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continued from page 9 long-term reasons the land should remain undeveloped at this time. A look at other situations where cottage hospitals have been replaced by a district facility can explain. Four years ago an attractive new seniors’ development a long stone’s throw from Lismore Base Hospital was opened. Its position close to medical services was considered to be an advantage. The last thing we seniors considered at the time was the effect on us of the growth of district health needs and the
expansion of the hospital and its parking requirements. Now that the new wing of the Base Hospital (ten storeys above ground topped by a helipad) looms over us, our street has been developed for paid and time-limited parking and the state government has built a five-storey car park for hospital staff and visitors across the street from our homes. After enduring ten months of excavation and construction noise and dust, twelve hours a day, six days a week, we can find nowhere to park, our immediate aspect is a
monster car park construction with hundreds of bright lights shining into our homes from all floors twenty-four hours a day and we have helicopter noise to look forward to. The need for hospital expansion and attendant parking requirements are as assured in Byron as they are in Lismore. At a conservative estimate of five per cent per annum, growth in Byron Shire would more than triple in under 23 years. By that time many more in the Byron area will be looking towards seniors’ accommodation.
Spare them the horrors of living in the shadow of an expanding hospital and its needs. Keep the land around your new facility to accommodate that growth. House your seniors where they can touch the grass and see the stars. Rhonda Ellis Lismore
Bruns laneways Clarification is needed re the naming of the sevenlaneways in Brunswick Heads (Letters, May 11). Council’s exhibited names are a ‘conversation
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starter’ only. They have been pulled at random from an overarching street directory register. Given the subsequent interest in the issue, Council has given an extension of time until May 26 for submissions. A report will go to Council in June for decision making. Here is an opportunity to honour the memory of people, both European and Aboriginal, of Brunswick Heads, keeping in mind that names of streets and laneways already in the Shire cannot be duplicated. Patricia Warren Brunswick Heads
Elements and us
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10 May 18, 2016 The Byron Shire Echo
Regarding Elements’ recent letter to neighbours and an article in The Echo, Sunrise Progress Association sent a letter to neighbours. Here is an abbreviated version. Elements says the train will be quieter than the XPT. They have no acoustic measurements. They use a meaningless description for the train’s horn [sounded every time it crosses Kendall St], as ‘gently sounding.’ The train has an air horn and it will sound like a train horn. The resort admits it will be using toxic diesel, saying the same diesel used in trucks will be used in the train, stating, ‘There is not a special kind of more toxic diesel fuel for our train.’ The train does not have particulate filtration. Elements planners are using their 1987 DA as if community standards about the environment haven’t changed since then. They make ‘minor amendments’ via S96 submissions which are significant amendments. They got approval to run the train 7.30am–10.30pm regardless of residents’ concerns aired at Council. Elements’ letter says this train ‘ticked all the boxes,’ for running. It doesn’t tick any boxes for environmental sensitivity, frequency of operation, proximity to housing and tourist accommodation and the changes of community standards since 1987. It defies belief that a socalled ‘eco resort’ operating in a ‘zero emissions’ town like Byron Bay could proceed without any evidence of environmental assessment or scrutiny. Stay informed with ‘No Dirty Diesel Train Byron’ Facebook. Lee Cass Byron Bay Q Elements of Byron. Judging by their name, they appear to be tapping into Byron Bay’s
netdaily.net.au now largely fictitious reputation for being at the forefront of the new age. Since the vast majority of people in the world are now, to some degree, environmentally concerned, this is a growing market as many Byron operators are aware. Diesel locomotives are a terrible fit. Light electric railcars, subtropical resort vehicles, would do the job better, would be far less intrusive and a well-publicised solar installation would not only enhance their image enormously, it would remove their fuel bills. Considerably more attractive, more passengers, less expensive to run and a PR coup for their resort. A tip for operators tapping into this market: The world is beginning to understand what we in the sustainability movement have known for some time. Sustainable practice makes far better economic sense. Don’t just talk the talk; it could be far more profitable to walk the walk. Robin Harrison Binna Burra
Rock wall fiasco And so the rock wall fiasco at Belongil beach, on one councillor’s agenda since day one, finally goes on public display for a mere three weeks. Originally 100 metres at Manfred Street, suddenly it’s 1.6km with a walkway on top. Why? To avoid litigation from a handful of wealthy dune dwellers. How? With the assistance of four conservative councillors. Result if built – loss of beach, tourism dollar, endangered species of birds nesting at the mouth of the Belongil estuary and further possible litigation from Elements resort for loss of their own foreshore and amenity. Argued to be the cheapest way to save half a dozen properties camped on the dunes themselves, it will more likely be the costliest ‘solution’ to appease Council’s most vocal litigant. Think of the massive cost of replenishing sand by pumping from Tallow Beach. In 1864 the sea penetrated from Tallow Beach as far as Belongil Creek! Could that happen again once sands are dug from there and those dunes disturbed and eroded? Then there are ongoing maintenance costs for the wall itself. And if punitive levies aren’t imposed on Belongil residents and the entire electorate to cover the cost of sand replenishment, then tourism businesses will suffer greatly from the loss of our greatest continued on page 12
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo