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.
Were those “hippies” the same councilors who oversaw the ruin of the good infrastructure and fiscal management that more prudent shire presidents had built up over decades? You and other “activists” have given our area a Shire with a poor public transport network, and one of the highest car ownership and oldest vehicle fleets lumbering over some of the worst roads in the state and you imagine that is protecting the environment. A council that once proudly vaccinated its population at the council chambers in Fletcher Street now allows the voodoo cult of anti-vax to be preached in its properties. When my father was president of the Shire and Chairman of Rous County Council he not only delivered clean tap water from Rocky Creek dam he checked it at his chemist shop every day to ensure it was safe; now the Bay is littered with plastic water bottles and people see some need to have the water fountain on the street in Mullum filtered.
I exaggerate of course. The Byron Bay is still a beautiful place and a vibrant one, But concern for the environment has long since become part of mainstream Australia, and is not inconsistent with well planned development. Have a look at Ballina to your south, which with little of the noisy divisive culture of activism has contained its growth to a similar rate to the Bay, and has managed its growth, environment and its infrastructure far more competently. It provides a safe environment for people from 8 ot 88 to stroll, walk and ride, while retaining the pride in community and country hospitality that prevailed in Northern Rivers towns in the fifties and sixties.
We do worry in Ballina that the influx of refugees from the the Byron Shire might become a flood but our farsighted civic leaders ensured a privately managed castle was built at Newrybar to protect our borders – the first duty of any council.