THE BYRON SHIRE
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Volume 27 #34 Tuesday, February 5, 2013 Phone 02 6684 1777 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
Inside this week
T O N Y A B B O T T : I N YA G U T S Y O U K N O W H E ’ S N U T S
CAB AUDIT
What really should be the election issue – p12
Money? It’s printed on – p18
Mandy Nolan has the solution – p25
The greatest Cinema reviews gig guide ever – p30 conceived – p31
Page 21 Byron Shire Council Notices Pages 47
Fast-food owner vies for federal Richmond seat Meanwhile MP Justine Elliot quits trade portfolio over CSG conflict of interest Hans Lovejoy
his franchise experience with a mulitnational corporation benefit regional Australia or even the residents of Byron Shire. He replied that his two Hungry Jack’s stores, ‘employ about 80 local people in regional Australia,’ and, ‘I obtained my third job at age 14 working for McDonald’s.’ ‘The people of Byron need to know what is really going on and not just from a Labor-Green view point,’ he says. He also told The Echo that under an agreement with the federal Liberal Party, the Nationals, instead of the Liberal party, are presenting a coalition candidate for the Richmond electorate
A Hungry Jack’s fast-food entrepreneur is set to take on incumbent ALP MP Justine Elliot for the north coast seat of Richmond in the federal election, to be held September 14. Nationals candidate Matthew Fraser, 33, wasted no time in hitting the press with the message that the carbon tax was a disaster with small businesses, and that climbing gas and electricity prices were to blame, resulting in some business closures. But questions posed by The Echo to the Tweed candidate remain largely unanswered, except regarding his position on climate change. ‘There is climate change and it is a concern,’ Justine stands on CSG Along with senators Chris Evans Mr Fraser said. He’s yet however, to explain what mechanism his party and Nicola Roxon, local federal MP Justine Elliot has also joined the has in mind to address it. Another question was how would continued on page 2
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest: Ben Franklin As another school year starts, hundreds of children from across the Shire are taking their first steps in their formal education. Four-year-old twins Ben and Archer arrived at Ocean Shores Public School bright and fresh on Monday morning, a wonderful surprise for kindergarten teacher Mrs Griffin. The boys are identical twins who, mum Peta says, have not (yet) grasped the concept of twin highjinx. Photo Eve Jeffery
‘Building a better community’ meeting planned Thursday A meeting this Thursday aims to address resident experience and will hopefully form the foundation of a community committee for Byron Shire. It comes just two weeks after the packed-out January 26 meeting, entitled ‘Strange Bedfellows: how to make the tourism-resident marriage work’. Loosely entitled ‘Building a Better Community’, attendees will be encouraged to make suggestions and offer feedback on possible challenges, opportunities and visions for Byron Shire. It is anticipated it could play an advisory role to council, business and local and state government, while providing advocacy for residents with the key vision of restoring and pro-
tecting community spirit. Hosted by long-time local realtor and writers’ festival chair Chris Hanley, he told The Echo that already he’s had an overwhelming response.
Restoring and protecting community spirit ‘I feel very energised and positive about where this can go,’ he told The Echo. ‘Many different people have already expressed a willingness to contribute,’ he says. ‘People who are born and bred here have much to offer, as do the new arrivals, and I see this forum as a safe vehicle for us to travel in; a way we can
move to where we all want to be. And along the way, we also need to remind ourselves to be kind to each other.’ He says the recent first forum addressed the present and the past, ‘but the next stage will be about the future and action.’ ‘We need to take responsibility for ourselves as a community,’ he says. ‘We can’t continue to blame the state government or council; we have to make this work for ourselves. I’m getting the message it has to be all inclusive – everyone that I speak to wants to be empowered so that they can have a say on our future.’ Mandy Nolan, who instigated the recent community forum, says resi-
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dent experience needs to be prioritised. ‘I believe that if we can improve this, then it will change the face of Byron Bay and the challenges we have faced thus far. It’s not an instantaneous process, but a process which is going to take time.’
Taking responsibility for ourselves ‘I am very positive though about our ability to create something new, dynamic and meaningful.’ Ms Nolan also says Mr Hanley is the perfect person to chair the initial meetings. ‘He has a refreshingly progressive view on community inclu-
sion, combined with the skills necessary for orchestrating what could be a long process,’ she says. ‘After we’ve documented the shared visions of the community, canvased for membership and then elected representatives, we should then have a community committee that can start addressing what the members have specified as key issues.’ The Byron Community Centre has offered to auspice this new committee. All interested members of the community are welcome to attend the first of the Building a Better Community meetings at the Byron Community Centre on Thursday February 7, from 6 to 8pm. Come and have a say!