Sandra Heilpern, Byron Greens
How confusing to be a voter in these Council elections. Every team is concerned about climate change, social housing, responsible planning. All are diligently listening to the needs of the community. How to choose? How to check out the good guys? How to know if they can deliver their promises? What is the difference between a Greens member and a once-was-Green? What does Labor have to do with local government?
Let’s focus on the most important issue of our time. We humans have become too many. We have recklessly mined and burned fossil fuels, we have paid little heed to the scientists’ dire warnings and now we are experiencing unprecedented droughts, floods, fires, rising sea levels, species extinctions, cyclones and temperatures that people can’t live in.
The sad truth is the national coalition government is a disgrace, and the ALP are still wavering with their position. We could wait a long time for the major parties to declare their divorce from coal and gas. Some industries are taking a responsible stand. And local government? Yes. That’s the thing right now. Just what can one mayor and eight councillors elected to Byron Council do to achieve a Shire-wide reduction of emissions and a proactive plan to deal with the unnatural disasters? The Greens are the only team that is backed up with a policy, commitment and unshakeable responsibility to do whatever it takes to prevent the looming disasters for our precious children, grandchildren and, in my case, even great-grandchildren.
The answer, my friends, is not blowing in the wind. It’s the bleeding obvious.
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. 
