Mini-bypass 'a disaster' for town centre

ROW OVER ROUTE: Publican Tom Mooney, pictured in the car park outside The Rails in Byron Bay, is concerned current plans by Byron Shire Council for a mini-bypass of the town will create more problems than it solves.

Kate O’Neill

BYRON BAY'S proposed town centre bypass would gridlock the centre of town, wipe out already scarce car parking spaces and destroy a heritage precinct.

That's according to hotel licensee Tom Mooney, whose Railway Friendly Bar sits directly adjacent to the proposed 'mini-bypass' route.

The bypass proposed by Byron Shire Council would see a second rail crossing built at the southern end of The Rails car park that would link Butler Street to Jonson Street.

It is hoped this will help ease congestion by diverting traffic away from the town centre.

At this week's council meeting, councillors voted to push ahead with the mini-bypass and to receive a report on all possible access routes across the current Rails car park to Jonson Street.

However, Mr Mooney has called on the council to abandon its project, saying a bypass would be better placed at the southern end of Jonson Street, near Mitre 10, where the council has already bought land.

“Very rarely do you get an open space like this in the centre of a town,” said Mr Mooney, referring to The Rails car park.

He said the area was part of a heritage precinct that included the post office, the stationmaster's cottage, the railway station and The Railway Hotel.

“It will destroy the precinct and put traffic everywhere,” Mr Mooney said, adding that the proposed route would see traffic diverted into one of the busiest parts of the town centre, near the Woolworths supermarket.

Mr Mooney said The Rails car park provided half the car parking spaces in town and taking this away would create even more headaches for local residents.

Mr Mooney stressed that he did not have a problem with the council, but he believed it would be better to retain the space and beautify it, along with Railway Park, to create an asset for the community.

“We need more community consultation on this,” he said.