It’s great to hear the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) has supported the ‘No dogs or cats allowed’ by-law. Perhaps Byron Council will now enforce this same condition of approval imposed on the Bayside Brunswick development in the 1990s.
Local residents and environmentalists objecting to the development alongside the Tyagarah Nature Reserve were assured ownership of pets would not be permitted in the Stage 2 development.
Yet when the houses went up, Council’s compliance officers (led by Ralph James) claimed they had no legal authority to enforce the conditions of approval.
Outraged residents had no recourse when the dogs and cats scared away the small wallabies that lingered in the developer Codlea Pty Ltd’s misty mowed paddock during drop-offs at the new preschool.
Many of the new residents and renters didn’t even know restrictions were placed on pet ownership and were often hostile when challenged, about their pets roaming through the nature reserve or when taking them for a swim in the river.
Little effort was made to inform or educate Bayside residents that pets were prohibited and no enforcement was undertaken by Council officers.
I applaud the Byron residents who challenged these breaches of the by-laws and NCAT for supporting the community and establishing this precedent, ensuring ‘wildlife does have a voice and a no-dog zone is a no-dog zone.’
It may be three decades since the Bayside pet prohibition was imposed, let’s hope Council will now finally implement this condition of approval. It’s never too late to save our wildlife.
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. 
