DECRIMINALISATION IS DOPE The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 37 #38 • March 1, 2023 • www.echo.net.au
Grant me this
How councils are reliant on govt grants to provide basic services Hans Lovejoy
Beach beats Afro-Brazilian drumming group, Batala, staged an impromptu performance at Main Beach Byron on Sunday to raise cancer research awareness. Kim Kilgariff told The Echo that Batala were raising funds for local woman, Sally, who is undergoing Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT) cancer therapy, which has promising results, but is only available overseas. Sally’s gofundme link is gofund.me/005a4e7d. Photo Jeff Dawson
IPC hears of holiday letting pros and cons The Independent Planning Commission (IPC) held its public hearings last week over two days, with commissioners hearing from organisations and residents on the negative and positive impacts from holiday letting. The IPC is collating submissions around Council’s plans to introduce a precinct model to regulate the short-term rental accommodation (STRA) industry, something that has been strongly opposed by the sector. After Planning Minister Anthony Roberts (Liberal) reneged late last year on an agreement for Council to self-regulate the industry, he asked both the IPC and the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE)
to provide recommendations to ‘improve housing affordability and rental availability in the Byron Shire’. The reports will inform the ministers’ views as to whether Council can proceed with its adopted policy. Other NSW councils already have precinct models in place. Apart from presentations by DPE, councillors and the STRA sector, speakers included Kim Goodrick, Jan Barham, David Wallace, Leone Bolt, Liz Friend, Sabine Muschter, Holly English, Chris Kerin, and Belinda Lewis. Deb Summons, representing the Byron Chapter of the Australian Short Term Rental Association (ASTRA), argued that holiday
homes are not suited to become or return to the rental market, something echoed by Reid Campbell from Byron Bay Holiday Hire. Ocean Shores pharmacist, Brett Dyer, explained to the panel how difficult it is to find and retain staff owing to the housing shortage. With her submission, Tricia Shantz quoted the 1993 book Ground Rules, Social Planning for Local Government, by Colleen Menzies: ‘Communities become ghettos when their social dynamics are destroyed and their sense of community pride is replaced by wanting to move elsewhere’. For more information visit www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au.
North Coast Which NSW election Celebrate candidates support pork news Regeneration this ▶ p10 barrel grant reform? ▶ p6 Saturday ▶ p24
Let’s examine the grip on NSW councils by the state and federal governments! Why? Because roads and infrastructure works, for example, are dependent not only on Council revenue from rates and fees, but also NSW and federal government grants. And considering some grants are hand picked by ministers to favour certain electorates (called pork barrelling), it raises questions around equity and integrity in governance. The Echo asked all NSW election candidates their position on this, which is reported on page 6. According to Byron Council’s Director Corporate and Community Services, Esmeralda Davis, ‘Grants are a significant portion of Council revenue, and in 2022, [equate to] more than Council raises in general land rates’. ‘Grants are split by operating and capital. If a grant is operating, it is used to fund an activity or purposes on an operating basis, whereas capital grants are provided for the renewal of existing assets or construction of new assets’. A table provided to The Echo by Davis showed that in 2022, total grants amounted to $33,339,000, while general rates revenue was $26,863,000. In 2021, grants totalled $22,505,000 against a general rates revenue of $26,106,000. Davis says, ‘The big difference between 2022 and 2021 in terms of overall grant revenues is essentially funding
associated with the February/March 2022 flood events, and this will continue at elevated levels for the next few years, as Council restores the damaged infrastructure’. ‘In 2022, 26.5 per cent of Council’s overall revenue came from grants, whereas general land rates provided 21.3 per cent, and conversely for 2021, 19.7 per cent of Council’s revenue came from grants, whereas general land rates provided 22.9 per cent. ‘There are currently 72 grants available from differing sources, including the NSW and federal governments, and philanthropic programs’, Davis said, adding ‘Council is also not eligible for many of them owing to the grant being targeted at differing sectors, eg manufacturing, health, research’. Councillors tabled grant applications, both successful and not, at last Thursday’s meeting. Recent successful grants included a floodplain management plan ($266,667), topping up funds for the Byron Community Hub ($1,236,956), helping with pothole repair ($1,334,231) and hosting Australia Day ($30,000). Unsuccessful grants, according to the staff report, were public amenities upgrades at South Beach Road, Brunswick Heads ($280,000) and former Mullumbimby Hospital site grant funding ($250,000). The importance of government grants for Council’s operations was highlighted by councillors during the meeting.
Our monthly focus on Discover the charms of the region’s ridiculously Murwillumbah, heart of the Tweed ▶ p31 talented artists ▶ p28
Ǩ WŽǁĞƌ WƌŝĐĞ ŽƵďůĞ tŚĂŵŵLJ͊ tŚLJ ^ŽůĂƌ KǁŶĞƌƐ ĂƌĞ &ƵŵŝŶŐ͘ KĨĨ 'ƌŝĚ͍ 'Ğƚ Ă ^ĞĐŽŶĚ YƵŽƚĞ ǁŝƚŚ
Ž LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ƉĂŶĞůƐ LJĞƚ ĨŝŶĚ LJŽƵƌ ďŝůů ŝƐ ŶŽǁ ƚǁŝĐĞ ĂƐ ŵƵĐŚ ĂƐ ŝƚ ǁĂƐ ůĂƐƚ LJĞĂƌ͍ dŚĞ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ŝƐ ďƌŽŬĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƚĂŝůĞƌƐ ŚĂǀĞ ĂƚƚĂĐŬĞĚ ƐŽůĂƌ ƵƐĞƌƐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĚŽƵďůĞ ǁŚĂŵŵLJ Ͳ ^ůĂƐŚ ƚŚĞ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ƚŚĞLJ ƉĂLJ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵƌ ƐŽůĂƌ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ Ăůů ƚŚĞ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĐŚĂƌŐĞƐ͘ DŽƌĞ ƉĂŝŶ ŝƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ǁĂLJ Ͳ dŚĞ ĨĞĚĞƌĂů ďƵĚŐĞƚ ŝƐ ĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚŝŶŐ Ă ϱϲ ƉĞƌ ĐĞŶƚ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞ ŝŶ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ƉƌŝĐĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŶĞdžƚ ϭϴ ŵŽŶƚŚƐ͘
W ů WLJůŽŶƚĞĐŚ ĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ Ͳ dŚĞ ŽŶůLJ Ś ŝ dŚ ů ǁŝŶŶĞƌ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ďĂƚƚĞƌLJ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂŶ ĂƚƚĞƌLJ dĞƐƚ ĞŶƚƌĞ ŝŶ hŶůĞƐƐ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ďĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ĨĂĐŝŶŐ ƐĞƌŝŽƵƐ ĂŶďĞƌƌĂ ϮϬϮϮ Ͳ dŚĞ ZĞƐƚ & /> ͊ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞƐ ŝŶ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ ĐŽƐƚƐ͘ ϴϴϴ ^ŽůĂƌ dĞŬ ŚĂǀĞ ŝŶƐƚĂůůĞĚ
62/$5 )5(('20
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 'Ğƚ Ă ,LJďƌŝĚ ŝŶǀĞƌƚĞƌ ĂŶĚ ϰ͘ϴ ŬtŚ ďĂƚƚĞƌLJ ŝŶƐƚĂůůĞĚ ĨŽƌ ĂƐ ůŽǁ ĂƐ Ψϳ͕ϴϴϴ ǁŝƚŚ ƉŽǁĞƌ ĨŽƌ ďůĂĐŬŽƵƚƐ ĂŶĚ ůŽǁĞƌ ďŝůůƐ͘
tĞ ƐƉĞĐŝĂůŝƐĞ ŝŶ ĂĨĨŽƌĚĂďůĞ ŽĨĨ ŐƌŝĚ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů͕ ŽŶͲ ƐŝƚĞ ĐŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶƐ͕ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ͘ /Ĩ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ Ă ĨƌĞĞ ĞdžƉĞƌƚ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ƋƵŽƚĂƚŝŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ K ǁŚŽ ĐŽŵĞƐ ƚŽ LJŽƵƌ ŚŽŵĞ ĂŶĚ ůŝƐƚĞŶƐ ƚŽ ǁŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ǁĂŶƚ ƚŽ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƚƐ LJŽƵƌ ďƵĚŐĞƚ ĂŶĚ ŶĞĞĚƐ͕ ůŽŽŬ ŶŽ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ͘
ϴϴϴ
/LF 1R &
WŚ ϬϮ ϲϲϴϴ ϰϰϴϬ Ăůů sŝŶĐĞŶƚ ^ĞůůĞĐŬ ĨŽƌ Ă &ƌĞĞ
ǁǁǁ͘ϴϴϴƐŽůĂƌƚĞŬ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵ
ŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶ