Letters that underpinned the recently released ‘Ballina 2035’ document. Ian Whalley Ballina
Top show
Disability issues Recently I visited your beautiful region from Adelaide with my disabled partner, who uses a wheelchair. We were most impressed until we visited public toilets in Bangalow and other places to find signs on the disability toilets to the effect that they were accessible by key obtainable from the Byron Shire Council! Some sort of pass can also be obtained, but visitors from outside the region are not going to know (or bother) about that, nor should they have to when normally able people have free access. Many disabled people have bowel and bladder control problems and they are supposed to drive miles to the shire council office and back again to use public toilets! Whatever the reason this was introduced, a better solution is needed and we will not be visiting and
spending our tourist dollars in the meantime. At one of the motels we stayed in we were told not to use the disability carpark as it would get in the way of cleaners’ trolleys. Naturally we ignored that instruction – something needs to be done about such behaviour, too. On the other hand, we were impressed by the generous number of disability carparks in the streets of Lismore. Marcus Beresford Torrens Park SA
Real planning ‘Council term ends as it started: without planning clarity’ by Hans Lovejoy, (Echo, August 10). As it is said, ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’. I have recently relocated from Victoria to hang out my town-planning shingle in Ballina. The above headline
reminded me of my lengthy stay in Byron back in 1995. This was the time of the ‘great’ Club Med planning battle royal. While it is tempting to embroil myself in the draft Rural Land Use Strategy (DRLUS), space precludes me. A more productive contribution, in my view, is to provide a professional opinion on what the community’s reasonable expectations should be for planning in your Shire. A DRLUS is a vital component of any planning regulations. It should be the product of comprehensive community consultation and ideally ‘peer’ reviewed by highly regarded experts in the relevant disciplines. Yes, politics and planning have been inseparable since the start of time and always will be. I would humbly suggest that someone should take a look at the process
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.
What a top show! While Dharma played gamelan for Bunni’s vocals, hundreds flowed into the Ocean Shores Art Expo Friday night to view some of the region’s finest art. Among sensory sculptures, heartfelt paintings, skilled prints and imaginative student art, we celebrated the creative spirit in the area with wine, food, awards and conversation on ‘What Matters?’. Many expressed that protecting nature, wilderness, trees and animals matter; others value friendships, lovers and family. For some it was soul and spirit that matters. Thanks to artists, sponsors, volunteers and participating school students, it was a dream for us to put on. We loved the extra hands-on help from five events-management Mullum High students who assisted with enthusiasm. For those interested in volunteering or joining the committee for 2017, contact us through the website www. osartexpo.com. The theme for 2017 was announced at the launch – ‘Spirit of the Land’ – so artists can get a head start and begin to get creative for next year’s show. Thanks, everyone! Ri Fraser and the OSAE committee
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Suicide Prevention
It’s Every Body’s Business!
ĂƚĞ ĂŜĚ ĆŒĹ˝ĹśĆšÄž ĂžƉÄ?Ğůů Ä‚ĹŒ ÄžĆŒ ƚŚĞ ĎĎŹĎŹĹľ KůLJžƉĹ?Ä? &Ĺ?ĹśÄ‚ĹŻÍ˜ WĹ?Ä?ĆšĆľĆŒÄž Ä?Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒĆšÄžĆ?LJ EÄžÇ Ć?Ä?Ĺ˝ĆŒĆ‰Í˜ ^ĆšĹ˝ĆŒÇ‡ Ä?LJ Λ ĆŒÄžĆŠ DÄ‚Ć?ŽŜEÄžÇ Ć?
ÍžtĞůů ƚŚĂƚ Ç Ä‚Ć? ƾŜĞdžƉĞÄ?ĆšÄžÄšÍ˜ ĂƚĞ ĂžƉÄ?Ğůů Ç ÄžĹśĆš Ĺ?ŜƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĎĎŹĎŹĹľ Ä¨ĆŒÄžÄžĆ?ƚLJůĞ ÄŽ ŜĂů Ä‚Ć? ƚŚĞ ŚŽƚ Ä¨Ä‚Ç€Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒĹ?ƚĞ Ä?ƾƚ ÄŽ ĹśĹ?Ć?ŚĞĚ Ć?Ĺ?Ç†ĆšĹšÍ˜ ^Ĺ?Ć?ĆšÄžĆŒ ĆŒĹ˝ĹśĆšÄž Ç Ä‚Ć? Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒĆšĹšÍ˜ Ćš ƚŚĞ ĆšĆľĆŒĹśÍ• ƚŚĞLJ Ć?Ä‚Ćš ÄŽ ĆŒĆ?Ćš ĂŜĚ Ć?ÄžÄ?Ĺ˝ĹśÄšÍ˜ dŚĞŜ ƚŚĞĹ?ĆŒ ÄšĆŒÄžÄ‚ĹľĆ? ĆšĆľĆŒĹśÄžÄš Ĺ?ŜƚŽ Ä‚ ĹśĹ?Ĺ?ĹšĆšĹľÄ‚ĆŒÄžÍ˜ ÍžtĞůů ƚŚĂƚ ͞ƚŚĞ ĹŻÄ‚Ć?Ćš ώϹžͿ ĹšĆľĆŒĆš Ä?ƾƚ ŜŽƚ Ä‚Ć? žƾÄ?Ĺš Ä‚Ć? ƚŚĹ?Ć? Ĺ?Ć? ĹšĆľĆŒĆ&#x; ĹśĹ? ĆŒĹ?Ĺ?Śƚ ĹśĹ˝Ç Í•Í&#x; ĂƚĞ Ć?Ä‚Ĺ?Ě͘ Íž/͛ǀĞ Ä‚ĹŻÇ Ä‚Ç‡Ć? Ć?Ä‚Ĺ?Äš / ÄšĹ?ĚŜ͛ƚ ŜĞĞĚ Ä‚ Ĺ?ŽůĚ žĞĚĂů ƚŽ ŚĂǀĞ Ć?ÄžĹŻÄ¨Í˛Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĆšĹš ĂŜĚ ƚŚĂƚ͛Ć? Ä?ÄžĹ?ĹśĹ? Ɖƾƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƚĞĆ?Ćš Ä‚Ćš ƚŚĞ ĹľĹ˝ĹľÄžĹśĆšÍ˜Í&#x; tŚĞŜ Ä‚Ć?ŏĞĚ Ĺ?Ĩ Ć?ŚĞ ŚĂĚ Ä‚ žĞĆ?Ć?Ä‚Ĺ?Äž Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ ĹšÄžĆŒ Ć?ĆľĆ‰Ć‰Ĺ˝ĆŒĆšÄžĆŒĆ? Ä?Ä‚Ä?ĹŹ ŚŽžĞ͕ ĂƚĞ ƚŚĂŜŏĞĚ ƚŚĞž ƚŚĞŜ ÄŽ ĹśĹ?Ć?ŚĞĚ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ͗ Íž/ ůŽǀĞ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľÍ˜ dĹšĹ?Ć? ĚŽĞĆ?Ŝ͛ƚ Ä?ŚĂŜĹ?Äž ĹšĹ˝Ç Ç‡Ĺ˝Ćľ Ć?ŚŽƾůĚ ĨĞĞů Ä‚Ä?Žƾƚ žĞ͕ Ć?Ĺ˝ ƉůĞĂĆ?Äž Ć?Ć&#x; ĹŻĹŻ ůŽǀĞ žĞ Ä?Ä‚Ä?ĹŹÍ˜Í&#x;
tŚĞŜ our Dreams ĆšĆľĆŒĹś Ĺ?ŜƚŽ EĹ?Ĺ?ĹšĆšĹľÄ‚ĆŒÄžĆ?‌ KĆľĆŒ Ć?ÄžĹŻÄ¨Í˛Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĆšĹš Ĺ?Ć? Ĺ?ĹśĆšĆŒĹ?ĹśĆ?Ĺ?Ä?ĂůůLJ ĹŻĹ?ŜŏĞĚ ƚŽ ĨĞĞůĹ?ĹśĹ? ůŽǀĞĚ ĂŜĚ ǀĂůƾĞĚ͕ ŜŽƚ ĹŠĆľĆ?Ćš Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ç ĹšÄ‚Ćš Ç Äž ĚŽ ĂŜĚ Ä‚Ä?ĹšĹ?ĞǀĞ Ä?ƾƚ Ć?Ĺ?žƉůLJ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ä?ÄžĹ?ĹśĹ? ƾŜĹ?ƋƾĞůLJ ÍšÇ ĹšĹ˝ Ç Äž Ä‚ĆŒÄžÍ›Í˜ ^Ĺ˝ Ĺ?Ĩ ƚŚĹ?Ć? ĨĞĞůĹ?ĹśĹ? Ĺ?Ć? Ä?ĹŻĹ˝Ä?ŏĞĚ Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ć?ƚŽƉƉĞĚ͕ ÄžĹ? Ć?ŽžĞŽŜĞ ÄšĹ?ÄžĆ?Í• ůĞĂǀĞĆ?Í• Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ć?ƚŽƉĆ? ůŽǀĹ?ĹśĹ? ĆľĆ?Í• Ç Äž ĚŽŜ͛ƚ Ä‚Ä?ĹšĹ?ĞǀĞ Ć?ŽžĞ Ĺ?ŽĂů Ç ÄžÍ›Ç€Äž Ć?Ğƚ Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒĆ?ĞůǀĞĆ? Ĺ˝ĆŒ ƚŚĞ ÍšĹ?ĆŒÄžÄ‚Ćš ĞdžƉĞÄ?ƚĂĆ&#x; ŽŜĆ?Í› ŽĨ Ĺ˝ĆšĹšÄžĆŒĆ?Í• Ä‚ Ä?ĆľĆ?Ĺ?ŜĞĆ?Ć? Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ĺ˝ĆšĹšÄžĆŒ Ç€ÄžĹśĆšĆľĆŒÄž ĨĂĹ?ĹŻĆ?Í• ĞƚÄ?Í™ h͛ǀĞ ĹŠĆľĆ?Ćš ĹŠĹ˝Ĺ?ŜĞĚ Ä‚ ,h' ÍšÄ?ĹŻĆľÄ?͛͊ ƾƚ Ä‚ĹŻÇ Ä‚Ç‡Ć? ĆŒÄžĹľÄžĹľÄ?ÄžĆŒÍ™ If UR DĹ?Ć?ĆšĆŒÄžĆ?Ć?ĞĚ͕ LŽŜĞůLJ͕ &ĆŒĹ?Ĺ?ŚƚĞŜĞĚ͕ ,ŽƉĞůĞĆ?Ć?Í• ,ĆľĆŒĆ&#x; ĹśĹ? Ĺ˝ĆŒ Suicidal‌
Bypass blunders A series of inquiries into the bypass have all shown that well over 90 per cent of traffic coming into Byron Bay is
*WĹ?Ä?ĹŹ ƾƉ hZ ƉŚŽŜĞ͊*
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continued on page 18
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The Byron Shire Echo August 31, 2016 13