14/06/2026
Some history of our area
1. Our rate base is approximately 17,500.
Approximately 36,000 residents. Shires on either side are in the tens of thousands.
2. The SGB CA & NB VA got the NB markets; it was for locals to purchase goods with a limited amount of stalls and all organic. That has changed.
3.The road between SGB & NB is an ongoing battle with the council, which also has to have the pedestrian /bike path done at the same time, as the road will need pipes laid underneath so the water drains into Marshalls Creek and not over the road.
4. The Helen Street bridge took Maggie Brown and many community resident and SGB CA 16 years to completion. It's been standing for 14 years.
Toni Baggio designed the Helen St Bridge; his mates did the engineering (These two gents did the Story Bridge in QLD and many globally). SGB CA spent thousands of hours poring over design and engineering specs with these gents. Yes, when Tony came down to check commencement, he said timbers were substandard. When built, it looked spectacular. But it was up to the council to stop work to replace timbers; we even pushed the council to use the warranty, but nothing eventuated.
5. All the infrastructure in SGB & NB has involved millions of hours in planning, placement, and maintenance. That's meetings, emails, phone calls, going on site etc
6. The boardwalk and bridge will not be approved as it's in a Nature Reserve. Look up the meaning of Nature Reserve, and it will remain so.
7. OS, SGB & NB all have limited open spaces. The beach is the biggest area North of Brunswick.
The playgrounds in Bruns were done by the Crown lands department, not the council. So the council has no say in it.
8. We are at a turning point. Our council is struggling with the budget; we need maintenance before any new ideas are put up and possibly an MOU on development.
9. SGB & NB are surrounded by reserves that cost millions. We are the environmental end of the Byron Shire. We have wallabies, koalas are coming back. Sugar Gliders are in our trees; the amount of bird life is amazing. Yet people want more and more when our area is the Jewel in the Crown.
