The Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP has announced legislation for Short Term Holiday Letting that would empower local councils to regulate the industry whilst protecting the rights of owner-occupiers. Under the plan, each local council would have the power to determine its own conditions and restrictions on holiday lets, but with a caveat. Resident homeowners, who holiday let their whole homes for less than a prescribed number of days per year, would be exempt from the need to submit development applications.

Photo: Sean O'Shea Art

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith is calling for a 12-24 month halt on all new planning proposals for major developments as well as a pause on both the Butler Street bypass and the Transport NSW Bus station until the area’s infrastructure backlog is addressed and the community is properly consulted.

 “Like the Liberals did for the suburb of Ryde in 2018, I am calling for a pause on development applications in Byron for 12 - 24 months while we bring our infrastructure up to scratch,” said Ms Smith.

Media Release 11 February 2019

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP says while she welcomes the NSW government’s decision to moderate its one-size-fits-all holiday letting legislation to give local councils greater leeway, there are still a lot of questions to be answered.

“Now that I’ve heard the Minister for Planning’s comments this morning I have some serious concerns,” said Ms Smith.

Media Release
11 February 2019

Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith MP has welcomed the decision by the NSW Government to reverse its one-size-fits-all holiday letting legislation which allows short term rental accommodation for up to 365 days per year in regional areas.

“This is great news for residents of Byron Shire and for Byron Bay who have been so dramatically affected by the large numbers of whole houses available for short term letting for long periods of the year, forcing long term renters out of Byron,” said Ms Smith.

In September, Tamara Smith, Member for Ballina sent out a survey to more than 4,500 households in and around Alstonville and Wollongbar about the Ballina Road and Sneaths Road intersections with the Bruxner Highway.

More than 1,000 surveys were returned and found the majority of respondents felt unsafe or very unsafe at both intersections.

The Liberal-National government in NSW has ignored the wishes of Alstonville-Wollongbar residents and the expert opinions of paramedics with its lacklustre response to a request for a full time ambulance station for Alstonville.

“The response I have received is very disappointing and not good enough for our growing community,” said Tamara Smith, Member for Ballina.

Tamara Smith MP, Member for Ballina has announced she will be taking to the State election on 23 March 2019 a plan for a Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

“This funding model of a Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund will help alleviate the massive backlog of infrastructure needs and upkeep for roads and parks in high tourism areas in NSW such as Byron Shire,” said Tamara Smith MP.

From today, road users exiting Alstonville will no longer be allowed to turn right  towards Lismore out of Ballina Road on to the Bruxner Highway between 3pm and 6pm each day according to a letter sent to residents sent by the RMS and NSW government.

Member for Ballina Tamara Smith says she has received complaints about the rule already.

Can't make it to my Ballina office? Come for a chat at a mobile office this month. 

As your local member, I'm always keen to hear from local residents.

I know it's not always possible for everyone to get to my Ballina office during office hours so I'm running a series of mobile offices this month throughout the electorate. 

Joint Media Release

Tamara Smith MP Greens Member for Ballina

Michael Lyons Greens Councillor Byron Shire Council

Greens Byron Shire Councillor Michael Lyon is considering a Motion before the next Council meeting to establish a 12-month trial ‘Clothes Optional Declaration’ for the stretch of beach from ‘The Wreck’ north, to the walking track south of Beaumont's Beach House. 

The ultimate goal will be to eventually close Tyagarah nude beach while still providing a space for naturalist activities at Belongil.