THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 21 #43 TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2007 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
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Residents feel ‘abandoned’ by Council
Groups fear bund change will increase ooding Community groups in the north of the Shire fear that Byron Shire Council’s proposed changes to the Kallaroo Circuit Bund at North Ocean Shores will increase ooding in the area. A staff report coming to a Council meeting this Thursday recommends adopting a draft LEP which will allow a development application ‘to increase the hydraulic capacity of the Capricornia Canal culvert located within the Kallaroo Circuit road reserve at Ocean Shores’.
The move follows on threats of legal action from Tweed Shire and a longstanding legal agreement with Tweed cane farmers. The then local government minister Tony Kelly called on Byron and Tweed to resolve the matter and the LEP proposal is a result of subsequent talks. According to a press release from the South Golden Beach Progress Association, New Brighton Village Association, Conservation of North Ocean
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Taj a monument to the blues
Shores (CONOS), Byron Environment and Conservation Organisation (BEACON) and seven community representatives on Council’s Marshalls Creek Floodplain Committee, ‘Local north Byron Shire residents feel abandoned by their Council. In their report Council staff have totally ignored submissions from at least two groups (New Brighton Village Association and Byron’s Floodplain Committee).’ continued on page 4
Paddlers make it into the Bay
The legendary Taj Mahal was one of the more mature artists at this year’s blues festival, while performers like Wolfmother attracted punters as young as ten. See more of Jeff Dawson’s and Lou Beaumont’s blues photos on back page of Seven.
Council wins Landcare award
The determined paddlers crash through a wave. Photo Peter Aitchison
Hans Lovejoy After 30 days averaging ďŹ ve kms an hour, two young Sydney lads finally landed in Byron on Tuesday last week, just in time for the Blues Festival. Dale Butler and Nick Young, both 23, kayaked from Palm Beach, Sydney, to
Byron Bay to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and throughout their journey they encountered large sharks, dolphins, turtles and huge swells. ‘We’ve been thrown by freak waves,’ says Dale Butler. ‘A couple of hammer-
head sharks nearly hit us, and we saw sharks ranging up to three metres.’ With no land-based backup, the kayakers were weighed down with over 70kg which included tents, ďŹ shing gear and surfboards. continued on page 2
Byron Shire Council has won the NRAC Local Government Landcare Community Partnership Award at the inaugural Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority Regional Landcare Awards held in Grafton on Thursday March 29. Landcare established this award to recognise outstanding achievement by a local government organisation in collaborating with its community to preserve and manage its local environment and natural resources, encouraging a Landcare ethic and action in the local community, and cooperating on Landcare issues and projects
with neighbouring organizations, businesses, other councils and landowners. Byron Shire Council took out the award ahead of seven other local government organisations. ‘This award is recognition of Byron Shire Council’s leadership role in the region as a local authority which incorporates Landcare principles into planning, works and programs and promotes and supports a Landcare ethic in the community,’ said Mayor Jan Barham. Byron Shire Council was nominated for the award by local Landcarers who have worked with Council as part-
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ners in restoration projects. The nominations cited a number of initiatives by Council as worthy of recognition including the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy and the West Byron Integrated Water Management Reserve. Also highly commended at the presentation dinner was Byron Shire resident and member of Wilsons Creek Huonbrook Landcare, Sue Riley. Ms Riley was recognised for her outstanding work in the Landcare movement by achieving runner up for the NRCMA Individual Landcarer Award.
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