Mayor Dominic King spoke to the Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun to clarify what’s meant by these developments and also to discuss the year’s top priorities.

“Unit development, townhouses, community titles – these are some of the solutions to providing more affordable housing to the Shire as well as giving people a home nearer to the town’s services,” mayor King said.

“We have a retired population, single parents, homeless people and families who need a place to live.

“The world’s changing, Bellingen is changing – we cannot go back to the way it was in the 70s.

“We have to provide development, and more centralised living creates a space for more people while stopping the urban sprawl – it limits the encroachment on land and this protects the environment.”

Urunga’s housing development is well on its way to fruition, and Cr King said Bellingen now needed to have the same conversations.

“As soon as we say the words ‘build up’, people start talking about high rises in the middle of Bellingen – let's be clear, that is not what I am saying,” he said.

“Fifty storey buildings in the main street is just crazy; what’s not is having the council, as well as the community, look at what’s worked and what hasn't.

“People talk about how Airbnb has caused rents to rise in Byron Bay – so how can we make sure that doesn't happen here?

“The aim is to increase the density of our living so it will become cheaper.

“There are great ways to do it and it suits the aged so they do not become lonely.

“Single parents are closer to the community and can be supported - progress is coming to the Shire and we need to prepare for this … plan early and develop a portfolio of good ideas fed from people.

“A ‘here's a list and can we do it’ and we need these conversations before action.”

Moving on from the fraught debate, Cr King said 2017 was also the year to get things done that had been on the list for a while.

“I would support Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey’s thoughts on the tidal swimming facility (Lido), Urunga’s waterfront cabins and making progress on the Dorrigo Railway Museum – these items need to be sorted out,” he said.

“Buying the Bellingen Community Garden … and this also means the space will run into the Bellingen Showground, making a precinct.

“Taking council meetings and forums to the seaboard and Dorrigo – mixing up times and locations … this gives people the opportunity to speak – this is particularly key to creating meaningful community consultation.

“Tourism, food production and development are broad categories but key in continuing … and we need a bigger discussion around forestry.

“The Never Never and Kalang catchment are not protected. We need to make provisions for our vital waterways – create nature reserves.

“The Gleniffer Reserves Master Plan is coming through this year and this sets the benchmark for working with many different bodies as does the Koala Management Plan – this is one of the best in the state.

“So it’s a massive year and I am excited about all the things we can achieve.

“Despite our differences (within community), we are singing from the same song book and I am out and about talking to people, taking invitations to speak with groups.

“I want to be working with Melinda Pavey and the state government and I’m looking forward to the opportunities that the Joint Organisations provide.”

Just round the corner, Cr King said the Special Rate Variation (SRV) may be controversial, but the average increase per household per year is small and the results very valuable.

“We need more funding for timber bridges and that’s why we are going for the SRV,” he said.

“The infrastructure has been neglected for years and we need to get them fixed.

“We do have to accept that some roads are better than others, but we need them serviceable.”

In parting, Cr King asserted that all the councillors are working hard to get the best for our Shire.