The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 36.42 – March 30, 2022

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NOW PREPARING FOR ONCE-IN-A-MONTH FLOODS The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 36 #42 • March 30, 2022 • www.echo.net.au

ț ǔ şſĎëćōĕȜ ƖŕĶƐƆ żſşżşƆĕĎ ëćşưĕ lƖōōƖŔ Ĉëſ żëſŊ Paul Bibby Byron Council and State Government-owned housing developer, Landcom, are proposing to build a block of affordable units above a car park in central Mullumbimby as part of the attempt to address the Shire’s housing crisis. Under the proposal, up to 30 units would be built above the Council-owned car park on Station Street next to the La Familia Mexican restaurant. It is understood the site would still function as a car park – though a number of parking spaces would be lost – with a structure of two stories to be built directly above the parking area.

discussions between the developer and a number of councillors, as well as a formal presentation to councillors and staff last month. Concerns have been raised in some quarters that the plan is going full-steam ahead without sufficient public transparency or community input. ‘What scares me is that the next step (likely in April) is Council being asked to sign a commercial agreement with Landcom to run this project,’ Greens councillor Duncan Dey said.

Secrecy ‘unacceptable’

Byron mayor Michael Lyon, one of the key supporters of the proposal, said the detail of the plan would be released in the agenda to the next Council Planning meeting on April 14. The agenda will be published on Council’s website on April 5. ‘Just to give you a little snapshot – we’re looking at somewhere between 20 and 30 units above that car park for affordable housing in perpetuity,’ Cr Lyon said at the official reopening of Byron’s Fletcher Street Cottage last week. ‘My view is that if we can do 100-odd of these over the next five years, which is a conceivable number in partnership with our community, we might break the back of this crisis.’ Landcom approached Council about the idea earlier this year. There have been ongoing

‘The agreement is being drafted now, and will likely lean on concepts the public has never seen. The public will first have information on the project after Council (the developer here) has committed to it. The secrecy of these procedures goes to the edge of unacceptability for me as an elected community representative’. Cr Dey said he believed the public should have been informed earlier, and better, by Cr Lyon, and the others who support the proposal. But Cr Lyon said Cr Dey’s comments were inaccurate and amounted to fear-mongering. ‘Nothing will be signed until the matter comes before the next planning meeting and the detail will be out there for all to see before that meeting.’ ‘A notice of motion at that meeting will request councillors’ support so that staff can enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Landcom. That’s a high-level, ▶ Continued on page 5

Homeless service reopens in Byron ▶ p3

Where do all those flood damaged items go? ▶ p5

Details revealed April 5

ƐƖĎĕŕƐƆ ƐëŊĕ Ɛş ĈōĶŔëƐĕ ëĈƐĶşŕ

Last Friday, Byron Shire students took part in an all-too-familar reminder that politicans in the Coalition and Labor camps still take donations from large oil and gas companies. And this week, the ABC reported that ANU law school professor, Andrew Macintosh, claims the government’s carbon offset schemes lack integrity and has ‘degenerated to become a rort’. Photo Jeff ‘Climate On A Cliff’ Dawson

LĕëưƷ ſëĶŕĪëōō IJĶƐƆ ſĕīĶşŕǽ ëīëĶŕ While conditions eased on Tuesday, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is predicting rain to build into Wednesday morning, when it will start to ease. Flood warnings remain for large parts of north-east NSW, including the potential for major flooding for the Brunswick River. That river and Marshalls Creek can impact low lying areas of Mullumbimby, South Golden Beach, The Pocket and Billinudgel. A statement from the BOM also says, ‘With catchments in northern NSW already saturated, rivers, streams and creeks will respond quickly to any heavy, short duration

Bruns fly-a-kite benefit, April 10 ▶ p8

An SES evacuation order for low lying areas of Mullumbimby and Billinudgel was issued on Tuesday morning, with minor flooding in the area being recorded. An evacuation centre at the Ocean Shores Country Club

opened Monday. Phil Holloway, Byron Shire Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, says, ‘The centre will remain open over coming days, while this weather system plays out’. ‘I urge Byron Shire residents to keep themselves informed with the Bureau of Meteorology and SES updates, local ABC Radio and Council’s Emergency Dashboard’. According to www.bom.gov. au/climate/enso, ‘Climate change continues to influence Australian and global climate’. ‘Australia’s climate has warmed by around 1.47°C for the 1910–2020 period’.

Heilpern’s take on the Telstra tower fire ▶ p10

Rebuilding for flood resilience ▶ p18

rainfall and are at risk of potential flash flooding over the coming days’. ‘There is also potential for landslides and trees may fall’. In Mullumbimby, some shops have put sandbags in front of their premises, while there are reports of washed out roads in Main Arm.

Evac centre open


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