THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 27 #03 Tuesday, June 26, 2012 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 23,200 copies every week
pages 18-19 CAB AUDIT
Inside this week
M A D E F R O M 1 0 0 P E R C E N T R E C YC L E D S TA R D U S T
Entertainment: Juzzie Smith interview – p21
Mungo’s take on the G20 Mexico summit – p6
Drainage specialists called in for Ewingsdale sports fields Hans Lovejoy
Consultants who specialise in sports field drainage assessments have been brought in by Byron Council staff in an effort to address the ongoing water-logging problems at the Byron Regional Sport and Cultural Complex (BRSCC) in Ewingsdale. It comes in response to recent community concerns, particularly that of Paul Irwin from the Byron Community Sports Association, who says use of the fields is still limited, and that sporting groups have been unable to ‘fully use the fields for up to 12 days after rain’. ‘Due to inadequate facilities, three groups are using the fields at the moment, Mr Irwin told The Echo, ‘The Suffolk Park Soccer Club, Ultimate Frisbee Club, and a small group of runners [who] use part of the northern area fields, as these are the only fields under floodlight. ‘This use has been generally restricted to the dry areas of these fields and unfortunately not the entire field dimensions. The Little Athletics Club did use their facility for a few weeks but also were restricted in their use by waterlogged areas.’
Council’s executive manager of community infrastructure, Phil Holloway, told The Echo the review of the problem is intended to assess the existing soil attributes and drainage capabilities of the fields and provide advice and options on any mitigation. ‘The cost is in the order of $10,000 and the engagement will now occur after June 28 as the appointment of a consultant is the subject of a councillor notice of motion to be considered by Council on that day,’ Mr Holloway said. Mr Holloway added work was undertaken earlier this year on additional agricultural drains, a modification to some open drains, and the fields received a top dress and coring. ‘An open drain in the car park was also amended prior to the official opening in February to improve flow and the works to the remaining drains in the car park drains will be considered as part of the 2012/13 program for the BRSCC. ‘Further work was also undertaken to assist the water flow on the open drain between the Multi Purpose Facility (MPF) and the Cornell Family Fields in February and March 2012.’ The matter is to be discussed at Council’s Thursday meeting.
Park hunting ‘threat to tourism’ Luis Feliu
Tourism in the northern rivers will suffer dramatically and visitors to the region’s national parks could be shot dead by recreational hunters, MPs representing the Tweed-Byron area warned state parliament last week. It comes as controversial legislation allowing recreational hunters access to 79 of the state’s national parks passed the Upper House. Greens MLC and Byron Shire mayor Jan Barham says the region relied heavily on tourism driven by world heritage national parks but its reputa-
Gig guide Writers’ – p27 Festival book reviews – p15
Byron Shire Council Notices Pages 44
Streets closed for the ladies Well, not entirely…
‘Reclaim the name and reject the shame’ was the message as over 200 turned out for Byron Bay’s Slutwalk last Saturday. Since the first Slutwalk was held in Toronto last year, groups around the world have taken to the streets of their local towns and cities. Photo Jeff ‘No Shame No Blame’ Dawson.
Q See video footage of the rally at
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State govt plays pong with Mullum hospital Luis Feliu
The state coalition government has come under fire by NSW Labor over its controversial decision to replace Mullumbimby Hospital’s overnight emergency doctor with video-conferencing technology. NSW opposition leader John Robertson raised the issue in the NSW Legislative Assembly as the first question last Thursday, asking health minister Jillian Skinner when the government had made the decision to replace the overnight doctor ‘against the wishes of local nurses and the local community?’ continued on page 5 Mrs Skinner replied that the hospi-
tion would be trashed as a result of the new game and feral-animal control law now in place. The new law excludes council land from shooters’ access and prohibits the use of semi-automatic weapons by amateur hunters. Three of the national parks now open to hunting in the northern rivers are the World Heritage-listed Nightcap, Richmond Range and Yabbra national parks. Cr Barham plans to introduce a motion at the upcoming Thursday council meeting, expressing concern to the government about the new law.
tal and many others in country areas suffered from a shortage of doctors and the government was trying to attract more to rural areas through training and infrastructure-investment measures. She blamed a ‘lack of foresight’ by the former Labor government in recruiting doctors and said ‘16 years of neglect has led to a long-term problem, which this government has inherited’. The minister said there ‘has been an average of two patients per night, at the most, with the lowest acuity at Mullumbimby Hospital, a claim denied by the hospital’s staff.’ Labor’s spokesman for the Tweed, MLC Walt Secord, said ‘The O’Farrell
government promised to support rural and regional hospitals. This is another broken promise.’ Meanwhile more than 250 people packed Mullumbimby Civic Centre last Monday night to protest Northern NSW Local Health District’s costcutting measure. It’s the second such meeting within weeks. Nurses say they have concerns about the new nurse-operated system and doctors and community groups say the cut will lead to the hospital’s eventual demise. The proposed trial of the new telemedicine system has been delayed until late October. Q See editorial page 6
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