THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 29 #10 Tuesday, August 19, 2014 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
BEAUTY Spot WHO LEFT THE IDIOT BAG OPEN?
CAB AUDIT
Inside Falls and Mullum this Music Fest first lineup week announcements – p3
Fresh right-wing S on Nimbin’s More of meat on the The Echo poignant fire The Good Life chopping block – p12 – p16 – p22–25
Hans Lovejoy
Q See Sharon Shostak’s short
documentary about the Bangalow Music Festival at – go to echo.net.au/?p=107959
Byron Central Hospital plans up this week The Byron Shire Central Hospital proposal is set to go on public exhibition from this Wednesday. The six-hectare ‘state significant’ development is located near the intersection of the Pacific Highway with Ewingsdale Road. Itwill cost an estimated $100 million and has been over 20 years in the making. The NSW planning department says the development comprises ‘one- and two-storey hospital with approximately 9,400sqm of floor space, 64 beds and emergency department, maternity services, mental health care services, emergency care services, chemotherapy services, oral health services a pharmacy and staff areas.’ Additionally public comment on the development of
Byron Shire Council Notices Page 43–44
NSW govcorp push to influence local elections
‘Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life’ – Beethoven
Acclaimed UK violinist Victoria Sayles was one of the soloists who performed at the finale of yet another successful Bangalow Music Festival. Surrounded by the crème de la crème of the festival’s performers, Victoria played an exquisitely textured Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams to an enraptured audience. The date of next year’s event is already set for August 14–16. Photo Eve Jeffery
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two parcels on either side of the proposed Byron Shire Central Hospital site closed August 12. Developers John and Leigh Belbeck say that they want to ‘deliver an integrated seniors living and health care precinct,’ and that 1.65 of the 15 hectares would be ‘set aside for a medical centre, shops and business premises. ‘These premises would be modest and restricted to a maximum of 3,000m2.’ Plans for the Byron Shire Central Hospital will be available this Wednesday from Council in Mullumbimby or at www.planning.nsw.gov.au. Public exhibition closes September 19.
Proposed legislation aimed at ‘giving business a voice in local elections’ by the NSW Shooters and Fishers party and supported by coalition government, has been widely condemned by the entire opposing political spectrum, including the peak body representing NSW councils. It complements yet another dreadful week for the NSW LiberalNational parties, which have seen more of their MPs resign over ICAC corruption investigations. While the City of Sydney Amendment (Elections) Bill 2014 applies only to Sydney, critics say there are plans for it to be applied across the state. Similar laws exist in Melbourne, and this proposal would give nonresident owners of rateable land two votes in local government elections. In introducing the bill to Parliament on Thursday, Shooters and Fishers party MP Robert Borsak thanked broadcaster Alan Jones and the Daily Telegraph for their support. Meanwhile, local NSW MP Don Page (Nationals) supports the idea – which Local Government NSW (LGNSW) says came without warning – and told The Echo the reforms will fix changes introduced in 1998 that created barriers to prevent nonresidential voters from ‘exercising their democratic right’. ‘To be clear, businesses have always had the right to vote,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, to do so they have to navigate through significant bureaucratic barriers within a threemonth period. If they find a way through the red tape, they have to do it all again at the next election because
banking
the non-residential roll is deleted. No other Australian city deletes the nonresidential roll after each election.’ Mr Page took aim at the lack of engagement on the bill, saying that, ‘Some who claim there was no consultation did not even bother to make a submission. Others that did are simply scaremongering.’ Mr Page also recited some of the Shooters and Fishers’ MP Borsak’s speech in parliament. ‘A person can only be enrolled once, meaning they only get one vote. A person who owns 20 properties in Sydney will only be enrolled once, not 20 times. ‘The reforms address an injustice that prevented those who contribute 78.5 per cent of the City of Sydney’s revenue ($188 million a year) exercising just 2.13 per cent of votes at the last election.’
Voting rights based on wealth: Greens But such voting rights could mean a return to the ‘nineteenth century voting rights based on wealth’ says NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge. ‘The NSW coalition has consistently shown that they follow the money wherever it takes them and that they believe developers and businesses should control the political process. With this Bill, the coalition is directly handing political control to corporate interests.’ NSW Labor’s Sophie Cotsis said, ‘Given everything that is being revealed at ICAC, it is unthinkable that the Liberals and Nationals are proposing these changes.’ Q Editorial page 12