Reclaiming New Year’s in the Bay – We’ve listened and we’re excited
This year Council is working closely with police and the community to bring together a New Year to remember – for all the right reasons.Council met with Police to establish a management plan for New Year’s celebrations in Byron.
“Families need to feel safe if they’re coming into town for New Year’s and I’m glad I can say that it will be safe now,” Mayor Simon Richardson said.
“I’m grateful the NSW Police are coming to the party. We listened to calls for more vigilant policing and it was great to hear that they are just as committed as we are to avoiding a repeat of last year’s unruly behavior.”
“Police have said they’re committed to having more police on the ground, targeting trouble spots like Apex Park and Main Beach, working more closely with our rangers to put a lid on street drinking and illegal parking. They’ll also help ensure the transit lane in Shirley Street stays clear for buses and direct communication will be established between all major players of New Years; Soul Street, Park and Ride, First Sun, Rangers and Police.
“Our great community, including the Community Centre, Byron United, and other businesses and the Liquor Accord have all come on board to help provide family friendly entertainment and beautify the streets. These are important relationships and it’s great to see the community coming together in this way.” Mayor Simon Richardson said.
Inspector Greg Jago from Byron Bay Police said, “We don’t want to stop people from having a good time, we just want them to do it in a safe and responsible manner. Police will use all available resources and powers to achieve this goal.”
Mayor Simon Richardson concluded, “After the fall out from last year we listened to what the community had to say. We liaised more closely with Byron United and the business community, the Byron Community and Cultural Centre, local police, youth groups, Falls Festival and the public.
“We put together a summer safety committee and we implemented as much as we could from their ideas, but at the end of the day it just couldn’t work without the extra policing. They were the last piece of the puzzle we needed and I can now say, it’s safe to come into the Bay. This is a great thing, because I for one am really excited with the program we’ve come up with, which, along with the New Year’s Day First Sun event, will be launched very shortly.”
Some of the Byron Bay New Years team bringing you Safe Summer in the Bay, director of Byron Youth Service, Di Marney, Byron Market director, Tess Cullen, Vice President Byron United & Evolution Concierge, Jodie Molloy, Byron Shire Council Community Policy Officer, Mayor Simon Richardson, chair Byron Liquor Accord, Hannah Spalding, CEO/Regional arts development officer, David Wood, creative producer Byron Community Centre Mouche Phillips, director Fall Festival Byron Bay, Brandon Saul, manager Byron Community Centre, Paul Spooner, Backpackers Group representative, James Robinson-Gale, Sgt Jack Keough, Tweed Byron Local Area Command.
Byron mayor calls for more police on NYE
Chris Dobney
Carefully laid plans for a safe and family-friendly New Years Eve in Byron Bay are in tatters after Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) have withdrawn permission for roadblocks at entry points to the town.
The refusal has left Greens mayor Simon Richardson seeing red and calling on more police to be rostered on to man the roads leading into Byron, prepared to turn away the kind of drunken rabble that trashed the town last New Years Eve.
Mayor Richardson is hoping to meet with the police commissioner and the emergency services minister to press his point.
He has already booked a meeting with local police early next week to ‘see what they need, how Council can help and be reassured necessary police numbers will be on the ground’.
‘Extra New Years Eve revellers and alcohol can unfortunately lead to a dramatic jump in antisocial behaviour and our community needs to be assured that we will have the police support we need this year,’ he said
‘The streets of Byron Bay town centre have been declared alcohol free and we need to ensure that our local police will have enough numbers to enforce this on our busiest night of the year.’
The call comes the NSW Police Association has itself backed the campaign by local community groupLast Drinks at 12 to have the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority intervene in Byron Bay to prevent the expected escalation in alcohol-related violence and harm in Byron over the Christmas–New Year period.
This news comes as Byron’s Cheeky Monkeys and Lismore’s Cocktails bar were today named equal third most violent venues in NSW, with 16 violent incidents each in the past 12 months.
Last Drinks at 12 have requested an urgent community conference of all local stakeholders before Christmas chaired by the ILGA chairperson.
Scott Weber, the president of the NSW Police Association, has written to the head of ILGA, Chris Sidoti, endorsing the Last Drinks campaign and asking that he ‘urgently consider the concerns and requests of the Last Drinks at 12 community group, to pre-emptively avoid tragedy before it happens’.
Despite the RMS refusal, the Council will push ahead with its plans for a more family-oriented celebration, moved from the beach to Jonson Street, and ending at 10pm.
‘The Community Centre’s creative flair will highlight Byron’s character as a chilled-out community that embraces colour, dance, humanity and the environment,’ Mayor Richardson said.
‘This is a whole-of-community response. Our residents and business community have stepped forward with the Safe Summer in the Bay program. Bottom line is our community also needs extra police support on the peak night of the year.’
ECHONET DAILY
The twelve days of Christmas Parking – Park and Ride for Byron Bay
A twelve day Park and Ride scheme will be introduced as part of the Safe Summer in the Bay strategy.
“Traffic congestion and parking is one of the biggest challenges our locals and visitors face over the Christmas period,” Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson said.
“Providing affordable $5 all day parking at the Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex on Ewingsdale Road, and regular shuttle buses into town, is an obvious solution.
“If we can keep cars out of Byron Bay town centre, this is a big step towards improving traffic flow in the highly popular town.
“Areas of Byron Bay will be declared a special event parking area and a once a day 2 hour parking limit will apply.
“Parking at the BRSCC will be the most affordable all day parking in Byron, plus another advantage is the increased turnover in car parking spaces to help stimulate the retail economy,” he said.
From 26 December until 6 January, Council has declared Byron Bay a 2P Special Event Parking Area (SEPA). This means east of Belongil Bridge to south of Red Devils and everywhere in between, a 2 hour parking limit will be in effect, unless other parking laws apply.
For example, anyone can still park in the SEPA but needs to obey the posted time limits, be it 1P or 4P and where no time limit is signed the SEPA 2P limit applies. It also applies after other time limit areas expire, for example many streets are time limited until 6pm, after which the SEPA 2P limit will apply.
Exemptions to the SEPA 2P time limit are possible for “Permit Holders”, who is any Byron Shire resident that correctly displays a valid Resident Parking Coupon and by doing so allows, for example, parking all day in residential streets such as Butler Street.
Special edition 12-day SEPA permits will also be distributed for those residents who don’t already have a permit. These will be provided FREE, two per household, to those eligible. Those already holding a valid coupon do not need the extra 12-day permit.
As for those visiting Byron Bay, and think the existing 1P, 2P or 4P or the SEPA 2P time limit is insufficient, Council will operate a Park and Ride service from the Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex (BRSCC) between 10am and 10pm, except on New Year’s Eve where it will extend services to 2am and also operate from the St Finbar’s and high school cul-de-sac on the southside. Except on NYE, park and ride will cost $5 per day per vehicle and provide all day parking. On NYE Park and Ride will cost $30.
Free all-day, “early bird” parking will also be made available for the twelve days at the Butler Street Reserve, except Thursday Farmers Market (2 Jan) and Sunday market day (5 Jan). Vehicles will need to be parked by 10am and can not leave the car parking space until 3pm. The Reserve will be closed at 6pm to car parking.
Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson said, “We’re always looking for new ways to help things run more smoothly for residents and visitors alike. Between the Park and Ride option, more available spaces and 2P Special Event Parking times we hope to do just that.”
More information on these measures will be provided to households.
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Town Centre and Foreshore Strategy aims to revitalise Byron Bay
A strategy to revitalise the Byron Bay town centre and foreshore has been unanimously supported by Council.
Mayor Simon Richardson said over the past few years Byron Bay’s reputation as a safe and vibrant place to visit and live has come under threat.
“The town centre needs a refresh and a complete revitalisation to ensure it retains its status as one of Australia’s iconic places to live, work and visit. It’s time to act and reclaim Byron Bay as a brilliant place to walk, cycle, meet and enjoy,” he said.
The Byron Bay Town Centre and Foreshore strategy will provide the framework for a completely revitalised town centre while ensuring Byron Bay’s character is preserved and enhanced.
In 2014 residents, businesses and visitors will have the opportunity to get involved, be inspired, have fun and share their ideas for imagining the future of the Byron Bay town centre.
Cr Spooner noted that the plan will focus on town centre opportunities that can be capitalised upon to benefit the whole community.
“The decision was a strong vote for progress. To see three key community stakeholders from differing shire localities speak with 100% support, was a strong signal that this project should go ahead,” he said.
Council was also informed at the meeting that the Tourism Industry Regional Development funding program under which Council had applied for $125,000 in matched funds to develop the Byron Bay Town Centre and Foreshore Strategy has been withdrawn by the federal government.
Council has now allocated budget from the Crown Paid Parking Beach Reserve ($50,000), Main Beach Reserve ($50,000) and the Byron Bay Town Centre Upgrade ($150,000) to undertake the project. These reserve funds can only be spent on projects in Byron Bay.
VIA Byron and Byron Visitors Centre board representative, John Gudgeon applauded the report and Council endorsing the plan to be developed.
“It’s the missing link,” he said.
“What is desperately needed is a grand unifying plan for Byron Bay. A cohesive plan, with a forward vision, will make it a better place for our residents and visitors on which our economy significantly depends.
“The Strategy will frame the future and integrate the town. An investment in Byron Bay is an investment in dispersing the visitor economy throughout the Shire and beyond,” Mr Gudgeon said.
Kim Dowling from Business Ashored in Ocean Shores told Council that Ocean Shores had a strong visiting family and friends market that would benefit from the plan and she was excited that it is going ahead.
Bangalow Chamber of Commerce, Peter Mortimore, noted that Byron Bay is the gateway and relies on the Byron Bay visitor economy to come up the hill to Bangalow.
“We don’t see the Byron Bay Town Centre and Foreshore Strategy as Byron centric, it has huge benefits for the whole region,” he said.
To read the Council report, see item 12.1 within the agenda http://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/meetings/2013-11-21-ordinary
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Mayor Simon Richardson 