BREAKING THE COSMIC TORQUE OF THE MAGNETIC UNIVERSE SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 34 #04 • Wednesday, July 3, 2019 • www.echo.net.au
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Greens finally buckle and agree to Bruns parking data Hans Lovejoy Last Thursday’s Council meeting was again brutal and unrelenting, yet there were some positives, with items being voted upon including a Bruns traffic assessment, a 5G summit (which will see government regulators and experts invited), and the adoption of Council’s operational plan.
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From east to west – Hugh ‘Shuggie’ Taylor and his two brothers Ian and George will be launching a Cancer Council charity ride from Main Beach, Byron, at 10am on July 7 to Australia’s most westerly point, Exmouth. Pictured is Shuggie, dressed as Aussie icon Aunty Jack on a very rare 1938 Harley. Also pictured is DJ, who is part of the support crew. The ‘real’ Aunty Jack, Grahame Bond, will be at the Byron launch. Photo Jeff Dawson
Unique Estates founder pleads guilty to fraud Paul Bibby The founding director of Byron’s now-defunct high-end real estate agency, Unique Estates, has pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced in the NSW District Court. Appearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Thursday, Ms Wijngaarden entered pleas of guilty to just two of the original 15 charges she faced. She pleaded guilty to one count
of being an accessory to an offence committed by a corporation, and one count of fraudulently converting money as a licensee. The other 13 charges, laid after an extensive investigation by forensic accountants, were withdrawn by prosecutors. Court documents tendered previously show that the 44-yearold former Byron resident is now living in the well-to-do inner-city Melbourne suburb of Elwood.
Loving locals Massive with winter Bruns DA riles deals ▶ p4 neighbours ▶ p8
She has had to hand in both her Australian and Dutch passports as a condition of bail, and is forbidden from entering any international airport or other point of departure from Australia. She is also required to report to St Kilda police station once a week. In a statement to The Echo at the time she was charged, the Department of Finance said ‘the total quantum of money involved in all ▶ Continued on page 3
Byron Shire Council Notices ▶ p10
During morning access the mayor again copped a huge amount of flak from Brunswick Heads residents and business owners, with locals wearing a uniform of red in an effort to lobby for more data around parking plans. 5G protesters were also present. Byron local Paul McCarthy kicked off the offence against pro-payparking councillors, and he outlined a brief history with Byron. He concluded that there was a promise that all pay-parking revenue would go to Byron; it didn’t, Byron has ended up with about half. McCarthy then warned the Bruns business people and locals in the room not to trust Council on any promises of pay-parking contributions to their town, as it hadn’t occurred in Byron. Next, Bruns local Michelle Begg said she supported the staff recommendation for more data and then referred to the mayor’s blog from November 2017, called the Mayor’s Eye View. In it, she claims the mayor called for a data-driven debate around Bruns parking. This is at odds with the mayor’s attempt at last month’s meeting to ram through pay parking at the
Unattainable sustainability? ▶ p17
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last minute without any supporting evidence. Begg also asked why the mayor said on BayFM he might try to force pay parking on the town. Following that, Kim Rosen, representing the chamber of commerce, told the pro-pay-parking councillors, ‘Please don’t tell us pay parking will be good for us.’ She then directed her comments at the mayor, and said, ‘You don’t know. You’re not a businessman, with all respect’. ‘We don’t know how many day trippers come here; we need the data. Don’t tell us it will make us lots of money… We don’t trust you anyway… Don’t force your personal views on our village. Please respect the town and the electorate’. The mayor, who appeared very irritated by the comments, then retaliated briskly with a claim that Rosen had agreed with staff to parking changes in Torakina. She said yes, in principle, but such changes needed to be discussed with all concerned stakeholders. Later, when the vote was taken, the mayor’s successful motion (Cr Cameron voted against) will see an expanded Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) survey undertaken, and an ‘Economic Assessment of Brunswick Heads to understand the existing economic conditions, where visitors come from and how many visitors are tourists versus locals.’ Increasing compliance monitoring will also be investigated, including paid parking. Rosen later told The Echo ‘We are gravely concerned that paid parking in our CBD will hurt our businesses and result in job losses.’
So much school holidays fun to be had ▶ p21
Shock horror! Attack of the 5G Woman! ▶ p35