GRAND RE-OPENING
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 Available early Tuesday at: http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 23 #15 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 22,700 copies every week Printed on recycled paper
OF THE
MULLUMBIMBY
CIVIC MEMORIAL HALL PAGES
D A N C I N G
I N
O U R
N E W S
22-23
B R I E F S
Janslide! Barham way ahead in voting
Tourism management plan on public exhibition At its meeting of August 28, Byron Shire Council resolved to place a draft of the Tourism Management Plan on public exhibition. The strategies and actions in the plan are intended to guide the development, management and marketing of tourism over the medium to long-term. The plan is now on exhibition and public submissions will be accepted until Thursday October 23. According to Ray Darney, Council’s Director of Planning, Development and Environment Services, the consultation process conducted by Australian Regional Tourism Research Centre delivered a balanced, representative outcome. ‘We hope that the community will recognise the effort that went into the plan during the exhibition period,’ Mr Darney said.
Info sessions
Byron Ballina Greens convenor John Bailey raises his hand in celebration while hugging mayor Jan Barham on Saturday night at the Poinciana Café, where an election tally board had been set up. Photo Jeff ‘Ballot Boxer’ Dawson.
David Lovejoy & Michael McDonald Byron Shire seems certain to return Jan Barham as mayor with a huge primary vote. With 62% of the primary votes counted, Barham was winning all booths across the Shire with an overall total of 6,412 votes – 50% of the formal votes. Her closest rival, Cr Ross Tucker, who lost the 2004 mayoral election by a whisker, could manage only 28% – 3,559 votes. None of Tucker’s allies in the mayoral race – those who preferenced him above Barham – achieved a four figure vote. Bob Tardif of the Labor Party received 566, Tina Petroff of the Shirewide
Action Group (SWAG) 648, and Tony Heeson of Tucker’s F group 706. Of the others, independent green John Lazarus polled 682 and Jack Sugarman, running on a platform of abolishing the Shire, scored 249. Barham polled particularly strongly at the Byron Bay booth, scoring 1,576 votes to Tucker’s 574. On Tucker’s home turf of Mullumbimby, Barham took the booth 1,373 to 879. Counting of preferences in the mayoral election is not likely to significantly dent Barham’s lead. However, preferences will be crucial in the poll for the eight
councillor vacancies and and may take up to ten days from Tuesday this week, according to the NSW Electoral Commission. The Commission took over the organisation of local council elections in 2004 and, according to veteran local scrutineers, has so far delivered a less efficient service at a greatly increased cost. At this stage it is likely we will see four councillors elected from the Greens and two from Ross Tucker’s F group. The other three choices are up in the air, but are likely to be decided among Patrick Morrisey of group B, Tina Petroff of SWAG, Basil Cameron of group
C, or Diane Woods of Group F. The conclusion of the election, when the Electoral Commission gets round to it, will therefore most likely see the departure of sitting councillors Bob Tardif, Jan Mangleson and John Lazarus. Lazarus has been eliminated by the abovethe-line voting system; had he allied himself with two more candidates to form a group of four he would probably have retained his seat. Mangleson may well be a victim of the conservative forces consolidating behind Ross Tucker, while Tardif’s lack of popular support has always encouraged continued on page 2
Two information sessions will be conducted by ARTRC. The first will be held on Wednesday September 24 from 6pm to 7.30pm in the meeting room at the Ocean Shores Community Centre. The second will be on Thursday September 25 from 6pm to 7.30pm at the Byron Bay Community and Cultural Centre. A range of documents, from the outline of ARTRC’s approach to consultation summaries and background research, to the draft plan itself, is available for viewing at Council access points and online at the Council’s website www. byron.nsw.gov.au. Council engaged ARTRC to prepare the Tourism Management Plan in 2007. ARTRC consulted with community groups, experts in regional tourism from around the country, and provided online opportunities for community input. ARTRC also convened a Citizens’ Jury over a full weekend to get input from community members.