THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 31 #43 Wednesday, April 5, 2017
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A FIFO PM with Vale artist POV from Byron’s Saving the reef crocodile tears Kathrin McMiles younger peeps from fossil fools – p10 – p7 – p15 – Dr Gardner – p17
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Lismore business owner implores PM for grants, not loans echo.net.au/lismore-business-owner
Disaster zone The north coast was declared a natural disaster zone on Friday as the massive cleanup effort across the region continues in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie. The hardest hit areas in Byron Shire were Billinudgel, New Brighton, South Golden Beach and low-lying Ocean Shores areas. Homes and cars were submerged, power and roads were cut, livestock drowned and emergency services were stretched to the limit. The cyclone claimed the lives of a woman and her two children after their car crashed into the Tweed River near Tumbulgum on Monday afternoon. A woman died in Burringbar while two men died in Murwillumbah, one from a suspected heart attack. Byron Shire is one of six shires that will be given assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA), and support is available to eligible people whose homes or belongings have been flood affected. Concessional interest rate loans are available for small business,
primary producers and non-profit organisations. There will be freight subsidies for primary producers and grants for non-profit organisations. NSW MP for the Ballina electorate Tamara Smith said while the damage was shocking, she was encouraged to hear that both state and federal governments offered recovery assistance. Mayor Simon Richardson told The Echo that while the Shire’s north copped heavy flooding and winds, the Shire as a whole dodged the vast bulk of the storm. He says Council staff are working on an infrastructure inventory and expect to hand that to the federal agencies by Wednesday. Staff say Council is ‘expecting significant damage to its road and bridge network. The mayor said, ‘We’ve offered help to Tweed Council; they lost 35 trucks to flooding’. ‘We are also offering assistance to Lismore. ‘I’ve also spoken with [local federal Labor MP] Justine Elliot to request that the flood assistance also cover kerbside collections and the general cleanup.’
Hit by flooding? Help is available Flood-damaged items can be taken to the Byron Community Recycling Centre in Myocum free of charge until Monday April 10, say Council staff. Staff also say that anyone charged over the weekend for dumping floodrelated material should contact Council to arrange a refund. For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444. To apply for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit raa.nsw.gov.au. Further information on disaster assistance is available at disasterassist.gov.au and emergency.nsw.gov.au.
Fourteen year-old Mullumbimby High School student Orion Sturch snapped Mullum under water on his drone on Friday. He told The Echo, ‘I am one of the drone operators for the Shark Watch organisation and have had special training. I have all the necessary licences to fly and film.’
Councillor takes Council to court There’s a new chapter to a seemingly neverending drama revolving around National Party-aligned councillor Alan Hunter’s battle to operate a self-storage facility on his rural Myocum property. Neighbours who share the short, narrow rural road have campaigned strongly over many years with claims of multiple breached consent conditions and a lack of enforcement by Council staff. Cr Hunter is now taking Council to the Land and Environment Court over his latest development application (DA), which was
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refused on December 15, 2016. The Class 1 Application (appeal) by Cr Hunter relates to the DA for ‘Storage premises, including use of three farm buildings and addition of twelve self-storage units, relocated from road transport terminal.’
Compliance action suspended Council’s legal services co-ordinator Ralph James emailed neighbour Rebecca Chaffer on March 29 and said that owing to Cr Hunter’s court challenge, Council policy directs a
suspension of compliance actions against his development activity. Mr James said, ‘In this matter, Council has applied its discretion to not take enforcement action until the Land and Environment Court makes a decision.’ The Echo understands that the April 3 hearing was a ‘directions’ hearing and the case will be heard around June. Staff are yet to reply to a request by The Echo for the statement of claim, which outlines the reasons Cr Hunter is taking Council to court. Mrs Chaffer also told The Echo Mr continued on page 3
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