s ’ r o t a v o
THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 26 #12 Tuesday, August 30, 2011 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
Who owns Byron? Ray Moynihan
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Byronopoly players Origin to invest $6 billion in CSG
Today we feature news on some of the major landlords and landowners with significant property holdings in and around Byron Bay. Our coverage is sparked by The Echo’s view that despite public concerns about high commercial rents making life difficult for some small businesses, there is a decided lack of public knowledge about the landlords who own the properties. Some landlords are already relatively well known, like Tom Mooney, former footballer and publican of The Rails and The Great Northern.
In comparison, landlords like Eddie Phillips don’t have the same public profile, but are nevertheless important players in the local property market. Similarly Peter Croke has built a modest property empire while staying largely out of the public spotlight. The people and companies named in this week’s paper are by no means the only big players, and there are many smaller landlords too. And as other stories in this issue show, the buying and selling constantly under way in this investment market means ownership is changing all the time. While there are obviously important
issues around the high level of commercial rents, the paper’s naming of key players carries no suggestion of wrongdoing, and we’ve made every effort to talk directly with the people involved. The information about ownership comes from publicly available sources, including land titles and company searches. Some landlords are easy to indentify, others are much harder because of the way financial and property interests are sometimes arranged. If you have stories or information about Who owns Byron? – or any feedback or criticism of our coverage – please email us at editor@echo.net.au. Q See also pages 3 and 17–19.
Art Expo draws the crowds
Chris Dobney
The owner of Country Energy has announced it intends to invest $6 billion in coal-seam gas exploration and exploitation over the next four years. Origin Energy, one of Australia’s largest energy retailers, also announced a $673m underlying profit for the financial year, an increase of 15 per cent over the previous year. ‘Significant contributions to the increase in underlying profit came from the newly acquired NSW energy businesses,’ the company announced in a media release. One of the NSW businesses acquired by Origin is Country Energy, the default electricity supplier to most households and businesses in the Northern Rivers. In the same release, Origin announced its intentions to significantly ramp up its commitment to coal-seam gas. ‘In July 2011, we took a final investment decision in respect of the Australia Pacific LNG CSG-to-LNG project. Origin’s 42.5 per cent share of the first
phase of the project requires investment of around US$6 billion over the next four years,’ the company said. Readers wishing not to contribute to the coffers of a company that supports CSG may be interested to know that it is now possible to change providers in most parts of our region. The challenge, however, is in finding a provider that does not invest in CSG.
Country Energy now owned by Origin In related news, the ABC reports that mining magnate Clive Palmer has come out strongly critical of CSG. He told the National Party’s Federal Council in Canberra that a leading Chinese firm had raised issues with him about the Australian industry, saying extraction techniques they abandoned 20 years ago are still being used here. A Senate inquiry is still examining the economic, social and environmental impacts of coal-seam gas. A decision is expected by Christmas.
NYE stays low key
Over 1000 art lovers visited the eighth running of the ever-growing Ocean Shores Art Expo over the weekend. Patrons were treated to 233 pieces of 2D and 3D works; the largest category, oil and acrylic, boasted over 80 pieces. New registrar Mandie Kilotat said the feedback was very positive, from first time artists and those who have been submitting art since the Expo started eight years ago. Mandie is pictured here with her favourite piece, a painting entitled Ceres by Lismore artist Dervis Pavlovic which she said moved her to tears. Photo Eve Jeffery.
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This year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations in Byron Bay will be the same as last year after Council voted to maintain a low profile. The decision comes despite Byron’s Chamber of Commerce, Byron United, requesting at Council’s Thursday meeting that celebrations be ramped up. Vice-president Paul Waters addressed public access asking that more be done to provide more adequate celebrations for the town. Additionally, a discussion paper released by Byron United (BU) says that, ‘The time may now be right to move from a defensive strategy to a more proactive and positively inspiring approach that can deliver benefits to the entire community of Byron Bay and be an effective tool for a renewed
branding of Byron Bay as a peaceful, natural, environmentally sensitive region that is home to an inspiring and creative community.’ BU also acknowledged Council’s past defensive strategy that was ‘to break the mould and change the perception of Byron Bay as a new year’seve party town. Thankfully this has now been achieved.’ Crs Tucker and Woods also put forward a motion requesting that Council meet with BU ‘to investigate the feasibility of forming a working group to develop the 2011 New Year’s Eve event.’ Alcohol-free zones will be enforced, and road closures and traffic management will be put in place. Market stalls are planned for Apex Park with live entertainment and amusement rides.
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