Jo Faith, Newtown
I read with dismay that further Sunrise Beach ‘housing development’ has been approved by prominent Greens councillors and supported by Cr Spooner. I take it that no social impact study, or health study has been done on this urban space, which is developing all the characteristics of potentially being Byron’s Trash City. I ask, ‘Have the councillors visited Sunrise and spoken to the community?’
Thirty years ago this area was a new community that civilly cared for the collective sense of space. Indeed, it was a migration area koalas crossed to feeding habitats. Neighbours planted trees in their gardens to support wildlife. Koalas developed trust with humans and visited neighbours and their trees. Children rode their bikes and skateboards on the road, ailing neighbours were cared for.
Indeed there was a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that the Sunrise community (excluding dogs) could walk the area now occupied by ‘High End Elements’. A magnificent walk with bridges to the sea made this possible. A micro-civil society existed… now all gone.
The ‘Byron Green Market’ arrived with all of its predatory speed. Today, Sunrise exists as a space awaiting serious tragedies. Residents speak of ‘near misses’, as they turn corners and are confronted by walking folk lacking a footpath. There are no designated footpaths. It is overloaded with development aiming for BnB cash. No thought has been given to the fact that the abundance of cars and caravans with no allocated parking space create competitive, hostile and serious social tensions.
No signs exist indicating commercial zoning for BnB businesses or residential rights. Added to the mix are very large travelling vans and caravans seeking parking space overnight and competing with this growing mix of cars and humanity.
Rubbish is chucked into wrong bins. Fires for barbecues are lit in high fire-danger season. Airbnb visitors are advised by hosts to park away from the trading house.
Finally, a huge health issue exists. The COVID-19 virus has been found in human urine. There is plenty of the latter in front gardens in Sunrise as overnight street sleepers ‘have to go somewhere’. Police are underfunded to deal with the Green Market and feel ‘sorry for the community’.
These issues are viewed as ‘separate issues’ by Council. Too much hyper-masculinity in Council, not enough care for health, rights or civil society. URGENT request for public toilets in Sunrise please!
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
