THE
THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 32 #40 Wednesday, March 14, 2018
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Surfing pioneer Pauline Menczer interview – p3 Councillor calls for finances to have more scrutiny Deputy mayor Basil Cameron wants Council’s finances to be more transparent by introducing a budget estimates public access meeting. He says the proposal would allow residents to quiz staff on the detail of the draft budget at a public meeting of the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) during the public exhibition period. Cr Cameron, who was elected as an independent said, ‘We have seen the importance of access to detailed information for the Community Solutions Panel (CSP) in its deliberations on future funding for infrastructure. Now it is time to extend that principle to the broader community. ‘The idea is to help build an understanding of the complexity of Council finances and the challenges of meeting the expectations of the community with a limited pot of money. ‘In a rapidly changing world awash with information and opinion of uncertain accuracy, we need to take democracy to the next level. ‘Twenty-first-century democracy is strengthened when we bring an informed community into the decision making process. ‘We can no longer rely on asking the community to comment on fully formed decisions; rather we need to reach into the community to help form the ideas and solutions that take us in a sustainable direction.’ His idea is that a Public Access – Budget Estimates meeting would meet for a day with the general manager and directors of planning, infrastructure and community/ corporate services facing questions from residents.
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The What’s your Cinema good life planetary alignment and gigs – p25, 26 this week? – p34 – p36, 37
Service directory – p38–42
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Nudists at the ready!
Byron Bay held one of three World Naked Bike rides across the northern rivers last weekend and all went without a hitch and without a stitch – albeit with around half the participants in recent years owing to this year’s rain. But on the bright side, bodies were fabulously adorned – and as the sun shone throughout the ride, at least the paint stayed on. Photo Jeff ‘Being Nude Is A Social Construct’ Dawson
A closer look at Council’s affordable-housing project Paul Bibby
While flipping through the draft concept plans for the Saltwater Creek affordable housing project, it’s hard not to feel a tickle of hope. Depicted on the colourful pages are three small hamlets of ‘tiny homes’ clustered in a forest of melaleuca trees. Each group of 50 houses has its own village green, solar-
powered shed and food garden, and the site as a whole has a number of shared working spaces, a medical centre and a cafe. Located about ten minutes’ walk from the centre of Mullumbimby, the land is owned by Byron Shire Council, meaning that houses there could potentially be within reach of working locals if it remains in community hands.
Yet, even though the project is still in its infancy, it is already facing serious questions about whether it is an appropriate development. A group of local residents has launched a campaign against the proposal, based on concerns about the flood-prone nature of the land and a lack of consultation. They also say the proposal lacks adequate parking and would place
extra pressure on already sagging local sewerage and road infrastructure. In this respect, Salty Creek highlights the fundamental challenge faced by many affordable housing projects in the Byron Shire: the conflict between the need to build new houses to address the affordability crisis, and the need to minimise the impact on the local community. continued on page 5
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