EVERY CLOWN HAS OPINIONS (SINCE 1986) The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 37 #21 • November 2, 2022 • www.echo.net.au
House buybacks, raising and ſĕƐſşǕƐ şŕ şǔĕſ A joint NSW-federal flood resilience package for house buybacks, raising and retrofits for floodaffected homes in the region will commence from November. The Resilient Homes Program was announced last week in Lismore by Labor PM Albanese, Liberal NSW Premier Perrottet and local MPs. Touted to be worth $800m, it will be rolled out by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC). Eligible homeowners, according to www.nsw.gov.au, can apply ‘based on expert property assessments, flood impact severity data, safety risks and potential future flood levels’. Resilient Homes Program community information sessions have been announced for Lismore and Murwillumbah, but none for Byron Shire, as yet. While North Coast NSW Greens MPs welcomed the package, Greens MP for Ballina, Tamara Smith, told The Echo the buybacks could result in a ‘mass exodus of community members’, which ‘is in itself a further trauma’. Upper House NSW Greens MP and Lismore resident, Sue Higginson, said, ‘Right now, in this state, there are developments planned on floodplains, estuarine areas and beside coastlines that will inevitably be threatened by rising water’. ‘This funding needs to be broadened so that all people who are clearly not safe in their homes are given the opportunity to relocate’. To register for the Flood Property Assessment Program, visit www.nsw.gov.au.
Get ya boardies on for a charity putt
EPA vague over potential lead soil contamination Hans Lovejoy
From left, team Quiksilver’s Craig Warton, Mat Crandle, Danny Wills, and Dave Tygh with event organiser, Mark ‘Kracka’ Krackowizer. Photo Jeff ‘Puttering Since 1986’ Dawson The Byron Bay Boardriders are running the 11th annual Skullcandy Byron Bay Boardriders Charity Golf Day on Sunday, November 13. This year is special, say organisers, as it is also the tenth annual Surf Industry Challenge, a popular subset of the event. Organiser, Mark Krackowizer, says, ‘The Challenge allows local surf companies to compete to get their names on the coveted perpetual trophy designed by Mark “Mono” Stewart, and to display the trophy for the coming year’. ‘Team Quiksilver has dominated the event with four wins over the last ten years, but there are some strong teams in the field this year, so the door is open for a challenger
Theo’s mystery prompts calls for missing persons reform ▶ p10
to take their title. Other past winners include MC Surf Designs and Skullcandy’.
Helping families in need Mark says, ‘Last year’s event raised more than $10,000 to support BBB junior programs, and help locals needing a hand’. ‘When a Byron family with several children unexpectedly lost a parent this year, the club was able to assist with helping to complete their partially built home with funds from this event. ‘The club has also helped community members fighting cancer and brain trauma. ‘By training local junior surfers, the club is able to grow team
Paramotor gliders land after Guinness record bid ▶ p13
Opinions galore! Letters to the ed ▶ p14
members, who have taken on senior leadership positions in the World Surfing League, as well as competing and winning at the highest levels of the world tour. ‘As recently as last weekend, the club was able to win the North Coast Australian Boardriders Tag Team Event, and will move on to the Australian Championships in early 2023’. Mark adds, ‘The event has raised over $60,000 since its inception, and the club wholeheartedly thanks the Byron Bay community for generously donating through hole sponsorship and raffle donations’. To play in the event, contact Byron Bay Golf Club. For sponsorship or raffle donations, call 0431 570 574.
Artists in focus ▶ p21
With ‘emergency pod village’ excavation works underway on flood-prone land at Prince Street, Mullumbimby, the NSW EPA, Resilience NSW and Council are yet to supply documents that guarantee the safety of residents. Residents are still waiting for a flood report on the land, as promised by Council and Resilience NSW last week. As previously reported, a heavily redacted freedom of information document was provided to a Mullumbimby resident who was affected by floods, and now the NSW government’s rollout of pod homes. Within it, an EPA staff member warned of potential lead exposure if the soil was disturbed at Prince Street, which it has been. When asked why the NSW EPA won’t intervene and halt the works, given the known risks of lead contamination in the soil, a spokesperson instead provided The Echo with a conflicting and vague response, claiming a soil investigation is still ongoing.
Risks known since June There is no indication when the EPA assessment will be completed, despite the potential issue being flagged back on June 9. The EPA did say there was an Environmental Management Plan in place ‘to manage any potential exposure to any contamination’. Requests for that document were not replied to by Resilience NSW or the NSW EPA as of Tuesday noon. New Wildlife Corridor System
Mandy Caper celebrates the on drugs food and culture of ▶ p26 Byron Bay ▶ p27
^ĂǀĞ DŽŶĞLJ ǁŝƚŚ ^ŽůĂƌ Θ ĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ EŽǁ͊
WŽǁĞƌ WƌŝĐĞƐ ZŝƐĞ ďLJ ϭϴй dŚŝƐ zĞĂƌ ĂŶĚ WƌĞĚŝĐƚĞĚ ƚŽ ZŝƐĞ ϱϲй ŝŶ ϮϬϮϯ͊
dĞƐƚ ƌŝǀĞ Ă EŝƐƐĂŶ >ĞĂĨ s͊ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ϯϰ͕ ϯϬ Θ ϰϬ ŬtŚ ĐĂƌƐ Ăƚ ŚĂůĨ ƚŚĞ ŶĞǁ ƉƌŝĐĞ͘
tŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĚĞŵŝƐĞ ŽĨ ƐŵĂůů ƌĞƚĂŝůĞƌƐ ůŝŬĞ ŶŽǀĂ͕ ƚŚĞ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŝƐ ŝŶ ĐŚĂŽƐ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ǁŚŽůĞƐĂůĞ ƉƌŝĐĞ ŝƐ ƐŬLJƌŽĐŬĞƚŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ŽĨ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů͘ dŚĞ ĞƐƚ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ŝŶ ^ŽůĂƌ WŽǁĞƌ͕ dŚĞ ĨĞĚĞƌĂů ďƵĚŐĞƚ ŝƐ ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚŝŶŐ Ă ϱϲ ƉĞƌ ĐĞŶƚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ KĨĨ 'ƌŝĚ͕ ZĞƐŝĚĞŶƚŝĂů Θ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ Ă ϰϰ ƉĞƌ ĐĞŶƚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ŐĂƐ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĞdžƚ ϭϴ ŵŽŶƚŚƐ͘
62/$5 )5(('20
Ǩ
ůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ƌĞƚĂŝůĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ ŝŶ Ă ƉƌŝĐĞ ƐƋƵĞĞnjĞ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ƐůĂƐŚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ƚŚĞLJ ƉĂLJ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵƌ ĞdžĐĞƐƐ ƐŽůĂƌ͕ ŶŽǁ ƉĂLJŝŶŐ njĞƌŽ Ͳ ϭϬĐ ƉĞƌ ŬtŚ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ϮϭĐ ǁĞ ǁĞƌĞ ƉĂŝĚ ŝŶ ϮϬϮϬ͘ hŶůĞƐƐ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ĂŶĚ ďĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ĨĂĐŝŶŐ ƐĞƌŝŽƵƐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞƐ ŝŶ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ ĐŽƐƚƐ͘ ϴϴϴ ^ŽůĂƌ dĞŬ ŚĂǀĞ ŝŶƐƚĂůůĞĚ ŚƵŶĚƌĞĚƐ ŽĨ ƐŽůĂƌ ďĂƚƚĞƌLJ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ EŽƌƚŚĞƌŶ ZŝǀĞƌƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůĂƐƚ ϴ LJĞĂƌƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂŶ ŚĞůƉ LJŽƵ ǁŝƚŚ ŐƌĞĂƚ ĚĞĂůƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƌĞůŝĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ůŽŶŐ ůĂƐƚŝŶŐ ƐŽůĂƌ ďĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ ŝŶ ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ͘
ϴϴϴ
/LF 1R &
WŚ ϬϮ ϲϲϴϴ ϰϰϴϬ
ǁǁǁ͘ϴϴϴƐŽůĂƌƚĞŬ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ
Ăůů sŝŶĐĞŶƚ ^ĞůůĞĐŬ ĨŽƌ Ă &ƌĞĞ ŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶ