THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 31 #02 Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Home & Garden p16-17
www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
TWO DEGREES FROM A CLICHE
CAB AUDIT
Vince Jones – p30
Writers Fest Cinema reviews book reviews that pull – p14 punches – p35
Renewed and ready for a clean future
Classies – on paper! – p42
Organisers estimate that 2,000 people attended the inaugural Renew Fest sustainability festival at the Mullumbimby Showgrounds on Saturday, exceeding all expectations. Director Ella Rose Goninan said, ‘There were activities for children, expert panels, information sessions on renewable energy, electric cars
and batteries, food sovereignty, biodiverisity, produce and information stalls ranging from Rainforest Rescue to TOOT.’ ‘The bring your own cup and plate, zero-waste policy proved its worth, with just 240 litres of recyclable waste being created for the entire event.
‘I’m so heartened and absolutely thrilled by the response and wish to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone involved. ‘Together we all stood strong on Saturday for climate action! I have great faith – in seeing the attendance – in our community’s ability to transition to a renewable future!’
Knife edge for three candidates Chris Dobney
A Roy Morgan poll shows the Greens’ Dawn Walker ahead of the Nationals’ Matthew Fraser in Richmond and within striking distance of beating Labor’s sitting member Justine Elliot. The State of the Nation Poll shows Richmond is the fifth most likely federal seat to fall to the
Greens nationwide, and the second most likely in NSW. The poll has the ALP marginally ahead on 30.5 points, Greens with 29, LNP with 27, and others with 13.5. If those numbers were replicated at the election Mrs Elliot would scrape back in on Greens preferences; however, polls are known to have an error margin of around five per cent. Ms Walker has massively im-
proved her position from 17.69 per cent at the last election, partly on the back of voters’ disenchantment with the major parties. The big loser is the Nationals’ Matthew Fraser, whose first preference vote has nosedived from 37.6 per cent at the 2013 election. Recent boundary changes will also play a part – the town of Ballina is now included within the Richmond electorate.
netdaily
Why are politicians ignoring Byron Shire? www.echo.net.au/politiciansignoring-byron-shire
Open season Legal centre warns of govt’s push for QLD-style land clearing Hans Lovejoy
Amelia and Edmund from Roundabout Theatre on their flycycle with the latest electric Tesla S car. Photo Jeff ‘Old Technology’ Dawson
Online in
‘A serious retrograde step for biodiversity’, is how lawyers from public interest environmental law centre, EDO NSW, have described proposed sweeping changes to the state’s environmental protection laws. And to have your say, you had better get in quickly – public submissions close Tuesday June 28. As part of statewide public meetings, EDO NSW lawyers Nina Lucas and Emily Ryan presented to a wellattended audience on Friday at the Byron Bay Community Centre. Nature Conservation Council campaign director Daisy Barham also spoke. Despite its name, the Biodiversity Conservation Bill appears aimed at anything but conserving biodiversity, with EDO saying major checks and balances have been replaced with illdefined and relaxed rules. It’s designed to replace the Native Vegetation Act 2003, Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, the Nature Conservation Trust Act 2001 and parts of the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974. A Local Land Services Amendment Bill is also proposed, as are land clearing codes. But according to NSW government ministers, the aim is to get a balance between species and ecological decline and ‘improving farm productivity’ by cutting red tape for landowners to clear their property. On May 3, 2016, minister for the environment, Mark Speakman
(Liberal), told the NSW parliament that the Bills ‘are not conflicting objectives if things are done smartly and more strategically.’ Mr Speakman argued, ‘Too much red tape alienates the very people whose co-operation is essential for great biodiversity outcomes.’ He says the package will include ‘$240 million over five years for private land conservation, with another $70 million each year after that.’ And minister for primary industries, Niall Blair (Nationals), told parliament in June 2015 that the laws that Labor introduced, ‘have failed’. Mr Blair said, ‘For almost two decades, those laws have unfairly placed the burden of biodiversity protection solely on the shoulders of our farming community.’
Laws not broken But Ms Lucas and EDO disagree with the government’s rationale that the current laws are ‘broken’, and instead suggest the system worked well before funding that assisted native vegetation rehabilitation was cut. Ms Lucas says that since the Native Vegetation Act 2003 came into force, ‘land clearing has reduced from up to 21,500 ha per year to 11,000 ha per year. ‘Funding cuts to catchment management authorities after the initial four-year investment in Property Vegetation Plans (PVPs) caused delays in land clearing approvals and making property vegetation plans.’ continued on page 2
Looking for higher returns than a term deposit? Morgans Ballina
Fixed Interest / High Yield Investments Stockbroking Financial Planning Superannuation Advice
Call 1300
167 730
www.morgans.com.au/ballina-byronbay ballina@morgans.com.au Morgans Financial Limited ABN 49 010 669 726 AFSL 235410 A Participant of ASX Group A Professional Partner of the Financial Planning Association of Australia. Morgans and CIMB – Please visit www.morgans.com.au to understand the products and services within our alliance.