Before I catch that train, thanks to the amazing community of the Byron Shire for voicing their concerns and thoughts and at times gratitude. After nearly eight years across two terms I can say it is a relentless, unpredictable and rewarding gig being a councillor. It’s a privilege (and at times a curse) to be able to vote on so many decisions, and to be privy to so much eclectic information (that means interesting and sometimes tedious) about how our Byron Shire looks and works. I’m ready to leave though and embrace a new phase of my own life and I’m excited and a tad daunted by that.
Into the future the GM, directors and staff will hopefully, guided by forward-thinking progressive councillors, navigate our complex world by cultivating a culture of innovation and ‘Yes’ rather than an at times conservative traditional analysis destined to say ‘No’. There are climate change imperatives to do things in new ways and for our thinking and feeling to embrace new paradigms.
The divisive Gaza motion was one of our greatest tests as a council and I am grateful to Councillors Lyon, Ndiaye, and Pugh for working together with me to sculpt a final motion that was in a spirit of harmony rather than divisiveness. Whoever of these capable three scores the mayoralty in the new council I really wish them well because it’s a tough and important gig.
Looking at the parlous state of the planet I‘m grateful that I continue to meet people of all ages, especially youth, who care, have vision and are committed to fellow humans and the natural world. It gives me cause for optimism. It’s great to see some younger faces running for council and I hope all the capable committed ones get elected.
Thanks to fellow councillors for supporting me in Council’s submission in support of the federal government’s Nature Repair Market bill.
The Nature Repair Act 2023 came into effect in December 2023 and is part of the Australian government’s nature-positive plan to incentivise actions to restore and protect the environment and to encourage nature-positive land management .
The Nature Repair Market will open in 2025 and I am fairly confident that it will help revegetate and repair and make more climate-resilient the 50 per cent of Byron Shire which remains in the category of degraded, weed-infested, eroding paddocks. The scheme could lure landholders away from cattle grazing by providing replacement funding for biodiversity enhancement instead.
I regretted the sad lack of vision of Cr Pugh and to some extent Cr Swivel in their absolutist stomping on rail as a form of transport in the Shire in a mad rush to rail trail on formation (i.e. in place of the rail lines) in the corridor. I encourage the new Council to restore the concept of the Byron to Bangalow section for rail and trail to link up with Mullum to Byron.
Our public transport system remains a disgrace and the sooner the youth push for it the better because they have been heard but ignored on this issue.
Thanks especially to Mayor Michael Lyon for his grace and quirky sense of humour when chairing meetings and his general dedication and success in the job.
I thank him for handling our, at times, differing political views in a spirit of friendship.
I hope that our next Council helps to make Byron Shire a great place to live and be proud of – an oasis on the planet which leans into the future with positive problem solving, creativity and tolerance.
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. 
