THIS IS A JOURNEY, NOT JUST A PRODUCT SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 39 #48 • May 7, 2025 • www.echo.net.au
!şƖŕĈĶō ƆƐëǔ ĎĕĪĕŕĎ assisting wealthy developers around major road upgrades
Labor holds Richmond
Flood-prone housing development a step closer following court settlement
Hans Lovejoy
Paul Bibby
enior Council planning staff have admitted to providing wealthy developers with an advantage around a contentious large 38-lot proposal near the main road into Mullum from Uncle Toms. Works around Mcauleys Lane on Mullumbimby Road are part of Council’s bigger plans to upgrade the entire road, which are set to disrupt around 13,000 daily vehicle movements – see page 6. Yet with public exhibition for development application (DA) 10.2023.454.1 closing soon for 53 Mcauleys Lane, located near the intersection, residents say Council staff have given the developers an economic advantage. However, staff claim their intervention with the DA improves safety for the road. As previously reported, the DA is proposed by John Callanan and Tim Mundy, and comes with a myriad of issues that have been outlined in detail by neighbours. Staff have also had to re-exhibit the DA owing to administrative errors.
A controversial development on flood-prone land near the Mullumbimby Showground is a step closer, after Byron Council and the developer reached a court settlement in relation to one of two development applications (DAs) for the site. Residents living near 30 Chinbible Avenue have fought for over a year against plans to subdivide the 12,340m2 lot into seven residential lots, which could then host up to 37 houses in total. They say the proposal is excessive in its bulk and scale, has inadequate drainage, lacks open space, and does not provide sufficient flood evacuation options. They also point out that the entire site was under water during the 2022 floods, and that building dozens of houses on top of tonnes of fill will increase the flood threat for surrounding residents and potentially send their insurance premiums soaring.
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Presumptive winner, Labor incumbent MP Justine Elliot on polling day. Photo Eve Jeffery
Staff deny claims that traffic intersection plans supplied by the developer and Council’s own plans for the intersection are the same. Staff told The Echo, ‘The plans for the upgrade of Mullumbimby Road, including the Mcauleys Lane intersection are plans produced specifically for Council for projects funded by Transport for NSW’. ▶ Continued on page 2
While counting continues in the marginal Richmond federal electorate (Tweed, Byron and Ballina shires), Labor incumbent Justine Elliot is the likely winner, with her closest competitor, Greens candidate, Mandy Nolan, conceding on Tuesday. Nolan was followed closely in first preferences by Nationals candidate, Kimberly Hone. On election night, Ms Nolan was leading the first preference count, but by around midnight, the count swung in Mrs Elliot’s favour. Mrs Elliot said in a media statement, ‘To the voters of Richmond, thank you for putting your trust in me for the eighth time’. ‘We faced a tough campaign, but in the end, locals voted for Australian values – fairness, aspiration
Locals should pay for parking, say Council staff ▶ p4
Bangalow Billycart Derby returns, May 18 ▶ p7
Similar plans?
and opportunity for all – and these are the values that drive our Labor government’. Mrs Elliot increased her vote from the 2022 election, as did both the Greens and Nationals. For full breakdown, see page 2.
‘I will continue to hold Labor to account by pushing for fully funded front-line homelessness services, and building the thousands of affordable homes desperately needed in this electorate’, said Ms Nolan.
Mandy to run again
Nationals comment
Meanwhile Ms Nolan says she’ll put her hand up to run again at the next federal election, and will stand for pre-selection once it opens. Conceding the seat, Ms Nolan offered her heartfelt thanks to her volunteer team. ‘I am so profoundly proud of what we have built together,’ said Ms Nolan. She also offered her congratulations to Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and to local MP, Justine Elliot.
When asked about whether Nationals candidate Kimberly Hone would run again in three years, her campaign manager told The Echo, ‘At this stage we aren’t discussing any of that, I know Kimberly is looking forward to getting back into local issues on [Tweed] Council’. ‘Kimberly has established herself as one of the strongest leaders in the area, and if there is one word to describe her it is that she’s a fighter. It won’t be the last you’ll hear of her.’
Giving Trumpism the Mandy Nolan reflects middle finger salute on ‘The Fall’ ▶ p10 ▶ p19
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More than 100 subs More than 100 formal submissions have been lodged against the proposal, and dozens of residents have attended community meetings and letterboxed the surrounding streets in West Mullumbimby. But last week, they learned that lawyers representing Council had reached an agreement with the developer in the Land and Environment Court (L&EC) earlier this year over the first DA in relation to the site. ▶ Continued on page 3
Arts all around the Northern Rivers ▶ p22
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