THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 24 #16 Tuesday, September 22, 2009 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 21,000 copies every week
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PA P E R / B R A I N O P T I C A L I N T E R FA C E
Students help clean up the Brunswick Last Friday 75 students from Shearwater Steiner School collected rubbish and marine debris from the Brunswick River to mark the start of International Cleanup the World Weekend 2009. For the second year running, local students enjoyed perfect weather and an outgoing tide as a flotilla of 48 kayaks and two support boats took to the water at Heritage Park in Mullumbimby to paddle the 12km to Brunswick Heads, collecting rubbish along the way. Coordinator Chris Astill said, ‘Over six million tonnes of debris enter our world’s oceans every year. The support of Project AWARE for events like this around the world gives people a chance to see in action the positive impact of thinking globally, and acting locally.’ Cape Byron Kayaks, Mojo Surf Byron Bay and the First Brunswick Heads Scouts generously donated kayaks and canoes, plus kayaking instructors on the day. Additional kayaks and canoes were kindly offered by local community members. After sorting and counting the collected rubbish, a total of over 450 litres of marine debris was removed from the Brunswick River including chairs, corrugated iron, car wheels and tyres, degraded fishing line and traps, a bicycle, food packaging and more than 100 plastic bottles. These statistics will be entered into an
Some of the Shearwater Steiner student kayakers at the end of their cleanup paddle along the Brunswick River. Photo Lou Beaumont.
online database and the PADI Project AWARE web site will soon display the results of the global effort. The students and volunteers who arrived at the Brunswick Heads Scout Hall with kayaks full of debris
and well-earned appetites were met by a healthy BBQ lunch donated by Mullumbimby businesses Santos, Dennett’s IGA and Devine Quality Meats. Chris added, ‘A huge thanks goes
out to everyone involved in making this event happen. The success of activities like this is another great example of local community caring for our amazing environment, and making a difference.’
Silent vigil at Woolies visit A gathering of lawyers, the Land and Environment Court judge, representatives from Woolworths and Byron Shire Council will be meeting on the proposed Woolies Station Street site at Mullumbimby at 9.30am on Monday September 28. The Mullumbimby Community Action Network and interested residents will be meeting at 9am on the same day in Apex Park, by the railway station. The plan is for a silent vigil at the court visit. ‘Council refused [Woolworths’] onsite sewage application on July 2 because Woolworths had failed to demonstrate that appropriate arrangements can be made for managing their onsite sewage,’ said MCAN in a press release. ‘Main concerns include the possible spread of disease by micro-organisms, foul odours, contamination of water, degradation of soil and vegetation as well as a need to discourage insects and vermin. ‘Furthermore Woolworths must ensure that no-one, in their ordinary activities, comes into contact with untreated sewage or effluent (whether treated or not). This last scenario is quite likely since the buffer zone between the effluent areas and the footpaths, carpark, driveways and boundaries ranges from zero to 0.5 metres instead of the required 3-6 metres. ‘Since the supermarket is too big continued on page 2
Govt calls for ‘reason’ in Council’s approach to coastal management The state government has called on Byron Shire Council to adopt a ‘reasonable’ approach to coastline management. ‘It is important that coastal zone management plans are seen by all of the community as being reasonable and achieve an appropriate balance between the public interest and the interests of beachfront landowners,’ wrote Simon Smith, deputy director general of Climate Change, Policy and Programs, to Council’s general manager Graeme Faulkner in a letter of September 15.
‘Plans should acknowledge the concerns of beachfront residents and provide information on the allowable uses of beachfront land and the steps they can take to reduce risks and protect assets. Any planned retreat strategy should aim to allow landowners to continue to use their property while ever it is safe to do so. ‘These plans should also consider and set out potential arrangements that would permit appropriate landowner-funded coastal protection works which avoid off-site impacts, such as “soft� engineering works.
‘Plans should also take a reasonable approach to managing any ad hoc seawalls placed by or on behalf of landowners which have been in place for many years. A reasonable approach may involve permitting those seawalls to remain in place after any safety issues are addressed, with benefiting landowners contributing to maintenance costs.’ Mr Smith also recognised that ‘coastal erosion is a challenging issue for all coastal communities’ and appreciated Council’s efforts in preparing its draft plan ‘over many years and
Mayor Jan Barham said the decision its detailed consideration of coastal will open the dialogue between landerosion issues’. owners and Council. ‘Through unCoastal survey dertaking a ground survey and deterMeanwhile Council decided last mining where houses and structures week to undertake a coastal survey sit in proximity to the escarpment, of developed precincts including By- we will be able to provide informaron Bay, Belongil, South Golden, New tion to landowners of potential risks Brighton and Suffolk Park. As a result and seek clarification about building of the May storm event, a desktop approvals,’ Cr Barham said in a press study outlining the erosion escarp- release. ‘As part of the survey, a review of ment at Belongil Beach has been has been undertaken by Council staff and development history of some properwas presented at a recent ordinary ties will also be undertaken to help Council meeting. continued on page 9
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