Letters
A few more thoughts on West Byron Q About
a thousand houses in a highly flood prone area (normally around 2,500 people but, with holiday lets seemingly encouraged here, that number could double or more) and a bypass that all the previous, expensive reports have shown would be worthless since over 90 per cent of traffic is headed for the Bay. I don’t think a less sustainable development proposal would be possible short of a nuclear power plant. Given that our political system is wholly owned by ‘business as usual’, don’t be surprised if state government fast-tracks this one. Robin Harrison Binna Burra
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West Byron estate is a must for Byron Bay’s future as it has stagnated for too many years in the housing sector. The prices for land or houses are forcing our young local families to buy in mainly Ballina or Lennox Head and drive to work in Byron Bay. Byron Council and the dogooders may think that this is okay but Council has to over-
Wonderful night A wonderful night at Durrumbul the other Saturday to farewell Elsbeth Williams, who has worked at Santos for near on 35 years. A big thanks to all the customers, suppliers, current staff and former employees and directors who came to celebrate. We all love Elsbeth and it was great to celebrate the woman who has given so much to our community. Happy travels, Elsbeth, and thanks again for your amazing service. Michael Lyon General Manager Santos Organics
Wrong, Graeme Shows you how much attention Graeme Williams pays to what councillors really do in their role (letters, January 28). I am not pro-CSG as he claims, and if that is the only thing he can accuse me of, it’s a true indication of his nonattention to detail. I signed every anti-CSG petition that was on offer. I was responsible for the motion that requested Dart Energy to relinquish any rights over Byron Shire (even though there is no coal seam gas in our immediate area)
ride these groups and think of the town’s future and the future of our young people. The bypass seems to be the stumbling block for all issues in Byron Bay and someone said that it has been discussed for 20 years, but in fact it was discussed close to 40 years ago. A Mr Fletcher suggested a bypass down Melaleuca Drive through some swamp with a small bridge round the base of the hills on the south side and out over Bartons railway crossing and onto Bangalow Road, therefore leaving Shirley Street, Jonson Street and Bangalow Road free of through traffic, but with the NSW minister for the north coast and now resident of Byron Bay living in the area a bypass that way won’t happen. In fact Don Page has put this idea into the ‘too hard basket’. The Byron Bay residents want some action, not longterm talks, and for Council to get on with the job and work on the West Byron development now. Keith Anderson Byron Bay
Q
and got their concurrence. Yes, I talked with Matthew Fraser prior to the federal election, and to Clive Palmer’s team, and Warren Truss, and Barnaby Joyce, and others, to ask them what would they give to Byron should they get elected. That is my job, Graeme. And no, Graeme Williams, I am not aligned to the National Party, and the fact that Alan Hunter was asked to join the team was due to his love of Byron, love and knowledge of the farming community, and his capacity to engage with the community. And perhaps, Graeme, many people were disenfranchised with the previous Green majority, and were willing to fund an alternative. Get your facts right before you put pen to paper. Cr Diane Woods Brunswick Heads
the big picture of what the NSW Crown Holiday Parks Trust and its business entity, North Coast Holiday Parks, have done in their exhibited plans of management: Ignored Council’s licensing approvals that protect inalienable public lands along the foreshores of the Brunswick River. Ignored legislative requirements for setbacks. Proposed developing land under lease to the Brunswick Heads Fishermen’s Co-operative as a de facto extension of the Massey Greene caravan park without doing the required investigations as to the induced pedestrian and vehicular traffic that can be expected to the small watercraft ramp. Expanded caravan park activities onto the grassed foreshore at Ferry Reserve and restricted public access to the boat ramp. Taken over approximately 14,000sqm of additional land into the Ferry Reserve caravan park with intent to take more. Taken approximately 11,000sqm of encroached land into the Terrace caravan park. Taken over 3,000sqm encroached land into Massey Greene caravan park. Used Ordinance 71, Clause 108, for highly suspect purposes to
Bruns takeover As E Sharman stated in her letter ‘Bruns power play’ (Echo, January 28), councillors, whatever their persuasion, need to realise their legislative power in relation to the caravan parks in Brunswick Heads. Just to sum up
Anyone aware of classic developer tactics will be aware of what is called the ‘ambit claim’. This is where the developers put forward a proposal that is initially totally over the top. If, for some reason it gets approved anyway, they are over the moon. As often happens though, negotiations take place. The developers can then portray themselves as being reasonable and listening to community concerns by scaling back their proposal to a degree. The end result is often still way over the top but some individuals and politicians get sucked in by this tactic. The massive proposal at West Byron has a good chance of proceeding in this way I suspect. This proposal is before the NSW government (not our local council) and therefore Don Page has some influence. Don, I think many in the community would be disappointed if you claimed some sort of victory if some minor scaling back gets final approval from your government. Please request the minister for planning to
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GREEK SCHOOL FOR KIDS GREEK TEACHER WANTED plus Greek parents who want their kids to learn Greek in Byron Shire to establish a Greek School.
just say NO, and hand it all back to local council where it belongs. Mark McDermid Broken Head Q I was caught up in the traffic jams over the holidays, 50 minutes from Byron Services Club to Sunrise Estate and one hour on the bus from Mullum to Byron, usually only a half-hour trip. If 1,100 houses are allowed to be built at West Byron at 2.55 people per dwelling, add maybe two cars per dwelling then add all the visitors’ cars, then I can only suggest the residents of Byron start saving for your ultralights now. Because the only way residents will get to town to shop and work is to fly over the top of the traffic jams that will ensue, and no bypass will alleviate it. Because all roads lead to Byron and most visitors don’t bypass the town, otherwise they would stay on the highway. Yes, folks, the highway bypasses Byron Bay. Paul Brecht Mullumbimby
justify ‘exemptions’ and ‘savings provisions’ in parts of the caravan parks that remain unidentified. Continued to operate Ferry caravan park on a licence that expired 1/7/12. and Completely dismissed points of agreement reached February 15, 2013, with representatives from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and Department of Lands, Grafton. These behaviours are continued on page 13
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SLIM PICKENS The Byron Shire Echo February 4, 2014 11