Six-month stay on Roundhouse

ACTIVISTS wanting to keep the Roundhouse site in Ocean Shores in community hands received their chance yesterday.

They were given six months to devise a business plan for the site providing a viable operation that could meet community needs, while giving Byron Shire Council an income source for years to come.

The Ocean Shores Community Association’s Jerry Cook said it was ‘a very special site’, with great views over the golf course.

The proposed sale would be a waste of the resource, he said

He proposed a joint use, including townhouses to accommodate holidaying golfers – as in many places around the world.

“Ocean Shores has little accommodation for anyone at any time,” he said, predicting that the townhouses could provide council with up to half-a-million dollars income a year.

Mayor Jan Barham has been in favour of selling the site to recoup some of the $3 million already ‘invested’ in it.

However, Cr Simon Richardson yesterday proposed giving the community an opportunity to prepare its business plan, and his motion was successful.

Also on the agenda was their commendation to continue with the plan to rezone six blocks of land at Bangalow for residential development.

Council staff had proposed giving the green light to four of these, but deferring a decision on two blocks near the Pacific Highway for further noise reports.

Cr Ross Tucker proposed that all the blocks be ‘progressed’ to meet the Gateway time frame.

The majority of councillors agreed with him.