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Local Government Week 2011

Join Byron Shire Council during Local Government from Sunday 31 July for opportunities to recognise a great new local project and consider how we as a community prepare for the future.

Residents are invited to tour the new Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex currently under construction on Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay or learn more about sustainable communities at a free presentation.

Sunday 31 July – Open Afternoon at Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex

Time:       2pm to 4pm
Where:    Enter via the roundabout entrance on Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay

Mayor Jan Barham said the open afternoon at the new sport and cultural complex on Sunday 31 July from 2pm to 4pm was a great opportunity to walk around the construction site and talk to staff, councillors and community representatives about the project’s development.

The Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex has evolved in the past month with the construction of the multi purpose facility progressing well.   The concrete walls have gone up and the structural steel frame work for the roof is currently being erected and the scale of the structure is defined. The cricket pitches are under construction and the outdoor netball courts will soon have their final acrylic seal before line marking. 

“It’s an exciting time seeing the project take shape.  With the support of the community the recent tree planting days have gone well and provided future shade and softening of the site,” Mayor Barham said.

Everybody is welcome to attend the BRSCC Open Afternoon.  Visitors have been asked to wear enclosed shoes.

Tuesday 2 August – FREE presentation ‘Transitioning to a Sustainable Community

Time:       6.30pm to 8pm
Where:    Byron Shire Council Chambers, Station Street, Mullumbimby

On Tuesday evening 2 August, Council is also holding a free community presentation ‘Transitioning to a Sustainable Community’. 

Held from 6.30pm to 8pm in Council Chambers, Mullumbimby, the evening will feature well-known transition town facilitator and permaculturalist from the Sunshine Coast, Sonya Wallace.

Ms Wallace will speak on ways local communities around Australia and overseas have self-organised at the grass-roots level to create more sustainable solutions for their communities amid a future of peak oil and climate change.  The presentation will also provide an overview of some of the important actions taken by Byron Shire Council over the last 15 years to protect and enhance the Shire’s ecological, social, cultural and economic security and diversity.

To book a seat at the seminar, email sustainability@byron.nsw.gov.au or phone 6626 7305.

The free seminar is part of Council's 2011 Biodiversity and Sustainability Seminar Series. To download the full Seminar program, click here.

“Local Government Week is a chance for councils across the state to showcase the vast range of services and facilities they provide to their communities,” said Mayor Barham.

“We don’t often think about it, but as residents we literally use hundreds of council services every day. From the moment you brush your teeth to when you put your waste bins out for collection late at night.

“You might drive to work on a council road, eat lunch at a café where hygiene levels have been checked by council, pick your children up from a council child care, go for a swim or play sport on a council-managed field – the list goes on.”

On Monday 1 August, the $39 million newly constructed Brunswick Area Sewerage Augmentation Scheme will also be officially opened.

Council will also launch its new Sustainable Food Business Directory on Friday 12 August at 5.30pm in Council Chambers.

Quick Facts

  • Local Government is one of the biggest industries in NSW, spending $8 billion a year and employing more than 50,000 staff.  At the end June 2010, Byron Shire Council employed 274 equivalent full time staff and had a total operating expenditure of $65.8 million.
  • Council owns and manage a number of different local facilities including sportsgrounds, skate parks, swimming pools, community buildings, gardens, parks, tennis courts, museum, cemeteries, Tyagarah airport, and caravan parks, often with the support of community volunteers who sit on committees.
  • Services include waste management, water and sewerage, youth and aged, planning, environmental management, cultural development, community infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, public health and safety, and more.
  • Byron Shire Council maintains 587 km of roads, 74 km of pathways, 2,452 km of drainage, 4 sewerage treatment works, 81 sewage pumping stations, 70 km of rising mains and 182 km of reticulation.