Letters Stupid idea Am I to conclude that the conclusion reached by the mayor and M Mizzi (Letters, January 14) is that is okay to cover South Golden Beach with biodegradable bags full of dog shit? Me: That’s really stupid. Matt Andrews South Golden Beach
Feral cats We don’t hear much about feral cats these days. Roaming packs of wild dogs grab attention due to the obvious havoc they wreak, but the damage done by cats is insidious. Just before Christmas a mother and two kittens took up residence in one of my trees, cleverly concealed in a deep, inaccessible hollow. Attempts to coax them out were met with aggressive hisses. I contacted the vet, Council, WIRES and the RSPCA, all were unable to help. Council has a limited supply of cat traps but had none available at the time. The cat moved with her kittens to another tree, their trampled resting-place marked by a half-eaten rat. My dog spotted them and her incessant barking along with our hullabaloo evidently made life unbearable for the cat and her offspring, who then disappeared. While the immediate threat to my wildlife was
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.
The unbearable lightness of rail (and trail) Q High hopes for a dedicated cycle and walking corridor for the thousands of older users who do not wish to dice with traffic but want to maintain fitness. How we would welcome the chance to use bikes to access beaches, music, markets and friends along the way. Please remember we are looking at a wider picture than Byron and its incomprehensible traffic mayhem. Communities in Casino, Lismore, Eltham Valley, Binna Burra, Bangalow would jump at the chance to revive this priceless corridor and generate tourism opportunities along the way. Onwards from Mullumbimby to Murwillumbah the stunning scenery would be a world-class attraction that would rival other similar trails in WA and NZ. Let’s get behind the NRRT and move
this excellent and timely initiative along! Chris Dayman Newrybar is an angle not explored in the rail trail craze. Young people in Byron find it hard to find affordable accommodation, apart from sharing houses, and still paying enormous amounts of money, while often working in the hospitality industry in Byron Bay. The options are to live in the more affordable Mullum or Ocean Shores, Brunswick Heads and beyond and then drive into Byron Bay, if they are lucky enough to have four wheels, to find themselves often stuck in traffic. Imagine if you could live at those locations for their greater affordabillity and catch a lightrail service hassle free, maybe having your car parked in Bil-
Q Saw Cameron Arnold with Nationals MP John Barilaro (Echo 7.1.15) announcing a $50m funding for a cycleway. Must’ve been some hard lobbying there? If both Labor and the coalition agree to dismantle the rail line, $50m will probably be the cost to do that. Then where is the next lot of taxpayers’ funding coming from to build a cycleway?
solved (I hope), I fear for wildlife on other properties – our bird population is particularly rich. The feral cat issue seems to fall between the cracks with no organisation able to provide assistance for a growing problem. More traps available from Byron Council would be a start. Does anyone have experience of dealing with this problem and if so could you share some ideas for Echo readers? Vicki Brooke Eureka
article in your newspaper of January 14 in regard to landslips in the Shire. Firstly it still seems confusing as to why Wilsons Creek, Huonbrook and Wanganui were ever placed in the state seat of Lismore in the first place. It makes sense geographically for us to be in the electorate that the rest of the Byron Shire is in, especially given that MP Thomas George informed us back when the Wilsons Creek school landslip was at its most unpredictable peak that there was no way the fire trails would be reopened so that there was another exit from the valley towards Lismore.
As far as I am aware, residents have had no communication from the electoral office as to this new redistribution, or from either MP. Some of us just happened to stumble upon it in some random publication. Secondly, re your article, I personally was not venting anger, just asking questions, specifically: what have either of the MPs done to assist in reviewing the speed in which state disaster funds are allocated to assist isolated rural communities after devastation to their access roads? Thirdly, I am well aware that Council has responsibility for these roads, but there is continued on next page
Unhelpful slips Interesting to note MP Don Page’s comments in response to my online letter of the January 8, and in the resultant
Q Here
linudgel or Mullum if you are a bit further away. On the weekend you take your surfboard onto the train and enjoy the ocean. Of course the same would apply to any tourists in the hinterland, too happy to leave the stress of entering Byron with their car behind and enjoying a wonderful holiday. Pretty simple,really. Jens Krause Byron Bay
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To benefit whom? Not us, the residents of the north coast. Why? Because this is driven by a small group of people with vested interests in mind. Cycleways will not provide a public transport system for anyone or take one car off our roads.
We haven’t had a rail service from Casino to Murwillumbah for ten years thanks to Bob Carr’s Labor government at the time. We need a light rail service. Now. Paul Brecht Mullumbimby
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JAZZ FLAMENCO The Byron Shire Echo January 21, 2015 11