Following a successful petition, Richmond Valley Council (RVC) has overturned its controversial decision to tear down promotional posters featuring local surfer Kirrah Cooke.
The council took the decision to remove the posters, featuring the talented local surfer in a bikini with a surfboard, following a single, written complaint from an unidentified local parent who said they were not ‘family friendly’.
The hastily organised petition quickly reached 120 signatures from locals outraged at the decision.
In a statement issued this morning, RVC said it had ‘listened to the community and the Evans Head CBD will see the recently removed town banners featuring local surfer Kirrah Cooke reinstalled’.
Council’s GM John Walker said the ‘groundswell of public support was a clear indication residents disagreed with the original decision to remove the banners’.
The original objector, he added, had now accepted the views of the majority.
Many of the objectors claimed the decision to remove the posters was sexist, and questioned whether a photo of a male surfer would have received the same response.
Mr Walker said RVC recognised some in the community were [still] opposed to the image, however, as a result of the strong community voice, the banners would be rehung.
‘The clear majority of people have told us they want to see the banners back up and council has listened and will act; the banners will be rehung within the next two weeks,’ Mr Walker said.
He added that banner images would be rotated throughout the year to accommodate special events and business promotions.
So… help me here … What is wrong with this image ? More evidence of political correctness gone mad !! It’s killing creativity and my freedom of speech and expression !
I should think so too! What kind of puritanical radical Islamic Sharia ghetto exists at Lennox anyway? To think that just one person can influence a council decision in this way in the first instance is frightening. I’d be looking at examining further who was influenced to take down the posters and sack them.
Dear Ed
The bikini story’s a distraction from the main game which is money being wasted on yet another piece of yuppification of Richmond Valley. Council whinges and whines all the time about not having any money for the basics and yet can find money to mount this nonsense. Council’s also spent a quarter million $$ on 13 new solar powered town/village entrance signs with ‘symbolic’ logos that can only be described as pedestrian rubbish while at the same time neglecting basic infrastructure such as the sewerage system at Coraki which is in desperate need of an upgrade.
The reality of all this will hit ratepayers shortly when they get their rates notices with the beginning of the 39% rate increase.
Council is wasting our precious resources on crap. The bikini woman beat up is a council distraction to take minds of what’s really happening at Evans Head (not Lennox) including the $4.4 million or 75% reduction in developer charges offered to the controversial Iron Gates development at ratepayer expense.
One person complains and instant action , I and many others complain about our road weekly and what happens … not much
Go figure
I agree, Frightening is the word if one person can influence council like that, like Jon in above comments, exactly who was influenced ?
It will be noted, the complaining person only had sufficient courage to remain anonymous. I suppose they cover their eyes when confronted with all the real, live bikinis upon the actual beach. Lets keep religion out of this but the absolute essence of this argument is the idea the human body is sinful or evil. Such an attitude (when promoted in extremes) is very damaging to young people. I
want the public servant responsible for the original decision named.