THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 29 #20 Tuesday, October 28, 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
Inside this week
CAB AUDIT
s r e t r a t s 4 2 Pages 24–25
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, I’M YOURS
Sublime Home is where Mungo nails Byron under Rose among pressure the thorns madness of the garden is the plan to get sport – p18 – p10 – p12–13 – p19 Gough – p10
Parkway Drive weighs into Ewingsdale dispute Ben Gordon, founder of the awardwinning metalcore band Parkway Drive, has lent his band’s support to the Ewingsdale residents opposing the proposed seniors living development pushed on by a majority of Byron Shire councillors. Parkway Drive takes its name from a street in Ewingsdale and Mr Gordon’s family home backs on to the proposed development.
‘Shocking’ In an email to Cr Diane Woods last week Mr Gordon pointed out he had lived in Byron Shire all his life and in Ewingsdale since he was six. ‘I am writing to you representing my whole band,’ Mr Gordon said, ‘[and] I am also representing a large demographic of like-minded younger people in Byron Bay as well as thousands of fans around the world that come to Ewingsdale every year just to take pictures of the street sign. He told Cr Woods, ‘your decision to approve the Lot 101 development is utterly shocking and appalling. ‘Byron and Ewingsdale are very special places… And a massive part
Byron Shire Council Notices Page 44
Surf fest lights up the Bay
of this is the fact that it still remains somewhat unspoiled from repugnant developments such as this. ‘I’m not going to outlay the numerous reasons that this is wrong as far sewerage, roads, infrastructure, etc as I know you have heard these facts and they obviously have no effect. But if there’s one issue that should be important and listened to… it is this: the community does not want this.’
‘Golden years’ In reply to Mr Gordon, Cr Woods emailed that while she understood his concerns, ‘being quite young, you aren’t thinking of what happens as you reach the golden years and the needs that come with that. ‘I can assure you that the kind of development that is proposed for this site is appropriate and much needed to service the needs of the aged in our shire. I can also assure you that the proposed development is a much better solution [compared] to other kinds of development that could occur on that land, continued on page 2
Brazilian surfer Juliana emerges from the chill space, a tipi created by Howie Cooke for Surfers for Cetaceans/ Sea Shepherd, at the fourth annual Byron Surf Festival on the weekend. The three-day festival focused on all creative aspects of surf culture through displays of surf art, photography, live music, films, history, workshops, literature, markets,
design, craft, innovation, presentations, sustainability, youth art, a swap-meet, surfing and lifestyle. The festival was mostly held in the Byron Bay town centre. See more at byronbaysurffestival.com. Q See more of Jeff Dawson’s photos and Sharon Shostak’s documentary on the festival and at – echo.net.au/?p=114631
01 bypass EIS ‘contradicts council claims’
On Parkway Drive: Parkway Drive band founder Ben Gordon.
The Butler Street Community Network group campaigning against the Byron Shire Council’s adopted Butler Street bypass route has gained access to documents detailing the approved 2001 Bypass EIS. This 2001 route placed the bypass on the rail corridor with a further connection to Kendall Street via the Byron Street road reserve. President and spokesperson for the community group, architect Paul Jones, said, ‘The approved 2001 study and plans come as quite a sur-
prise as the findings represent fundamentally the same conclusions we came to in our Stage 1 and Stage 2 “Grab The Rail” bypass proposal.’ According to the group, the 2001 approvals stand in clear contradiction to the claims by Council and local MP Don Page that the rail corridor was not wide enough to accommodate a road bypass alongside the railway line. In 2001 the railway was still operational and the bypass approval was in full consultation with State Rail.
The Butler Street group said it made several attempts, including a ministerial letter, to get clarification from Council’s general manager Ken Gainger on the issue of the corridor width. However, a recent communication from Mr Page MP notified Council, councillors and the community that, ‘The rail corridor at Byron Bay will not accommodate the existing rail track in addition to a two-lane road and a rail trail. It is not wide enough continued on page 2