As a first-timer running for Council, Jack Dods found himself not only in a seat at the Council bench, but deputy mayor as well.
Crs Dods’ ‘day’ job is in the building industry, and though he has studied architecture, he is not working as an architect.
‘I have always practised as a building designer, or as a design consultant,’ he says.
‘I do have a Bachelor of Design in Architecture, and completed the masters studio of a Masters of Architecture. I also completed an urban design specialisation from Columbia University.
‘I just never bothered to get registered, as it didn’t relate to my work when I came back to Byron.
‘People in public sometimes refer to me as an architect (not understanding this distinction), and I correct them wherever possible.’
Dods says his workload will be reduced as he dedicates more time to Council and that his passion is to put his skills and insight into improving the quality of development in Byron Shire.
‘This is why I have dedicated my time to serving on numerous advisory committees over the past six years.
‘I am always pushing for more considered, better designed, people-friendly development. That is what drives me, and that is what I’m good at.’
Fully transparent
‘I aim to be fully transparent if, and when, a perceived [conflict of] interest arises, declare as such, and recuse myself from any dealings or votes on those matters.
‘However, I estimate such instances to be few relative to the broad scope of what Council deals with.’
Dods was only on Council for a Byron Bay minute before he was elected to the position of deputy mayor – a controversial move on many levels. ‘I know, it’s big,’ he said.
‘It’s not something I take lightly. It was put to me by Sarah [Ndiaye] that she really wanted to have someone there with balance, which I think was the right approach.
‘She didn’t want to put another Green on as deputy, because I think she wanted to show that she had the desire to reach out and put someone there that might have differences of opinion on certain things, but [someone] that she could work with really constructively’.
As far as development in Shire goes, Dods feels that change is inevitable.
‘I think there’s been some amazing protest movements and environmental movements that did so much good work in protecting not just our environment, but downstream of that – [it enhanced] our culture and the unique sense of place and the unique sense of character that we have here’.
‘I guess one thing that maybe we didn’t realise until too recently is that the flip side of that is that we kind of shut ourselves off to providing more dynamic, affordable types of housing, because we just said no to everything’.
Saying yes
‘I think going forward, we’re going to have to be really intelligent and really incisive, and say yes to things that we think are actually going to allow us to grow, but grow in a way that still supports that character and that dynamism that we are known for and that we all love.’
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