Rodney Stevens

Despite the Townsend Masterplan indicating it will include the Townsend Return and Earn facility, the Maclean Lions Club who run the project have no confidence after having met council managers, that this will eventuate.

There appears to be no alternative plan or site for this essential Lower Clarence Valley service. The facility which serves the communities from Iluka to Yamba and beyond Maclean runs the risk of being closed by council bureaucrats resulting in much of the recycled material ending up in landfill, which is in contradiction to state and federal policy.

The Return and Earn project is entirely run as a volunteer activity with no cost to council or the community.

Maclean Lions Club Treasurer Tracy Smith, said the Townsend Return had recycled 1.5 million items since September 2022, returning a valuable $150,000 in cash to members of the community, many of whom are relying on this income, as well as donating about $10,000 to local community groups, and were recently recognised in Parliament and given an award by Richie Williamson – State Member of the Legislative Council.

In October, Maclean Lions Club became aware that the Master Plan for the Townsend Community Precinct wouldn’t allow their facility to remain in its current location, which is earmarked on the plan for a carpark.

Despite having approval from council to use the premises and having communicated with council on a number of occasions in particular with regard to the revamped playground in Townsend, the first time Maclean Lions became aware of the Townsend Community Precinct draft plan was when it was posted on Facebook by a community member.

There also appears to be no consultation with the immediate community despite their many concerns.

Only Councillor Bill Day came to see the project in operation, after the CVC councillors and the mayor were invited to observe the volunteers during their processing of community returns.

The Lions Club met with council management responsible for the Master Plan who advised Mrs Smith they couldn’t see any way of accommodating the Return and Earn in the Community Precinct.

“After the meeting we had on Wednesday it is blatantly obvious that council has no additional space for the Townsend Return and Earn,” Mrs Smith said.

Mrs Smith said Maclean Lions Club had already collected hundreds of signatures on a petition calling for council to include the Townsend Return and Earn in the Master Plan.

“We have 29 volunteers, of which 20 are men and they comment about how good volunteering with Townsend Return and Earn has been for their mental health,” Mrs Smith said.

“One of our regular customers who comes in weekly has made his own business from recycling, purchasing a trailer and bringing in more than 2000 items a week.”

The members of the Lions Club of Maclean wish to continue their extraordinary service to their community through the Townsend Return and Earn facility.

A Clarence Valley Council spokesperson said council staff met onsite this week with the Lions Club and have listened to their concerns which will be considered and collated in the report back to Council – likely February 2024.

“The draft Townsend Masterplan has been completed to inform the future development of a community hub precinct at Townsend as identified in the current operational plan,” the spokesperson said.

Submissions on the draft concept plan are currently open and will close Wednesday December 6. All feedback will be considered before the plan is finalised and reported back to Council for adoption.

https://www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/On-exhibition/Townsend-Community-Precinct-Masterplan