←Volume 35
September 30, 2020
In this Issue:
Thanks Byron!
Charles Crawshaw, Ocean Shores At 4am on Tuesday, 15 September, I drove all 195 United Nations flags to the front of the Byron Bay Surf Club and lined them up along the beach, ready for the 5.30am sunrise. From that moment...
What a Gas!
Hayo van der Woude, Mullumbimby That chilling sound of gasping for gas comes from our Liberal and Labor leaders below fossil fool boots. Outdated industries must be allowed to die gracefully. Government support distorts the markets, creating false demand. Capitalism has never...
Old Byron Hospital handed over
Having initially made all key documents in relation to the hand over of responsibility confidential, Byron’s old hospital was transferred to an incorporated not-for-profit company at last week’s meeting of Byron Council.
Lost records?
Bede Cooney, Ewingsdale Last week I opened The Echo to read ‘Council staff embark on crusade against residents’, a somewhat alarmist headline I thought. So I said to myself, ‘What have I done?’ Reading on I realised it wasn’t about me, but about...
A little probe
John Jennings, Numinbah Roadside drug testing (RDT) roadside checkpoints are designed to catch people driving with illegal drugs in their bodies – regardless of whether or not those drugs affect the driving. Why then do the police not much more efficiently...
Car parking spaces to be repurposed for dining
Food outlets and other shops across the Shire will be able to use parking spots for outdoor dining and other business activities under a ‘parklets’ trial being conducted by Byron Council.
Reluctant to criticise?
Fast Buck$, Coorabell Looks like I was right in describing Cr Lyon as ‘Cr Wannabe’, by which I meant that his overriding need is to be a leader of men. I’ve always thought of him as a bandwagoner who used The Greens...
Byron Film Fest returns Oct 23
The Byron Bay International Film Festival returns in 2020 with a special edition hybrid festival to include select cinema screenings, a competition for independent filmmakers, and a unique virtual reality experience.
Council staff respond to greywater standoff with Ed Dept at Byron...
Further to last week’s story regarding the impasse with the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) and Byron Council over a grey water system, Council’s Manager Utilities, Cameron Clark, has provided more details behind the arrangement.
Ron Cobb’s cartoons on Australia, 1972 – all missing from...
American graphic artist Ron Cobb drew dozens of powerful political cartoons in the 1960s and ’70s, which were published in all the emerging alternative papers of the day, across the US and Europe.
Editorial – Superspreading the good news
Terrific news! Australia is beating this global virus back and lockdowns will soon be eased.
Byron Bay commentary
David Morris, Byron Bay Regarding Sue Lennox's letter about Byron Bashing letter, I have to say I'm not familiar with her tabloid media references and journalists' commentary therein. But I can imagine that it's all part of a 'silent contract' that...
Cruelty to refugee boy
Bobbi Allan, Mullumbimby Thank you for last week’s excellent article about Angus MacDonald’s portrait of Behrouz Boochani. Behrouz’ book No Friend but the Mountains opened our eyes to the injustices and cruelties of offshore detention of refugees and asylum seekers. I just...
Price of lockdown
Warren Kennedy, Mullumbimby Peter Olsen asks if the lockdown’s worth it in last weeks letters. He compares deaths owing to COVID-19 with deaths caused by influenza where ‘no freedoms were taken away’. There are two differences: there’s a vaccine for flu, and...
Councillors ignore Main Arm residents’ call over compliance blitz
Requests for councillors to halt an aggressive pursuit of unauthorised dwellings in Main Arm fell on deaf ears at last week’s Council meeting.
Where Warhol meets Banksy
While musicians, thespians, and performers were decimated by the lockdown conditions, the painter, whose solitary toils bring warmth, colour and feeling to our lives, was in a way, in their element.
South Ballina Beach Road closed for inspection
A popular road to the South Ballina Beach has been temporarily closed after it was deemed unsafe by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
Byron Council – protect our remnant, old-growth forest
Roisin Ritchie and Trace Gordon, Tallowood residents As residents of Tallowood Ridge community in Mullumbimby, we have the enormous privilege of living at the edge of a rare, remnant, old-growth forest. Each morning we walk along the ridge, through this towering forest...
Belongil DA
Jo Faith, Newtown The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the East Coast of Australia can expect three cyclones owing to changing weather conditions. The timeline indicated the ‘near future’. Is Byron prepared for cyclones? Byron Council’s 2015 flood plan study considers...
Facing reality In Byron
Kathryn McConnochie, Byron Bay In response to Sue Lennox letter, I read the article by Angela Mollard. Sadly, I found it to be a pretty true account of what has happened to the town of Byron Bay. Sue didn’t live here before...
Cartoon of the week – 30 September, 2020
We love to receive letters, but not every letter will be published; the publication of letters is at the discretion of the online and print letters editors. The deadline for the Byron Echo newspaper is noon Friday and letters longer than 200 words...
Mullum wins local tennis competitions
Junior tennis players from Mullumumbimby have dominated the local Northern Rivers tennis competition for Term Three, taking out divisions one and two.
Girl juniors dominate Coffs Harbour Groms surf contest
Local girl surfers proved themselves again after dominating event three of the 2020 Woolworths Surfer Groms Comp Series held in Coffs Harbour this week.
Arts and Entertainment for the Byron Shire and beyond for the...
The first InSideOut Lightbox event at the end of August was a great success. An open call brought together 24 local artists and creatives to find a new way to exhibit their works.
Wandana: the wonder of Mullumbimby
Eve Jeffery Rupert moved to the area when he was eight and finished school at Mullum High. Chrissy, from the Netherlands, moved to Australia almost 12 years ago. Now the couple live walking distance from their business – Wandana Brewing...
