As a fellow member of Parkway Drive and concerned resident of Byron Bay I feel the response given by Cr Woods raised more questions than it did provide answers (Echo, October 28). I was also profoundly offended by the patronising manner regarding Ben’s concerns, dismissed on the grounds of his age.
How old do we need to be before this thinking kicks in? Old enough to visit your grandparent in local aged care as Ben does? Old enough for your mother-in-law to have worked in the sector as mine has? Old enough to watch a loved one pass away in aged care as I have?
On top of the misplaced judgment of both character and experience is lack of respect given to the fact that we are in fact voters ourselves. We, along with the rest of the residents of this Shire, have a right to have our voices heard. I see no relevance in age, in the same way I see no relevance in gender, race, sexuality, religion, etc.
In regards to the development itself, we appreciate the need for aged care. Medical facilities are vital to any area, and we are aware Byron Bay is in need of more beds in the aged care sector. However, that is not the issue of concern.
The concern itself stems from the lack of public consultation, the massive lack of information on what is a huge project, and the extreme speed at which it has moved through council proceedings.
We all love this town, we care deeply about its progression and like all Shire residents we expect our elected representatives to include us in the conversation when it comes to such large developments, let alone ones that are quite literally happening in our backyard.
Winston McCall, Byron Bay
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
