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Byron Shire
June 18, 2026

Bypass cost breakdown update

Latest News

In loving memory of Dr Tony Parkes AO PhD (1929 – 2026)

Dr Tony Parkes AO PhD, one of Australia’s most visionary conservation leaders and a pioneering force in ecological restoration, passed away last Thursday at the age of 96. He spent his final months at Honey Bee Homes in Ewingsdale.

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Hans Lovejoy

Further to last week’s report on the Byron bypass budget, Council’s Director Infrastructure Services Phil Holloway has provided further answers to questions.

They are as follows:

Does the amount of $24m include GST? 

‘The costs do not include GST’.

What are the ‘additional works’ where noise mitigation is claimed to cost $2,069,600?  

‘In the case of noise mitigation, there may be additional works required to facilitate specific noise treatments.’

What are ‘Service relocations and new services’? Is it laying of electricity cables and the like? If not, what are they?

Services include telecommunications, electricity, stormwater, water supply and sewerage. Infrastructure associated with the services will be variously removed, replaced, relocated and in some cases – upgraded’.

Will a further breakdown of ‘BSC Internal Administration and Project Management cost of $435,121’ be available ie how many staff are involved and what are their roles? Why isn’t this general cost undertaken by staff? Are cost of the delays in the project coming from the contingency breakdown?

‘The bypass is a capital project and the cost of staff working on the project is charged to the project and part of the capitalisation of the project.’

Can the $2,867,211 contingency please be defined?

Echonetdaliy understands that contingency is generally around 10 per cent, yet this is a higher figure.

‘Contingency is included to provide funds for circumstances not known at the time of implementing the project’.



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Caring for community

The Rotary Club of Mullumbimby presented a cheque for $10,000 to the Brunswick Surf Life Saving Club (BSLSC) in support of its ongoing operations.

Lismore shops enchanted for Lantern Parade

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Flood gauges installed in Ballina and Wardell 

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