Morgan
Council: Byron Shire
Town: Byron Bay
Number of Years in Byron Bay: Due to meeting my responsibilities rather than desires, I have been blowing in and out of Byron Bay since the 1970s. Latest permanent residency since January 2012 – now free of responsibilities relating to husband/s and child, hopefully, residency will be permanent.
Current Councillor: No
Clubs/Sports/Interests: Music, dancing, literature, art, films, history, politics and law; I am more of an ‘arty farty nerd’ than an Olympian
Political Party: None – and I believe that political parties are an obstacle to obtaining a true democracy.
Brief description: Honest, intelligent, educated – including knowledge of politics and law, democratic, assertive, independent, articulate, practical, realistic, flexible (able to adjust to change of circumstances), gregarious, community-centric, Capricorn – Earth (grounded), Druid.
What motivated this Candidate to stand?
The demonstrated inability of the current councillors and mayor to lawfully and cost-effectively meet the responsibilities of their offices; including the failure to prioritise expenditure – repair roads before spending thousands of dollars on fencing a tree root passed off as ‘art’ and wasting thousands of dollars (if not hundreds of thousands) on reports, meetings, lobbying and bogus ‘legal advice’ in relation to the ‘vanpacker’ saga and other issues.
What is this Candidate’s vision for the Shire?
A true democracy; community taking priority over cash; the community producing most – if not all – the needs of Byronian citizens (including food and clothing); encouraging and inspiring people from all over the world to visit Byron Shire in order to experience and, hopefully purchase, things grown, manufactured and created in Byron Shire.
How can Council balance need for residential development with protection of environment?
Relieve some of the demand for more residential properties by addressing the unlawful holiday-letting issue. Permit development of Byron Bay village to include up to three levels – commercial/retail on ground floor with two levels of strictly residential flats above. Think ‘outside the square’ in relation to what is a lawful dwelling for a human being – with priority to ‘health and safety’, not design.
What particular issues does this Candidate feel strongly about?
The demonstrated attitude of those who stand to profiteer – including Council – that Byron Bay is nothing more than a whore to be pimped for financial gain; disregard of human rights and the higher law – justice – by local and state government and some Byronian citizens.
