Letters
Endangered trees under threat New South Wales Crown Holiday Park Trust’s (NSWCHPT) October circular, distributed to letterboxes in the Shire, aims to ingratiate the community in its commitment to develop stronger relationships with the locals. However, its statement ‘We take caring for the environment very seriously’ has a hidden and reeking underbelly. At issue is the coastal cypress pine forest in the southern area of The Terrace caravan park, Brunswick Heads. These pines are listed on the NSW north coast bioregion as an endangered ecological community under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, which is administered by the Office of the Environment and Heritage. Some of these trees are also located in SEPP 14 wetlands. When Byron Shire Council (BSC) managed the cara-
van park, the area south of Nana Street was used for overflow tent sites during Christmas and Easter only. Since BSC’s removal as manager of the Reserve Trust in December 2006, North Coast Accommodation Trust (NCAT) savagely pruned the lower branches of these coastal cypress pines to make way for all-year-round use of sites for the large mobile homes and caravans. Their management represented an intensification and change in the conventional use of the area and most probably accounts for the compaction of the tree root systems. Root systems of most of the trees were also cut to install underground cabling and plumbing to many of the previously unpowered tent sites in an area that was outside the operational area of the caravan park’s bound-
aries. Furthermore, without drainage pits, caravan park clientele regularly dump wastewater around the trees, putting them at further risk. NSWCHPT/NCAT recently put in an application (note not a publicised DA) to BSC to have six of the coastal cypress pines removed on the grounds that they lacked ‘structural integrity’. That application has been refused by BSC. The applicants will now approach the Office of Environment and Heritage for state approval to have the trees removed. In all probability, that application will be leveraged on ‘safety’ and this word is echoed, without context, in the flyer. NSWCHPT has claimed in its flyer that it will ‘carry out seed collection, compensatory planting… to offset any impact from the removal or lopping of native vegeta-
tion for safety reasons.’ The flyer dismisses any mention of what NCAT has been doing under what has been described as appalling tree management practices since BSC was dismissed. Compensatory planting is code for refusing to plant and nurture seedlings in any space where a tree is removed. In circumstances where research indicates that some of these coastal cypress pines were planted by locals from Byron, Mullumbimby, Billinudgel and Brunswick Heads, who nurtured these to sustainability as a memorial to WWI soldiers, and that some were planted as memorial to the pupils from Brunswick Heads Primary School who died from a diphtheria epidemic, onsite planting ought to be mandatory. Patricia Warren Brunswick Heads
Festivals appreciated
pleasantly surprised when asked to come on board as an assistant for North Byron Parklands (NBP). In the time I have spent with NBP working on Splendour In The Grass 2014 I have been able to gain a broad perspective of all the elements that it takes to bring together such a large music festival including the regulatory, legal and logistical sides of the event. I have been asked to come back on board with NBP for the Falls Music and Arts
Festival over December and January this year to extend my experience. I wanted to share my appreciation towards festivals like Splendour In The Grass and The Falls Festival for coming to the Shire so that it allows young people like myself to pursue our career ambitions without having to move to the city or interstate. Daisy Hartigan Byron Bay
in the wake of the RPS study (Echo report, October 21). – Ed
Having grown up in the Byron Shire, completing my HSC at St John’s College in 2006, I have always had a strong interest in live music and events. After studying my diploma of event management in 2012 I have been actively seeking employment in this field of my passion and after working as entertainment assistant for the Beach Hotel, I focused my energy on live music events. With limited options in this field in Byron Shire I was
Q Several other letters re-
ceived in support of festivals
Letters to the Editor Send to Letters Editor Michael McDonald, 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.
BYRON BALLET GALA
TAX RETURNS • GET GOOD RESULTS FROM THE EXPERTS • ALL TYPES OF TAXATION • INDIVIDUAL RETURNS
6685 8129 BYRON TAX ACCOUNTANTS
WE HAVE MOVED Paul Enright Chartered Accountant Office Upstairs 109 Jonson St, Byron Bay
Halloween
is Friday 31st October
We have costumes, masks, trick and treat accessories and lots of scary goodies! Don’t forget the lollies we have a great selection!
Next to IGA in Sunrise Shop 7–8, 8 Bayshore Drive 6685 5998
Trial direct ballot In a first for Australia, and possibly a first for a Westminster parliamentary democracy anywhere, a trial direct democratic ballot will be held, beginning Saturday November 1. As I’ve announced previously, I see no reason why citizens should not vote directly on legislation. I am one of many people committed to citizen-initiated referenda, but this trial is about getting people used to actually deciding on all legislation before the parliament. continued on next page
THE
RAILS
THE RAILWAY FRIENDLY BAR, BYRON BAY 6685 7662 • therailsbyronbay.com
AND FAMOUS RAILS kitchen Wednesday 29 October
BIG IN SWEDEN
Oct 31, Nov 1-2
Thursday 30 October
Byron Theatre 6685 6807
MESCALITO BLUES Friday 31 October
BOHEMIAN COWBOYS Saturday 1 November
THE LOATHING
Swan Lake Ballet Egyptienne Romeo & Juliet Paquita
Book online: www.byroncentre.com.au North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
excerpts
Sunday 2 November
SAMBA BLISSTAS BLIND WILLIE WAGTAIL Monday 3 November
DWAINE CAMERON Tuesday 4 November
HORSE PLAY ON CUP DAY TWO RIVERS BLUES The Byron Shire Echo October 28, 2014 11