AVOIDING STOCK STANDARD EXPRESSIONS LIKE THE PLAGUE SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 37 #42 • March 29, 2023 • www.echo.net.au
Increased margin for MP Smith Photo & story Eve Jeffery On Saturday night, a packed Suffolk Park Hotel exploded with cheers at around 8pm, when the ABC broadcast computer popped up a Greens result for Ballina, for the return of Tamara Smith to the seat she has held for the last eight years. Smith kept her thanks brief but heartfelt: ‘Thank you so much Jan Barham – Jan worked behind the scenes with me for eight years. She has done countless things to assist me, and I recognise her as a former MLC, and former mayor. And also the Deputy Mayor Sarah Ndiaye, Councillor Duncan Day, Councillor Simon Chate and former MLC Ian Cohen, and of course, the former candidate for Richmond, the extraordinary Mandy Nolan, who has helped me so much. ‘We’re on the backs of giants.’ As of Tuesday’s count, published on vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au, Smith had attracted 14,418 votes, (34.98 per cent of the counted total), with the Nationals’ Josh Booyens following with 12,675 votes (30.76 per cent), and Labor’s Andrew Broadley with 9,442 votes (22.91 per cent). Independent Kevin Loughrey attracted 3,219 votes, or 7.81 per cent of the vote. Sustainable Australia Party candidate Peter Jenkins attracted 1,458 votes, or 3.54 per cent of the vote. The two candidate preferred (TCP) vote saw the Greens on 57.58 per cent, versus 42.42 per cent for the Nationals. The NSW Legislative Council (upper house) vote count is yet to be finalised. Like previous elections, the Greens vote was strongest in the
Durrumbul Preschool farewells Ms Duffey ▶ p4
200 road projects in waiting Paul Bibby
Greens MP for the NSW seat of Ballina, Tamara Smith, was cheered on by supporters on election night. Byron Shire (the NSW Ballina electorate comprises Byron and Ballina shires). The Nationals claimed top vote count for booths in Alstonville High, Ballina High, Emmanuel Anglican College, Meerschaum Vale Hall, Rous Public, Southern Cross School, Tintenbar Public and Wardell Hall. The Richmond Room Ballina booth was won by Labor. On Sunday morning, Smith said she felt humbled and grateful for the support of the community. ‘I’m eager to get to work tomorrow to start preparing for working with a new premier and progressive government. I never want to take our community for granted. We work hard to serve them every day.’
North Coast election roundup ▶ p6
Smith said that given what people in the region have been through in the last few years, she thinks they are demanding real action across key crises – climate, housing, and cost-of-living pressures.
Push further on reforms ‘The Greens are ready to push Labor further across all of the areas of reform that we took to this election. I look forward to working with a Labor government to deliver the second round of flood recovery assistance, flood mitigation measures across the region, and immediate reforms in housing’. ‘We want to disrupt the hold that the clubs lobby have on the Labor party, and deliver fair and equitable
Mary Gardner obit ▶ p10
funding to regional communities.’ Smith said that in the first 100 days of the new parliament, she will be introducing legislation to rein in unfettered short-term holiday letting, and negotiating to see if development slated for floodprone areas like West Byron can be curtailed. ‘Further in the south, I will work with the new government to address the poor health of the Richmond River, and deliver the money we need to clean the hundreds of drains that are so negatively affecting our floodplain farmers and the river. ‘The Greens will be pushing hard to get pay rises for nurses, midwives, paramedics, as well as teachers and aged care workers’.
Seven Entertainment chockers full of amusement ▶ p21
The incoming NSW Labor government says it will spend billions on the state’s roads, but will some of the cash find its way to the hundreds of flood-ravaged roads in the Byron Shire? As Labor leader Chris Minns and his team swept to power on Saturday, there were 200 separate road repair and maintenance projects awaiting approval in Byron Shire, most of them completely unfunded. Many of these pending projects, including Upper Main Arm, are the legacy of last year’s floods. Byron Council is almost completely reliant on state government funding to pay for these works.
Flood grants closed Additionally, the period during which Council can claim reimbursement for emergency works associated with the disaster closed nearly two months ago. Council has now gone capin-hand to Transport for NSW for additional funds to pay for interim works, but the state bureaucrats are reportedly yet to respond. ‘The question we’ve put to government is, what is the ultimate strategy to assist councils, not just our Council, but councils across the Northern Rivers to bridge this gap,’ Council’s Director of Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway told last week’s Council meeting. ▶ Continued on page 3
Community groups doing great stuff like they do ▶ p46