The ongoing logistics disaster that is the ‘affordable’ housing proposed to be built on the public carpark at 57 Station Street is becoming a blame game.
Who is responsible for choosing such an ill-considered, inappropriate site? I see no hands. The only centrally located car park, in a small heritage conservation area (gazetted) township, requiring major remediation work prior to build commencement due to easement issues that will cause disruption to adjoining businesses, that will create potential traffic chaos during build and after, with inadequate resident parking, breaching height limit by two metres, etc etc?
The carpark land, although repeatedly proclaimed to have been sold for $1, is at the last enquiry still owned by Council, hence Byron Shire Council (BSC) ratepayers. The mayor has remarked often that there are an unacceptable number of people within the Shire who are sleeping rough or in their cars yet in the same breath advocating that the only 24/7 toilet facility for these people, and others, be demolished to make way for housing that they would not be able to afford to access, it is not social housing. Leaving them to go where when nature calls? Am I missing something? The Council building toilets were to be an interim solution. This would necessitate people co-ordinating their digestive system to a 9am to 5pm pattern. I know I couldn’t.
Then at some stage a new carpark to replace the existing central one as well as a new toilet block to replace the heritage-listed one, all at ratepayer cost, was to appear. At some stage. Apparently Council is short on funds for essential services so no time soon.
This replacement is to be situated at a hefty hike to the CBD for the mobility challenged. In my mind this is a breach of ‘duty of care’ especially to the young and the aged. Did anyone give any thought at all to this project? Say ‘no’ to the carpark sale and ‘yes’ to the alternative housing sites proposed by the community. Let’s house people mindfully. In solidarity.
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. 
