THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 seven Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] [email protected] http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 21 #36 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007 echo entertainment 22,300 copies every week Page 21 $1 at newsagents only YEAR OF THE FLYING PIG Fishheads team wants more time at Brothel approval Byron Bay swimming pool goes to court Michael McDonald seeking a declaration the always intended ‘to hold Rick and Gayle Hultgren, development consent was activities involving children’ owners of the Byron Enter- null and void. rather than as for car parking tainment Centre, are taking Mrs Hultgren said during as mentioned in the staff a class 4 action in the Land public access at Council’s report. and Environment Court meeting last Thursday that ‘Over 1,000 people have against Byron Shire Coun- councillors had not been expressed their serious con- cil’s approval of a brothel aware of all the issues cern in writing. Our back near their property in the involved when considering door is 64 metres away from Byron Arts & Industry the brothel development the brothel in a direct line of Estate. An initial court hear- application (DA). She said sight. Perhaps 200 metres ing was scheduled for last their vacant lot across the would be better [as a Council Friday, with the Hultgrens street from the brothel was continued on page 2 Fishheads proprietors Mark Sims and Ralph Mamone at the pool. Photo Jeff Dawson Paragliders off to world titles Michael McDonald dispute came to prominence requirement for capital The lessees of the Byron Bay again with Cr Bob Tardif works. Four hundred thou- public swimming pool and putting up a notice of motion sand dollars would have been creators of the Fishheads res- to have lawyers Marsdens a reasonable amount to taurant at the site are calling Solicitors to look at the doc- spend. on Byron Shire Council to umentation in relation to the ‘We have had no formal extend their lease so they can lease to see if a legal chal- response as to the reason for recoup their capital invest- lenge might be brought by Council’s determination [not ment. The lease runs out in the current lessees. Cr Tar- to extend the lease].’ June this year and Council dif’s motion was lost on the Mr Sims pointed out that intends to put the pool and mayor’s casting vote. the site plan of management kiosk out to tender. ‘We’re not here to ask attached to the tender docu- Businessmen Mark Sims favours, we merely want ment stated ‘the term [of and Ralph Mamone, who Council to honour its con- contract] may be extended if have had the lease for seven tract,’ Mr Sims told council- the contract provides capital years, fronted up to Coun- lors. ‘We’ve spent money in investment into the facility. cil’s meeting last Thursday good faith. The length of term will be to address Councillors on ‘When we came in there extended to enable the the issue. The long-running was a real and desperate continued on page 4 Byron pool leaks ‘millions of litres’ Paragliders Eddie Gray, Andrew Polidano, Mendo Veljanouski. Photo Jeff ‘Ultraglide’ Dawson The Byron Bay swimming is only responsible for repairs there is concrete hanging off pool is leaking millions of up to $250, said he had the them, and we’ve had 12,000 The Northern Rivers Hang- Mendo Veljanouski. fi rst used in Australia on Feb- litres of water a year accord- pipework ‘bogged’ which had children go through for gliding/Paragliding Club is The local paragliders will ruary 10 in Byron Bay. ing to the current lessees. At reduced the leakage to two swimming carnivals.’ sending a team to the 2007 be part of the visual display ‘Manilla 2007’ will be the a council meeting last Thurs- million litres last year. Responding to Mr Sims’s Paragliding World Champi- at the opening ceremony on fi rst ever championships to day, lessee Mark Sims told ‘I’m concerned about the comments during debate Cr onships to be held at Manilla, Saturday 24. Eddie Gray will be held in an English speak- councillors the pool pipe- loss of water,’ said Mr Sims, Diane Woods said, ‘If anyone near Tamworth, NSW, from be in a flying recumbent ing country. There will be work had been inspected by ‘but I’m also concerned that else was doing this we’d be February 24 on. The team trike, the only one in Aus- 150 pilots from over 45 Council in 2001 but no treated water is going into screaming like stuck pigs.’ includes Cedar Anderson, tralia. Both Cedar and nations competing for the action had been taken so dune areas.’ Council’s director of cor- Eddie Gray, Jan and Glen Andrew are scheduled to fl y title of World Champion in far. Mr Sims also pointed out porate and community serv- Smith, Jachim Whitfield, tandem motorised paraglid- each category – Male, Mr Sims claimed that up that lighting poles in the area ices Elisabeth Brown later Andrew Polidano, and they ers, and Mendo will be Female, and Nation. to three and a half million also required urgent atten- told The Echo, ‘We are inves- are joined by highly ranked deploying his paraglider using For more information visit litres a year had been leaking tion. ‘There was an inspec- tigating the water leakage Macedonian aerobatics pilot a system called D-bagging, www.manilla2007.com. out. Mr Sims, who as lessee tion and four months later continued on page 2 2 February 20, 2007 Byron Shire Echo www.echo.net.au Local News 1Ê Byron Bay brothel It only gets butter in new year UÊiiÀ>Ê«À>VÌViÊUÊ>ÞÊ approval goes to court i`ViÊUÊÀÊÃÕÀ}iÀÞÊUÊ7i½ÃÊ From front page The brothel was approved i>Ì ÊUÊ iÀ}iViÃÊUÊ-Ê planning requirement]; this on October 10, 2006. The V iVÃÊUÊ ` `ÊÕÃ>ÌÃÊ is a disturbing precedent.’ Hultgrens lodged a DA for a UÊ7ÀÊ ÛiÀÊUÊ/À>ÛiÊÛ>VV>ÌÃÊ Since the brothel was warm-up area on their vacant approved the Hultgrens have lot on November 6 last year UÊ9iÜÊiÛiÀÊÛ>VV>ÌÃÊ successfully obtained approval and it was approved on UÊ ÀÛiÀ½ÃÊViViÊi`V>ÃÊ for ‘outdoor activities’ involv- December 21. UÊ*Àii«ÞiÌÊi`V>à ing children on the vacant lot. The Hultgrens’ lot is to All that Council requires is have an at least two metre ÀÊ >ÀiÃÊV >`ÊvviÀÃÊ>Ê boundary screening to be high screening of trees on its V«Ài iÃÛiÊ-Ê iVÊ V erected in line of sight of the boundary. In the wall of the brothel. brothel in line of sight of the Later in the meeting Cr Jan lot there will be louvres of Mangleson put up a motion ‘defl ective glass’ at a height that Council not defend of two metres on the ground against the action brought by fl oor. the Hultgrens. She lost the There are no defi nitions ÊÊÀÊn>ÊÊx\Îä«ÊUÊ->ÌÊn>£« vote 7-3, Crs Lazarus and within Council’s planning - «ÊÓ]Ê ÞÀÊ7iÃÌÊ- ««}Ê>ÀÊ Wood supporting her. documents as to how far a nÊ >Þà ÀiÊ ÀÛi]Ê ÞÀÊ >Þ Cr Mangleson described brothel must be from say, an * iÊÜÊvÀÊ>Ê>««ÌiÌÊÀÊÕÃÌÊV>Ê the brothel approval as ‘a trag- area where children congre- edy of errors’. She said con- gate. ‘We haven’t had to deal sent was made without clari- with one before,’ Council’s ÈÈnäÊÇ£ fying proximity of the brothel planning director Ray Dar- to the entertainment centre. ney told The Echo. (At the October 10, 2006, ‘We looked at court cases meeting when councillors and guidelines from the considered the brothel DA, Land and Environment "92/."!9 Pastor Neville Strachan of the Court and included those in Eastgate Christian Commu- the report to Council. We Nima Tsering and Kunchok three week residency in the nity Church told councillors believe the line of sight has Dorjee, senior Gyuto Monks, Buddha Bar. Some will be he was concerned about the been addressed in a way that with the depiction of the retained and distributed to proximity of the brothel to his is satisfactory to both devel- 0RAM0USHERS famous Buddhist image ‘The the public as a healing &)4.%330!2%.43 church and to the entertain- opments.’ ment centre.) Four Friends’ which depicts memento of this ceremony. "YRON"AY0RAM0USHERSGIVESPARENTSTHEOPPORTUNITY the weak protecting the It all happens at the Bud- TOGETlT OUTDOORSWITHTHEIRKIDS,EDBYELITE FRIENDLYAND Court costs Pool leaks strong, the young respecting dha Bar Thursday evenings PROFESSIONAL0ERSONAL4RAINERS WECOMBINEPOWERWALKINGAND STRENGTHTRAININGTOSCULPTYOURBODY Cr Ross Tucker pointed out From front page the old in the form of the then Friday to Tuesday each that if Council abandoned the information raised by the bird on the back of the rabbit week. 3TROLLYOURWAYTOSUCCESS defence of the court action it pool operators and the scope on the back of the monkey Photo Jeff Dawson #OSTPERSESSIONSESSIONS could be required to pay its of remedial action required. on the back of the elephant. 7HERE"AY3TREET "YRON"AY MEETONWALKINGTRACK own costs, the applicants’ The quantity of water loss is Huge butter sculptures 12 RIGHTHANDSIDEOFTHESURFCLUB NEARPLAYGROUND costs and the costs of the to be confi rmed.’ metres high made by the Dive help 7HENEVERY-ONDAY 7EDNESDAYAND&RIDAY brothel developers, who have Asked if Council had any Gyuto Monks are a tradi- Byron Bay Dive Centre has 4IMEAM AMKIDSMUSTBEINPRAMS also been tied to the action. plan of action for repairs to tional part of ‘Losar’ New very generously donated a &OLLOWEDBYACOOLDOWNCOFFEE &RESH 0LEASECALLTOMAKEARESERVATION Council also had legal the pool and nearby lighting Year celebrations in old Tibet snorkelling trip for boys who !GREATWAYFORPARENTSTOGETlT MAKEFRIENDS advice from Marsdens Solic- and how long that would and now each year in Dhar- have completed the young ANDSETANEXAMPLEFORTHEIRKIDS itors that a development con- take, Ms Brown said, ‘Ongo- amsala in India where the men’s group at the Widows sent ‘is generally beyond the ing maintenance is under- monks live as refugees.