Ian Brown, Save Byron Community Markets Committee.
Sarah Ndiaye, last Sunday we asked Byron Bay market stallholders if they wanted to stay on Butler Street Reserve.
We received 209 signatures from 350 stalls. We didn’t have the staff to ask all the stallholders, so the number will be higher when we get a chance to ask more; we did this to quantify the numbers. There is a vocal minority saying that most stallholders want to leave. We have the signatures to show you that is not the case.
We have seen artist impressions of the bus terminal on the land and there are many trees and paving. The council has done nothing to the land but if they put a bus terminal on it then they will landscape it?
We believe that the community market is state significant and should stay as the Byron meeting place. We believe that Simon Richardson and Ken Gainger don’t care about the markets and are doing everything to remove us. What is the real reason?
Moving to the beachfront we believe we will be kicked off there after destroying the sensitive dune area. We won’t be able to go back to Butler Street Reserve and the famous markets will not have a home.
Warren Simmons and Tamara Smith are backing us. Where do you stand on this issue? Many Greens voters in the Shire are not happy with the recent events and this is another one they feel strongly about.
Is Simon going for re-election? What are your aspirations? Become mayor or to take on Justine Elliott? You need the Greens voters to get you there. What about the trainline area? The bus terminal could easily sit on there and the markets can stay.
Now we know we have the majority of stallholders behind our campaign we will start asking locals and visitors how they feel about the Greens mayor being so adamant about kicking us off.
We need to know if we have your support.
