A packed house of residents turned up Monday night at the Mullumbimby Services Club to hear Byron Shire Council’s plans to plonk 32 units and shops over a busy Station Street carpark at the town’s entrance.
It was an opportunity for a mature, informed discussion around the town’s future with Council’s best and brightest, given the proposal comes with a myriad of issues.
Instead, the assembled crowd of long-term locals were forced to endure lecturing, and at times angry gibberish from a four-pack of tone deaf, entitled, develop-anything bozo councillors.
Pack of four councillors
They were ‘Greens’ Mayor Sarah Ndiaye, Cr Michael Lyon (who apart from facing DV charges, is the former mayor who created this mess), wealthy developer-connected Cr Jack Dods and the shrill and angry Cr Asren Pugh, representing the shambles of local Labor.
Okay, so you can see where this is going.
Yet anyone with an impartial view – and there were many there – appeared shocked at not only how rude they were to the assembled residents, but also how councillors were unable to answer the reasonable questions asked of them.
For example, there is no solution on the table for the considerable impact it would have on surrounding businesses.
It’s no pleasure at all to be reporting on the real-time collapse of local political integrity.
And these clowns are in power for another three-and-half years. Ugh.
At least the Mullum Residents Association did a commendable job of holding it all together!
A theme from the ‘councillor pack of four’ was an emotional appeal to everyone’s guilt around homelessness, and that residents should accept poor planning on flood-prone land to house them, no matter how ridiculous and unviable the project appears.
Councillors also said that car parking (and the public toilet) will be relocated further away, somewhere unspecified in the rail corridor.
The space opposite Carsburg would also accommodate 40 cars, making it an inspiring landmark entrance to the town.
Alternative locations, such as Council’s own carpark, were not suitable, we were told, but there appeared little effort by councillors to make sure.
Other highlights from the gruelling two-hour combative ‘us vs them’ event included ‘Greens’ Mayor Sarah Ndiaye berating locals with such gems as ‘raise your hand if you own your own home’. Most did of course, and she was booed.
At another low point, Cr Asren Pugh angrily yelled at the crowd: ‘I dare you to go and talk to people who live in their cars!’.
Throughout the night, the councillor pack of four repeated that the public should wait until the DA is submitted by government agency Landcom, and ignore the monstrous designs presented so far.
Yet a Landcom spokesperson told The Echo the bulk and scale needs to remain for it to be economically viable, so there goes that talking point.
Meanwhile, the former Mullum hospital site is earmarked for ‘affordable housing’, and similarly low-cost homes could be built for up to 1,400 people in a new Saddle Road precinct, located between Mullum and Bruns (see page 1).
Given all that, why these councillors are prepared to die on this (raised) hill is a mystery.
Maybe it’s because these 32 units will also house a few precious Council staff members, and councillors do whatever they are told by staff.
Hans Lovejoy, editor
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