ALPHA BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA ECHO FOXTROT GOLF HOTEL The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 33 #42 • Wednesday, March 27, 2019 • www.echo.net.au
Greens MP returned with increased majority Greens MP Tamara Smith (Ballina electorate) will return to NSW parliament after a convincing win last Saturday night. She beat strong contender Ben Franklin (Nationals) 60.83 per cent to 39.17 per cent after preferences were distributed. The NSW Ballina electorate covers both Byron and Ballina Shires. The total percentage of first preference votes for other candidates was: James Wright with 1.58 per cent (Keep Sydney Open), Cathy Blasonato with 2.38 per cent (Animal Justice Party), Asren Pugh with 25.17 per cent (Country Labor), Lisa Mcdermott with 2.04 per cent (Sustainable Australia).
Paul Bibby The illegal removal of an old growth tree at the Tallowood Ridge development in Mullumbimby has highlighted significant flaws in Council planning processes for the site, residents say. Last month, Byron Council staff fined a home owner on the estate $3,000 for chopping down the tree in their backyard, which locals estimated to be between 50 and 100 years old.
ſĕĪĕſĕŕĈĕƆ ǖ şƱ
Tree unprotected
Despite Nationals candidate Ben Franklin earning a higher first preference vote, preferences
▶ Continued on page 3
Re-elected Greens MP Tamara Smith. Photo Jeff Dawson
Ʒſşŕ IJĶſĕ ëŕĎ ëōōĶŕë IJĶſĕ ćşşƐIJƆ ȑ ë žƖĶĈŊ ćſĕëŊĎşƱŕ Byron Shire – Tamara Smith MP dominated the Byron Shire booths on the two candidate preferred vote, claiming many convincingly. Ballina Shire – After preferences were tallied, the two candidate preferred vote shows that The National’s Ben Franklin won most of Ballina, claiming (sometimes close) booths in Alstonville High, the Ballina Community Centre,
Ballina Hospital, Emmanuel Anglican College, Empire Vale Public, Fernleigh Public, Newrybar Public, Rous Public, Southern Cross School and Tintenbar Public, Wardell Hall and Wollongbar Public. Tamara Smith claimed the booths of Ballina High, Meerschaum Vale Hall and Lennox Head Public. People who voted early favoured Smith way ahead of Franklin 3,384 to 1,647.
50% of formal vote
25%
Bangalow Labor’s Pugh: 417 Greens’ Smith: 546 Nationals’ Franklin: 381 Other: 83
Byron and Suffolk (combined)
Brunswick Heads Labor’s Pugh: 377 Greens’ Smith: 668 Nationals’ Franklin: 265 Other: 100
Labor’s Pugh: 878 Greens’ Smith: 1,561 Nationals’ Franklin: 659 Other: 295
Ocean Shores and Billinudgel (combined) Labor’s Pugh: 798 Greens’ Smith: 1,168 Nationals’ Franklin: 600 Other: 184
Mullumbimby Labor’s Pugh: 337 Greens’ Smith: 974 Nationals’ Franklin: 306 Other: 143
Ballina (combined, for comparison) Labor’s Pugh: 1,600 Greens’ Smith: 1,296 Nationals’ Franklin: 2,498 Other: 328
All results are sourced from www.vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au.
Byron Shire Council Notices ▶ p10
Greens-led Council policy neglect leads to old growth loss
Music gives hope to refugees ▶ p20
Dying to gain a voice ▶ p21
A map of marvellous Mullum ▶ p22
Death by asbestos ▶ p25
But residents say the removal would never have happened in the first place if Council had included the tree in a protected zone rather than allowing it to be included in private property. ‘At the most basic level you have to wonder why you would let someone build a house directly underneath a tree like that,’ Tallowood resident and local ecologist Dave Rawlins said. ‘When you take a step back from this, it’s actually part of the ongoing loss of remnant bushland in the ridge as a result of poor council planning.’ The tree was part of the Moiball Spur, a traditional Aboriginal walking trail that stretches from Mount Chincogan to Koonyum Range and beyond, to one of the last patches of remnant rainforest in NSW. The community has fought for ▶ Continued on page 4
Our northern neighbours of the Tweed ▶ p28