Nadine Hood, Bangalow.
For the historical record, there were antecedents to the 1993 formation of the Byron Greens, which Tom Tabart states was the beginning of the Greens in this area.
There were wide-ranging discussions involving many people over several years to establish a Tweed-Byron Green organisation in the late 1980s.
I went to three of these meetings.
The first, in a Mullum hall, was without any concrete outcome. The next very well attended gathering was in the Nimbin Town Hall. I facilitated that meeting, and travelled across to Nimbin with Ian Cohen.
The third occurred on a long sweaty day in a country hall near Wollumbin.
These meetings were protracted and involved many people talking about what they thought we should embark upon. All this happened before mid 1990.
These are merely the events I attended. There were others.
What I think you are trying to say Nadine is that the Green movement in this area comprises a group of individuals, and they are so individual, light green, dark green, lighter green, darker green, blackish green, a shade lighter than blackish green and mottled green that they are resistant in coming together to form a united front as an individual group to go forward.
Forward. What direction is that for a green? When the word “forward” is said in the Greens everyone disperses in all directions in the belief they are stepping forward, Twenty years ago I used to belong. Now I prefer my own company and talk to myself.
Sorry Nadine what you say is doubtlessly true but so what?
The full history is much more colourful but also long.
Before the Tweed Byron formation coming out of the 93 federal election and during this election was the Richmond Clarence Greens a separately registered green party claiming branches in Byron, Lismore, Tweed and Nimbin. his group was run by Al Oshlack as his personal fiefdom. The Tweed Byron group affiliated with the new Greens NSW party during the election due to differences with Al. The Richmond Clarence Greens kept their party registration until after the next state election where they ran against the Tweed Byron group, they were finally deregistered due to lack of numbers.
Al continues to do good work with other organisations and has displayed great personal skills and courage with some success in campaigns such as the Iron Gates development at Evans Head .