Letters
Cartoon by Antoinette Ensbey
Urban planning Councillors last week adopted a Residential Strategy that will convert various bits of the Shire to urban. Urban life involves having services provided to the property boundary (water and sewer services in particular). The urban user pays to connect and to consume. Rural life involves providing those services yourself. You tap into water off your roof, out of a stream or out of the ground. You dispose of sewage within the property boundary. You need a bigger property and that puts neighbours further away (one of the great benefits of rural life). In our Shire, the water that flows out of urban taps comes from distant waterways. For Mullumbimby, that waterway is Wilsons Creek. In dry seasons water ceases to flow over the weir at Lavertys Gap (as it has now for the third year in a row). Being an old water ‘extraction’ licence, there is no requirement for the weir to transmit water downstream. Luckily there is some accidental leakage. Were the licence to be updated and some environmental flow actively sent past the weir, the system’s capacity to supply would be less. When Lavertys Gap can’t supply enough water, an ‘emergency’ connection to the Rous system is activated and water extracted from Rocky Creek Dam (RCD) is supplied instead. RCD also has no environmental flow requirement and often ceases to overflow. Council’s Residential Strategy avoids discussing
the utilities needed to sustain the urban lifestyle it ordains. Councillors think the same: bring people in and we’ll work out the details later. In the case of water supply, the details are known: Rous will build a new dam to supply future water needs. The Strategy’s commitment to urban land thus includes a commitment to that new dam. The two commitments should have been considered together. A decent Strategy would have included plans for an acceptable water supply system (ie one not dependent on a new dam). There is a parallel story for sewage – a decent Strategy would have resolved that. And it would also tell us how transport will be provided to the new suburbs, rather than just putting more vehicles down Ewingsdale Road. Duncan Dey Main Arm
Natural burial I live on Vallances Road near the proposed site for the Brunswick Valley natural burial ground. When council purchased the land and proceeded with the STP (sewage treatment plant) the longterm residents of the road sold up. Having lived through the STP works I totally understand. It also means I have an understanding of this current proposal. 1. To access Vallances Road you have to turn across oncoming traffic on a hairpin bend with no visibility except for a dubious mirror. I assume funeral processions and loved ones will be wanting to access this site. This
bend is within sight of land which frequently sees cars leave the road and has seen fatalities. Coolamon Scenic Drive also now sees tourists use the road, directed by GPS. This includes articulated and long vehicles. 2. Vallences Road is a single lane with difficulty passing oncoming cars. Widening the road in some places was considered to be unfeasible for the STP works. Trucks were diverted to a turning circle down Coolamon Scenic Drive constructed purely for the STP works. 3. Will council construct an alternate road for this access? If so it opens up land for development. 4. There is a paper road which can be used closer to Mullumbimby, again on a hairpin bend. 5. Residents living on this road were assured by council our peace and amenity would not be disturbed after the STP works were completed. This has not been the case, letter length prohibits exploring this. I support the principle of the burial site but ask its proponents to consult with those living here also. I think you will find it is not so affordable. Debra Smith Mullumbimby
Open the bypass There has been a great deal of work done through 2020 to make our roads more usable, and I can foresee that things will, one day, be improved. But, sorry, there is a but – I am appealing to our mayor to find a way to focus the
Letters to the Editor and cartoons Send to Letters Editor Aslan Shand, fax: 6684 1719 email: editor@echo.net.au Deadline: Noon, Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. Letters already published in other papers will not be considered. Please include your full name, address and phone number for verification purposes.
www.echo.net.au/byron-echo Byron Shire Echo archives
available manpower that we have, to find a way to open up the bypass tomorrow. Work on nothing else, just get the bypass open, it is urgent. The community is at breaking point, they have been tolerant, they have been patient, they have queued endlessly, they have stuffed their frustration back down their throats and just got on with life, but today with the Lollipop men on Lawson street, the traffic backup was just insane, this on a Monday, and not anywhere near the busier times that are coming. Right now, Byron Bay’s poor, worn out residents just deserve a reward. They’ve earned it. I made the mistake of going to Bunnings today, but being stoic, I thought, oh never mind, I’ll just risk my life, and come home to Mackay Street over St Helena (me and quite a few others) and you know, while waiting to turn right into Mackay Street, with all the traffic waiting behind me, some nice driver who had just spent 40 minutes trying to get home, blinked his lights, gave me a wave, and held up his queue, so I could cross, and let the others behind me get going again too. Byron Bay people are kind, but they have been truly tried. They need a hero to step up and find a way to get the job done. It’s there, There has to be a way to do it. There must be a reward for all the suffering already undertaken, we can’t really be expected to just go on as things are until February, it is too much! Please help us. Pam Scarborough Byron Bay ▶ More letters on next page
VISIT US AT HABITAT Shop 8, 1 Porter Street, Byron Bay
Natural, drug-free headache and migraine approach
Ph: 0475
75 75 10
+ Advanced head, neck and jaw assessment, treatment and management.
Phone for an immediate, obligation-free phone consultation. Let us help you gain a better quality of life...
t Headache and Migraine t Jaw pain – locking – clicking – grinding t Vestibular – dizziness – vertigo
72 Byron Street, Bangalow – opposite the Public School
www.bangalowheadacheclinic.com.au
86 JONSON ST, BYRON BAY 6685 7662 therailsbyronbay.com
AND THE FAMOUS
RAILS kitchen
Thursday 17 december
Animal Ventura Friday 18 december
Majestic Knights Saturday 19 december
The Dirty Channel Sunday 20 december
Jamie Ashforth Trio Monday 21 december
Leigh James Tuesday 22 DECember
Ooz Wednesday 23 DECember
Chris Aronsten Duo 'ĕĈĕŔćĕſ Ǩǭǽ ǩǧǩǧ The Byron Shire Echo 11