Former Byron Shire mayor, Simon Richardson, will not be voting on a large eco-resort DA, called the Linnaeus Estate, located in rare littoral rainforest along Broken Head beach frontage.
Richardson is a member of the Northern Regional Planning Panel, which overrides Council’s decision making on large and significant DAs.
They will decide upon the contentious Linnaeus Estate DA on October 19.
Richardson was appointed as member to the Planning Panel by councillors unanimously in April 2022, after quitting as mayor in April 2021.
During his term as mayor, Richardson was supportive of developing the ecologically sensitive land when it was before Council.
This week, Council staff released a report roundly criticising the DA proposal, owing, in part, to serious environmental concerns (See: Exclusive beach eco-tourist proposal not so eco-friendly).
According to NSW Government Boards and Committees Remuneration documents, a Planning Panel member earns $39,463 pa, yet can also earn $1,435 per day ‘under special circumstances’.
It’s now the second DA assessment Richardson will not vote upon as a Planning Panel member, with the first being Council’s large bio energy facility proposal in Byron Bay. That facility was approved by the panel in May 2022, yet Council are yet to announce how it will be funded, since its grant application was recently rejected by The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Last week, The Echo asked the Northern Regional Planning Panel if Richardson would vote on the Linnaeus DA with the panel, as concerns were raised that he had a potential conflict of interest, ‘and has aired comments publicly via social media around this proposal which are incorrect’.
A statement was supplied by a spokesperson for the Northern Regional Planning Panel: ‘Mr Richardson has declared a conflict of interest and won’t be on the panel’.
‘Planning Panels are independent of the Department of Planning and Environment, which only provides administrative assistance’.
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