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FUNDED BY GOOD LOOKING AND VERY SMART ADVERTISERS SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 38 #39 • March 6, 2024 • www.echo.net.au
– page 13
Family garden day, March 17 Overhaul proposed for Mullum’s main street
Little Rubystar from Mullum Seed has trained up Liam, Chloe and James to pot up the best specimens for the Mullum Autumn Plant Fair, to be held from 9am on Sunday, March 17, at the Mullum Seed Eco Hub, located at the Mullum Community Gardens. The family event includes workshops and exhibitions, with a special focus on native plants and showcasing rare plants, medicinals, vege seedlings and fruit tree favourites. For more info visit mullumseed.org.au. Photo Eve Jeffery
ſĕȒǟǝǟǟ ǖşşĎ ĎëƐë ƖŕĎĕſżĶŕƆ ǖşşĎżōëĶŕ ĎĕưĕōşżŔĕŕƐ Staff reporters A proposal by a landowner and Council staff to mitigate flooding and enable development on large floodplain lots on 75 New City Road has been roundly criticised by Council’s Floodplain Committee members and residents as not only unworkable, but a danger to life should it be approved. This week marks the second anniversary of the devastating floods – many residents in the region are still coping with the impacts
Vale Michael Hofer ▶ p3
of the 2022 flood, and are without promised government funding. Large floodplain lots at 75 New City Road and 1B Ann Street were included in Council’s Housing Options Paper last year, without public consultation. Mayor Michael Lyon’s successful motion just got over the line with support from Crs Mark Swivel, Asren Pugh, Peter Westheimer and Alan Hunter. The Options Paper was roundly criticised by community groups for a myriad of reasons, and ‘underpins’ Council’s Residential Strategy
First responders critical of govt/Council on second flood anniversary ▶ p6
2024, which could be adopted at the upcoming meeting on March 14.
Residential Strategy 2024 up for adoption Council staff are asking councillors to adopt the entire strategy at that meeting – without any further public consultation – but with their recommended inclusions and exclusions of lands. The large rural Mullum land lots are included. Remarkably, staff base their ▶ Continued on page 4
Who spies on the spooks? ▶ p10
Plans for a more pedestrian-friendly Burringbar Street, Mullumbimby, are now on exhibition on Council’s website, and according to the 26-page document, will provide more shade, and restrict vehicle access. The town’s iconic palms are slated for removal, drawing the ire of locals on Council’s Facebook post. The justification for palm removal in The Draft Concept Design – Burringbar Street, Mullumbimby, is ‘because they provide little shade; drop large fronds and seed heads that can be hazardous to pedestrians, and do not promote biodiversity’. There was no mention of how the town’s large lorikeet population, which nest in the palms nightly, would be rehoused. Additionally, the plans do not address how the ever-increasing traffic would be managed. Transport for NSW undertook a ‘Healthy Streets’ Assessment of Burringbar Street in August 2023 and found ‘too many vehicles and too many heavy vehicles’, according to the report. Ten car parks would be lost, additional pedestrian crossings would be installed at Dalley Street and adjacent to laneways.
Burringbar Street plans: • Increased pedestrian areas • Reduced vehicle access • Palms replaced with natives • No roundabouts • 10 car parks removed • No plans to address traffic The Echo asked Council staff why no information was included around how to manage the loss of parking and movement of traffic. Sharyn French, Manager, Environmental and Economic Planning, replied, ‘The design is simply a draft. We are asking people to give us their feedback about how they feel about the design, and that includes any potential loss of parking. The draft design includes a narrowing of the road, but traffic movement will remain the same, with the exception of some changes at the Burringbar and Station Street intersection. The draft is consistent with the objectives of the Our Mullumbimby Masterplan to prioritise people over cars in the main street and to also encourage through traffic to use alternative routes around the centre’. The plans are also without funding, yet if adopted, will support state and federal funding grants.
The Draft Concept Design – Burringbar Street, Mullumbimby
International Women’s Day: Northern Rivers women mean business ▶ p20
Featuring magical Murwillumbah ▶ p22