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Byron Shire
March 27, 2024

Not just Mullum pool

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John Lazarus, Byron Bay

No it wasn’t Byron Council’s budget cuts that put the $50,000 upgrade of Mullum pool on ice. The money that could have been used was spent on the $2.1m redevelopment of Railway Park, Byron Bay.

The mayor publicly informed the community that the $2.1m came from unallocated paid parking money. But it didn’t. After going through council’s budgets, and three emails with Council, I got the actual source of the $2.1m spent on Railway Park. It came from existing allocated council funds, held by Council, that were allocated to be spent on the Byron and Suffolk catchment, and on Shire-wide community facilities. 

Railway Park’s redevelopment used (in part) Council funds of $442,000 held for Shire-wide community facilities, $35,000 held for Shire-wide disability access ramps, and $170,000 held for civic improvements, including Shire-wide disabled access facilities.

The $50,000 to initiate solar heating for all-year-round opening of the Mullum Pool, a new children’s pool, a rehab pool, and pool access for all abilities, could have come from those funds. I believe the $50,000 funds for the Mullum Pool upgrade (and the remaining $2,050,000 that could have been spent on other community infrastructure and facilities) have all been sacrificed to spend on dolling-up Railway Park and to further progress rolling out the development changes in Byron Bay’s Masterplan.


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1 COMMENT

  1. Thanks for all your research to untangle the obfuscation and lack of transparency John.
    That really is a disgusting waste of valuable money allocated to assist the less fortunate. So glad a bunch of tourist businesses and a heap of backpackers could benefit instead.
    About time to stand for council again, maybe as Cate Coorey’s deputy mayor?

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