W A I T I N G F O R T H E A I B U B B L E TO P O P The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 41 #01 • June 17, 2026 • www.echo.net.au
Morrison Avenue a ‘disgrace’
A bit of fun to raise some funds
Aslan Shand Local Mullumbimby residents are saying Byron Shire Council (BSC) needs to step up and fix Morrison Avenue properly. Residents on Morrison Avenue, Poinciana Street, and Prince Street have expressed their frustration at the appalling condition of their streets, in particular Morrison Avenue, since the pod village was installed. ‘Since 2022, all the truck movements to install the fill and pods on Prince Street mean our roads have been in a serious state of disrepair,’ Morrison Street resident, Helen Thurgood, told The Echo. ‘Trucks drove down Morrison Avenue and Poinciana Streets to enter the pod village site and then exited at the Argyle Street end of Prince Street and those are the areas that continue to be seriously impacted with potholes and road surface collapse.’ While BSC did do a big repair job on Morrison Avenue in 2023 following the pod village development, residents told The Echo that the work was falling to pieces before it was even finished. ‘It was hot, and the road surface they were putting in place was just melting so you had immediate damage as cars drove over it,’ one resident said. ‘They didn’t put in a good road base, and I guess they just used inferior materials to build the road.’ ▶ Continued on page 6
In loving memory of Dr Tony Parkes ▶ p2
Bobby Conn and Molly O’Neil, from Drover (either end) Paul Tansley from Stone & Wood (back) with Damian Farrell from Fletcher St Cottage pulling out his best Ray Charles moves. Join them and plenty of other performers at the 12th Festival of The Stone on Saturday, 20 June. Pick up a ticket at https://events.humanitix.com/festival-of-the-stone-2026. The event supports Byron’s Fletcher Street Cottage. See more on page 25. Photo Jeff ‘Not So Grand’ Dawson
Are retirement villages what Byron Bay needs? Aslan Shand Developer DD Resort Living is seeking community feedback until June 18 on its proposed retirement living development in Byron Bay. The proposal includes the former Glen Villa Resort site at 80 Butler Street and a second site at 12 Bay Lane, planned as an affiliated clubhouse. The project has prompted questions from some locals about
Who is coming to the 2026 Byron Writers Festival? ▶ p3
the affordability of this ultra-luxe style of retirement living for seniors. Promotional material for Oasis Byron Bay highlights extensive onsite amenities, including pools, fitness facilities, a hair salon, library, parks and cafes, raising questions about how the development will contribute to the broader town. Brooke Crowle, convenor of People of Byron, a local group representing small businesses and residents in the 2481 postcode,
observes that Byron Bay has a large and active population of older residents, particularly in the 55–70 age bracket. ‘Many locals are deeply engaged in the community, support local businesses and volunteer organisations, and have strong social connections within the region. In that sense, the proposition that a permanent residential community will provide year-round economic and social benefits to Byron is not
especially novel. Our existing older population already contributes significantly to community life.’ Another key issue is will locals be able to afford to move there if it does go ahead? ‘A seniors’ living proposal does not need to be ultra-luxury to be successful. It needs to provide housing that allows people to remain connected to their community as they age,’ said Ms Crowle. ▶ Continued on page 5
550 homes for Byron Shire’s newest suburb ▶ p6
Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Inflation? ▶ p10
Here’s to your health and wellbeing! ▶ p20