The Wollumbin Caldera – It’s Geological Formation and Flora

The Wollumbin / Mount Warning shield volcano and its erosion caldera is a unique volcanic landform which has functioned as a refugium, over the 20 million years since it’s formation, for a core area of Gondwana rainforest flora. The Caldera is located in a major climatic transition zone, between temperate and tropical floral and faunal…

Have Your Say on the Draft Hastings Point Headland Management Plan

Council is seeking feedback on a draft management plan for Hastings Point headland. The Tweed Shire Council ‘Have Your Say’ portal is open for comments until Friday 27 June. The plan aims to improve the quality of this public open space while protecting the headland’s natural environment and cultural heritage values, both now and in…

Caravan Park at Pottsville refused by NSW.gov, as per Community and TS Council Recommendation.

Tweed Link #1400 4 June 2025: “The Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) recently announced their decision to refuse the application (DA 25/0011) at Pottsville. The Development Application for 1183 Cudgera Creek Road, Cudgera Creek included the building of a caravan park containing 267 long term sites and 12 short term sites, clubhouse, outbuildings and associated…

FoodAware Murwillumbah , this July’s Daring Dialogue at the Kambucha Cafe

“FoodAware Murwillumbah is a community project that has been set up to share with the community the knowledge needed to make informed food choices in the light of recent findings on the links between climate change, deforestation and animal farming, the leading driver of climate change, arguably of greenhouse gases as well, and to spell…

Dear TS Councillor, et al.

We reproduce below a recent CEC correspondence to the Tweed Shire Councillors regarding an upcoming agenda item to do with in our opinion not only issues of disposal, but also with our ingestion of micro and nano plastic molecules emitting from plastic in the environment. Dear Councillor <name>. Wednesday’s public access Council Meeting has an…

[nefanews] Forestry Corps Losses

NEFA: “Following the NSW Forest Alliance putting out a media release that was run by the Guardian, cross-benchers have now piled on with a story in the Sydney Morning Herald (see below). SMH: “MPs call for state government to end its ‘fiscally irrational’ logging. “A powerful group of state government crossbenchers has again called on…

Tweed Regional Art Gallery: Spiders of Paradise

10 May – 3 August 2025, Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise presents the artist’s ongoing photographic series featuring the tiny Australian Maratus spider. It includes new works from this series as well as Cardoso’s acclaimed video work On the Origins of Art I–II (2016). Bringing together science, art and nature, this exhibition celebrates the…

Forestry continue to haemorrhage money

From the North East Forest Alliance, NEFA News: “Forestry Corps have declared a half year normalised earnings loss of $14.9 on their hardwood logging, in part blaming  protests, protection of Koala hubs in the GKNP, the new Greater Glider protocols and having to assess the unique and special wildlife values in plantations. The claimed significance of…

We Are All Ingesting Plastic

The CEC note the growing awareness of the public to the issue of plastic molecule emissions from plastics, especially from materials undergoing changes in temperature or in direct sunlight. We are all becoming more aware of our unwanted ingestion of these plastic molecules and the retention of these molecules in our bodies. Bioaccumulation of microplastics…

[nefanews]: Axe falls on loggers’ plan to avoid battle over gliders

[Caldera note: A recent court case determined that private people or entities could not take legal action against logging operations carried out in breach of regulations, and that only government entities had that right. The current court case has over-ruled that finding, opening the courts to individuals and groups to pursue legal action against logging…

Welcome to the new CEC location 

Now after two years without a premises the Caldera Environment Centre is back in Murwillumbah. Drop in a check out all our new merchandise, including a great range of books, plants and environmentally sound products. The shop is managed by our volunteers and open week days and Saturday morning. Caldera Activities: World Environment Day is back…

CEC Movie Club – ‘ALBATROSS, A Love Story’

A highlight of the movie is the slow motion footage of the albatross mating ritual, turning a chaotic cacophonous flurry into an elegant and choreographed mating dance. As the National Parks guide pushes away the grass growing through the nests revealing the skeletal remains of the chick in the nest, the small pile of plastic…

The Literal End of the Shearwater Ocean Birds because Plastic

This the end of the Shearwater ocean bird species, et al, in our lifetimes, because plastic. ABC News have reported on the Shearwater birds nesting on Lord Howe Island feeding their chicks in their nests with plastic which they mistake for food, so much so that 20% of the chick’s bodyweight is plastic, and one…

TSC DCP Review, An Opportunity to Protect Non-Native Trees As Do Other Councils

The revised Development Control Plan, when it soon goes on exhibition for Public comment,  will be an opportunity to lobby for stronger protection of both native and non-native trees.  Greens Councillor Nola Firth comments: “Tweed Shire Council compared to other NSW Councils has scant protection for non-native urban trees.  “Non-natives here in the Tweed are only protected if they have a diameter of more than 80cm at breast height, but…

ReUse: $4 Refill Tablet for household cleaning spray containers, at the CEC.

Plastic production reduction – don’t buy a new plastic spray bottle of cleaner each time, instead use an empty plastic spray bottle or get a glass spray bottle from us, then add the refill tablet, and then add water. The refill tablets are available at the Caldera Environment Centre. Not dwelling on the subject here,…

“If this, …

“If this ocean bird of this species, … then every ocean bird of this species.” “If this ocean bird species, … then every ocean bird species.” ect. A one minute duration information unit about the Collapse of the Ocean Ecology because plastic in the environment. “If this, … ” is an awardee of The Caldera…

NEFA: Koala claims are yet more false information by loggers

“The loggers are once again spreading false information in their attempts to stop the Great Koala National Park (GKNP), this time by claiming that the assessment of Koalas was based upon Koala scat searches when they know it was based upon comprehensive drone surveys that identified actual Koalas. For the GKNP repeated night time drone…

Which Land Sites for Development? The Tweed Shire Council Draft Options Paper for the Growth Management and Housing Strategy: Councillors Request Clarity

The TSC ‘Final Options Paper‘, nominating 69 sites to be proposed for development or further development, was on the agenda of the December ’24 Tweed Shire Council Public Meeting. It was noted by Councillors however that the ‘Final Options’ presented by Council staff has combined several previously separately identified sites, clouding clear identification of environmental and…

Gondwana Going, Going…Gone?

The David Bradbury video, it’s about the fight to protect NSW native forests from logging, it’s about NEFA et al. From Bulga to Gibberagee. “For activists and forest lovers to spread the word about how NSW state forests (and forests throughout Australia) are being so over-logged and trashed by the NSW Forestry Corporation and private…

Tweed Shire Climate Action Cafés

TSC: “Tweed Shire Council’s Climate Action Cafés are workshops that will bring people together to explore, connect and deepen ideas to reduce the impacts of climate change. We already have a palette of possibilities – now it’s time to prioritise these projects and commit to action. “Choose one of these events to attend: Climate Action…

Dear TSC: 18.1.Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Performance Upgrade Options Peer Review

Birdlife Northern Rivers: “Dear Councillors, Regarding Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Performance Upgrade Options Peer Review. Birdwatchers frequent Tweed Shire Wastewater Treatment Plants (Hastings, Banora, Chinderah and Murwillumbah). Birdwatchers often enjoy visiting wastewater treatment plants because they provide a rich and readily available food source for birds due to the nutrient-rich water, attracting a diverse…