RECOLLECTIONS MAY VARY – SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 35 #41 • Wednesday, March 24, 2021 • www.echo.net.au
Who will assist women facing homelessness? Paul Bibby
A splash in the deluge Roads and drainage were put to the test as two low pressure systems converged across southeast Qld and NSW. While the Northern Rivers escaped the major impacts of the flooding further south, roads and schools were closed as creeks flooded crossings in the hinterland. Flooding also occured in Mullumbimby, Ocean Shores and Billindugel. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the weather to continue until Thursday. Pictured is the Gower family, wading through flooding in Ocean Shores. Photo Jeff ‘Under A Deluge Since 1986’ Dawson
Objections raised over CT, MO dwelling restrictions Hans Lovejoy A new group promoting intentional communities on multiple occupancies (MOs) and community titles (CTs) is calling on councillors to reconsider staff ’s hard line proposal to prohibit secondary dwellings on all MOs and CTs. MOs and CTs are a unique living arrangements suited to those on low to middle incomes. In these arrangements, large rural land parcels are managed by a company, whose directors inhabit the land with dwelling entitlements. Despite the lower entry cost for housing, financial institutions do not generally lend on MOs, but will on CTs.
Local food goes to where it’s needed ▶ p5
Avital Sheffer, from Northern Rivers Intentional Communities (NRIC), told The Echo her new group is a reincarnation of older, now non-active organisations like PAN and the Rural Landsharing Communities Association (RLCA).
Deeply alarmed Ms Sheffer said, ‘Council’s amendments to LEP 2014 propose to blanket prohibit secondary dwellings on all MOs and CTs’. ‘It was presented as “minor housekeeping” and has us deeply alarmed. The proposal just went on exhibition and is open to submissions till April 16’. She told The Echo, ‘We think the proposal, if passed, will strongly
What’s David Heilpern writing about this week? ▶ p8
impact CTs and some MOs and the community at large, exacerbate an already grave housing crisis, and stress the social fabric of our community’. ‘These are definitely not “minor amendments” and the public should know. ‘It is part of a complex multifaceted reality that needs to be responsibly studied and addressed. ‘CT lots are privately owned, but communal assets are managed in common. This is where CTs are engaged in large scale ecological repair and most have the adequate social and environmental infrastructure to accomodate secondary dwellings. ▶ Continued on page 2
Treat yourself to some great local foodie venues ▶ p17
Plans to pay local caravan parks and motels to provide crisis accommodation for women facing homelessness are being held back by the inability or unwillingness of the businesses to help out. The Byron Community Centre (BCC) say they have been offered more than $250,000 by a private donor to purchase a one-bedroom cabin at a local caravan park, so that local women who have lost their homes can have somewhere to stay until a permanent solution can be found. The donor also offered to rent a self-contained space in a motel, hostel, or a private granny flat for three years, with full payment provided up front. However, after calling at least 22 separate accommodation providers, BCC’s General Manager, Louise O’Connell says not one was able or willing to provide a 12-month agreement. Many cited a lack of availability owing to demand from visitors, while others said their policies prevented them from subletting their cabins. Ms O’Connell said there appeared to be an unwillingness on the part of some providers to help women facing homelessness. Ms O’Connell told The Echo, ‘I think there’s a misconception about the people who would be using this accommodation’. ‘We’re not talking about dangerous or unstable people here, we’re talking about women only, some of them single mums, who have been carefully vetted to make
sure it’s appropriate for them to stay there. ‘We tried to explain to the providers, but they still said “No”. ‘We’re really hoping that one or two will come to the table and help us provide some desperatelyneeded crisis accommodation, so that when we have a mum in her work uniform, and a kid in the car coming to us at 4pm saying “we’ve got nowhere to stay tonight”, we can actually help them’. A recent report from Byron Council found that many of those affected by the housing crisis are the Shire’s key workers, particularly women. Despite earning an income, a growing number of these workers have been completely priced out of the market, or are simply unable to find rental accommodation near their workplaces because there isn’t any.
Can Council help? Deputy Byron Mayor, Michael Lyon, will put a multi-pronged motion to this week’s Council meeting, which includes investigating the use of Council-owned holiday parks for crisis accommodation. The rough sleeper count recently showed that Byron has the highest number in NSW after Sydney’, Cr Lyon said. ‘We [Council] are working on a number of measures to provide for our key workers and community. However, while we wait for the State Government to progress a number of our proposals, there is a need for emergency accommodation as more and more people are forced to live in their cars’. ▶ Continued on page 3
Byron Arts & Industry in the centre of it all ▶ p20
Make your space nice and cosy ▶ p22
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