Byron Shire Council Collaborates for Sustainable Development at Wallum Project

By Jeff Gibbs

Last week, Byron Shire Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing a collaborative approach towards the Wallum development project in Brunswick Heads. The aim is to achieve a balanced outcome that maximizes environmental benefts, minimizes the development footprint, and enhances housing diversity and affordability.

Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon, presented a Mayoral Minute to update both the community and the Council on recent negotiations with Clarence Property, the developers. A proposed site map for the Wallum development was shared, refecting input from discussions between Clarence Property representatives and Councillors Michael Lyon, Asren Pugh, and Cate Coorey.

Mayor Michael Lyon emphasized, “These discussions delved into strategies to safeguard more of the site’s environmental values while improving the affordability of housing lots. This was to be achieved by reducing the development footprint and adjusting lot sizes. Specifcally, the total development footprint would decrease from 12 to 11 hectares, with an additional 1.8 hectares allocated to the eastern buffer zone.”

“This adjustment facilitates the inclusion of various housing types required in Byron Shire, catering to singles, couples, and empty nesters,” he added.

Furthermore, the revised plan allows for a larger buffer zone between the development and the primary population of Wallum froglets located west of Simpsons Creek. This redesign is estimated to preserve over half of the scribbly gums, including the oldest specimens in the eastern section.

Mayor Lyon clarifed, “Although Clarence Property is not obliged to make alterations and it may not be in their fnancial interest to do so, our discussions aimed to highlight the overall merits of the proposed changes.”

Councillor Cate Coorey expressed, “While some harbor reservations about the developer, engaging with Clarence Property was imperative as it presented the only viable path to secure a better outcome. Though many would prefer no development on the site, realistically, that’s not feasible. It’s encouraging that Clarence is receptive to our proposals.”

Councillor Asren Pugh remarked, “Unfortunately, our environmental protection laws are insuffcient in safeguarding endangered species. We anticipate improvements with the proposed Federal National Environment Laws currently under review. Negotiated outcomes, as seen in cases like West Byron, have demonstrated superior environmental results compared to all- or-nothing approaches. We aim for a similar success here.”

Mayor Lyon acknowledged the contributions of various stakeholders in the discussions, including ecologists, Clarence Property staff, and Councillors Coorey and Pugh, whose diverse perspectives enriched the dialogue.

“Clarence Property has already signifcantly reduced the development footprint from the original 2013 approval. They’ve committed to evaluating this revised footprint within site constraints, and while challenges remain, discussions have been constructive,” Mayor Lyon stated.

He concluded optimistically, “With goodwill and a spirit of compromise from all parties, including passionate campaigners, we believe a mutually benefcial outcome for the environment and housing diversity is attainable.”

It’s April Falls month and time to ask, “How ROCK STEADY do I feel today?”

Every 2.5 minutes an Australian aged 65 or over goes to an emergency department because of a fall, and many are admitted for further care. Once someone has a fall, there is a greater chance of falling again. “Many falls can be avoided by improving balance and other risk factors”, said Julia Dayhew, Occupational Therapist, founder of Rock Steady For Life, and previous NNSW Health Falls Prevention Coordinator for 8 years.

“Like the canary in the coal mine, a fall indicates that something needs attention. It could be; balance, strength, sensation, reaction time, cognition, vision, fear of falling, depression, or even dietary factors such as how much protein we eat or how much water we drink”, Julia explained.