PULL THIS SECTION OUT!
Vol 15, Winter 2023
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IF ONLY EVERY EDITION WAS LIKE THIS – SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 37 #51 • May 31, 2023 • www.echo.net.au
ÉĶōō m É dëćşſ pay on-call ĕŔĕſīĕŕĈƷ ƆĕſưĶĈĕ ưşōƖŕƐĕĕſƆȃ
www.e w cho.net.au// sustainability
ĈşŔĕĎƷ ƐĶĎëō Ʊëưĕ ĪşſĕĈëƆƐ
Paul Bibby
Hans Lovejoy The newly elected NSW Labor government have stopped short of committing to paying volunteers who attend emergencies such as fires and floods, but say there is investment and initiatives underway to support those who volunteer as emergency service members. The Echo asked NSW Emergency Minister, Jihad Dib, ‘During the 2022 floods, emergency services were clearly under-prepared, and it was the community, not the government or Council, who were on the ground immediately helping/saving each other from life threatening situations. It took around a week for any government assistance to arrive’. ‘Given this, will NSW Labor commit to appropriately fund emergency services, so volunteers are paid for being on call, so they are prepared for future events?’ The minister replied, ‘The NSW government remains committed to delivering world-class emergency services, and doing everything possible to keep communities safe from natural disasters’.
Nearly $200M in funding He said, ‘The NSW government has committed almost $200 million in new funding to implement a number of the recommendations from the independent Flood Inquiry, including $159.5 million to enhance NSW’s flood rescue capability for our emergency
▶ Continued on page 3
Sam’s inspiring tale of beating cancer ▶ p6
ſĶưëƐĕ żëſƐŕĕſƆIJĶż ƆşƖīIJƐ Īşſ ćĶşĕŕĕſīƷ ĪëĈĶōĶƐƷ żſşżşƆëō
Four days of comedy are about to hit the nation’s most easterly surf club, with a lineup including Bob Downe, Paul McDermott, a double bill of Mel Buttle and Kirsty Webeck… and more. And what is a Byron Comedy Fest without Mandy Nolan? She will host a morning show that asks humorists ‘Can comedy save the world’? Pictured is local comedian, Akmal, who will premiere his new show at the festival. Akmal will also front a comedy slam with a $1,000 prize pool for the best new comedic talent. For more info, visit www.byroncomedyfest.com. Photo Eve Jeffery ▶ See The Echo’s interview with Akmal in Seven entertainment, page 46.
!şƖŕĈĶō ĈşŔżōĶëŕĈĕ ƆƐëǔ ćşōƆƐĕſĕĎ Paul Bibby Are the van campers of Brunswick Heads thoughtless travellers with no respect for the town and its inhabitants, or are many in fact local homeless folk looking for a safe space with toilets and running water? That was a key theme during a passionate Council meeting last week, which ultimately saw councillors vote to close down the van camping hub on South Beach Lane,
North Coast news ▶ p10
and to spend $250,000 on bolstering Council’s compliance team. South Beach Lane is located next to open parkland, a bridge and runs along the river, near Torakina car park. A group of local residents living in the highly-sought-after strip of houses adjacent to the lane slammed the van campers who have set up a community in the car park there. ‘I speak on behalf of my family,
When western medicine doesn’t work: David Heilpern ▶ p12
residents of South Beach Lane and beyond, when I say that the relentless camping and loitering has reached an unbearable limit,’ said resident Sam Boulton, whose family has lived on the lane since 1968. ‘There’s no reprieve and we’ve reached breaking point.’ Mr Boulton said there was continuous noise from engines, doors slamming, and music, and that campers dumped rubbish, ▶ Continued on page 3
I miss Mungo ▶ p13
Byron Council have been forced to explore the possibility of a public private partnership to fund its planned bioenergy facility in Byron Bay. It’s an option that would effectively mean privatising the plant and the public land it sits upon, for 25 years or more. In the latest chapter in the sixyear saga over the proposal to build the waste-to-energy plant next to the Byron Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), it has now emerged that Council cannot viably fund the $23M project by itself, and that government funding is unlikely to be forthcoming in the near future. At last week’s meeting, councillors voted to submit a proposal to the state government for the project to be considered for ‘initial assessment’ as a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Rejected application This follows an unsuccessful funding application to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, which Council had been counting on to bankroll the project as part of its business plan. While this does not commit Council to going down the privatisation path, it is a significant step in that direction. Preparing the application will cost the Council $70,000, adding to the $1.3M it has already spent on the plan. In a written report to the meeting, Council senior project officer, John Hart, spelt out the financial challenges that Council now faced ▶ Continued on page 4
Your choices change the world: Check out our annual Sustainability liftout! ▶ p21
Fire Pit Fridays Locals welcome Fire Pit Fridays at Azure Bar and Grill are back! Sip cocktails, try award-winning wines or share a beer with friends around the luxe ˣˢˢ˟˦˜˗˘ Ѓ˥˘ ˣ˜˧ʡ ʷ˘˟˜˖˜ˢ˨˦ ˕˔˥ ˦ˡ˔˖˞˦ʟ ˟˜˩˘ ˘ˡ˧˘˥˧˔˜ˡˠ˘ˡ˧ ˔ˡ˗ ˠˢ˥˘˜˦˛˟ˬ ˚ˢˢ˗ ˘˔˧˦ʡ The perfect weekend welcome (stay for dinner too!)
Fridays 5-7pm
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