The Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood Centre (MDNC) supports people with services such as specialist DV assistance and disaster recovery.
Disaster responses to events such as Cyclone Alfred are not funded, like the myriad of other unfunded services – affordable food, free counselling, and more.
They say they are really, really struggling without enough human resources. With no regular government support to even open the doors, they need to raise at least $150,000 before the end of the year to keep up with the community’s needs.
MDNC has tax-deductible status and is endorsed by the ATO as a charity. Visit their website at www.mdnc.org.au to find out how you can donate or other ways you can support this vital service.
Techbros bully Australia
Ten years ago this week, Rupert Murdoch’s News Limited acquired a 14.99 per cent stake in Australian publisher APN News and Media.
Back in 2015, APN published The Byron News, The Northern Star and The Ballina Advocate, among other titles across the nation.
By 2017, The Liberals, under PM Malcolm Turnbull, abolished the cross-media ownership restrictions, which paved the way for Murdoch to purchase a huge stable of news publications across Australia.
By 2020, The BBC reported that News Corp Australia had closed 112 newspapers. Of these, 76 regional and local papers become online-only.
Ten years is a good time to reflect upon whether the Liberal Party’s capitulation to corporate media was beneficial.
In the 1987 classic movie, Wall Street, corporate raider Gordon Gekko delights in acquiring smaller companies that he strips for spare parts.
Last week, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), representing tech giants like Meta, Google, Amazon, Apple, and X, formally urged the White House to take action against Australia’s digital media and streaming regulations
So far, federal Labor is holding its ground.
Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis makes the point that the US has total control of the new world – he calls it ‘techno feudalism’.
No other country or the EU, for example, is able to compete now that the US has such an technological advantage.
There are still small independents – such as The Echo – which provide a different perspective to that offered by mainstream media.
Crocodile Dundee returns
Ah, the 1980s. It’s easy to look at nostalgia as being a better time, but in those days, Australia had a pumping music scene. We made films, really good ones. Art was encouraged and not looked down on as some type of disability. We even built cars, clothes, fridges and washing machines.
So okay, interest rates were, like 17 per cent, but they were still good times.
Best of all, there was a larrikin attitude, and Australia had yet to succumb to mindless corporatism.
In 1986, around the time The Echo printed its first edition, Crocodile Dundee hit the screens.
It remains Australia’s most successful film of all time, and the reason is of course is that was well scripted, acted, and filmed. And it was funny.
A behind-the-scenes doco called Love Of An Icon: The Legend Of Crocodile Dundee launches March 28 at Palace Byron Bay Cinema, and is a labour of love by Delvene Delaney and Victoria Baldock. It’s a wonderful and important piece of Australian history – may it inspire other generations in rediscovering our larrikinism, humour and love of art and culture.
Hans Lovejoy, editor
News tips are welcome: [email protected]
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. 
