THIS CLAIM IS DISPUTED – SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 35 #43 • Wednesday, April 7, 2021 • www.echo.net.au
Mullum’s Lot 22 and old hospital considered as Community Land Trusts
Food a-plenty, post canned Bluesfest
Paul Bibby
Visitor, Nate Mouncy, got a taste of the abruptly cancelled festival, when he answered the call of Holy Moly. A social media post drew hundreds to Elena Betto and Joaquin Varela’s kitchen, in the Byron Food Hub, on Easter Saturday and helped to whittle down the 2,500 empanadas they had made over the last couple of weeks for the festival’s hungry hordes. The day before, Good Friday, Holy Moly’s neighbour, Jerry’s Smokehouse, completely sold out of its Bluesfest supply. People lined up half way to the Leagues Club and waited patiently for up to two hours for a basket of brisket. Photo Jeff ‘Hungry Hoarder Since 1986’ Dawson
The fallout from no Bluesfest With COVID-19 restrictions for four local government areas now being lifted without spread of infection, the economic impacts of the cancellation of Bluesfest continue to ripple through the Byron Shire. Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard (Liberal), signed a health order cancelling Bluesfest the day before it was to return. It was also cancelled in 2020, owing to COVID19 restrictions. A Brisbane nurse infected with COVID-19 travelled to the Shire, after she was reportedly working in the highly infectious COVID-19 ward caring for returned international
Vale Diana Mordaunt ▶ p6
travellers. The Echo understands she was not required to isolate, was not tested, nor vaccinated, before leaving the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Bluesfest director Peter Noble said, ‘This is one of the most difficult statements I have ever had to make’. ‘We really wanted to be at the forefront of the return of live music at pre-COVID-19 levels. ‘We feel deeply for everybody affected; the fans, the artists, and the hard-working Bluesfest team. But in the end, the health of our community must come first’. So what plans are there by the NSW government for a recovery?
Women’s rights focus at Renewfest ▶ p9
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The Echo asked local Nationals MLC, Ben Franklin, if there would be ‘any government grants/assistance that will assist Bluesfest management, their staff, the stallholders and the artists through this time?’ He replied, ‘Like all members of our community, I am devastated that Bluesfest did not go ahead this year. The impact this decision has had on the organisers, musicians and stallholders will be substantial and profound’. ‘I have spoken with Deputy Premier John Barilaro and other senior members of the government, ▶ Continued on page 2
Canberra needs a distraction! ▶ p15
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Storylines: affordable housing ▶ p17
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Could the creation of a Community Land Trust in the Byron Shire provide desperately needed, genuinely affordable housing for locals on low incomes? This is the question that Councillors will explore at this week’s planning meeting as they continue their efforts to address what the Council is now calling the Shire’s ‘housing emergency’. With the cancellation of Bluesfest set to put further strain on some household budgets, the need for housing solutions has become more pressing than ever. Under the Community Land Trust model (CLT) being considered, the land component of a residential property is owned by a community based, not-for-profit entity, while the building is owned or leased longterm by an individual household. Byron Council is considering setting up such an entity so that Council-owned land on two sites in Mullumbimby – the old Mullum hospital and Lot 22 – could be used for affordable housing. By removing the land cost, the overall cost of the housing is significantly reduced. The CLT would charge an ongoing ground lease to the household, but this could be heavily subsidised to ensure that the housing is genuinely affordable for those on low incomes. ‘CLTs offer householders many of the benefits of home ownership, including householders’ control over a dwelling, security of tenure
and transfer of occupancy rights, and the potential for some asset wealth building,’ Council staff said in a report attached to the agenda of this week’s meeting. ‘The ground leases on which the homes are built are inheritable, and properties on leased land can be bought and sold at prices determined by a resale formula spelled out in each CLT’s ground lease’. ‘The intention is that, rather than the initial subsidy dissipating when the household sells; the community partner’s ongoing financial interest ensures the home will remain affordable for future households’. The plan being considered by councillors at this week’s meeting would see Council set up an independent entity to manage the land trust – Byron Shire Land Limited – with the permission of the Minister for Local Government. Once permission has been obtained to set up the entity, Council would then explore how the entity could be funded and resourced.
Memorandum of Understanding It would then draw up a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Council and the legal entity, to ensure the latter’s independence, and then secure parts of the land at Lot 22, and the old hospital, as assets to be held by the new entity. ‘The establishment of a Byron Shire Land Trust has been raised directly with the Minister for ▶ Continued on page 2
School holidays fun ▶ p18
Sport round up ▶ p46
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