Byron Shire Council say they have not been approached by a landowner who appears to be planning repairs to a formerly unapproved protection wall at a Belongil Beach property.
The landowner appears set to take advantage of a settlement with Byron Shire Council that allows property owners adjoining the beach, who had previously built rock walls the council deemed illegal, to repair them subject to a DA.
The settlement in August, followed six years of litigation against the council by two groups of landowners.
Byron Shire Council’s legal services coordinator, Ralph James, said at the time that the agreement ‘allows the landowners time to submit applications to undertake lawful protective works at their own cost.’
Yesterday morning (Thursday, October 13) a Byron Bay resident who regularly walks her dog along the stretch of beach south of Don Street told Echonetdaily she saw surveyors on the beach in front of a large private property she identified as ‘Strop’s old place’.
(Echonetdaily understands John Cornell has since sold the property, which is nevertheless identified that way by a lot of long-time locals.)
The reader also took photos, which are published here, which apparently show surveyors taking digital readings on a beach littered with square blocks that appear to have been deliberately placed there – possibly higher up the embankment – at an earlier time.
Byron Shire Council’s director of infrastructure services Phil Holloway said staff have now inspected the site at Belongil.
He said it appears that the rocks (blocks) have been on site for some time and some dislodgement could have occurred during past storm events or from wave action.
‘Repairs to the site would require the property owner to lodge a development application to council. To date we are not aware if repairs are being planned or if a DA is being prepared,’ Mr Holloway said.
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