To those wringing their hands about music festivals coming to the Shire – what else are we going to do for income here? The roads are crap and Byron Shire’s broke, while our agricultural industries are barely significant and mining isn’t an option. It’s obvious our future lies in tourism. Without it there’s nothing here for the kids – no work, no future.
Tourists love us the way we are, get it? Why don’t we provide accommodation and infrastructure and welcome them to enjoy this fantastic place that drew all of us here? However, there is one issue regarding festivals: volunteers. While tens of thousands are buying tickets, these events seem to rely on armies of unpaid (and uninsured) volunteers. Which means the money is going into the pockets of a greedy few opportunists – not into the wider local economy.
We need Fair Work Australia to crack down on unscrupulous operators for the sake of the community, while overall as a shire we need to figure a path to the future and how to make it work, and stop whining about inevitable change.
W Boyle, Durrumbul
