STAY FRESH, CHEESEBAGS! The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 39 #37 • February 19, 2025 • www.echo.net.au
Demolition threats !şƖŕĈĶō ĈşŔżōĶëŕĈĕ ƆƐëǔ ëīëĶŕ ëƐƐëĈŊ lëĶŕ ſŔ ĈşŔŔƖŕĶƐƷ ƱĶƐIJşƖƐ ĈşƖŕĈĶōōşſ ŊŕşƱōĕĎīĕ Hans Lovejoy
in the future. The issue appears to have divided the Suffolk Park community. Some Suffolk Park residents, particularly those associated with the Suffolk Park Progress Association, are strongly in favour of the lights being installed. They argue that things have become so bad at the intersection that traffic lights are the only realistic option for addressing the situation in a timely fashion, even if the benefits in terms of alleviating traffic delays are not sustained in the long term. ▶ Continued on page 2
Home demolition orders have been placed on a small community of long-term locals in Upper Main Arm after Council compliance raided their shared multiple occupancy (MO). Greens Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye, and councillors contacted by The Echo were unaware of the orders made by staff, which could see around 30 families, including children, lose everything. The shocked and horrified residents say compliance officer Dylan Cook’s February 5 letter provided contacts for real estate agents to help them find alternative accommodation after they lost their homes and livelihoods. While Cook gave them less than two weeks to respond, his boss, Shannon Burt, Director Sustainable Environment and Economy, told The Echo that residents will be now given ‘12 months or longer’ to follow a required planning pathway, or ‘to find alternate lawful accommodation’. An admin fee of $414 will be charged for the notice, says Cook, and if the order is issued, a further $650 will be charged. Cook told residents via email that, ‘You will need to contact a town planner and conduct an investigation as to what dwellings require approval’. Koohinur Pty Ltd is an MO located next to the community hall, and like all residents in the area, its residents suffered enormously from the 2022 floods and landslides. One resident described
Grassroots festival to paint the town blue ▶ p15
No one does health and healing quite like Byron ▶ p18
IJşſƐ ǕōŔƆ ƐëŊĕ ĈĕŕƐſĕ ƆƐëīĕ The red carpet will be rolled out for Flickerfest’s travelling short film festival with the opening night party on February 27 at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall from 7pm. It runs until March 1. Pictured are some of the local filmmakers who made the cut – from back, left to right: Sam Clarke ‘Suvira’, Bodhi Neylan ‘Vibrations’, Carlos West ‘The Yesmads’, Ash Mines ‘Hold Steady’. Festival director, Bronwyn Kidd, festival manager, Shane Rennie and festival co-ordinator, Elie Zaragoza are in the foreground. For the full Flickerfest Mullumbimby and Byron All Shorts program, visit: www.iQ.org.au. Photo Jeff ‘On The VIP List Since 1986’ Dawson
Ɩǔş ƐſëǔĶĈ ōĶīIJƐƆ ĎĕćëƐĕ ǖëſĕƆ ëƐ !şƖŕĈĶō Paul Bibby The debate over Byron Council’s decision to install traffic lights at a notorious intersection in Suffolk Park flared again at last week’s Council meeting. During the public submissions section of the meeting, three Suffolk Park residents from the Keep the Flow in Suffo group strongly criticised Council’s decision to install grant-funded traffic lights at the intersection of Clifford Street and Broken Head Road. The intersection has been the site of worsening delays and safety
Food hub given oink of approval ▶ p4
concerns for decades, with those turning right out of Clifford Street facing frustrating waits, particularly at peak times. Pedestrians trying to cross Broken Head Road, including school children, have also been at risk owing to the lack of a safe place to cross.
DĕĎĕſëō īſëŕƐ Late last year, councillors voted to accept federal grant funding to install traffic lights at the intersection, while at the same time keeping the door slightly ajar for the possibility of replacing the lights with a roundabout at some point
Your input needed on Council’s community engagement strategy ▶ p11
potentially losing their home as a ‘vicious attack’ by staff which is severely impacting their mental health. ‘I am not sleeping properly, and cried for days after’, they said, adding, ‘There is a resident who could be potentially suicidal over this issue’. ‘There’s elderly residents here who have been here for decades and have limited funds. They are without options. Why hasn’t this been considered by staff? This issue needs to be humanised’.
®ŕëƱëſĕ ŔëƷşſ The Echo asked Mayor Ndiaye: ‘Why have councillors, of which you have been a part of for eight years, not provided any leadership or reform when it comes to guiding staff with community expectations around demolition orders? Will there be some leadership now?’ While the question was provided to her on Friday, she replied that she didn’t have enough time to be across the topic, and would need more time to reply.
ſşĈĕĎƖſëō ĪëĶſŕĕƆƆȃ The Echo asked executive staff how placing demolition orders on an entire community without warning adheres to procedural fairness. Shannon Burt, Director Sustainable Environment and Economy told The Echo, ‘There is a documented history of communication with the landowners of this property since July 2024, following complaints about a range of matters such as ▶ Continued on page 3
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