Byron Shire Council (BSC) staff have recommended that councillors vote to proceed with a trial Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) at this Thursday’s Council meeting.
Support for the SEP comes from those such as Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce President Matt Williamson and Destination Byron, who say they support a SEP in principle, if it is well managed.
Party town?
Thursday’s Council meeting will see the first report to Council on the proposed trial of a SEP. The key objections from locals and businesses concern lack of information on safety, lighting, transport, compliance, costs, funding, consultation, and Liquor Act amendments.
There was consistent community feedback in the report that people didn’t want Byron to return to being a party town and preferred a family, environmental, and wellness-based focus.
There was support for diverse daytime activations but a preference that the SEP should not exacerbate noise impacts from venues, spaces and outdoor events. Transport issues remain a concern with the lack of existing infrastructure to support late night openings.
Reduce size of SEP?
The 30ha area that has been identified for the SEP trial is significantly larger than, for example, Enmore’s SEP (which is 3.5ha) and also includes some residential areas such as Butler Street. Some suggested that the area should be reduced to a more central area of the CBD and beach and exclude any residential areas.
There were also concerns over safety issues, antisocial behaviour and alcohol-induced violence, and the capacity for local health and policing services to manage these effectively.
Local resident Paul Jones told The Echo, ‘I can’t understand the need for the SEP. Fundamentally I think it is not in the Byron spirit to have Sydney try and tell us how to revitalise when in fact, of our own accord, we have probably one of the, if not the, most active and unique, vital cultural/sporting provincial communities in NSW. I can understand parts of inner-city Sydney and many other places needing a bit of a lift, but Byron has been doing it on its own and so well for so long.’
‘What’s the risk? Byron becomes standardised, proforma activation plans are applied and formula businesses make their moves on us. And once the LEP and DCP have been rewritten, there won’t be the will or the funding to overturn it. What we mostly need is nighttime safety, transport, and an upgrade of public amenities – these are the “critical enablers” – where is the funding for this?’ Mr Jones said.
He believes the Purple Flag program meets Byron Bay’s needs, and is a better fit for the town than the SEP.
‘The Purple Flag Certification looks like a great initiative to drive all the benefits without the heavy-handed legislative SEP approach that Council staff seem to want to progress before having the fundamentals in place,’ he said.
Councillors will be discussing the proposal to implement a trial SEP at this Thursday’s Council meeting. You can attend in person or watch online at online here.
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