THREAT LEVEL ORANGE The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 40 #15 • September 17, 2025 • www.echo.net.au
lƖōōƖŔ ƐſëǔĶĈ ĎĶƆëƆƐĕſ ¨ſƖŔżĕƐƆ ëŕĎ ćëŕŇşƆ ŔëŊĕƐIJ ƐIJĕ ćëŕĎ ōşşŔĶŕīǽ ƱëſŕƆ ćĶǀ Hans Lovejoy
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ullumbimby Industrial Estate businesses have raised concerns around Council’s roadwork plans to block all traffic from travelling east to the highway, for four months (October to February) during the peak of summer/holiday trade. The stage 2 roadworks by Byron Shire Council’s infrastructure team will impact around 13,000 vehicles per day (vpd), including heavy trucks, adding operational costs and time to motorists. And it appears neither the option of night works throughout the project, nor an analysis of the impacts of the alternative routes, were considered by Council.
Trucks through town Eastbound traffic along Mullumbimby Road, including from the Industrial Estate, will be diverted back to town to alternative exits to the M1 via Myocum Road or Coolamon Scenic Road. Council staff say that school buses and emergency vehicles will be given priority. The works planned are for a short section (~900m) to widen the road, improve drainage, add culverts and lay new pavement. During public access at Thursday’s Council meeting, local resident and industrial estate landlord, Sharon McGrath, told the chamber her concerns, and said that when she spoke to police, they said they were unaware of the planned traffic changes. An urgency motion by Cr David Warth later passed, which ‘requests staff, as a matter of urgency, to
Mullum residents have their say on Landcom’s DA ▶ p2
provide relevant information regarding [the] roadwork construction methodology and the rationale for using day works versus night works’. During debate, councillors appeared to struggle as to how to proceed, or even grasp the potential impacts. Acting infrastructure director Phil Warner claimed that while the community’s interests were taken into account, there was no other way to undertake the complex project. He also said the funding only accounted for day works. Before the vote was taken, Cr Janet Swain asked whether the project had been explained to the community. She said, ‘This is fixing a road the community has been complaining about for years… a few people are complaining because it’s inconvenient… can we just get on with it?’ Crs Delta Kay (Greens) and Janet Swain (Labor) voted against the motion.
Biz impacts Glenn Wright from Little Valley Distribution, who operates his business in the industrial estate, says, ‘The reason you don’t have industry estates in towns is because of the high volume of trucks which deliver to those businesses’. ‘We have around 12 to 15 truck movements a day, and that’s just us – there are around 40 impacted businesses’. He fears that the current plans have the potential for increased traffic accidents. Glenn told The Echo, ‘Consultation is not consultation if it involves ▶ Continued on page 4
Vale Kim Rosen ▶ p5
There were plenty of fun activities, scrumptious munchies and eclectic entertainment at Durrumbul Preschool’s Children’s Festival last Saturday. Yet the main attraction, for toddlers or grandees, was the madcap antics of the ZAP family show – pictured are Will, Gabrielle and Frankie Henderson. Photo Jeff Dawson
!ëƐëōëŕş ƆƖćŔĶƐƆ ëŔĕŕĎĕĎ ÉëƐĕīşƆ ' Paul Bibby The ongoing battle over plans to build two mega mansions on a stunning, tree-filled block at Wategos has taken another twist, with the owner submitting a modified Development Application (DA) for the controversial project. The fight over the future of the extraordinary 4,087 square metre site at 1 Julian Place and 8 Brownell Drive has been playing out in the Land & Environment Court since February, when the owner of the
Our collective drift away from truth ▶ p10
site, Antony Catalano, lodged an appeal against Byron Shire Council’s refusal of his plans. At that time, Mr Catalano’s plans for the tree-filled block involved the construction of two neighbouring mansions: one a multi-level, sixbedroom dwelling and the other a multi-level, four-bedroom house. The overall development, described as a family home, would have involved substantial clearing of protected littoral rainforest, and the excavation of up to eight metres into the steep hillside. This excavation
U18 Mullum Giants claim grand final ▶ p17
and associated work would require 4,078 cubic metres to be exported off site, requiring 30 trucks movements per day for four weeks. But Council documents show that Mr Catalano has now submitted an amended DA for the project while the matter is still before the court. It is not known whether Council will continue to fight the matter, or whether the parties will now settle the dispute during court-ordered conciliation meetings. ▶ Continued on page 3
Embarking on enrolment ▶ p20
Charge up Chinny ▶ p24