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Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Latest News

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Other News

Queer family visibility

Did you know that, statistically, if you’ve met a redhead, you’ve also met a trans person? Over 800 trans and gender diverse people live in the Byron Shire, which includes at least 200 children. They’re often a bit hidden though, so come on down and celebrate with them this Trans Day of Visibility!

Coveted Wollumbin Art Award open for young and old

Are you an artist in the Northern Rivers? Now is the time to get your art ready and submitted to the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre’s coveted biennial Wollumbin Art Award.

Breakfeast, Bluesfest weekend

Victoria Cosford Oh to be a cow with a four-chambered stomach system! Farmers’ market, Bluesfest long weekend, a spot of...

How the coral crisis affects other marine wildlife

Marine heatwaves are killing coral and denuding reefs of their colourful beauty – but in a world where everything is food for something else, these heatwaves also pose a major threat to biodiversity.

Caper Byron Bay Food & Culture Festival

Caper Byron Bay Food & Culture Festival returns to Byron Bay in May, and this year ‘locals favourite’ pub...

Terania blockade film to support Wallum cause

A film about Australia’s first environmental confrontation, which occured at Terania Creek near Nimbin, will screen on Friday, 22 March from 7pm at Brunswick Picture House as a fundraiser for the Save Wallum campaign. 

May 18, 2022

Byron Shire Echo issue 36.49 – May 18, 2022

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Local News | Comment | Letters | Articles | Health & Healing | The Good Life | Good Taste | Seven Entertainment | Soapbox | Gig Guide | Cinema | Echo Property | Property Business Directory | Service Directory | Crossword | Stars | Classifieds | Community at Work | Backlash

In this Issue:

Engineering ‘solutions’ won’t get us out of this mess

Engineering works have been proposed to mitigate the extreme flooding experienced in Lismore in February and March 2022.

18

Recalcitrant dogs

I could be a lot richer collecting $1 from all those who have told me to ‘get f****ed’ with their ‘companion animal’ being where they’re not supposed to be, or exhibiting inappropriate behaviour even where they are allowed their...

Corporate beach

Tallow Beach is a great place to walk your dog and it has got a lot busier over the last couple of years with all the ‘pandemic puppies’.  I was just thinking the other day how friendly and chatty everyone...

Get me a DA

In response to the recent flood meeting held at the Ocean Shores Country Club on Tuesday 10 May, a worrying notion was proposed that seemed to have widespread support.  The hastening of Council’s DA process was presented as a quick...

Passports

I have been subscribing to The Echo since my daughter moved to Mullumbimby late last year and I visited her over Christmas. Your newspaper is so informative and encouraging for locals and gives the rest of Australia some insight...

Who gets a voice?

After my tirade (Echo 4 May), against proposed changes to the Code of Meeting Practice at Byron Shire Council, I thought I better look at the details again. Sure enough, there was another sneaky little clause that I hadn’t noticed:...

Lismore flood

I walked around the Lismore CBD and whenever I came to a crossing, an oncoming car would stop gently as if it was important to be careful. I would smile and wave to thank them for stopping and they...

Never again

It seems to me that the floods became a ‘never again’ moment in time for Lismore and to a lesser extent Mullumbimby. It is no longer tenable for people to lose everything and expect, and be expected, to claw...

Easy equation

In terms of the economy. Billions of dollars spent on armaments and the supporting structures, at the expense, the sacrifice, of the basic needs for living for Australians.  Most people understand the saying ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. In today’s...

Pension protector?

Powerful Protector of the Pension? Well, not exactly… ABC Fact Check has looked closely at claims made by local MP, Justine Elliot, that the Coalition plans to ‘force all pensioners onto the cashless welfare card’. Ms Elliot has spearheaded an...

Give up your fire

Mandy Nolan’s article (4 May) suggesting (among other things) we try to avoid heating to reduce emissions is sensible.  A separate Echo article mentions that burning wood produces 50 per cent more greenhouse gases compared to burning coal. I wonder...

0

Coalition policy

It should be obvious to everyone by now that the Coalition’s insistence that ‘technology’ will drag us across the line of net zero emissions by 2050 is just a code for their much beloved ‘market forces’. We could be...

0

Assange – election

As we think about where to put our mark on the ballot paper in this election, spare some time to do a little research into where candidates stand on freedom for Australian citizen Julian Assange. Julian is now entering the...

1

Review of community response called for as challenges recognised

Local community members stepped forward to help coordinate and respond to the disaster; from people getting into boats and kayaks recusing strangers in Lismore to coordinating local response hubs in the hinterland and local towns. But it wasn't all a bed of roses.

0

A positive change for Bruns River

With the floods still on the mind of those impacted in the Shire’s north, a local charity and its partners have launched an interactive online map of the Brunswick River to raise awareness and hopefully bring it back to full health.

1

Vote Green

In response to John Jennings, Numinbah (12 May), ‘Who shall I vote for?’ Simple answer – The Greens. From their website: ‘The Greens plan to fix our health services and make dental and mental health care free for all...

9

Harm Labor

Much as I respect Richard Jones’ opinions on many things, I can’t agree with his conclusion last week (‘Election views from a former NSW MLC’) that an election victory by Mandy Nolan would be unlikely to harm Labor’s chances...

8

Corruption

Morrison is the loose unit with the economy! Here’s some excerpts from a long, long list of corruption by the LNP – see The Chaser/Mathew Davis: Bought water rights for 50 times more than many valuations, and double the price...

NSW councils call for social, affordable housing

With ‘Intergenerational inequality growing dramatically’, the peak body representing NSW councils has issued an open letter to all federal election candidates, calling on them to commit to a four-point housing plan.

0

Hydrogen hoax

This is very serious. Last year expert scientists published a warning via The Society of Chemical Industry: ‘blue hydrogen’, using natural gas, was shown to be a fossil fuel industry scam with continuing carbon emissions. The methane emissions negate...

2

Mandy for Richmond: ‘I’m there to break things’

I am deeply curious about whether Mandy Nolan can unseat Labor’s Justine Elliot and win Richmond for the Greens in Saturday’s election.

30

Rorts unlimited

Commuter car park rorts, sports rorts, emissions reduction scheme rorts (that don’t reduce emissions) and bike track rorts. The Morrison government can spend billions of taxpayers’ money on their rorts, they can waste $5.5 billion cancelling submarine contracts, billions...

Homelessness hub under immense pressure

A new homelessness hub in Byron Bay has been so inundated with requests for help, that the service already needs additional staff to meet the demand.

0

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Insights from the campaign trail

The election is almost here. Hooray. It’s time we got down with Elvis Presley’s suggestion of ‘A little less conversation, a little more action, please.’ I’m a big fan of action. I’ve been at this for 14 months, and as a writer who holds the ear of the community each week I’ve been cognizant not to turn this into a hostage situation. For twenty years I’ve talked about politics and social issues and shared insights into my personal experiences, but this is one journey where I’ve had to keep you locked out. 

12

It’s (beyond) time

Seventy-three per cent of respondents to a recent ABC Vote Compass question on whether the constitution should be amended to establish a representative body to advise parliament on laws affecting Indigenous people said, ‘Yes’. That was Minister for Indigenous Australians,...

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region. 

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

Lennox Park and the shelter shed has now been upgraded and reopened.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.

Saddle Road group home DA decision this week

Plans to build Byron Shire’s first permanent group home for women and children in housing stress are moving ahead, with the development application for the project coming before Council this week.