This year, Byron Shire Council (councillors) have decided to give the citizens of Byron shire a ‘gift’ – though the ‘gift’ will arrive a couple of days before Santa.
Unfortunately, councillors misinterpreted the meaning of ‘a gift that keeps on giving’. While the new pay parking scheme will keep on giving to Council and the Office of State Revenue, the new pay parking scheme will keep taking from citizens who desire to park within Byron Bay – and the ‘gift’ will take more than money.
The new pay parking scheme – that includes providing personal information to third parties and surveillance of citizens via drivers being obliged to input number plate to order to park within Byron Bay – will take the human right to privacy from every citizen who parks within Byron Bay – more than one million human beings, residents and visitors.
As readers of The Echo would be aware, on November 20, 2015, I filed legal proceedings against Byron Shire Council in relation to the new parking scheme being a breach of information protection principles and the Surveillance Act (among other laws).
Unfortunately, the legal system, being designed to spin an income for legal professionals, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) has listed a planning meeting for February 16, 2016 (and NCAT failed to accurately list the matter), making necessary another visit to NCAT (Sydney) to arrange for an amendment of the listing and argue the urgency of the matter – to request an earlier listing date. I will be attending NCAT (Sydney) again on December 22, 2015.
May as well stay in Sydney for the New Years Eve fireworks.
As I refuse to provide my personal details to third parties in order to ‘upgrade’ (rather downgrade) my resident parking permit and/or be subject to unlawful surveillance after December 23, 2015, I will not be able to park within Byron Bay. Ironic – I will be able to park anonymously and free of charge in the City of Sydney (Surry Hills).
Morgan, Byron Bay
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