Letters He suggested that Byron must contract out much of their work. He said that the roundabouts on the coast road to Byron were made in six to eight weeks. So Byron’s roundabouts cost our council $3 million each, that we the ratepayer must pay for. That $6 million would go a long way to fixing our dangerous roads that cause damage to residents’
Q The new shortened bike course allowed East and West Suffolk Park exit and entry while the race was happening, such a fantastic idea. The road signage and letterbox drops were very much appreciated. On the day I watched the children competing between 11am and midday before heading home without any problems. I hope that the race continues as we have many community members who are also in the local cycle club, running club and swimming club competing in the event. Geoff Bensley Byron Bay
On the nose
David Comin, I believe that nose-in parking was brought in to stop the fumes of the car exhausts spewing into shop doors onto shop staff and customers or onto people enjoying food in eateries or dinning on the footpath. Exhaust fumes also affect the humble shopper or pedestrian travelling along on the footpath, with or without kiddies and pets. Those are good reasons I think… But will it save dogs having drinks on the road behind cars? I don’t know. Cath Berriman Mullumbimby
The short of it
If asked to take Bill Shorten’s word, I would – to the nearest garbage bin where his utterances belong. And Albo? I’d take his word full stop! J Roe Mullumbimby
Better than a slap
It’s many years since I’ve taken much interest in local football but Sunday I went to the Les Donnely field and I can’t think of when I’ve enjoyed anything so much since my mother stopped slapping me. Twelve o’clock the girls Aus-tag started and I had no idea we had so many strong athletic women in the Shire, but their enthusiasm was electric and their energy boundless. While they lost a close fought game they certainly lost nothing with the crowd. So then on came Robbie Goodyear’s reggies and let me say most of their players could be in A-grade. Watch-
Letters to the Editor Send to Letters Editor Aslan Shand, fax: 6684 1719 email: editor@echo.net.au Deadline: Noon, Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. Letters already published in other papers will not be considered. Please include your full name, address and phone number for verification purposes.
ing the milkman tackle was like watching Ron Coote from yesteryear and there were any number of players capable of playing for Agrade. They won a very exciting game. The A-grade are yet to be beaten and so it was with the opposition. Watching Josh Castellano take the ball up from the kick off was worth the price of admission by itself. Seeing how steady Roy Bell was, to kick a goal from the sideline while the Tweed crowd heckled unmercifully, to get the home team a draw. You have to come to the next home game on Saturday June 2 against Kyogle, it will be worth it. WB Crompton Mullumbimby
Scatterbrain Scott
What a curious response to Bill Shorten’s budget speech in reply. Turnbull and Morrison assumed the mantle of schoolyard bullies with their name-calling designed to shoot the messenger rather than critique Labor’s alternative budget strategies. This demeans all Australians and is usually the default position of people who have been outmanoeuvred. Coalition supporters must be despairing that this is the government’s best effort. Their advisers have been very short sighted in suggesting the focus be on the trite and sleazy catchphrase ‘unbelievabill’. There are many plays on words that can be applied to their names. Malcolm becomes ‘Mal-content’ and Turnbull ‘Turn-BULL’ or ‘Turncoat’. ‘Scott’ and ‘Morrison’ provide greater scope. Scott could become ‘Scuttle’, ‘Scourge’ or ‘Scatterbrain’ with two more telling versions. One is ‘Scotoma’ – a partial loss of vision or blind spot in an otherwise normal visual field. With the treasurer the ‘loss of vision or blind spot’ is
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permanent not partial. The other ‘Scarify’ – to scare, frighten, alarm, worry, terrify, petrify, panic, or shock – exactly what he has done to the most vulnerable Australians. Morrison aptly becomes ‘Morri-bund’ or ‘Morass’. The government must be praying that the opposition does not stoop to its level and engage in tit-for-tat. Meg Pickup Ballina
Pothole capital
Jim Beatson is right (Letters 16 May). ‘The huge cost of servicing Byron’s two million tourists a year... is unsustainable’ for this small council. Blaming Council isn’t the answer. A bed tax is one sensible contribution to the deficit. Direct contributions from the state and federal governments is the best solution. Both governments are happy to promote Byron Bay to attract tourists and not pay for the necessary infrastructure. As Jim correctly said: The problems ‘only get worse’ with further delay. Thanks, Jim. Further, state government take note: ‘highrise’ will kill the Golden Goose... Roger Seccombe Bangalow
Byron Bay Triathlon
As a Cystic Fibrosis and double lung transplant recipient in 2016, one of my first goals was to finish the Byron Triathlon. I did this in 2017 and absolutely loved it. It is so good to see non‘party’ events in Byron. Healthy people of all shapes and sizes loving life and achieving goals they have set for themselves; whether just to finish or go for a PB. I wasn’t able to race this year but enjoyed volunteering and hearing the positive feedback from out-of-towners who were looking forward to the event. Please keep it up! Justin Wall Mullumbimby
vehicles that Council is now paying for. Asking about having a roundabout like the one in Bangalow, the costing from one engineer was less than $100k and taking a couple of weeks at very most. Further, the new filling of the potholes on the corner of Coolamon and Myocum Road were filled but now are continued on page 16
VOLUNTEER FOSTER CARERS NEEDED FOR MEDIUM – LARGE DOGS All food, bedding and vet costs paid by CAWI.
Round and round...
After joking that the Ewingsdale roundabout must have cost a million dollars, I first read in The Echo, that it cost over $7 million! Then a retraction – that it cost just over $5 million. It must have taken six months of traffic snarl and inconvenience to the residents and tourists to build. With the RMS black spot grants capped out at $2 million, that leaves Byron Council with a whopping $3 million cost per roundabout. So I called the engineers department at Ballina, asking about their new roundabouts on the coast road to Byron. Those roundabouts come in at just over $2 million each to build, costing Ballina next to nothing. Asking why ours should cost so much, the engineer laughed and said that they often joked about the poor quality work in Byron Shire. He said that Ballina has their own labour crew and they often worked at night to lessen inconvenience for the public.
THE
Home of Byron Dog Rescue
Application forms can be found on cawi.org.au or from the CAWI Op Shop in Brunswick Heads.
www.cawi.org.au
.
ph: (02) 6685 1444
RAILS
THE RAILWAY FRIENDLY BAR, BYRON BAY 6685 7662 • therailsbyronbay.com
AND THE FAMOUS
RAILS kitchen
Thursday 24 May
BEN JANZ
Friday 25 May
PINK ZINC
Saturday 26 May
RAGGA JUMP Sunday 27 May
THOR BAND
Monday 28 May
JOE MCMURPHY Tuesday 29 May
CHRIS ARONSTEN Wednesday 30 May
JORDAN MCROBBIE The Byron Shire Echo May 23, 2018 13