New Term Begins
THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 29 #16 Tuesday, September 30, 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
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Byron Shire Council Notices Page 41–42
Freedoms lost in the Community foundation turns ten name of freedom Hans Lovejoy
Federal attorney-general George Brandis, who recently couldn’t explain the term ‘metadata’, has gained Labor’s support to fast-track sweeping new terrorism laws through the federal senate. They are laws that could have severe consequences for whistleblowers and internet users, but more importantly provide less security agency oversight, according to academics, lawyers, The Greens and a handful of independents. The National Security Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2014 is expected to be passed in the lower house and become law this week. It will enable ASIO – with one warrant – to monitor, access, modify, copy and delete information on any computer. Tough ten-year sentences could also affect journal-
ists or whistleblowers who report or disclose sensitive information, even if it is in the public interest. A recent case where these new laws could see a journalist possibly jailed was the reporting of the December 2013 ASIO raid, approved by Brandis, on the legal counsel to East Timor in Canberra.
East Timor case ABC reported at the time that ‘East Timor is attempting to have a $40 billion oil and gas treaty it signed with Australia quashed in The Hague. It alleges Australia had the advantage in negotiations because the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) spied on the Timorese cabinet in Dili, during the negotiation process in 2004.’ So what do our local elected politicians and political hopefuls think? continued on page 3
Philanthropic organisation, The Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF), celebrated ten years with an award ceremony last Friday. From left, Christopher Dean was recognised for Leadership in Philanthropy, Meagan Edwards for Vision and Inspiration and John Bennett for Community Engagement. They are pictured with NRCF board chair John Callanan at the Byron@Byron event. Photo Eve Jeffery
‘Theoretical maximum’ explains our housing figures: West Byron Hans Lovejoy
A ‘theoretical maximum’ of 1,100 houses is how West Byron developers have sought to explain their calculations on the predicted size of their proposed development, located just west of Byron Bay. It comes after last week’s letter to The Echo by project manager Stuart Murray, where he criticised The Echo for reporting the 1,100 figure, despite that number being published on the West Byron website. The 108-hectare parcel which includes wetlands and protected koalas would see the largest development in the Shire in at least a generation. And along with the NSW planning department and minster, the developers have come under intense public scrutiny with
questionable reports and population estimations. The state planning minister is expected to decide on it shortly. A group of eight developers – some local – own the land and have been attempting to rezone it since 1997. Through a PR agent, the developers say they contributed nearly $200K to a Council study at the time, ‘which found that the land was suitable for urban development.’ Sydney-based developer Terry Agnew of Tower Holdings is the latest to buy in to the project after Crighton Holdings became insolvent earlier this year. The Australian (News Ltd) reported at the time that Mr Agnew acquired nearly 80 of the 108ha in a $7.7 million deal, making him by far the largest shareholder. While the developers won’t comment on the figure Tower Holdings paid for the Crighton
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land or the size acquired, the PR agent said that they think ‘it’s salient that Terry Agnew has owned personal property in Byron for more than six years.’ Agnew’s developement aspirations include a $2b luxury resort for Great Keppel Island, which is also mired in controversy. In response to pressure from residents, the homepage of www.westbyronproject.com. au now includes an explanation of expected housing figures. It starts with a question: ‘I’ve seen reports of more than 1,100 dwellings on West Byron – it’s on your website and yet you say it’s incorrect?’ While the developers explain the number, ‘will be significantly lower than this’, they claim that ‘None of this can be accurately defined until the detailed design phase.’ ‘Under our rezoning application, we have
asked for 52.06 hectares [of the 108 hectares] to be available for low or medium density housing. [This includes] 41 hectares for ‘low density’ (550m2 to 1000m2 lots) and 11.06 hectares for ‘medium density’ (250m2 to 500m2 lots). ‘There is also the reality of market preference and what lot sizes will actually appeal to the market and therefore sell.’
Flabbergasted But local environmentalist Dailan Pugh says he’s ‘flabbergasted by the latest misinformation’. He told The Echo that additional dwellings are allowed in the business and industrial zones, ‘so the numbers are actually higher.’ ‘These figures bear no resemblance to what the current rezoning and Development Concontinued on page 3
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