Road to popular Tweed beach remains closed until after September elections

Covid-19 was sited as the main reason to extend the closure of the popular tourist destination.

Letitia Road in Fingal Head will remain closed until at least October this year.

The road to the popular Fingal Head beach will remain closed for at least another four months following a resolution at the latest Tweed Shire Council general meeting.

Letitia Road was closed at the beginning of Covid-19 to protect the indigenous community who live there and was only open to residents, pedestrians and cyclists.

At the May 20 meeting councillors were recommended to end the temporary road closure on May 27, however after debate went against that decision.

Councillor Pryce Allsop was for reopening the road which is the only traffic access to Fingal Beach and Letitia Beach.

“It’s a good opportunity to see what sort of traffic returns,” Cr Allsop said.

Councillor Katie Milne said the elders and Aboriginal community had been appreciative of the closures.

She said last time the topic was discussed was right before there was another Covid outbreak on the Gold Coast and Byron.

“It was right there and we were sandwiched in between,” Cr Milne said.

“It would have been a terrible outcome if we opened up the road.”

She moved to keep the road closed until after the council election to allow the community to get vaccinated.

Mayor Chris Cherry said she’d received letters asking for the closure to be extended.

“It’s certainly a way we can support and protect that community – it’s a good thing to do,” Cr Cherry said.

Councillors passed a motion to keep the road closed until October 2021 with councillors Pryce Allsop and Warren Polglase voting against.