THE BYRON SHIRE
ST FINBARR’S 25TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS FAIR
Volume 28 #26 Tuesday, December 3, 2013 Phone 02 6684 1777 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
26–27 W H O WA N T S TO B E A B O G A N A I R E?
CAB AUDIT
Here’s... Them’s the brakes: Inside Maybe Pyne needs better schooling? Health & Beauty Christmas Time! Safe Motoring Mungo explains what he seems this – p18–19 – p16–17 – p21 incapable of understanding – p10 week
Legal costs pursued
More than $100,000 of public money looks set to be spent chasing legal costs from anti-fluoride campaigner and north coast resident Al Oshlack. At a closed-doors meeting last week, the region’s water authority, Rous County Council (RCC), voted to spend the money to investigate the ‘seeking of legal costs’ incurred in the Land and Environment Court (LEC), awarded against Mr Oshlack. And supporting the contentious move is Byron Shire councillor Di Woods, who is also the new deputy chair of Rous. She told The Echo, ‘I acknowledge Mr Oshlack’s wish to pursue Rous over the issue of fluoride, but it was his decision and he knew full well that it was a win or lose situation which would incur costs. It was not Rous who initiated the legal action.’ The decision comes just weeks after Byron Council rejected fluoride for the shire, despite a motion spearheaded by Cr Woods. Byron Council previously rejected fluoride in 2006. ‘Rous is a public water authority and all ratepayers have to pay for the privilege of having good potable water,’ said Cr Woods. ‘We are supplied with this at great expense, and it is not in the best interest of the community now to expect all ratepayers to be responsible for Mr Oshlack’s rather large legal costs. If Mr Oshlack had wanted ratepayers to help pay for the case, then he could have initiated a class action instead of choosing to do it on his
Pages 44–45
Gumboots on for mums and bubs
Cr Woods supports seeking legal costs from anti-fluoride activist Staff reporters
Byron Shire Council Notices
own. Therefore, in my view, the consequences and costs of the action are his choice and responsibility, not Rous, and not the ratepayers of our community.’
Not a criminal But fellow Rous board member and Lismore City Council’s Cr Vanessa Ekins has blasted the decision as a ‘foolish waste of money’. She told The Echo, ‘Mr Oshlack is not a criminal and should not be hunted because he represented his community. Before going to the Land and Environment Court, I moved that we consent to orders which means that we don’t actively defend the court case but let the court case happen,’ Cr Ekins said. ‘A public-spirited citizen took Rous to court to say that we didn’t go through the right process. He argued that councillors were told they would be personally liable if they did not support the decision to fluoridate. ‘This is a foolish waste of money for Rous to pursue these costs,’ Cr Ekins said. ‘I have argued they won’t get any back,’ she said. ‘Rous has more important issues to be spending funds on’, Cr Ekins added. Cr Duncan Dey, who is also on the board of Rous, agrees any money will be hard to recover. He told The Echo the members who voted in favour appear ‘hell bent’ on punishing Mr Oshlack as a ‘vexatious litigant.’ ‘The money would be better spent on improving the long waiting lists for children’s dental appointments,’ he said.
A permaculture Christmas party was held last week at the Mullum Community Gardens to celebrate Mums and Bubs permaculture classes. The classes were a result of the mums themselves asking for expert advice in permaculture. Pictured is newborn Clover with mum Beck, along with Siray and Miles. Photo Jeff Dawson
Byron lags behind in latest grant funding Significant grant money that rolled out from the state government last week has yet again largely excluded Byron Shire. Byron Bay resident and NSW minister for north coast, Don Page, announced the grants on Friday, which he claims will see $6.5 million injected into north coast Crown reserves. In Ballina, where Mr Page’s office is located, $100,000 has been allocated for the construction of a coastal recreation pathway along the Ballina Shire coast which will connect beaches and townships in that shire. And while much of the money is part of normal funding for Crown parks management, Mr Page told
The Echo the allocation for the Ballina electorate – which includes Byron Shire – has more than doubled, with an increase of $92,876 this year. In a joint statement with Mr Page, deputy premier Andrew Stoner said the Public Reserves Management Fund (PRMF) had increased by more than $6 million this year.
Only three Byron Shire applications So why so little for Byron Shire? Mr Page says that there were only three applicants, two of which were successful. ‘One was a $40,000 grant to the Mullumbimby Showground Trust for the repair of electrical in-
frastructure at the showground.’ ‘The other was $12,091 for the Brunswick Girl Guides Reserve Trust for the renovation of the existing kitchen, including installation of new cupboards and painting of the internal walls at the hall. ‘There was only one unsuccessful application in the Byron Shire, and it was from the Byron Coast Reserve for weed control. I’m advised their application was unsuccessful because they have sufficient funds to cover this project.’ According to www.lpma.nsw. gov.au, managers of any public reserve may be eligible to apply, but preference will be given to those on Crown land.