Backlash Koalas have once again taken a back seat to property devlopment as Byron councillors pushed ahead with approving plans at Ewingsdale for doctors’ surgeries, shops and seniors’ housing, despite requests from residents for a deferral. Cr Rose Wanchap, who went from greenish to joining the pro-development push during the course of her council career, copped a bollocking from the public gallery, while ecologist Dailan Pugh decried the fact that councillors keep deferring a koala management plan. While the greenish councillors try valiantly to wind back the clock to when Council actually cared about the environment, the majority presses on heedlessly. Q Q Q Q
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Shop 3, Byron St, Byron Bay | 6685 6432 44 October 14, 2014 The Byron Shire Echo
Those concerned about the welfare of the pythons in the Backlash picture last week may rest assured they have returned to their buddies in the photographer’s shed and a bowl of fresh water is kept topped up for them. We can’t vouch for the welfare of any rats or mice in the neighbourhood. Q Q Q Q
Semi-retired local Nationals MP Don Page found something to say over West Byron on ABC despite demurring on The Echo’s request for comment last week. Regarding Greens MLC Jan Barham’s referral of the matter to ICAC, Mr Page told ABC radio that Byron Shire Council passed up opportunities to retain planning power over the controversial residential development and that Council chose not to deal with the matter. ‘Going back to 2008 the council, because of lack of resources [the council] said
You’ll have the opportunity to help build a city out of cardboard with Brisbane-based artists Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan at Tweed Regional Gallery in a work addressing themes of journey and diaspora, settlement and resettlement, home and land, flight and displacement. Find out more at http://artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au and http:// alfredoisabel.com.
they couldn’t do the rezoning, even despite an offer by the landholders to pay for a dedicated planner of the council’s choice,’ he said. ‘Subsequently the Keneally government made the decision to declare [West Byron site] a site of state significance and to deal with the rezoning. Recently the council reaffirmed their position that the state do the rezoning.’
the NSW Energy and Water Ombudsman, who told The Age they have received a record high number of complaints. Around half of the 37,485 complaints in 2013–14
period related to billing, and a quarter relating to affordability: ‘“There’s been an increase in the number of people struggling and it’s very much to do with the higher prices for what is an essential service. People don’t have a choice,’ Ombudsman Clare Petre said. Tens of thousands of families across NSW are being crippled by high energy prices, with mounting arrears, credit listings and disconnections, the Energy and Water Ombudsman says.’ When will we see lower energy prices? The right-wing rhetoric for over a year now has promised it, and meanwhile they continue to dismantle mechanisms that will provide energy for almost nothing while encouraging the sale of fossil fuels to an overseas market that is rapidly vanishing.
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Meanwhile plans for an operating theatre have been dumped from the proposed new hospital at Ewingsdale, leading councillors not to offer support for the project. Naturally the state government will do whatever it can to wind back health services in NSW when there’s important rezoning for shopping precincts to be considered. Not even Don Page, once considered the champion for local hospital committees, seems likely to be able to stop the carnage. Q Q Q Q
The high cost of electricity is hurting NSW residents, says
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