Letters Are council listening? Once again, Byron Shire Council isn’t listening. It appears the Byron Bay Memorial Recreation Grounds are once again under threat, being scrutinised and considered for leasing out to private commercial interests. It’s prime CBD real estate indeed! In December 2017 the same masterplan ‘overlords’ attempted exactly the same manoeuvre – that is, less than 18 months ago. They were met with widespread community opposition and there was a big protest at the Recreation Grounds. What is going on here? Does the council not get it? What has changed in the last 18 months that the council should again be pushing up against the community here? The council at the time assured everyone at the meeting that this would not happen again and that it was all just simply some kind of bureaucratic error in the drafting. Yet here we go again. The Recreation Grounds were established by the original community of Byron Bay, specifically as a sports and recreational green area. It was a big community project, largely supported by and paid for by the charity
and the hard work of the community, and the grounds were dedicated in perpetuity as such. It was not set up to become a parking lot or a venue for fast-food joints, or given over in whatever way to private commercial interest. Why are Council making so many errors, and such publicly obvious ones, like the roundabout sculpture etc? Why are they ignoring their constituents? Do they want the developers to jump back on board at the next election? Would someone please pinch me and tell me I’m dreaming. Ron Curran Ocean Shores
Money and politics Politics is dangerously flawed. Why? Because it has become a big-business money game. How do we halt this slide? For a start, stop political donations and lobbying. Everyone knows if Australia’s filthy rich donate millions of dollars to both major parties, they want some law, such as allowing cheap labour into Australia, and that money gets it done. The lobbyists also offer rewards to elected
parliamentary members for when they leave parliament. This is very easy to check. Just look up large companies and their lists of directors. Of course these new directors have hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to them for life as pensions by the Australian government (people) – even if they are subsequently earning millions of dollars as directors and lobbyists. This is shameful especially when aged pensioners are having their pensions cut even if they earn $150 a week. Australians must demand better behaviour from our government members and urgently demand a stop to political donations and lobbying. Darrell Mcdowall Mullumbimby
Disco dong, dong... In response to Byron’s ‘Disco Dong’ still riles community in letters (April 17). At the John Pilger talk the MC said that the Byron Shire is one of ‘the most forward-thinking’ regions in the whole country. I bit my tongue. Would a forward-thinking region honestly complain incessantly about this sculpture for five months? Sure, you don’t like it.
Sure, you feel the money would be better used on other things. But hey, it’s done now. Let’s take a collective deep breath and accept the fact that the sculpture is staying. Learn to love it, meditate around it, get – over – it. Need help? I can think of several issues that really deserve your attention, passion, and your creativity. The destruction of the natural world (see: climate change); plastic in our oceans; the Adani mine in Queensland;
the continued abuse of refugees on Manus Island; the death of Aboriginals in custody and horrific suicide rates of young Aboriginal’s. Or are the ‘sensibilities of the creative souls of Byron Shire’ strictly reserved for Byron Shire issues? Raphael Lee Cass, as a woman I can tell you I wouldn’t be too bothered if the media changed the
name from ‘Disco Dong’ to ‘Polished Pussy’, but I do mind about how much the media cares for something that, at the end of the day, is just a sculpture. Let’s prove the MC at the John Pilger talk right: let’s be the most forward-thinking region in the country. Let’s focus our anger on issues that are more important and ▶ Continued on page 16
Letters to the Editor Send to Letters Editor Aslan Shand, email: editor@echo.net.au, fax: 6684 1719. 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.
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Thursday 25 April
SARA GRANT Friday 26 April
JAMIE ASHFORTH BAND Saturday 27 April
MARSHALL Sunday 28 April
BENNY WHISKEY Monday 29 April
WALKER Tuesday 30 April
TIM STOKES Wednesday 1 may
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żſĶō ǩǫǽ ǩǧǨǰ The Byron Shire Echo 11