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Byron Shire
March 19, 2024

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Pam’s chemical-free farming passion

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Editorial – Giving it a tick and flick

The rezoning of high-value agricultural land for future housing – some on floodplains – is likely to be rushed through at Thursday’s Council meeting with last-minute tinkering – see page 1.

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Asren Pugh, Labor candidate for Mayor

Labor has a very long and proud history as part of the Byron Shire community with the Byron Bay branch recently celebrating its 100th anniversary. We have seen this community change from farming, to working class industrial, then through the Aquarius revolution to the beautiful, kind and progressive community it is today.

It was Labor that created all of our local National Parks and Nature Reserves, from Tyagarah to Cumbebin Swamp to Arakwal National Park.

Sandra Heilpern asks what Labor has to do with local government.

It has been Labor councillor, Paul Spooner, who has driven the Community Land Trust model to help housing affordability and the need to use some of our rail corridor for emergency small housing. It is Labor councillor, Jan Hackett, who has championed the arts and the protection of our beaches while on Council. Right now there are more Labor councillors on Byron Shire Council than Greens members.

We need a Council that works, that better engages with and is responsive to the community. We need to be taken seriously by state and federal governments so that we can get our fair share of infrastructure funding for roads, parks and paths.

Our community is under enormous pressure from tourism and housing stress. It is time to start actually doing things. Let’s get Labor’s plan for a Community Land Trust happening on lot 22 and the Mullum hospital site. Let’s build the bike and walking paths within and between our towns. Let’s reform Council so that it starts delivering and working for us as a community.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. ” Right now there are more Labor councillors on Byron Shire Council than Greens members “.

    Correct. That is the accurate section of the above statement . It also sums up the problems with BOTH the fractured Greens and dismal Labor Party .

    The ALP really do not have any original policies . No track record of achievements either , in spite of what is stated above. They have merely tagged on to the policies of other more experienced Councillors .

    If the ALP will genuinely serious , why would they put up a candidate like Asren Pugh for Mayor ? Just for practice, one must assume ,because he has no hope of being elected Mayor .

    However , he is getting good experience at standing in Elections and this stepping stone should help him in the future , somewhere else .

    Formal political parties should have NO involvement in Local Government. Their candidates are beholding to a party structure that is operated by whom , exactly ,
    just look at the Greens.

    Vote for Independents in this Election in December. Independents answer only to the Voters !

  2. Most people probably don’t necessarily disagree, at least in principle with the Greens stand on many environmental issues, in most cases public anger erupts when the public is severely inconvenienced by often ideological and meaningless protests. Greens MPs. can openly back this irresponsible behaviour because they’re not part of either a responsible Govt. or a Credible opposition trying to become a Govt. and therefore suffer no consequences at the ballot box, in the real world.
    The Byron bypass is a classic example; ever since the 1970s. the roads around Byron and particularly in Byron, have been a nightmare for congestion at holiday times, with barely any major road infrastructure projects undertaken until pork barrelling Ben Franklin offered $20 mill. To build the bypass. The howls of opposition started immediately, and the project became forever embroiled in legal battles and protests to stop it, incredibly even the local Greens MP. (Tamara) opposed it. Was it any surprise that Ben, who never misses an opportunity to snub Tamara, didn’t invite her to the opening? As Asren Pugh states; there are now more Labor Councillors in Byron Council than Greens, and the Carr Labor Govt. has established more National Parks in NSW. than the Greens could in an eternity. In December it’s probably a good idea to keep Labor in majority.

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