SPAWNED FROM WITCHES THEY COULDN’T BURN – SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 35 #27 • Wednesday, December 16, 2020 • www.echo.net.au
Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club seeks to maintain groynes Hans Lovejoy
Bay battered by La NiĂąa Photographer Tao Jones shot photo this on Monday, as large swells continued to hammer the fragile coastline. Waves broke over the seawall adjacent to Fishheads, and more trees that hold the fragile dunes together were washed into the sea.
West Byron’s approval – what to expect? Paul Bibby The judge’s gavel has fallen on one of the two DAs for a major housing development at West Byron, setting in stone the proposal from Tower Holdings to create 149 housing lots on the much fought-over site. Some locals will be gnashing their teeth, others celebrating, while a fair few in the middle will be quietly acknowledging that things could have been a lot worse. But what are we actually going
Future-proofing our food supply ▜ p3
to get at West Byron? First, the good news. The plan for 149 lots is half of what Terry Agnew’s Tower Holdings (operating under the name Villaworld for the purposes of the recent court case) had asked for, and it is significantly less than the company’s original projections about the ‘maximum developable potential of the land’. Given the relatively small size of the housing lots, it is unlikely that the future owners will be able to
build dual occupancies, even if they wanted to. However, it won’t stop them building smaller secondary dwellings that could then become holiday rentals. Byron Council’s attempt to significantly limit short-term holiday rentals in all new development in the Shire was not well received by the NSW Department of Planning, and the location of the site makes it prime territory for Airbnb accomodation. But back to the good news.
Sort of. Fewer houses mean fewer people and fewer extra cars on Ewingsdale Road – a key concern for many locals. However, the bad news is, using the general rule of thumb that a house generates 10 traffic movements each day on average, the Tower Holdings/Terry Agnew development will produce an extra 1,490 traffic movements each day on Ewingsdale Road. Aside from the Byron bypass, no major changes to the already ▜ Continued on page 4
A councillor’s perspective Shock, horror! Shopping local, on the Main Beach Naughty words in and other fun festive Shoreline Project ▜ p9 headlines ▜ p22, 51 activities ▜ p24–50
ÄžÇ Ä‚ĆŒÄžÍŠ dĹšĹ?Ć? ŽƾůĚ Äž zŽƾ͊
Vale Mungo The Echo is very sad to report that Mungo MacCallum died last Wednesday, a week after announcing he was unable to continue writing. His funeral and wake was Tuesday afternoon, as The Echo went to press.
â–ś Tributes on pages 10, 18 & 19
Some fishy business going on in the Good Life ▜ p55, 57
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ĹŻĹŻ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ƚĞžĆ? Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ ŚĂǀĞ Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ä?ůĞžĆ? Ć?Ĺ˝ĹľÄžÄšÄ‚Ç‡Í˜ / ĹŹĹśĹ˝Ç Ä?ÄžÄ?ĂƾĆ?Ğ͕ ĞǀĞŜ ƚŚŽƾĹ?Ĺš / ĆŒĆľĹś Ä‚ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ä?ŽžƉĂŜLJ͕ Ĺ?Ćš ŚĂƉƉĞŜĞĚ ƚŽ ĹľÄžÍ˜ dĹšÄžĆŒÄž Ç Ä‚Ć? Ä‚ Ä?ĹŻÄ‚Ä?ĹŹĹ˝ĆľĆšÍ˜ Ç€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ Ç ÄžÄžĹŹ / Ĺ?Ğƚ Ä?ĂůůĆ? Ä¨ĆŒĹ˝Ĺľ ÄšĹ?Ć?ĆšĆŒÄ‚ĆľĹ?Śƚ ĹŻĹ˝Ä?ĂůĆ? Ç ĹšĹ˝ / ĨůĹ?Ä?ŏĞĚ ƚŚĞ Ć?Ç Ĺ?ĆšÄ?Ĺš ƚŽ ĆšĆľĆŒĹś ŽŜ ƚŚĞ Ä?Ä‚Ä?ŏƾƉ Ä?Ä‚ĆšĆšÄžĆŒĹ?ÄžĆ? Ä?ŽƾĹ?Śƚ Ä?ŚĞĂƉ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ ĂŜĚ ƚŚĞLJ Ä?ĂŜΖƚ Ĺ?Ğƚ ĂŜLJ Ć?ÄžĆŒÇ€Ĺ?Ä?Äž ĂŜĚ͙ EŽƚŚĹ?ĹśĹ? ,ĂƉƉĞŜĞĚ͊ Ä¨ĆŒĹ˝Ĺľ ƚŚĞ Ä?ŽžƉĂŜLJ ƚŚĂƚ Ć?ŽůĚ Ĺ?ĆšÍ˜ /žĂĹ?Ĺ?ŜĞ ĹšĹ˝Ç Ć?ƚƾƉĹ?Äš / ĨĞůƚ Ç ĹšÄžĹś / Ç ÄžĹśĆš ŽƾƚĆ?Ĺ?ĚĞ ĂŜĚ /ƚΖĆ? Ä?ĆŒĹ˝ĹŹÄžĹś ĂŜĚ ŜŽ ŽŜĞ Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ ĨĹ?dž Ĺ?ĆšÍ˜ ĆŒÄžÄ‚ĹŻĹ?Ć?ĞĚ žLJ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ĺ?ĹśÇ€ÄžĆŒĆšÄžĆŒ ŚĂĚ ÄšĹ?ĞĚ͊ /žĂĹ?Ĺ?ŜĞ ĹšĹ˝Ç ĹľĆľÄ?Ĺš Ĺ?Ćš ĹšĆľĆŒĆšĆ? ƚŽ Ć?ƉĞŜĚ Ăůů ƚŚĂƚ žŽŜĞLJ tŚĞŜ / Ä?ŚĞÄ?ŏĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĹšĹ?Ć?ĆšĹ˝ĆŒÇ‡ ŽŜůĹ?ŜĞ Ĺ?Ćš ŚĂĚ Ä?ĞĞŜ ĂŜĚ ĨĹ?ŜĚ Žƾƚ ƚŚĂƚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ LJŽƾ ĆšĆŒĆľĆ?ƚĞĚ͕ ĚŽŜΖƚ Ä?Ä‚ĆŒÄžÍ˜ ĚĞĂĚ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ĺ˝Ç€ÄžĆŒ ĎŻ žŽŜƚŚĆ?͘ ĆŒÄžÄ?ĞŜƚ Ć?ĆľĆŒÇ€ÄžÇ‡ Ä?LJ ƚŚĞ ůĞĂŜ ĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ ŽƾŜÄ?Ĺ?ĹŻ ĨŽƾŜĚ /Ćš Ä?Ĺ˝Ć?Ćš žĞ Ĺ˝Ç€ÄžĆŒ ΨϳϏϏ Ĺ?Ĺś ĹŻĹ˝Ć?Ćš Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒÍ˜ ƚŚĂƚ ώϹК ŽĨ Ăůů Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ƚĞžĆ? Ç ÄžĆŒÄž Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝ÄšĆľÄ?Ĺ?ĹśĹ? Ä¨Ä‚ĆŒ ĹŻÄžĆ?Ć? Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ ƚŚĂŜ ƚŚĞLJ Ć?ĹšĹ˝ĆľĹŻÄšÍ˜ dŚĞLJ ĂůĆ?Ĺ˝ ĨŽƾŜĚ ƚŚĂƚ ĎϹК ŽĨ ŜĚ / ŚĂĚ ƚŽ ƚĞůů žLJ ĨĂžĹ?ůLJ ƚŽ Ć?ĆšÄ‚ĆŒĆš ĹŻĹ?Ĺ?ŚƚĹ?ĹśĹ? Ä?ĂŜĚůĞĆ?͘ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ć?LJĆ?ƚĞžĆ? ĨĂĹ?ĹŻ ÄžÇ€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍ˜ /Ćš Ç Ä‚Ć? ƚŚĞŜ ƚŚĂƚ / ĆŒÄžÄ‚ĹŻĹ?Ć?ĞĚ͕ /Ĩ ƚŚĹ?Ć? Ä?ĂŜ ŚĂƉƉĞŜ ƚŽ tŚĂƚ Ĺ?Ĩ ĆšĹšÄžĆŒÄž Ç Ä‚Ć? Ä‚ Ç Ä‚Ç‡ LJŽƾ Ä?ŽƾůĚ Ĺ?Ğƚ Ĺ?ĆŒÄžÄ‚Ćš ǀĂůƾĞ ĂŜĚ žĞ͕ Ĺ?Ćš Ä?ĂŜ ŚĂƉƉĞŜ ƚŽ Ä‚ĹśÇ‡Ĺ˝ĹśÄžÍ˜ ŽŜĹ?Ĺ˝Ĺ?ĹśĹ? Ć?ÄžĆŒÇ€Ĺ?Ä?Äž ƚŽ ĞŜĆ?ĆľĆŒÄž Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ĺ?Ć? ƉƾžƉĹ?ĹśĹ? dĹšÄžĆŒÄž žƾĆ?Ćš Ä?Äž ĂŜ ĞĂĆ?LJ Ç Ä‚Ç‡ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ ÄžÇ€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ÄšÄ‚Ç‡ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ Ć?ƾŜůĹ?Ĺ?Śƚ ÄžÇ€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ ĚĂLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍ? ĨĹ?ŜĚ Žƾƚ ĹšĹ˝Ç Ç ÄžĹŻĹŻ ƚŚĞĹ?ĆŒ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ĺ?Ć? Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĹŹĹ?ĹśĹ? ĂŜĚ ƚŽ ĹŹĹśĹ˝Ç Ç ĹšÄžĹś ĆšĹšÄžĆŒÄž Ĺ?Ć? Ä‚ Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ä?ĹŻÄžĹľÍ˜ ^ĂǀĹ?ĹśĹ? LJŽƾ ƚŚŽƾĆ?ĂŜĚĆ? ŽĨ ÄšĹ˝ĹŻĹŻÄ‚ĆŒĆ? Ä‚ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚŽƾƚ ĨĂĹ?ĹŻÍ?
ŚĞĂƉ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ Ͳ EŽƚ tĹ˝ĆŒĹŹĹ?ĹśĹ? WĹ˝Ĺ˝ĆŒ /ĹśĆ?ƚĂůůĂƚĹ?ŽŜ Ͳ EĹ˝ ^ĆľĆ‰Ć‰Ĺ˝ĆŒĆš
In their submission to Council regarding the Main Beach Shoreline Project, Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club (BBSLSC) have outlined their concerns about the potential impacts of all proposed options, and say maintaining the existing groynes is their preferred outcome, ‘until an evidence-based alternative is identified’. The Main Beach Shoreline Project aims to address the failing groynes at Jonson Street and, according to Council, ‘enhance the town’s coastal protection, while improving public safety and amenity so that everyone can enjoy Byron’s iconic Main Beach into the future.’ Byron Bay Surf Club president Paul Pattison provided their submissions to The Echo upon request, and he said, ‘With the weekend and today’s big swell and tides, it has shown how vulnerable the shoreline is’. ‘Appropriate protection works for our much loved, used and internationally acclaimed beach need to be progressed as a matter of urgency. â–ś Continued on page 4
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