Jan Barham, Broken Head
Congratulations to Brunswick Valley Historical Society and Sharon Shostack for the documentary on our community’s activism and politics in the 70s and 80s.
We should all feel very proud of our community history, where new ideas for the protection of nature and place were voiced and people acted on their beliefs.
The activism of the ‘alternatives’ determined our environmental protection and the way we live. The Terania forest campaign was a global first and it was pivotal for the ongoing actions to protect and preserve our magnificent forests – that are again under threat.
In Byron Shire, a group of ‘hippies’ stepped up and got elected to Council and set in place the planning rules that have kept Byron special. We have them to thank for what is valued today, even though many don’t realise it. They implemented environmental protection zones, wildlife corridors, coastal protection, and determined the three-storey limit in the Shire.
This happened as the push for development was at our doorstep.
It’s an exciting history and we owe them great respect for preserving the special nature of Byron Shire.
I encourage everyone to see the film. Don’t ever think that Byron’s ‘specialness’ just happened; it took people with courage and conviction and some healthy madness to step up to define this place.
In the last week, we have seen students take action on climate change and been entertained and informed by our older community activism, so for everyone in between, time to step up and get active to continue our culture of activism, to maintain our values for a better future.
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. 
