Byron Council has ratified the International Charter of Human Rights, complete with fine legal minds that developed a Charter of Rights. This was initiated by the Ngara Institute, Mullumbimby. A very progressive stance by Council and the Institute.
This charter articulates the right of every person to be housed. But housing was later hindered by the 2022 floods. Climate change has asserted itself. The NSW premier visited Lismore and surrounds and announced, ‘There will be no more development on floodplains’.
Was he aware that the West Byron development, which is on a floodplain, was in progress – with development consent granted under the most spurious circumstances by the NSW Land and Environment Court and hired Council lawyers?
I rang Minister Anthony Roberts at the NSW Department of Planning office. I spoke to his secretary. ‘What was Roberts going to do about developments granted [consent] on floodplains, such as West Byron, prior to the devastating floods?’ I asked.
His secretary assured me that, ‘Minister Roberts was already working on this issue and that this information would be forthcoming to the public in a short time’.
No media has reported a response from Minister Roberts.
