In response to the comments of Ed Ahern in last week’s Echo. I would like to say that the last thing in the world that Mullumbimby needs is to be tarted up, in fact a ‘committee to keep Mullum funky’ would be a good idea.
The town of Byron was once a vibrant, friendly centre of the counterculture. Nowadays it is a soulless commercial precinct and nothing more. This is admittedly the result of commercial pressures rather than any actions by Byron Council but visitors from our main source of tourism, south-east Queensland are down because Byron town’s uniqueness has been destroyed and it looks like any other resort town on the east coast.
As for the plans for Mullum – if you destroy the palms and plant shade trees these will eventually intrude under shop awnings and eventually over the awnings as far as I can see.
Also I think the people who say the lorikeets will just find somewhere else to roost are being highly optimistic about the adaptability of wildlife. It is likely that this is a cultural matter in that parent lorikeets teach their offspring where to find the best perching places, as they teach them where to find the best sources of food and water.
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. 
