THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 26 #42 Tuesday, April 3, 2012 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
CAB AUDIT
WITH EVERY TYPO THE ERRORIST WINS
SPECIAL LIFTOUT GUIDEp29 A long wait for public housing
A new space for music and art
Luis Feliu
The new and eagerly awaited performance hall at the Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School in Ewingsdale was officially opened last Friday, March 30. High school principal Katie Biggin said, ‘The wonderful space will cater for both primary school and high school and enable students to present performances in an environment designed to perform acoustically and technically at the highest level. With a capacity of over 200, the local community is also invited to use the new hall for events.’ Pictured are students Darci Connors and Ruby Teather, shortly before performing at the grand opening. Photo Jeff ‘Strung Out’ Dawson
A schedule of NSW public housing waiting times released for the first time shows Byron Bay has the state’s average longest waiting time of 20 years – for a two-bedroom property. This compares to an average waiting time of under three months for a three-bedroom house in Cootamundra in the southwest of the state, or a studio in Moree in the far west. Northern Rivers Social Development Council (NRSDC) says it’s not suprised by the figures. NRSDC’s Trish Evans said the Northern Rivers did have a lower level of public housing stock, including community housing provided by the not-for-profit community housing sector. But Ballina MP and minister for the north coast, Don Page, told media the waiting times also reflected the fact there was much less stock in Byron compared to Ballina and Tweed Heads and that more people wanted to live in coastal areas such as Byron Bay. For Tweed Heads there were 1,022 properties (with 915 applicants and 78 people housed); in the 12 months to 30/10/11; Lismore 788 properties (331, 53); Ballina 714 (272, 57); Murwillumbah 227 (120, 16); Mullumbimby 36 (56, 1); and Brunswick Heads 48 (54, 5).
Protest set to go ahead over Lennox Head land sale Luis Feliu
The Lennox Head community is expected to come out in force this Sunday to protest Ballina Shire Council’s controversial decision last month to sell two beachfront blocks of land to the state government for $1.3 million. It was also revealed this week the land was gifted to the shire by the Country Women’s Association (CWA) in the late 1980s for a mere $1, a matter that was not raised during the recent debate. But the CWA has rejected a claim the land was gifted on condition it be
retained by the community, saying the only condition was for council to find a suitable location for a new hall for the CWA. Late last month Ballina mayor Phil Silver used his casting vote to sell the two blocks in Ross Street to the North Coast Accommodation Trust (NCAT), which runs the van park. But Cr Jeff Johnson, who tried to reverse the decision to sell, won’t let the issue rest and has organised a sit-in protest at the land at 11am on Sunday. ‘The land also should have been classified as community land, not operational, and therefore unable to be
sold,’ he said. ‘Everything about this deal stinks.’ Cr Johnson said the initial moves to sell the land were ‘camouflaged’ as no other options for the future of the land were brought back to council to consider. ‘The valuation of the two blocks is believed to have been $1.36 million so the sale price was below the valuation,’ he said. ‘The caravan park also got their own valuation which was not shown to council, yet it was agreed to flog it off to them without seeing their valuation.' Mr Paul Tsikleas, council’s com-
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questions directed at Mr Hickey, told The Echo that he believed Mr Hickey had no conflict of interest in the issue. Cr Silver said Mr Hickey had advised him that he did speak to Mr Bolger in regard to the sale but only on the ‘process’ rather than ‘negotiating a sale price’. ‘Essentially the advice from the general manager was for the North Coast Perceived non-pecuniary Accommodation Trust to wait until the elected council confirmed that it conflict of interest: GM wished the sale to proceed, prior to The two had worked together pre- the trust obtaining approval for the viously with Byron Shire Council. purchase from the minister,’ he said. Mayor Phil Silver, in response to continued on page 3 mercial services manager, will now continue negotiations with the trust over the sale. Ballina Council general manager Paul Hickey declared a perceived non-pecuniary conflict of interest after The Echo revealed he had been a partner with trust administrator Jim Bolger in an investment unit, which has since been sold.