Local News
Mullum store goes solar
Coastcare at the Cape
Story & photo Lou Beaumont
It isn’t business as usual for Bi-Rite Electrical in Mullumbimby. Rather, it is the dawn of a new era where the electrical appliance business is supported by the sun via new solar panels. Bi-Rite is one of the first local businesses, certainly of its kind in the country, to install a grid interactive solar system, and it is store owner Graeme Wilson’s wish that by doing so he will challenge other businesses to follow suit. Wilson told The Echo, ‘For sometime now I have been keen to play my part in doing the right thing by the environment. Initially the system we had installed will not produce 100% of the power we use but in time I plan to increase the number of panels we have on our roof so that we produce all the power we will use plus more.’ There is no government funded rebates available for solar systems when used for business which makes Wilson’s move to solar even more laudatory. ‘The state and federal governments are always talking about providing incentives for people to go solar but they are not really coming up with anything. Rebate or not, I am in an industry that sells appliances. The short term financial hit was significant but the long term benefits are what is important. We use power in store and our stock uses power once sold so it makes sense to me to do what I can. ‘It gives us all at Bi-Rite Electrical a great deal of pride considering that we are one of a very small number of businesses in the shire to install a grid connected solar system and make the full benefit of the boundless resource the sun
Mayor Jan Barham, Bi-Rite store owner Graeme Wilson, solar panel installer Syd Welling, councillor Tom Tabart and BiRite’s accountant and solar supporter Richard Hughes stand saluting the sun under the shiny new store panels on a glorious day in Mullumbimby.
provides – it does this without emissions, without noise and with no moving parts.’ ‘Last week Syd Welling and his team from Sunbeam Solar installed the system and it was a great thrill to see the shops electricity meter turning backwards!’
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Council bill upsets Bangalow billycart The famous Bangalow Billycart Derby may be closed due to financial demands from the Byron Shire Council, according to Bangalow Chamber of Commerce president Michael Malloy. He said that the Billy-
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Graeme Wilson is more than happy to talk to other business owners looking to do their bit and can be contacted on 6684 2180. Contact Syd Welling on 6679 7228, 0428 320 262 or on sunbeamsolar@ bigpond.com for solar panel install information.
Cape Byron Marine Park manager Andrew Page says Coastcare Week is a fantastic opportunity to highlight and thank community groups for their amazing contribution to the marine park. Coastcare Week runs from December 1 to 7 and this year celebrates ‘Life on the Edge’. Mr Page says groups such as the Brunswick Valley Landcare Group, Byron Bird Buddies, Australian Seabird Rescue and the Byron Underwater Research Group all work to protect the park. ‘From the Brunswick River and coastal creeks, to the beaches and out to sea, dedicated groups are restoring habitats, protecting threatened species and cleaning up the marine park. ‘They do this on a volunteer basis, giving up their time to help this beautiful park and our planet. On behalf of the community and the marine park staff I’d like to thank them for all their hard work. Mr Page said the beaches of the marine park were also nurtured by a number of dune-care groups. ‘Our coastline is much healthier thanks to the work of such groups,’ he said. He said Cape Byron Marine Park is one of six marine parks in NSW and extends from Lennox Head to Brunswick Heads. It includes the tidal waters of the Brunswick River and its tributaries, as well as, Belongil and Tallow Creeks.
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cart organisers had budgeted $550 for 2008 in fees to Council to close the main street of Bangalow – the same fee they had paid in 2007. ‘Out of the blue, with no consultation we received a bill for $1,270. When we queried this bill it was arbitrarily increased to $1,478. This virtually triples the cost when Council staff in 2008 did exactly what they did in 2007 to effect the road closure.’
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‘It is ironic that the event organisers have battled for years to get proper public liability cover for the event and only in 2008 did it finally reach a satisfactory solution. It is even more ironic that in 2006 the Bangalow Billycart Derby was awarded the community event of the year on Australia Day, you guessed it, by the same Byron Shire Council that is now putting the events future in jeopardy.’
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The Byron Shire Echo December 2, 2008 7