FEELING THE INVISIBLE, GENTLE, GUIDING HAND OF GOVERNMENT SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 37 #41 • March 22, 2023 • www.echo.net.au
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Adel Pheloung
The Sidestep Kids festival, held in Banner Park in Brunswick Heads last weekend, was a huge hit. Pictured is Mickey Blue Eyes and his mates, who got heavily into the cosplay tent. Photo Jeff ‘Costume And Play’ Dawson
l ƆƖżżşſƐƆ ĈşŕƐſşưĕſƆĶëō ®b® Ďĕëō Hans Lovejoy Despite former Labor prime minister, Paul Keating, calling the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal the ‘worst international decision’ by a Labor government in more than 100 years, local federal Labor MP, Justine Elliot is promoting the massive increase in military spending as good for the ‘national interest’. The Australian government last week announced it would build eight nuclear-powered submarines, with the UK and US, within the next 30 years, for $368B. The Echo asked Elliot about the deal, and she replied, ‘Our Albanese Labor government is focused on providing Australians stability, confidence and security. We’re
Labor pledges to legislate against porkbarrelling ▶ p3
providing greater economic security, cost-of-living relief to families, and security in energy, manufacturing, jobs, wages and defence. To do this, our government is increasing investment in healthcare, child care, aged care, education and access to housing. ‘And because the very first priority of all governments is to protect their citizens, we’re also bolstering Australia’s national security, because it’s in our interest to ensure our region is peaceful, stable, prosperous and respectful of sovereignty. ‘AUKUS will strengthen Australia’s national security and contribute to regional stability in response to unprecedented strategic challenges. ‘It will also build a future made
20 x $30 Easter Egg baskets Tickets 5.30pm Drawn 6.30pm Plus free Easter Egg with any kids meals purchased 5.30pm–8.30pm
National interest ‘We are making this decision in Australia’s national interest. Our national interest demands that we make a contribution to upholding the global rules-based order’. Despite the claims by the local MP, Keating told the National Press Club last week he disputes whether national security would be strengthened, given, ‘China has not threatened us’. Former federal Labor senator, Doug Cameron, added his concerns, telling the ABC, ‘I’d rather we funded many other things’. Q See comment, page 16
Solé’s on a mission Making beautiful to help local spaces for your home dingoes ▶ p6 and garden ▶ p27
RAFFLES
Saturday 1st April
in Australia, by Australians, with record investments in defence, skills, jobs and infrastructure.
Over a year has passed since the devastating February 2022 floods, but many residents of the Northern Rivers have not received the support to retrofit, raise or buyback their homes, as pledged to them by the federal and state governments. Byron Shire’s homeowners are no exception, with numerous community residents beginning to become frustrated by the lack of meaningful expenditure of floodrecovery money. Regarding the lack of support for homeowners, the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corp (NRRC) told The Echo that, ‘All residents who have registered with the Resilient Homes Program will be provided with information about their eligibility for a voluntary buyback, house raising or house retrofitting by mid-2023’. The spokesperson added that all homeowners registered with the Resilient Homes Program, ‘are eligible for all three Resilient Homes Program streams (voluntary home buyback, raising or retrofitting)’. ‘[A] combination of factors, including the location of the residential dwelling relative to the modelled flood levels (Annual Exceedance Probability), flood impact severity data, safety risks and potential future flood levels’ will be relied upon to decide the exact program stream each property is eligible for’. For those homeowners who have already paid for work before securing a Resilient Homes Program offer; there is still a chance to ‘receive
The Byron A&I Estate is a hub of creativity ▶ p28
funding or reimbursement’ if eligible for retrofitting, which will be analysed ‘on a case-by-case basis’.
Slabs cannot be raised A key concern for the floodaffected residents of Mullumbimby is what help will be given to highrisk brick homes built on concrete slabs, as they cannot be raised. The reply was, ‘adding another level to brick homes is not currently part of the Resilient Homes Program’, meaning that retrofitting or buyback are the only options available to such homeowners. The Echo was also told that the ‘NRRC is developing plans to further investigate the number of homes eligible for house raising in Mullumbimby’, which ‘will be undertaken in consultation with homeowners, community members, Byron Shire Council and relevant specialist contractors’. It’s unclear whether further investigation will focus on what alternatives are available for the multiple brick-on-slab homes that flooded. Regarding Council’s own flood recovery effort, The Echo was informed by the mayor that ‘two dedicated recovery positions… have been appointed by Council post-floods’, who will, ‘act as a conduit between community, government and other areas of Council’, and focus on key areas of work, including ‘advocacy, facilitation of key stakeholder groups, including the Community Resilience Network, collaboration and community engagement’. The mayor acknowledged that ▶ Continued on page 3
Giggity giggity! ▶ p34
Tradies galore ▶ p41
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