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Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson with Tallowood Ridge resident Mandy Nolan, an acclaimed author and comedian

The hippy hills of Byron are alive!

The hippy hills of Byron are alive!

The hills of Mullumbimby in the heart of the Byron shire are alive with the sound of home construction. Tallowood Ridge, a residential community on the outskirts of the town dubbed “Magical Mullumbimby” is bucking the trend by thriving in tough economic times.

Yet three years ago Tallowood Ridge was a battleground.

“The Council at the time fought just about everything that came to them”, said Tallowood investor Christopher Dean. “Byron Shire enjoys a far more conciliatory Council now and I think the broader community is starting to appreciate the shift”. Christopher Dean and his brother Peter are perhaps best known for Thursday Plantation, Australia’s iconic tea-tree business which they founded in 1979. They sold the business in 2006 and looked to invest in the area they loved.

The brothers, two of ten original passive investors in Tallowood Ridge, watched on as Tallowood Ridge endured these public battles. “It was a great project, this should not have been happening” said Christopher. So, along with their fellow investors, a collection of baby boomers who were all retired or semi-retired and enjoying the pleasures of the Byron lifestyle, they enlisted further investment and negotiated an active role in the re-creation of Tallowood Ridge.

“The GFC has brought the passive investor to front stage” said Steve Connelly of Planners North, Tallowood’s Town Planners. Connelly is behind some of Byron’s most public approvals, including Splendour in the Grass’s new home at North Byron Parklands. “Tallowood is an example of the passive investor coming out of the closet to inject life and capital into tough projects. The turn-around has been phenomenal. The old hippies have stepped up to the table and reinvigorated some old fashioned ideas. And boy it shows”.

With an average age of 62, the investors meet in their homes over coffee and the fruits of the morning farmers’ market to discuss planning, marketing and community issues.

“Meetings tend to take longer with this group and there are more of them” said Connelly. “Whilst they have all designed their own homes, they are not developers. But overall the process works. They spend time talking to neighbours and residents. Sometimes I wonder if they get sick of hearing from the investors. They’re providing affordable land for battlers as well as the Byron Bay escapees and they genuinely respect the land”.

In a recent move designed primarily to preserve potential koala habitat, the owners submitted a rezoning application to Byron Council which achieved 100% support from Councillors. The 65 hectare site is now proposed to allow for only 40% residential development, with 32% of the site offered up to be under the strict 7(b) Environmental Protection zoning.

Tallowood Ridge residents include renowned comedian and writer Mandy Nolan, CEO of Rainforest Rescue Kelvin Davies and Roe Ritchie, Producer of the Children’s television series The Grimstones. One of the community’s drawcards is its NBN broadband coverage.

With 17 lots sold since October and only four lots remaining in the current Stage Two, Tallowood Ridge is the most popular estate in the region and one of the most successful in New South Wales. Land is priced from $243,000 – $279,000.

www.tallowoodridge.com
Image credits: Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson with Tallowood Ridge resident Mandy Nolan, an acclaimed author and comedian

For further information including interviews and images please contact Caroline Desmond on

02 6687 5674  0415 499429  caroline@carolinedesmond.com.au

Naren-King-from-Crystal-Castle-is-involved-in-the-VIA-Byron-campaign.-Pictured-with-Mayor-Simon-Richardson-at-Crystal-Castle-60x60

Byron Winter Visitor Campaign Launched!

Naren King from Crystal Castle, who are participating in the VIA Byron campaign, with Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson

Byron shire’s winter tourism marketing campaign has commenced.

Crafted by the new shire wide representative body for the visitor industry VIA Byron, the campaign will run for the next few months.

Targeting visitors aged thirty-five and over nationally through digital marketing, social media, billboards, direct marketing and public relations, the campaign seeks to support participating businesses during the quieter winter months.

“We have taken the best elements from previous campaigns such as the Byron Naturally campaign and worked from there” said VIA Byron’s Cameron Arnold. “Destination marketing is one facet of a functional visitor industry and we want all to know that VIA Byron is about so much more than marketing. It’s incredibly exciting to finally have all the key stakeholders for tourism and the visitor economy in the Byron shire talking from the same page. This is our greatest achievement so far”.

The group, which boasts members including Byron Shire Council, the Brunswick Visitor Centre, the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce, the Byron Visitor Centre, Byron United, Business Ashored (Ocean Shores) and the Bangalow Chamber of Commerce represents Byron shire’s visitor industry at local, state and federal level. VIA Byron was formed in 2012 to provide leadership, strategic direction and cohesion to the local industry, which has been valued at between $350 and $400 million. They are actively funded for three years and are “building acumen to secure long term funding” according to Cameron Arnold.

“Hats off to this new unifying tourism force for our shire” said Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson. “We are one of the most, if not the most, naturally endowed regions in this country. Sustainable tourism should always be at the heart of our economic, cultural and social planning. I am seeing more people working together across the whole of the shire toward creative tourism outcomes and I’m loving it.

“Getting our tourism approach right is a long term organic process. Like everything in Byron, it’s a journey. The collective work of VIA Byron to date is clear indication that we have come a long way”.

For enquiries about the Winter marketing campaign please contact Katie O’Rourke on 0412 387604 or katie@cakemarketing.com.au

Downloadable high resolution images (photos by Koby Hagenfelds):

Photo 1 – Naren King from Crystal Castle, who are participating in the VIA Byron campaign, with Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson

Photo 2 – Naren King from Crystal Castle, who are participating in the VIA Byron campaign, with Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson

Photo 3 – Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson at Crystal Castle, who are participating in the VIA Byron campaign

Photo 4 – Naren King from Crystal Castle, who are participating in the VIA Byron campaign

 

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Mayor Simon Richardson thanks community engine

Dean Power with Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson

Just under $20,000 has been raised for Byron Shire not-for-profit groups since June through social commerce platform Community Engine.

“This is a remarkable achievement and on behalf of Council I would like to sincerely thank Community Engine for their visionary and grass roots approach to doing business in the Byron shire” said Mayor Simon Richardson. “Community Engine allows local businesses to support, refer and recommend each other. It keeps online spending local, which is something we must focus on in this shire. Australians spend $16 billion annually on online sales. With so many online businesses in the Byron shire we need to ensure that we are getting the lions’ share of this expenditure”.

According to Community Engine’s Dean Power there is still around $73,000 to give through the Community Engine giveaway.

Every time a person clicks to “follow” a group on Community Engine, that group gets $1. If they are a business they donate it and if they are a not-for-profit group they keep it. All you have to do is sign up to the giveaway and you can raise up to $5,000 for each group.

“There is now no excuse to be offline” outlined Power, a Bangalow based father of four who headed up Community Engine’s pilot program held earlier this year. “We are about providing easy presence on the internet in a way that supports local communities”.

Community Engine offers a web presence, email, social media and networking at no cost for both individuals and groups. For those wishing to utilise the world class e-commerce facility, a fee of between 2.85% and 6.5% is charged. Two of the most popular functions are the database and membership management facilities.

Byron shire groups active on Community Engine include VIA Byron, The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa, the Byron Community Centre, the Byron Beach Café, WIRES Northern Rivers, Byron Youth Service, Tallowood Ridge Estate and the Byron Bay Writers Festival.

“We encourage anybody who hasn’t checked out the platform to come on board and have a play” said Dean Power.

For more information go to www.communityengine.com.au call 1300 266 686 or email hello@communityengine.com

Downloadable high resolution images:

Photo 1 – Dean Power with Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson (photo by Carly Brown)
Photo 2 – Community Engine’s Dean Power (photo by Carly Brown)