Just before Xmas, renovations began on the very popular Corner Cafe (cnr Byron & Jonson Sts). On the Byron St side was previously a large community noticeboard which was used extensively by a wide range of residents and visitors alike. The community noticeboard has now been replaced by a glass shopfront and this very valuable asset appears to have been lost. There are less and less venues and spaces available within the central Byron shops area for grass roots advertising, apart from the noticeboard in the Community Centre which is small in comparison and has restricted allocations and is off street.
A massive range of people in Byron used the Corner Cafe site (self employed, healers, artisans, backpackers, local events etc) to communicate and promote and do not necessarily have the funds for paid advertising.
Can a solution or replacement site be found that would provide a similar function ? Could Council perhaps come on board and instigate something? A possible site could be the side wall of the Community Centre which is not being used at the moment and is central and could feature a large noticeboard. This would be ideal as it is still quite visible from the street and would not obstruct pedestrian flow.
For a shire that is celebrated for its social zeitgeist and progressive dialogue, surely a sponsored and permanent street level Community Noticeboard should be part of the cultural resonance and conversation of the Shire. We need to ensure there is a space that is not privately vetted and that is open to the whole community to freely discuss, promote issues and interests.
Ron Curran, Byron Bay
