HOUSING CRISIS IS A ‘PERFECT STORM’

If you come across a crash there the best thing to do is ring triple zero as we can get the emergency services there before it becomes congested.

It can also depend on conditions and whether it’s safe.

Not only do you have to consider the safety of the persons in the crash, your own safety has to be paramount as well, because you’re no good to us or anyone else if you’ve been run over.

Do I direct the traffc?

For example, on a bridge it’d be fairly diffcult, you’re going to create a lot of disruption there.

Most police would prefer members of the public did not get out and direct traffc at a crash scene.

That’s the job of emergency services, in particular police and sometimes TfNSW and Councils.

Directing traffc is quite diffcult and quite dangerous — you’ll never see police doing it without wearing hi-vis protective clothing, a torch, a wand, a police vehicle parked nearby with emergency lights fashing so we can warn people.

Some cars nowadays come with cones and triangles, etcetera, that you can put out in an emergency-type situation.

Almost half of the 6,400 residents expected to move to the Byron Shire in the 20 years to 2036 have arrived in the past fve, with real estate agents and town planners calling for urgent action as the region’s housing crisis worsens.

Byron Shire Council’s Residential Strategy 2041 report, approved in March 2024, reveals the region has the highest homeless population in the state, with 300 people without a permanent place to live. The problem is compounded by rental vacancies below two per cent and a sharp decline in properties available for purchase in Byron Shire, with average monthly listings across the North Coast dropping from 14,000 a decade ago to 6,500 per month last year.

In presenting Byron Shire’s Housing Options Paper late last year, Mayor Michael Lyon said the NSW Government had set Council a new target to deliver 4,522 homes for 8,590 people by 2041.

Don’t forget to call triple-0 (02)

However, Nick Bordin, Principal of McGrath Lennox Head says it will be diffcult to meet housing targets without activating ‘ready-to-go’ development sites, due to delays developers are facing with gaining approvals for construction.

“Developers are ready to start work but in many cases aren’t able to get construction certifcates to create the lots that are already approved,” he said.

“The timeframe for already approved subdivisions to get to point of starting construction is years, and the wait for anything new is even longer.

“The housing crisis is real, with affordability issues on both the rental and sales front.

“Many of the homesites in approved developments that are being held-up are already sold to locals and frst home buyers waiting to build a home.

“These delays have put pressure on the established housing market, escalating prices and keeping already limited supply at low levels.”

Principal of Byron Shire Real Estate Todd Buckland says a number of developers in the Shire are facing delays, despite having approvals in place and a waitlist of buyers ready to purchase land.

“Even developers who have checked every box required and gone above and beyond statutory requirements to ensure their project is environmentally sound are facing setbacks,” he said.

“The Northern Regional Planning Panel and Byron Shire Council are responsible for issuing approvals, but even after that process has been completed there have been instances of further hold ups.

“In some cases, we are seeing projects originally gazetted for development 10 years ago being stonewalled.

“The reality is, the longer we have to wait for new development, the more land values increase, and some people may miss their opportunity to remain a resident of the Byron Shire.”

Town planner Damian Chapelle of NDC says the housing crisis is a ‘perfect storm’ created by high demand and low supply, as well as roadblocks in planning legislation.

“Council reports show land prices have risen 76 per cent over the past fve years, which has certainly exacerbated housing stress, but this is not the root cause of the problem,” he said.

“Put simply, we are in this position due to a severe imbalance between housing demand and supply. There has been a huge infux of residents, while new land release and housing density hasn’t kept pace with growth.”

Samantha’s Book

Free healthy lifestyle program for families in Tweed, Coraki and Grafton

Master storyteller writes another epic set in 1300s

Title: World Without End

Author: Ken Follett

By Samantha Elley

When it comes to epic stories you cannot go past a novel by Ken Follett. He is the mastermind of telling stories that cross generations.

Some time ago, just before Covid, I read World Without End, which was published in 2007.

Set in the ctional city of Kingsbridge, England in 1327, the story centres around four children who witness a double killing of two armed men, by a gentleman who fought in self-defence.

One of the children helps the wounded man, following instructions to bury a letter and only dig it up and deliver it should the gentleman die. He then seeks refuge in a monastery and becomes a

Families in NSW can access support to build healthy habits together, plus tips and assistance with getting active, healthy eating and wellbeing.

Go4Fun is a free 10-week after school program for children aged 7-13 and their families, which aims to support their health and wellbeing.

Parents and carers can now enrol their primary school aged children in the Term 2 programs in Tweed, Grafton and Coraki.

Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) Acting Director of Integrated Care and Allied Health Services, Kathryn Watson said the program is for kids and their families who want to get healthier together.

“For many families, the focus is on just getting by on a day-to-day basis, and many don’t have the money to invest in healthy lifestyle programs,” Ms Watson said.

“We know many parents can be overwhelmed by the amount of healthy lifestyle information available. Go4Fun helps by providing easy tips to make healthy changes and involves parents, carers and children in activities to help put these into practice.

“This free program allows families to have the chance to learn healthy habits, and have fun together.”

The program includes games, activities, prizes and a supermarket tour.

It also helps families and children to connect with others in their local area.

“Families love that the program is free and that it helps their child’s wellbeing, including their sleep. It creates a space to connect and build relationships as a family,” Ms Watson said.

“For families who are not in the Tweed, Grafton or Coraki areas, the Go4Fun online program is always an option.”

Parents and carers can sign up to the program directly, and health professionals and GPs can also refer their patients.

Places are available for Term 2 in the following locations:

CORAKI

Aboriginal Go4Fun Tuesdays 4pm-6pm, starting 30 April

Location: Coraki Youth Hall, 75 Bridge St, Coraki NSW 2471

To register for the Coraki program, call Coraki Campbell HealthOne on (02) 6683 9000

GRAFTON

Go4Fun Tuesdays 4pm6pm, starting 30 April

Location: PCYC, 300 Powell Street, Grafton NSW 2460

TWEED

Go4Fun Wednesdays 4pm-6pm, starting 1 May

Location: Banora Point

Community Centre, Cnr Leisure Dr, Woodlands Dr, Banora Point NSW 2486

For more information and to register your child, call 1800 780 900, visit www.go4fun.com. au e world is in turmoil as a dark and ominous disease takes hold of the population. And only for the smart thinking of one of the four, many are saved when she insists they wear coverings on their mouths and wash their hands with vinegar.

Benedictine monk. Time moves forward 10 years and the children have grown up and gone their separate ways. One is a carpenter who works on the repairs needed at the Kingsbridge Cathedral, another is a squire, another is prostituted out by her father and another becomes a nun.

It was an ominous time to be reading this story, as a few months later, we were in lockdown from our own modern disease.

Journalist, cum-writer, Ken Follett became an internationally renowned author a er his rst book Eye of the Needle. From there, each of his books has become international bestsellers with a few being adapted for the screen.

World Without End is actually the sequel, some 157 years later, of e Pillars of the Earth which was published in 1989. You can order your copy from amazon.com.au

Celebrating 70 Years

Congratulations to Hilton & Gabriel Standing on celebrating their 70th Wedding Anniversary. They were married on the 19th of April, 1954.

“Leemo has views on just about anything”

bring 10 elephants to LISMORE?’

‘Mum Jane’, ‘watcha doin? Come here ‘cos I want to interrogate you.’ Well, a er a stern lecture on how to put a request appropriately, I was informed she was making Choko Pickles for a CWA stall. (YUK!)

I HAD noticed a basket of ugly wrinkly looking green things and have since determined they were chokos but are now pickles. Crikey, she needn’t think for one sec. I’ll be eating any of it!

(It’s ‘Leemo Cat’ here!)

Moving right along. Her reply was ‘OK, I have time to sit down for a short break ‘so just get on with it Leems.’ ‘Well Mum, you lived in Botswana didn’t you? So, tell me why the President Mokgweetsi Masisi has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in a public are-up over Wildlife Conservation. Me, Leemo, ‘non comprende’ Mum so explain stu for me.’ ‘Well Leems, you SHOULD know there are 2 sides to every story. Basically, Germany, in relation to animal conservation, wants to restrict the import of hunting trophies, including ivory, heads, skins etc., be they from elephants, polar bears, lions, snakes, tigers, whales & so on. On the other side of the coin Leems, Botswana is grappling with an elephant ‘overpopulation’ (due to its own success in elephant conservation) and thus encourages hunting (or culling) by issuing a Govt. controlled number of licences per year to combat elephant numbers & raise $ for further conservation. ere are 130,000 bush elephants in Botswana, 1 for every 15 people, and they DO create havoc with habitation.

Germany has, mainly in Zoos, around only 125 elephants, 1 for every 672,000 people. But, Leems, if 20,000 elephants WERE sent to Germany it would be a most unsustainable living situation for them compared to the plains & forests of Botswana. (the ‘Black Forest’ would be GONE GONE GONE!)

And Leems, I reckon any African born elephant would nd the climate in Germany bloody dismal, let alone language barrier issues.’ Hmmm, I’ll have to think about this seriously. Ponder ponder! AHA, a light bulb moment! ‘MUM, our climate HERE is kinda LIKE Africa is it not, so why can’t we bring some elephants to Lismore? Maybe 10? It might help don’t you think? We could keep one on the lookout at the top of our street & re-name our area ‘Elephant Hill.’ And maybe put 3 or 4 in the parks down around Lismore Square where they would save Council heaps of $ by keeping the grass trimmed. AND, there are other parks in our area where they could live, plus the Wilson’s River where they could go for a cool-o frolic in Summer? Whaddya reckon Mum? Ooooh… the look I got was ferocious. A deep breath was taken & the old lady spoke in a menacing tone. ‘Leems, you really have excelled yourself in brainlessness this time. On a rough estimate, it costs $100,000 p.a. to keep ONE elephant. Fetching 10 of them from Africa to Lismore would cost over $5 million. So, you most inane Cat, that is a LOT of Taxpayers money if Lismore orders 10 plus the ‘ongoing care’ costs; I can’t see how Council’s budgetary experts will accept your proposal ‘cos they argue enough as it is, and have other stu to x. I’m proud of your concern for elephants Leems, but how about you concentrate on keeping tiny black ants out of our house?’ (I’m unsure about tiny black ants but I’m outta here to escape ‘Mum Jane’.) Nitey, Leemo.