HARD QUESTIONS FOR SOFT POLITICIANS IN UNCERTAIN TIMES The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 39 #15 • September 18, 2024 • www.echo.net.au
More illegal camping enforcement on the cards Paul Bibby
Who ate the democracy sausage? While Lucia is pretty invested in the outcome of the local government election, Bella the puppy is more concerned with the trimmings. Photo Jeff ‘Silly Sausage’ Dawson
W
hile the final tally is still unknown until preferences and below-the-line votes are finalised, one thing is certain: the next Byron Shire Council will not be led by incumbent mayor Michael Lyon. Both Greens candidate Sarah Ndiaye and Labor’s Asren Pugh are in the running, with Cr Ndiaye slightly ahead, at 34.66 per cent and 30.35 per cent respectively. Newcomer David Warth (independent) attracted 17.67 per cent of the mayoral vote to date, and Cr Lyon is last at 17.32 per cent. According to tr.elections.nsw. gov.au, there were 791 ‘informal/ other’ mayoral votes.
As for councillor votes, The Greens are currently ahead at 38.10 per cent to Labor’s 27.71 per cent. Warth’s independent councillor ticket of Compass Shire Byron has attracted similar numbers to Cr Lyon’s ticket, at 11.86 per cent and 11.46 per cent respectively. The independent ticket of Jack Dods (Bright Future Byron) is sitting at 9.78 per cent and independent ungrouped candidate, Lucy Vader, is at 1.09 per cent. The NSW Electoral Commission (EC) said in a statement on Monday that with the initial count process, ‘several types of votes are allocated to the “informal/other” category… For example, some candidates’
Women’s Giving Circle pitches receive funding ▶ p4
formal, below-the-line votes are included… During the check count, these votes will be reviewed and, if formal, moved out of the “informal/ other” group and included in the formal count numbers’. As such, the EC says informal figures, ‘will not be clear until much later in the vote count process’.
Final result in October Results will be declared between October 1 and 3, says the EC. Given there are 4,454 ‘informal/ other’ first preference votes for Byron Shire councillors, some of those votes will shape who sits on the next Council. Both Greens and Labor party
Firefighters call on public to prepare for fire season ▶ p5
candidates are guaranteed a return to a seat on Council with unknown numbers, with the possibility of Warth, Cr Lyon and even Dods scraping in as independents. Cr Lyon and Cr Ndiaye were both elected as Greens councillors eight years ago, but Cr Lyon quit the party and ran as an independent, and was elected mayor in 2021. While his 2024 campaign tried to present a centrist position, his ticket included Rhett Holt, the former running mate of retiring conservative councillor, Alan Hunter. Hunter actively supported Cr Lyon’s re-election. Cr Lyon’s campaign was also plagued by DV accusations, which he denies.
Professor David Heilpern loves quizzes! ▶ p10
$92
'LVKRQHVW\ RIIHQFHV
'UXJ RIIHQFHV
3URSHUW\ GDPDJH RIIHQFHV
5REEHU\
6H[XDO RIIHQFHV
7UDIILF RIIHQFHV
&217$&7 +8*2 /$: *5283 ʶʴʿʿ ˁ˂ˊ
LQIR#KXJRODZJURXS FRP DX
KXJRODZJURXS FRP DX
Regular complaints Council staff say they receive regular complaints from northern shire residents about the practice during the warmer months. ‘At the northern end of the shire, illegal camping enforcement is practically non-existent owing to lack of signage,’ Council staff said in their report to last week’s meeting. ▶ Continued on page 3
Chinny Charge this weekend! ▶ p20
+$9( <28 %((1 &+$5*(' :,7+ $ &5,0,1$/ 2))(1&(" $VVDXOW RIIHQFHV
For years the beachside streets of Ocean Shores, South Golden Beach and New Brighton have been a haven for van campers looking to park up for the night. With signs prohibiting overnight parking virtually non-existent in the northern towns, the four-wheeled wanderers have been on easy street. But it seems all that is about to change. Last week, Byron Council’s traffic committee voted unanimously to install 19 ‘no parking area 1–6am’ signs in some of the most popular parking spots. The areas to get signage include Park Street and the Esplanade in New Brighton, Pacific Esplanade and Helen Street in South Golden Beach, and Shara Boulevard, Ocean Shores. Assuming the incoming councillors provide final sign-off on the plan, the signs are set to be installed in time for the annual van influx over summer. While the van folk are unlikely to be impressed, local house dwellers may be breathing a sigh of relief.
What’s on offer in Mullum ▶ p22