Jenny Coman, secretary, Bangalow Progress Association.
The Bangalow Progress Association appreciates Chris Dobney’s coverage of their June 2 meeting but must disagree with one of his assertions, namely that most people present agreed that ‘the worst thing that could happen is seeing Byron Bay cookies produced in Melbourne’.
This may well be Mr da Fina’s opinion but it is not that of our members. We are much more worried about Bangalow’s future, our concerns strongly backed by a recent broad-reaching survey of residents and visitors who want to see Bangalow’s rural Heritage village character retained and enhanced, not compromised by another industrial park on its outskirts, twice the size of the current one.
Survey respondents were quite clear in wanting Bangalow to keep its rural nature and surrounds and this development proposes more than just a food processing plant on rural land. Reading it one soon becomes aware that what is envisaged is a very large manufacturing precinct with shops, market and restaurant and provision for 477 + 29 car parks, i.e. a large tourist attraction close to our entry from the Lismore Rd with a huge increase of traffic including large trucks – B-doubles?
Traffic is already an enormous problem in Bangalow, particularly along Granuaille Road where, we are told by one large food producer, he intends to send all his trucks.
Another strong concern expressed by people living in the area was pollution of the creek on which they depend, pollution from sewage and run-off. I don’t think noise was raised but, on re-reading the DA, I think it should have been because it would certainly be a very noisy site with many busy machines, all in a peaceful, rural area on what has been a sound, working farm. In this day and age, should we be covering prime rural land with huge sheds?
If this DA goes ahead it will be at the expense of Bangalow as we know it. It is not too late to send in submissions to Council : DA 10.2016.283.1, Attention Planning. The assessment and determination will be by a Joint Regional Planning Panel but all submissions count.
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. 
