Byron Shire Council has released a discussion paper called ‘Working out possibilities together’ in the wake of this year’s flooding incidents, seeking input from the community on the options for future long-term settlement planning for the Shire.
“Through this consultation, we’re asking people to think through a number of key questions about long-term planning for how and where people will live and work in the future given the wider consideration of climate change and natural disaster management,” Council’s Director Sustainability, Economy and Environment, Shannon Burt said.
“This consultation is about high-level strategic planning which, after living through the floods, we now need to stop and have a rethink about – and it’s an opportunity for the community to be part of this process to make sure we’ve considered all views,” Ms Burt said.
The discussion paper asks people to consider the following questions:
- Where appropriate and possible to do so, how can we build back better to reduce our vulnerability to future events?
- How can we provide housing differently to meet future needs?
- Thinking about potential new areas for people to live and work, where would these areas be and what needs to be considered in choosing them?
- What are the priorities in building supporting infrastructure to recover from recent events and to mitigate the impacts of future ones?
“Once the consultation process is complete, findings will be reported to Council for endorsement, expected in December 2022,” Ms Burt said.
“This will set the platform for ongoing review of Council’s strategic land-use planning framework and will further guide Council’s recovery and planning,” she said.
For more information about the discussion paper and consultation activities, and to complete the online survey go to Council’s website at www.byron.nsw.gov.au/after-the-floods.
