Volume 24 #19 Tuesday, October 13, 2009
SE7EN
DE
Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 21,000 copies every week
T
UI
EN
THE BYRON SHIRE
M TAI N ENT G R E
P20
C H A N G E D O W N . B E S E AT E D.
Let’s have a debate on coastal issues Michael McDonald
Now is the perfect time for a shirewide debate on the issues which affect our coastline, chiefly climate change. It needs to be a free-flowing event, with all kinds of opinions allowed expression, and experts quizzed on their opinions. The time has arrived because last Thursday Byron Shire Council rather painlessly resolved to put its controversial draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) on public exhibition. The vote was 8-1 in favour, only Cr Ross Tucker opposed. Rightly or wrongly, various community members took issue with Council’s CZMP during public access. It showed the depth of feeling on the
issue – warranted when households and ecosystems are at stake – and reinforced the need for Council to make its objectives as clear and transparent as possible. Mayor Jan Barham took community consultation into account in her successful motion, which demonstrated her depth of commitment to the coastline plan process. Council resolved to exhibit the CZMP for 60 days from October 22 to December 22, along with the provision of FAQs, fact sheets, online submission forms, a template submission form, a community information stand ‘staffed and available for at least two days in each of the four management units, media releases, advertisements, enews, website information, and ra-
Beachfront position, get it while it’s still there. Results of the storm surge erosion at Belongil in May this year. Photo Jeff ‘Unreal Estate’ Dawson.
dio announcements. In addition, Cr Barham’s motion calls for a public meeting to ‘be organised if possible to coincide with the NSW Coastal Conference [at Ballina November 3-6, see www.coastalconference.com] for the purpose of conducting a facilitated
Striking the right note for Suffolk Park
Thanks to his inspired vision, resident Norm Mackay bought and donated this upright piano for the Suffolk Park Shopping Arcade. It’s there for everyone to enjoy. For those who wish to tickle the ivories, little Jeremy shows how to get started. Photo Mary Gardner.
panel discussion on the draft CZMP and that the meeting be filmed with the intention of producing a DVD of the presentations that can be made available to the public’. Interestingly, given Council’s insurers’ wish for councillors not to express positions on coastline hazards because of a current court case, Cr Barham’s motion calls for the investigation of ‘the potential for modification of Jonson Street works to reduce the impact on Belongil Beach’, which borders on an admission of liability. Her motion also corrected a consultant’s Herculean efforts (on paper) which moved the rock groyne from Main Beach to Clarkes Beach. On Wednesday last week business lobby group Byron United vice pre-
sident James Lancaster issued a press release which called for the CZMP to be scrapped and ‘a new comprehensive plan utilising current technology and science to be written in collaboration with the state and federal government departments responsible’, a view he again expressed during public access on Thursday. A major concern of BU is that the plan would ‘allow or encourage an ocean breach of the Belongil Spit. This danger affects the immediate area behind the Belongil Spit including the Belongil estuary system, Sunrise residential estate, the Arts and Industrial Estate, the rail corridor, Ewingsdale Road and the Byron Bay CBD. The further negative effects of this continued on page 2
Byron mayor seeks Greens preselection for state seat Mayor Jan Barham is up for Greens preselection as a candidate for a seat in the upper house of NSW parliament, the Legislative Council. Sitting Greens MP Ian Cohen is not going to contest the 2012 election. Cr Barham told The Echo she could not talk about the preselection because of a Greens code on the process. She did say, however, that about 16 individuals from across NSW had nominated for preselection and the process would take about two months. Asked what a successful preselection would mean for her mayoralty, given the state election is in 2011 and the council election in 2012, Cr Barham said, ‘I would do both. That’s what Clover Moore [Lord Mayor of Sydney and state MP] does.’ At the next election Ian Cohen will step down after 16 years as an MP. He intends to do more voluntary work with SurfAid (see article page 19) and expand his interest in using cane toad skins as leather products. ‘I really do have an obsession about cane toads,’ Mr Cohen said. ‘I want to use this feral pest as a fashion accou-
trement. There is a long history of its use and it makes a beautiful leather. I might also see if the rear legs can be exported to France. ‘And after being in Sydney for so long I’ll be happy to spend some time at home and participate in the local community – and be a nuisance to those who deserve it.’
enrich your spirit
www.crystalcastle.com.au Open 7 Days 10am-5pm (NSW time) 81 Monet Drive, Mullumbimby 40 mins from Tweed Heads 20 mins from Byron Bay (02) 6684 3111
<echowebsection=Local News>