THE BYRON SHIRE
IT
Volume 25 #49 Tuesday, May 17, 2011 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,000 copies every week
SOLUTIONS – page 20 –
F O R P R O P E R V I E W I N G , TA K E R E D P I L L N O W
CAB AUDIT
More booze for Byron: Dan Murphy’s approved
Thousands march for fracking moratorium
Hans Lovejoy
‘No fracking way’ is the message thousands of demonstrators sent to politicans from Knox Park in Murrwillumbah on Saturday. Despite invitations, the region’s government MPs did not attend. They are the National Party’s Thomas George in Lismore, Don Page in Ballina, Geoff Provest in Tweed, and federal Richmond MP Justine Elliot. Photo Jeff ‘Frick Frack’ Dawson Luis Feliu
More than 3,000 people voiced their outrage against coal-seam gas (CSG) mining in Murwillumbah on Saturday at one of the biggest rallies ever seen in the Northern Rivers. The controversial ‘fracking’ method used to extract underground gas by the CSG industry has tapped a raw nerve among the many protesters including farmers, families, environmentalists, Aboriginal elders, tourism operators, and blue and white collar workers who have united against what they see as the biggest threat to Australia’s environment. A long colourful stream of protesters waving placards and chanting anti-CSG slogans stopped traffic as they snaked down the town’s CBD from Knox Park, spilling over onto the road from the pavement. On return to the park they were addressed by a range of speakers including farmers and residents from the Northern Rivers and Queensland, where CSG mining has already started and sparked a huge campaign
against it including a blockade of the construction of a CSG pipeline through a residential estate at Tara in central Queensland. They heard how almost every council in the region has called for a moratorium on CSG mining which threatens to contaminate the country’s underground water table and its food producing capacity.
One voice, but few pollies They were also told that evidence is growing in the US where it first began that CSG’s use of ‘fracking’ (fracturing rocks using chemical reactions) to extract gas from underground coal seams is a serious threat to aquifers. A range of toxic chemicals, including some known carcinogens, are used in this process to release the gas. The region’s three new government MPs, the National Party’s Thomas George in Lismore, Don Page in Ballina and Geoff Provest in Tweed, as well as federal Richmond MP Justine Elliot did not turn up to the rally despite being invited by organisers. Their colleague in the seat of
Clarence further south, Steve Cansdell, has already come out strongly in favour of CSG. Organisers of the rally, the Northern Rivers Guardians (NRG) and Caldera Environment Centre, say the huge turnout on Saturday sent a strong and clear message to government and mining companies that the community is dead against this industry. Spokesman Michael McNamara said the wide variety of community and industry groups ‘speaking with the one voice’ showed clearly the strong community concern with CSG mining. Greens MLC Jeremy Buckingham told the rally that the first thing he did on entering parliament this year was to introduce a Bill in the Upper House calling for a moratorium on all new gas exploration licences pending an inquiry. Mr Buckingham, the Greens’ mining and resources spokesman, said governments ‘don’t want to know’ about the dangers of CSG to their ‘eternal shame’.
Council had ‘no choice’ but to accept Dan Murphy’s liquor outlet in Byron Bay. That was the sentiment from most councillors this week, as the last hurdle of traffic management for the Woolies subsidiary was passed. Absent from the meeting were Mayor Barham, Cr Richard Staples, and for the most part Cr Simon Richardson. A motion by Cr Tabart to object on the grounds of congested traffic and lack of car spaces failed to get any support. Tabart was somewhat pessimistic about the ‘no win situation regarding the carpark.’ He said, ‘The development will generate a huge amount of traffic.’ Cr Diane Woods took the bold step of claiming responsibility for Coun-
cil’s inability to provide the space. ‘We are short of carparks, and it’s our fault for not providing carparks,’ she said. Cr Basil Cameron called it a bad application. ‘This is about trying to put something overscale into an existing site.’ He added the applicant has both previously demonstrated, and flagged, that they intend to push the issue through the courts if not passed. In related news, Shoalhaven Council on the NSW South Coast has ruled a Dan Murphey’s DA inappropriate for the town of Nowra. A Council spokesperson told The Echo they were not objecting to Dan Murphy’s; it was the location. ‘It’s the busiest intersection in town, and the immediate area is dominated by public housing. There are three existing alcohol outlets on the same block already.’
Burly billygoats take over Bangalow
Victoria Cosford
The 17th Bangalow Billycart Derby attracted a record number of entries in weather which could not have been more perfect. Tony Heeson, organiser of the event for the last six years, told The Echo that the winner out of the 207 entries was someone who called himself simply ‘Lance’. ‘It was a fantastic day,’ he said, ‘so inclusive, a great atmosphere – social position meant nothing!’ continued on page 3 The theme for the parade was the
emergency services, represented by various bodies such as ambulance, police and fire brigade. There were classic cars, scouts, P&C centres and the Lismore Park Band which entertained crowds in the bar of the pub afterwards. The last event of the day was the celebrity race featuring Byron Bay mayor Jan Barham, Ian Cohen and Bangalow Limousines bearing a Dame Edna look-alike waving gladioli. ‘We were cleaned up by 4.30pm,’ Tony said, ‘Then we all went to the pub.’ Photo Jeff ‘Downhill’ Dawson
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