REFUGEES ARE THE HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF A FAILED STATE – SAM BROWNBACK The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 34 #19 • Wednesday, October 16, 2019 • www.echo.net.au
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Bangalow calls in the big guns!
Aslan Shand
Local actors Claire Atkins and Kate Foster, co-creators of the highly acclaimed play Shit, are together again directing and producing Bangalow Theatre Company’s latest production Calamity Jane. Local actor Joanne Connor stars as the rough-riding, tough-talking Calamity with a crew of 20 singing cowboys and dancing cross-dressers. Calamity Jane opens this Thursday 17 October at the Bangalow A&I Hall running until Saturday 26 October. Suitable for all ages. Visit: www.bangalowtheatre.com.au for bookings. Photo Jeff ‘My Last Play Was Shit’ Dawson
l”Ɔ ƆÍơ şƖćĹ?ÄśÄˆ IJÍưĕ ſĜčIJĆ? Ć?Ĺ&#x; ĹŠĹ•Ĺ&#x;Ćą about alleged fraud at Byron Hospital Eve Jeffery The hallways are buzzing at Byron Central Hospital after last week’s story about alleged fraud at the facility. The news has also attracted the attention of two members of parliament who are demanding action. This follows comments from the Chief Executive of Northern NSW Local Health District Wayne Jones saying that, ‘All investigations of misconduct are confidential and NNSWLHD does not disclose information about disciplinary actions taken against
Byron Shire Council Notices ▜ p8
staff to members of the public or to existing staff.’ NSW Shadow Minister for Health Ryan Park MP and Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP both feel this particular can of worms needs to be opened.
being and that all staff are carrying out their duties in a professional manner,’ he said. ‘If there are allegations of fraudulent and criminal behaviour this should immediately be referred to police for investigation.’ Tamara Smith MP said that she has requested an urgent meeting with the manager of the Area Health Service, Wayne Jones, to be fully briefed on the investigation into alleged fraudulent conduct at Byron Hospital. ‘I think it is very important to â–ś Continued on page 3
Public need to know Ryan Park MP said this is absolutely an issue the public needs to know about. ‘Taxpayers have a right to know whether or not their local hospital is being run in a way that focuses on improving their health and well
Get into the spirit of Brunswick Heads ▜ p18
ĹŻĹ?žĂƚĞ ĹľÄžĆŒĹ?ĞŜÄ?LJ͊
^ĂǀĞ žŽŜĞLJ ĂŜĚ ŚĞůƉ Ć‰ĆŒÄžÇ€ÄžĹśĆš Ä?ĹŻĹ?žĂƚĞ Ä?ŚĂŜĹ?Äž Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ WĹ˝Ç ÄžĆŒÍ˜
The Bangalow perspective ▜ p20
The draft Mullumbimby Masterplan (MMP) has just been released and community members have already raised concerns. While there is much to applaud in the plan, there are questions about flooding and the plan’s guidance group. Concerns over affordable housing in Byron Shire have driven much of the Mullumbimby Masterplan’s aims. It looks at extending residential zoning to the south of Mullumbimby and has incorporated significant elements from the current Draft Residential Strategy (DRS). However, according to Dr Sonia Laverty of the Mullumbimby Residents Group (MRG), ‘The Mullumbimby Masterplan is certainly not an agreed document by the participants of the MMP group.’ MMP member Len Bates said, ‘When the masterplan group was reconvened after an 18-month hiatus, there were only around five community members from the original 17 on-board. They should have ensured that they re-engaged a wider range of community members.’ MMP chair Cr Basil Cameron disagrees, saying that ‘the group remained representative, especially considering that a different set of members attended each of these final meetings.’
Ď˛Í˜Ď˛ ĹŹt Ͳ ĎŽĎŹ dž ^ÄžĆŒÄ‚Ć‰ĹšĹ?Ĺľ ůĂĚĞ ĎŻĎŻĎŹt ^ƉůĹ?Ćš Ğůů WĂŜĞůĆ? ,Ĺ?Ĺ?ĹšÄžĆŒ zĹ?ĞůĚ ƾĞ ƚŽ ÄžĆšĆšÄžĆŒ ^ŚĂĚĹ?ĹśĹ? ZÄžĆ?ƉŽŜĆ?Äž
ĎŻ DĹ˝ĆŒÄž WĹ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ ĎŻĎŻĎŹtÍŠ Ĺ?Ĺś ĹŻÄžĆ?Ć? Ć?ƉĂÄ?Äž
,ĆľĆŒĆŒÇ‡ Ͳ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ ZÄžÄ?ĂƚĞ Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ ĨĂůů Ăƚ ĞŜĚ ŽĨ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍŠ dŚĞ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ ZÄžÄ?ĂƚĞ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ ŚŽƾĆ?ĞŚŽůĚ Ĺ?Ć? Ć?Ä?ŚĞĚƾůĞĚ ƚŽ ĨĂůů ŽŜ ƚŚĞ ĎŻĎĆ?Ćš ÄžÄ?ĞžÄ?ÄžĆŒ ÄžĆŒ ƚŚĹ?Ć? Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍ˜ dŚĞ ŚĂǀĞ ĂůĆ?Ĺ˝ ĆŒÄžÄ?ŽžžĞŜĚĞĚ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ 'Ĺ˝Ç€ÄžĆŒĹśĹľÄžĹśĆš Ä‚Ä?ŽůĹ?Ć?Ĺš Ć?Ĺš ƚŚĞ ^žĂůůͲĆ?Ä?ĂůĞ ZÄžĹśÄžÇ Ä‚Ä?ĹŻÄž ĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ ^Ä?ĹšÄžĹľÄžÍ˜ /Ćš Ĺ?Ć? Ĺ?ĹľĆ‰Ĺ˝ĆŒĆšÄ‚ĹśĆš ƚŚĂƚ LJŽƾ Ĺ?Ğƚ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ ĹśÄžÇ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ƚĞž Ĺ˝ĆŒÄšÄžĆŒÄžÄš Ć?ŽŽŜ Ć?Ĺ˝ LJŽƾ ĚŽŜΖƚ ĹľĹ?Ć?Ć? Žƾƚ ŽŜ ƚŚĞ ΨϰϏϏϏ ĎŹĎŹ ĆŒÄžÄ?ĂƚĞ ĂǀĂĹ?ĹŻÄ‚Ä?ĹŻÄž Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ Ä‚Ç€ÄžĆŒÄ‚Ĺ?Äž ĹśÄžÇ ĹšĹ˝ĹľÄž Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ĆšÄžĹľÍ˜
According to locals Malcolm Price and David Brown, both architects and members of the MMP group; the expansion of the town is important because of the need for affordable housing in the region. They believe the lack of affordable, secure housing is warping the nature of the local community and economy. The developments around Pine Avenue and Tallowood Estate have provided additional housing over the last 30 years but this hasn’t kept house prices down. They believe that the main reason for the lack of secure permanent housing is the lack of strategic planning over the past 20 years. ‘We haven’t created suitable supply of appropriate types of housing, particularly smaller dwellings, apartments or secure forms of housing. ‘We need a diverse mix of housing that is affordable for a range of ages and to meet future needs; we need the courage and will to create local solutions,’ they explain.
Lot 22
The MMP looks at creating a town that is walking- and bikefriendly by reducing traffic going down Burringbar Street, the main street of the town. A walking and cycling bridge over the Brunswick River to access Tallowood Estate, and a green spine down Stuart
Refugees in focus at the Byron Bay Film Festival ▜ p22
Music in the Main Arm valley this weekend ▜ p23
Time to ride
ϲ Ď˛Í˜Ď˛ ĹŹt ůĂĚĞ ĂŜĚ ^ƾŜĹ?ĆŒĹ˝Ç ^ƉĞÄ?Ĺ?Ăů ϲ
Mixed housing needed
Council has included the contentious Lot 22 in both the MMP and DRS as an area for residential development, a move Messrs Price and Brown support. They believe that with rigorous environmental study and community consultation, the relatively flood-free highest four-hectare area of Lot 22 can be developed as a model not-for-profit, â–ś Continued on page 2
džÄ?ĹŻĆľĆ?Ĺ?ǀĞ EÄžÇ KÄ¨Ä¨ÄžĆŒÍ—
dĹšÄžĆŒÄž Ĺ?Ć? Ä‚ Ä?ĹŻĹ?žĂƚĞ ÄžĹľÄžĆŒĹ?ĞŜÄ?LJ Ç ĹšĹ?Ä?Ĺš ĆŒÄžĆ‹ĆľĹ?ĆŒÄžĆ? Ăůů ŽĨ ĆľĆ? ƚŽ Ä‚Ä?Ćš ĹśĹ˝Ç Í˜ tÄž ŚĂǀĞ ĎĎ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒĆ? ƚŽ ĆŒÄžÄ‚Ä?Ĺš ÇŒÄžĆŒĹ˝ Ä?Ä‚ĆŒÄ?ŽŜ ĞžĹ?Ć?Ć?Ĺ?ŽŜĆ? Ä?ÄžÄ¨Ĺ˝ĆŒÄž Ä?ĂƚĂĆ?ĆšĆŒĹ˝Ć‰ĹšĹ?Ä? ĆšĹ?ƉƉĹ?ĹśĹ? ƉŽĹ?ŜƚĆ? Ä‚ĆŒÄž ĆŒÄžÄ‚Ä?ŚĞĚ Ç ĹšĹ?Ä?Ĺš Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ ĆšĹšĆŒÄžÄ‚ĆšÄžĹś ƚŚĞ Ć?ĆľĆŒÇ€Ĺ?ǀĂů ŽĨ ĹŻĹ?ĨĞ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ ŚƾžĂŜĆ?Í• ƉůĂŜƚĆ? ĂŜĚ ĂŜĹ?žĂůĆ?Í• Ä‚Ä?Ä?Ĺ˝ĆŒÄšĹ?ĹśĹ? ƚŽ Ć?Ä?Ĺ?ĞŜƚĹ?Ć?ĆšĆ? Ä¨ĆŒĹ˝Ĺľ ƚŚĞ /W ͘ dŚĞ Ä‚Ç€ÄžĆŒÄ‚Ĺ?Äž ĹśÄžÇ ĆŒÄžĆ?Ĺ?ĚĞŜƚĹ?Ăů Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ƚĞž Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ Ć?ĂǀĞ ĞĂÄ?Ĺš ŚŽƾĆ?ĞŚŽůĚ Ä‚Ä?Žƾƚ ΨώϏϏϏ ĂŜĚ Ć‰ĆŒÄžÇ€ÄžĹśĆš Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ ƚŽŜĆ? ŽĨ Ä‚ĆŒÄ?ŽŜ Ĺ?ŽdžĹ?ĚĞ Ä?ÄžĹ?ĹśĹ? ƉƾžƉĞĚ D Ĺ?Ĺś Ĺ?ŜƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĂƚžŽĆ?Ć‰ĹšÄžĆŒÄž ĞĂÄ?Ĺš Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍ˜
Street, from the Brunswick River at one end and the community gardens at the other, are proposed.
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