With North Byron Parklands (NBP) in Yelgun seeking residency approval and an increase to 55,000 patrons for their flagship festival event, Byron Shire councillors have raised concerns with a notice of motion at last Thursday’s ordinary meeting.
NBP is home to Splendour in The Grass and Falls festivals.
Mayor Simon Richardson’s motion was supported by a majority of councillors (Cr Hunter against) which says, ‘Council does not currently support the proposal including the increase in attendance numbers, event types, and event days on the North Byron Parklands site beyond what has already been approved until its concerns as raised within its submission are satisfied.’
Additionally, Council is unsupportive of the planning department’s recommendation that Parklands self-monitor its compliance and, ‘that any consideration of ongoing events must include an independent monitoring process, with the involvement of Council.’
Council’s costs for monitoring should be funded
So Council thinks it will stop a runaway freight train.
Surely you want your Council to put up at least some defence of the amenity, environment and general sanity of the shire – regardless of the desire of a never ending line up of those who want only to exploit it.
The report, however, gives a rather slanted view of what occurred at the meeting. From my listening of the recording a mystifying thing happened. Cr Coorey proposed the original motion which was rather stronger in its opposition than the one that passed. Because there was a general will amongst councillors for something to pass, it was decided to let the motion rest and thrash out some agreeable wording over the lunch break, sensibly avoiding the endless amendment and workshopping process that usually occurs and fostering a united front.
Cr Coorey must have been reasonably confident therefore that her compromise position would then go through. No, our mayor must always have the last word and proposed a further amendment that removed a section: ‘that it does not support permanent approval due to outstanding concerns ….’ and of course, given the numbers, that sailed through.
As you say, Jumbo, it’s a bit of a runaway train, but rolling over on permanency at this stage doesn’t give much hope of tempering the load that arrives.
Byron council is of course concerned that there may be a possibility of people enjoying their live without council interference, such actions will naturally not be tolerated by council because despite actual law, the council mistakenly believes it is a form of local government when such is not the case at all and to even claim it is, is treason. My suggestion is for council members to get over themselves and join the human race and grow up… it maybe a little much to ask though, I admit
Cr Cooreys original Motion was “oppose permanent Consent”.
Cr Richardson/Lyons successful Amendment, Fully Supported by the Greens, is “That Council does not currently support the proposal …. UNTIL its concerns as raised within its submission are satisfied”.
“UNTIL” means FULL CONSENT from the Greens for PERMANENT DEVELOPMENT CONSENT for events up to 57,000 people in a wildlife corridor, when the Greens/Councils few issues raised are dealt with.
The sites ground truthed environmental values, and the adjacent Nature Reserve and Wetlands, can not be protected by the made up Developers/State Govt’s fantasy planning, and their pumped up vehicle carbon emissions, of these pop up towns.
Another Greens sell out of the Shires environment.
In addition if there is a major storm event the site will become full of flood water without any viable evacuation plan. A natural disaster waiting to happen, I hope I’m not left to say I told you so. None are so blind who refuse to see
Commenting in this space is good, but lobbying State Govt reps must be done, keep your concerns under their noses.
That NBP bought this land next to a proclaimed recognised Nature Reserve then expect to have massive events is poor judgement on their part. Planting a few trees and giving a few grand $ to local groups is no compensation for the massive impacts on nature and community their events will generate
Letting them have what they want is a poor response on our part!