Hi Elia, Congratulations on your election to the Byron Council. Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Well, I grew up locally and went to Bangalow Public and Byron High. So, I’m a local and love living here. I did go to Sydney for a while to university, where I studied engineering at UNSW. I also started a PhD in water engineering, so I drilled down deep in that area, and I find it fascinating.
How is it in the council? And is it true you are the youngest councillor ever elected to BSC?
Yes, as far as I know, I am the youngest councillor ever and the only one ever elected under 30. So far, the council has been hectic, and there is much to learn. We have just been doing induction things to understand how the process works and who to talk to on staff.
You also have one big decision, partly why I wanted to talk to you. The new council’s first meeting was decided by a 5 to 4 vote to rescind the decision to go with Rous Water as our water supplier and spend two years investigating the option to redevelop the retired Laverty’s Gap weir in Mullumbimby. The aim here is to try to make a complex and contested debate like this simple and easily understood. So, give me your best shot. In one paragraph or less, why do we need to do this?
Ha ha, I’ll try! What we need is more information. We cannot say at this point what the best option is. My best information now points towards off-stream storage from Laverty’s Gap. I am not tied to any particular outcome. I feel that the decision on the last day of the previous council was rushed, and I don’t feel the analysis provided then was robust.
Hasn’t this decision been in process for years, though? It seems we have been lucky to have a period of wet seasons, and if we were in the middle of the usual dry patch, we would be in trouble. Do we even have time to revisit this? And don’t you think people are sick of repeatedly revisiting decisions?
Yes, I can understand that. But this one is important. I don’t think the figures provided for what Rous Water was estimating for the future would be sufficient. We could get tied to Rous, and our eventual costs could exceed what we need to do to refurbish Laverty’s. This is especially true if Dunoon Dam is part of their decision, as this would have economic, environmental, and cultural significant issues. It is in the same catchment as Rocky Creek Dam, so it’s like putting all your eggs in one basket.
Okay, here is the main prickly issue. How will you convince ratepayers to either increase rates or impose a levy to pay for this, primarily if shire-wide ratepayers must subsidise something that only benefits Mullumbimby residents?
Well, until the last financial year, Mullumbimby residents have been subsidising shire residents for all the years Laverty’s has been functioning. Until recently, water from Laverty’s was half the cost of bulk water from Rous.
My dream scenario is that we can go back to residents at the end of two years and say, “These are the options. This is what they are going to cost. These are our understanding of the environmental impacts and the water security they provide. What do you think? What do you want us to do?”
Hopefully, we will have more clarity on Rous Water’s future projections. Sarah (Mayor Ndiaye) and I were also elected to the Rous County Council, which will be educational and exciting.
OK, here is my other main hesitation. I am sure I am not the only council watcher with this concern. Recent history suggests that Byron Council has a failed track record in its ability to manage major infrastructure projects like this.
I take your point. But I would return to the knowledge that water and sewerage are core council responsibilities. This is not what some people have called “Glamour Projects”, which the council has found hard to pull off. In the water space, it is a bit different in the framework of the State level to facilitate council in these things. Councils all over the regions work within the auspices of DPI (Department of Primary Industries). They have to sign off on any strategy. If we have a good case and business model, we would also be looking for state funding from them.
OK, Elia. Thank you for your time. It took a bit more than a paragraph, but your argument helped. Good luck in council, and thanks for your contribution to the community.
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