THE
BYRON SHIRE ECHOAdvertising news enquiries Mullumbimby Byron Bay Fax http VOLUME TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, , copies every week 1 at newsagents onlyR I N GO U T,W I L DB E L L SByron Bay sheds its party image for peaceful NYEHighway route options culledLesley Patterson Route options for the Pacic Highway between Tintenbar and Ewingsdale were culled to three at a pre Christmas workshop organised by the RTA with community and council representatives. All three options incorporate a tunnel through St Helena hill. A1 and A2 cut across farmland before joining the highway near Bangalow, B1 joins the highway south of Bangalow and D descends the coastal escarpment to run along ood lands near Midgen Flat and connects to the Ballina bypass at Sandy Flat. The RTA stressed that the outcome of the workshop is not a nal decision, but one of several factors in choosing the nal route. Public submissions, reports and eld investigations, comments from government agencies and the results of the value management workshop will now be considered in identifying a preferred route, said the RTA. An announcement on the nal option will not be made until mid . Meanwhile the push for an inland freight road between Grafton and Tyagarah received a boost after the Parliamentary Inquiry into Pacic Highway Upgrades recommended that the state government commission a costbenet study. The inquiry has recommended that the costbenet study for the inland route between Tyagarah and Grafton incorporating the Summerland Way be conducted independently of the RTA and provide a basis for comparison with the RTAs current options for upgrading the Pacic Highway, said Member for Ballina Don Page. Details of the route the road would take between Casino and Tyagarah have yet to be released. Of the nine recommendations made by the inquiry, four concerned failings with the RTAs community consultation
process. Local residents claim that the RTA is not committed to community consultation. They believe that the RTA decided its preferred route before the upgrade projects even began and that the consultation processes were structured to ensure that community views would not inuence the final outcome, said Jenny Gardiner MLC, chair of the inquiry committee. Similarly the committee believes that the RTA lacked candour in their dealings with the committee. The committee believes that this lack of candour is indicative of the RTAs approach to community consultation, Ms Gardiner said. Recommendations were also made that the RTA should consider the preservation of agricultural land, protection of the environment and minimisation of property devaluation in the route selection process. Greens MLC Ian Cohen, who was a member of the parliamentary committee, said that the recommendations also called on the state government to better handle claims for compensation for those who are affected by the highway or face compulsory acquisition of properties. Three ALP members of the committee have labelled the report a political stunt. Labor MLCs Jan Burnswoods, Amanda Fazio andcontinued on page 2Love was in the air in Byron Bay as the message of peace and community got through and the town experienced its quietest New Years Eve NYE in over a decade. Alcohol restrictions deterred young partygoers looking for a boozy night out and attracted families creating a balanced mix of ages and a peaceful and cruisey vibe. Local residents, who for years had avoided the town on December , returned bringing their children to enjoy the fairground rides and candy oss stalls. The almost complete absence of alcohol on the streets left the visible but relaxed police force with little to do but enjoy the laid back atmosphere. Weve got our town back,said a delighted NYE coordinator Pavitar. I want to thank the community, all the locals who came into town to support us as well as all the visitors who behaved so well. A happy but exhausted Byron Shire Mayor described the night as real spirit of Byron stuff. This is what we all need, to regain the respect for the community. Cr Barham put down the success of the night to the alcohol prohibition, lack of promotion and low key entertainment. The NYE Committee held to the vision of creating a safe night and stuck with the family focus and alcohol prohibition to make it happen, commented Pavitar. Just after 8pm a small butA colourful and creative community parade reinforced the message of peace, love and harmony on Saturday night in Byron Bay, Residents of all ages joined in the mellow mood and bottles of alcohol were a rare sight. Photo Louise Beaumontcolourful parade, reminiscent of Byrons hippie days, left the beachfront to dance through the town, past the fenced-in drinkers at the Beach Hotel. Chai tents, organic and vegetarian food stalls and harp players all added to the mellow mood. Estimates have put the crowd at around ,, around a third of last years throng, but it felt quieter with Lawson Street empty enough for a game of cricket at times. In place of the midnight fireworks, music maestro Chris James led the celebrators in a session of community singing, a beautifulwelcome to the new year. When Councils clean up crews arrived at 5am, there was little to do. This was a pleasant change from last year when the centre of town was trashed, broken bottles, rubbish and plastic evidence of the crowds lack of respect. There have been rumblings from some sectors of the business community unhappy with the drop in visitor numbers this year, however there is anecdotal evidence that while visitation is down in some areas, spending has not dropped.continued on page 2
