M Morgan, Mullumbimby.
In your article last week on the Mullumbimby ‘camping ground DA’ the proponent expresses his dismay at Council staff unfairly placing his development application before the public before all reports and documents were completed.
I too wish they had been included because then I would have had an opportunity to respond in a submission to some of the dubious ways in which Mr Franklyn has purportedly now ‘addressed community concerns’.
For example, regarding traffic he says, ‘[the campers] would be mostly bussed in from airports.’ Given the DA is for 239 camping and caravan sites, I’m wondering how those campers are going to fit their tents, camping gear and caravans in their luggage? And um… what bus(es)?
Mr Franklyn told The Echo there won’t be ‘casual camping’ on the property but then goes on to say the space is aimed at attracting events such as Spirit Fest and Rainbow Yoga, which run for less than four days each. Is that not ‘casual’?
There also appears to be some discrepancy between Mr Franklyn’s claims that the camping ground would cater largely to non-residents seeking spiritual healing/awakening and the 23/11/17 Council agenda attachment that says ,‘It is considered that . . . [the] development may be able to provide benefits in the short term for homeless or those experiencing rental stress’ So… which is it?
There certainly does seem to be a lack of clarity, if not transparency around this DA.
Personally, I don’t believe Mr Franklyn is yet another of the rapacious developers ruining Byron Shire, but I’ve lived here long enough to be wary of another ‘visionary’ who fails to consider that not everyone shares their ‘dream’, especially when it has the potential to impact so majorly on so many, whose only benefit could be to ‘drive past and see how beautiful it is’.
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. 
