17.1 C
Byron Shire
June 17, 2026

Latest News

Big things are happening at The Paddock — and one of them has a flush

There are two milestones worth celebrating at The Paddock this season as they push ahead with their innovative project.

Other News

Byron Writers Festival reveals 30th anniversary program

As August draws near and authors gear up for a big weekend in Byron Bay, Byron Writers Festival has revealed its complete program for its 30th anniversary edition

Echo Love Awards

Last Saturday night, Yuti and I had the privilege of attending the 40th anniversary celebration of The Echo. The trip...

Major repairs for Lismore roads

Wyrallah and Coraki Roads will soon have 15km of road surface restored, as part of ongoing disaster recovery works across Lismore’s rural road network.

Navigating business debt & insolvency

Financial literacy – without it, no business, can survive, let alone proposer. It’s especially true in times like these, where world leaders are unpredictable, chaotic and batshit crazy.   

Greens silence ‘lacks integrity’

In response to Ian Clements’ letter last week, we wish to clarify a few things. Firstly, on the pools debate,...

A Church for All People

Celebrating its tenth year, the Brunswick Picture House personifies ‘A Church for All People’, in its packed, eclectic and biggest ever program. The next few weeks and months bring a throng of music superstars, a gang of Australia’s hottest comedians, and plenty of jaw-dropping burlesque beauties to blow your minds.

August 18, 2021

Byron Shire Echo issue 36.10 – August 18, 2021

Download PDF (15MB)
Jump to:
Local News | Comment | Letters | Articles | #supportlocal | Health & Healing | Soapbox | Seven Entertainment | The Good Life | Good Taste | Echo Property | Service Directory | Crossword | Classifieds | Stars | Backlash

In this Issue:

Dunoon Dam again

Margaret Louise, Lismore I just don’t get it? Why does State MLC, Sam Farraway, want the State and Federal governments to launch an ‘independent study’ into the Dunoon Dam issue? Haven’t we already seen – and paid for! – enough investigation...

Smoke and mirrors

John Lazarus, Byron Bay When’s a building’s fourth storey not a fourth storey? Answer: when Byron Council says it isn’t (after a developer asks them to). A new fourth storey was approved for the bottom-of-Jonson-Street mall development, now under construction, after...

Oligarchy to kill 90 per cent

Noah Yamore, Mullumbimby At a meeting of frontline activists last Sunday at Mullum gardens, a man held up a copy of our beloved Echo and the crowd went, ‘BOOOO!’. Remember, The Echo was started as a protest against government tyranny here in...

Yes, David

Christine Willmot, Sunrise Beach David Heilpern, you are not the only grumpy old person who finds the restaurant experience in Byron a challenge to sanity and communication – not to say to inner-ear safety! My friends and I have almost given up...

Some good karma

Phoebe Havyatt, Byron Bay I’m wondering if our COVID-infected property buyer might instead spend some of that earmarked money on a couple of ventilators for the community ?

Stay at home

Hilary Bone, Federal Why is the order to ‘stay at home’ seen as a game of hide and seek? Sars-COV-2 does not care about whether or not you can travel to a holiday home. It does not care what the police...

Freedom, community and human rights

Baden Offord, Ocean Shores Hardcore libertarianism and individualism cannot lead us out of a pandemic. In fact, they have the adverse impact on our individual, collective and planetary well-being and safety. What pandemics challenge is our ability and capacity to sublimely...

Editorial: Real men don’t harm others

Standing at a public urinal in Mullumbimby last week, I found myself face-to-face with a small poster stuck to the wall: ‘Real men don’t wear masks’.

The unmasked

Matt Long, Brunswick Heads Sarah Seaward (Letters, 4 August) is thankful for the unmasked folk making eye contact and bolstering her immune system. She also suggests that Mandy Nolan should consider moving from Mullumbimby if she is concerned about the unmasked....

Seniors speak of lockdown angst

Global Health Aging Research Professor, Bei Wu, at New York University, says mental health problems caused by isolation and loneliness are magnified for seniors and exacerbated by lockdowns and other restrictions.

Sixth time’s the charm: new IPCC report shows climate is still...

IPCC releases sixth major assessment report, and it’s clear that the biggest threat now is delay.

Senior Counsel says Byron Council acted illegally

Recent advice from Tim Robertson, one of Australia’s most senior environmental barristers, is that Byron Council acted illegally when it zoned part of Linnaeus Estate for mixed use development.

Civil liberties perspective

Matcham Caine, Byron Bay I wish to provide a civil liberties perspective on the novel coronavirus health crisis, given the feelings of some that the decision to vaccinate, or not, need only be considered in regards to their own body. If...

Disgusted

Paul Brecht, Evans Head I am disgusted and angry reading Magenta Appel-Pye’s letter (Echo 4 August) concerning the atrocious treatment of muso Lisa Hunt by NSW police that left her with a two-year good behaviour bond. Now Lisa is leaving Byron...

Tenant and landlord support extended

The NSW government says its Residential Tenancy Support package ‘will now be paid for a second month, and eligible landlords can now apply.

‘Unlawful’ forest agreements head to court

The North East Forest Alliance and the Environmental Defenders Office are challenging what they refer to as the ‘rubber stamped’ ongoing destruction of forest ecosystems of the north-east NSW forests from Sydney to the Queensland border.

Bollard madness

Brian Mollett, Mullumbimby Could the lurid plastic bollards marring the intersection of Burringbar and Stuart Streets be replaced with stocks, so the so-called decision makers who approved their erection can be pelted with rotten fruit? People who know the town well...

‘COVID medical network’?

John Davies, Mullumbimby This morning, I found in my letterbox (Mullumbimby) a four page ‘rant’ about the harm of lockdowns, the case against mandatory vaccines, and the benefits of antiviral therapies. The document is anonymous, it does say it is from...

Lot 22 – Mullum

Andrew Hunter, Bangalow Council should be looking after the ratepayers of the Shire, not trying to ease the housing crisis of the freebies, because that cannot be done. Rents are never going to drop below current rates, house prices are not...

Health authorities say they are prepared

As the Delta variant moves the goalposts globally, local health authorities say they are confident they are prepared for any case surge.

Environmental impact assessment needed for increased STP flow

An environmental impact statement is needed for any changes to the Byron Bay Sewage Treatment Plant and its impacts upon the Belongil Estuary say hydrologist and effected landholders.

Palestine and Israel

Gary Opit, Wooyung Having read the letters for over a decade published in  The Echo on the Palestine/ Israel conflict I thought I may be able to elucidate matters. The Palestinian/ Israeli is readily identified when viewed from a few metres...

Forest protection

Jan Barham, Broken Head Our North East Forests are a biodiversity treasure and have been protected by the enduring work of regional residents since the historic 1979 Terania Creek rainforest protection campaign. In the early 1990s, under a coalition State Government,...

Free to go?

Annabel Adair, Mullumbimby I just rang Service NSW 13 77 88, told them I was in a locked down LGA, and asked could I leave to go and look at property outside the area? The answer was an astounding ‘Yes,’ just...

Cartoon of the week – 18 August, 2021

Cartoon by Gutless Anonymous Contributa. Instagram: @ steve_axelsen

Byron Writers Festival reveals 30th anniversary program

As August draws near and authors gear up for a big weekend in Byron Bay, Byron Writers Festival has revealed its complete program for its 30th anniversary edition

Are retirement villages what Byron Bay needs?

Developer DD Resort Living is seeking community feedback until June 18 on its proposed retirement living development in Byron Bay.

New maternity unit at Grafton Base Hospital

Pregnant women and their families across the Clarence Valley will benefit from an upgraded purpose-built maternity unit following a $20 million funding boost from the NSW government.

Councillors silent

I spent some time preparing a submission regarding the draft DCP for the redevelopment of the Mullumbimby Hospital site. I submitted this to the reviewing...