Update: Friday, 20 September, 07.46AM
Yesterday Mullumbimby came to a grinding halt as the CBD and surrounds were shut down after the discovery of what appeared to be a pipe-bom outside a business in Bridglands Lane.
The police operation has concluded but inquiries continue after the device was deemed safe.
Police were called to Station Street, Mullumbimby about 7.30am (Thursday 19 September 2019), after reports a suspicious item was located by a shop owner.
Officers attached to Tweed/Byron Police District attended and located the device, which appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED).
Specialist resources were called to the scene, and an exclusion zone was established with surrounding streets closed to the public.
Following an examination by officers from the Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, the device was deemed safe. Their inquiries revealed the device did not have the capacity to detonate.
The exclusion zone was lifted, and the area is now open to the public.
Local detectives have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
As their inquiries continue, the device will undergo forensic examinations.
There is currently no known threat to public safety, and police continue to urge anyone with information about this incident to come forward.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Update: 5.45pm Thursday, 19 September, 2019
The bomb threat in Mullumbimby has now been defused following a specialist unit being brought in from Sydney to manage the situation according to chief Inspector Luke Arthurs.
The alleged bomb was made safe between 5 to 5.15pm this evening.
According to Chief Inspector Arthurs it looked like a pipe bomb that was approximately 18cm long with caps on either end.
Local owner of Mullumbimby Hire Mark Thomas, who has been excluded from his business since 7.30am this morning, told Echonetdaily that he’d been informed by police that he wouldn’t be able to access his business until tomorrow.
‘They said that there would be forensics etc going in after the area was made safe and that would take most ion the evening.
‘When I called to let the brides know that I couldn’t put up their marquees etc today there were some who thought it was a wind up. Then one called back to say sorry she hadn’t believed me and said “I’ve just seen it on social media. Don’t worry it isn’t until 3pm on Saturday” – so no pressure there,’ said Mark with a wry chuckle.
‘I have called in all my casuals, friends and family to help me get all the work done tomorrow.’
Update: 11am
Matthew Kehoe, Detective Inspector, Officer in Charge at the Byron Bay police station has confirmed that police are flying up a robotic bomb disposal device from Sydney that will arrive this afternoon in a media announcement this morning.
He stated that, ’It appeared to be an improvised explosive device’ that was found in the laneway off Station Street in Mullumbimby.
‘We’ve set up an exclusion zone around Station Street and Burringbar Street. That exclusion zone remains in place.
‘We have our rescue and bomb disposal staff here who are examining the device and we are awaiting specialist resources to attend.
‘We’re certainly treating it as a real device hence the exclusion zone in place,’ said Mr Kehoe.
No current threats
‘We don’t have any threats to any organisations, any building, any individual, or anything of that nature. Our investigations are ongoing.
‘We’re satisfied with the precautions we have put in place for community safety. But it may be an operation that extends for some hours. We encourage people to avoid the area in and around Mullumbimby if possible.
Byron Shire Council and a number of other local businesses have been evacuated.
Update: 9.45am
Mark Thomas from Mullumbimby Hire has told Echonetdaily that he found the possible bomb this morning at about 7.15am outside his business.
‘I thought it was a practical joke and was about to pick it up when someone came over and told me they had called the police.
‘It looks like a classic cliche bomb out of a cartoon. There is a little bit of metal pipe with wire and some circuitry board and a couple of switches on it.’
Mr Thomas has said that he has concerned brides on the phone who are waiting for their marquees to be set up today but is unsure when he will be able to access his business again.
‘I have two weddings that I am supposed ot be setting up today,’ he said.
‘We will have to work through the night to get them set up because we have another two to set up tomorrow. The ripple effects of this are huge. People who are doing lighting, catering etc are all delayed because we can’t get the setup done.’
Council closed and planning meeting venue changed
Byron Shire Council has confirmed the Council offices will be closed for the day. The council’s planning meeting will still go ahead at 11am at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall.
Original story: 8.30am
Police, the fire brigade and the bomb squad have closed down parts of the main street in Mullumbimby and the area surrounding the Byron Shire Council Chambers and Commonwealth Bank following an alert about a suspicious device.
It is understood that a device was located in the laneway between Mullumbimby Hire and the rear of Bridglands retail outlets behind the Commonwealth Bank at about 7.30am this morning.
‘A 200m exclusion zone has been put in place,’ said Detective Inspector in charge of the operation Matt Kehoe.
‘We have alerted the Byron Shire Council and the rescue unit from Lismore has been advised that it will be ongoing for some hours.’
It is currently understood that a robotic device is being flown up from Sydney to assist in dismantling the suspicious device.
The Byron Shire Council, Commonwealth Bank and other local businesses are currently closed as the investigation continues.
Diversions in place
Delays to traffic entering and traversing the town are being caused by police diversions that are in place. Currently traffic is being diverted to the right at the roundabout as you enter Mullumbimby from Uncle Toms. Traffic entering from the west of the town is not being allowed any further up Burringbar Street (the main street of the town) than Stuart Street.
Photos Tree Faerie
bomb squad from Sydney?
for a make-shift bomb?
48 hour after the SCU siege fiasco?
wow! these guys really must justify their position and wages.
Bring on the guns and the NRA lobbying with it.
You go and volunteer to inspect and open it up then instead of sitting behind your computer you sheep.
Police and military handling bombs do an incredibly difficult and potentially dangerous job. I had the honour of working with two Solomon Islands police who removed a bomb in Nauru. They were quite junior officers but trained by Australian Federal Police and their cool professionalism was impressive.
Their work has nothing to do with guns and the US National Rifle Association, and should not be diminished by any association with unlawful access to weapons.
I do agree with Rossco’s remarks. Until the coming of new settlers to this area in the mid-1960s, it was remarkably free of property and violent crime.
We always guessed you as the sort of person that hangs out with the police and then brags about it
Gee … its great to see the positive impact of growth and modern Western lifestyle on our once quiet and peaceful Shire.
‘Our Shire’ ???
Was in mullum around lunchtime saw a bunch of fireman eating from a local cafe while everyone else was inconvenienced. More akin to something out of Keystone cops and a frightful waste of taxpayer’s money than a genuine bomb threat.
Before you start blamng growth and modern Western lifestyle (Do you really think Families relocating to Byron Shire from Sydney or Melbourne are going to plant bombs around Mullumbimby, because they’re missing the lifestyle they left behind in the Cities?),consider the possibility this and SCU may have been ‘training’ exercises for the Emergency Services. ‘They’ do it all the time in the UK.
I agree, and they expect us to justify there existence and comform to there insane existence. Only the politician would that it seriously as it justifys there existence.
what a complete crock of govt staged propaganda…. the australian police are hands down the lamest ducks on the meat slab
As a matter of serious concern to many, will the Middle Pub kitchen & Bar remain open during this crisis,What will be the on the Echo Front page next week.”Terror in Mullum”
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this was a staged event, a security drill or the like, they need to train and they need events like this to justify ridiculous enormous security budgets, it’s on par for the post 9/11 cookoo world we live in. The enormous security truck parked next to the fire house was not there on the spur of the moment, it was prearranged, for sure. We need to be a bit more sceptical when it comes to official anouncements about these sorts of events.
Incredible! I’m an Belgian tourist and I was at mullumbimby at March. Your city is for me and my family a peaceful place symbol…
Staged fear-mongering so my neighbours say.
the police ”profile ” this area and nimbin and surrounds, because we shut down csg at bentley and because many use pot regularly. so any time they need to do training and inconvenience us they do.
look at nimbin, 14 full time police and state training for the undercovers.
pathetic waste of resources.
Maybe it was a bong ?
Is the Echo writing fake news?
“Yesterday Mullumbimby came to a grinding halt as the CBD and surrounds were shut down”
Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say “Yesterday a roundabout and a few nearby businesses came to a grinding halt while most others continued with their activities …”?
I have no idea if it’s relevant, but there was a very big ‘training’ truck at Brunswick heads on Wed evening, near the fire station. the blokes inside the building were doing some sort of training/planning exercise. I assumed it had something to do with the fires. I had to be in Mullum on Thursday, and coincidentally there was that same huge truck, blocking the street with all those other police vehicles etc. I think it was a big beat up.
I recall a similar incident a few years ago in the same area… anybody know more details? I’m surprised your story didn’t mention it.
I’ve been in airports on a few occasions when unattended luggage is not collected past the required time frame and procedures are activated. This is basically evacuating the local area – that’s the biggest fuss, is all the marshals required to relocate the significant numbers of people. And they appear to be careful to localise the evacuation as much as possible to prevent disruption. Actually dealing with the unattended luggage is much simpler. The bomb squad rush in in their little van, they put some kind of tent over the bag, and they destroy it with a ominous ‘boom’. It’s efficient, controlled, and a non-spectacle. The only spectacle is, as mentioned, having to relocate everyone in such a busy environment.
Based on this observation we can be assured this event is a training exercise, one staged at extraordinary expense – and a big lie. Why not just say ‘ we need to do a training in public’? Good work further reducing whatever remaining splinter of trust the community has in you. Meanwhile, your employees bash our young people for no reason and suffer no consequences.