THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 24 #26 Tuesday, December 1, 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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C L A R E T - S W I L L I N G C O M M E N TA R I AT
Council urged to dump $14m sports complex Michael McDonald
In an urgent report at the last minute to Byron Shire Council’s Extraordinary meeting last Thursday, general manager Graeme Faulkner urged councillors to give back $9m in federal funding and to ‘walk away’ from its proposed $14m Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex (BRSCC) at Ewingsdale. In his report Mr Faulkner said the complex had the potential to become ‘an unmitigated financial disaster for Byron Shire ratepayers’, based on a new report from quantity surveyors Altus Page Kirkland (APK) which put the cost estimate at $23m, rather than the earlier figure of $14m provided by GeoLINK. Instead of going with the GM’s advice, councillors voted to note the APK advice and advise the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government of the APK report and ‘discuss the matter with them in regard to a reduced scope of works, maintaining funding levels’.
Costs review Council will also ‘recommence its planning and community consultation process for the Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex with a view to ensuring that the construction and maintenance costs associated with this asset are in keeping with Council’s financial ability to fund the project’. A successful foreshadowed motion from Mayor Jan Barham will see councillors receive ‘as a matter of urgency a revised costing and plan for the BRSCC’ which looks at the possibilities of deleting the canteen, skatepark, and play equipment from the project, among other things. Mayor Barham, a vocal supporter of the project who accepted $8m of the money in happy surprise from federal minister Anthony Albanese in May this year, told The Echo, ‘The staff report and recommendation to walk
Music fest hits the right note
away from the Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex project is an option I will not accept,’ Cr Barham told The Echo. ‘Councillors were unanimous in wanting to move forward to support the project and retain the federal government funding. ‘We resolved to review the costings and approach the government for a variation in what we can deliver but essentially we are committed to develop the major components of the complex which would include the roadworks, fields and the indoor facility. ‘This project has been through extensive consultation and received unanimous support from the councillors over the five years of the development of the Plan of Management and the funding application. ‘Prior to the federal government grant funding, planning and funding were in place for a staged delivery of the project, so the option of walking Top, Emily Lubitz of Tinpan Orange away from it is not an outcome that exercises her beautiful voice while right, Russian criminals Vulgargrad councillors would consider.
‘Great advantage’
extort loyalty from the audience. Photos Jeff ‘Slide Catarrh’ Dawson.
‘Councillors support the complex and recognise the great advantage for our community’s health and wellbeing and cultural opportunities that can be delivered from this site. We have voted to persevere in all attempts to ensure that the funding is not lost and the project is delivered, perhaps not as much as we had hoped but still of great additional benefit to the whole community.’ In his report Graeme Faulkner also took aim at Council’s Project Reference Group (PRG) for the project. He said some PRG members were ‘advocating sectional interests rather than the community interest as a whole’ and engaging in public criticism of the Council administration for not adopting PRG recommendations. Mr Faulkner warned councillors of a key finding of the Glasshouse Inquiry,
Typical Mullum – as the divas of Coda launch into their pop opera/ cabaret/avant garde thingy, a small boy wanders the aisle of the civic hall, dressed in a Superman cape and skull-and-bones gummies. Later on, the young postpunk ferals weaned on Powderfinger attempt a Russian waltz in their balloon headgear to the music of Vulgargrad, talented musicians posing as gangsters. Stars such as Tex and Vince are challenged for supremacy by upand-coming songbirds such as Leah Flanagan, Ange Takats, and Mama Kin, but nobody gets hurt. The Big Band At The End Of The Universe barrels through Ellington like a steam train. Such was the Mullum Music Festival, which took over the streets, halls, hearts and minds of The Biggest Little Party In Australia for a long weekend of serious fun, performed on anything continued on page 2 from didge to balalaika.
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