Transport for NSW have declined to provide any details on the recent announcement of a proposed Byron bus station within the rail corridor and proposed Butler Street bypass.
The announcement was part of the NSW government’s $9.5m bypass funding, which Council staff say is the amount needed to complete the long-awaited project.
But according to Butler Street resident and president of the Butler Street Network, Paul Jones, despite formal requests, there has been no consultation with locals on the bus interchange.
Jones told councillors last Thursday in morning public access that there will be adverse impacts on amenity given the size and scale of this proposal. He also refuted the mayor’s response concerning legal intimidation launched by former GM Ken Gainger:
The following questions were put to Transport for NSW but there was no reply:
‘Who did Transport for NSW consult with apart from Council staff in the lead up to this decision? Who made this decision’, and ‘What is the expected cost of this project and is there any documentation available?’
A Transport for NSW spokesperson only answered the question: ‘Will Transport for NSW be consulting with residents on these plans?
They said, ‘The Byron Bay community will soon be able to provide feedback to the proposed transport interchange on the NSW Environment and Heritage website when it goes on public display.’
‘Plans for the proposal will be held at the Byron Shire Council office, and available to view the same day comments are [accepted] by NSW Heritage.’
The Echo asked Nationals MLC Ben Franklin, who made the interchange announcement, why wasn’t there any consultation prior to this announcement.
He is yet to reply
There has been strong concerns from the start, of the Byron Bay Masterplans proposal to move the bus stop from in front of the Visitors centre. Older residents especially, and parents with kids, and households without cars, who now use the bus ,may not be able to walk to Butler St carrying shopping, and continue to getting to P.O., banks, dentists etc,. The Tourist bus’ should terminate on the Industrial Estate and use the electric train shuttle to town (and extend the electric train to the other side of town which would create a functional cross town public transport service). And more destruction of the Butler st natural environment and the green backdrop to town???