THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 27 #05 Tuesday, July 10, 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
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Inside this week
M AY C O N TA I N G O D O R H I G G S B O S O N PA R T I C L E S
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pages 16-17
Realtor Rose Derby Baby! Louise Owen is back Arts Get your skates as Lennox chamber Feature Wanchap’s Q&A – page 44 president – page 9 – page 23 on – page 18
Byron Shire Council Notices Pages 42–43
Hoops of fun at NAIDOC Byron events policy
rejected by the state
Hans Lovejoy
Fourteen-year-old Elsie, pictured, from the SistaGurl dance troupe, was one of the many singers, dancers, performers and storytellers from Thursday’s NAIDOC celebrations in Byron Bay. Photo Eve Jeffery
Around three hundred people marched for NAIDOC week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) last Thursday in Byron Bay. It was a wonderful day of celebration, education and entertainment held next
to the Peace Pole on Main Beach. This year is also the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal tent embassy and 20 years of upholding of the Mabo decision. A sand mandala celebrating Aboriginal and Islander Culture and the embassy was placed lovingly by
many hands on the lawn beside the beach and the boys from the National Parks cooked up a ripper free BBQ. ■ See video of this story on today’s
netdaily
Go to echonetdaily.net.au
Chief bureaucrat to address Mullum hospital meeting A public meeting has been called to allow the region’s top health bureaucrat to explain his proposal to replace night-shift doctors at Mullumbimby hospital emergency department (ED) with video-linking technology. Chris Crawford, the chief executive of the Northern NSW Local Health District, will be available to answer questions, and the meeting will be
held at the Mullumbimby High School hall on August 2 from 7pm. Frank Lynch from the Save Mullum Hospital Steering Committee told The Echo, ‘As this is the first community meeting attended by a representative of the Local Health District administration, it is an important meeting for residents and all are urged to attend and to have their concerns heard.’
Mr Lynch says the committee is collecting and collating personal experiences about Mullum hospital’s ED compared to other EDs. ‘Please submit any such experiences to savemullumhospital@gmail.com, leave a note in the submissions box at Mullumbimby Newsagency or contact me on 6684 0242. And please come along to the meeting on August 2.’
The state government has jettisoned Byron Shire Council’s events policy, effectively ending a protracted stoush between event promoters and festival supporters on the one hand and council and resident groups on the other. The policy intended to limit major music events with more than 6,000 attendees in the shire to two per year: Splendour and Bluesfest. The council attempted to amend its Local Environment Plan to include the policy, a move that required state government approval. The letter that sealed the policy’s fate came from the NSW planning and infrastructure department, dated July 1, and says that under the Environmental and assessment act 1979 (s59(2)(b) the proposed ‘major events clause’ should not proceed. ‘I have formed the opinion that the proposal is not in the public interest,’ said director general Sam Haddad. ‘I believe matters of concern to the council can adequately be assessed through the normal development application process.’ Earlier this year the NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC), appointed by the state government, approved a trial for three annual events at North Parklands festival site in Yelgun including Splendour In The Grass. That decision essentially gave the shire two different policies for the two major festivals to operate under. Bluesfest director Peter Noble, while celebrating the overruling of the policy, was critical of what he called council’s lack of due process. He said his solicitors ‘continuously questioned Byron Council as to why they have not obtained their own legal advice regarding the illegality of this policy over the past four years, and why the majority
of elected councillors have not voted for this to be done.’ Council’s spokesperson, however, told The Echo that legal advice was received, ‘but it’s a matter for them should they wish to waive the privilege that rightly attaches to that advice.’ Other points of contention for Mr Noble included numerous submissions opposing the policy, which he says were ignored. ‘Over four years, and the three times the policy was placed on public display asking for submissions, the vast majority objected to the policy, including more than 13,500 signed objections to the policy all up!’ He said in a media release ‘The Byron Events Policy, as it existed, which had no equal in Australia in terms of its restrictions, will now soon be history and the arts – and music-loving community of Byron is rejoicing.’
Council defends Byron Council defended what it saw as a need to ensure sustained protection of the environment, resident amenity and the continued success of the tourism industry. Council’s acting executive manager of environment and planning Sharyn French said the ‘overall importance of these issues remain despite the planning department’s decision.’ ‘Byron Shire is a small, regional community that hosts 50 visitors for every resident annually. With about 1.5 million visitors a year, Council thinks it is appropriate that there is a framework in place for helping it, on behalf of the community, to decide what is sustainable in terms of environmental protection, resident and visitor wellbeing, as well as what the quality and quantity of tourism should be. ‘Without a proper process in place
enrich your spirit perhaps the most tranquil tourist attraction on the East Coast and a wonderful place to spend a couple of mellow hours… Brisbane News, December 2010. www.crystalcastle.com.au Open 7 Days 10am-5pm (NSW time) 81 Monet Drive, Mullumbimby 40 mins from Tweed Heads 20 mins from Byron Bay (02) 6684 3111
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