is already causing widespread damage.

“These are trees that cause massive environmental damage and have a huge impact on farmers bottom line,” Mr Huf told The Weekly.

“Every year, these council protected large camphor laurels produce vast quantities of seed, which are widely spread by native birds.

“They remain as permanent seed factories, reinfesting surrounding forest and farm land year after year.”

Mr Huf said the impacts of this spread are now plainly visible across the Tweed.

spokesperson said.

“The DCP controls only apply to urban zoned land and do not apply clearing of vegetation on rural zoned land associated with routine farming and land management practices.

“These activities continue to be regulated by Local Land Services under the Local Land Services Act 2013.

“You don’t have to go far to see what happens when landholders are already overburdened,” he said.

“Seedlings establish quickly, people fall behind, and before long entire paddocks, creek lines and bushland are overtaken.”

Based on his own experience, Mr Huf estimates Tweed landholders collectively spend about $4.3 million each year on lost production, spraying and ongoing management of camphor laurel infestations.

A Council spokesperson told The Weekly it recognises the risk of invasive species to the environment and our economy.

“The proposed amendments to the Tweed DCP 2025 do not increase protection of invasive weeds such as camphor laurel,” the

“Council’s current DCP requires approval to remove very large trees on urban zoned land including non-native trees with a diameter of 80cm or greater.

“The Draft Tweed DCP 2025 seeks to increase protection of trees in our urban environment by reducing the size in which approval is required from 80cm to 40cm diameter, excluding invasive weeds such as camphor laurel where these trees are less than 100cm in diameter (refer to Schedule 1 of Section B2).

“Trees in urban areas play a critical role in creating healthy human environments though provision of shade and shelter, improvement of air quality, absorption of carbon and rainfall, and cooling.

YOUR THOUGHTS: Do you believe large camphor laurel should be protected? Email: editor@theweekly.net.au

Tweed Shire Council recognises exceptional local achievements

Nine individuals and groups were acknowledged at the Tweed Shire Council Australia Day Awards on Friday 23 January for their outstanding contributions and positive impact across the community.

Tweed Citizen of the Year

- Jennifer Booth

Jennifer was named Tweed Citizen of the year for her leadership in emergency responses and decades of volunteer service. Jennifer has lived in Murwillumbah for more than 45 years, raising 5 children while supporting the community through floods, bushfires and cyclones. Her volunteer work has included helping during the 2017 and 2022 floods at the evacuation centre, Murwillumbah TAFE, the 2019 bushfire evacuation centre in Uki and the 2025 Cyclone Alfred evacuation centre.

Her volunteer journey began well before the natural disasters when she gave her time to St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies), Anglicare and local churches. She later expanded her efforts to committees supporting people facing homelessness and disadvantage.

“Not only did I heal myself, but I also found out that I could heal other people by giving to these services,” Jennifer said.

Today, she coordinates local evacuation centres and ensures essential supplies are ready for emergencies.

Arts and Culture

– Murwillumbah Philharmonic Choir

This longstanding community ensemble has been proudly singing for more than a century, despite pauses during major events such as WWII, the 1960s and COVID-19. Dedicated volunteers have kept the tradition alive, bringing people together through music.

Community Event of the Year

– Tyalgum Music Festival

A much-loved annual celebration that has brought opera and classical music to the local community for more than 3 decades. The 2025 festival marked its 33rd year, continuing to blend world-class performance with the natural beauty of the region.

Senior Ambassador – Karen Dawson

Karen has built an impressive record of volunteer service since 2017, mentoring individuals and organisations across education, health, creative arts and environmental projects. She has also led creative initiatives that bring generations together.

Sporting Achievement (Group) – Tweed Netball Assoc - 18 Green Team

This outstanding group of 10 young athletes earned the title of Queensland State Champions at the State Carnival in Ipswich in April 2025, demonstrating talent, integrity and determination.

Sporting Achievement (Individual) – William Mison

A dedicated bowler since childhood, William has overcome challenges including autism and ADHD to compete at state, national and international levels. He remains committed to representing Australia.

Volunteer of the Year (Group) – Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary

A not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers in Tyalgum, providing a safe haven for more than 100 rescued animals including horses, alpacas, pigs, goats, cats, dogs and birds.

Volunteer of the Year (Individual) – Amos Suthern

Known affectionately as ‘Moss’, Amos has dedicated more than 8 years to Tweed Palliative Support, delivering hospital beds and equipment to help people spend their final days at home.

Young Achiever in Community Service – Ruby Allen

She created the ‘Kids of Purple’ website to help children and young people affected by domestic and family violence, offering support and a safer future. Ruby launched the site while still in high school, drawing on her own family’s experience and recognising that many of her peers faced the same lack of support.

Watch award videos: tweed.nsw.gov.au/australia-day

Council trivia

True or False?

Tweed Shire Council's local government area (size of the region) is half the size of City of Gold Coast’s.

Community members wanted: Join the NDIS Working Group

The NDIS Working Group provides a forum to review and improve guidelines, ensuring they align with best practice, legislation, and the needs of people with disability, their families and carers. Your input will help create clear, accessible, and inclusive processes for our community. Who can join?

We welcome representatives from the community, including people with lived experience, carers, and advocates. Your voice matters in making NDIS services better for everyone.

Meeting frequency:

The group meets twice a year or as needed. Interested? Contact the NDIS team via ndis@tweed.nsw.gov.au or call 07 5569 3110

Want more information about Council’s NDIS Coordination Service? Visit tweed.nsw.gov.au/ndis or use the contact details above.

How to arrange a prepaid funeral, burial or cremation

Community members are invited to a free session in March to learn about planning and preparing a funeral, burial or cremation.

The session will be hosted by Tweed Shire Council’s Cemeteries team and led by Ben Little, Managing Director of Dolphin Funerals and a third-generation funeral director. With decades of family experience, Ben will explain the steps involved in planning ahead and how documenting your wishes early can ease stress for loved ones during a difficult time.

Date: Thursday 12 March

Time: 10 am to 11.30 am

Place: The Chapel, Tweed Valley Lawn Cemetery, Eviron.

Bookings essential via Humanitix, to book go to: events.humanitix.com/planning-ahead

The presentation will include time for questions and a complimentary morning tea on the Chapel balcony. If you can’t attend in person, you can join via live stream using view.oneroomstreaming.com

More information about Council Cemeteries, visit: tweed.nsw.gov.au/cemeteries

New Tweed citizens share what makes our region special

Tweed Shire Council celebrated diversity and community spirit at the Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony held on Friday 23 January, welcoming 43 new citizens from 13 countries. Many new citizens choose the Tweed for its rivers, beaches and hinterland villages - and for the sense of belonging that comes with them. Today, that appeal is stronger than ever. Across Australia, city-to-regional moves remain well above pre-COVID averages, driven by lifestyle, work and housing factors. Citizenship ceremonies unite thousands of new Australians each January, reflecting the diversity that enriches regional communities like ours.

This year’s ceremony reflects the broad migration trend in The Tweed, seen in the 2021 Census, where the United Kingdom, Brazil and New Zealand were among the top sources of new residents in the Tweed. These same countries made up the largest groups at this ceremony, followed by the Philippines, Germany, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Canada, India, Argentina, Spain and Nepal.

New Zealand (27%)

UK (21%)

Brazil (10%)

Council’s Director of Planning and Regulation, Naomi Searle, said the Tweed gains more than numbers from new citizens.

“We gain care, culture and stewardship. Health professionals strengthen aged care and resilience, global experience enriches our festivals and music scene, and families bring a commitment to sustainability and caring for Country. These contributions align with Council’s vision for a connected, inclusive and sustainable community,” Ms Searle said.

Among those who took the pledge are people whose stories highlight these contributions.

Felipe Castravechi from Brazil, says citizenship marks the end of an 18-year journey.

"

"It means recognition and being part of the fabric of the community,”

- Felipe Castravechi

Section 4.55 modification application for public comment

The following Section 4.55 application has been received by the Tweed Shire Council and may be viewed on Council’s DA Tracking site located at datracker.tweed.nsw.gov.au for a period of twenty-eight (28) days from Wednesday 28 January 2026 to Wednesday 25 February 2026.

The proposal is not designated development and the Tweed Shire Council is the consent authority. Applicant Location Proposal File

Thrv Pty Limited Lot 115 DP 237806; No. 10 Powell Street Tweed heads; Lot 116 DP 237806; No. 12 Powell Street Tweed heads; Lot 117 DP 237806; No. 33 Florence Street Tweed heads; Lot 118 DP 237806; No. 35 Florence Street Tweed heads; Lot 119 DP 237806; No. 37 Florence Street Tweed heads; Lot 113 DP 237806; No. 6 Powell Street Tweed heads; Lot 114 DP 237806; No. 8 Powell Street, Tweed heads

Proposed modification

• Provision of Pickleball Court, magnesium pool, spa, steam room, sauna to level 6 and use of terrace for fitness equipment;

• Provision of firepit, stairs, herb garden to Level 1;

• Internal changes to the units in respect to kitchen and bathroom ‘fit out’ locations. Noting no amendments or changes to external or internal wall locations;

• Flood refuge layout revised. The revised refuge area remains on Level 5 and affords a total area of 88m² to be used for the ground level units (floors above already provide for flood refuge within respective units).

Amendment to Development Consent DA21/0949 for seniors housing comprising of 94 independent living units and 1 manager's residence, swimming pool, tree removal, and lot consolidation (NRPP)

DA21/0949.02

• Lift Lobby layout revised;

• Level 1 lounge deck steps added;

• Sliding door added on Level 1 accessing communal toilets;

• External sliding door added on Level 7;

• Operable partition wall added servicing residents lounge on Level 1;

• Low level planter bed added adjacent to Powell Street;

• Solid screening updated to glass for the southern elevation of Stage 2 and;

• Cleaners sink added on Level 1 adjacent common hallway.

Applicant Location Proposal File

Zone Planning Group Lot 711 DP 1307254; No. 220 Lundberg Drive SOUTH MURWILLUMBAH; Lot 703 DP 1307254; No. 29 Thornbill Drive, South M urwillumbah

Amendment to Development Consent DA22/0793 for depot, general industry and public administration building and signage on proposed lots 703 and 711 created from subdivision of Lot 604 DP 1244954 (NRPP)

DA22/0793.04

joining him as citizens in March.

The graph compares Tweed’s cultural diversity with Regional NSW, showing higher proportions of residents born in Brazil, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, and a slightly lower proportion of residents born in India. For more information on Tweeds community profile visit: profile.id.com.au/tweed

Lucy Le Gry, an expectant mother from New Zealand has lived in the Tweed for 6 years, links citizenship with caring for nature and learning about Country, echoing Council’s environmental priorities. These new citizerns and their stories illustrate that citizenship is about belonging and building a future for all of the local residents.

"Contributing

to the community means respecting the land and passing this knowledge on to the next generation,”

- Lucy Le Grys

Current vacancies

Visit tweed.nsw.gov.au/job-vacancies to view current vacancies. Subscribe to receive Job Vacancy Alerts via email at tweed.nsw.gov.au/subscribe

WATER WEEK 1 Check when your water meter is read at tweed.nsw.gov.au/meter-reading

Development application determinations

Notification of development application determinations for the purposes of Section 4.59 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (as amended). Application details Approved

DA25/0386 - Removal of existing shed, construction of secondary dwelling and shed and use of carport and earthworks

Lot 2DP 1260494, No. 38A Reserve Creek Road, K ielvale

DA25/0594 - Construction of an in-ground swimming pool

Lot 582 DP 1180830, No. 7 Tamarama Drive K ingscliff

DA25/0464 - Pontoon

Lot 249 DP 253827, Lot 504 DP 251298, No. 8 The Quarterdeck, Tweed heads

DA25/0405 - Use of existing pontoon and removal of dry dock

Proposed modification

Alterations and additions to the design of the depot and public administration building to install

a) roof-mounted solar panels

b) additional plant infrastructure

c) building information signage

Any person may, during the period specified above, make a submission in writing to Council in relation to the modification application. Where a submission is in the form of an objection, then the grounds of objection are required to be specified. In accordance with Clause 105 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021 there is no right of appeal under Section 8.8 of the Act by an objector.

Any person may, during the above period, make a written submission to the General Manager of Council. It should also be noted that Council has adopted a policy whereby, on request, any submission including identifying particulars will be made public. Council will give consideration to the "Public Interest" and requests for confidentiality by submitters in determining access to submission letters. However, the provisions of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 – GIPA may result in confidential submissions being released to an applicant. Please note: Requirements regarding Disclosure of Political Gifts and Donations

A disclosure is required to be made in a statement accompanying the relevant development or planning application by a person who makes the application. In addition, a person who makes a written submission either objecting to or supporting a relevant development or planning application must also make a disclosure if the person has made a reportable political `donation. Further information regarding Donations and Gift Disclosure are available on Council’s website tweed.nsw.gov.au/development-applications

tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au

Lot 3DP 826574, Lot 365 DP 30960, No. 7 Gollan Drive, Tweed heads west

The above development determinations are available for public inspection free of charge at the Planning and Regulation Division, Murwillumbah Civic Centre, during ordinary office hours or viewed on Council’s DA Tracking site located at datracker.tweed.nsw.gov.au

Get the Tweed Link early

Be one of the first to see all the latest news from Tweed Shire Council each week.

Subscribe to the Tweed Link to receive it by email each week on Wednesday mornings, in addition to it appearing in print in the Tweed Valley Weekly on Thursdays. But that’s not all – you can also subscribe to Council job alerts, media releases and a range of e-newsletters and Council facility program alerts. Sign up at tweed.nsw.gov.au/subscribe

Subscribe to the Tweed Link at tweed.nsw.gov.au/subscribe or follow Council on:

Bridge to Bridge

By Jo Kennett

POTTSVILLE’S ANNUAL Bridge-to-Bridge race saw an armada of locals in an assortment of weird and wonderful watercraft and costumes out to celebrate community on Monday, January 26,

Organiser Mike ‘Where’s Wally’ Luban said it was a wonderful day with a lot of fun had by all. Mike’s Latvian grandparents came to Australia from a German migrant camp after their homeland was invaded by Germany and Russia in WW2.

“One day my grandfather went back

said, “Right, tomorrow we’re moving. I've got us passage on a ship to Australia,” Mike said.

They knew nothing about Australia, but it was the only country taking families and they ended up in a migrant camp in Cowra where Mike’s dad was born.

“My grandfather would say, “This country is amazing; I can have a different political opinion than my neighbour and he's not going to tell the police on me,” Mike said.

“He was always very grateful for the opportunities this country provided.

“The thing that Pottsville has is just that sense of community and opportunity and people look

NZ Winter Holidays ON SALE

Caba Australia Day

By Jo Kennett

THE LIONS Club of Cabarita Beach Pottsville Beach celebrated their Australia Day Local Award winners at Lions Park Cabarita on Monday, January 26.

The Johansen Family Award presented by Heather Johansen for Citizen of the Year was won by Sandra Reitsma, a hard-working volunteer in the canteen and uniform shop and doing rosters at Bogangar Public School.

The Garrard Family Award presented by Lion Bill Brodie for Community Contribution was awarded to Alesha Kalz, founder of Pottsville Pacers, a group that welcomes walkers, strollers,

runners on Sunday mornings for 15 minutes of exercise, followed by chats and refreshments. All ages and abilities are welcome to join them.

The Hartman Environmental Awards presented by Harry Hartman went to our local Dune Care groups: Cabarita Dune Care, Hasting Pt Dune Care and Pottsville Community Dune Care Inc.

The Schools Annual Award for Most Improved went to Braxton Beacroft (St Ambrose) and Ruby Wilson (Bogangar PS), while the Aussie Mateship award went to Tom Matthews (St Ambrose), Blossom Probert (Bogangar PS), Luca Goodfellow (Pottsville PS).

Your Good Food Guide

DAYO CAFE

MAKE SOME time to dine at DAYO Café for a meal you will not forget. The Filipino flavours mixed with Southeast Asian spice and Mediterranean flair, by passionate locals is nothing short of amazing! Owners and operators Johnny, Jerrika, and Kristyn clearly love making great food. You will be back time and again at this Tweed Heads hot spot. TOP TIP: Try the iced coco-coast chocolate latte, it’s Dayo-delicious.

GEORGES DELI

GEORGES DELI brings incredible flavours to the Tweed with handcrafted burgers. Every item on the George’s menu is made with care and packed with fresh flavours by Johnny and Jerrika from DAYO. The welcoming atmosphere encourages customers to slow down and savour this treat, at great prices too. TOP TIP: Try the avocado and tomato bagel, it has a spicy kick with the jalapeno and red onion.

SALTY BEARDMAN

IN KINGSCLIFF we say: “get some sun, go to the creek and finish off with a good feed at Salty’s”. Salty Beardman is all about flavour and a welcoming dining experience with an awesome range of seafood, burgers, salads and much more. With its relaxed atmosphere, cosy décor, popular outdoor seating and friendly, attentive service, The Salty Beardman stands out as a must-visit dining spot in Kingscliff. TOP TIP: It’s hard not to go back for the fish and chips at Salty’s, must be one of Australia’s best.

CHOUX BOX

ESTABLISHED IN 1993, Choux Box is a much-loved Kingscliff institution, offering a comfortable restaurant experience that has welcomed generations of locals and visitors. Owned by Brett Freeburn, whose lifelong connection to dining culture spans both the kitchen and front of house, the café reflects his passion and attention to detail in every corner. Brett’s daughter Cenza has grown alongside the business over the past 20 years, helping shape The Choux Box into the community hub it is today. TOP TIP: Don’t leave without trying one of their iconic Choux pastries, perfectly paired with a coffee, or pop by their new sister takeaway café, Choux String, just along Marine Parade.

RIVERVIEW HOTEL

THE RIV is a must visit hot spot on the Tweed River in South Murwillumbah that offers one of the best locations to sit back and relax. The Riv Bistro serves everything from traditional pub staples to divine seasonal specials, ensuring there’s something to suit every appetite. With 16 beers on tap alongside a strong mix of local and international options, the bar is just as appealing as the menu. Live music, raffles, big-screen sports, TAB and Keno, keep the atmosphere lively with the party going into the night. TOP TIP: Try the Riv’s classic beef burger, it’s a winner winner!

NUDE AMIGOS

NUDE AMIGOS is the place to be on the Kingscliff foreshore. This vibrant venue delivers fresh, modern Mexican cuisine that stays true to traditional flavours while adding a contemporary twist. The amazing food is complemented by an impressive margarita list featuring 20 varieties, alongside Micheladas and an extensive tequila and mezcal selection. It’s the perfect spot to relax, indulge and truly savour Mexican food. TOP TIP: Nude Amigos is offering half price tacos every weekday from 12noon to 3pm, and pair that with Nudie Hour (12noon to 5pm) featuring $15 frozen and classic margis or $8 tap beer (limited time offer).

CUBBY BAKEHOUSE

CUBBY BAKEHOUSE at Chinderah is a next level bakery serving fresh, hand-crafted pastries and baked goods made with passion and top-quality ingredients. From perfectly golden, buttery croissants to flavour-packed bánh mìs, every menu item is thoughtfully prepared and deeply satisfying. You need to try one of the many sweets expertly presenting at this hot spot –they are all divine. Cubby will quickly become your favourite bakehouse. TOP TIP: Arrive early for the croissants and pair one with a coffee, then grab a bánh mì to go for later — you’ll thank me later.

SHOW ‘N SHINE DELI CAFE

SHOW ‘N SHINE Deli Cafe is a popular family-owned café and deli located on Kyogle Road in Bray Park, that’s known for its friendly service and welcoming atmosphere. This Tweed Valley hot spot offers a wide range of freshly made foods including arguably one of Australia’s best gourmet pies, fresh bread, sandwiches, salads and quality deli goods prepared on-site using largely local ingredients.

Your Good Food Guide

Customers have been praising the generous fillings and rich flavours of the Deli’s pies for years including The Weekly staff. This is a great stopping for breakfast, lunch or takeaway treats. It was once considered a hidden gem for both locals and visitors exploring the Tweed region – now you have to try it. TOP TIP: You have to try the Moroccan Chicken Pie it is OMG delicious. Plus every other pie while you’re at it.

COOLY BREEZE ROOFTOP RESTAURANT

FOR A dining experience that’s packed with flavour and a million-dollar view, you cannot beat Cooly Breeze Rooftop Restaurant and Bar. This hot new venue delivers an elevated dining experience, combining refined Mediterranean cuisine. Led by Executive Chef Marcondes Almeida Neto, whose European training spans London and Italy, the menu showcases bold, seafood-driven flavours crafted with fresh, locally sourced

ingredients. Cooly Breeze offers not just exceptional food, but a dining experience that feels both indulgent and thoughtfully grounded. TOP TIP: The entire menu is amazing but make sure you try the Di Mare Platter for Two, it’s incredible.

TYALGUM HOTEL

THE LEGENDARY Tyalgum Hotel is not only an icon of the Tweed Valley, but a beloved country pub that pairs classic hospitality with elevated, thoughtful food in a beautiful village setting. Known for its focus on quality ingredients and generous portions, the menu balances comforting favourites with seasonal touches that reflect the Tweed. Bring the kids and take a dip in the pool or setup for a long dinner with friends, the atmosphere is warm, welcoming and unmistakably Tyalgum. The drinks list complements the food well, making it an easy spot to linger and enjoy the slower pace. TOP TIP: The Fijian Cured Kingfish is outstanding and a true reflection of the kitchen’s strengths.

Rescue volunteer award

By Jo Kennett

MARINE RESCUE Point Danger volunteer

Nicole Lockie has been awarded the Emergency Services Medal (ESM) in the 2026 Australia Day Honours list.

Nicole has dedicated more than 24 years to the NSW community, having volunteered with VRA Marine Division (a precursor to Marine Rescue NSW) from 1995 – 2005. After spending six years volunteering in QLD, Nicole returned to volunteering in NSW and became a member of Marine Rescue NSW in 2011.

As one of only a few female Marine Rescue NSW Coxswains, Nicole has accumulated hundreds of hours of sea time. She makes herself available around the clock to respond to emergencies on the water, personally conducting numerous rescue missions, often in dark and dangerous conditions.

Among her many notable missions was the 2017 rescue of a stricken trawler off Tweed

Heads in what can only be described as a David and Goliath struggle. More recently, Nicole recorded the most rescues in one day. As skipper, her rescue vessel performed seven separate rescues, three offshore and four inshore, setting a new record for the Marine Rescue Point Danger unit.

In addition to her operational role, Nicole is a Marine Rescue NSW Trainer and Assessor, investing significant time in developing the skills and knowledge of her fellow volunteers.

Marine Rescue NSW Acting Commissioner

Todd Andrews said it was a privilege to have such an experienced female mariner within the organisation.

“Nicole is one of the longest serving operational female Coxswains in Marine Rescue NSW.

“She is also a qualified rescue watercraft (jet ski) operator and as an endorsed member of the Marine Rescue NSW State Operations Group, Nicole can be deployed to assist the NSW Government response to severe weather events.

“The awarding of the Emergency Service Medal to Nicole is a fitting tribute to a woman who has shown overwhelming dedication to volunteering and to our mission of saving lives on the water,” Acting Commissioner Andrews said.

Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.

TRANSFORM YOUR spare room into a luxurious cinema with a La-Z-Boy United AllIn power recliner sofa which features a smart media console, massage, surround sound, and comfort that adapts to you.

The United power reclining range is the pinnacle of modern comfort, designed for those who want it all, the range includes two-seater and three-seater sofas, as well premium power recliners and modular options.

The United range also includes a media-ready 3 Seater All-In sofa that delivers a complete sensory seating experience.

Each seat offers independent power recline, power headrest, and power lumbar adjustment, allowing every user to personalise their comfort with ease.

All-In technology takes relaxation even further with heated seating, air-cooled ventilation, back massage, multi-colour ambient lighting, LED base lighting, and immersive Bluetooth surround sound.

Finished with a supportive high back and clean, contemporary styling, United brings luxury, innovation, and everyday practicality together in one impressive design.

Some of the innovative features of the United All-In sofa range include independent power recline, headrest, and lumbar adjustment, a

lay-flat power recline for complete full-body relaxation, 21° heated seating for enhanced warmth and comfort, air-cooled seat ventilation to help regulate temperature and a three-level back massage with safety auto shut-off.

For the full luxury cinema experience it also has multi-colour accent lighting and LED base lighting, bluetooth surround sound connectivity, a built-in USB and USB-C charging ports on power switches, spill-resistant control panel (console model only) so you can relax with a drink while you watch.

Modular configuration options are also available in the United range.

La-Z-Boy also has a range of power lift chairs so you can sit, stand or recline with ease. Choosing a quality recliner elevates your living room comfort and with that in mind La-Z-Boy offers a range of stylish and traditional recliners for the ultimate reclining.

There is also a range of recliner sofas, with a choice of stunning leather that brings elegance, luxury and comfort to a room, or fabric sofas. Why not drop into La-Z-Boy Tweed Heads South to check out some of their exciting range. La-Z-Boy Tweed Heads South: Shop A/32 Greenway Drive , Tweed Heads South. Phone: (07) 5690 1019

Top Tradies

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Tradie Trivia

Treating sleep apnoea Inside Thrive tutoring

By Rada Campbell

INSIDE A newly opened studio on Murwillumbah Street, tutoring looks very different to the traditional image many families may have in mind.

At Thrive Learning Co, students are not talked at, rushed through worksheets or treated as one of many. Instead, learning is personal, interactive and deliberately designed to meet students where they are.

Simon Garvey, a maths teacher with more than 20 years’ experience and Thrive’s learning coordinator, says the goal is simple: make learning feel achievable and even enjoyable. “I hope they enjoy themselves, especially maths,” Simon told The Weekly. “Tutoring is meant to go both ways. It’s not one teacher in front of 30 kids. You get to know the student, you sit with them, you talk about their week, and they feel seen.”

Thrive Learning Co supports students through one-on-one and small group sessions, both in person and online. The flexibility is particularly im portant in the Northern Rivers, where many families live out of town or have chosen home schooling in recent years.

“Because there are so many families outside town, we want ed both face-to-face and online options,” Simon said. “Students can come into the studio, but if they can’t, they can still access live tutor ing with real interaction.”

Unlike pre-recorded programs, Thrive’s online sessions are live and closely monitored. Students and tutors work together using shared digital whiteboards, cameras and curriculum-mapped content written

by experienced educators.

“If a student comes in and says, ‘I need help with fractions’, the tutor isn’t scrambling,” Simon said. “We’ve built content that’s matched to the Australian curriculum, so sessions are personalised straight away.”

Confidence-building is just as important as academic progress. Thrive manager Laura Maher said small-group and individual sessions give students the space to speak up and rebuild belief in their abilities.

“If a child has confidence, they’ll go back into the classroom and put their hand up,” Laura told The Weekly. “It’s not all about academics. Those building blocks of confidence lead to

Laura said she has already seen the

“I used my own child as a guinea pig,” she said. “He walked out of a session feeling heard and comfortable to speak up. That’s when you know it’s working.” Sessions are recorded for quality assurance and safety, allowing tutors to refine their approach and families to feel confident their children

For Simon, the difference lies in

“You can see straight away if a student is struggling or feeling overwhelmed,” he said. “You can slow things down, scaffold the work, and support them in the moment. That’s hard to do in a classroom.”

Thrive Learning Co is located at 9/47–49 Murwillumbah Street and is now accepting enrolments. More information is available at thrivelearningco. om.au or by calling 02 6672 9100.

“Why

Dear friend,

“I know you.” That’s what people usually say when they meet me in town. Then they say, “You’re Eric. I’ve seen your ad with your photo.” Well, perhaps I should tell you a little more about that photo, and why I use it in my ads. Let’s start with me, the crazy guy, holding his grandson.

35 years ago something happened to me that changed my life forever.

“I’m a carpenter working for a master carpenter at the time. We are building million dollar homes, I’m learning from one of the best. I’m young and making good money, life’s good. But, then it happens,…I develop severe lower back pain, my Doctor tells me I have a “herniated disc”. I’ve had low back pain off and on since the army but this is different. The

By Madeleine Murray

AT 1:30PM on Wednesday, June 11, Gwen K (not her real name) was driving west on Tweed Valley Way when without any warning she fell asleep. She woke up a few seconds later as the car was crashing along 20 posts that divide the road between the entrances to Tumbulgum.

The car was a write off. This was Gwen’s dramatic introduction to sleep apnoea.

Even a two to three second microsleep at 100 kilometres per hour means your car travels the length of a football field with no conscious control.

Her doctor referred her to Mapp & Hession, the only chemist in Murwillumbah which specialises in sleep apnoea. She went to see Cindy Way the sleep clinician who gave her a halter of electrodes which she wore for one night for a sleep apnoea test.

The results were sent away to the M&H physician in Melbourne and Gwen was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnoea.

Sleep apnoea is a common but often undiagnosed sleep disorder that affects breathing during sleep. People experience repeated pauses in breathing, known as apnoeas, which can last from a few seconds to over a minute.

These interruptions reduce oxygen levels in the blood and repeatedly wake the brain, even if the person has no memory of it.

Untreated sleep apnoea increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and depression.

Cindy recommended a trial of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), a positive airway device. She set up the machine with the right air pressure and

fitted Gwen with the mask.

“After a week of using it, my ‘events’ – that is waking up every hour – dropped from 10 to around 3,” Gwen told The Weekly.

“I bought the Resmed machine and has been using it for four months now, with great results, and a lot of support from Cindy.”

“I’ve been here since 2014 and I love this job. It’s so rewarding,” Cindy told The Weekly.

“I’ve had people come in and you can see it in their eyes. After they’re on CPAP, everything just seems to be so much brighter, their skin looks better, their eyes are clearer.”

Map & Hession have a very professional approach to the sleep apnoea clinic which they started in 2014 when they saw a need for it.

“We sourced the best machines and best doctors we could find,” Paul Hession told The Weekly.

“We’ve seen people who have no problems with cholesterol or blood pressure, no other indicators of cardiac problems, and all of a sudden they have a heart attack.

“When the doctor starts investigating, many of them end up on sleep apnoea machines.”

Map & Hession is at 14 King St, Murwillumbah. For more info go to mapp&hession. com.au

Do I Use this Photo in My Ads?”

pain is so intense I can’t stand up, and if I move it shoots sharp pain down my leg. There is no way I can work, I’m afraid I’ll lose my job if I don’t get better. My Doctor gives me drugs, that do not help. The surgeon says I’ll have to have surgery. I was only 23 and decided against it. Finally, my boss convinces me to give his doctor a try. This new doctor does an exam, takes some films and then “adjusts” my spine. The adjustment doesn’t hurt, it actually feels good. I get relief and I can actually walk out with no help! Oh, by the way, that new doctor is a Chiropractor. Chiropractic works so well for me and for the other ‘miracle cases’ I see in his office, that I decide to quit my job and go to Chiropractic School myself.”

Now as for the photo, that is Silas, my grandson. I just wanted to show him off. You see, I have 5 daughters, 2 granddaughters and now him. He thinks the world of me, I think. Everyone gets adjusted, his whole family. In fact all of my adult kids get adjusted every chance they get. They love it. The challenges of raising a young family are stressful and getting adjusted helps us handle that stress. They all know enough to ask me to adjust them when they feel

like they may be getting sick, or mostly just to stay “tuned up”. They know they are better with regular chiropractic care.

It’s strange how life is, because now people come to see me with their low back pain. But, they also come to me with headaches, migraines, chronic pain, neck pain, shoulder/arm pain, sciatica, whiplash, back aches, asthma, re ux, numbness, athletic injuries, insomnia, just to name a few.

I would tell you what some of my patients had to say but my registration board won’t allow that.

You should know that I don’t heal anyone of anything. What I do is perform a specific spinal adjustment to remove nerve pressure, and the body responds by healing itself. We get tre-mendous results. It’s as simple as that!

Many people do not have health insurance, and those who do have found their benefits only cover a portion of the care they need. That’s where chiropractic comes in. Many people find that they actually save money on their health care expenses by seeing a chiropractor. Studies show that people actually pay less for their long term overall health care expenses if they are seeing a chiropractor.

Another way to save … peerreviewed scientific studies show that chiropractic may increase certain immune system indicators, naturally and without drugs. Your immune system fights colds, the flu and other sickness. Although all people respond differently to chiropractic care, you may not be running off to the doctor as much. This is especially important if you are self-employed.

You Benefit from an Amazing Offer – Look, it shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to correct your health. My entire new patient exam, consultation and adjustment is $87 … the whole ball of wax. NO HIDDEN FEES. Please call right away, as appointments fill up fast and I don’t want you to miss out. By the way, further care is very affordable, too. You’ll be happy to know that I have a ordable family plans. You see, I’m not trying to seduce you to come see me with this low start up fee, then to only make it up with high fees a er that. Further Care is very important to consider when making your choice of a chiropractor. High costs can add up very quickly.

Great care at a great fee… Please, I hope that there’s no misunderstanding about

quality of care just because I have this lower exam fee offer. You’ll get great care at a great fee. My qualifications…I’m a Cum Laude graduate of Life University (USA). I’ve been entrusted to take care of tiny babies to pro athletes. After practicing in North Queensland for five years, I moved my family here to Murwillumbah. I just have that low fee to help more people who need care. My assistant is Tanya. We have a GREAT massage therapist in Elias Fisher They are really great people. Our office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. We have wonderful service at an exceptional fee. Our office is located at: 4/289 Tweed Valley Way, Murwillumbah, (02) 6672 2760.

(across from the Old Railway station and next door to the RTA)

Call the office today for an appointment. We can help you.

Thank you, Eric Atchison Doctor of Chiropractic P.S. We value your time, it’s important to you. And that’s why we have a policy to make every effort to see you within minutes of your appointment.

CLUB BANORA

juniors

Our dear followers, readers and food lovers,

The new year has brought new things to our market! Firstly, we’ve had to say our goodbyes to our dear Claire, who’s poured her dedication, heart and soul into our market as a manager for the nearly last four years. She’s done amazing job evolving the market and is now enjoying a new chapter in her life away from Northern Rivers. We miss you dearly Claire! At the same time as we are sad to lose Claire, the new door has opened to Kaisa, who’s stepped into manager’s boots over the January and is very excited to be able to share her love to local, fresh, seasonal food and community connection though the markets.

With changes of management, January has been busy time at the markets with school holidays in full swing and we’ve had special visitors over the month. Daphne’s Pantry has been bringing us her natural skincare, organic herbal teas and coffee substitute, organic calendula oils, soaps, flowers and bath salts. She crafts all her products by herself, and almost all ingredients are grown at Johny’s Garden in Duranbah. We’re expecting Daphne to join us again

in April. Caldera Brewing and Blending Co have also enjoyed their monthly visit so much that you have been able to find them at our markets every week during January! Their specialty small batch, barrel aged, mixed culture saisons are made in Murwillumbah, just around the corner from the markets. We’ll be seeing them again every month at the market from February.

Summer wouldn’t be summer without all the delicious fruit that’s on season! You’ve been able to find sweet mangoes and watermelon from Everest Farm, and they will keep on giving! Also, Avocadoes from Burringbar has returned to the markets with their passionfruit and variety of mangoes. Other January specialties have been juicy dragon fruit and okra, that you’ve been able to find from Jumping Red Ant’s and Sylva Lining Organic’s stalls. Okra is only in season for a few short weeks, so now is the perfect time to head over, stock up, and get creative with this special flowering plant while you can still find it. Summer is also time for variety of flowers, and our market has been basking in colour for the month of January. Beautiful blooms have been bursting from

Summit Organic’s, Jumping Red Ant and Daphne’s Pantry. This beauty is great gift and medicine for the soul!

Looking forward to seeing you at the markets, Kaisa

What’s in season, tasty & interesting at the market this month?

FEBRUARY MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

We’ll be enjoying the summer’s gifts at the markets for the month of February! You will find mangoes, watermelons and other summer fruit from the markets in addition to grapes that have just come to season at Sylva Lining Organic’s. We are also expecting a new apple season to begin in early February from Costanzo Apples. Exciting! Flowers continue to bloom with gorgeous dahlias in abundance at Summit Organics, alongside fresh Summer greens like kang kong and other seasonal spinaches—perfect for stir-fries, salads, and light Summer meals! We have also some new exciting changes with our stalls. Say hello to The Ripe Side! Formerly Otherworld Wholefoods, Bronwyn and Andrew have a fresh new name — but the same nourishing treats! They’re still serving up the

smoothies, juices and puddings we love. The Summer breakfast favourite, chia pudding, has now three new flavours: berry, mango and dragon fruit. Perfect way to start the morning!

DRINKS, WELLNESS & NEW STALLS

We also have new beautiful chai culture evolving at the markets. To all of you chai lovers out there, remember to go and get yourself a cup of beautiful Shir Khorma Dandelion Chai at the Taste Without Borders. This special chai is full of flavour and soul, but free from dairy, gluten, refined sugar and caffeine. Absolute must try! Another beautiful option, more traditional chai, is Lulu Blue’s Golden Chai blended with saffron, turmeric and real vanilla bean. It’s sweetened with jaggery as it would be in the streets of India. Lulu’s also offering her chai with different blends in packets. In addition to Golden chai, you can find Traditional street chai and caffeine free, honey bush blends in packets.

professionals who are passionate about wellness and community. Change with Butchi is, that while you can still enjoy Buchi in their classic glass bottles, you may also start seeing them in cans as the team transitions to more environmentally and economically sustainable packaging options. At our market’s you can meet lovely Sonja, who will assist you to find your favourite flavour!

Last relaxing tip for February is that Lomi Lomi Massage is joining us again in the beginning of the month. If you need a moment of calm and relaxation for your day, head over to see Paul and Dawn under the shelter next to Taste Without Borders. With something to nourish the body, mind and soul, the Murwillumbah Farmers Market continues to be a well-loved weekly gathering place for you all!

When & where?

When: EVERY Wednesday from 7am to 11am - come rain or shine! LIVE music from 8am.

Another special, nourishing drink you can find from our markets is Buchi Kombucha. Buchi Kombucha is a lovingly handcrafted ferment, brewed by a soulful collective of local brewers, farmers, food lovers, and health

Where: Murwillumbah

Showground

Market Contact Details

Market Manager Email: hello@ murbahfarmersmarket.com.au

Mobile: 0459 566 990

Multicultural buffet Chefs hat winners

By Madeleine Murray By Jo Kennett

AT 6AM ON AUSTRALIA DAY, 10 volunteers from the Uki Refugee Project (URP) were busily putting up photos of refugees, and setting out the ethnic food for their stand at the Australia Day celebration, put on by the Kingscliff Lions Club and the Cudgen Headland Surf Lifesaving Club (CHSLSC).

Including the URP in the Australia Day celebrations was the brilliant idea of Gerry Matthews and David Field of the Cudgen Headland SLSC, which has been helping out with surf lifesaving and patrolling at the annual URP Friendship Visit in Cudgen Creek.

Once a year, refugees from many different countries visit this area and have water activities on Sunday in Kingscliff. For several years now, CHSLSC has been watching over these happy visitors from countries like Iran, Uganda, PNG, Afghanistan, China, and many others.

The Cudgen Headland SLSC invited the URP to provide free food for an ethnic multicultural buffet. This was a new initiative and a bit of a gamble as it had never been done before. David Field and Gerry Matthews from the CHSLSC, and Joan Henderson of the URP were particularly helpful in pulling it all together.

“I spoke to a good many people this morning and I had very positive comments,” Gerry told The Weekly on Australia Day.

“From my perspective it was a great celebration of what Australia is about – togetherness, the fact is that we all originated from somewhere else back along the line, even our indigenous people.

“It was great this morning – we shared food from many cultures, conversations and stories. It was a very positive morning.”

Joan Henderson was named Tweed Citizen of the Year in 2022 for her tireless work with refugees, particularly helping them with visa applications.

Joan arrived at 6am on Australia Day to set up the stand and spent the morning serving ethnic food to visitors.

“It was such a beautiful morning with the community on the beach, sharing food from all around the world,” Joan told The Weekly.

“People were sharing stories of the incredible achievements and lessons we can learn from refugees who settle in Australia and hope to make this country their home.”

She added: “As we celebrate inclusion and diversity on this day, I hope that in the future we can be truly inclusive of First Nations people by respecting their wishes that January 26 is a day of pain and mourning for them.”

IT’S OFFICIAL. The Tweed Shire has some of the best restaurants in the country, with seven of them just awarded chefs hats in the 2026 Australian Good Food Guide Awards (AGFG), giving locals plenty of reasons to get out there and try our incredible local cuisine.

At the top in the Northern Rivers with 16 points is Pipit at Pottsville, awarded 16 points for “exceptional quality of cuisine.”

Co-owner of Pipit Yen Trinh took to social media saying how, “proud, happy, relieved and privileged” she felt to have retained Pipit’s two hats for consecutive years, “sending huge thanks to our whole team with service leadership by Ben, Chloe, Beatrice - and thanks to all the diners, suppliers and cheerleaders who support them.”

She also congratulated the restaurants in ‘Team Northern Rivers’ “who all collectively contribute to make our wider area the best foodie destination for locals and visitors.”

“It’s financially harder than most people see or I talk about, masked behind the gloss of awards, social media etc, yet in my worst moments of “flight or fight” stress, I have also most valued the hats as a reminder to keep pushing on, and to support our values/ interests in excellence, hospitality, industry leadership, and regional advocacy,” Yen posted.

Murwillumbah restaurants Tweed River House and Bistro Livi were awarded two hats and 14 points for “food quite out of the ordinary.”

The Tweed River House team were “thrilled” to have been awarded a two hat rating, after receiving one hat in the 2025 awards.

“A testament to the whole team and a huge shout out to our executive master chef Dayron for his talents, passion and leading a stellar team of wonderful people, who care in delighting our amazing customers, whom we appreciate to the moon and back,” the team posted.

Potager - A Kitchen Garden received a 13-point chef hat, “one of Australia’s most respected culinary honours” for the sixth year-running.

“To our dedicated team and our wonderful community of diners, thank you. Your support, passion and love for what we do make moments like this possible. Here’s to continuing to elevate every plate and every experience at Potager,” the team posted.

Paper Daisy at Halcyon House, Cabarita also received a 13-point chef hat, while Finns Restaurant and Taverna at Kingscliff received 12 points and a hat.

Local author’s debut

By Rada Campbell

THE TWEED’S literary spirit was on full display last month, as family, friends and local creatives gathered to celebrate the launch of The Elephant Whisperer’s Daughter by emerging Murwillumbah author Nadya Radonich. While the novel itself has already caught regional attention, the launch revealed something deeper, the quiet arrival of a writer whose voice reflects the richness of the place that shaped her.

Radonich, who grew up in Murwillumbah after early childhood years in Indonesia, Thailand and India, spoke with a humility that stood in stark contrast to the colour of her lived experience. One memory stood out. “The first time I saw elephants, even though it was in a zoo, they reached out with their trunks and touched me. That memory inspired everything,” Nadya told The Weekly. She said those encounters ignited her lifelong love of animals and helped form the emotional core of her story.

Her reflections on writing during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought laughter from the crowd. “It was dark, stormy… perfect,” she said, recalling how she drafted by lamplight and dreamt of being Emily Brontë. But the night revealed a deeper truth: for Radonich, creativity is not a performance. It’s instinct, honesty and an ability to listen, even when it’s her characters arguing with her about the ending.

The night’s most stirring moment came from guest speaker Carmen Stuart, founder of It Takes a Town and now the driving force behind Imagine Northern Rivers. Stuart spoke about the power of storytelling in healing communities after crisis, describing Radonich’s achievement as “proof that creativity is something a region can grow together”. Her message resonated strongly with the crowd.

A video message from publisher Crystal Leonardi of Bowerbird Publishing added another layer of encouragement. Praising Radonich’s discipline and emotional depth, she urged the

audience to “dare to be brilliant”, a line that earned a warm round of applause.

Live music, drinks by Spangled Drongo and trays of canapés helped create a relaxed atmosphere. It was the kind of night Murwillumbah does best, intimate, supportive and grounded in a shared pride for local talent.

As Radonich signed books, readers gathered close, asking how stories begin. She told them ideas often start with a single memory. Judging by the turnout, hers may inspire many more young writers across the Tweed.

The Elephant Whisperer’s Daughter is available at all good bookstores and online at crystalleonardi.com/bookshop.

Bamboo guru in Africa

By Madeleine Murray

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECT Jaye Irving is inspired and inspiring. His latest project is teaching and building with bamboo in Africa.

The Weekly caught up with Jaye for a fascinating talk in a Uki café, about half an hour away from his property, where he was injured in a violent attack by an intruder in October, 2022.

“I spent half a year lying in a bed, three years recovering, learning how to walk again,” he told The Weekly.

He is now fully recovered and spent six months last year working passionately on a new project in Kenya.

“A colleague and I created a small organisation called Bamboo4Africa. We had an online presence for six months and gathered in a lot of people who were interested in bamboo in Africa.”

They organised a workshop through one of their sponsors in a retreat centre in Meru County on the side of Mount Kenya, and Jaye left in January, 2025.

“I was terrified before I left because it was my first time in Africa. It was on the tail end of my whole recovery, and here I was going to a place as a white guy, trying to tell people how to do this with bamboo, with no understanding of the economic situation, or the cultural paradigm that I was stepping into. For me, it was very big.”

With African colleagues, he ran two 10-day workshops, back to back.

“My process is to teach individuals how to look at bamboo harvesting, maintenance, treatment, and then the value addition to materials. So that goes everything from weaving baskets to building houses.

“Once I had trained all these individuals, I ran another 10-day workshop and we built a small pagoda, to use all the material we had harvested and treated.”

Jaye left in March and returned in September, this time unsponsored, and spent three months in Kericho County. On the way he stopped in Meru to see what the students had been doing.

“They used the bamboo that they had in the local area, to make panels, and small dwellings, and furniture.

“It was amazing to me to see the impact it had, it employed a dozen people.

“It’s a chance to make dwellings as well as

products to sell like baskets.”

In Kericho County, they were working with the joint Kenyan-based Riziki youth program.

A trained architect, Jaye has spent most of my life doing development work. He lived in India for three years, setting up an 18-acre permaculture farm. He spent time in China and lived in South America, building a retreat centre deep in the Amazon jungle, but his current passion is bamboo for Africa.

“Bamboo is really incredible,” he said. “One of the fastest growing plants in the planet, it has erosion control, sequesters more carbon and releases more oxygen than trees. It has flexibility, and is stronger than steel by weight.” He will be returning to Kenya this September to build a housing pilot project in Naivasha.

“I plan to go to Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, where they have very large amounts of bamboo.”

It’s very difficult to get funding, and Jaye is reaching out to governments and private donors.

“I’m looking at a 10-year project in Africa –just keep making, teaching, and teaching more people to teach.

“I’m super inspired.”

To find out more about Jaye and his work, go to bamboo4africa.org, and barefootdesign.com.au

World stage locals

By Rada Campbell

WORLD CLASS circus artists Jesse Scott and Lachlan McAuley live quietly in the Tweed rainforest, returning home between international tours that take their work across the globe.

Married, deeply connected and creatively inseparable, the duo are the founders of Casus Creations, an internationally recognised contemporary circus company known for intimate, emotionally charged performances that centre human connection above spectacle.

After 20 years of touring major cities and festivals worldwide, the Tweed remains their grounding force.

“There’s something about this place that instantly slows us down,” Jesse told The Weekly. “The people, the landscape, but also a vibration that makes you feel centred. When you’re rarely grounded, having somewhere like this matters.”

That grounding comes in the form of a yurt on family land, where the pair have lived for a decade, cultivating fruit trees and building a life that balances high-level performance with simplicity.

For Lachie, Casus’ work resists easy labels. “We create small ensemble circus that sits somewhere between acrobatics and contemporary dance,” he said. “We’re really focused on connection and relationship. We don’t tell audiences what to feel. We put rawness on stage and let people find their own meaning.”

Their most personal work is the duo piece they created together, a love story that deliberately avoids hardship narratives often associated with queer representation.

“At the time, most queer stories we saw were about trauma,” Jesse said. “We

wanted to show something else. A happy, loving relationship. Just two people living their lives.”

That choice has, paradoxically, made them harder to market. They are not drag performers or glitter-heavy cabaret acts, nor do they fit the “sexy circus” stereo type. Their work is softer, masculine, warm and profoundly human.

“Our work isn’t about being queer,” Jesse said. “It’s about connection. Being gay adds layers, sure, but the core is love and trust.”

Trust is not metaphorical in circus. When one partner falls, the other catches. It is this literal reliance that has strength ened their relationship, even as the pres sures of touring and working together often pull couples apart.

Despite global success, performing lo cally remains a challenge. Australia has limited venues capable of safely support ing contemporary circus.

“We need height, strength and space,” Jesse said. “You can’t do this on gravel.”

That is why their appearance at Brunswick Pic ture House is significant. In April, the duo will re offering local audiences a rare chance to see world-class talent grounded in intimacy rather than spectacle.

“We’re not boisterous or full of glitter,” Lachie said. “We anchor everything in romance and connection. People love how different it feels.”

It is the epitome of internation ally recognised talent living amongst

By Jo Kennett

SURF FANS and friends are invited to celebrate our new World Surf League Junior World Champion at Kingscliff this Sunday, February 1.

Fingal Head surfer Dane Henry was crowned the top junior in the world in the Philippines on January 18.

He has been awarded a wildcard into the Challenger Series, meaning he can bypass the Qualifying Series which he competed in last year.

Anyone who has seen Dane surf and watched his collaboration with Surfing Australia Coach of the Year Adam Dufner know that once he’s on the Changa, the next stop

is the World Championship Tour and there is no doubt in the minds of many that he has the talent and team to make it all the way to the top.

Dane’s mum Kiri and the Kingscliff Boardriders Club are organising the meet and greet, which kicks off at 4pm at the Kingscliff Beach Hotel on Marine Parade.

Dane and his coach are keen to mingle and talk about his experience, and the team would love to have you come along and congratulate Dane in person

Where: Kingscliff Beach Hotel

When: Sunday, February 1 at 4pm.

TRADES AND SERVICES

ARBORCARE IS a local family business run by owner and arborist Clay and his wife Lou. We provide tree trimming, tree removal and arborist services to the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast areas.

Clay has over 10 years experience in the arboriculture industry and has worked across Qld, NSW and the Northern Territory. His passion for tree care is second to none and his goal is always the best health outcome for every tree.

Our team also includes a fauna spotter who inspects every tree before work starts, and has the knowledge and skills to safely relocate any wildlife in the tree.

At Arborcare, safety always comes first. We will never put ourselves, your property or wildlife at risk of harm. We have a full Safety Management System in place and do risk assessments before every job.

We pride ourselves on always:

• Showing up to quote when we say we will (we know how frustrating it is when this doesn’t happen!)

• Taking the time to understand what results you want, then talking you through the needs of the tree so you understand your options.

• Providing prompt, fair and honest quotes

• Showing up for the job on time, every time

• Completing the work as quoted, with no hidden surprises

• Impeccable site clean-up – you won’t even know we have been there Call Arborcare on 0491 755 297 for a free quote and advice on the best management options for your trees.

Car For Sale

Public Notice

MURWILLUMABH RSL SUB BRANCH ANNUAL MEETING 10TH MARCH 2026

The meeting will be preceded by the Monthly General Meeting commencing at 0900hrs.

AGM Agenda:

• Attendance as per attendance Book

• Minutes of previous AGM for confirmation

• President’s Report

• Secretary’s Report

• Treasurer’s Report

• Election of Office Bearers: Secretary Internal Auditor

This year there will be no vote for office bearer who are already on a three-year appointment until next year. General Business. AGM matters only. Close of Business followed by the Ode.

For Sale

Phone: 0412 543 499

Italian Leather, 3 seat full size lounge & 2 armchairs. Lounge is big enough to sleep on. Contoured front edge. Unique Tan/Orange colour. $750 - Ph: 0481 522 977

15’6” Coromal Seka 475 Poptop Van. 6/2026 NSW Rego. Island bed. Extras galore. Ring for details. Excellent condition. Located Pottsville. $17,900 ono. Phone: 0412 320 709

Yamaha Electric Piano

Good condition $3,000 Phone John (02) 6608 5844

TRACTOR TYM T503 Save $1,000s, as new. Only 75 hours, Estate Clearance, Manual, 50hp, easy service, Korean manufacture, warranty. $29,500 Phone: 0412 832 346

16ft, Frankin, 3 Berth Caravan, Clean inside and outside, fully selfcontained.Taylor Made Cars 5 Prospero St, Murwillumbah. $4,500. Phone: 02 6672 5454

16’ New Age (Road Owl) Caravan. 2022 Model, All extras, Pop Top, Shower, Toilet, Rear Camera. As New $40,000 ono Phone: (02) 6672 2673

WASHING MACHINE top loader, Samsung Diamond drum 2023. Item in top condition, rarely used, Manual supplied. $300. must be picked up. Phone - 0400 295 525

Garage Sale

GARAGE SALE Moving Sale, everything must go, Furniture, Antiques, appliances, Bric n Brac. Tools, plants and much more, 9 am –12pm, 31st January. 5 Bellbird Drive, Kingscliff.

Weekly In Memoriam

In loving memory

Valerie Freda McGilvery née McLeod

Late of Murwillumbah Greens. Formerly of Mooball / Bray Park. Passed away peacefully on Thursday 22nd January 2026. Aged 95 years.

Dearly loved Wife of Tom (dec’d).

Loved Mother and Mother-in-law of John, Garry, Sheryl, Barry, Carol, Raymond, Debbie, Warren, Darren & Mark and their respective partners. Cherished Nana, Great Nana & Great Great Nana. Loved Sister of Alan, Mervyn (dec’d) and Lloyd.

After the Service the cortege will leave for the Murwillumbah Lawn Cemetery. In Memoriam

In Loving Memory Lily Elizabeth Mary Dusi (née Garland)

We hold you close Within our hearts

And there you shall remain To walk with us

22/01/2026

Dolphin Funerals 0427 743 817

EDWARDS Allan Geoffrey 21/01/2026 Funeral Notice

Family and friends are warmly invited to attend Val’s Funeral Service to be held at the St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Murwillumbah on Tuesday 3rd February 2026 at 10:00am (NSW time).

McGuiness Funerals Ph: (02) 6672 2144 Murwillumbah

Funeral Director

(02) 6672 2144

Please refer to our website for funeral notices www.mcguinessfunerals.com.au

Throughout our lives

Until we meet again. We miss you.

Love always,Thelma, Edna & Frank, nieces and nephews 09/05/1940 —27/01/2024

THE STAR

A light went out on Earth for me

The day we said goodbye

And on that day a star was born, The brightest in the sky

Reaching through the darkness

With its rays of purest white

Lighting up the Heavens

As it once lit up my life

With beams of love to heal

The broken heart you left behind Where always in my memory

Your lovely star will shine - UNKNOWN

PRITCHARD Edwin Charles 20/01/2026

By Jo Kennett

Real Estate

FROM COAST TO COUNTRY

Pools, Paydays and a private skate

Pool, dual income key drawcards

KEYWORD SEARCH data from PropTrack shows ‘swimming pool’ was the most searched keyword once again in 2025, with the biggest increase in searches being for dual income, which will come as no surprise with the demand for housing.

While granny flats are becoming increasingly popular, with plenty going up in Tweed Shire towns, according to our local agents building a pool might not be the best way to add value to your property if you’re planning to sell.

The next nine on the list were, in order, a garage at number two, air conditioning, an ensuite and an outdoor area rounded out the top five. At number six was ‘single storey’, followed by a balcony, built in robes, a dishwasher and heating at number ten.

While pools are always popular, our local agents don’t think it’s the best way to add value if that’s what you’re after, if you don’t have one already.

Principal at Elders, Tweed Valley, Craig Dudgeon, thinks that, in terms of selling, presentation is the most important.

“Pools can rule out lots of purchasers,” Craig says. “Spend money on

Open Homes

All times are DST unless specified. Saturday, January 31 Schmith Estate Agents

preparing your property for sale with presentation being the focus. You cannot have a second first impression. Driveways and entrances are important particularly on rural properties. People are naturally aspirational and love a sense of arrival, this can also relate to a residential property.”

Northern Rivers Property Group licensee Adrianna Jenkins, thinks a pool is always a plus, but paint is the most cost effective way to add value.

“We often have clients reaching out for advice on what to do well before listing,” Adrianna said.

Coastal Property Collective’s Brad Kopcikas-Yates thinks a pool is purely a personal choice and that it generally doesn’t deter buyers.

“There will always be those buyers that absolutely want a pool, however this is not all buyers,” Brad told The Weekly Real Estate.

“There are other ways to add value when selling such as freshening up the aesthetic appeal of your home, fresh paint, new flooring, upgrading kitchen appliances, adding solar and air conditioning as an example.”

Analysis of the keywords with the biggest increase in searches in the past 12 months reveals the biggest increase was ‘single storey’, with the number

• 14/98-102 Keith Compton Dve, Tweed Heads, 10.30–11am

• 3/2 Hill Street, Tweed Heads, 12–12.30pm

• 49 Dixon Street, Coolangatta, 10–10:30am Qld time

DJ Stringer

• 33 Inlet Dr, Tweed Heads West, 10–10.30am

• 1/42-44 Thomson St, Tweed Heads, 10.30–11am

• 5/5-10 Quayside Ct, Tweed Heads, 11–11.30am

• 42 Karingal Ave, Bilambil Heights, 11–11.30am

park:

of searches rising by 72 per cent, tied with dual income.

With the cost of a mortgage these days and the huge increase in population, the desire for an income producing property has skyrocketed, which is a good thing for everyone looking for somewhere to live.

So if you have the money and live in an area where getting approval isn’t too hard, it might be worth putting in that granny flat in the backyard, which many people are doing lately.

Skate park property a gem

A CUDGERA Creek property up for sale that features its own skate park is making headlines around the country and with some of the world’s best skaters living here in the Tweed, there should be plenty of interest locally.

64 Cabbage Gum Road is a 9.7 hectare rural estate just over eight kilometres west of Pottsville.

The estate features sprawling, manicured grounds and a full-sized professional skatepark.

Chloe Covell might like to pop down from Tweed Heads to hang out, or Summer Rackley from Caba or one of the Ward kids or Ash Wilcomes from Potty could be your child’s new best

• 9/277 Golden Four Dr, Bilinga, 11–11.30am QLD Time

• 6/311 Golden Four Dr, Bilinga, 12–12.30pm QLD Time

• 1444/6-8 Stuart St, Tweed Heads, 12.30–1pm

• 7/20 Dutton St, Coolangatta, 12.30–1pm QLD Time

• 5/2 Surf St, Bilinga, 1–1.30pm QLD Time

• 1/33 Hillcrest Ave, Tugun, 1–1.30pm QLD Time Raine and Horne Jet

• 16 Lamington Way, Murwillumbah, 9.30–10am

• 187 Tweed Valley Way, South Murwillumbah, 9.30–10am

• 18 Flinders Way, Ocean Shores, 9.30–10am

• 22 McLeod St, Condong–waiting on draft contract, 10.30–11am

• 7/1 Castle Field Drive, Murwillumbah, 10.30–11am

Shop 2/41-45 Murwillumbah Street, Murwillumbah

Phone: (02) 6672 2499

Same people, new brand.

Over the past six months, we have been working closely with a well-known and highly respected national real estate brand. Following careful consideration, we are proud to announce that Jason and Elizabeth will be joining Raine & Horne as franchise owners, trading as Raine & Horne Jet

From 15 January 2026, we will no longer trade under JET Real Estate. Our company name remains Jet Property Consultants Pty Ltd, now trading as Raine & Horne Jet. This move allows us to continue offering the same trusted local service, supported by the strength, reach, and over 140 years of real estate expertise that Raine & Horne provides.

friends - it also has a tennis court that doubles as a basketball court for those aspiring to the heights of Ash Barty or LeBron instead.

There’s a large swimming pool with an eight-person spa with views out to the Pacific Ocean.

It also has a lovely home and a guest studio or teenagers retreat for your aspiring sports star.

This property comes with a spring-fed dam, fruit trees, and farm sheds, with enough space for horse or motorbike riding if you have a young’un dreaming of being the next Casey Stoner.

Your child could be the most popular kid in the neighbourhood with a backyard like this and be a future champion of quite a few sports.

The property is open for expressions of interest with Jamie and Jesse Wilmen at Raine and Horne Pottsville Beach/ Cabarita Beach.

• 35 Park Avenue, Murwillumbah, 11.30–12pm

• 45 Fernvale Road, Fernvale, 12.30–1pm Tate Brownlee Real Estate

• 56 Condong Street, Murwillumbah, 9– 9.30am

• 27 Tumbulgum Road, Murwillumbah, 10–10.30am

• 1 Chadburn Lane, Chinderah,10–10.30am

• 19 Ocean Ave, Tweed Heads South, 11–11.30am

• 1/9 Kildare Dr, Banora Point, 11–11.30am

• 3 The Parapet, Banora Point, 11.15–11.45am

• 13 Cobaki Road, Tweed Heads West, 12–12.30pm

• 33 Snowgum Dr, Bilambil Heights,1–1.30pm

• 52 Kingscliff Street, Kingscliff, 1–1.30pm

• 3/62 Coolangatta Road, Coolangatta, 3–3.30pm

Our passion is finding your best way of living.

Same people, new brand.

Over the past six months, we have been working closely with a well-known and highly respected national real estate brand. Following careful consideration, we are proud to announce that Jason and Elizabeth will be joining Raine & Horne as franchise owners, trading as Raine & Horne Jet

From 15 January 2026, we will no longer trade under JET Real Estate. Our company name remains Jet Property Consultants Pty Ltd, now trading as Raine & Horne Jet. This move allows us to continue offering the same trusted local service, supported by the strength, reach, and over 140 years of real estate expertise that Raine & Horne provides.

Our passion is finding your best way of living.

2/41-45 Murwillumbah Street, Murwillumbah

Phone: (02) 6672 2499

‘Highfields’ Estate

Surrounded by Ocean, River & Mountain Views, on 4 Private Acres.

An awe-inspiring, manicured acreage parcel, perched to capture 300-degree views spanning the entire ocean coastline, Tweed River, Wollumbin / Mount Warning and Tweed Valley. Paired with an impressive home, offering five bedrooms, four bathrooms, two powder rooms, office, five indoor living spaces, three undercover outdoor living areas, resort style swimming pool, paddling pool, fire pit, yoga and meditation deck and accommodation for 5 vehicles.

A once in a lifetime opportunity to secure a property that has no equal. Contact Mark Chappell 0427 323 121

DIXON

INTEREST OVER $1,850,000

3 1 2

OPEN FOR INSPECTION: SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10:00AM - 10:30AM (QLD TIME)

Perfectly positioned just 600 metres from the sand at Coolangatta Beach, this beautifully renovated threebedroom, Queenslander captures everything you love about the Southern Gold Coast lifestyle. Designed for effortless weekend escapes, the home blends timeless character with relaxed modern style. Light-filled open-plan living flows seamlessly outdoors to a generous deck and private backyard - perfect for a BBQ after a morning surf or evening drinks under the stars. Inside, the home has been renovated from top to bottom, showcasing bright coastal tones, modern finishes, and an easy indoor-outdoor flow. Underneath, you'll find plenty of secure storage for surfboards, bikes, and beach essentials - so you can lock up and leave without a worry. Leave the car at home and stroll to sun-soaked beaches, vibrant cafes, boutique shops, and laid-back restaurants - all just moments from your front door. Gold Coast Airport is a quick 6-minute drive, Byron Bay is only 45 minutes away, and the new Tweed Valley Hospital is just 16 minutes down the road. Whether you're searching for the perfect weekender, a holiday rental, or a low-maintenance coastal base, this rare find in a tightly held pocket of Coolangatta makes every day feel like a holiday.

Your weekends just got a whole lot better!

TWO COUNCIL APPROVED DWELLINGS ON ONE TITLE - Endless options

This unique property offers two council-approved dwellings on one title, delivering an exceptional opportunity for investors seeking strong rental income of $68,640 P/A. Equally appealing to owner-occupiers, the flexible layout allows you to live in one dwelling while renting the other or comfortably accommodating extended family.

KEY FEATURES - unit 1

• 3 bedrooms (one bedroom air conditioned)

• Exposed beams

• Cool tiled floors throughout

• Open plan air-conditioned living

• Well-appointed kitchen

• Main bathroom w/ shower over spa bath

• Large, covered entertainers' deck

• Grassy rear yard

• Carport

KEY FEATURES - unit 2

• Dual level w/ exposed beams

• Cool tiled main bedroom & bathroom

• Upper living w/ vinyl plank flooring & airconditioning

• Social kitchen

• Balcony w/ a private leafy outlook

• Large grassy courtyard

• Carport, plus large lock up storage

ELEVATED FAMILY HOME - with scenic views'

Arrive home via a quiet no through road, opposite a central parkland, to enjoy this impressive 3-bedroom residence, offering a summery in-ground pool and scenic views of the Tweed Hinterland.

• Generous air-conditioned formal living area leading out to balcony

• Separate dining zone

• Colonial kitchen & meals area

• Full length balcony / deck w/ sun blinds, commanding views & overlooking pool

• Master bedroom w/ air-conditioning, walk in robe, ensuite & opens on to deck

• Two additional bedrooms w/ built in robes (bed 2 air-conditioned)

• Fully fenced in ground pool

• Entertainers gazebo / BBQ area

• Under home storage

• Double automatic lock up garage w/ internal access plus side paved area that could accommodate boat or van

• Fully fenced low maintenance landscaped gardens

OCEANFRONT ENTERTAINER - with a casual vibe'

Immerse yourself into an idyllic lifestyle from this generous 230m2 (3) bedroom + study apartment, which commands a superb ocean vista and has been meticulously modernised throughout.

• Spacious air-conditioned open plan living w/ easy care flooring

• Expansive terrace style covered balcony w/ storage nook & water connection

• Stunning social kitchen w/ granite benches, built in microwave, two-pac cabinetry & soft closing draws

• Master bedroom, w/ air-conditioning, walk in robe, additional built-in robes & access to balcony

• Bedrooms 2 & 3 offer built in robes w/ bedroom 2 providing a Juliette balcony

• Study / home office or ideal for guest room / 4th bedroom

• Stylish fully tiled main bathroom w/ freestanding bath & walk through shower

• Large laundry

• Two car parking & storage within basement

• Resort style pool & heated spa

• Lift access

• Pet friendly

SURF VIEW - superb coastal living'

Experience sweeping ocean views that span the Southern coastline from this spacious 3-bedroom absolute oceanfront unit, within a small walk-up style complex of just 6 residences only and anchored on a prime 1022m2 allotment.

• Generous open plan living

• Easy care flooring throughout

• Well-appointed kitchen w/ granite benches

• Oceanfront facing wrap around balcony

• Master bedroom w/ walk through robe, ensuite & Juliette balcony

• Large main bathroom w/ bath

• Double side by side lock up garage

30 Acres with Ocean Views, Minutes to the Coast and Suitable for Horses and Cattle

Set high above the rolling hills, this exceptional 30-acre/11 ha landholding offers a rare opportunity to create your own rural Northern Rivers’ most promising lifestyle regions. Welcome to 1A Sierra Boulevard, Bilambil Heights.

Lovingly shaped by generations of land owners, the land is already primed for horses, cattle or a hobby farm. Well-kept pastures every six months, and permanent springs, streams and troughs provide reliable water across all paddocks. Robust fencing with el livestock yards and all-weather farm roads ensure everything is in place for a working rural lifestyle.

Wake to mist rising gently off the Tweed River and unwind each evening as the sky melts into colour across your own 1,430m² level waterfront sanctuary. Set in one of Murwillumbah's most tightly held riverside addresses. Rich in character, generous in space and unmatched in lifestyle appeal, this is a rare opportunity to secure a tightly held riverfront home where classic charm meets relaxed modern living - a place you'll be proud to call home. Welcome to 27 Tumbulgum Road.

HOME Sat 31st January 10:00am to 10:30am

3 5 2 3 5 6 $1,375,000 - $1,450,000

A truly magnificent lifestyle estate where timeless craftsmanship, serene privacy, and natural beauty come together in one of Banora Point's most tightly held enclaves. Built in 1990, this remarkable architectural residence was designed and constructed as the master builders forever home - a dream brought to life from the ground up. Welcome to 3 The Parapet.

11:15am to 11:45am