Gerd Modlich, Byron Bay
One has only to stroll through the Byron CBD to realise there is a lot of money in the pockets of our visiting tourists. So what is all the fuss Byron Shire Council management is making about residential rate increases?
Each individual property, including non-professionals, conducting holiday rental should be covered by an annual license issued following all relevant safety checks. This license should average out at around $2,500 p.a. depending on the size of the property, renewable every financial year.
Furthermore, lift the parking fee towards Sydney/Brisbane level, we now have the necessary infrastructure.
Also, all business rates should carry the remaining gap in needed funding. Obviously, all visiting tourists regard – for good reasons – Byron Bay as a fun park by the sea. That’s great but there is, to my knowledge not one fun park on this planet with free rides or free entry. So, let the council funding come from where the money is made in this town, simple as that, full stop, no more to says.
Less than twelve months into paid parking and the squeals of ratepayers are becoming louder for fees to be raised. No doubt this will be a yearly occurrence. Its hard to have much sympathy. Rising property values have made the fortunes of ratepayers. But not content with the social cleansing of Byron Bay through paid parking, the same prime real estate owners now plead poverty and ask for parking fees to be raised (but not of course for resident parking permit fees to be increased). It is sad to say that the recent letters pertaining to rates in the Echo are a study in petite bourgeois entitlement, self interest and greed. Shame on Byron Bay
Our politicians had beter notice that the above letter represents a tiny minority point of view,
(and the writer makes it obvious that he is not a rate-payer).
Byron residents are tired of pouring good money after bad.
No more rate hikes.
Ephraim,
Our politicians had better notice or else what?
Byron Bay is a very uptight place Even more so in the wake of paid parking.
Be careful what you ask for. In a Karmic feed back loop, each time the parking fees are ratcheted up the town will become more uptight. Even as the traffic jams get longer.. And rates continue to rise.