Consultations completed from 2016 to 2019

The Bike Plan and Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan is a 10 year plan for footpaths and cycleways in the Byron Shire.

Thank you to everyone who took time to complete our survey and make submissions during the public exhibition of the Draft Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan and Draft Bike Plan.

We received over 850 responses to our online survey and discussed the plans and ideas with the community at four workshops across the Shire. t

Both of these plans were placed on public exhibition and we had a fantastic response with over 60 submissions received. 

The final plans, were adopted in October 2019.

Find out more by visiting Pedestrian, footpath and cycleway plans

Our Mullumbimby Masterplan sets out a vision and principles to guide sustainable growth and change in Mullum over the next ten years.  

It's aim is to enhance the things that people love about Mullumbimby - the sense of community, inclusivity, great walkability, services and facilities for locals and the natural environment.

The Plan was prepared in consultation with the Our Mullumbimby Guidance Group and was adopted by Council at the 12 December 2019 meeting.  

Read more about the Mullumbimby Masterplan and projects that have been implemented since it was adopted.

Planning for our Coastline, Cape Byron to South Golden Beach

In 2018, Council started planning for our coastline under the guidance of the new coastal legislation. This involved preparing a Coastal Management Program and included revisiting and overhauling our existing coastal management activities including previous Coastal Zone Management Plans prepared for the coastline.

A series of drop in sessions were held throughout November and December 2018, accompanying an online survey. 

The information gathered informed a report to better manage our coastline, which was presented to Council in 2019.

For more information visit Coastal Management Program Southern Coastline including Estuaries

We have an Environmental Management Plan and Opening Strategy (EMP) for Tallow Creek, Suffolk Park which provides construction related and environmental management guidance to Council staff in the conduct of an opening event at the Tallow Creek mouth.

The EMP accords with and reflects key elements of the Review of Environmental Factors, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service Licence for the activity.

In 2018, we invited feedback on the main concerns the community has about water levels in Tallow Creek and whether the community is happy with the existing management strategy.

For more information visit Estuaries and ICOLLs

Council developed the “The Byron Model” of deliberative democracy in August 2018.

The objective was to answer the question:

"How do we want to make democratic decisions in Byron Shire that can be widely supported?"

In answering the question, the panel was asked to 

• Consider how the community wants to be engaged in decision-making?
• What factors influence the community’s trust and perception of Council?
• How we can improve decision-making to increase support from the community on the final outcome?

The panel provided: 

• A series of guidelines and recommendations 
• An engagement framework with a series of triggers for when community should be involved in decisions.
• Final Recommendations Report 

The report sets out the panel’s conclusion that there are three key issues “lacking in the current council structure and approach to engage community” and frames the recommendations around these three themes, which are: identity, culture and diversity; communication; and trust. 

Recommendations were reviewed and Council outlined its response and commitment.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in Council’s survey on three options for the design of a new playground in Gaggin Park, Suffolk Park.

The community was most strongly in favour of the Fire Station themed playground!

Other feedback included a desire for the use of natural materials, which was incorporated into the final design.

The playground equipment is constructed from timber and uses natural rock and recycled timbers.

In addition, the playground soft fall is natural bark, and the edging rock and recycled timber. Recycled timbers is also used for seating adjacent to the playground for parents and teachers.

Community suggestions also led to some minor modifications to the design, such as the slide being changed to a more traditional design.

Works were completed in 2019. 

Gaggin Park

In 2018 and 2019, we prepared a Byron Shire Pest Animal Management Plan in consultation with the community, to manage pest animals in our Shire.

The Plan targets the following pest animal species in our Shire:

• wild dog (Canis familiaris)
• European red fox
• feral cat
• European rabbit
• cane toads
• Indian myna

In 2019 Council adopted the final Pest Animal Management Plan 2018 to 2023

In 2018, we ran an illegal dumping survey to help inform our Illegal Dumping Prevention Program..

Combating illegal dumping is a priority for Byron Shire Council. We are committed to protecting the local environment and community by reducing illegal dumping and its social, environmental, health and financial impacts. Council’s goal is to reduce illegal dumping in the Byron Shire by 30% by 2020

For more information visit Illegal dumping

We are committed to reducing the number of cars in our towns, encouraging cycling and providing better cycling infrastructure. 

In 2018, we ran a consultation to develop a cycleway from Suffolk Park to Byron Bay.

Feedback on a range of options was considered and in 2018 Council endorsed a preferred option.

The cycleway project was delivered in five stages and is close to completion. 

Visit the Byron Bay to Suffolk Park Cycleway page for more information.

In 2017 and 2018, we asked for feedback on a shire-wide Open Space and Recreation Needs Assessment and Action Plan.

The purpose of Open Space and Recreation Needs Assessment and Action Plan is to:

• Provide strategic direction on how open space and recreation areas are managed now and into the future;
• Identify what type and level of open space and recreation (including sports) will be provided throughout the Shire.

Significant pre-draft consultation was carried out with user groups, sports groups, schools and residents.

The feedback has informed the needs assessment and recommended actions and suggestions have been listed throughout the draft plan.

Examples of what the community responding to the survey said included:

• quality play areas that cater for all age groups and are linked by a walk and cycle network
• lighting of open space to increase usage, particularly during the winter months
• improved skate park at the Bangalow Sports Fields
• endeavour to make active use of the rail corridor between Byron Bay and Bangalow
• netball court for training at the Bangalow Sports Fields
• walk and cycle paths around town and connections to Byron Bay, Mullumbimby and Lennox Head

The draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) and Emergency Action Sub Plan (EASP) for the Eastern Precincts of the Byron Bay Embayment were available for public comment from Thursday 26 April 2018 to Friday 25 May 2018.

Submissions were reported to 21 June 2018 Council meeting.

For more information visit Coast and waterways

The Eastern Precincts of the BBE includes the beach precincts between Cape Byron and Main Beach, being:

• Wategos/Little Wategos
• The Pass
• Clarkes Beach
• Main Beach.

This CZMP does not include the Belongil Spit precinct. A plan for this area will be developed under the new coastal legislation, the Coastal Management Act 2016.

What infrastructure spending should we prioritise, and how should we fund these priorities if the rates alone are not enough?

This is the question that Byron Council will put to a randomly selected group of 28 people as part of a bold new trust-building project called a Community Solutions Panel.

Feedback from our Community Strategic Plan showed people had a general lack of trust and faith in the Council and wanted more community-led decision making.

The project was designed and run by the newDemocracy Foundation, a not-for-profit research foundation which is a world leader in innovative and effective community engagement.

For more information visit:

• newDemocracy Foundation website
• Engaging with our community

What makes us ‘happy’?

It’s not just that brief feeling of happiness that lasts for a moment…what is it that gives us a real sense of wellbeing?

We’re keen to find out! That’s why we are developing a set of indicators that can help improve wellbeing in our local area.

This feedback also informed our new Community Strategic Plan.

In 2017 and 2018, nearly 3000 people helped shape our new Community Strategic Plan by sharing ideas, providing feedback and having their say.

You can read all about the activities and the feedback we received in our Engagement Outcomes Report.

Your input has shaped our Draft Community Strategic Plan 2028. This includes:

• our collective vision
• community objectives and strategies for the next 10 years.

In 2017 and 2018, we reviewed the time limits of the pay parking area in Byron Bay.

A report was presented to and endorsed by Council on the 21 September 2017, with details of the potential changes to time limits within the pay parking area in Byron Bay.

For more information visit Parking

In 2017, we looked at ways to improve the turnover and efficiency of parking spaces in Mullumbimby.

A study commissioned by the Traffic and Parking Systems Group found that changing the time limits for parking could improve the amount of parking spaces for locals and visitors.

The Mullumbimby Parking Strategy was open for feedback in October 2017. 

For more information visit Parking  

The Byron Shire Rural Land Use Strategy provides a 20 year strategic framework to guide:

• Future land zoning and use
• Protection and/or development of our rural environment
• Economy
• Community
• Infrastructure.

Following consultation in 2016, Council adopted the Rural Land Use Strategy in 2017.

For more information about what happened next visit Rural Land Use Strategy

In 2017 we asked the community for feedback about their use of Waterlily Park, Ocean Shores. 

With assistance from the Waterlily Playscape Committee, we secured over $400,000 of grant funding towards improvements and upgrades for Waterlily Park through the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund.

The grant application was awarded for a range of works and enhancements within the park including formalisation of the car park, a new cycling and pedestrian pathway, shade sails for the existing playground, a new Flying Fox and a Treehouse.

Stage one of the playspace upgrade was completed in March 2017 and stage two September 2019.

For more information visit Waterlily Park

In 2016, we started a process of reimaging a strip of land in the heart of the Byron Bay town centre. The Byron Bay town centre rail corridor.

The Byron Bay railway corridor was identified within the Byron Bay Town Centre Masterplan as catalyst site for improvement and pedestrian connectivity. 

Council engaged with relevant government agencies who own and manage the rail corridor and they were supportive of the Masterplan corridor initiatives.

As a result, a concept design was created for feedback.

For more information about this project visit Byron Bay rail corridor restoration