THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] [email protected] http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 20 #10 TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2005 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only TO BOLDLY SPLIT INFINITIVES Illegal holiday lets in Such a Splendiforous outing Byron Bay to close Fears are circulating among Barham. She points out that, workshop to work out more the tourism industry that the if approved, the new Local sensible regulation of the holiday rental market will be Environment Plan for Byron industry. We’re developing a ‘closed down’ if Council Bay will permit holiday serv- range of options. We need to enforces its policy on holiday iced apartments in medium slow everything down and letting. Advice from Coun- density areas such as Law- have a sensible discussion of cil’s lawyers and the Depart- son Street and parts of the issues.’ ment of Planning have con- Shirley Street. While admitting that the fi rmed that the permanent Asked what action Coun- industry does need some letting of properties to holi- cil is likely to take next, and regulation he said he was not day makers in the residential whether it will close down all ready to disclose details of zone is illegal. holiday rental properties the options. Tourism Byron have esti- which are located in residen- ‘Some combination of mated that 600 out of 700 tial areas, Jan Barham replied, zones and much tougher rental properties could be ‘ We will get a report on com- noise regulation are some of affected, however a tourism pliance and we will certainly the initial thoughts,’ Mr audit produced by Southern be putting forward that we Hawkins explained. Cross University in 2004 should be writing to all those Jan Barham doesn’t agree counted only 17 percent of people who are doing it ille- that the industry will col- all holiday rental houses and gally and inform them.’ lapse as a result of Council’s Kali and Astro Boy, pictured above, dancing it up at the Dance Inc units within the 2(a) resi- Tourism Byron’s Grant decision. tipi circle on Saturday at Splendour. Right, Kele Okereke, lead singer dential zone. Hawkins believes Council’s ‘Well, the idea that it is with eagerly awaited British band Bloc Party, who set alight the The anomaly can be partly decision could have a disas- going to impact negatively Supertop with their funky hip hop blend. Photo Jeff ‘E Mood ’ Dawson attributed, say SCU research- trous effect on the tourism on the tourism industry is a ers, to the fact that proper- sector. subjective view from the real Mandy Nolan of Queens of the Stone Age, ties along Lawson Street, ‘It will close the industry estate agents. I know that we After a cold and windy week or alternatively, slipping into Alcorn Street and the down. If they can regulate it have so many new tourism the sun came out for Splen- the sophisticated ambience Belongil were not counted in of course. Everyone is ask- opportunities coming on dour in the Grass this week- of Moby. the study as those areas are ing how is it going to be line, particularly with tour- end. Hundreds of kilos of It was undeniably a huge festival tickets sold out in currently zoned coastal ero- regulated?’ ism units in the centre of rubber wellies will be mak- weekend in Byron, with an just one hour, and after bans sion (7f2) and not 2(a). Grant Hawkins says every- town which are legally ing their way back home estimated 40,000 partygo- on ebay sales, punters were Holiday letting in the tour- one needs to take a step back allowed because they are in a unmuddied as thousands of ers in town, looking for a arriving hopeful that they ism strips along Shirley from the issue. ‘Tourism business area. I also know punters made contact with ticket to ride, some a fence would be able to buy a ticket Street and Lawson Street Byron will be inviting Coun- that some of the legitimate their inner wild child, letting to jump, and others were in Byron. It was certainly a will not be deemed illegal cil and community groups to tourism operators say they loose and turning on to the happy enough just to be profi table weekend for ticket according to Mayor Jan work through the issues in a continued on page 2 strange and gutteral growls near the action. This year scalpers, withsome tickets selling privately for almost triple their original cost. Damage bill from last month’s fl oods could reach $1.5 million While the mood within the festival was described as Alex McAuley Funding for much of the it shifting,’ said Mr Lee on mellow, there were reports Byron Shire is facing an esti- cost. Monday. ‘We are having an of a few threatening inci- mated $1.5 million clean up Brett Lee, Director of on site meeting with a geo- dents outside the festival bill in the wake of the tor- Asset Management Services tech company today to get site. rential rain and fl oods last at Byron Shire Council, said some advice on how to pro- Apart from a number of month. an inspection last week iden- ceed. We have also arranged young revellers peaking too With the majority of the tified 340 locations where for a demolition company to early, if the number of shirt- damage caused to the Shire’s repair work is required, inspect the site in order to less young men in Jester hats roads by land slips and ero- including the landslip along assess how to best remove is anything to go by, a good sion, Byron Shire Council is Lighthouse Road and the the damaged sections of the time was had by all. in the process of assessing adjacent boardwalk, pic- boardwalk. Although those over 30 the damage and preparing a tured right. ‘We are also working did complain they came submission for the RTA in ‘The boardwalk fell as a closely with National Parks away feeling they needed an order to claim Disaster Relief result of the ground beneath continued on page 2 urgent dose of botox. ** 9, Ê, 7, Ê-/ Ê-" - - Ê 9Ê,Ê** 9, ÊUÊ/,* Ê -// ]Ê "1 Ê9 , Ê/" ÊUÊ,Ê -Ê/" 1 ÊUÊ / , Ê 6Ê 1-" Ê-9-/ f x ÓÊÃÊÃÌÊLÞÀÊL>Þ ££ 2 July 26, 2005 Byron Shire Echo www.echo.net.au Local News Drug bust in c-moog Buttery goes neotribal A police operation to investi- Act a temporary closure gate drug supply in Byron order can be issued if police Bay nightclubs resulted in a suspect that staff or custom- raid on c-moog nightclub ers are using the premises to arn selection widest y ast over the weekend. sell prohibited drugs. on the North Co At 1am on Saturday morn- Police were still trying to at Byron Bay Craft ing, around 25 police from determine the street value the Tweed/Byron Local Area of the drugs as The Echo Knitting Yarns Patterns Classes Command conducted a went to press. A 30-year-old Shop 6, off Byron St, first right after Centrelink – 6680 9951 search of the Jonson Street Brunswick Heads man was Glorious yarns, beautiful patterns. club, arresting four men and charged with two counts of taking them to Byron Bay supplying a prohibited Police Station after fi nding drug, two counts of deem- large quantities of drugs ing to supply a prohibited including ecstasy. Police have drug and knowingly taking revealed that the arrests part in supplying a prohib- included both employees of ited drug. He was refused the nightclub as well as bail and appeared in Lis- patrons. more Local Court over the Following the raid the club weekend. was closed down for 72 A further three men were hours and was due to reopen issued with field court on Tuesday morning, but is attendance notices for drug likely to remain the subject related matters and are due In support of the Buttery’s positive feelings held deeply of monitoring for further to appear in Byron Bay Local efforts to help build a new within your consciousness, breaches. Under the Liquor Court on August 19. facility, Byron BodyArt expressed within a context of Movement is offering a art and theatre with other ‘neotribal’ workshop this trusted participants. Be Damage bill for fl oods rises Saturday, July 30 at the Bud- immersed in an authentic dha Bar Lounge. ritual that includes painting ,OGlRE From front page deem further work is ‘Enter the ancient and instruction, breathing, visu- and Wildlife as we don’t required to protect the infra- mind-altering experience of alization, dance, movement AWARM want to compromise the sta- structure from severe BodyArt, a fluid, fun and and meditation,’ said a bility of the escarpment. weather events in the future, safe journey that will trans- spokesperson from Byron WELCOME There is a house at the bot- Council will need to foot the form your life with the raw BAM. tom that needs to be pro- bill. power of creativity. This Call Zen for more infor- GREATPIZZAPASTA tected.’ ‘Council will have to pay workshop will connect you mation on 6680 5150. Photo: Mr Lee estimated that the $25 000 out of the fi rst $100 with primal energies and Jeff ‘Buttery Body’ Dawson $INEIN (OME$ELIVERY4AKE!WAY single lane traffi c restrictions 000 of the clean up costs,’ ,AWSON3T "YRON"AY on Lighthouse Road would explained Mr Lee, who is ‘One fi fth of our residen- 3UFFOLK0ARK remain in force for several expecting the majority of the Illegal lets tial housing stock is being months at least while the damage bill to be picked up Front front page holiday let which is part of road is stabilised and by the state government have suffered a downturn in the reason we have an afford- repaired.Unconfi rmed esti- through Disaster Relief occupancy rates because of able housing problem and a "7Ê mates put the repair bill for Funding.