Aspiring Byron Shire mayor Paul Spooner’s comments stating ‘a publicly funded (rail) service is not coming back on this (Casino to Murwillumbah) track. No state or federal government is proposing this to happen’ are offensive to a community which has fought hard for over a decade for a sustainable train service for millions of tourists and long suffering locals.
As the ALP’s candidate for mayor and council, Paul should know the Labor Party’s policy is to reduce carbon emissions by increasing public transport and reducing traffic on our roads.
But as it was the incompetent ALP hacks in Sydney who ignored the transport needs of the Northern Rivers, didn’t even have the decency to come and talk to the community about those needs, who discontinued train services, despite community outrage, Paul has to tow the party line.
These politicians have little concern for our social amenity, the environment, traffic congestion, or the hardship endured by so many who are unable to drive or cannot afford a car.
We’ve all seen the corruption in both the ALP and the LNP exposed by the ICAC. It’s a miracle anything works in this country given the time and energy so many politicians devote to lining their pockets with taxpayers’ money.
It’s also offensive to this long suffering community to be continually told there’s government funding available for ‘tourist products’ and promotion, but there’s no funding for the necessary services needed to cope with the increasing population and the number of visitors to the region.
This model of tourism is unsustainable. Visitors who prefer the razzle dazzle of theme parks and over-development will go to the Gold Coast, they won’t come here, so why are we wasting taxpayers’ money duplicating it?
We’re supposed to be living in a democracy not a dictatorship, and it’s not the role of an aspiring politician to dictate to the community what services it will and won’t get.
The role of our elected representatives is to represent the needs of the community and ensure the necessary infrastructure and services are provided.
At a state and federal level they are paid well to do so, unlike the thousands of hard working volunteers in this community who are paid 0.
If people want our beautiful environment and social amenity protected they need to vote carefully at the coming council elections and be careful not vote for dictators.
Basil Cameron and his team of devoted social and environmental warriors have between them almost a century of hard work and experience quietly working with, and for, the community.
They have protected koala habitat, worked with land care to repair some of the damage inflicted by white settlers, set up the first farmer’s markets in the region, designed sustainable buildings and worked for a sustainable, regular train service on our valuable rail corridor.
Unlike the well paid politicians who continually refuse to represent the needs of the community and provide the services we need, while at the same time spending large amounts of our money on ‘tourist products’ and promotion, many thousands of people like those on Basil Cameron’s team have been doing the hard work trying to prevent the joint being completely destroyed.
Louise Doran, Ocean Shores
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
