‘Thank you for not ignoring us’ was one of the most alarming tributes to retired Byron Shire councillor Duncan Dey at a gathering of 30 or so people at Torakina Park last Thursday. It was said, along with:
Thank you for listening
Thank you for being there
Thank you for explaining the next steps
Thank you for finding out more
Thank you for taking this on
Thank you for supporting our group.
And many more ‘thank yous’ from most of the people present.
It was the ‘thank you for not ignoring us’ that struck such a chord with me. What had been the experience of this group up until Duncan? Ignored? By whom? Shockingly, we have groups, working for environmental, or social justice, that can and do feel ignored. Not good. Not here, in Byron Shire.
Being a ‘councillor who did not ignore’ had its own implicit rewards, but it was a lonely road too, when, as happened too many times, his was the lone voice. But it was clear that last Thursday, by the beach, Councillor Duncan was farewelled with love and respect.
PS. He’s still here. Not as a councillor but certainly not giving up on the issues that matter to him so much.
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. 
