Firefighters have raced to a blaze at the rear of Belongil Fields Holiday Park, which broke out at the site of the proposed West Byron development this morning.
‘Mike’, a resident of the park, told Echonetdaily a NSW Fire & Rescue Service (F&R) unit arrived at the park around 11 am, followed by a Rural Fire Service (RFS) unit soon after.
A second RFS unit was seen leaving Mullumbimby, siren blaring, at around 11.30 am.
An F&R spokesperson told Echonetdaily there was ‘an active grass fire near Meleleuca Drive behind the caravan park, with three resources despatched, plus RFS’.
‘We received a call at 10.32 am – and our units are set up for property protection,’ he said.
An RFS spokesperson told Echonetdaily the fire had been brought under control around midday after having burnt out about 10 hectares.
Mike, who identified himself as a long-time Byron Bay resident said it was ‘bizarre that it broke out on the very day the future of the site is being decided’.
The Joint Regional Planning Panel is due to make a ruling on the development applications for the contentious new suburb later today (Monday, February 4).
A possible parallel here to Casuarina / Salt on the Tweed Coast for those who can remember the bush along the coast road. Frequent burnings along there rendered the bush lifeless, and then low and behold, along comes the developer brigade prepared to move the road westward and build new towns on the coastal dune.