Echo Property Magazine issue #6 I de this Insid thi h month...
‘NO MATTER HOW HARD THE PAST, YOU CAN ALWAYS BEGIN AGAIN’ – BUDDHA The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 38 #30 • January 3, 2024 • www.echo.net.au
The alluring lifestyle of the Tweed Valley – page 6 Importance of liveable spaces and connected communities – page 12
THE NOR
A new year dawns over Byron Bay
!şŕǕĎĕŕƐĶëō ǟǝǟǟ ǖşşĎ ƆƐƖĎƷ Ɛş ǕŕëōōƷ ćĕĈşŔĕ żƖćōĶĈ Paul Bibby
The streets of Byron Bay were packed on New Year’s Eve, as locals and visitors swamped the town to celebrate. Events were also held in the hinterland halls and surrounding villages and towns. Byron was a little bit more sedate by the morning, with only a few dozen hardcore, dawn seekers on Byron Beach, most of whom hadn’t been to bed yet. Pictured top right is Band Called Stereo, who were on the bill for Dening Park’s Soul Street entertainment. Pictured bottom right are Mullum crew, Arbel, Tomer, Shaked and Yiftach, who spent New Year’s Eve in Byron, bopping along to the green beat and enjoying the family event. Photos Eve Jeffery
ſşżşƆëō ƖŕưĕĶōĕĎ Ɛş ƖżīſëĎĕ lƖōōƖŔȜƆ ŔëĶŕ ſşëĎ Hans Lovejoy Mullumbimby Road, the main access road from the highway to the town, could be upgraded at the dangerous and busy McAuleys Lane turnoff, if a large Community Title (CT) subdivision proposal, located close by, is approved by Council. The Road Safety Audit underpinning the proposal found 23 serious
Cyber hacks on the increase ▶ p4
safety deficiencies for McAuleys Lane, the site of the proposed development. Authors, Ardill Payne & Partners also included out-of-date information in their report, citing traffic data from 2016–2017 and crash data from 2014–2018. Development application (DA) 10.2023.454.1 is now on public exhibition for 53 McAuleys Lane,
Bangalow Bowling Club update, post Norths ▶ p6
Myocum, and comprises 38 large lots, ranging from 3,000m2 to 9,513m2 – over 34.8ha. The DA comes in 19 parts, and is available on Council’s website.
wƖƐȒşĪȒĎëƐĕ ƐſëǔĶĈ ĎëƐë No ‘affordable housing’ component is included. The DA lodgement – in peak holiday time – follows approval by
Summer in paradise rolls on ▶ p22
Council in 2022 for a land rezoning proposal for the developers, from RU2 Rural Landscape to R5 Large Lot Residential. The traffic data presented in that proposal was also out of date. At the time, public submissions raised concerns around the busy and dangerous intersection. Those concerns still remain, Continued on page 3 ▶
Seven days of entertainment ▶ p31
So so many hard working community groups ▶ p46
PSYCHICS & READINGS Wellness MARKETS WORKSHOPS & TALKS BREATH & CEREMONY
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O Y AN O F NTRI 5th J T WNE tEh & FR O 4
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Sporting triumphs of 2023 ▶ p47 TH
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YOGA & MOVEMENT
Locals with a particular interest in future flood risks in the north of the Shire are keenly awaiting the release of a flood behaviour analysis report for the Brunswick River. The Post 2022 Event Flood Behaviour Analysis for the Bruns is one of seven post-flood behaviour analysis reports commissioned by the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) following the 2022 floods. The reports provide a technical review of the 2022 flood extent, and behaviour across Northern Rivers catchments, including Tweed River, Tweed coastal creeks, Brunswick River, Belongil Creek, Tallow Creek, Richmond River and Wilsons River. They are intended to improve knowledge of rare to extreme flood events and identify opportunities to improve flood modelling and flood risk management decisions. The analysis of the Brunswick River has remained confidential pending the endorsement of the Floodplain Management Advisory Committee. That endorsement was provided on December 8, paving the way for it to be released to the public. The committee has recommended that this be done with proactive advertising in the New Year. A recently adopted Council policy, the Housing Options Paper, did not include 2022 flood data, but proposes to build on floodplains. The Housing Options Paper will ‘inform’ Council’s Residential Strategy, which is a framework for future developments in the Shire over the next 20 years.
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