Editorial – What are the people doing in your neighbourhood?

If you are stuck for something to do this Thursday, why not take part in local democracy?

A bunch of people, some elected on minimum wages, along with well-paid career non-elected bureaucrats, will be gathered in the Council chambers in Mullum to discuss things that will invariably impact you. 

There is ample seating available inside the chamber, and the meeting can be viewed online via Council’s website. Sounds like fun!

As US author, Martha Gellhorn, said, ‘People often say, with pride, “I’m not interested in politics”. They might as well say, “I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.” … If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.’

With that in mind, here’s a few things on Thursday’s agenda not covered in the news section:

Butler Street residents want out of STRA maps

A minor change to the Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) precincts is suggested by Cr Duncan Dey. It follows a petition from Butler Street residents, who want to be removed from the maps. 

Cr Dey says, ‘Many residents there have expressed their collective view in the petition that they were not aware they would be included, and that they wish to be excluded’. 

‘If the resident survey represents the property owners’ views, then these should be listened to’, he says. 

Yet the proposal is not supported by Shannon Burt, Director Sustainable Environment and Economy, who writes among many things, ‘It is contrary to the work that Council has done towards achieving, and about to implement, for the management of STRA’. 

Are you informed about developments?

Cr Cate Coorey is seeking a staff report that considers improving the visibility of significant development applications (DAs) ‘and other events happening at Council and in Byron Shire, including more regular advertising in the local newspaper and on local radio’. 

A similar motion by Cr Duncan Dey was unsuccessful early in the current term. In reply, staff say that Council’s Community Participation Plan (CPP) contains an additional category called ‘community significant development’, which provides for greater awareness of DAs, and also highlighted the e-newsletter.

And other stuff…

Other items on the agenda include a lengthy report on the merits, or otherwise, of trapping dingoes, feral/roaming dogs, foxes and cats. 

And there is the neverending push to increase Byron’s CBD height limits. Developers of a large mixed-use building at 9 Marvell Street want a lift overrun at 18.54m, or 30.8 per cent over the 11.5m limit.

Also, senior Council staff have emphasised their desire for councillors to not adopt February 13 recommendations from the Floodplain Management Advisory Committee. One recommendation is making flood certificate information publicly available , which would be a headache for staff.

Hans Lovejoy, editor