THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 31 #25 Wednesday, November 30, 2016
www.echo.net.au
YAC IS BACK
Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
pages 18 –19 A LWAY S G E T I T I N W R I T I N G
CAB AUDIT
Ignoring What’s our local Farewell Mullum overwhelming federal MP been Clifton Whyte Shop Local evidence – p10 up to? – p4,5 – p13 – p16,17
Kat and Daniel Gorskie earned their smoothies after entertaining the crowds at Saturday evening’s Street Food Party in Banner Park, Brunswick Heads. More than 29 stalls – mostly cute little food vans – were flat out keeping the gourmet delights up to the huge crowds. Photo Jeff ‘I’ll Take The Orange Pill, Thanks’ Dawson
Get active on Suffolk sportsfield: mayor the asking price.’ The mayor also explained how public pressure can influence a decision.
Public pressure ‘Politicians quantify how powerful correspondence is – a petition is 10 votes. A handwritten letter, 100 votes and a phone call is 1,000 votes. Don’t underestimate the power of a phone call.’ Q The video is online at https:// app.frame.io/f/rbi4nfG3. Q Education
minister Adrian Piccoli’s phone number is 02 8574 5300.
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Council general manager Ken Gainger has played down the possibility of introducing specific levies to help pay for an infrastructure backlog, telling The Echo such proposals ‘currently have no basis in statutory authority.’ Staff have claimed the Shire’s infrastructure such as roads will continue to deteriorate unless a special rate variation (SRV) is implemented; they have suggested a cumulative increase over four years of 33.5 per cent (deteriorate), 46.4 per cent (maintain) or 60.2 per cent (improve). While public comment for the SRV is now closed, Cr Paul Spooner has suggested a tourism infrastructure levy ‘that is applied to any business deriving income from tourists.’ In the letters section (page 12), Cr Spooner argues ‘It will then be up to each individual business to determine whether they pass on this cost to their tourism customers. For example, by applying an accommodation surcharge.’ But Mr Gainger says that such levies, whether a bed tax, tourism levy or a levy on festival patrons have no prospect – at this time – of becoming ‘recurrent and reliable revenue sources for Council.’ He said, ‘The government has previously categorically ruled out a bed tax option. Council, in its submission to be declared as Fit for the Future and thus avoid potential amalgamation, has promised the state government
that it will pursue rate increases. ‘Only rate increases can produce the sustainable and reliable recurrent revenue desperately needed to repair our failing road system.’
Property portfolio? But why isn’t Council managing a profitable property portfolio? Under legislation, councils can create a separate corporate entity as an investment arm of council. While Mr Gainger confirmed that local councils can create and manage a business unit or corporate entity as a vehicle to invest in and redevelop its property portfolio, he says there is limited property available. Such an approach is not justified, he said. ‘Nonetheless, our financial sustainability plan includes a rationalisation of Council’s property holdings to determine which properties have investment potential and those that are surplus to our needs. This has resulted in some properties being sold and the proceeds of sale invested in infrastructure projects while properties with investment potential such as the former Byron Library site in Byron Bay, the former South Byron Sewerage Treatment Plan site in Suffolk Park and a former materials dump site in Bayshore Drive are earmarked for redevelopment. ‘Our aim is to look at redevelopment options that have the potential to return a recurrent revenue source to the council and create a situation where Council is less reliant on rate continued on page 3
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Council’s general manager says only rates can address infrastructure backlog Hans Lovejoy
Media Productions, the mayor says that after a unanimous council vote to negotiate a purchase of the land, ‘We since found that the valuation on the land showed it was about three times as expensive as we thought.’ ‘We just do not have that money, and if the government holds the line and sell it at the valued price, we can’t afford it.’ He says the community needs to let the state government know that the recent protest at the sportsfield ‘is just the tip of the iceberg if they don’t negotiate in good faith with the community.’ ‘Every bit of pressure will lower
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Owing to Council being unable to afford the market price of the Suffolk Park sportsfield, mayor Simon Richardson (Greens) is calling on the community to ‘stand up and speak directly to the government.’ It’s the latest in the unfolding battle for residents to retain the open space on Beech Drive; owners of the land, the NSW education department, say the land is surplus to their needs and have pegged it for auction. And time is running out for residents to make their case clear, the mayor says. In a video produced by Bakery
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