VENI COVIDI VICI The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 35 #15 • Wednesday, September 23, 2020 • www.echo.net.au Rural residents prepare for compliance invasion Residents asked to foot bill for Council’s lack of planning records Aslan Shand given complex, historical issues of unauthorised dwellings in the Shire. Byron Shire residents are question- During a meeting called by Main ing why Byron Shire Council is cost Arm Residents Association (MARA) shift ing their responsibilities, aft er last Saturday, to discuss community it emerged that Council staff are concerns over the letters, it became seeking to charge property owners clear that Council staff failed to up to $180 per hour to confirm any check historical mapping, and their developments on their property own rates history, to determine if are authorised. the dwellings had been there prior It comes as Council staff recently to Council’s planning records. sent out ‘robo’ or ‘show cause’ letters This led to numerous approved to a significant number of ratepay- properties receiving the ‘robo’ letters. ers in Upper Main Arm, without One elderly property owner told councillors’ knowledge. Staff claimed The Echo they were told by staff Where fungi landowners have ‘unauthorised that they will have to pay up to development’ on their property. $180 per hour for Council to search Plans to send out the same aerial photographs and their rates ǖ şƖſĶƆIJĕƆ letters to the entire hinterland have history, as well as further costs been confirmed by Greens Mayor for inspections, to confirm their Those saddened at the loss of the fig tree at the southern entrance into Mullum will be happy to know it has a Simon Richardson and Director property is authorised. new life. Martin Martini salvaged the limbs of the fig and is now producing fungi food on them. If you’d like to Sustainable Environment and The charges by Council are based learn how to grow these edible giants, Martin and his buddy, Jason Lau, will be teaching one day workshops in Economy, Shannon Burt. on the Unauthorised Dwelling Policy Goonengerry on October 3 and 4. To get involved, email [email protected]. Photo Eve Jeff ery Ms Burt justifies the aggressive 2020 fact sheet, which is a result of approach by saying it gives landown- the June resolution, led by Greens ers a ‘heads up’, and is based on the Cr Sarah Ndiaye. That policy was Unauthorised Dwelling Policy 2020. buried as a sub-section in another Fate of former Byron Hospital up this week Yet that policy is yet to go on resolution dealing with unauthor- Paul Bibby Byron Hospital Pty Ltd. the community in 2016. public exhibition and hasn’t been ised dwellings in Skinners Shoot. The vote itself is set to take ‘It’s same group of people that adopted by councillors. Many ques- Like the ‘robo’ letters, council- Responsibility for the management place away from public view, and Council entrusted from the start’, tions have been raised around how lors were unaware of these cost of the old Byron Hospital site may three of the four key documents in the Chair of the company, local such a policy could be achieved, ▶ Continued on page 4 well be handed over to an incorpo- relation to project have been listed realtor, Chris Hanley, said. rated not-for-profit company this as confidential on Byron Council’s Should it be granted the head QLD/NSW bubble expanded from Oct 1 week, which will have the power to website. lease as expected, Old Byron Hos- decide who will be part of the new A Council spokesperson told The pital Pty Ltd will have the power News that the QLD/NSW border the QLD border closure issue, your community services hub being set Echo that making the documents to decide which organisations are will reopen to northern NSW from contribution has been significant’. up there. public, ‘may jeopardise negotia- given leases to operate out of the October 1 has been welcomed by She added, ‘I am so pleased that In a move that is partly being tions between the head lessee and Shirley Street site. NSW Business Chamber Regional the QLD government have listened conducted behind closed doors, eventual tenants of the site’. The Echo understands that they Manager Northern Rivers, Jane and understood the impacts to owing to its ‘commercially sensi- However, The Echo has learned will come from the welfare, health, Laverty. businesses and workers in the tive’ nature, Byron Council will that Old Byron Hospital Pty Ltd is education and cultural sectors, and She says, ‘Thank you to every Northern Rivers, and remembered decide at this week’s Council made up of the same group of com- that Southern Cross University is one of you for standing shoulder that while we are two states, we meeting whether or not to award a munity members who birthed the among those tossing their hat into to shoulder (virtually of course) on are one community’. head lease to a company called Old idea of returning the disused site to the ring. Byron Shire PM’s gas-led recovery The making of Spring into the Council is a pipe dream beautiful spaces school holidays Notices ▶ p8 – Mungo ▶ p12 ▶ p17 ▶ p18 BISTRO 3 Live Music Friday nights ON JONSON WEDNESDAY NIGHT: FREE RAFFLES! 25/9: SARAH GRANT OPEN 7 DAYS FOR FRIDAY NIGHT: 20 X $40 MEAT TRAYS SUNDAY LUNCH: $700 WORTH OF RAFFLES 9/10: HARRY NICHOLS LUNCH & DINNER (Sunday Lunch: Bonus FREE raffl e tickets with any meal purchase) 16/10: JOCK BARNES The Club has a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place to comply with all restrictions and keep the community safe. Jonson St, Byron Bay • 02 6685 6878 • www.byronbayservicesclub.com.au Local News For North Coast news online visit Mayoral vote pushes beachside Belongil DA through Paul Bibby ‘I’d love to wave a wand that the likely encroach- of the one absent councillor, and make this land into what ment of the water line was Labor’s Jan Hackett. Plans to build nine houses I want,’ Byron Mayor Simon significantly less than had ‘As is my policy in these on a stunning strip of land Richardson (Greens) said previously been thought. situations, I’m using my cast- between Elements of Byron in a speech supporting the It placed the line 135m ing vote to reflect the view Resort and Belongil Beach rezoning. further seaward than that set of the absent councillor,’ Cr are a step closer, after Byron ‘If I had my choice I’d give down by the previous assess- Richardson said. Council agreed to move it to the community and ment. However, speaking ‘In this case, she indicated forward with rezoning the plant it out with beautiful during public access, local that she strongly supports site to ‘Environmental Living’. native species. But it’s not resident Sandra Heilpern the proposal.’ In a vote which came my land – it’s private land. questioned whether this down to the wire at last ‘From an environmental report was reliable. Writers fest replies week’s planning meeting, the point of view, short of doing When asked about any Council gave the rezoning nothing, which isn’t going Experts paid for by possible impacts on the proposal the green light, to happen; having nine proponent Byron Writers Festival, its meaning it will proceed to residences with no ability Rezoning plans according to the DA. Chair, Adam van Kempen, ‘Gateway Determination’ to have any more, no abil- ‘My experience is that it’s told The Echo, ‘In the ten by the NSW Department of ity for tourism, and with is to ‘provide for low-impact said. ‘At least at the moment a good idea to get independ- years that Ganra have owned Planning. protections for the most residential development in those who can’t afford to ent expertise when the the site, they have been Located at the northern environmentally sensitive areas with special ecological, stay at the resort can at expert has been paid for by strong supporters of the end of Bayshore Drive, the areas, is the best outcome scientific or aesthetic values’ least wander down to the the proponent,’ Ms Heilpern festival, and have kept us privately owned area was we’re going to get. and to ‘ensure that residen- beach. said. informed of their plans’. used as a golf course in the ‘I see no reason to stop tial development does not ‘These [residential] blocks ‘This piece of land and ‘Over the years, the 1980s and is currently used this, other than that we want have an adverse affect on will be costly, they won’t be its adjoining lands – which festival location has changed by the Byron Writers Festival. something to stay the way those values’. small houses – they’ll want could be next in line [for a number of times within the It is also very popular with it is.’ But Cr Richardson’s fences, they’ll want pets. development] – are some Elements/Ganra land, and locals and tourists alike who Under the rezoning pro- Greens colleague, Deputy ‘We’re being told that this of the most beautiful beach we have discussed with rep- use it for dog walking and to posal 75 per cent of the 41ha Mayor Sarah Ndiaye, said [zoning proposal] is the best access points in the Shire. resentatives of Ganra over access the pristine northern site will fall under either an she believed the site should outcome we’re going to get, ‘It’s a rare gift not to be the last couple of years how end of Belongil Beach.