A REALITY FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T HANDLE DRUGS SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 36 #35 • February 9, 2022 • www.echo.net.au
Where’s the EPA report for Butler Street Reserve?
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Byron Council to establish another housing summit
Hans Lovejoy
Paul Bibby
With the weekly farmers market returning to Butler Street Reserve, many may be wondering what the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) investigation found in relation to the land, which is know to have been an unlicensed landfill up until the mid-1970s. In November 2021, Council said in a press release, ‘The EPA have given approval for the Byron Farmers Market to return to a small, stable section of Butler Street Reserve following over two years of on-site contamination investigations’. Contamination was used, in part, as a reason for moving the monthly Community Markets from that location. Despite repeated promises from the EPA media unit for a reply, nothing was received by deadline. The Echo asked for a copy of the contamination report and evidence that most of the site is unstable, while a smaller section is not.
Byron Council will host a housing summit in a bid to generate ideas and galvanise community support to help address the Shire’s worsening housing crisis. Proposed by returning Greens councillor, Sarah Ndiaye, the summit is intended to give new councillors and the community an opportunity to hear from industry professionals, focus intentions for the new council, and come up to speed on current projects. It was one of a number of housing-related measures adopted at last week’s Council meeting, as the newly elected and re-elected councillors sought to make good on their election promises to tackle what has emerged as the most pressing issue in the Shire. ‘At the start of the last term we had a housing summit, and we brought great minds together from across the country and across the state,’ said Cr Ndiaye. ‘I feel that this would be a great way to get everyone together on the same page. ‘There are people that are wanting to contribute. The more things we have ready, the more funding opportunities we can seek in the lead up to the federal election.’ Newly-elected independent councillor, Peter Westheimer, disagreed. He said that a summit would be a ‘talk fest’ that would ‘delay taking meaningful action’. ‘I don’t think we’re going to come out of it with anything… and it’s ▶ Continued on page 2
Mullum CWA President, Sue Constable, is contemplating her menu for the annual ‘Branch Land Cookery Competition’, to be held Saturday February 19 at the CWA rooms, located on the corner of Gordon and Tincogan Streets. Everyone is invited to enter, and recipes and rules are available on www.cwaofnsw.org.au. Please bring all items to the CWA rooms by 9.30am for a 10am judging. Photo Jeff ‘Cooked’ Dawson
Are owners failing to register their Airbnbs? Paul Bibby Hundreds of people who own short-term holiday rentals in the Byron Shire are flouting the State Government’s new registration rules, according to Victims of Holiday Letting (VOHL). And letting platforms such as Airbnb and Stayz are doing nothing about it, they say. But the organisation representing the owners of short-term holiday rentals has questioned the
Hooray for Vajayjay Day! ▶ p4,26
evidentiary basis of these claims, and pointed out that the registration rules have been in force in Byron for less than ten days. As of January 31, the owners of short-term holiday rentals in the Shire were required to register their properties with the NSW Department of Planning. This registration process is designed to ensure that owners are renting out safe, compliant dwellings that adhere to fire regulations, and that hosts are
New Lismore councillor majority moves to sack GM ▶ p6
adhering to the government’s holiday letting Code of Conduct. In a verbal submission to last week’s Byron Council meeting, a VOHL spokesperson said that, more than a week after the new rules were introduced, many local holiday rental owners had failed to register. Other owners appeared to be falsely claiming that they were exempt from registering, he said. ‘An online search of Airbnb shows that many STRA (Short
Term Rental Accommodation) properties in the Byron Shire had not registered by the mandatory date but were still being advertised,’ said the spokesperson, who asked that his name not be published for safety reasons. ‘This shows that Airbnb is not complying with the regulation. ‘Similar non-compliance is also being seen in Booking.com, Stayz, and a local holiday let management company. ▶ Continued on page 2
Aust Day award declined in solidarity with First Nations people ▶ p7
Sign on or sign up for something great ▶ p22
Arty farty folk making funky stuff ▶ p28