←Volume 35
![]( "A short history of our rail corridor debate")
![]( "Rabbit holes distract from truth seeking")
![]( "Trump loves his deplorables, and betrays them")
![]( "Let’s all trust the government and get vaxed!")
![]( "Cartoon of the week – 13 January, 2021")
![]( "Entertainment in the Byron Shire for the week beginning 13 January, 2021")
![]( "Interview with Alex Proyas")
![]( "Interview with Brendan Kelly")
![]( "Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Gross Estate")
![]( "The big gardeners bringing the good goods to markets")
![]( "The orgasmic chefs of the 21st Century")
![]( "Starlight Festival COVID style a success")
January 13, 2021
In this Issue:
A short history of our rail corridor debate
The debate over our disused rail corridor has long gone stale. It is acrimonious, ideological, and exhibits a strong tendency to avoid key points.
Bias confirmed
Richard Hil, Former Convenor, Ngara ‘Turning Points Talks’ is the new Mullumbimby Politics in the Pub. It’s important to note that this has nothing to do with the previous iteration, organised by the Ngara Institute. While public presentations are a vital tool...
Pothole fantasia
Venkat Subramanya, Suffolk Park Three to four years ago there was a huge outcry about potholes and state of roads in Byron Shire similar to what Mr Richard Hil is alluding to (Echo, January 6). At the time, a spokesperson for Council...
US blues
Mick Stacey, Ballina It’s amazing how a country that uses the phrase ‘In God We Trust’, yet arms itself to the teeth and bombs its way around the world, thrusting their so-called ‘democracy’ on sovereign nations, holds the world to ransom...
Just Capitol
Chibo Mertineit, Lillian Rock After we saw the latest outcome of Trump’s politics, ending with storming the Capitol in Washington, I hope Australia is learning from this. I hope Australia will move united to stop our government wasting taxpayers’ money, no,...
Response to Richard Hill (Palm Avenue)
Rebecca Ingram, Wilsons Creek Interesting that its always people who have just moved here that come up with magical solutions for fixing the shire’s roads (or just their own road), and that somehow the wealth within The Shire is, or could...
Rabbit holes distract from truth seeking
There I was last week, reading the latest Echo, nodding in agreement with Phillip Frazer, smiling at Mandy’s column, shaking my head over the weird Trump equals Julius Caesar article, when I was suddenly brought to a halt by page 10.
Ad hoc Butler St rail crossing
David Morris, Byron Bay I‘m sure that the trials that the Butler Street bypass and the transit station will inflict on the local neighbourhood are far from over. Of course, those trials were already outlined (and ignored) in the futile submissions we...
Justice for Assange
John Scrivener, Main Arm The litany of abuse and ill treatment of Assange: the arbitrary detention and deprivation of liberty, the social isolation and solitary confinement, the character assassination and vilification, the psychological torture and gross injustice. This has been inflicted...
Heart’s a flutter
J Rose, Mullumbimby I’ve just thought – is the Qld premier really just a coy lover, playing hard to get, and we, and the Qld public service, have been too insensitive to notice? Could it be that ‘shut the door!’ is...
Trump loves his deplorables, and betrays them
In 2016 Hillary Clinton described Trump’s rougher followers as ‘deplorables’ – the ones who were openly racist, misogynist, and hostile towards new social/cultural trends, like uppity women, or foreigners.
Let’s all trust the government and get vaxed!
Australia is following the UK and US in rolling out COVID-19 vaccines. Given the enormity of the program, and its wide ranging implications, let’s dig a little into what vaccines are being fast tracked, and how it will roll out.
Crooked Donald & Co
Keith Duncan, Pimlico American patriots are celebrating an historic victory with the Democrats’ stunning win of both seats in the Georgia Senate election. We can only imagine how treasonous Trump supporters and the radical lunatic right are hurting right now; for...
Sky terror
Kol Dimond, The Pocket Unless you have been walking around for the last couple of months with ear plugs in, you would have noticed the sound of terror in the sky. It’s a noise I hadn’t had in my bushland...
Byron woes & yays
Noah Yamore, Mullumbimby I attempt to be positive and optimistic most of the time, offering alternatives to our present situations. Even to the point of steering the conversation away from the covid gossip and the cynicism of establishment agendas. But I have...
Cartoon of the week – 13 January, 2021
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.
Entertainment in the Byron Shire for the week beginning 13 January,...
Women Like Us is the comedy sensation created by stand ups, Mandy Nolan and Ellen Briggs. Realising they were an anomaly in their industry – kick arse comics, but middle aged women – they realised that it didn’t matter how good they were, they were always going to be behind the 8 ball in an industry that favours under 30’s and is dominated by blokes.
Interview with Alex Proyas
COVID-19 has taken a lot of things, but it’s given us a new event: The Bangalow Film Festival. Alongside some nostalgic screenings, a reimagining of the drive-in, and cutting edge films, the Festival offers a series of In Conversation events with prominent film practitioners.
Interview with Brendan Kelly
When I first met Mullumbimby-based artist, Brendan Kelly, he was trying his hand at stand up. Energetic, larger than life, with astute colourful depictions of everything from the mating behaviour of peacocks to the high drama of almost burning...
Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Gross Estate
Last week, in Byron, a house that doesn’t yet exist sold for $60 million. A beachfront holiday house. A tidy little weekender. The buyer bought a drawing of the house that is yet to materialise. It’s not even a home. It’s for holidays. A holiday from what? Makes me want to puke. We should all be appalled. This sort of wealth should not be celebrated. It’s destroying us.
The big gardeners bringing the good goods to markets
Story & photo Melissa Butters Maree and Kenrick at Wiccawood supply certified organic vegetables, edible flowers and stunningly beautiful herb curry packs to the Mullumbimby markets. They enjoy creating a shared conversation around growing your own garden and have the...
The orgasmic chefs of the 21st Century
Eve Jeffery I used to know this chef many, many years ago – he was old school. He did his apprenticeship at William Angliss in Melbourne (he went on to be a teacher at the same institution), he wore a...
Starlight Festival COVID style a success
Created by Raym Richards in the Byron Surf club 25 years ago, the Starlight Festival is now run by his daughter Rosie Richards and the festival has flourished into an annual healing festival and expo.
