THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 30 #02 Wednesday, June 24, 2015
www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week CAB AUDIT
W E H AV E N OT H I N G TO F E A R B U T T H E F E A R M O N G E R S T H E M S E LV E S
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How much media Home Your club – your Entertainment does Murdoch & Garden community galore in wield? – p10 – p18–19 Seven – p24–29 – p20–21
Lismore lights up for lantern parade
www.echo.net.au/lismore-lights-up -for-solstice-parade
Govt’s rail trail promise broken
A butterfly solstice
Hans Lovejoy
Butterflies Nini and Taya added to the colour, movement and luminance of Wilsons Creek Primary School’s lantern parade on Monday night. It was to mark the winter solstice – the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Photo Jeff Dawson
Long-term holiday-van owners evicted from Bruns holiday parks by state govt The push is officially on to attracted more tourists to Brunswick Heads after an eviction notice was served on thirty-three long-term holidaymakers from the three Brunswick Heads holiday parks: Massey Greene, The Terrace and Ferry Reserve. According to plans by the state-run NSW Crown Holiday Parks Trust (NCHPT) which manages the parks, all long-term, so-called ‘storage’ vans are to make way for new infrastructure and upgraded sites. Predictably it hasn’t gone down well for those with holiday vans, some of whom have been coming to the area to holiday for nearly 30 years. They say NCHPT is in breach of Byron Shire Council licence conditions and that, in any case, the council’s licences for at least two of the parks have lapsed. Van owner Kelly McKelvey, who has a van at Massey Greene, has lodged a complaint with Fair Trading on behalf of the 11 owners who have been evicted from that park. In reply, NCHPT CEO Steve Edmonds told The Echo
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Col and Carmel McAndrew with Syd Guilford, who has been coming down from Brisbane every two or three weeks for the past 28 years. Photo Jeff Dawson
that the evictions were lawful and, ‘The extra tourists we can attract to these sites will attract more dollars into the local economy.’ ‘Holiday van occupancy is well below tourist sites and the reduction in holiday vans will open up more sites for year-round tourist use.’
The NSW National Party, along with their colleagues the Liberals, have drastically reduced their $50m preelection pledge to fund rail trail pilot projects in regional NSW. The Echo reported in early January the NSW government announced sections of the disused Casino to Murwillumbah and Rosewood to Tumbarumba rail corridors were open to expressions of interest (EOI) from councils or business and community groups in an effort to ‘boost tourism’. But now that’s been largely shelved in favour of regional airports. A Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) of $110m was announced in the last budget, which included $50m for rail trails. But a spokesperson from John Barilaro’s office confirmed last week that instead, $95 million of the RTIF will go to 24 shortlisted regional airports. Of what’s left, $5 million will go towards Tumbarumba Shire Council’s rail trail proposal, they said. ‘It would be premature to introduce legislation prior to this pilot project having developed to the stage where it is possible to determine the viability of the rail trail. ‘In terms of project timing, we are not putting a timeline around the pilot program as we want to ensure we get the process right and also that there is clear community support. ‘This project is likely to act as a model for consideration of future rail trail development in NSW so
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it is important to address all the issues without rushing the process – and that includes the legislative changes required.’ Given the broken promise, The Echo asked Mr Barilaro’s office if the minister was concerned about his reputation and of potential community backlash, to which there was no reply.
Backlash unlikley And no backlash appears likely from those who submitted expressions of interest; The Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) organisation says it welcomes the announcement ‘to significantly increase infrastructure funding in NSW through the selection of 25 regional projects, including the development of a pilot rail trail project in southern NSW.’ President Pat Grier said NRRT are ‘very pleased with the decision’, and ‘the selection of the much shorter Tumbarumba to Rosewood proposal was a positive step in introducing rail trails into NSW.’ Another group hoping to establish a tourist-based activity between the Bangalow and Byron Bay railway line is Rail Explorers. Their railbike plans were to attach a pedalpowered cart to the the rail lines. Alex Catchpoole from Rail Explorers told The Echo, ‘While this is disappointing, Rail Explorers were not expecting a green light anytime soon, so were somewhat prepared for the news. I am very disappointed that the funds which were locked continued on page 3
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