Bangalow Billycart Derby 2013
THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 27 #48 Tuesday, May 14, 2013 Phone 02 6684 1777 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
Inside this week
CAB AUDIT
Happy happy joy joy – a full day in Council – p9
Page 18
E X P E R I M E N T. FA I L . L E A R N . R I N S E A N D T H E N R E P E AT
Farewell Gary Lush – p14
What’s new, pussycat? – p16
Get a good Hot, fast kick in the Arts and sweaty – p24 – p43
Byron Shire Council Notices Page 44-45
Rail corridor upkeep? Corporation paid $150m a year by govt to upkeep NSW tracks yet this region remains largely ignored Hans Lovejoy
Triathlon blitzes Byron Adrian Pearce races past the new library steps on his way to Lennox in the cycle leg of Saturday’s Byron Bay Triathlon. The gruelling event was won by Lennox Head athlete Joe Lampe. Sixteen year old Ainslie Bakker, also from Lennox Head, was the first woman home. Nearly 900 competitors completed the 1.5km ocean swim followed by a 40km cycle with a 10km run to finish. Too easy. Photo Jeff ‘Try To Get A Thong On’ Dawson
PCYC and Council cut ties Thursday. ‘In fact they basically told us they were not a centre manager. Negotiations with the Police and If we wanted a centre manager we Community Youth Club (PCYC) have should go and talk to the YMCA or been terminated by Byron Council, someone else.’ and management of the Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex PCYC wanted 20 years Mr Gainger said in the end it came put out to tender again. Council had been seeking a par- down to the PCYC wanting a 10-plusticipation agreement and lease of the 10-year agreement. ‘For a brand new multipurpose facility with the PCYC centre that is as yet untested in the but talks broke down following a ‘total marketplace with enormous potential, to lock it up for 20 years is, in my disconnect’ between both parties. General manager Ken Gainger said view, a really poor move by Council. he was ‘singularly unimpressed’ by the I think there is enormous potential at the centre,’ he said. PCYC’s approach to discussions. He said the PCYC operates primar‘They weren’t prepared to negotiate or consider any changes to the agree- ily as a service providing a program ment. We were trying come part of for young people. ‘It’s somewhat exthe way with them and we just basi- clusive… There are restrictions on the cally got the door slammed in our centre; for example, people who use face,’ Mr Gainger said in Council last the centre have to become members of Dominic Feain and Eve Jeffery
the PCYC; they are subject to security screening and checks; there are a whole bunch of things in there which means it becomes exclusive use and not and inclusive use.’ PCYC chief executive Chris Gardiner expressed disappointment and frustration with the decision of senior staff to walk away from ‘near completed negotiations at the 11th hour’. ‘We started discussions with Council when it was first designing its facility a few years ago,’ Mr Gardiner told The Echo. ‘It was designed with our input because Council said it wanted it to be flexible for operation as a PCYC. ‘Council then changed its mind and went to tender. Then it changed its mind again and asked for late inclusion in the statewide EOI process to win a PCYC for its community.’
A mayoral minute from last Thursday’s Council meeting has requested information from the minister of transport as to the responsibility of the company contracted to maintain NSW rail, John Holland. It comes despite claims to The Echo by Transport for NSW and the minister for transport that the region’s abandoned Casino to Murwillumbah line receives limited maintenance. The NSW government department, Transport for NSW, which granted the contract to rail construction giant John Holland, has refused to provide to The Echo any evidence, such as reports, verifying that limited maintenance has been undertaken on the railway line since it was last used in 2004. A spokesperson for Transport for NSW was only prepared to say that John Holland Rail, ‘undertakes safety inspections and limited maintenance work including minor vegetation work at selected sites.’ Similarly, the minister for transport Gladys Berejiklian, played the issue down. When asked to provide any evidence of what work has been completed in the region, she instead repeated much the same line as Transport for NSW. ‘I’m advised that maintenance work on the Casino to Murwillumbah line is limited to an inspection of the line each year and includes monitoring and treatment of noxious weeds and any other work required to ensure the safety of the public.’ And despite four days’ notice on
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the question, much correspondence and a promise that a response would come from John Holland, their media representative at the last minute said she could not reply in time, due to, ‘being under contract with Transport for NSW which needs to approve our media statements.’
Taxpayer cost But what’s the cost to taxpayers? John Holland claims on its website it’s being paid $1.5 billion over ten years, or $150,000,000 a year to maintain NSW railways. This includes ‘2,700 kilometres of operational freight and passenger lines and 3,100 kilometres of non-operational lines,’ plus 3,300km of disused line. At a total of 9,100km, this represents $16,483 per km of track, per year, including ‘27,000 hectares of land, 600 rail under-bridges and 384 road over-bridges.’ As a rough comparison, rail infrastructure construction and maintenance company, the Downer Group, is being paid $10,625 per kilometre of track, per annum over 12 years, for a track that is used for interstate freight.
Rail report condemned Additionally, the recent $2 million rail study released by the coalition has been blasted on its ‘lack of long-term vision’ in NSW Parliament last week by Greens MP and transport spokesperson Cate Faehrmann. She also took aim at its restricted ‘terms of reference,’ which were heavily weighted towards a result favouring continued on page 2
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