‘I LIKE BEAUTIFUL MELODIES TELLING ME TERRIBLE THINGS’ – TOM WAITS The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 36 #51 • June 1, 2022 • www.echo.net.au
What can Councillors do about emergency housing? Paul Bibby How much responsibility can, and should Byron Council take for providing emergency housing in the Shire? This question was at the heart of last week’s Council meeting, as councillors and community members wrestled with the challenges of addressing the Shire’s housing emergency. The meeting began with a moving address from local single mum, Cassandra Shephard, who, despite having a solid job with a local company, has experienced homelessness. ‘It’s a situation where anxiety and worry is a permanent state of being,’ Ms Shephard told the meeting. ‘Logistically it’s almost a full-time job to coordinate storage of food, ice for the esky, cooking food… finding somewhere to go to the toilet. ‘Living that way, with a child, what I had to do was put all of my own personal needs aside and make that situation safe for my child.’ Ms Shephard told the meeting that any resources of land or finances that the Council could provide to address the crisis would be worthwhile, even if it only helped one or two displaced single parents and their children. This final comment was made in reference to a motion put forward by Independent councillor, Sama Balson, which was debated at the meeting and then amended significantly following an extended debate. Among a number of other measures proposed by Cr Balson was that Council identify ‘any matured stocks, bonds or other funds that are not already committed to
Byron’s north ‘ignored’ and ‘neglected’ ▶ p2
Funny things about to happen
specific purposes, and allocate the identified funds to the purchase of Supported Temporary Emergency Accommodation and infrastructure to support this accommodation…’ Also included was a measure to identify all parcels of Councilowned land that could hold Temporary Supported Emergency Accommodation for residents affected by floods, fires or any natural or declared national disasters.
Financial constraints A key element of the ensuing debate over Cr Balson’s motion was the question of whether Council had the money to do more than it already was in relation to emergency housing, and whether money should be taken from other Council projects and services to try and address the issue. ‘My question to councillors today is: ‘what about the 3,000-plus people who are living in inhumane conditions?’ Cr Balson told the meeting. ‘We do have finances in Council, it’s a matter of making it a priority,’ Cr Balson said. ‘I’ve been present in the financial meetings, and I’m aware that there is approximately $2.8 million currently sitting in financial assistance grants that is untied. ‘I’m also aware that through the stocks and bonds there is, accessible, a potential $200,000 that could be used. Okay, that might only provide one, two, three or maybe four families with refuge, but I call on every single one of you to do something and take action rather than doing nothing.’ However, Council’s manager ▶ Continued on page 5
Vale Peter Gilmore, Ian Campbell ▶ p4
The Byron Comedy Festival, to be held at the Surf Club and Beach Hotel, is bringing the mirth and chuckles back between June 9 and June 12. Pictured up the back are organisers, Mell Coppin and Zara Noruzi. Beachie events manager, Mel, is auditioning in the foreground. Just two headliners are Glenn Robbins and Fiona O’Loughlin. For full line-up and tickets, visit www.byroncomedyfest.com. Photo Jeff ‘Did you Hear the One About…’ Dawson
Flood Inquiry comes to Mullum, July 6 An ‘in-person community town hall meeting’ will be hosted by the NSW government’s Flood Inquiry team on Tuesday June 6, from 10.30am till 12.30pm, at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club. According to the press release, ‘Any member of the public can attend to share their views’. ‘Participants must register for the in-person community meeting, and registration is recommended for the virtual meetings, which will be held via Zoom. Details and more information are available at www.
North Coast News ▶ p8
nsw.gov.au/floodinquirymeetings’. ‘The meeting will also be live streamed via the Flood Inquiry website. The NSW Flood Inquiry has also extended public submissions until June 24, ‘to help ensure everyone affected by the floods has the opportunity to contribute to the Inquiry’. ‘Submissions can be made online at www.nsw.gov.au/floodinquiry, via email, or post. Service NSW Centres and Mobile Service Centres are also equipped to help people make a submission. Every submission to the
Bob Morgan takes a look at fractured faith and stolen childhoods ▶ p10
Inquiry will be considered. ‘The independent Inquiry is being led by Professor Mary O’Kane AC, and Michael Fuller APM’.
Personal stories Professor O’Kane said, ‘The Flood Inquiry team is interested in hearing stories from individuals and communities about their experiences of the flood especially in the Byron Bay and Mullumbimby townships, as well as the surrounding areas. The personal stories are an invaluable reference for the Flood Inquiry’s report’.
Take a wee jaunt up to marvellous Murwillumbah ▶ p23
tŚLJ zŽƵ EĞĞĚ ^ŽůĂƌ Θ ĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ EŽǁ͊
WŽǁĞƌ WƌŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ZŝƐĞ ďLJ ϭϴй
ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂŶ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ǁŝůů ƌŝƐĞ ƵƉ ƚŽ ϭϴ͘ϯ ƉĞƌ ĐĞŶƚ ƵŶĚĞƌ Ă ĚĞĐŝƐŝŽŶ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂŶ ŶĞƌŐLJ ZĞŐƵůĂƚŽƌ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ĐŽƐƚ ŽĨ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƚŝŽŶ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ŐůŽďĂů ƌŝƐĞƐ ŝŶ ĐŽĂů ĂŶĚ ŐĂƐ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ͘ dŚĞ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞƐ͕ ƚŽ ĐŽŵĞ ŝŶƚŽ ĞĨĨĞĐƚ ĨƌŽŵ :ƵůLJ͕ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ƚŽ ŵŽƌĞ ƚŚĂŶ ΨϮϱϬ Ă LJĞĂƌ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ĨŝŐƵƌĞƐ ƉƵƚƚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚŝĂů ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ďŝůů Ăƚ Ψϭ͕ϰϯϰ͘
&ĞĞĚ ŝŶ dĂƌŝĨĨƐ ĨŽƌ ^ŽůĂƌ ƌĂƐŚ
62/$5 )5(('20
Ǩ
ůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ƌĞƚĂŝůĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ŝŶ Ă ƉƌŝĐĞ ƐƋƵĞĞnjĞ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ƐůĂƐŚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ƚŚĞLJ ƉĂLJ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵƌ ĞdžĐĞƐƐ ƐŽůĂƌ͕ ŶŽǁ ƉĂLJŝŶŐ njĞƌŽ Ͳ ϴĐ ƉĞƌ ŬtŚ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ϮϭĐ ǁĞ ǁĞƌĞ ƉĂŝĚ ŝŶ ϮϬϮϬ͘ hŶůĞƐƐ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ĂŶĚ ďĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ĨĂĐŝŶŐ ƐĞƌŝŽƵƐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞƐ ŝŶ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ ĐŽƐƚƐ͘ ϴϴϴ ^ŽůĂƌ dĞŬ ŚĂǀĞ ŝŶƐƚĂůůĞĚ ŚƵŶĚƌĞĚƐ ŽĨ ƐŽůĂƌ ďĂƚƚĞƌLJ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ϴ LJĞĂƌƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂŶ ŚĞůƉ LJŽƵ ǁŝƚŚ ŐƌĞĂƚ ĚĞĂůƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƌĞůŝĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ůŽŶŐ ůĂƐƚŝŶŐ ƐŽůĂƌ ďĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ ŝŶ ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ͘
dĞƐƚ ƌŝǀĞ Ă EŝƐƐĂŶ >ĞĂĨ s͊ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ϯϰ͕ ϯϬ Θ ϰϬ ŬtŚ ĐĂƌƐ Ăƚ ŚĂůĨ ƚŚĞ ŶĞǁ ƉƌŝĐĞ͘
dŚĞ ĞƐƚ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ŝŶ ^ŽůĂƌ WŽǁĞƌ͕ KĨĨ 'ƌŝĚ͕ ZĞƐŝĚĞŶƚŝĂů Θ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ϴϴϴ /LF 1R &
WŚ ϬϮ ϲϲϴϴ ϰϰϴϬ
ǁǁǁ͘ϴϴϴƐŽůĂƌƚĞŬ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ
Ăůů sŝŶĐĞŶƚ ^ĞůůĞĐŬ ĨŽƌ Ă &ƌĞĞ ŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶ
