Over the years the Byron Bay community has overcome numerous adversities when it comes to opposing unsustainable development. The West Byron development (if approved in it’s current form) will be the largest development in Byron Bay’s history.
If the West Byron development is approved, the resident population of Byron Bay will potentially increase by 25-30%. Ultimately the potential negative social and environment impacts of  the West Byron development heavily outweigh the potential positives.
Byron Bay Council has recommended that this site not be rezoned for development 3 times. The developers would not take ‘no’ for an answer and have taken this project to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure to get it rezoned, thus taking it out of the hands of our democratically elected Council. The project is now Gazetted.
Many people in the community feel they have not been properly informed about this development. This site is to provide information that you won’t find on the West Byron developers’ website. The site also aims to simplify many technical aspects of the development since many of the submissions on environmental and planning aspects of the development were difficult for lay persons to understand.
On the eve of this massive possible change to Byron Bay, a group of young Byron Shire residents have united to form the Byron Young Residents Alliance (BYRA). The group aims to encourage open discussion and involvement with all young Byron Shire residents and provide a platform to represent this demographic on local community issues. The group would encourage all younger residents of the shire to make contact with the group and follow along as the group progresses. ‘BYRA’ has no political affiliation and has a focus to encourage other young adults to become more active in the future of the Byron Shire.
The catalyst for the formation of BYRA has come after a group of younger residents felt they lacked the communication channels to speak out and be heard on issues such as West Byron and the Ewingsdale Lot 101 proposals.
For more info about BYRA –Â facebook.com/byraofficial
For information on the West Byron Project –Â westbyron.org
Also visit the Byron Residents Group –Â facebook.com/ByronResidentsGroup