←Volume 35
December 16, 2020
In this Issue:
Campaign targets govt’s inhumane treatment of refugees
Ballina Region for Refugees (BR4R) has become one of more than a hundred organisations and grassroots groups to sign up to the ‘Time for a Home’ campaign to get refugees and people seeking asylum out of detention and living in the community.
Morrison and his Bully Boys caught with a dodgy credit card
Federal governments – LibNat and Labor – have spent more than $20 million on establishing this Card-of-Shame system, and studying its effects. None of the reports we the taxpayers have funded found the cards are effective
A new policy sausage is made
New to the area? Perhaps you have become Council-curious. If so, here’s a summary of perhaps the most significant item debated and voted upon at last Thursday’s Byron Shire Council meeting: the long awaited Residential Strategy.
Jim Beatson and Mary Gardner – a valediction forbidding mourning
Jim and Mary are moving to Queensland. I am pretty sad about it. Even if you don’t know them, they have been your friends too because, separately and together, they have done so much for Byron.
A repair budget?
Susan Melhuish, Ewingsdale The filming of Nine Perfect Strangers has been based in Kennedys Lane over the past few months. Over that time many large trucks have been coming and going; last night 20 trucks went past in a convoy. Mostly,...
Natural burial
Debra Smith, Mullumbimby I live on Vallances Road near the proposed site for the Brunswick Valley natural burial ground. When council purchased the land and proceeded with the STP (sewage treatment plant) the longterm residents of the road sold up. Having...
Just a little politics
Fast Buck$, Coorabell Last week our mayor was out and about again in his black shirt and sunnies, that outfit that says ‘I am one sharp dude’. Probably he was psyching himself up for participating in his first Greens meeting...
Best to be safe
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic The Japan 2021 Olympics may be a little different from previous ones, or at least the beds the participants will sleep in will be different. The beds will be long at 2.1m but they will...
Open the bypass
Pam Scarborough, Byron Bay There has been a great deal of work done through 2020 to make our roads more usable, and I can foresee that things will, one day, be improved. But, sorry, there is a but – I am...
The truth
Deb & Mick Stacey, Ballina The first victim of war is always the truth, and one must go out of their way to discover this, as some of us have done for a long time now, as Peace/Anti-war activists. Although...
Cartoon of the week – 16 December, 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.
Urban planning
Duncan Dey, Main Arm Councillors last week adopted a Residential Strategy that will convert various bits of the Shire to urban. Urban life involves having services provided to the property boundary (water and sewer services in particular). The urban user pays...
The vexing vax
Helen Thompson, South Golden Beach I am writing in regards to your (The Echo’s) response to Theo Engelaer’s letter Human Gene Therapy (25 November). It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand that The Echo is extremely pro vaccination with regards...
Entertainment in the Byron Shire for the week beginning 16 December
High Ground, starring Jack Thompson, Simon Baker and Jacob Junior Nayinggul is a Northern Rivers’ premiere. Shot in Kakadu National Park by Andrew Commis (Babyteeth) and directed by Stephen Maxwell Johnson (Yolngu Boy), this is a great opportunity to preview the film before it hits our local screens.
Interview with Áine Tyrrell – one half of the Country Witches...
This December Solstice marks one whole year of witching by musician Áine Tyrrell and comedian Mandy Nolan who came together on a whim last year to create the Country Witches Association.
Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: MANHATER
As a feminist there are many times I have been called a manhater. It’s the go to put down to extinguish or disqualify legitimate rage.
Interview with Reuben Kaye
The obscenely intelligent, beautifully filthy, and rib-crackingly funny, cabaret superstar Reuben Kaye is the only way to bring in 2021. He spoke with the Echo ahead of his NYE show at the Bruns Picture House.
Fresh, wild-caught, succulent flavours
Khaled Al Khawaldeh Mullumbimby sits about 8km from the coast, but walking into Hooked and Cooked Seafood gives one the feeling of being sat right by the seaside. The aroma of fresh wild caught seafood on the grill is as...
From kitchen, to their car, to your door
Eve Jeffery So you’re sitting in your lounge room and pizza or Indian is not the biggest decision to make – you are going to have to play scissors, paper, rock to see who braves this insane weather to go...
It’s all in for the JJ Seafood family
Story & photo Melissa Butter Like a school of fish this hard working family unit sticks together. Each week JJ Seafood delivers the finest, freshest produce from the region straight from their boats to the markets. With the help of...
