The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 35.24 – November 25, 2020

Page 1

KEEPING THE UNACCOUNTABLE UNCOMFORTABLE SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 35 #24 • Wednesday, November 25, 2020 • www.echo.net.au

!Ĺ&#x;Ć–Ĺ•ÄˆÄśĹ? ƆĆ?ĂŤÇ” Ć?Ĺ&#x; şſĹ&#x;ĈĕĕĎ ƹĜĆ?IJ țĕſſĹ&#x;ĹżČœ Ĝŕ Ç€Ĺ&#x;ŕĜŕč Ĺ?ÍćĕĹ? ÄŽÄ•Ä‡ĂŤÄˆĹ?Ä• Hans Lovejoy

Doing it for Planet A Zero Emissions Byron (ZEB) is ramping up local action on climate change. The first monthly winners of its campaign to ‘Fight for Planet A and Win!’ have been announced. The campaign, say ZEB organisers, ‘is designed to increase local action on climate change by residents sharing their stories in the dedicated ZEB Facebook group, ‘Fight for Planet A and Win!’ Pictured are Byron Trails author Mairead Cleary, In the Tiger’s Mouth author Katrina Shields, and Angel Grimaldi from Byron E-Bikes. Jo Hoy is the winner of a Beyond Byron E-bike guided tour, the company Iva Black co-owns. For more details visit www.zerobyron.org. Photo Jeff ‘Carbonised Since 1986’ Dawson

Ç” Ĺ&#x;ſĎÍćĹ?Ä• IJĹ&#x;ƖƆĜŕč şſÄ•ÄˆÄśĹ•ÄˆĆ? Ĺ”Ĺ&#x;ưĕƆ ĈĹ?Ĺ&#x;Ɔĕſ An affordable housing planning proposal for ‘at least 250 dwellings with a range of lot sizes’, is progressing on a parcel of Council managed land, located just outside of Mullumbimby. All councillors voted in favour at last week’s meeting to seek the NSW planning minister’s approval for Gateway Determination. Known as Lot 22, the flood constrained land is 29.2 hectares and is located south of the CBD, includes the community gardens and is adjacent to the sports fields. Under the Gateway Determination request, blocks would be between 50m2 and 1,400m2, with

Fed up with holiday letting yet? â–ś p5

most being around 200m2 as minimum lot sizes. Yet it was pointed out in public access that it comes without a cost benefit analysis and is unsupported by the SES, owing to the flooding risk to human life.

Flooding downplayed Those concerns were downplayed by Mayor Simon Richardson, who told the gallery flooding could be managed and that it was, ‘hard to paint a picture’ of what the final outcome will be. ‘That’s the point’, he said. ‘We want to get down the path to find out’.

Bob Carr pops up at Dunoon Dam â–ś p17

A community engagement program is expected, with further reports to come after public submissions. A ‘holistic and transport study for the precinct’ will also be prepared by staff. There is yet to be a management model of the project, if approved, or how much fill is required to undertake the project. The brief vision within the staff reports states: ‘A diverse and affordable housing precinct. Neighbourhoods set within the green landscape of the recreation grounds, creek corridors and the â–ś Continued on page 4

Shop local this Christmas and win ▜ p20

Frazer on the latest US election shenanigans â–ś p33

ChristmFaLsES

HAM RAF

25 HAMS TO BE WON

each date

A lack of clarity surrounds a major label change to a zoning, which, according to former Greens mayor and NSW MLC Jan Barham, is a huge advantage to the owners/ developers of 111 ha of pristine and rare littoral rainforest between Broken Head and Lennox Head. Bound by nature reserves and a Marine National Park, Linnaeus Estate has been the focus of many court challenges and community activism over the years. Ms Barham says the land had been ‘zoned for Special Use – Education, since the 1980s. Every approval has been for Private Education Facility’. Director Sustainable Environment and Economy, Shannon Burt, claims the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) instructed her department to change the zone label to ‘mixed use’, via email on 27/05/16, despite a DPIE spokesperson telling The Echo, ‘The department did not direct the Council to change the zone label’. One of the owners of the Linnaeus Estate, Brandon Saul, told The Echo that the property is collectively owned by 15 or so parties, who ‘agree that a mixed use zone is not an appropriate zone for the site’. He told The Echo, ‘Neither Council, the original developers, or the current owners sought a rezoning’. Mr Saul believes the issue arose with trying to apply the SP1 Special Activities zone to the statewide LEP template. Mr Saul says the landowners agreed that the Community Title (CT) process, currently underway,

should be put on hold, ‘so that everything can be tidied up in one go, providing certainty to all involved’. ‘They’re actively working with Council to have a more appropriate zone implemented, and they have no intention of utilising the current zone to dramatically change the nature of the development onsite. The proposal that is currently under consideration is a very modest eco/ health retreat that would actually reduce the built form currently approved, and it is not tied to either the zoning issues, or the CT process’.

Environmental protections Mr Saul also outlined the environmental protections that the current owners have applied to the site, ‘to have all the ecologically sensitive habitat on the site protected in perpetuity’. Despite the lack of clarity around who is responsible for the zoning label change, Ms Barham is pursuing a formal complaint of maladministration, owing to the ‘lack of transparency and accountability’. Ms Barham placed a full page Echo ad on October 21, claiming planning staff failed to put a rezoning label before councillors or the public. Staff refute this however, claiming that the change was advertised, albeit buried within a housekeeping amendment. She says Council staff’s response to her complaint ‘imposed legal professional confidentiality’, and says she is dissatisfied with the response. The complaint will now be taken to the Minister for â–ś Continued on page 2

Trigger warning! Mandy’s been feeding the trolls again ▜ p37

2021 Membership Sunday 6th @ 1pm Renewals Now Open Friday 11th @ 6.30pm ȺȺĘˆȟȚ Ă‚ ʢ ȟÕ Tuesday 15th @ 6.30pm K /MB Saturday 19th @ 7pm )V,ZaA Z Sunday 20th @ 1pm ;fB )Ç Ç + extra HAMS added to our regular Friday & Sunday rafes!

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The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 35.24 – November 25, 2020 by Echo Publications - Issuu