Big Prawn gets raw deal

OUTDATED OR QUIRKY? Ballina mayor Phillip Silver and Sunrise host David ‘Kochie’ Koch voiced entirely different views on Ballina’s Big Prawn during an on-air encounter yesterday morning.

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Poll

Should the Big Prawn be shelled?

This poll ended on 31 March 2010.

Yes

27%

No

72%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

ALTHOUGH Phillip Silver personally likes the Big Prawn, the Ballina mayor thinks the coastal town could do better.

“I don't want to pre-empt council's decision, but it (the prawn) is Ballina of 20 years ago and people think it is a bit tacky and maybe Ballina can do better,” he said.

“It is difficult for council to be adjudicators of public taste.”

Cr Silver's idea, instead of the Big Prawn, is to have a tribute to the late Lance Ferris and the work of the Australian Seabird Rescue with a small, stylish pelican in the centre of town, along the lines of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen.

However, this idea was dismissed by a visibly frustrated David 'Kochie' Koch on the Channel 7 Sunrise program yesterday morning, when he faced off with the mayor over the 'raw' issue.

“It's a bit of a disgrace to see the crustacean go,” Mr Koch said.

“As a man who is married to Miss Ballina Junior Beach Girl 1965, I have a strong emotional attachment to the Northern Rivers. I have four kids who have grown up waiting to see the Big Prawn when we come into Ballina for holidays.

“The Federal Government is offering billions in infrastructure funding and council should spend a bit of money to tart up the Big Prawn or relocate it.

“It's a bit of a shock to me the mayor thinks it (the prawn) is part of a bygone era. I don't think people should forget their history. It is part of Australia, it is quirky.

“Goulburn shifted its Big Merino. The Big Prawn is what Ballina is all about. The kiddies love it, it's part of history, and it's what the North Coast is all about.”

Cr Silver said it was entirely possible the council could take ownership of the Big Prawn and move it to council land, but it was 'highly unlikely'.

This week, the 52-page Ballina Coast and Hinterland tourist guide, produced by Ballina Shire Council, was released with no mention of the Big Prawn.

However, according to Ballina Shire Council general manager Paul Hickey, the Big Prawn hasn't been featured in the guide for more than a decade.

“The guide is focused on a wide range of activities in the shire,” Mr Hickey said.

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