Lennox Head protects its community values as Australia enters the second year of the global COVID-19 pandemic

Lennox Head 2010 & 2014

The Guardian, 4 February 2021:

Hosting a world championship tour event is an opportunity most cities, let alone towns, would jump at – even bid large amounts of money for.

But the village of Lennox Head in the northern rivers region of New South Wales is quite happy to skip the glitz and glamour in the time of Covid.

It was offered the chance for surfing legends Kelly Slater, Tyler Wright, Carissa Moore, John John Florence, Gabriel Medina and Stephanie Gilmore to grace its waves as the location of one of four world tour contests.

With the world’s top surfers and a pool of over $1m, the competition holds the attention of hundreds of cameras, and with them, the global surfing community.

However, Lennox Head’s local council prioritised its own community’s concerns – not least among them the threat posed by Covid-19, lack of infrastructure and the fact that locals themselves would be prevented from surfing the waves over a period of 17 days.

An extraordinary meeting of the Ballina shire council was held on Wednesday, in which councillors voted eight to two against the World Surf League’s proposal to hold the tour this Easter.

“People were saying we’re in a bubble here. We’ve been Covid-free we don’t want that to change,” said the deputy mayor, Sharon Cadwallader.

“My concern will always be the pressure on our regional health system if there was an outbreak,” the state member for Ballina, Tamara Smith, told Echonetdaily.

According to Cadwallader, the community also had concerns about infrastructure.

“It’s like the new Byron [Bay]. Lennox is getting loved to death and we are really struggling to keep up with the infrastructure.”

Even without a world surfing competition, “when the surf’s up the cars are banked up”, she said.

Cadwallader said there was a strong showing of Lennox locals at the extraordinary meeting to oppose the proposal. “There were many people outside the chambers and as many as were physically allowed to occupy seats in the gallery of the council chambers.”

Surf magazine Stab reported that Lennox Head local, Nick Mercer, spoke inside the chamber and said that the decision to hold a contest against the community’s wishes could be met with a protest paddle-out by local surfers during the event.

The proposal to hold the competition at Lennox Head had come out of the blue. Mayor David Wright only heard from the CEO of the World Surf League, Andrew Stark, on Tuesday last week.......

The Berejiklian Government needs to close the NSW-Queensland border to non-essential travellers today

This antisocial behaviour within the 4WD community is beneath contempt during a pandemic.

I understand that NSW Police and Ballina Council rangers had a busy afternoon.

The Northern Star, 6 April 2020, p.3:

Lennox residents are up in arms about around 50 4WDs parked on the beach at Lennox Head.

According to Cr Keith Williams, locals have identified these as mostly Queensland-plated vehicles. 

“I’ve received about 20-30 emails this morning (Sunday) from concerned residents,” said Cr Williams. 

“With Easter just around the corner, people are really fearful that large numbers of day-trippers from Queensland are going to be heading down for the long weekend. 

“It significantly increases the risk for our community if people are continuing to go in and out.” 

“If this starts bringing cases into our area, we’ve also got to worry about how our hospital systems will cope.” 

Cr Williams also said that locals are concerned that this may lead to the whole beach being closed off to public access, which will stop residents from being able to enjoy the beach for their daily exercise. 

The school holidays have begun in Queensland, and travel restrictions are in place for non-Queensland residents wanting to cross into the Sunshine State amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

While the NSW border is open to Queenslanders, the Federal Government advice is that Australians must “avoid all non-essential domestic travel”.

“Social distancing is slowing the spread of coronavirus and it’s important that this continue at Easter,” the Federal Department of Health’s website says.“Australians should stay at home this Easter and not undertake holiday travel.”

Meanwhile elsewhere police were also busy......

NSW Police Public Site - News, 5 April 2020:

A total of 18 new Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) have been issued in relation to alleged breaches of the Public Health Act: 

 - About 2.30pm on Friday 3 April 2020, officers from Murrumbidgee Police District were called to Benerembah Lane, Griffith, following reports of an intoxicated person. A 55-year-old man was spoken to and moved on from the area. At 4pm the same day, officers returned after the man was seen again in that location and could not provide a legitimate reason for being there. Police were also made aware that he had been warned to obey social distancing regulations on Tuesday 31 March 2020. The man was issued a penalty infringement notice (PIN). 

 - About 5pm Friday 3 April 2020, police attached to New England Police District attended a licensed premise in Tenterfield Street, Deepwater. They spoke to a 27-year-old man, who was sitting with a group of patrons drinking. He was issued with a PIN as he had been spoken to by police the previous day about social-distancing and issued with a warning. 

 - A 37-year-old Newtown man has been issued with a PIN after officers from Inner West PAC spoke with him twice on Friday night about breaching the Public Health Act. Police spoke with the man on Federation Road about 8.30pm on Friday 3 April 2020, where he was warned about associating with four other adults. About two hours later, the same man was stopped on King Street, Newtown, and was then issued with a PIN. 

 - About 8.30pm Friday 3 April 2020, officers from Bankstown Police Area Command noticed a car double parked in Restwell Street, Bankstown. Officers pulled over the car and spoke to the 20-year-old female driver and her 21-year-old female passenger. The pair were unable to provide a valid reason for driving around. The passenger provided incorrect identification information to the police and become argumentative. She was issued with a PIN. The driver was issued with an official move on direction. 

 - Just after 10.30pm on Friday 3 April 2020, officers from Liverpool City Police Area Command were patrolling San Cristobal Drive, Green Valley, when they saw three men – one aged 36 and two 18-year-olds – not obeying social distancing regulations. The men were spoken to and could not provide a legitimate reason for being there. Two of the men had allegedly exited a vehicle believed to have been stolen. All three were issued PINs. Investigations regarding the vehicle are continuing. 

 - At 1.15am Saturday 4 April 2020, officers from Bankstown Police Area Command pulled over a car after it had allegedly accelerated away after seeing police on Edgar Street, Bankstown. The 30-year-old driver was spoken to by police about his reason for driving. He was unable to provide a valid reason and changed his version several times and continued to be argumentative with police. He was issued with a PIN. 

 - A passenger in a car being driven by a food delivery driver has been issued with a PIN by officers from Quakers Hill Police Area Command. Police stopped the vehicle about midday yesterday (Saturday 4 April 2020) and spoke with two people in the car. The driver was employed delivering food; however, police allege the 33-year-old woman from Toongabbie, who was the front-seat passenger, was only there because she said she was bored being at home. 

 - A 38-year-old woman has been issued with a PIN after she was found drinking with six people in Jonson Street, Byron Bay, just before 6pm yesterday, in breach of the Public Health Act. Officers from Tweed/Byron Police District had issued a warning to the woman earlier in the day. 

 - Police investigating an alleged assault at a home in Goulburn last night have issued two men with PINs for breaching the Public Health Act. Officers from The Hume Police District were called to the home in Teece Place about 9.20pm (Saturday 4 April 2020), after a 34-year-old man sustained a cut above his eye. He was treated at Goulburn Hospital and released. Police later issued him and his 24-year-old friend with a PIN; inquiries are continuing into the alleged assault. 

 - A man has been issued with a PIN after being stopped at the Sydney Opera House about 10.15pm yesterday. Officers from Sydney City PAC had already issued the man last Wednesday (1 April 2020), with a warning about breaching the Public Health Act.

 - Two people were given PINs and three people received cautions after gathering for a barbeque in the state’s north. Yesterday (Saturday 4 April 2020), about 11pm, officers attached to New England Police District responded to a noise complaint at a caravan park on Rouse Street, Tenterfield. Five people were in the bungalow; breaching ministerial orders related to the congregation of more than two people. A 23-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were identified as people who had previously received cautions for not complying with ministerial directions and were fined $1000. The three others were issued with cautions. 

 - Just after midnight (Sunday 5 April 2020), officers from Sutherland Shire Police Area Command attended the Lilli Pilli Baths, in Lilli Pilli, following reports of a gathering of people not adhering to social distancing regulations. Police attended and spoke with four men – aged 22, 24, 19 and 19 – who were drinking and having a barbeque. Officers reminded them of their requirements under the Public Health Act and asked them to move on; however, the men became argumentative and refused to leave. All three men were issued infringement notices.