The Byron Shire Echo Volume 33 #37 Wednesday, February 20, 2019
www.echo.net.au
TAKE RISKS. NOTHING CAN SUBSTITUTE EXPERIENCE
– PAULO COELHO
'ëŕĈĶŕī Ɩż ë ƆƐşſŔ ëīëĶŕƆƐ ưĶşōĕŕĈĕ V-Day celebrated its seventh year of standing up against violence towards women with their biggest turnout since it began. Over 180 people danced up the rain on Main Beach in Byron on February 14 empowering collective action and highlighting the need for change.
‘Women have had enough and the tide is turning, empowering the collective action needed for change on a personal and political level,’ said organiser Zenith Virago. Photo Jeff ‘In Red’ Dawson
ƷſşŕȜƆ Ǖ ſƆƐ ōĕīëō ĈëŕŕëćĶƆ Ĉſşż şŕ ƐIJĕ ĈëſĎƆ Chris Dobney While there has been a lot of talk about medicinal cannabis of late, there has so far been little action on the ground in the part of the country where it grows like a weed. That’s about to change if a development application (DA) currently on exhibition in Byron Shire is approved. The $7.25 million, 16-person, four-greenhouse operation will turn out two to five tonnes of medicinal cannabis a year, according to the DA. But if you think ‘with that amount of green stuff being produced, the owners wouldn’t notice a few missing buds’, think again. The proposed site at 955 Friday Hut Road, Binna Burra, is almost
Byron Shire Council Notices ▶ p8
of which around half would be used for actual growing, with the rest devoted to drying, processing, a nursery, storage and administration. It would cover less than 10 per cent of the site and would use town water for cropping, owing to the highly controlled nature of the cultivation. The height and scale of the buildings is roughly equivalent to that of the existing chicken sheds, which it would replace, meaning it would not impact on the views of surrounding properties. ‘The proposed development creates no dust, no noise, no external spray drift, and all harvesting and processing will take place from within the building,’ the application states. ▶ Continued on page 5
entirely surrounded by Byron Creek, the facility itself will be purposebuilt and highly secure, and 24/7 security staff will be onsite. The proponent, Elixinol Global Limited, is an ASX-listed company that already has a foot in the door of the international medicinal cannabis industry, including in the US and Europe. The growing of cannabis and associated processing is a permissible use, according to Bryon’s LEP.
Specially designed facility If approved, cannabis cultivation in a specially designed facility would replace the three existing chicken sheds on the site. The proposed facility would be approximately 3,440 square metres,
How ‘culture aware’ are you? ▶ p13
The time to act up on climate is now ▶ p14
Terania 40 years on In September 1974 Hugh and Nan Nicholson bought an abandoned farm at the end of Terania Creek Road adjoining Whian Whian State Forest. Their plan was to start a specialist rainforest nursery and they had made The Channon their home. In January 1975 they discovered the Forestry Commission planned to log the area and convert the rainforest to a eucalypt plantation. From then until January 1979 Hugh and Nan spearheaded a movement to stop the destruction of the forest. The Channon Residents’ Group became Terania Native Forest Action Group (TNFAG) and when
their voices weren’t heard, TNFAG commenced a media campaign. In early August the Nicholsons made an appeal at The Channon Market to prevent the logging. Within the next five days 300 people gathered at the Nicholsons’ property. Cars moved into position in the valley to begin a peaceful vigil. On August 16, a bulldozer and two Forestry trucks arrived. The first bulldozer was met by 200 protesters singing and chanting, playing guitars, drums, and other instruments. One hundred and twenty police were sent to maintain order. The next day, tow trucks, five paddy wagons, and 20 police cars ▶ Continued on page 4
Find bucolic bliss in your home and garden ▶ p16
Magic Mur’bah offers up curiosities and delights ▶ p23
Eve Jeffery
DĂdžŝŵŝƐŝŶŐ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ ƌĞƚƵƌŶ ŽŶ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƚŝǀĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ ŝƐ ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐ ǁĞ ĚŽ ǀĞƌLJ ǁĞůů͘ tĞ ĐĂŶ ĚĞͲĐŽĚĞ LJŽƵƌ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ďŝůů ĂŶĚ ƉŝŶͲƉŽŝŶƚ ƚŚĞ ŽƉƚŝŵĂů ƐĂǀŝŶŐƐ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ŐƌĂƉŚƐ͕ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚŝŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƉŽƌƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŝůů ƐŚŽǁ LJŽƵ ŚŽǁ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ƐĂǀĞ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ŵŽŶĞLJ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ĂŶĚ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƐŝnjĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘
^ŽůĂƌ ƵƚƐ >ŽĐĂů ůƵď͛Ɛ WŽǁĞƌ hƐĞ ŝŶ ,ĂůĨ ^ŝŶĐĞ ŝŶƐƚĂůůŝŶŐ ϲϬ Ŭt ŽĨ ŶĞǁ ƐŽůĂƌ ƉĂŶĞůƐ ůĂƐƚ LJĞĂƌ͕ ŐƌŝĚ ƉŽǁĞƌ ƵƐĞ Ăƚ ĂƐƚ >ŝƐŵŽƌĞ ŽǁůŝŶŐ ůƵď ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ŚĂůǀĞĚ͕ ƐĂǀŝŶŐ ƚŚŽƵƐĂŶĚƐ ŽĨ ĚŽůůĂƌƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ĐůƵď ĞĂĐŚ LJĞĂƌ͘
ƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŚĞĂƚ ǁĂǀĞ ůĂƐƚ ǁĞĞŬ͕ :ĞĨĨ ĞĂƌĚ͕ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ůƵď ƐĂŝĚ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞLJ ǁĞƌĞ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĂŝƌĐŽŶĚŝƚŝŽŶŝŶŐ ƵƉ ƚŝů ϱƉŵ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ƵƐŝŶŐ ĂŶLJ ƉŽǁĞƌ ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬ Ăƚ Ăůů͘ dŚĞ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ ŝƐ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĐůƵďƐ͕ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŚŽŵĞƐ ǁŚŽ ĂƌĞ ƐƚƌƵŐŐůŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚ ǁŚLJ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ ƉĂLJŝŶŐ ƐŽ ŵƵĐŚ ŵŽƌĞ ĨŽƌ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐŝƚLJ ŶŽǁ͘ dŚĞ ƉƌŝĐĞ ŽĨ ƐŽůĂƌ ƉŽǁĞƌ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ĨĂůůŝŶŐ ĂůŵŽƐƚ ĂƐ ĨĂƐƚ ĂƐ ƉŽǁĞƌ ŝƐ ŐŽŝŶŐ ƵƉ͕ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ƐŽůĂƌ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĞĐŽŶŽŵŝĐĂů ǁĂLJ ƚŽ ƌĞĚƵĐĞ ĚĂŝůLJ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ĐŽƐƚƐ͘
tŚLJ ĂƌĞ DŽƌĞ ůƵďƐ͕ WƵďƐ ĂŶĚ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐĞƐ ŚŽŽƐŝŶŐ ϴϴϴ ^ŽůĂƌ dĞŬ͍
dŚĞ ďŽĂƌĚ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ ĂƐƚ >ŝƐŵŽƌĞ ŽǁůŝŶŐ ůƵď ĐŚŽƐĞ ůŽĐĂů ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƌ͕ ϴϴϴ ^ŽůĂƌ dĞŬ ƚŽ ƐƵƉƉůLJ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŶĞǁ ƐŽůĂƌ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ ŽǀĞƌ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĐŽŵƉĞƚŝƚŝǀĞ ŽĨĨĞƌƐ͕ ůĂƌŐĞůLJ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƉĞƌŝŽƌ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ŽĨĨĞƌĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ϴϴϴ ^ŽůĂƌ dĞŬ ŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ŚŽŵĞ ƐŽůĂƌ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ͘
tĞ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚ ǁŚĞƌĞ LJŽƵƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŝƐ ŐŽŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŚĞůƉ LJŽƵ ŐƌŽǁ ǁŝƚŚ ƐĐĂůĂďůĞ ƌĞŶĞǁĂďůĞ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ ƉůĂŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĞƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ͘
ϴϴϴ
dŚĞ ĞƐƚ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ŝŶ ^ŽůĂƌ WŽǁĞƌ͕ ĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ Θ ^ŽůĂƌ ,Žƚ tĂƚĞƌ Ăůů sŝŶĐĞŶƚ ^ĞůůĞĐŬ ĨŽƌ Ă &ƌĞĞ ŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶ
WŚ ϬϮ ϲϲϴϴ ϰϰϴϬ