Tate’s raid on the Tweed a recipe for natural disaster

THE attempt by Mayor Tom Tate to promote the idea of permanently moving the local state border to the Tweed River sounds suspiciously like another of his “thought bubbles” – a la the cruise ship terminal – and just as ill-conceived.

How far up the Tweed River, for example? Have the authorities thought beyond Tweed Heads?

The Tweed flows down from Mount Warning National Park, and we need to consider the effect a new border line will have on the towns and villages along the way.

The letter by Kingscliff resident

Sally Peacock (GC Bulletin, July 21) illustrates how many people are going to be disadvantaged.

Villages like Chinderah, Tumbulgum and Condong will be affected, while Murwillumbah would be divided in two, as the river flows through the centre of town.

To look at the total picture: more power to the Tweed Councillors who rejected Cr Tate’s grandiose scheme outright. They know how Tweed residents appreciate the green landscapes of the Tweed Valley, with great surfing as a bonus.

Unfortunately, Cr Tate (pictured) has focused on “property values” (GC Bulletin, July 21), seemingly thinking first of developers. Most Tweed people love the more natural environment there, and would not want to risk becoming part of the oversized concrete canyons.

The southern Gold Coast suburb of Palm Beach was once a pleasant, low-key place for families – now we only have to look at the oversized 19th Avenue developments to see how easily a place can be spoiled.

DOROTHY LLOYD, PALM BEACH