The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 34.19 – October 16, 2019

Page 1

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

lĆ–Ĺ?Ĺ?Ć–Ĺ” lÍƆĆ?Ä•ſşĹ?ĂŤĹ• ÄŽſÍƹƆ Ç– ĂŤĹŠ

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 IJÍưÄ• 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

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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.’

ϲ͘ϲ 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 ^ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ ZÄžÄ?ĂƚĞ Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ ĨĂůů Ăƚ ĞŜĚ ŽĨ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍŠ dŚĞ ^ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ ZÄžÄ?ĂƚĞ ĨŽĆŒ ĹšŽƾĆ?ĞŚŽůÄš 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?ŽžžÄžĹśÄšÄžÄš ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ 'Ĺ˝Ç€ÄžĆŒŜžÄžĹśĆš 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 LJŽƾĆŒ ĹśÄžÇ Ć?ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ƚĞž Ĺ˝ĆŒÄšÄžĆŒÄžÄš Ć?ŽŽŜ Ć?Ĺ˝ LJŽƾ ÄšŽŜΖƚ ĹľĹ?Ć?Ć? ŽƾĆš ŽŜ ƚŚĞ ΨϰϏϏϏ ĎŹĎŹ ĆŒÄžÄ?ĂƚĞ ĂǀĂĹ?ĹŻÄ‚Ä?ĹŻÄž ĨŽĆŒ LJŽƾĆŒ Ä‚Ç€ÄžĆŒÄ‚Ĺ?Äž ĹśÄžÇ ĹšŽžÄž Ć?ŽůÄ‚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 ϲ͘ϲ 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 KĨĨÄžĆŒÍ—

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?ÄžĨŽĆŒÄž 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?ĨÄž ĨŽĆŒ ĹšƾžÄ‚ĹśĆ?Í• ƉůĂŜƚĆ? ĂŜĚ ĂŜĹ?žĂůĆ?Í• Ä‚Ä?Ä?Ĺ˝ĆŒÄšĹ?ĹśĹ? ƚŽ Ć?Ä?Ĺ?ĞŜƚĹ?Ć?ĆšĆ? ĨĆŒŽž ƚŚĞ /W ͘ dŚĞ Ä‚Ç€ÄžĆŒÄ‚Ĺ?Äž ĹśÄžÇ ĆŒÄžĆ?Ĺ?ĚĞŜƚĹ?Ăů Ć?ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ƚĞž Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ Ć?ĂǀĞ ĞĂÄ?Ĺš ĹšŽƾĆ?ĞŚŽůÄš Ä‚Ä?ŽƾĆš ΨώϏϏϏ ĂŜĚ Ć‰ĆŒÄžÇ€ÄžĹśĆš ĨŽƾĆŒ ĆšŽŜĆ? ŽĨ Ä‚ĆŒÄ?ŽŜ Ĺ?ŽdžĹ?ĚĞ Ä?ÄžĹ?ĹśĹ? ƉƾžĆ‰ÄžÄš 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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The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 34.19 – October 16, 2019 by Echo Publications - Issuu