‘I’D RATHER BE FAMOUS THAN RIGHTEOUS OR HOLY’ – THE SMITHS The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 40 #11 • August 20, 2025 • www.echo.net.au
Time for Council to take action to save Wallum
Nice pair of pears
Aslan Shand
A surprising number of intrepid mud trailers ended up at Ben Ruble’s Wild Nature Clay studio, deep in the forest, high on Mt Chowan, some 45 minutes from Mullum in Main Arm. Much of the clay he uses for the plates, bowls, pears and more, he has found locally. Potters and ceramists reported good sales with lots of interest throughout the Mud Trail weekend that involved 33 potters across 22 open studios. Photo Jeff ‘Muddying the Waters since 1986’ Dawson
In 2012 the creek that runs through the centre of the proposed Wallum Estate development at Bayside Brunswick was acknowledged by the developers, Codlea Pty Ltd, as a ‘Natural Watercourse under the NSW classification scheme’. The development is now being undertaken by Clarence Property and the Save Wallum community campaigners are asking why Byron Shire Council (BSC) have taken no action over what they say is a significant breach to consent conditions that require a 20m buffer zone on either side of the watercourse. Svea Pittman presented a detailed submission to Byron Shire Councillors at last Thursday’s Council meeting outlining concerns over the breach of consent condition B4 of the 2013 Concept Plan Approval. ▶ Continued on page 3
More calls to reconsider the Mullumbimby carpark DA Aslan Shand Byron Shire councillors appear fixed on moving forward with the housing development at 57 Station Street in Mullumbimby despite acknowledging significant issues with the development application (DA) by Landcom, the fact it contradicts the Mullumbimby Masterplan, and that they do not currently have a community housing provider (CHP) willing to take the project on. The Mullumbimby Residents Association (MRA) is calling for
Waste into wonder one stitch at a time ▶ p5
councillors to step back and reconsider, particularly in the light of the opportunities provided by the federal government’s $10 billion dollar Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF), established on 1 November, 2023. ‘We are in a new world with the HAFF facility and NHAF (National Housing Accord Facility) being operational from January 2024. It is time to reassess. That’s what businesses, creatives, and developers do. We need to use the money that is available from the HAFF/ NHAF to build
Adultwashing the future away ▶ p8
more social and affordable housing in the appropriate place, which is not this site,’ MRA spokesperson, Dale Emerson, told The Echo. Following a question to the March 2025 Byron Shire Council (BSC) meeting the Director Sustainable Environment and Economy responded that, ‘Council has not directly explored funding opportunities available under Round 2 of the Commonwealth’s Housing Australia Future Fund program for the delivery of social housing on this site.’
Activism and the law ▶ p13
What is ‘low cost’? BSC’s December 2020 Expression of Interest (EOI) to housing providers for ‘Housing Over Carparks’ sought ‘the establishment of diverse, lower cost, and accessible housing on Council owned carparks, without decreasing the current number of available car parking spaces’. Mr Emerson points out that, ‘This proposal started out as housing above the existing carpark. At the time the community was not consulted ed on the change of
Sometimes we all need some health and healing ▶ p18
use. This has then morphed into a significantly larger project that not only removes the carpark, but includes commercial premises and is in direct contradiction to the Mullumbimby Master Plan. ‘This entire proposal was developed without appropriate consultation and engagement with the community and in contravention of what we consider to be best practice policies. ‘Byron Shire councillors have decided to inform us of their ▶ Continued on page 2
Seven: for all your North Coast gigs and entertainment ▶ p19
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