Ben Gordon, founder of the award-winning metalcore band Parkway Drive, has lent his band’s support to the Ewingsdale residents opposing the proposed seniors living development pushed on by a majority of Byron Shire councillors.
Parkway Drive takes its name from a street in Ewingsdale and Mr Gordon’s family home backs on to the proposed development.
‘Shocking’
In an email to Cr Diane Woods last week Mr Gordon pointed out he had lived in Byron Shire all his life and in Ewingsdale since he was six. ‘I am writing to you representing my whole band,’ Mr Gordon said, ‘[and] I am also representing a large demographic of like-minded younger people in Byron Bay as well as thousands of fans around the world that come to Ewingsdale every year just to take pictures of the street sign.
He told Cr Woods, ‘your decision to approve the Lot 101 development is utterly shocking and appalling.
‘Byron and Ewingsdale are very special places… And a massive part of this is the fact that it still remains somewhat unspoiled from repugnant developments such as this.
‘I’m not going to outlay the numerous reasons that this is wrong as far sewerage, roads, infrastructure, etc as I know you have heard these facts and they obviously have no effect. But if there’s one issue that should be important and listened to… it is this: the community does not want this.’
‘Golden years’
In reply to Mr Gordon, Cr Woods emailed that while she understood his concerns, ‘being quite young, you aren’t thinking of what happens as you reach the golden years and the needs that come with that’.
‘I can assure you that the kind of development that is proposed for this site is appropriate and much needed to service the needs of the aged in our shire. I can also assure you that the proposed development is a much better solution [compared] to other kinds of development that could occur on that land, eg cemeteries, crematoriums, transport terminals and many other unsavoury kinds of development.
‘The developers are entitled to develop their land but their wish is to do so in conjunction with the help of the residents who will be their neighbours, so that whatever finally goes on the land will be something that everyone can live with.’
Cr Woods also said she would ‘do my best to work with the community also, to help get something that is acceptable.’
At its October 9 meeting Council voted 5–4 to support the development proposed by Belbeck Investments, while residents called for an extra 28 days to consider the proposal.
At Council’s next meeting on October 30 Crs Richardson, Dey and Cameron intend to move a rescission motion on the October 9 resolution. If successful they will move for Council to put the proposal on exhibition for 28 days, with at least two community information sessions being held.
According to Mr Gordon, in the 11 years Parkway Drive has been playing ‘we have played 72 countries, received three gold records, two platinum DVDs, an ARIA award, Rolling Stone awards and have acquired millions of fans around the world’.
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