Jill Keogh, Federal.
Byron Bay Town Centre Master Plan Leadership team (whomever they may be) showed a marked ignorance of the iconic significance of the Byron Environment Centre kiosk in Railway Park, known affectionately as the Cubbytunda.
The arrogant demand that it should be re-located by December 13, shows a lack of diplomacy, not to mention disrespect for local knowledge.
Since its inception in 1989 BEC a voluntary organisation, has played a major role in creating the environmental ethos that underpins the Shire of Byron. Its members have fought for protection of lands and waters at Taylors Lakes, Tallow Creek, Belongil, Broken Head, Cibum Margil Swamp, Cavanbah sand dunes, Suffolk Park, and Sandhills Estate.
Incorporated in 1992, BEC included in its aims and objectives support for the self- determination of Aboriginal people, and won a national test case for a community group to be a party to a Native Title claim, in this case the Arakwal people of Byron Bay.
A strong relationship between BEC and the Arakwal people continues to this day with one of many flow-on effects, the formation of Arakwal National Park, winning an international award, the Packard Prize, received by one of the custodians at the time, Auntie Lorna Kelly.
From its shop in Cavanbah Arcade, fitted out by founding members Jan Oliver and Charlie Ohle amongst others, BEC was gradually priced out of the rental market to where it is today, on common land.
This is a personal recollection among hundreds of others, a modest slice of a very rich pie, making it very obvious that the BEC Cubbytunda must not be arbitrarily shunted off Railway Park to fit the image of Byron Beige.
Cubbytunda has history!
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