During the 1980s Byron Shire Council introduced an LEP which included a building envelope that restricted the height of buildings to three storeys. This has been constantly eroded away over time resulting in buildings above this height that even include rooftop swimming pools.
The huge crane at the corner of Jonson and Browning Streets is something I thought I would never see in Byron during my lifetime. Will this be the thin edge of the wedge or the slippery slope as we see further developments at the old Woolworths site, the backpackers’ site and several others across the Sshire. Ballina and Tweed Heads shires have high-rises. Is this where Byron is heading? Could all Council candidates clearly state their position on this crucial issue before our December election so voters know where they stand?
I’ve always said that you need two ideas on everything in Byron Bay just in case someone agrees with you – but surely on this occasion we would all agree that high rises don’t belong in Byron Shire.
I would encourage ALL Shire residents to write NO High Rise on their ballot paper to give a clear message to council whoever they may be. This may be our last chance to save Byron Shire from high-rise developments. We definitely don’t won’t Byron to become another Hawks Nest as seen on Four Corners.
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. 
