Letters Ornament cheer I love Christmas. Though I wouldn’t call myself religious, I celebrate Christmas as a time for giving and receiving – and not just presents, but also love, peace and gratitude. I’ve noticed that recently the streets of both Mullumbimby and Byron Bay have no street decorations that have given smiles and fun to so many, young and old, over the years. And I was just wondering why? Why have you chosen to not put up decorations this year? It seems that this year there are fewer delighted smiles and excited children. Has everyone’s Christmas spirit been spirited away? Even I as a twelve-yearold see how less merry people seem in Mullumbimby and Byron Bay this year. Where’s the Christmas cheer?
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Please put Christmas decorations up next year! Cheer up, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Rhiannon Bray-Narai Coorabell
Candidate status I am interested to know whether your correspondent Matt Hartley (who describes himself as ‘State Candidate’) has been officially endorsed by Pauline Hanson for the March election. It is interesting that Matt thinks that muttering platitudes such as ‘I will never criticise a religion’ entitles him to then go and do precisely that. Being anti-Islam would seem to be a pretty thin policy platform, Matt. Dave Lisle Mullumbimby
Siege questions No matter how much the Liberals and the Nationals lie and deceive, the following facts cannot be erased: (1) Howard let Man Haron Monis into the country, and (2) the O’Farrell/Baird government was responsible for the bail laws that enabled him to roam free and conduct his evil. Nothing can be said or done to absolve this incom-
Go down fighting to the last sleeper There seems to be a fight over the old train corridor here on the northern rivers that has clouded everyone’s mind and has allowed our NSW government to just sit back and do nothing. Instead of fighting over an 1890s designed corridor that will not fulfill our public transport requirements we should as a group of 300,000 constituents ask for a new corridor that will give our children the best possible transport solution. The people who lived here
in the late 1800s lobbied hard for a train; surely we can do the same? But don’t just ask for a second-rate slow and winding train on the old corridor, strive to give future generations the best world class train system. Think 50 or 100 years ahead and not what you personally want now. There is already TOOT, NRRAG and the Greens working hard to give us the second-rate train system but I wish they would work to give us a first-class and world-
petent lot from the blame. They have scored political points out of it and the ‘gullible electorate’ have fallen for it, if you take any notice of the polls. God, please help us, as this is the stage that we have reached. Bruce Apps Townsend
tive positive technologies abound. One cannot avoid becoming educated to the negative effects of outdated dangerous technologies. In other words ignorance is no defence against stark negative social/environmental factors. The rule of law exists to remedy continued practice of such wilful acts. Thus we currently learn of the Mr Fluffy case whereby many hundreds of people have been affected by the asbestos that was wilfully used in the erection of homes. continued on next page
Take class action! No person(s) should remotely tolerate the poisoning and demise of the environment or contribute to the demise of living species. In this post-modern world the benefits of modern science and opera-
JONSON STREET
class public transport train system here on the Northern Rivers. We deserve it. Don’t give us and future generations a second-rate train system. Talk and act boldly by lobbying for a new train line following the existing transport study guidelines, ie a new corridor from Tweed Heads to Ballina and on to Lismore/Casino. TOOT, NRRAG and the Greens will then get street cred by giving us the best instead of the worst train system in NSW.
If the government can spend billions on a new highway corridor through our region then surely they can do the same for a public transport solution with trains. The by-product of a new corridor will also give us the world’s best rail trail. Conclusion: we shouldn’t be fighting for leftovers between ourselves; we should be fighting the NSW government for a sweet juicy new train system. Geoff Bensley Byron Bay
lightworksonline.com.au 80 Centennial Cct, Byron A+I Estate 6685 5744
Walking south down Jonson St takes you away from the beach to the calmer southern end where the locals shop and hang out. There is plenty of parking on the street, in the carpark between Palace Cinemas and Woolworths and behind the shops. From here you can explore some of Byron’s best loved, locally owned businesses.
107 Jonson Street Byron Bay thesourcebulkfoodsbyronbay thesourcebyronbay North Coast news daily: www.echonetdaily.net.au
The Byron Shire Echo December 30, 2014 9