It is an outstanding factor that Byron Shire Council (BSC) continues to promote developers to utilise mega-tonnes of fill to justify development on floodplains. This catastrophic method of ‘development normalisation’ not only destroys healthy ecological wetlands, but also the function of acid sulphate soils. The negative effects of the same are cleansed by the deep root systems of old-growth trees. Thus nature’s natural systems of earth harmony are further eroded as fill and deforestation enable developers and enhance polluted floodplains. What polluted load do our waterways now carry? Yamba township has citizens in protest against fill.
The Byron Shire is littered with such unsound practices. This could be avoided if social relations acknowledged the huge expertise of First Nations peoples that currently is practised in Sydney developments (e.g. Parramatta Art Centre) which delights the eye with natural wonders and development on stilts. No fill is utilised!
This structure is also a celebration of the dismissal of hetero-normative mindsets which display outdated vision and a lack of alternative earth science. Sadly for the Earth and humanity the death-destructive binary mindset pervades.
Furthermore, to my mind an apology is owed, by ex-mayor Lyon, to the Wallum community and First Nations peoples who were subjected to a raid by ‘men in black’ at Wallum, on land that is not ceded to the ‘empire.’
My family and self deeply apologise to First Nations people. We await your enlightenment on BSC. You have greater power now and while racist obstacles remain, know that thousands of progressive people support your rights.
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. 
