Big-idea sessions
Byron Shire residents are well known for thinking outside the box and community members, blue-sky thinkers and entrepreneurs are invited to join Councillors to brainstorm new revenue sources in a series of workshops on 8 and 9 March.
We've heard from many that pay parking is not the favoured option for raising additional funds to deliver Council services and upgrades. Many residents believe that pay parking should be the last option and that there are lots of other ways Council could raise funds.
So let's explore all options - now is our opportunity to sit down, brainstorm and see if there is a hidden gem of an idea out there that we haven't explored.
We've heard about the bed tax, tolls, lottery, and even our own currency.
So let's get together, thrash them out and see what we can come up with.
There may be short-term options and long-term ideas that would require legislative change or partnership with other levels of government. Nothing is off the table. We are committed to exploring all options.
Importantly these ideas will be fed into our Community Solutions Panel who will be tasked with coming up with recommendations around the question - what infrastructure spending should we prioritise and how should we fund these priorities if the rates alone are not enough?
The blue-sky idea sessions will be held at:
- Brunswick Picture House (8 March, 6pm-8:30pm)
- Mullumbimby Civic hall (9 March 10am-12:30pm)
- Byron Bay Community Centre (9 March 2pm-4pm)
RSVP to ourbyron@byron.nsw.gov.au
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We heard during discussions on Brunswick Heads and Bangalow
pay parking that there are other ways Council could raise funds.
Now is our opportunity share your ideas - let's see if there is
a hidden gem of an idea out there that we haven’t explored.
View All Ideasover 1 year ago
Allow owners of RU1 & R5 zoned properties to either: -subdivide all or part of their land -build additional, family size homes on their land
Allow owners of RU1 and R5 zoned properties to either: a)subdivide all or part of their land thus increasing the number of rate payers, or b)build additional, rentable, family size dwellings on their land and charge additional rates based on number of additional dwellings Many of the RU1 zoned land is no longer being used for it's purpose of "primary production". Why not give these land owners the opportunity to free up their land for family housing. Obviously this would need to be done in a well managed and controlled manner. Many R5 zoned properties are close to facilites and nestled within or on the fringe of Residential zones. This land is good for subdividing into medium or low density residential.
over 1 year ago
Change the Council fee structure and polices and add extra fees
1. People operating holiday letting from their properties should be charged commercial/business rates if holiday letting is the major use of the dwelling. They should not pay Residential rates. 2. A new fee should be charged by council for upgrading the shire wide Sewerage Treatment Plants to start to install reticulated reuse water in all towns and villages around the shire at the dwelling scale not just large business and community users. 3. If the major use of a rural property is not farming or residential then it should be charged commercial/business rates. i.e nurseries, storage facilities, rural tourist cabins, eco tourism facilities, landscape supplies, service station, café, function centre, restaurant etc. This should be a condition of consent for these types of approvals in the future. Under clause 518B Mixed development land under the Local Government Act 4. Install metres on sewerage pipes to record how much individual households and businesses are contributing. Start to charge sewerage fees based on actual usage. It is clear that the amount of town water used is not directly convertible to sewerage output. Rainwater tanks, stormwater overflow, sand spears ect. are contributing to additional usage. To start, make it a condition of all new Development Applications that involve a connection to the council sewerage system. 5. Change the current rural roads policy so that if a simple majority of land owners along a rural road vote to upgrade the road to bitumen seal and appropriate road width then it is compulsory for ALL of the land owners along that road to pay the proportionate share of upgrading the road (proportionate share being based on number of driveways entering the road). Also change the policy so that land owners are required to pay 66% of the upgrade cost and Council is required to pay 34% of the cost. Some Councils around Australia do not give land owners a choice at all. If a dirt road is identified for sealing land owners are required to pay the full cost of upgrading the road and Councils pay nothing. This policy should not just apply to gravel roads needing to be upgraded to bitumen but also narrow bitumen roads which are unsafe and are required to be widened. 6. Amend section 94 Plan to include the Billinudgel Village into the Ocean Shores area map and out of the Rural North Map. It is bizarre that properties in Billinudgel village pay contributions based on being in Rural North and not Oceans Shores. 7. Amend the section 94 plan to include the Saddle Road / Gulgan Road and Tandys Lane precincts in the Brunswick Heads Area Map and out of the Rural North map. The town boundaries of Mullumbimby, Bangalow and Byron/Suffolk Park expand into eth surrounding rural areas, but the boundaries of Brunswick Heads do not expand out at all. Most of Saddle Road, Gulgan Road and Tandys Lane are identified as being in Brunswick Heads by NSW Lands and Planning Departments so they should also be part of Brunswick Heads for section 94 contributions. They have very little rural road usage, but they are heavy users of Brunswick heads Open space and recreation, community facilities, bikeways and footpaths and urban roads. 8. Investigate the ability for Council to charge for the Environmental Services it currently provides for free such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, water purification, mitigation of storm events, flood control, etc 9. Crack down on illegal water usage in Byron Shire. There is a large amount of illegal pumping from creeks and streams and bores for commercial use. All commercial uses of water require a Water license except for stock and domestic uses. If the illegal water usage is stamped out there will be more of a market for Council to sell reuse water from its STPs. 10. Charge a Biodiversity offset and Carbon offset fee for every tree removal approval. Invest this income in Council revegetation projects that re-establish Endangered Ecological Communities and Threatened Species Habitat. If Koala food trees are removed make sure that additional Koala food trees are planted in compensation. It seems sometimes when Koala food trees are currently removed they are being replaced with non-koala food trees that will not grow tall.
over 1 year ago
Expand the Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve
Include the following Council owned land and Crown land at Brunswick Heads in the Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve. Council would then no longer have to spend any money on maintenance of these land parcels which all have high biodiversity value and should have been included in the reserve when it was first declared. o The remainder of Lot 50 DP1067782 o The remainder of Lot 2 DP 728659 o Lot 11 DP1067553 o Lot 15 DP1019200 o Lot 250 DP755692 o Lot 19 DP 1019200 o Lot 20 DP 1019200 o Lot 30 DP 1019200 o Lot 23 DP 1019200 o Lot 41 DP1134059 o Lot 416 DP 728666 South of the Terrace Holiday Park o Lot 413 DP 728684 o Lot 43 DP 755692 o Lot 58 DP 755692 o Lot 414 DP 728684 North of the Playing Fields and East of the old Brunswick STP o Lot 405 DP 728638 o Lot 279 DP 755692 o Lot 397 DP 724681 o Lot 400 DP 724696 South of the old Brunswick STP o Lot 393 DP 724578 o Lot 379 DP 47471 o Lot 428 DP 729722 o Lot 427 DP 729272 North of the Brunswick Heads SLSC o Lot 437 DP 839424 West of the Brunswick Scout Hall o Lot 423 DP 729272 West of Torakina Beach and South of the Marine rescue Tower o Lot 7017 DP1113398
over 1 year ago
A Shire Wide Wifi network
Install a Shire Wide Wifi network with hot spots at all council buildings, bus stops, pay parking stations, public toilets, BBQ shelters and playgrounds. Allow free access to the wifi network but earn income from advertising which is a condition of free use of the network. Free wifi networks such as this occurs through all of Europe and north America and are often provided by Councils. It would also provide good data on visitor numbers to the shire as they would have to register to use the network. Users could opt to pay a fee and then have no advertising. Council could partner with an IT or communications company to roll out this network.
over 1 year ago
Increase enforcement and compliance activities
1. While unauthorised dwellings or unauthorised dwelling additions are a difficult issue to bring into compliance all of those living in these dwellings are not paying rates and they are heavy users of roads and other infrastructure just like tourists. Council could avoid making specific issues of the unauthorised dwellings as evictions could create a large homeless problem. Council could however issue ongoing fines for illegal waste water treatment. Those fines could be charged on an ongoing basis until all sewerage systems are brought into compliance. This would avoid specifically targeting unauthorised dwellings but instead target the illegal environmental pollution or contribution to Byron STPs associated with the unauthorised dwellings. Council could at the same time encourage the owners to submit Development Applications for either a studio, secondary dwelling, dual occupancy, expanded dwelling or rural tourism accommodation. These options allow pathways for the unauthorised dwellings to be brought into compliance. They would also then contribute section 94 monies and would comply with wastewater requirements, bushfire requirements, flood requirements and the building code of Australia. The owners and residents of unauthorised dwellings should pay their fair share of rates and section 94 contributions as well. Council has records of all approvals for existing buildings on its system and files including complying development. A system could be implemented to systematically audit every property in the Shire. If the number of bedrooms, studios, dwellings, kitchens, laundries or toilets do match with the existing Council approvals under the Local Government Act and the Environmental Planning Assessment Act then they should be issued with on the spot fines under both acts and the Protection of Environmental Operations Act until the systems are brought into compliance. 2. I have been informed that Councils compliance team makes and annual loss if parking fines are not included. There are so many breaches of development conditions, unauthorised development, environmental risks and breaches of the Local Government Act that Council should be able to raise a large amount of revenue from fines alone. Council can issue fines under: The Roads Act, The Local Government Act, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the Protection of Environmental Operations Act. Council should systematically audit every property in the Shire placing high priority properties first and should issue various fines, notices, orders and infringements under these four acts wherever and whenever breaches are identified. The compliance unit/team should be revenue positive not revenue negative. I understand that parking fines are the exception and that the revenue from parking fines exceeds the costs associated with compliance staff issuing them. When council compliance officers conduct an inspection, they should have copies of all approved plans and conditions under all four Acts and should check off any time there is non-compliance with any approvals.
