An e-petition asking the government to explore options other than plans for a three-storey mixed residential and commercial shops on a public carpark at Mullumbimby’s entrance has recieved a response from NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully (Labor).
Within his extensive reply – which repeats the talking points of proponents, Byron Shire Council, and NSW government development corporation, Landcom, there is no answer as to why no other location was considered.
Image joinin.landcom.nsw.gov.au/mullumbimby
Residents gave various reasons why the proposal for 32 tightly-packed residential units, plus shops, is inappropriate for the site.
That includes, ‘The building design is overbearing and inappropriate as a gateway to our town centre’. More suitable sites are available nearby, says the e-petition, like Council’s carpark on Station Street, the decommissioned Mullumbimby Hospital site, and state railway land on Prince Street.
‘All three of these are larger than the current site, have safer access and would not require funding for land acquisition’, it reads.
And while Minister Scully says there are reports to support the developement application (DA), the public have not been presented with them as the DA is yet to be presented to the public.
Urban architect, David Brown, told The Echo, ‘Sadly, Landcom and Council’s pursuit of affordable housing on 57 Station Street suggests both organisations lack any understanding of individuals and families at the bottom of Byron Shire’s housing food chain’.
‘Importantly, the proposal rests on a false premise – that just 15 resident and four visitor parking spaces are expected to satisfy the demands of 32 dwellings.
‘Anyone aware of local and regional transport systems knows the connections between employment centres is tenuous at best, non-existent at worst. This means car ownership is essential, more so for those on low to moderate incomes.
False premise
‘Byron Shire is not Sydney, where public transport of some form is readily available. So applying metropolitan standards is totally unrealistic. As a result, the so-called comprehensive traffic assessment has been based on a false premise.
‘Council proposes to construct a new public parking area on the Argyle/Prince Street corner. This destroys the opportunity to create a green entry to Mullumbimby – a fundamental element of the Master Plan Council enthusiastically endorsed just a few years ago’, he added.
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