Chris Dobney
A Byron Bay residents group that has been investigating the funding procedure for the town’s bypass says council’s claims that funding was predicated on the Butler Street route are wrong.
The Butler Street Community Network (BSCN), assisted by Ballina MP Tamara Smith, put GIPA (freedom of information) requests to several government departments, which they say show there were no such strings placed on state funding for the road.
In fact, the group argues, the terms of reference for the road’s Environmental Impact Study (EIS) included ‘specific instructions to assess the rail corridor alternative route.’
BSCN president Paul Jones said the group was ‘fed up with the constant claims by [Byron Shire] Council, councillors and the media that the funding for this major piece of town infrastructure subject to an EIS, was conditional on the Butler Street bypass route.’
‘If in fact this were true it would amount to a serious case of attempting to predetermine the outcome of an EIS, which is subject to a complex study of several route options,’ Mr Jones said
He added that, on the contrary, ‘the GIPA investigation has revealed that the RMS strategic business case funding arrangement, whilst acknowledging council’s preferred route along Butler Street, clearly confirms that this was not a recommended option as it was proposed that options development continue to refine and implement the project.
In September 2014 then deputy premier Andrew Stoner, roads minister Duncan Gay and then Ballina MP Don Page announced the NSW Government had committed to $500,000 to finalise plans for the preferred route and $10 million towards building the inner town bypass.
Mr Jones said that terms of reference for the bypass EIS were then issued by the department of planning, ‘including specific instructions to assess the rail corridor alternative route.’
Agenda of environmental destruction
‘Byron Shire Council has produced a development application (DA) for their bypass exactly as they had predetermined, ignoring community concerns, dismissing alternative routes and ramming though an absurd agenda of environmental destruction, unknown expenses, via a dangerous local road network and through a dedicated heritage neighbourhood,’ Mr Jones said.
‘Nothing changed, it was business as usual: the Byron Bay bypass would be diverted down Butler Street to preserve the rail reserve at whatever cost for the Rail Trail proposal, a private venture takeover of a public infrastructure corridor.’
‘The Byron Bay Bypass DA is seriously compromised. The DA is soon to be assessed by the Joint Regional Planning Panel so we can only hope that they see through the charade and send council back to the drawing board,’ said Mr Jones.
Greens MP responds
Greens Ballina MP Tamara Smith has acknowledged that she assisted the group with its investigations but has stopped short of supporting its call.
Ms Smith said she was ‘happy to be able to support members of the Byron Bay community to raise their concerns about a very important piece of infrastructure for Byron.’
‘I acknowledge the work of the Butler Street Community Network to seek out all the information that went into the decision-making by the Byron Shire Council in relation to the proposed bypass,’ she told Echonetdaily.
‘I will be monitoring the Byron Bay Bypass development application being assessed by a Joint Regional Planning Panel and hope that the best possible outcome for our community is arrived at,’ Ms Smith added.
Byron Shire Council has been approached for comment but a response has yet to be received.
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