Letters road reserve lands valued at over $3 million back in 2009. But we will get our walkway back in Terrace Park ‘wherever feasible’ one day soon, maybe! Michele Grant Foreshore Protection Group
State assistance
Winner takes all The public walkway will be re-established along Simpsons Creek in Terrace Park in plans endorsed by Council last Thursday. The proposed new path will be 10m wide alongside the 22 new riverside cabins shrinking to 3m in the permanent section so residents retain their existing sites. It’s 7m in the southern area, with 30 camp sites permitted amid the WWI Memorial Park’s coastal cypress pine trees. We were promised a 10m continuous walkway along the riverbank in Terrace Park and Massey Greene Holiday Park during last November’s walk-around with Steve Edmonds, CEO of NSW Crown Holiday Park Trust (CHPT). It was mayor Simon Richardson’s ‘non-negotiable’ big ace, used to win over the community and justify the handover of 35,000m2 of prime public
land to Crown Trustees for commercial development. In the Massey Greene plan, we get the same existing walkway – not 10m wide, and not one extra inch along the boat harbour boundary where it is most needed. Proposed new works will intensify development within metres of the harbour and river front – exacerbating access issues – to the park, yacht precinct, boat ramp and public pathway. At Ferry Reserve the foreshore area will be cut in half; the public gained a few metres but lost 20m of public road reserve – excising 10m off the grassed strip for commercial use. With the acquisition of the old Pacific Highway site, Ferry Reserve will virtually double in size and profits. Yet our Green councillors refused to protect the integrity of the foreshore strip and rehabilitate the wildlife corridor, or
retain public land for public recreation. Proposed park plans endorsed by our new Green councillors (and old donothing Basil) fail to address community concerns, exacerbate existing amenity and compliance problems and we don’t get our 10m continuous walkway along the riverfront. The only place the 10m setback is implemented is in front of huge new cabins – extending approximately 100–150m in Terrace Park. Council has also left CHPT vandals in charge of the coastal cypress pine trees they’ve spent ten years brutally pruning and killing off after encroaching onto the Memorial Park. Crown Lands really hit the jackpot with our new council. By any estimation, Council has negotiated a pretty shit deal for the Brunswick community, in exchange for public
Letters to the Editor Send to Letters Editor Aslan Shand, fax: 6684 1719 email: editor@echo.net.au Deadline: Noon, Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. Letters already published in other papers will not be considered. Please include your full name, address and phone number for verification purposes.
Venice: Go to website VeniceItaly accommodation tax. 1. Population of Venice (historic city) is 55,000 (2016) 2. Population of Comune di Venezia (main city) 264,579 (2016) 3. Population of Padua-Trevigo Venice metropolitan area 2.6 million 4. Tourists visiting historic city = 41 million. Ratio of population to tourists 1. 55,000 to 41 mill = 1 to 745 2. 264,579 to 41 mill = 1 to 155 3. 2.6 mill to 41 mill = 1 to 15 Accommodation tax for Italy is 3 euro per person per night. Byron Bay: Tourists up to 2 million. 1. Population of Byron 3,500 2. Population of valley 12,000 3. Population of Shire 31,000. Ratio of population to tourists 1. 3,500 to 2 mill = 1 to 571; 2. 12,000 to 2 mill = 1 to 166; 3. 31,000 to 2 mill = 1 to 64. Accommodation tax for Byron =$0. Government funding for local amenities and infrastructure? PS: Government funding for Sydney infrastructure and amenities? Bernard Hinchcliffe Mullumbimby
Specialising in Family Law Stephen Tester Somerville Laundry Lomax 89 Jonson Street, Byron Bay NSW 2481
Call 02 6680 8525
Surf Club Open Day Byron Bay Surf Club Sunday 15 October from 9am Join your local surf club or come and see what joining a surf club can do for you. Barbecue, merchandise, sign-on, and giveaways
Flood Mitigation At the meeting at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club on September 19, organised by the Mullumbimby Residents Association and the SES, a recurring theme was the state of our stormwater continued on next page
THE
All ages welcome
0431 280 016
RAILS
THE RAILWAY FRIENDLY BAR, BYRON BAY 6685 7662 • therailsbyronbay.com
AND THE FAMOUS
RAILS kitchen
Thursday 28 September
OOZ
Friday 29 September
PINK ZINC
Saturday 30 September
THE PROPELLORS Sunday 1 October
THE QUICK & THE DEAD
Monday 2 October
CRAIG ATKINS Tuesday 3 October
TIM EASTON
Wednesday 4 October
BLUE CHILD COLLECTIVE
North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
The Byron Shire Echo September 27, 2017 13