Mullumbimby
THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 28 #50 Tuesday, May 27, 2014 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
Picture Show AUTO CORRECT HAS BECOME MY WORST ENEMA
What’s a The GST: the superThe reality A billionaire What’s your best kept rare earth rich and the rest, in pain of real life corporation? – p6 TV – p7 Mungo – p10 (sob!) – p14 secret? – p14
Community Expo & Forum Saturday May 31 See page 20 for program
Byron Shire Council Notices Page 41
Councillor Wanchap Buckled up for paddle fun resigns from Greens, supports West Byron Hans Lovejoy
Byron Shire councillor and realtor Rose Wanchap has quit The Greens party after again siding with prodevelopment councillors at Thursday’s Council meeting. Her vote was crucial in blocking an urgency motion by Greens mayor Simon Richardson, which would have seen Council discuss whether to ask the state government to re-evaluate the West Byron development. If approved, the planned estate of up to 1,100 dwellings opposite the industrial estate would be one of the largest in Byron Shire and the first major development in decades. Its approval rests with the state government and a decision is expected within weeks. The Byron Residents’ Group (BRG), who have support from Greens (Crs Richardson, Dey), and independent councillors Spooner and Cameron, are calling on the
Byron councillor and Byron Bay realtor, Rose Wanchap
government to reconsider the development owing to what they say is a lack of due process and flawed reports. In particular, the residents’ group say the NSW planning department allowed for consideration of a traffic study that did not follow RTA guidelines and allowed the withholding of studies referring to koala habitat and acid sulfate soil from public exhibitions concerning the rezoning. During Thursday’s public access Byron Residents’ Group’s Cate Coorey made mention of 2,389 signatories to a petition asking local member Don Page to intervene and stop the rezoning. ‘Of those [signatories], more than half are from people in the 2481 or adjoining postcodes,’ she said. But concerns by those residents were not shared by councillors Alan Hunter, Chris Cubis, Di Woods, Sol Ibrahim and Rose Wanchap, who voted against mayor Simon Richardson, Crs Paul Spooner, Duncan Dey and Basil Cameron. In reply to the resident group’s claims, Cr Wanchap told The Echo, ‘Councillors have had briefings from the developers and have been provided with details of studies which they claim are in accordance with the requirements and are of a high standard. We will have to review these before the next meeting. ‘There was so little time to research the claims of the Byron Residents’ Group hence my reluctance to agree to the urgency motion.’ continued on page 3
Twelve hundred locals flocked to the Mullum2Bruns paddle over the weekend, raising over $25,000 for the Brunswick SLSC, Brunswick Marine Rescue and Brunswick Heads Visitor Centre. Competitive, novelty and family challengers made the 10km journey from Mullumbimby’s Heritage Park to Terrace Park in Brunswick Heads, where they were greeted with live music and festivities. Event co-ordinator Michele Dennis said the event was a total success that wouldn’t have been possible without its volunteers and supporters. Pictured are three young paddlers about to take to the water. Photo & story Maleika Halpin
CCTV: shall we take the money or not? A majority of councillors agreed – after a long protacted debate at Council’s Thursday meeting – to take an offer to apply for a $200,000 grant for CCTV in Byron Bay’s trouble spots. The application will include a request for additional lighting. Under the Safer Streets Program, minister for justice, Michael Keenan MP, recently invited Byron Shire Council to submit a proposal that would see CCTV in Apex Park near the Beach Hotel ($100,000) and CCTV on Jonson St, ending at
Kingsley St ($100,000). But Cr Paul Spooner was unimpressed, saying that without lighting, CCTV would be useless and that the ongoing costs are unknown. ‘If the government are genuine, they would support our own community compact policy, which calls for more lighting as well.’ The town’s chamber of commerce, Byron United (BU), says its board were delighted at the outcome But Council’s general manager Ken Gainger noted that the CCTV
funding offer would have ongoing costs estimated at up to $80,000 for monitoring and maintenance each year.
Ongoing costs $80k ‘If the application is successful, this cost will need to be included in all future Council budgets while CCTV is in place,’ he said. Prior to installing the system, Council will be required to develop a CCTV policy, guidelines, code of practice and operating procedures.