By Len Roberts deputy mayor of Great Lakes Council

2016 Tour de Cure

The 2016 Tour de Cure (Brisbane to Sydney) will be travelling through Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest, with an overnight stay on Friday 6 May 2016 – expected to be 300 people (riders and support crew).

The Great Lakes actually gets two stopovers which is great promotion for our shire – Forster on the Thursday night and Tea Gardens on the Friday night.

The other exciting thing is that they will be doing a live Prime 7 Sunrise TV cross from both towns on the Friday and Saturday morning!

Tour de Cure is about riding to raise awareness and funds to cure cancer for all.

Riding a bike has been chosen as a vehicle to cure cancer as it promotes a healthy lifestyle which is key for preventing cancer.

Riding long distances, over multiple days is a challenge that requires support to achieve.

Riders and support crews contribute their time and energy to the cause, whilst their networks rally behind them with donations.

Cycling from town to town tangibly creates a connection between communities – bringing the ‘cure cancer’ message to all Australians.

Since 2007, Tour de Cure riders, volunteers, support crew, corporate sponsors and other supporters have raised in excess of $20 million and funded over 242 cancer research, support and prevention projects, leading to 18 cancer breakthroughs! The event this year is the10th anniversary.

Cr McCaskie and I will be inviting representatives of local groups to a meeting to see how we can best welcome the Tour and showcase our area.

Lower Myall River

The dredging of the original channel has been completed.

Top up and navigational dredging of the Corrie Island Channel as well as other spots along the river up to Slip Island are planned to occur shortly.

Council is currently liaising with Soil Conservation Services regarding stabilisation of the Winda Woppa stockpile.

Regular site inspections are being undertaken to ensure the stockpile isn’t moving/significant blow-out in the meantime.

Two pairs of the endangered Little Tern have been reported nesting on top of the newly created stockpile.

The Designer has been contracted to develop sand-transfer system.

Council is currently trialling movement of trucks on the Winda Woppa beach as risk management until sand-transfer station is completed.

Council has received approval to undertake a trial to profile sand on Jimmy’s Beach from its existing slump face, to a more usable 1:8 grade.

It is hoped that this will reduce sand-loss from the face of the dune as well as improving access and amenity of the beach.

The trial is proposed for the more stable end of the beach (near Gemalla St), if successful Council will look to extend the trial closer to the key erosion spot.

North Arm Cove

Water quality sample results for the September 2015 event indicated high presence of human impacts at all but one sample location.

Council has continued to focus on OSMS inspections in NAC.

Any overflowing pump-out systems or failing systems have been notified to NSW Food Authority and actioned through Council’s procedure process.

Funding has been received to install a dinghy launch at two locations in North Arm Cove.

The project is waiting on final state government approval which is expected to be received very soon.