THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 32 #14
100% LOCAL
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
100% INDEPENDENT
www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
A closer look at the housing crisis – p4, 5
Councillor wins court case against Council Councillor Alan Hunter has won a court case against the very council he was elected to, perhaps ending a protracted battle with his neighbours over his desire to operate a self-storage facility at the end of a short rural road in Myocum. The DA (development application) for three farm buildings and 12 self-storage units as self-storage premises was previously rejected by Council; the units were relocated from a ‘road transport terminal,’ which was initially approved in the previous Council term. Council had refused the recent application owing to traffic and parking, effluent disposal, flooding, character and zone objectives, insufficient and inadequate information, precedent and public interest. After the National Party-aligned councillor failed to reach a conciliation with general manager Ken Gainger, he challenged the decision in the Land and Environment court. Hunter v Byron Shire Council [2017] NSWLEC 1495 was decided on September 8 by Commissioner Graham Brown. Affected resident Rebecca Chaffer told The Echo that the lesson learned ‘is that the whole process is pretty much geared to supporting developers. The next time I buy a home it will be in a residential area to ensure my amenity.’ She added, ‘Although we are happy that the approval is subject to continued on page 3
C O M P L E M E N TA R Y N E W S A N D C O M M E N T S I N C E 1 9 8 6
Trust ma Byron Public Cape Byron authoritah! celebrate 125 years Steiner’s big day – p12 – p20, 21 – p28, 29
netdaily Northern Rivers’ own Florence Nightingale
Online in
www.echo.net.au/northern-riversflorence-nightingale
Bruns paid parking mooted by GM With visitors to Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby on the increase, Council says it is considering ways of improving the ‘turnover and efficiency of parking spaces.’ Byron Shire Council general manager Ken Gainger says while paid parking in Mullumbimby is not being considered, ‘Council does think there could be significant long-term benefits for the Brunswick Heads community if the
scheme were introduced there.’ He said, ‘This is not an issue that is going to go away so Council has developed draft parking-management strategies for both towns.’ ‘Long parking limits near shops decrease the availability of parking and this is not to the advantage of local businesses,’ he said. ‘For example, in Mullumbimby and Brunswick Heads, more than 60 per cent of parking in the town cen-
tres is all-day parking which doesn’t leave that many parking options on a busy day,’ Mr Gainger said.
Possible $900k ‘Brunswick Heads is a popular tourist destination, particularly on the weekends, and Council also wants to get residents’ and business owners’ opinions on the possible introduction of pay parking in the town,’ he said.
Through the giving of kindness
Jacqui Boyett’s passion for fundraising began while living on a remote Fijian island in 2012; after realising locals were suffering from tooth decay and diabetes she helped organise a health program. Since then it’s led her to establish a remarkable charity that helps local and international organisations. While the Global Ripple op shop in Byron Bay Arts and Industry Estate continues to support the Fijian village of Gunu, other fundraising efforts have assisted victims of the Nepalese earthquake in 2015 and most recently Kenya’s Home of Grace Orphanage and Volunteer Building Cambodia. Jacqui’s daughter is one of ten Byron High School students who will soon be heading off to Cambodia to help build houses for families with the not-for- profit. For full story visit www.echo.net.au. Pictured with Jacqui is Chris Klemens. Photo Jeff Dawson
Council’s estimates show more than $900,000 a year could be raised through paid parking, says Gainger, which would be used specifically for projects in Brunswick Heads. He added that locals’ permits for Byron Bay could be extended to Brunswick Heads should it go ahead. The town’s parking-management strategies will be placed on exhibition for public comment in midSeptember.
Byron Shire part of new govcorp tourism push ‘Millions of potential travellers’ will be exposed to a television campaign promoting Byron Bay and the northern rivers, as part the NSW government’s north coast flood recovery support program. In making the announcement, local Nationals Ben Franklin MLC said, ‘From Ballina [to] Newrybar and Byron Bay, our beautiful region is well loved owing to its stunning coastline, fresh local produce and hinterland experiences and I am delighted that our region will be beaming into millions of homes across Australia and New Zealand.’ He says it is a ‘first-time partnership between the state’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, National Geographic and HotelsCombined to help boost visitation to the region.’ Minister for tourism and major events Adam Marshall added, ‘We are entering an exciting time continued on page 2
DETAILS MATTER Visit us in store today to view our full range and discover your Italian interior design style
Complete your space with high-quality accessories in the latest materials
4/64 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay 02 6680 8542 • info@cipriano.com.au www.cipriano.com.au