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THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 28 #29 Tuesday, December 31, 2013 Phone 02 6684 1777 Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] [email protected] www.echo.net.au GRAMMAR IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWING CAB p14–15 23,200 copies every week AUDIT YOUR SHIT AND KNOWING YOU’RE SHIT Inside It’s a New Year and a Public lands Enjoying Game Of Knowns Byron Shire this new CSG blockade rort exposed a night of summer reading Council Notices week starts near Casino – p7 – p9 capitalism – p11 – p24 Page 38–39 Bruns caravan park Cowboys and lizards plans ‘ignores’ locals Luis Feliu Totalling more than 800 pages, the four separate documents in- Brunswick Heads residents long op- clude drawings and photos to refl ect posed to any cut in public access to the scale of the proposed improve- the foreshore by the managers of the ments, such as a new network of town’s three state-run caravan parks wide footpaths linking the caravan say new grand plans for the parks parks and other reserves. and public reserves ignore local input Plans also propose to improve on vital issues such as boundaries. public facilities and new playgrounds Plans to upgrade the three parks, at Banner and Th e Terrace parks. including well-used foreshore re- But residents and members of serves such as Torakina, were placed the Foreshore Protection Group on display by the NSW Crown Holi- (FPG), which has long monitored day Parks Trust (formerly North the running of the parks, say the Coast Holiday Parks) and Council new plans still ignore Byron Shire just before Christmas. Th e public are Council licensing conditions on invited to comment until February 21. park boundaries, use of foreshore It’s the fi ft h attempt since 2000 to and encroached lands. The new prepare such plans by the secretive conditions were adopted by Council state-run body charged with run- on August 9, 2013. ning the parks aft er their takeover FPG convener Michele Grant says Freaks! Space Cowboy and Texan oddity Lizard Man were seen disturbing the peace at Woodford festival from Council by the state almost the plans do not reference Byron in QLD on Sunday night. The pair will be doing the Monster Sideshow in the Byron Entertainment Centre, eight years ago. continued on page 2 January 4 and 5. Tickets available at www.ticketor.com/thespacecowboy. Photo Jeff ‘Meek Not Freaked’ Dawson Massive Lennox bushfi re contained Rock wall go-ahead Around 200 homes in and around the Linnaeus Estate and Bundaleer Cr Wanchap again votes against her own party Road in Lennox Head were saved by fi refi ghters on Sunday night. Belongil beach looks set to get its ‘in- my fellow Green councillors on a Sixty residents were evacuated to terim’ rock wall aft er Greens council- couple of key issues but the major- Byron Bay High School aft er a mas- lor Rose Wanchap crossed the fl oor ity of the time we are in agreement.’ sive bushfi re threatened to sweep to immediately approve the works. ‘What was approved at Council’s north towards Broken Head. The decision was made at a last meeting was a planning deci- Council extraordinary general sion on the design and application, Sixty evacuated meeting on Th ursday December 19, which doesn’t mean fi nal approval A lightning strike is suspected and brought a rebuke from Greens has been granted. Th is will depend to have started the blaze. Th e Coast Byron mayor Simon Richardson. on the funding options and other Road between Byron Bay and Ballina Th e Byron Bay real estate agent relevant issues being addressed. remains closed as a result of the fi re, has regularly broken ranks with her ‘It was simply another step in the which jumped the road at around party colleagues since being elected process of which I am currently in 7.30pm. Th e blaze has burnt through last year. agreement with.’ Smoke bellows from Sunday’s fi re – about 40 rural fi re service (RFS) around 200 hectares of bushland and But Cr Wanchap has defended At the meeting, a report from the volunteers stayed on the job all night to monitor the situation and there have been no reports of prop- her position, telling Th e Echo, ‘I do engineer who provided the design extinguish spot fi res. Photo Neil Campbell erty damage at this stage. have a diff erence of opinion with continued on page 2 Juno Energy would like to thank all of our Community. customers, residential, commercial and government. We would also like to thank our staff and sub-contractors, as well as the local businesses that provided goods and services. Our national partners Sunpower, Energy. Energy Matters, and Apricus have provided great support and products. In 2014 we look forward to providing our community with new products and ways of owning or accessing solar power. Have a safe and sunny 2014. 02 6680 7802 Patrick 0425 256 802 Joa 0431 959 154 junoenergy.com.au Electrical Licence no. 255292C Local News North Coast news daily: netdaily.net.au Maca Castle upgrades the fun Mullum Showground Trust Knockrow’s Macadamia Castle recently opened a $500,000 convention centre. looks to boost income Facilities include a confer- ence room, a large 85-seat cov- Should the Mullumbimby Arm Road, it’s the home to also suggests six precincts and ered outdoor education ‘pond’ Showgrounds become a the Spaghetti Circus and holds ‘four environmental priority stage and a covered family ‘primitive’ camping ground to weekly farmers markets as well areas’ that would develop on barbecue area. The move is increase its revenue? as the yearly Mullum Show. existing infrastructure. part of a proactive strategy It’s just one suggestion Public comment Th e grounds are classifi ed to help deal with the possible that was made in a new draft as Crown lands, although loss of traffi c because of the plan of management (POM), Its amenities include sta- through the Local Govern- highway upgrade, which will available at www.mulleren- bles, rodeo yards, a beer and ment Act 1993 Council ad- bypass the Castle’s front door. terprise.com.au. food hall, a circus building ministers this reserve. The project was jointly Ballina marketing com- with containers, a Rotary Club Hard copies of the draft funded by the Castle’s own- pany Muller Enterprise, rep- storage shed and pavilions. plan are available at Byron ers and the federal Tourism resenting the Mullumbimby While the 77-page docu- Shire Council and the Trust Industry Regional Develop- The Macadamia Castle’s resident wombat celebrates the Showground Trust, is invit- ment cites ageing infrastruc- Offi ce, Mullumbimby Show- ment Fund. opening of a new convention centre. Photo Eve Jeff ery ing the public to comment. ture as a need to improve its fi - ground. Submissions close Set on 24.2 acres on Main nancial viability, a master plan February 14, 2014. Belongil rock wall gets go-ahead continued from page 1 cil meeting in February, ‘out- “manage” our retreat. How- Fed cuts threaten EDO for the rock wall and a study lining the steps forward’. ever, I do not think having a of environmental eff ects were Mayor Richardson said half a dozen homes dangling Th e organisation that educates Th e EDO has also been of For other EDOs in NSW, presented to Council with a the engineers would now from a cliff with all of their and helps the public defend signifi cant assistance to resi- Queensland, South Australia staff recommendation that give Council a report on cost, contents, building materials, environmental and planning dents facing the coal seam gas and Victoria, the federal fund- they be accepted. ‘and that will basically be asbestos etc being added to laws against corporations and expansion across the nation. ing reductions will see a cut- Despite Greens’ policy what the staff and engineers waste in our oceans is manag- governments has had its fund- back in legal services to those being against rock walls, Ms will be working towards’. ing our retreat very well. Nor ing axed by federal attorney- Without warning communities, and also follow Wanchap sided with council- Cr Richardson’s criticism do I believe managing our re- general George Brandis. The federal government a series of state funding cuts. lors Ibrahim, Cubis, Woods of Cr Wanchap’s decision to treat entails relocating dozens The Environmental De- announced ‘without warning’ The Law Society of New and Hunter to overturn a cross the fl oor was that it is of homes to another site in the fender’s Office (EDO) have that it would be ending $10 South Wales contributes to motion by councillor Paul a longstanding Greens party hills or otherwise. run a number of landmark million in funding over four EDO NSW with grants. Spooner and seconded by the position. ‘Expert advice from the court cases for community years for its offi ces across Aus- ‘Many Australians who mayor that would have seen a ‘My point is [managed re- UNSW Water Research Lab- groups across Australia, in- tralia, EDO NSW executive care about protecting the en- decision at least delayed. treat] is a very strong election oratory was that for a short cluding the recent court director Jeff Smith said. vironment will be alarmed Instead, an amended mo- promise; people were voting seawall between two existing challenge on behalf of the He said those cuts threaten about losing their EDOs,’ said tion by Crs Ibrahim and for Rose Wanchap as a Greens longer seawalls there would residents of the Hunter Valley closure for the ACT, Northern Mr Smith.