A security guard at Byron Bay’s Cheeky Monkeys Bar and Restaurant was lucky to escape serious injury on Friday (May 19) after three patrons who had been asked to leave attacked him.
Police say that at about 9.45pm a Queensland man aged in his mid 20’s was removed from the bar.
He and two of his associates, also from Queensland, then allegedly assaulted the security guard by slamming a door into his back and grabbing him by the throat.
During the assault the security officer’s clothing was damaged.
Police arrived a short time later and the arrested three men.
They have CCTV footage of the incident.
The trio will appear at Byron Bay Local Court on June 8.
I’m so over these tourists coming to our region and damaging and abusing our beautiful area
If you have no connection to the place, go back to where you came from
If they wanna litter the beaches and parks and make them ugly and polluted you may as well stay up on the Gold Coast or Brisbane and not come down
If you wanna hurt and abuse locals you should jump go home and have a serious think about what your priorities in life are
If you want a massive ski jump at Lennox Head, save up and go to Switzerland or Canada
I’m so over it, all these awful behaviours, it’s disgusting, tourists are a blight on our region
Byron Bay has far too many intolerant, self-centred narcissistic hippies like yourself. I wish you lot would go back where you came from and make more room for decent, honest working people to have an affordable holiday.
From 2013 over four years Byron Shire Council’s Tourism Advisory Committee worked up a detailed plan called “Presentation kit for the proposed Byron Shire Identity” which was passed by Council called ” How tourism could be managed and developed in accordance with Byron Shire ‘Core Values’. A lot of time and effort went into developing those values as follows in its report to determine in identifying “the consultation process identified the need to (page 3):
establish a unified brand and image for Byron Shire
create and maintain a positive image that reflects unique and
authentic visitor experiences related to nature, health and wellness,
Indigenous culture, cultural diversity, heritage, and innovative
enterprises within the Shire
overcome the Byron Bay ‘party-town’ image
attract visitors and visitor markets that have shared values with the
community and that are high yield (for example, encourage visitors
that seek different experiences)
promote the spiritual and cultural diversity of the Shire, for example,
emphasise the uniqueness of Byron culture
maintain established brands and images for destinations within the
Shire, for example, ‘Simple Pleasures’ – Brunswick Heads
improve promotion to international markets (not just backpacker
markets).
The adopted Core Values were (Page 4):
Byron Shire Community Core Values
1. Respect for residential, amenity and community lifestyle
2. Celebration and appreciation of the cultural and social diversity of the Shire
3. Conservation and enhancement of the rich natural environment, flora, fauna, beach,
marine life and coastline
4. The community, arts, heritage and natural environment
5. The diversity contained within the whole shire, its villages, parks and reserves, and
agriculture
6. Local produce, cuisine, arts, crafts, culture, services, their producers and outlets
7. Local history and cultures – inclusive of aboriginal, spiritual and healing
8. Harmony, sensitivity and courtesy
9. Safety and security
10.Acceptance of others, their beliefs and practices provided such beliefs and practices
are not harmful to others
11.Active lifestyles
12.On-going education and self enlightenment
13.A relaxed, engaged and healthy community
14.A consultative and collaborative approach
15.Innovation
16.Economic, social, cultural and environmental balance (quadruple bottom line)
17.Support of appropriate sustainable economic activity (including tourism) throughout
the Shire
18.A wide range of rich and unique visitor experiences that focus on the natural
environment, wellness, and cultural diversity of the Shire
19.Welcoming visitors who share our community values
Council then summerised these as a template for promoting our Shire as follows (page 4:
The TAC created a platform (brief) for the identity project, which was based on
community core values and secondary research outlining perceptions of
Byron Shire as a destination to visit, work and live.
The brand platform is a series of statements that capture community values
and the unique aspects of a place or product that gives it a point of difference.
The creative is based on the platform and answers the brief.
1. The diversity of people, aboriginal living culture, places and lifestyle in
Byron.
2. Rich, ancient and bio-diverse land and seascape.
3. Abundant health and well-being choices.
4. Vibrant music, arts and crafts, festivals, markets, spiritual and creative
communities.
5. Adventures on and in the air, land and water.
6. Eclectic villages.
7. Home grown produce and farmers markets – our way of life.
8. Green consciousness and aspirations.
9. An active and caring community.
After being adopted by Council, Council then employed Bangalow local Alan Morden, the designer of perhaps the world’s most successful tourism advertising campaign, the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, to develop a campaign for our Shire based on the above.
Alan’s planned campaign was brilliant, perfectly matched the brief saying (page 5):
Giving Byron Shire an identity
It’s not just about tourism.
It’s about us.
It’s about our love and enthusiasm for Byron Shire. And it’s a place we have to
protect because it is special but also vulnerable.
What does it mean to the people who live here and to the people who visit?
Sure we have unspoilt beaches, rolling green hills, eclectic villages, great
outdoor adventures, fine restaurants, cafes, music, events, festivals, local
markets, even a mountain range.
But it’s much more than this, Byron Shire has an energy, an attitude, and a
sense of community.
It’s the people who live here and love this place, that make it what it is. It’s the
musicians, the elders, the artists, the plumbers, the farmers, the surfers, the
healers, the councillors, the millionaires, the buskers, the writers, the
greenies, the capitalists, the publicans, the misfits.
We all have different opinions on the way Byron Shire should be run.
But we all agree on one thing, we must protect what we have.
Our communities have been protecting Byron Shire for many years from
over-development, loggers and out-of-town politics, we don’t always win, but
we never give up. That’s why we love Byron Shire with all our heart and soul.
We are a vibrant, frustrating, opinionated, beautiful, but never dull community.
We are a community that really cares.
We need to send a message to the world that will stir people.
A message that we can all identify with, a message that captures what Byron
Shire really stands for.
Responsible tourism.
Its mix of texts and images thrilled all of us who served on the then biggest-ever Council Committee,(so Council’s GM told serving members, of which I was one from start to finish) including current Councillors, Mayor Simon Richardson, and Deputy Mayor Basil Cameron,
This expensive and time consuming Report was never implemented! I would like to know why?
More importantly why are the TAC’s Chairperson (Basil) and Deputy Chair (Simon) not implementing it now?
I know they were passionate about the Report at the time and I doubt they have changed their opinions.This Committee was a wonderful example of all elements of our community coming together with good will and intelligence to do good together.
IT’S TIME TO IMPLEMENT IT!
Well put Alan , to be honest it is a very late night venue that has some drinking to excess , simply stay away passion fruit , it can happen anywhere , why blame the tourist ? They are normally very well behaved and they spend far more than us locals which if you haven’t noticed Passiionfruit is the main source of income for the Byron shire ., if you had your way we,d all be lining up in the que with you , no thanks .