Byron Shire Council asks for mass vaccination clinics

The shire has been red flagged for its low vaccination rate but community leaders say they need more support to get jabs in arms.

Byron Shire councillors have rejected claims low Covid jab rates are being driven by vaccine-hesitancy in the community.

It comes after NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro put the shire on notice over its low vaccination rates.

But local leaders took a strong stance when councillor Paul Spooner brought an urgency motion before the council’s planning meeting on Thursday.

A majority of councillors supported Mr Spooner’s motion which called on the state government to open pop-up vaccination clinics for the Byron community “to enable easy and swift access to Covid-19 vaccination”.

The council has offered to make its buildings, including the Cavanbah Centre on Ewingsdale Road and the Mullumbimby Memorial Hall, available for mass vaccination or pop-up clinics.

A woman is tested for Covid-19 at a drive-through clinic in Byron Bay.

As of September 5, 52.2 per cent of people in the Byron Shire had received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 28.7 per cent had been double-dosed.

A week later, those numbers were at 55.9 per cent and 31.8 per cent.

That’s lower than other shires on the Northern Rivers and well below the state average.

“It was very pleasing to have most councillors demonstrate that they took this as seriously as the issue is,” Mr Spooner said after the vote.

“I hope that the state government comes on board.”

Mr Spooner said he knew of young hospitality workers who were keen to get jabbed but were struggling to get an appointment.

“The reality is that you die from Covid-19,” he said.

“That’s what we’re dealing with; the way to stop that is through vaccinations.”

The council’s general manager said 15 places within the shire were offering vaccines, including doctor surgeries and chemists.

But pharmacies aren’t yet offering Pfizer and many doctor’s clinics are only accepting existing patients for vaccinations.

“It’s not just hesitation in the area, it’s a lack of access and that needs to be addressed,” Mr Spooner said.

“We’ve done our part; now it’s up to NSW Health.

“It’s not fair to be saying our community is not behind this.”

Mr Spooner said he was concerned that once NSW reached its milestone of 70 per cent double vaccination and the state government’s road map to freedom kicked in, under-vaccinated communities would be at risk because travellers to the region would be protected by their vaccination but could carry the virus in to Byron.

His motion came before the council as the Lismore local government area prepared to go back into lockdown after the diagnosis of a local case who visited Goonellabah Public School on Monday, along with other locations in Lismore and Evans Head.

A minor wording change was made to the motion after Deputy Mayor Sarah Ndiaye stressed the council had already been doing a lot to promote Covid-safe measures.

A QML Pathology drive-through Covid-19 testing clinic in Byron Bay.

Ms Ndiaye criticised other levels of government for botching the vaccine rollout and failing to consult with local councils.

“The whole management, or mismanagement, of the vaccine rollout has very much been about the exclusion of local government and the role it could have played in making vaccines more accessible particularly to people in remote and regional areas,” Ms Ndiaye said.

She stressed other parts of the Northern Rivers had been afforded mass vaccination centres.

“I know of people offering to buy people’s … Pfizer appointments,” she said.

“The lack of consultation, foresight and communication … has been appalling.”

All councillors except Jeanette Martin voted in favour of Mr Spooner’s motion.