In early 2022, before the flood of February 28, I attended an initial meeting between Landcom and Byron Shire Council regarding a proposed development at 57 Station Street.
I was invited to this meeting because I am a landowner within the immediately affected radius. I was the only Mullumbimby resident in attendance.
This was puzzling to me.
Of the five landowners who are my direct neighbours, one lives in Melbourne, one in Tweed Shire, and two in Ballina Shire. Two work full-time, one part-time, and one – like me – lives with a disability and finds travelling to inspect his property challenging and exhausting, so only does it once a year.
This may explain why I was the only landowner present at that initial community consultation meeting – no one else was reasonably able to attend. Yet, this initial meeting satisfied Council’s requirement for community consultation. Is that really satisfactory?
Among the many problems with the development are that it will bulldoze approximately 30 trees, some very well established, that provide homes for birds, shade for cars, and a heat sink for the town’s CBD.
It’s an ugly, boxy design with little architectural charm or sustainable building materials incorporated.
Is this the best that a progressive Greens-led Council can produce ?
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. 
