Tweed Heads SES unit expansion and land tenure

Tweed residents are being asked to comment on a proposal to give the Tweed Heads State Emergency Services unit secure tenure at its Banora Point site, as part of plans to expand the unit’s facilities.

Council is conducting a community survey to gauge community opinion about plans to amend the site’s ‘public recreation’ classification, so the SES operation has more secure tenure at the public land in Pioneer Parade.

Click here to complete the survey.

“Does the community support retaining and expanding the SES unit and headquarters at their present location, even though they currently don’t comply with the land classification?” Council’s Director of Planning and Operations, Vince Connell, said.

“Would people rather see the unit relocated so the Pioneer Parade land can be used for public open space or recreational purposes?

“Alternatively, are there opportunities to create or enhance public open space or recreational facilities in the Banora Point area, to meet community needs while keeping the SES unit where it is?”

Mr Connell said the site is ideally located for the SES to deal with emergencies in the area and has been home for the unit for more than 30 years.

“The Tweed’s population has more than doubled in that time and an expansion of the unit’s facilities is needed to help meet growing demands for the unit’s services,” he said.

“The NSW Crown Land Division has stated it would consider amending the site classification, but community opinion must be taken into account.”

The survey can also be downloaded from Council’s website, at http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/Community/SESUnitExtension.aspx.

Printed copies will also be available at a public open day at the Pioneer Parade complex, being held on 26 February from 10am to 2pm to give residents a closer look at the SES’s operations.

Click here to view the open invitation.

Visitors can enjoy a free sausage sizzle and a cold drink, meet SES members, view their rescue equipment, discuss the future development of the site and provide feedback. 

Surveys must be submitted by 16 March and are also available in Council Tweed Heads and Murwillumbah offices and libraries at Tweed Heads, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah. 

For further information please contact Council's Local Emergency Management Officer, Doreen Harwood, on (02) 6670 2400.