Can’t make up your mind who to vote for?
THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 29 #41 Wednesday, March 25, 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
Inside this week
Candidate profiles on page 18
PRE-ELEC TION RELIEF? BLOW BUBBLES
CAB AUDIT
Mungo salutes a great Liberal leader – p14
Sigh: Cr Wanchap and BRG go head to head – p6
Community Need Home gardening entertaining? at work – p43 – p25 – p20–21
Page 41
Belongil rockwall fiasco hits low ebb
Finding harmony Saturday
Hans Lovejoy
Byron Harmony Day is on election day, Saturday March 28! There will be music, dancing and food from all corners of the globe: African, Spanish, Latin American, Indian, Middle Eastern and Indonesian. It’s all happening at Main Beach, Byron Bay and will run from 12pm until 9pm. For more info, speakers or to volunteer, phone Judy on 0405 463 663. Pictured is Uncle Pete Jangla and Fang the dog. Photo Jeff Dawson
Council staff ignores govt over bypass options Butler Street residents who would be affected by a Byron Bypass say they are alarmed by Council’s detailed plans for the proposal, as revealed at the Farmers Market booth last week. Despite advice from the NSW planning and environment department to consider alternatives and specifically the rail corridor route, Council staff have instead rejected the idea, saying it ‘was not possible.’ It comes despite Council’s website claiming that its Environmental Impact Study Statement (IESS), ‘must assess potential impacts of [alternative routes, including land within the existing rail corridor] in the proposal.’ So which level of government
Byron Shire Council Notices
should the pubic believe? Council’s director of infrastructure services, Phil Holloway, told The Echo the draft bypass concept plans were based on the route identified within the Preferred Route Report (PRR) that was completed at the end of 2014. ‘A key factor in any feasibility assessment is land ownership. Council does not own the rail corridor land.’ Mr Holloway also reconfirmed that the proposed bypass will not solve all of Byron Bay’s traffic problems, with traffic studies showing ‘that up to 20 per cent of traffic will potentially use the new thoroughfare.’ ‘However, this 20 per cent are most likely to be locals travelling
make a difference
from one side of town to the other.’ Additionally, Butler Street residents have pointed to the 2001 environmental impact study (EIS) which indicates such a route would only provide relief for ten years.
Good for ten years The coalition government have announced $10.5m to help fund the project, which would also be constructed through wetlands and come out at the southern end of Jonson Street at Mitre Ten. The Echo asked the planning department for comment on whether their advice to Council is binding but was instead referred to RMS.
Why bother writing scripts for an HBO House Of Cards episode when you have all the material you could ever wish for in local government? One of the more surreal moments of Council – perhaps ever – was last Thursday. In what was supposed to be a confidential meeting over plans to erect a rock wall along Belongil Beach, it went almost pear-shaped, and luckily the public weren’t ejected until about halfway through. It’s been a hugely contentious issue. Led by Cr Ibrahim, councillors Wanchap, Woods, Cubis and Hunter have had the numbers to push ahead with plans to construct a rock wall to protect three property owners and council-owned land along the beachfront. Apart from being contentious, it’s also not an easy project. State government money was withdrawn, it’s lacked support from scientists, and Council have had to raid funds from other budget areas to make it happen. Mayor Richardson says cash earmarked for public spaces – such as improving the Water Lily Park in Ocean Shores – have been trumped by this thought bubble. Against this idea are Crs Richardson, Spooner, Cameron and Dey, who believe in the scientific consensus which says that erecting rock walls will result in the beach being eroded. They would prefer to wait to include this into a Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP) which is happening within months, we are told. A CZMP is ‘A unique federal/ state partnership that provides a
proven basis for protecting, restoring, and responsibly developing the nation’s important and diverse coastal communities and resources.’ So it’s a position that the scientific community and politicians (who really don’t know this stuff, let’s be honest) have previously agreed upon. Moving on, when a confidentiality session is normally called, the public are required to shuffle outside while commercial-in-confidence figures are discussed. But what was different this time was that Cr Dey moved a surprise amendment which held off confidential figures and revealed some very interesting findings.
Over budget What the online council minutes of this meeting don’t say is that this rock wall is over budget and the three landowners who will benefit are yet to communicate with Council on their intention to pay their share. Cr Dey told The Echo, ‘So much of the Belongil rock story happens behind closed doors. This is partly due to tendering [for the project] but also due to court cases against Council.’ Remarkably, Cr Ibrahim found continued on page 3
Religion interrupts grinding and unrelenting newspaper work What would Jesus do? The Echo will be observing the Easter break – as it does every year – with both offices being shut Friday April 3 and Monday April 6, 2015.
To your independence, to your safety and security, to your operation costs, and to a better way of life. Make a difference with the company that knows how. To evaluate your needs Contact us at 02 6689 1430 www.rpc.com.au The Renewable Energy Specialist