I attended the last Byron Council meeting – thanks to the community members who were able to come.
The frustration is apparent. Legislation protects the communities affected by poor governance.
Unfortunately, we continue to have lack of functioning infrastructure with community continuing to be affected [by more development]. Council are required by law to have in place the necessary infrastructure prior to development.
General manager Mark Arnold and senior staff member Phil Holloway have been asked to provide answers to why this has been allowed to happen, while continuing to pass DAs.
I asked why this legislation and facts have not been provided to L&A courts.
What we have is unacceptable. Bayside and the rest of the Shire have been inundated with complaints about infrastructure lack of maintenance (for decades).
I reminded our elected officials that when we come to chambers, we are asking them and alerting them of their obligations to serve our community.
The new policy of streamlining development certainly holds to legislation.
When emailing the Office for Local Government, I will be alerting them to the huge lack of funding, leading to the unsustainable situation facing Byron Shire.
There definitely has to be an independent audit, as Byron Shire Council’s budget is confusing, and not meant for us to follow clearly.
Why are we complaining about sewage overflows and the lack of maintaining the infrastructure necessary for our communities?
The need for a moratorium on any development is to protect what we have left until we can afford to build suitable and sustainable infrastructure.
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. 
