The heading refers to the editor of our local paper, who once again attempts to discredit Council staff with his uninformed piece last week about Linnaeus.
To set the record straight and provide background, there was a court-imposed ‘private education’ zoning under the 1988 LEP that did not have a corresponding fit in the 2014 standard instrument. State Parliamentary Counsel made the recommendation to Byron Council that this be transferred to the ‘mixed-use’ zone it currently sits under, as there was no other label that could resolve the existing approval.
This was reported up to the 25 August 2016 Council meeting and approved by councillors unanimously, including Cr Dey, who was on Council that term, two terms ago. It was not foreseen by anyone at that time that the zoning would potentially allow other uses on the site, such as eco-tourism.
To try to blame staff for this is unfair and not based on fact but this is the lack of quality and integrity we’ve come to expect from Hans unfortunately.
When will Echo management make the long overdue call and place an advert for a new editor, one who can lift the standard of debate and community information so that we can all benefit? We deserve better.
Michael Lyon, Byron Shire Mayor
Byron Shire Echo – editor responds
In the Council agenda from April 16, 2020, Council planning staff admitted that a ‘fundamental error’ had occurred with the label zoning change and Schedule 1 changes to allow a community title (CT) on some of the last sensitive littoral rainforest remaining on the region’s coastline at Linnaeus Estate.
This change of zoning label resulted in a huge advantage for the developer, despite Brandon Saul, on behalf of the developers, telling The Echo in November 2020 that all 15 parties to the development agreed that mixed use zoning was not appropriate for the site.
Additionally, the public were also denied procedural fairness because there were no exhibition/submissions for the changes at the time.
It seems that everyone agrees the rezoning, recommended (but not required) by the DPI, was completely inappropriate for the site.
It’s only Cr Lyon who is calling for the editor to be sacked for reminding everyone of how this occurred.
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. 
