THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 30 #04 Wednesday, July 8, 2015
www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week AUDIT
Sam the strawman v the law – p5
Eldridge E reviews Ballina Fine Wine What’s new in The The Fishermen & Food Festival Byron Shire? Arts – p13 – p14,15 – p16,17 – p26,27
The ball is round, the game is long
Wimbledon fever gripped the Mullumbimby Tennis Club last weekend, as impersonators of tennis greats from the past and future gave it their best shot at sartorial sporting elegance. The club, whose junior ranks are now increasing, has competitive or social tennis most nights of the week. Photo Jeff ‘All White On The Night’ Dawson
Local achievers recognised for NAIDOC week An awards ceremony for NAIDOC celebrations saw 15 people and community groups recognised for the contribution they make across education, sport, environment, art, dance, theatre and community initiatives. The 15 community groups and individuals are the Mullum Green Army Team, Larissa Smith, Scott Sentence, Sonia Woods, Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood Centre, Wyuna Baker, Kasey Burton, Sahaj Blatt, Jessica Power, Aniba Kay, Shannon Dousling, Harrison Rutter Cavanough, Kaliyah Browning, Kaitlyn Clarke and Peter Birch-Marshall.
NAIDOC week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Activities for the rest of the week include the Mullumbimby NAIDOC week family fun day on Wednesday at the Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Centre from 11am. On Thursday, the Bundjalung of Byron Bay, Arakwal People present a cultural celebration from 10am with a march from the Peace Pole in Railway Park to Main Beach. There will be dancing, music performances, BBQ and children’s activities.
Green organics bin roll-out begins New bins for organic matter will start arriving at urban households from this week, say Council, and will take about two weeks to deliver to about 10,500 properties. And a change in collection routine will also occur when the new weekly service for food and garden waste begins on Monday August 3. Both red landfill and yellow recycling bins will be collected fortnightly on alternate weeks when the new service starts. The new service is anticipated to divert over 3,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfill each year. For more information contact the Waste Hotline on 1300 652 625.
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Airport facility ‘costly to Tweed wetland’ www.echo.net.au/airport-wetland
Councillor under investigation Byron Shire councillor Alan Hunter (Nationals Party) is under investigation by Council compliance officers after neighbours alleged he breached his DA conditions for his ‘road transport terminal.’ Additionally they claim he continues to operate an unauthorised self-storage facility at his farm at the end of the short road at Pinegroves Avenue, Myocum. It’s the latest instalment in the long-running dispute between Cr Hunter and his neighbours; back in 2012 Cr Hunter was investigated and taken to the NSW Land and Environment Court for unapproved development, which included 20 shipping containers. At the time, Cr Hunter agreed to remove the containers within six months. In May last year, Cr Hunter was granted consent to a change of use from a ‘farm building’ to a ‘road transport terminal’, despite unified opposition from neighbours and questionable grounds for the decision. And in October last year, Cr Hunter told The Echo, ‘I have since obtained council approval to correct any of the past issues.’ He also claimed, ‘I had no idea that what I was doing was illegal.’ Currently his website www.byronstorageservices.com.au boasts new shipping containers are available to rent for $200 per month. But is the operation legit? While Council’s media spokesperson told The Echo they couldn’t comment owing to the current investigation, Cr Hunter says, ‘On ad-
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vice from planning consultants and Council, I sought and received approval for a road transport terminal, which permits storage.’ ‘I have responded to Council in the hope to address Council’s concerns. Council approval allows ten truck movements per week, to the facility, between 7am and 6pm weekdays except public holidays. ‘At no time have there been more than six movements in any one week, and many weeks without any. ‘There was no restriction placed on the number of light vehicles, only trucks, but for many days of the week and many weekends there are no vehicles at all. I am not aware of any restrictions on advertising for storage and Council didn’t express such concerns. There is however some confusion about the advertised access and hours of operation that we need to address.’ But neighbours are unimpressed, saying, ‘The conditions of the DA were put in place to mitigate the impact on the neighbours; however, he is operating it as a self-storage facility and most people who use such a facility need access on the weekend, which does not comply with the DA conditions.’ At the time of the illegal development in 2012, Council’s corporate governance manager Ralph James said, ‘It is not for individual landowners, no matter who they are, to decide they do not wish to comply with laws that are in place for benefit of the wider Byron Shire community.’ Q Editorial page 8
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