BEHIND EVERY FACE THERE IS A MASK, AND BEHIND THAT A STORY – MARTY RUBIN The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 35 #10 • Wednesday, August 19, 2020 • www.echo.net.au Reforest Now – planting the seeds for the future Byron Council ignores ƆƐëƐĕȞĎĕưĕōşżŔĕŕƐëĎưĶĈĕ Paul Bibby Councillor Alan Hunter said there was nothing wrong with Byron Council will forge ahead with Council including extra land in the its plan to investigate using large strategy. areas of land in the Shire’s north ‘We’ve lost jobs in this Shire and for business and industrial use, we’ve lost investment because we in defiance of the NSW Planning haven’t had parcels of industrial Department. land big enough to meet the During a heated planning meet- requirements of businesses,’ Cr ing last week in which Mayor Simon Hunter said. Richardson tried unsuccessfully to ‘There’s no cost to having more limit the debate, a majority of coun- land in the investigation stage of cillors voted to continue with the the process than we need. proposed Business and Industrial ‘The more we can equip our- Lands Strategy (BILS), ignoring the selves for the future, the better off department’s concerns. we’re going to be.’ The BILS involves earmarking more than 40 hectares of land ƐëǔŔĶƆſĕżſĕƆĕŕƐëƐĶşŕ across the Shire for possible indus- However, Matthew O’Reilly from trial development. the Saddle Ridge Local Area Man- Around half of this is contained agement Planning Association said A new nursery and volunteer space for local tree planting NGO, Reforest Now, will go a long way towards within three separate areas, known that Council staff had misrepre- helping the group plant upwards of 150 species of native subtropical trees, shrubs, and vines in the Byron area as the Gulgan Road precincts, sented how much land was needed and surrounds. Giving the babies some lovin’ are Reforest Now co-founders, Maximo Bottaro and Zia Flook, located on vacant land near Mul- by failing to include existing vacant with nursery staff Romey Vassell, Kate Pritchard, Madeline West, and Josh Fry-Hall. Anyone can donate trees lumbimby, Tyagarah and Brunswick industrial land in their calculations. to be planted in the Byron Shire region – visit www.reforestnow.org.au. Photo Tree Faerie Heads. ‘I think you [the staff ] should be In a recent letter to Council, ashamed at how this is represented the NSW Department of Planning in this report,’ said Mr O’Reilly, who said that it did not approve the is planning to stand for Council at Housie shed in Brunswick Heads being boarded up investigation of these precincts for the next election. Aslan Shand Tweed, Ballina, and Lismore shires. sadly this small group rendered industrial use. ‘It’s very [Donald] Trump-like: However, the rest, who say they the location unusable,’ said Matt In a similar argument to that if we say the false thing enough, What happens when you are were not off ered housing, moved Kehoe, Detective Chief Inspector made by local opponents of people will believe us. Well, the homeless, are moved on, and to the Housie Shed in Banner Park, and Off icer in Charge of Byron Bay the BILS, the department noted department is not going to believe have nowhere to go? You move to Brunswick Heads. Police Station. that ‘the estimated yield in the you, and neither is the community.’ another spot, in the public domain, Following complaints of anti- endorsed investigation areas and Council staff defended the and set up yet another temporary social behaviour, intimidation, and Boarded up existing vacant industrial areas will report by saying that a significant place to call home. drug and alcohol use in that loca- In response, Reflections have exceed the 8–12ha total projected proportion of the Shire’s vacant That is what happened when tion they were told last Thursday now boarded up the Housie Shed in demand, which Council estimates industrial land was no longer the group of homeless people who by representatives from Reflections Brunswick Heads stating that, ‘We will be needed by 2040’. deemed suitable for use, and so had been camped at the Brunswick Holiday Parks and the local police, understand that several community But at last week’s meeting, a it was not useful to include this in Heads Nature Reserve opposite the that they would be moved on the groups utilise this shed, however, majority of Byron councillors voted future projections. Surf Life Saving Club were moved next day. concerns surrounding the usage to follow a recommendation from Independent councillor, Cate on. Five to six members of the ‘The site is within an alcohol free of this area and possible conse- their own staff to the eff ect that Coorey, did not accept this argu- group accepted off ers of housing zone and accessed by the general quences in this era of COVID-19, has Council should dismiss this advice ment and moved a motion that outside Byron Shire in a mix of community and children, and ▶ Continued on page 5 from the department. ▶ Continued on page 2 Byron Shire A little bit of ‘ugly’ Planet Watch: Living Shift ing Health & Mandy: Australia’s Council and hard border within nature’s Sands Healing new great divide Notices ▶ p12 closures ▶ p13 limits ▶ p18 ▶ p21 ▶ p22 ▶ p24 dŚĞĞƐƚdĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJŝŶ^ŽůĂƌWŽǁĞƌ͕ ^ŽůĂƌWŽǁĞƌĞĚĂƌ ƵŐƵƐƚ^ŽůĂƌWŽǁĞƌ^ĂůĞ͊ KĨĨ'ƌŝĚ͕ZĞƐŝĚĞŶƚŝĂůΘƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ EŽ&ƵĞůͲ>ŽǁDĂŝŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ ϲ͘ϲŬtůĂĚĞĂŶĚ^ƵŶŐƌŽǁ^ƉĞĐŝĂů ϴϴϴ /LF1R& >ŝǀĞĂŶĂĨĨŽƌĚĂďůĞnjĞƌŽĐĂƌďŽŶ ϲ͘ϲŬtͲϭϴdž^ĞƌĂƉŚŝŵůĂĚĞ ^ƵŶŐƌŽǁ'ĞŶϮƌLJƐƚĂů ůŝĨĞƐƚLJůĞŶŽǁǁŝƚŚĂůŽǁŬŵEŝƐƐĂŶ>ĞĂĨ ϯϳϬt^ƉůŝƚĞůůWĂŶĞůƐ ϱŬtWƌĞŵŝƵŵ/ŶǀĞƌƚĞƌ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĞĚĨƌŽŵ:ĂƉĂŶǁŝƚŚLJŽƵƌŶĞǁ ,ŝŐŚĞƌzŝĞůĚƵĞƚŽĞƚƚĞƌ ,ŽŵĞ^ŽůĂƌŚĂƌŐŝŶŐ^ƚĂƚŝŽŶ dĞƐƚƌŝǀĞdŽĚĂLJ ^ŚĂĚŝŶŐZĞƐƉŽŶƐĞ ϴϴϴ^ŽůĂƌdĞŬŚĂƐĂĐŽŶƚŝŶƵŽƵƐƐƵƉƉůLJŽĨŶĞĂƌŶĞǁ͕ dŚĞEŝƐƐĂŶ>ĞĂĨŝƐƚŚĞůĞĂĚŝŶŐ :ĂƉĂŶĞƐĞďƵŝůƚEŝƐƐĂŶ>ĞĂĨƐĂƚŽƵƌ^ŽůĂƌWŽǁĞƌĞĚŽĨĨŝĐĞ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĐĂƌŝŶƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂĂŶĚ ϯϳϬt͊ ŝŶ&ĞĚĞƌĂů͕ƐŽďŽŽŬĂƚĞƐƚĚƌŝǀĞƚŽĚĂLJ͘tĞĂůƐŽƐƵƉƉůLJ ǁĞŚĂǀĞĂŐƌĞĂƚƐƵƉƉůLJŽĨůĂƚĞ DŽƌĞWŽǁĞƌ ŽĨĨŐƌŝĚŽƌŽŶŐƌŝĚƐŽůĂƌĐŚĂƌŐŝŶŐƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐƐŽLJŽƵŶĞǀĞƌ ŵŽĚĞůEŝƐƐĂŶ>ĞĂĨ͛ƐŝŶŐƌĞĂƚ ŝŶůĞƐƐƐƉĂĐĞ Ăůů ŚĂǀĞƚŽƵƐĞĨŽƐƐŝůĨƵĞůƐĂŐĂŝŶ͘ ĐŽŶĚŝƚŝŽŶĂĞƐƚŚĞƚŝĐĂůůLJĂŶĚ н sŝŶĐĞŶƚ^ĞůůĞĐŬ DŽƐƚƉĞŽƉůĞǁŝůůƐƉĞŶĚĂďŽƵƚΨϱϬϬϬƉĞƌLJĞĂƌŽŶƉĞƚƌŽů ŵĞĐŚĂŶŝĐĂůůLJĨƌŽŵΨϮϭ͕ϴϴϴ͘ ĨŽƌĂ&ƌĞĞ ĂŶĚŵĂŝŶƚĞŶĂŶĐĞ͕ƐŽŐŽŝŶŐĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĐĂŶďĞĂŐƌĞĂƚ tĞĂůƐŽ^ƵƉƉůLJĂŶĚ&ŝƚƚŚĞ ŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ͘dŚĞĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĞŶŐŝŶĞŽĨƚŚĞ>ĞĂĨŚĂƐĂ ůĂƚĞƐƚsĐŚĂƌŐŝŶŐdĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ŝŶĐƌĞĚŝďůĞƚŽƌƋƵĞĂŶĚĞƌŽŵŝƐƐŝŽŶƐ͘tŚLJƉĂLJĂ ĨƌŽŵ^ŽůĂƌĚŐĞĂŶĚ KŶůLJΨϰ͕ϴϴϴΎ ĨŽƌƚƵŶĞĨŽƌĂŐĂƐŐƵnjnjůĞƌǁŚĞŶLJŽƵĐĂŶŚĂǀĞĨƌĞĞ 3ULFHIRUVLQJOHVWRU\WLQURRIDQGGRHVQRW DLJĞŶĞƌŐŝ͘ LQFOXGHH[SRUWFRQWURORUVLWHFRVWV/LPLWHG WŚϬϮϲϲϴϴϰϰϴϬ ĞŶĞƌŐLJĂŶĚƚŚĞůŽǁĞƐƚƌƵŶŶŝŶŐĐŽƐƚƐĞǀĞƌ͘ RIIHUWLOVW$XJ6XEMHFWWRVLWHLQVSHFWLRQ ǁǁǁ͘ϴϴϴƐŽůĂƌƚĞŬ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ Local News For North Coast news online visit ƷĎŕĕƷĈşƖżōĕǕŕĕĎşưĕſ $11,000 following dog attack Lennox’s Angus paints Behrouz for Archibald The Sydney-based owners deal”,’ Mr James said. of an American Staff ordshire ‘The Magistrate obviously terrier were fined $8,000 and thought it was a big deal, ordered to pay vet bills and noting not only the serious- legal costs of $3,334 aft er a ness of this attack but the fatal dog attack at Suff olk fact that the owner of the Park in December 2019. dog showed no remorse or The matter was heard at respect.’ the Byron Bay Local Court One month earlier, on 30 this week. November 2019, the Staf- ‘This attack was horrific for fordshire terrier had been the owners of a dachshund, involved in two separate which was on a lead, and attacks on dogs at Maroubra set upon by an unrestrained in Sydney. American Staff ordshire The Staff ordshire terrier terrier on 29 December,’ said was euthanised following the Byron Shire Council’s legal attack at Suff olk Park. counsel, Ralph James. ‘The large fines imposed ‘The Staff ordshire terrier on the defendants in this bit the owner of the dachs- case is an indication of the hund on the leg and then seriousness of this attack,’ Mr attacked the smaller dog, James said. inflicting fatal wounds. ‘There is no place in the ‘It took two people to Byron Shire, or anywhere for pull the Staff ordshire terrier that matter, for dangerous away from the dachshund, dogs. The judgement sends with the owner in charge a strong message to people of the attacking dog at the about the need to manage time, later allegedly describ- and control their dogs in ing the incident as “no big public areas.’ Lennox Head artist Angus McDonald, has submitted his portrait of the author and activist Behrouz Boochani to the prestigious 2020 Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. To paint the piece Mr McDonald spent five days in New Zealand Rebates Still Available! with Behrouz, a Kurdish-Iranian journalist who was held in the Manus Island Detention centre in Papua New Guinea from 2013 until 2017. It was here that he wrote his celebrated memoir No Friend But the Mountains and smuggled it out via text messages. ‘Whatever happens, I was privileged to stay five days in NZ with this courageous, talented and beautiful man who embarrassed me with his hospitality and kindness. It’s an honour to paint him,’ said Mr McDonald. Photo supplied Family Owned & Operated More land for business development pushed by Greens Mayor WANT SOLAR? ▶ Continued from page 1 However, Mayor Simon permitted under Council’s Richardson, Michael Lyon INSTALLED IN 30 DAYS Council redraft the BILS Richardson then intervened, code of meeting practice, and Jeanette Martin joined in accordance with the in a bid to prevent any Council’s legal counsel, with Cr Hunter and Labor’s ‘qualifications and amend- debate on the amendment, Ralph James, advised that it Paul Spooner in voting down GUARANTEED! ments’ requested by the using his position as chair of was not. the amendment and sup- department. the meeting to immediately While this allowed debate porting the motion recom- put the amendment and the to continue on the amend- mended by staff . Mayor attempts to original motion to a vote. ment, it made little diff er- Cr Coorey, Cr Basil Cam- When Cr Coorey ques- ence to the final outcome. eron, and Cr Sarah Ndiaye ƆƐĶǔōĕĎĕćëƐĕ tioned whether this was Greens councillors Simon (Greens) voted against. $0 UPFRONT FINANCE ‘Raucous cabaret’ gets council go-ahead Paul Bibby let complaining of ‘raucous during the middle of the such as this.’ CALL NOW cabaret’ and ‘foot-stomping school holidays is completely Councillors appeared to Major renovations to the rock shows’ at the venue.