W H AT ’ S N E W S P U S S Y C AT ? – S A F F R O N S H A N D The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 37 #23 • November 16, 2022 • www.echo.net.au
Tweed MP saves koalas from logging – for now Aslan Shand
A Byron Caper Performer Sienna Dillon struts her hoops in-front of Mambo artist Paul McNeil’s famous giant worms at the Caper Festival over the weekend. The festival offered up delectable bites from some of Byron’s best eateries, along with music and talks, all scattered across various venues in Byron Bay. Photo Jeff ‘hoopless since 1986’ Dawson
What’s missing from the Mullum Pod Flood Report? Aslan Shand The Resilience NSW (ResNSW) Flood Report on the impact of the fill at the emergency housing site at Mullumbimby was finally released to the public on 7 November. The report details the impacts that the fill, built up to current 1-in-100 year flood level under selected Scenario A, will have on flood levels for existing housing, in particular on Prince, Poinciana and Station Streets. ‘According to the report, there are 11 properties that will see an increase in flooding in a 1-in-100 year event, and 85 properties that will actually see a reduction in flooding in this type of event,’ said Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon. ‘They might not want the fill to be removed.’
Bangalow Bowlo votes on Norths amalgamation ▶ p4
Two properties identified in the ResNSW Flood Report, with six units that were severely impacted by flooding in 2022, will see a 3cm increase of above-floor flooding as a direct result of the fill in a 1-in-100-year flood (as labelled in 2020 by the North Byron Floodplain Management Study and Plan). The temporary pod site will provide 40 units, for up to 160 people who were affected by the devastating February floods. However, there are key areas where the ResNSW Flood Report by BMT fails to provide adequate information on how their conclusions are drawn regarding the impact on existing houses and residents in these areas. Local Councillor and hydrologist Duncan Dey pointed out that, ‘At 40 pages this is a very thin technical report and it has not
Reconstruction plan light on detail ▶ p8
It’s all about the bees... ▶ p19
provided the modelling and details needed to allow the public to see how they reached, or to confirm, the conclusions they have put forward. There is also no clue as to who did the actual modelling, or authored the report’.
3–6cm not a small increase In their November Construction Update, ResNSW say that this is a ‘small increase in flood levels’. However, Cr Dey says that ‘in the profession, rises of 3cm or 6cm are not considered small’, ‘The government should accelerate the many flood mitigation options at its disposal, as described in the adopted North Byron Floodplain Risk Management Plan. That plan is a joint venture of Council and the NSW ▶ Continued on page 2
The NSW governments Private Native Forestry (PNF) bill, put forward by the Nationals, was widrawn on Monday by agriculture minister, Dugald Saunder, after several coalition MPs said they would cross the floor rather than support the bill. This included local Tweed Nationals MP Goeff Provest along with Liberals Shayne Mallard and Felicity Wilson. ‘Mr Provest told the Government he was not prepared to support the bill. The Government withdrew the bill,’ a spoklespeson for Mr Provest told The Echo. ‘This is the second time that these same proposed legislative changes have been defeated by a member of the Government, last time it was Catherine Cusack crossing the floor to defeat the Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill,’ said North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) spokesperson Dailan Pugh. ‘The Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Private Native Forestry) Bill 2022 intended to remove protection for core koala habitat, allow logging almost everywhere over private lands, and take away community rights to have a say in where and how logging can occur in their Local Government Area. ‘The PNF bill was not just an attack on koalas in an attempt to allow logging everywhere, it is also an attempt to remove community’s rights to be informed and have a say in what happens in their areas,’ explained Mr Pugh. ‘We would particularly like to thank the Member for Tweed, Geoff Provest for threatening to cross the floor and vote against his own Government’s bill. ‘While these changes have been defeated for the second time, unfortunately they will be resurrected after the election unless there is a change of Government or Premier Perrottet gives a cast-iron promise to bury it forever.’
The tastiest Bangalow Show Be healthy, reading to be this weekend feel healed had ▶ p24 ▶ p27 ▶ p30
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