THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 29 #31 Wednesday, January 14, 2015 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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Summer What’s new Evolve like Living the Inside Trapped in a car Sweet times a festival good life with rising flood for sugar ants daze rolls on in town? this – p17–19 – p16 – p13 waters – p7 – p11 – p14 week
Rail trail fallout Despite $50m being splashed at rail trails for the region, the pressure is still being applied by a group of residents advocating for what they claim is a more equitable bypass and transport solution for Byron Bay. Grab The Rail spokesperson Paul Jones, who represents residents likely to be affected by a Butler Street bypass, hit out at the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) claiming they have refused to co-operate to share the railway corridor. Mr Jones says the NRRT’s $50m funding announcement, ‘further secures their claim to exclusive use of the entire Byron Bay rail corridor together with the potential sell off of the large parcel of land forming the old railway terminus.’ But NRRT’s Marie Lawton has refuted the allegations. She told The Echo, ‘NRRT has never said they are claiming exclusive use of the entire rail corridor. It is our policy to be inclusive of all options for the use
Byron Shire Council Notices Page 38
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of the corridor and accommodate where it does not detract from the success of the rail trail, particularly if it adds to the total tourist attractiveness of the region. ‘An example of this is the rail shuttle proposal between North Byron Beach Resort and Byron Bay town. ‘Members of the executive have had meetings with Mr Jones and at no stage have they refused to cooperate. ‘The Byron Bay bypass has been determined by the state government and has nothing to do with NRRT. ‘There will be no sell-off of railway land and the corridor will remain the property of state rail.
Encourage tourists ‘The rail trail will not be focused on Byron Bay, but the whole corridor. The trail will encourage tourists to explore the neighbouring townships by bike or on foot or electric continued on page 3
Charli-Rose Henman won the under-five-years section of Saturday’s fishing competition, which is part of the Fish ‘n’ Chips festival in Brunswick Heads. The woodchop commences on Wednesday and continues over the weekend. Photo Jeff Dawson
Byron Shire land values up 8.25 per cent Byron local government area (LGA) median land values have risen by 8.25 per cent from July 2013 to July 2014, according to the NSW Valuer General. Of the NSW coastal council areas, Byron was only topped by Kiama, which rose by 9.51 per cent. Byron’s median land value rose from $303,000 to $328,000 while Kiama rose from $305,000 to $334,000. Next highest was Ballina (7.91 per cent), followed by Port Macquarie-Hastings (7.30 per cent). Tweed (6.64 per cent) and Lismore (4.63 per cent) came next. Overall NSW land values increased by more than 11 per cent, driven largely by increases in the northern suburbs of Sydney, such as Willoughby (37.06 per cent) and Hornsby (25.34 per cent).
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The value of the land in NSW now exceeds $1.12 trillion, according to the valuer general, Simon Gilkes. He says almost 2.5 million residential, rural, business and industrial land values for properties in NSW were assessed. ‘Property sales are the most important factor considered when determining land values and valuers analysed over 43,000 property sales across NSW as at July 1, 2014,’ Mr Gilkes said.
NSW increased 13.12 per cent ‘Overall residential land values for NSW increased by 13.12 per cent in the 12 months to July 1, 2014, compared to a 3.21 per cent increase for the year to July 1, 2013. ‘The biggest overall market trend has seen
increases for land values predominantly occur in the Sydney basin,’ Mr Gilkes said. A total of 22 LGAs in the state experienced a decrease in median residential land values for the 12-month period, with the largest decrease experienced in Cobar with the median residential land value dropping by ten per cent. Over the coming weeks more than 882,000 Notices of Valuation will be sent to ratepayers in 45 LGAs, showing the value of residential, rural, business and industrial properties based on market conditions as at July 1, 2014. Mr Gilkes said the latest land values will help 45 local councils determine the amount of council rates landholders pay. ‘While important, valuations are only one of the factors councils use to determine each
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landholder’s rating liability,’ he said. ‘Increases or decreases in land values do not necessarily lead to similar increases or decreases in rates.’ Mr Gilkes said the land values were prepared by valuers contracted from 17 firms across the state. ‘The values are then subject to rigorous quality assurance including statistical testing by the University of Western Sydney. ‘We are also improving our information to the community and making it easier for landholders to raise concerns and understand how their issues are being addressed.’ Landholders can have it independently reviewed by lodging an objection. Visit www.valuergeneral.nsw.gov.au or call 1800 110 038 for more information.
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