THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS PRECEDE ACTION AND REVOLT The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 34 #25 • Wednesday, November 27, 2019 • www.echo.net.au
‘Room for more water carters’
Protest paddle’s clear message:
Water utility Rous says they are doing everything they can to help rural residents with access to water cartage as drought continues to impact the region. Rous spokesperson Andrew Logan told The Echo that there are 11 filling stations across the region, with Bangalow, South Lismore and Clunes being the busiest for the 20 licensed water carters to access. ‘There is room for more operators’, Logan said, adding that Rous are not restricting licences, and are responding to applications within 24 hours. When asked if rural residents can collect their own water, he replied they couldn’t, yet ‘Richmond Valley has a public filling point.’ ‘Other councils are looking at this,’ he said, adding there is a Rous meeting planned on December 11 to look at increasing capacity. Byron Shire Council staff and the mayor are yet to reply to The Echo’s question: ‘What plans are there to address the severe water shortages for those in rural areas of the Shire?’
Fight for the Bight!
Paul Bibby
With one of the few untouched marine environments under threat from Norwegian company Equinor’s proposal to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, locals turned up on Saturday to join the national day of action and voice their objection. According to the Australian Financial Review, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority have asked Equinor a second time to satisfy them that they could ‘prevent and manage an oil spill, protect marine life and adequately consult if it is allowed to conduct deep-sea drilling in the Great Australian Bight’. Photo Jeff ‘Bighting Since 1986’ Dawson
Water restrictions close to being introduced With fires, heatwaves and increased water consumption across the north coast up from last year, water utility Rous are close to introducing Level 1 water restrictions across four local Shires, including Byron. Rocky Creek Dam, which supplies Lismore, Ballina, Byron and Richmond Valley councils, is currently at 74 per cent capacity and dropping, say Rous. Mullumbimby is supplied by Wilsons Creek, and is
Byron Shire Council Notices ▶ p8
Greens claim hands tied over rural tourist cabin approval
already on level three restrictions. According to Rous’s Regional Water Supply Drought Management Plan, restrictions are triggered when the dam reaches 60 per cent capacity. Yet at an extraordinary meeting last week, impacted Councils and Rous voted to change the trigger to 70 per cent. Rous chairperson Cr Keith Williams said, ‘Applying Level 1 water restrictions before Rocky Creek
Dam reaches 60 per cent is a signal to the community that we need to make water conservation an everyday part of our lives. ‘It’s essential we reduce demand now to prolong our water supply. If dam levels drop further or reductions in consumption are not met, we could be looking at higher level restrictions. We urge people to reduce their water usage now to delay the introduction of tougher
NSW parliament recognises historic native title decision ▶ p10
water restrictions’. Cr Williams added that water carters will be unaffected by the restrictions.
What’s level 1 restrictions? While different restrictions apply to residential, rural, private and commercial activities, all users are requested to conserve water wherever possible. Q For more information visit www.rous.nsw.gov.au.
Trust in governance ▶ p12
It’s time to start thinking about Christmas ▶ p19
A contentious holiday cabin development in Wilsons Creek will go ahead after securing approval from Byron Council, but with a significant reduction in size from what was originally proposed. The plan to build six onebedroom cabins on a property at 58 Montecollum Road was approved by a vote of nine to one at last Thursday’s Council planning meeting, much to the chagrin of the Wilsons Creek residents who had gathered in the chambers to oppose the plan. Greens councillor Michael Lyon said he was ‘not a fan of these types of developments,’ but that Council’s hands were tied. ‘There are legal requirements that we have to meet – rules that are presented to us that we have to abide by,’ Cr Lyon said. ‘If this went to court, we would lose. ‘That would cost us a fair bit of money and the original development would be back on the table without the road upgrade works that we’ve secured’. After Council refused the DA in August, the property owner Shahar Yishay sought a review and agreed to a reduction in the size and scale of the development. This included reducing the number of cabins from eight to six, reducing the size of the proposed swimming pool, and removing a proposed pool terrace on the eastern side of the development. ▶ Continued on page 2
Shopping local in Mullumbimby ▶ p22