REMEMBER – SILENCE IS ENDORSEMENT The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 34 #06 • Wednesday, July 17, 2019 • www.echo.net.au
SPLENDOUR LIFTOUT – see centre pages
Bypass works on track, protesters move in Despite Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters setting up camp, Council and project contractors Hazell Bros claim the controversial Butler Street bypass works are on track. Byron Shire Council has handed over possession of the bypass construction zone to the Burleigh Heads based company. A Hazell Bros spokesperson told The Echo that he has spoken with protesters and that he expects to begin work next week, on schedule. They said any concerns about the project should be directed at Council. A Council spokesperson told The Echo, ‘The safety of staff, contractors, and members of the public during the construction of the bypass is a key priority for Council’. Yet spokesperson for the Extinction Rebellion action, Sherrie Yeomans, told The Echo, ‘We are here onsite, on the Butler Street Reserve building momentum. We have about 20 people staying onsite, and a lot of people coming and going – there’s a lot of support.’
Paul Bibby
At Council’s Mullum chambers last Friday, Extinction Rebellion (XR) supporters gathered to let councillors know of their opposition to the bypass. Former Greens mayor and state MLC Jan Barham says, ‘It’s unprecedented for Byron Shire Council to choose a planning pathway favoured by developers that limits scientific and community scrutiny.’ The project has been supported by Greens and Labor councillors. Photo Jeff Dawson
Tree poisoning investigated at developer’s Bruns site Paul Bibby Byron Council is investigating a possible tree poisoning on the site of a proposed development in Brunswick Heads. Last week, residents living next door to 16 Short Street noticed that each of the three hoop pines on the property had large gouge marks around the base of their trunks. The leaves and branches at the top of one of the trees have also begun to die. Specialist Council staff attended
The fuzz! – your rights at festivals – a Q&A ▶ p6
Airbnb impact hits approved accom providers
the property last Thursday after being alerted to the issue by a neighbour. In a statement to The Echo, a Council spokesperson confirmed that staff were investigating the matter.
DA for two large, double-storey houses The property in question is subject to a development application to build two large, double-storey houses each with five bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Byron Shire Council Notices ▶ p10
A significant number of Brunswick Heads residents oppose the proposal on the grounds that it represent an overdevelopment of the site. They also fear that the developer will use the properties for holiday accommodation or a boardinghouse-style development. The owner of the property, Melbourne developer Sasha Hopkins, has denied this, stating that one of the houses is intended for his mother to live in, while the other will be sold as a ‘family home’.
The Echo understands that at least 60 objections have been registered in relation to the plans. The three pine trees are understood to be at least 60 years old, having been planted by a returned soldier who lived their after the second world war. They are in close proximity to the northern boundary of the second of the two proposed houses. Hopkins has been contacted for comment. The Echo does not suggest that Hopkins is connected to the alleged tree poisoning.
With the rise of Airbnb-listed properties, a host of bed and breakfasts, resorts, and even a local backpackers hostel have all gone on the market this year. Among them are the Byron@ Byron resort in Suffolk Park, and the Holiday Village backpackers hostel in the heart of Byron Bay – both of which are on the market – and the La Vista bed and breakfast in Ewingsdale, which sold a few months ago. The Echo does not suggest that these are not profitable businesses, but their placement on the market is part of a broader pattern across the Shire, which suggests that licensed owners and property managers are not making as much money as they used to. Other licensed accommodation operations have been sitting on the market for months or even years as the owners try to get a decent price for businesses they have poured their hearts and souls into. ‘It doesn’t surprise me that people are selling up,’ said one licensed operator, who asked to remain anonymous. ‘The impact of Airbnb and Stayz has been pretty catastrophic. The odds are stacked against you.’ Unlike their unlicensed counterparts, the Shire’s 400 licensed operators pay commercial rates, which is money that Council can use to provide basic community amenities such as public toilets, parks, and cycleways. By contrast, there are 7,000 properties listed on Airbnb in the ▶ Continued on page 2
Managing fish Bangalow + Byron Health & Loving locals kills and esturies A&I on the map Healing with winter ▶ p14 ▶ p19, 20 feature ▶ p22 deals ▶ p63 Advertisement