THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 32 #32 Wednesday, January 17, 2018
www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
Pages 18-19 U N T H I N K I N G R E S P E C T F O R A U T H O R I T Y I S T H E G R E AT E S T E N E M Y O F T R U T H – ALBERT EINSTEIN
Culture Who are the Overcoming New laws for Summertime appropriated US Democratic addiction in Schools of and the living – p5 contenders? – p15 the US – p17 Arts – p20 is easy – p21–28
NORTEC’s revenue plummets
Online in
netdaily
Drone intel to be used in SCU graduate’s shark app www.echo.net.au/drone-intel-used-scugraduates-shark-app
Bruns lights up
Aslan Shand
Education and small-business training provider NORTEC has recorded net losses of $2,549,950 for the year ended June 30, 2015 and a further loss of $1,468,865 for the 2016 financial year. It’s the latest to emerge from the embattled organisation, which run government-funded projects such as the NEIS program, small-business support and numeracy and literacy access programs. As reported previously, NORTEC recently withdrew its literacy and numeracy program based in Mullumbimby, as well as closing north coast small-business incubator sites. Labor’s federal member for Richmond Justine Elliot says she has made an urgent representation to the minister for jobs and innovation, senator Michaelia Cash (Liberal), in relation to NORTEC’s sale of the incubator sites in Byron Bay and Goonellabah and the termination of the leases for the small businesses at incubator sites in Mullumbimby. ‘These incubator sites were developed from a local commitment to business growth and innovation. I’m advised that they were handed to NORTEC in good faith with the understanding that they would be held in trust for the local community,’ said Mrs Elliot in her letter to the minister. ‘I’ve been further advised that all these incubators were funded by a continued on page 7
The annual Fish ’n’ Chips Festival and Woodchop Carnival kicked off with a great fireworks display for all the family at Banner Park, Brunswick Heads, on Saturday January 13. There will be four days of woodchopping excitement between January 18 and 20, with chips flying in the women’s, men’s and children’s competitions. The festival started in 1961 and will be running for its 58th consecutive year with the strong support of volunteers and the help of the McGregors Family Carnival. Photo Jeff Dawson
A day in the life of your local court Paul Bibby
It’s a great day to be at the beach – one of those melting mornings when lolling in the waves is the only sensible course of action. But I’m not at the beach. I’m in Byron Bay Local Court. With the The Echo’s usual court reporter away, I’ve been dispatched to chase an animal-cruelty story. After plonking down on a gov-
ernment-issued plastic chair, there’s every chance I’ll be waiting all day for my guy to have his turn. Yet despite feeling mildly resentful about the direction my day has taken, I’m gradually drawn in by the tales that unfold in the vault-like courtroom. It’s the not-so-shiny side of the Byron Shire – drug use, petty theft, drink driving, and the seemingly endless cycle of violence taking DGYHUWLVHPHQW
dŚĞ >ĂƚĞĆ?Ćš ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ dÄžÄ?ŚŜŽůŽĹ?LJ &Ĺ˝ĆŒ zĹ˝ĆľĆŒ ,ŽžĞ Ĺ˝ĆŒ ĆľĆ?Ĺ?ŜĞĆ?Ć? 'Ğƚ ŽŜ ƚŽƉ ŽĨ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ Ä?Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ Ĺ?Ĺś ĎŽĎŹĎĎ´ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ ƚŚĞ Ä?ÄžĆ?Ćš Ĺ?ÄžÄ‚ĆŒ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ç‡Ĺ˝ĆľĆŒ ĆŒĹ˝Ĺ˝Ä¨ Ä¨ĆŒĹ˝Ĺľ Ď´Ď´Ď´ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ dĞŏ
Ď͘ DĹ˝ĆŒÄž WĹ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ Ͳ >ÄžĆ?Ć? ^ƉĂÄ?Äž ĚǀĂŜÄ?ÄžĆ? Ĺ?Ĺś Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ žŽĚƾůĞĆ? Ä‚ĆŒÄž Ä?ĹŻĹ?žĂdžĹ?ĹśĹ? Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ ĹśÄžÇ ĹšĹ?Ĺ?ĹšÄžĆŒ ĚĞŜĆ?Ĺ?ƚLJ ƉĂŜĞůĆ? ƉĂÄ?ĹŹĹ?ĹśĹ? ĹľĹ˝ĆŒÄž Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ Ć‰ÄžĆŒ Ć?Ć‹ĆľÄ‚ĆŒÄž ĹľÄžĆšĆŒÄž ƚŚĂŜ ÄžÇ€ÄžĆŒ Ä?ÄžÄ¨Ĺ˝ĆŒÄžÍ˜ Ď´Ď´Ď´ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ dĞŏ Ĺ?Ć? ĹśĹ˝Ç Ĺ˝Ä¨Ä¨ÄžĆŒĹ?ĹśĹ? ĎŻĎŽĎŹt Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ ƉĂŜĞůĆ? Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ Ĺ?ĹśĆ?ƚĂůůĂƚĹ?ŽŜ Ä?ÄžĹŻĹ˝Ç ĆšĹšÄž Ä?Ĺ˝Ć?Ćš ŽĨ ƚŚĞ Ĺ?ŜĚƾĆ?ĆšĆŒÇ‡ Ć?ĆšÄ‚ĹśÄšÄ‚ĆŒÄš ώϳϏt žŽĚƾůĞĆ?͘ dŚĞ ^ÄžĆŒÄ‚Ć‰ĹšĹ?Ĺľ Ä?ĹŻĹ?ƉĆ?Äž Ws žŽĚƾůĞĆ? ƉĂÄ?ĹŹ ĎĎ´Í˜ĎąĐš ĹľĹ˝ĆŒÄž Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ Ĺ?ŜƚŽ ƚŚĞ Ć?ĂžĞ Ć?ƉĂÄ?Äž ĂŜĚ Ä?Ĺ˝Ć?Ćš ĹŻÄžĆ?Ć? ƚŽ Ĺ?ĹśĆ?ƚĂůů͊ dŚĞĆ?Äž ĆšĹ?ÄžĆŒ Ď Ć‰Ä‚ĹśÄžĹŻĆ? ŚĂǀĞ Ä‚ ĎŽĎą Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒ Ć‰ÄžĆŒÄ¨Ĺ˝ĆŒĹľÄ‚ĹśÄ?Äž Ç Ä‚ĆŒĆŒÄ‚ĹśĆšÇ‡ ĂŜĚ Ä‚ ĆŒÄžĆ‰ĆľĆšÄ‚ĆšĹ?ŽŜ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ ƋƾĂůĹ?ĆšÇ‡Í˜
place behind closed doors. Yet behind every case is a personal story that reveals the human condition in a far more profound way than people-watching at Main Beach ever could. As I assemble myself for the day, the court is hearing a case I quickly dub ‘Fallen Football Star’. Facing charges of drug possession, the powerfully built youth walks to the chair in the middle of
ĎŽÍ˜ WĂŜĞů >ĞǀĞů KƉƚĹ?ĹľĹ?ÇŒÄ‚ĆšĹ?ŽŜ Ç€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ Ć?Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ ƉĂŜĞů ŽŜ Ä‚ Ć?ĆšĆŒĹ?ĹśĹ? ĂĨĨĞÄ?ĆšĆ? ÄžÇ€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ Ĺ˝ĆšĹšÄžĆŒ ƉĂŜĞů͕ Ć?Ĺ˝ ŽŜĞ ƉĂŜĞů Ĺ?Ĺś Ć?ŚĂĚĞ Ä?ĂŜ Ä?ĆŒĹ?ĹśĹ? ÄšĹ˝Ç Ĺś ƚŚĞ Ć‰ÄžĆŒÄ¨Ĺ˝ĆŒĹľÄ‚ĹśÄ?Äž ŽĨ Ä‚ Ç ĹšĹ˝ĹŻÄž Ć?LJĆ?ĆšÄžĹľÍ˜ dĹ?Ĺ?Ĺ˝ ŚĂǀĞ ĹśĹ˝Ç ĆŒÄžĹŻÄžÄ‚Ć?ĞĚ Ć?ƉĞÄ?Ĺ?Ăů ĞůĞÄ?ĆšĆŒĹ˝ĹśĹ?Ä? ŽƉƚĹ?ĹľĹ?ÇŒÄžĆŒĆ?Í• Ć?Ĺ˝ Ć?ŚĂĚĞ Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ ŜŽ ůŽŜĹ?ÄžĆŒ ŚŽůĚ Ä?Ä‚Ä?ĹŹ ƚŚĞ Ä¨ĹŻĹ˝Ç Ĺ˝Ä¨ Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒÍ˜ dĹ?Ĺ?Ĺ˝ ŽƉƚĹ?ĹľĹ?ÇŒÄžĆŒĆ? ĂůĆ?Ĺ˝ Ä‚ĹŻĹŻĹ˝Ç ĹľĹ˝ĆŒÄž ĨůĞdžĹ?Ä?Ĺ?ĹŻĹ?ƚLJ Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ ĨĹ?ƚƚĹ?ĹśĹ? ƉĂŜĞůĆ? ŽŜ ÄšĹ?ĨĨĹ?Ä?ƾůƚ ĆŒĹ˝Ĺ˝Ä¨Ć?Í• ĂŜĚ Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĹŹ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ ĂŜLJ Ĺ?ĹśÇ€ÄžĆŒĆšÄžĆŒÍ˜
the courtroom with his head down. Fallen Star has struggled to find direction ever since his representative rugby league career was ended by a ‘catastrophic knee injury’. He’d managed to avoid any major run-ins with the cops until they caught him with 20 tablets of MDMA (MethyleneDioxyMethAmphetamine) at the Falls Festival. They initially charged him with continued on page 2
Ď´Ď´Ď´ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ dĞŏ ŽŜůLJ Ć?ÄžĆŒÇ€Ĺ?Ä?Äž ƚŚĞ EĹ˝ĆŒĆšĹšÄžĆŒĹś ZĹ?Ç€ÄžĆŒĆ?Í• Ć?ĆľĆ‰Ć‰Ĺ˝ĆŒĆš ĹŻĹ˝Ä?Ăů Ĺ?ĹśĆ?ĆšÄ‚ĹŻĹŻÄžĆŒĆ? ĂŜĚ Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ç€Ĺ?ĚĞ Ä¨ĆŒÄžÄž ŽŜͲĆ?Ĺ?ƚĞ Ć?ÄžĆŒÇ€Ĺ?Ä?Äž Ä¨Ĺ˝ĆŒ ĎĎŽ žŽŜƚŚĆ? Ä‚Ä¨ĆšÄžĆŒ Ĺ?ĹśĆ?ƚĂůůĂƚĹ?Ĺ˝ĹśÍ˜ Ď´Ď´Ď´ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ dĞŏ Ĺ?Ć? Ä‚ ĹŻĹ˝Ä?Ăů͕ ĨĂžĹ?ůLJ Ĺ˝Ç ĹśÄžÄš ĂŜĚ ĆŒĆľĹś Ä?ŽžƉĂŜLJ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ Ć‰ÄžĆŒĆ?ŽŜĂů Ć?ÄžĆŒÇ€Ĺ?Ä?Äž ĂŜĚ Ä‚ Ä?ŽžžĹ?ƚžĞŜƚ ƚŽ ƋƾĂůĹ?ĆšÇ‡Í˜ &Ĺ?ŜĚ Žƾƚ ĹšĹ˝Ç Ç‡Ĺ˝Ćľ Ä?ĂŜ ĹŻĹ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ ÄžĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ Ä?Ĺ˝Ć?ĆšĆ? Ä?LJ Ä?ĂůůĹ?ĹśĹ? Ď´Ď´Ď´ ^Ĺ˝ĹŻÄ‚ĆŒ dĞŏ ƚŽ Ä‚ĆŒĆŒÄ‚ĹśĹ?Äž Ä‚ Ä¨ĆŒÄžÄž ŽŜ Ć?Ĺ?ƚĞ Ä?ŽŜĆ?ƾůƚĂƚĹ?Ĺ˝ĹśÍ˜
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