57 Station Street Mullumbimby 2482, NSW

This development is in the wrong place. Taking away public toilets and valuable parking for the town. Making some restaurants not able to get deliveries. It is the most stupid place they could possibly put this development right at the entrance to town, it will be a total eyesore. It should be put next to the Council Chambers. I totally disagree with this DA.

This site chosen for “affordable” housing shows a total disregard for residents and local businesses. It’s flood prone and this proposal will exacerbate that. It removes a conveniently located carpark from the CBD, heritage-listed toilet and delivery access for businesses. A nearby alternative site that presents no such issues has been ignored and yet it can deliver many more dwellings while retaining all carparking.

I know there are rules about conflict of interest when it comes to panel members. I hope the rules are adhered to for the Northern Regional Planning Panel when it comes to consider how appropriate it is for former Byron Shire Mayor Richardson to sit in judgment on the DA for 57 Station Street, Mullumbimby.

We need affordable housing, but there is a far better site just 100 meters away (the Council carpark) which is more than twice the size of this plot, so more than double the amount of housing can be built, and it has none of the problems associated with this site, ie,

Council choice (1510 m²) ....................... Community choice (3230m²)
57 Station St carpark ................................. Council carpark

---- X ---- KEEP TOWN CAR PARKING ---------- ✔️
---- X ---- KEEP PUBLIC TOILETS -------------- ✔️
---- X ---- EFFECT ON LOCAL BUSINESSES ---- ✔️
---- X ---- MAXIMUM HOUSING UNITS ------ ✔️
---- X ---- TOWN ENTRANCE HERITAGE IMPACT -- ✔️
---- X ---- TRAFFIC DISRUPTION DURING CONSTRUCTION ✔️
---- X ---- TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AFTER CONSTRUCTION ✔️

There are so many flaws in the this proposal that residents are bemused how the DA has progressed so far. We can only hope the members of the Planning Panel show more integrity and rigour for due process than those who have got it to where it is. Residents maintain this site is the wrong place and hope common sense prevails. A larger viable site that affords greater potential for housing and far fewer problems is 100m away and needs to be used instead.