Byron Shire mayoral candidate Asren Pugh says he’d push for a ‘fair share’ for vital services

The Byron Shire’s tourism industry generates significant economic contributions to the state but it isn’t being rewarded properly for this, according to this mayoral candidate who has explained how he would try to remedy the issue.

Labor mayoral candidate for the Byron Shire, Asren Pugh, in Byron Bay on Friday, May 21. Picture: Liana Boss

Labor’s mayoral candidate for the Byron Shire has said he’d push for the region to get a better share of the economic benefit its tourism industry brings to the state,

Asren Pugh, who ran as his party’s candidate for the state seat of Ballina in 2019, now has his eye on the council.

Mr Pugh welcomed the fact some major projects had been delivered in the current term of council but said the shire was still not getting its fair share in some areas.

“The last term of council’s actually seen some big projects finally delivered,” he said.

“The bypass for example, has finally been delivered after 30 plus years.

“But we’re still not getting our fair share of roads funding.

“We’re still not getting compensated for the economic boost that we give to the state through our tourism.

“I’ll still be pushing for things like a levy on accommodation to get some community dividend for all the tourists we have to deal with, so that money is controlled by the local council and the local community to spend on projects that we care about.”

Mr Pugh said his time as state candidate gave him insights into how the Byron Shire was viewed within other levels of government.

“It is not taken seriously at the moment,” he said.

“We don’t have fully-costed plans ready to go.

“We don’t have shovel-ready projects … and this means that we don’t get our fair share.”

Housing was also a key issue for Mr Pugh; he met with members of local community organisations alongside shadow federal housing minister Jason Clare and Richmond MP Justine Elliot in Byron Bay on Friday.

“Byron Shire has a housing crisis,” he said.

“You can see it as your walk around, you can see more women, more children sleeping in their cars … right around the shire.”

If elected to the council, Mr Pugh said he’d work to bring all levels of government together “to drive actual change that will make a difference in people’s lives”.

“We have no emergency housing in this shire, we have nowhere to send people who are fleeing domestic violence,” Mr Pugh said.

“We have nowhere to send people when they're kicked out of their homes so it can be Airbnb’d or so the rent can be doubled. We need to take strong action.”

Mr Pugh said he’d be open to working with others across the political divide to achieve outcomes for the shire.

“If you’re going to be the mayor you have to be the mayor for everybody, regardless of political persuasions and you have to work with other levels of government which the people have elected,” he said.

“So you’re going to have to work with them, find the areas where you agree and work with them.

“That doesn’t mean though, that you can’t still criticise them and call them out in the areas where you disagree.”