The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 38.23 – November 15, 2023

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THE AVERAGE CITIZEN DOESN’T REALISE HOW MANY LAWS ARE WRITTEN BY LOBBYISTS The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 38 #23 • November 15, 2023 • www.echo.net.au

Students call for Cabbage Tree Island families just want to go home Council pushes support of climate back against strike this Friday developers Aslan Shand

Paul Bibby

Students are calling for everyone to come out in support of the School Strikes 4 Climate this Friday, November 17 at 10am in Railway Park, Byron Bay. ‘We demand political action on the climate emergency that is our present, future, and reality,’ say strike organisers. ‘On November 17 thousands of students across the country will be striking from school as part of a national protest to take action and fight for our climate. We are demanding that Labor #ShiftThePower away from fossil fuels by ending all approvals and subsidies of new fossil fuel projects.’ They highlight the fact that the Albanese government continues to approve fossil fuel, oil and gas projects. ‘This government has approved nine fossil fuel projects in a year and allocated $9 billion in subsidies to funding the fossil fuel industry. This is unacceptable if we are to have any chance of limiting global warming and climate catastrophe. This is putting profit and corporations before the future of our planet and people. ‘Over the past few years, we’ve seen the devastating impacts of climate disasters: bushfires, floods, and droughts in our local community, across the country, and around the world. But this is just a small taste of what’s to come. We strike because the climate crisis will drastically worsen if we do not work together and take action.’ Students are calling for a ‘just ▶ Continued on page 4

Water supply at risk ▶ p3

Susan Anderson at the pod village in Wardell. Susan says Cabbage Tree residents just want to go home. Photo Tree Faerie David Lowe & Eve Jeffery The people of Cabbage Tree Island have had enough of being pushed around – but a handful government departments, ministers and the local Jali Aboriginal Land Council (JALC) – only talk in terms of building new homes on the land currently housing dozens of Cabbage Tree residents in a pod village at Wardell. At the time of the 2022 floods there were 220 Aboriginal people living on the island. Their houses are rented from JALC, who own and manage the land on behalf of the Aboriginal community. Cabbage Tree resident Susan Anderson has been the tip of the

Oysters to return to the Richmond River ▶ p9

spearhead fighting to get her community back to their homes on the island following what appears to be a done deal to keep them at Wardell.

Residents ignored ‘They’re talking about who owns the land at Wardell and what rights they have, and what they’re not hearing is the people of Cabbage Tree don’t want to move to Wardell. They just want to go home. It seems no matter how we phrase it, no one is listening.’ Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP is one of the people who is listening. She has called on the NSW premier, and the Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Harris to

ADHD push warrants more attention ▶ p10

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undertake an urgent and independent review of the NSW government’s decision not to allow the residents of Cabbage Tree Island to return to live on the island after the 2022 floods. Smith has pointed out that since April 2022, the former Liberal National government (and the current NSW Labor government) have claimed that they have consulted appropriately with the Cabbage Tree Island community, and that as Aboriginal people it would be the community of Cabbage Tree Island that would be determining their own future. Clearly, this is not happening. Ms Smith told The Echo that she has ▶ Continued on page 2

Search out the curios of Brunswick Heads ▶ p16

The Bangalow Show kicks off this Friday ▶ p18

WŽǁĞƌ WƌŝĐĞƐ ƚŽ ZŝƐĞ ϱϲй ŝŶ ϮϬϮϯ͊

Byron region is a Mecca for healing ▶ p24

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Byron Council has taken a stand against developers who seek to incrementally breach the Shire’s development rules by repeatedly modifying their plans. The stance was taken at last week’s Council planning meeting when five of the seven councillors present voted to refuse a modification application for 43 Lawson Street, Byron Bay. The proposed three-storey holiday unit development is located right next to the park beside Byron’s iconic Main Beach. The latest in a string of modification applications pushes the limits in terms of height plane and overall building envelope, the new application was seeking to add a sizeable roof-top pool area to their three-storey unit development. Council staff recommended that the latest modification be approved. But Labor councillor Asren Pugh successfully moved that the application be refused for noncompliance with the town’s height rules, and because it would have adverse social and environmental impacts. ‘This is Main Beach Byron and it needs to be protected,’ Cr Pugh said. ‘Hopefully this sends a message to developers who are looking to develop in sensitive spots. ‘Just bring us a whole proposal. [We’re seeing] this nonsense of coming back and coming back ▶ Continued on page 4

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