COMMITTED TO EXCELLENSE SIONCE 1984 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 39 #38 • February 26, 2025 • www.echo.net.au
New ‘village’ proposed for the Shire’s north 'ĕưĕōşżĕſ ƱëŕƐƆ Ɛş ōĕëĎ țëǔşſĎëćōĕ IJşƖƆĶŕīȜ ĈşŔżşŕĕŕƐǽ ĎĕƆżĶƐĕ ë !şƖŕĈĶō ƆĈIJĕŔĕ Paul Bibby A new medium-density village for up to 1,400 people could be built on land between Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby after the owners of a large greenfield site adjacent to Gulgan Road submitted preliminary development plans to Byron Shire Council. In a move with potential flow-on effects for thousands of people living in the Shire’s north, Gulgan Road Property Pty Ltd has submitted a draft planning proposal in relation to a 37.9-hectare parcel of land fronting onto Gulgan Road and Bashforths Lane. The planning proposal is due to come before this week’s Council meeting, where councillors will decide whether to give it a preliminary tick of approval. Should the green light be given, and the state government then follows suit by providing a favourable Gateway determination, it would pave the way for sloping paddocks beside Gulgan Road to be rezoned from rural to residential. A detailed development application process would then occur and then, finally, the commencement of a staged construction process. The developer says that, unlike ‘conventional suburbia’, the new ‘Gulgan Village’ would feature diverse housing types, including lower-cost dwellings, units, larger lots for co-housing and intentional communities, secondary dwellings,
Vale Feros activist, Kate Smorty ▶ p4
semi- and fully-detached dwellings. ‘This is a new exemplar living environment responsive to the needs of modern society’.
LĶīIJĕſ ĎĕŕƆĶƐƷ However, the village will also be of a higher density than Byron’s other suburbs, featuring a floor space ratio of 0.9:1 and a maximum height limit of 11.5 metres – 2.5 metres higher than the limit for the vast majority of the Shire. Arranged in precincts, Gulgan Village will also be integrated with a light industrial area, which is already the subject of a planning proposal by the same developer. The entire development is predicted to generate between 1,900 and 2,600 additional car movements per day on the surrounding streets. The nature of the new road arrangements proposed as part of the development means that a significant proportion of this traffic will be funnelled towards Brunswick Heads.
0ëſŔëſŊĕĎ ćƷ !şƖŕĈĶō While plans for the new village may come as a surprise to many, they in fact date back to the 2022 floods. The Gulgan Road site was earmarked for housing by the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) following this disaster and was subsequently included in the Resilient Lands strategy. ▶ Continued on page 3
Byron’s Men’s Shed needs dedicated space ▶ p5
0DUFK
New digs for plant fair The upcoming Mullum Plant Fair will be at the Mullum Showgrounds on March 16 from 9am till 2pm. Mullum SEED’s Emma-Lee Luther says, ‘Moving to a bigger space allows us to grow and cultivate a community of plant lovers! The Mullum Plant Fair is a haven for plant-passionate people, gardeners, and eco-conscious communities seeking a day of inspiration, education, and sustainable living’. There will be plant stalls, expert talks and workshops, and family-friendly activities. For more information visit www.mullumseed.org.au. Pictured is Emma-Lee Luther. Photo Jeff ‘Planted And Cropped Since Time Began’ Dawson
Greens mayor backs compliance over hippy raids ț ōƐĕſŕëƐĶưĕ ëĈĈşŔŔşĎëƐĶşŕȜ ƆƐĶōō şŕ ƐIJĕ ĈëſĎƆ ëĪƐĕſ IJşŔĕƆ ĎĕŔşōĶƆIJĕĎ Hans Lovejoy Mayor Sarah Ndiaye (Greens) has defended Council staff’s threat of demolishing the homes of a small community after an inspection allegedly found unauthorised activities and dwellings in Upper Main Arm. As reported last week, Koohinur Pty Ltd is a multiple occupancy (MO), and operates as a company, where the directors of the company are also residents. This MO has been in existence since 1971. Former magistrate, Professor David Heilpern, told The Echo the actions of compliance staff were
Australia’s first rocket set to launch ▶ p12
‘cruel’, and that, ‘this is a matter for councillors to urgently change policies and guidelines to make priorities clear’. While Cr Ndiaye acknowledged ‘the deep stress this situation is causing’, and wanted to improve ‘channels of communication’, she stopped short of suggesting any reform around how Council compliance operates. Instead, she repeated the talking points of Director of Sustainable Environment and Economy, Shannon Burt, and said the residents will be provided, ‘time to either bring properties into compliance
Mighty Mullum Meerkats win futsal final ▶ p14
or, as a last resort, find alternative accommodation’. She also said, ‘I think the characterisation of the director and staff in this matter is also inappropriate and oversimplifies the situation’. A ‘history of non-compliance’ by the MO was outlined by Cr Ndiaye, and she suggested there had been a ‘breakdown of relationships and communication’ on the property. Yet one shareholder, Charles Boyle, says the mayor’s ‘history of non-compliance’ is inaccurate, and provided The Echo with evidence contrary to her claims. ▶ Continued on page 2
Arts and industry, Byron style ▶ p18
Home sweet home ▶ p30
E hh * ³ E H E h a h H h b H ¹h * ʪ
1)1&)67,-4 JVSQ NYWX Ѵ TIV ]IEV Ʌ
RRODK 0 LQ &DVK SUL]HV
0WFS #JH 4BUVSEBZT JO .BSDIƆ
8SXEP :EPYI ѱѳѵѵ
%<521 %$< 6(59,&(6 &/8%b
8SXEP :EPYI Ѳѵѵѵ
> ** *b ¹ʪ Źċōì ſĮţŐ aìħáìŐŖĈċō
8SXEP :EPYI ѳѵѵ Æ Őè è Æ ċ ġ ſ ʲ ʲ ʲ ˓
_ťŚƓťŚɔ¨ƟƋĔĔƟȨɔ DžƋťŚɔ êDžɕɔɕɔɕɔɕɔɕDZdzɔǷǷǹǶɔǷǹǸǹɕɔɕɔɕɔɕɔɕɔƿƿƿȧąDžƋťŚąêDžƓĔƋƾĹĆĔƓĆŏƧąȧĆťŘȧêƧ