Byron Shire Echo – Issue 32.24 – 22/11/2017

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THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 32 #24 Wednesday, November 22, 2017

www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week

C A R E F U L LY C R A F T E D F O R M A X I M U M M E D I A B I A S

Have we reached As same-sex weddings Tony Barry kicks off peak Groundhog are booked, how is local environmental art with Council? – p12 govt responding? – p8 youth comp – p5

Cheaper bypass option pushed Planning confusion and contradictions surround a press release last week by Council that it plans to relocate the Byron markets from Butler Street Reserve in May next year. The joint announcement by Greens mayor Simon Richardson and Cr Paul Spooner (Labor) claims that the move is necessary for around a year to allow for impending works for the Butler Street bypass and Butler Street reserve transport hub. Yet there is no clear budget for either project – Cr Spooner told The Echo that the transport hub’s location is yet to be determined while the mayor confirmed that a cheaper option for the the overblown Butler Street bypass project will now be pursued. After receiving an update on possible bypass options, the mayor said, ‘It looks like we can create a bypass within the budget that would require some extra expenses at a later date, eg the proposed roundabout at Browning Street could come after, rather than waiting for all money [to be] secured first.’ Cr Spooner supported the mayor’s claim and told The Echo, ‘The $22.5 million price tag would deliver a fully engineered and complete bypass in one step. The $14.5 million that Council has access to will deliver a scaled-back but functional road to be completed in stages. That is, build it and hope you get some more money to finish off the finer details.’ The decision to move the markets, says Cr Spooner, was owing to the

Online in

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Degraded Tweed drainage system to be fixed www.echo.net.au/degraded-tweeddrainage-system-fixed

No rain for this parade

‘uncertainty of Council’s planning processes… it was important to provide the markets with certainty.’ ‘The decision to have a temporary relocation to the beachfront from May 2018 gives that certainty. Any concerns stallholders or the Dunecare group have will be able to be ironed out over the next six months.’ Yet Dunecare management say that they believe a relocated market will adversely affect the dunes, which have undergone a 20-year restoration project.

Dunes will not cope Green and Clean Dunecare’s Veda Turner told The Echo they ‘have a strong opinion that the dunes will not cope with the pressure of a monthly market close to twice the size of the quarterly craft markets.’ It contradicts the mayor’s press release, which claims Council and market managers (the Byron Community Centre), ‘have both committed to working closely with the Green and Clean Dunecare group to develop a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan, which will look at things like litter and the impact on the reserve.’ Mr Turner said, ‘The very successful 20-year regen program at Main and Clarkes Beaches means that the forest along the dunes is now home to many creatures, so the impact of thousands of market-goers, including litter, incursions into the regen area, and noise will have inescapable consequences.’ continued on page 2

Sunday’s street parade for the 10th annual Mullum Music Festival was all clear, despite an array of umbrellas which were kept handy. The four day event was a mix of top-notch regulars and brilliant Aussie and overseas acts. Some new names to gain acclaim at this year’s festival included John Cleary, The Twoks, Too Many Zooz, William Crighton, Wallis Bird and Ron Artis II. Popular regulars included Tin Pan Orange, Sal Kimber, Hussy Hicks, Greg Sheehan, Susannah Espie, Sara Tindley, Mama Kin, Harry James Angus and the Dustyesky Choir. Photo Jeff ‘Always Heads The Parade’ Dawson

Council’s tree removal sparks koala concerns Aslan Shand

Council staff have hosed down public concern that tree removals at Tyagarah Airfield will affect the vulnerable koala population. A petition containing 281 signatures includes a call to cease vegetation works at the Tyagarah Airfield, and will be tabled at the upcoming Byron Shire Council meeting this Thursday. The Tyagarah Airfield borders significant areas of koala habitat. Council removed 217 trees last May and are planning to prune a further 72 trees and shrubs, starting on November 27.

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‘Before pruning work is undertaken, a qualified wildlife ecologist will check the area for threatened species including koalas and occupied nests and drays,’ said Byron Shire Council’s manager open spaces and resource recovery, Michael Matthews. ‘If koalas or young birds and animals are found work will be delayed in that specific area until they have left on their own accord.’ Mr Matthews argues that clause 22 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 allows ‘maintenance work that is ancillary to an airport, such as vegetation management, [and] does not

require consent in that [land] zone.’ But according to local conservationist Dailan Pugh, ‘This is core koala habitat as identified in Council’s Koala Plan of Management (KPoM), thus by their own rules, Council should be preparing at a least a Koala Habitat Assessment Report, if not a sitespecific Koala Plan of Management before undertaking any works there. They should be retaining all feed trees greater than 25cm diameter’. Mr Pugh estimates there are around 240 koalas utilising patches of suitable habitat and they are spread along the coast from Broken Head to the Brunswick River.


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