THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 31 #22 Wednesday, November 9, 2016 www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 [email protected] [email protected] 23,200 copies every week pages 22–23 CAB US ELECTION-FREE ZONE AUDIT Online in netdaily An homage to the Let’s examine Council All you need to Bruns parks tours to double bass by operations and know about climate explain development plans www.echo.net.au/bruns-parks- S Sorrensen – p13 fi nancials! – p4, 5 change – from p14 tours-explain-development-plans Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind Flogged off Suff olk Park sportsfi eld to be auctioned for housing lots by Baird government Hans Lovejoy go towards school infrastructure and maintenance across the Ballina elec- Th e community battling to retain the torate. Th is is despite the NSW gov- only sport recreation ground in Bay- ernment having a surplus of more wood Chase has been given a small than $16 billion, which it has attained glimpse of good news with the minis- in large part from public asset sales. ter responsible for the sell-off indicat- Locally based NSW Nation- ing he will consider the issue further. als Party MLC Franklin says he is Residents were quick to mobilise strongly opposed to the sale and over plans to auction the three hec- told The Echo he met with education tare (7.41 acres) park on Beech Drive, minister and deputy Nationals leader Suff olk Park – a protest at the park is Adrian Piccoli on Tuesday morning. planned for Wednesday November As a result, Mr Franklin says Mr 16 from 5.30pm. Piccoli gave a commitment ‘to con- Byron Ballet will celebrate its tenth birthday with a Shakespeare production of Midsummer Night’s Dream, A social media campaign has sider the issue further.’ on what, incidentally is the playwright’s 400th anniversary. Pictured are guest professional dancers, who started and a change.org petition Remarkably, the land is being of- are joining Byron Ballet’s local cast for the family-friendly show. From left is Michael Braun (as Oberon), Saki had more than 1,800 signatures as fered on the assumption it will be re- Tanaka (as Hippolyta), Monique Jose-Martella (as Hermia but in costume as Titania) and Sean Williams (as of Tuesday. zoned from education use to residen- Lysander but in costume as Bottom). Four shows will run from November 11 till 13 and will be held at the Byron Th e auction of education depart- tial, which would push up the value. Community Centre. For tickets and performance times visit www.byroncentre.com.au. Photo Jeff Dawson ment-owned land by Sydney-based And while the state govern- realtor CI is planned for Tuesday No- ment have off ered to sell the land vember 29 at 12pm. It comes without to Council, staff say a residential Whale throws up, govt alerted any community consultation. rezoned purchase price is consid- ered to be ‘outside Council fi nancial Local man Paul Finnegan says he know where it will end up, as it has Bureaucrats speaks on capacity to enter into negotiations’. couldn’t believe his luck aft er fi nd- commercial value. Personally I would But councillors are unanimous ing a very rare and valuable wax-like love to see the money from this used behalf of minister in the push to halt the sale while substance that was secreted from for whale research or given to Sea It’s unclear whether the NSW staff seek an ‘independent valuation the intestines of a sperm whale on a Shepherd. There’s no guarantee of Liberal/National government or of the land’ on the basis of its exist- local beach last Wednesday. what will happen with it if I give it to bureaucrats are behind the push to ing use, a general community use/ It’s called ambergris and is used a government department.’ develop the park into approximately sportsfi eld, or RE1 zone. in perfume manufacture, yet is un- Mr Finnegan says he will further 34 residential lots. If accepted, Council are asking lawful to keep despite there being no investigate the legalities around the Last Friday The Echo asked edu- that report ‘be brought before Coun- eff ect on the whale. fi nd. cation minister Adrian Piccoli’s of- cil to further advance securing this ‘I’m told it’s illegal to own or sell,’ Possession and movement of am- fi ce if he would reconsider the deci- essential asset for the community’. he told The Echo, and added that bergris is defi ned under Part 13A of sion, but a spokesperson from the A staff report from the October National Parks and Wildlife Service the Environment Protection and Bio- department replied instead. 27 Council meeting raised concerns (NPWS) have asked him to drop it diversity Conservation Act 1999. Ambergris the size of a football The department’s spokesperson about social impacts and loss of public in to their offi ces. ‘It feels unaccount- Q NPWS was contacted regard- was recently found on a Byron told The Echo the land is ‘surplus to amenity as the fi eld adjoins Council- able to do that,’ he says. ‘I’d like to ing this story. Shire beach. Photo contributed their requirements’ and that cash will continued on page 3 The Truth About The REAL Cost of Solar Batteries Take Back Your Power! Solar batteries not only have to look pretty, they have to save you money. Solar Battery Value Comparison Chart 888 Solar Tek provide Motoma Gel-Acid batteries with Megapulse - a battery immune system that extends battery life for years longer. We supply customised new Battery Brand Battery Cost Usable kWh Life-cycle Cost per kWh or retrofit hybrid and off grid solar systems to match your power use - not a one size <Grid Price Motoma $3,800 6.72 kWh $0.15 fits all packages. 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Please do not place Place it all in a bag, tie it up and put it and free of food but they don’t need to be windscreens please. these items in your recycling bin. in your recycling bin. washed. Save time and elbow grease. R R U U L L E E 7 5 6 8 CLEAN LEAVE THE POLYSTYRENE LABEL KEEP IT LOOSE HARDEN UP Place recyclables into the bin loose Clean, white polystyrene can now be placed You can place all hard plastics in your The labels on bottles and containers not stacked inside one another or in in your recycling bin. Put it in a plastic bag recycling bin regardless of whether they wash off during the recycling process. plastic bags. (This excludes polystyrene display the triangle or not. This includes and tie it up. Please no bean bag beans. There is no need to remove them. and soft plastics.) plastic tableware, toys and plant pots. R R U U L L E E 9 12 EVERY LITTLE GRAB A SATCHEL NO FOOD PLEASE PUT A LID ON IT BIT COUNTS Grab a Resource Recovery Collection Satchel Place all small plastics such as bread tags and for household batteries, reading glasses, corks, Food and food-spoiled paper and cardboard You can now leave the lids on all your recyclables. straws in an empty milk bottle, put the lid on and X-rays, CDs and DVDs, mobile phones and items such as pizza boxes and paper towel Put the lids back on your plastic bottles and place in your recycling bin. They are too small for accessories, printer cartridges, small electronics, do not belong in your recycling bin. Please containers, glass jars and bottles (including twist the MRF machinery to remove on their own but electrical cords and smoke alarms. put these items in your green organics bin. tops) and put them in your recycling bin. are still a valuable resource. For more information contact the Resource Recovery Hotline on 1300 652 625 or visit the Byron Shire Council website at www.byron.nsw.gov.au/waste 2 November 9, 2016 The Byron Shire Echo Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo Local News Aff ordable All that Biz awards open housing rally Nominations are now open to at the chamber’s Christmas glitters is all businesses across the Shire party at the Byron Bay public An aff ordable-housing rally is for the Byron Bay Chamber pool on November 24, 2016.