Letters
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14 The Byron Shire Echo `ƖōƷ ǩǫǽ ǩǧǨǰ
Spotlight on Greens councillors and The Echo Q I’ve been saddened by the repeated Greens council bashing by The Echo recently. but then after reading Ian Cohen’s opinion piece I realised The Echo is mounting a political campaign to unseat the current progressive Greens. They have allowed some improvements by development and replaced the ‘Do Nothing’ Greens who presided over the decline of the Shire. Thank them for the state of the roads, a bankrupt council fighting un-winnable court cases, and unable to maintain our services. The council-approved bypass is something that will probably improve the life of residents wanting to travel across town: the locals who live and work here, not the tourists. By bypassing the shopping precinct and getting traffic out of this popular area it will improve amenity for everyone. The Echo and the former do-nothing Greens (on whose watch the Byron at Byron on wetlands was approved) oppose this bypass because a strip of green land through the town will be developed.
Don’t fall for the propaganda from The Echo; Byron life is improving for the majority by this realistic Greens council working hard to improve things but still opposing and winning against unreasonable developments like West Byron. Thank you, councillors. Stuart Baird Suffolk Park Q I am reluctant to join in the attack on our councillors as, while I’m disappointed in some of their decision making, I have some idea of the difficulties they face – and remember the horrors of the previous council, which we don’t want to see again. ‘New’ councillors go in as absolute novices, ignorant and needing help with just about everything. Most of the staff are (of course) helpful and very pleasant people and it’s hard for councillors to appear not to respect them and fly in the face of their advice – after all they’re the experts! Also you are suddenly referred to consistently as ‘Councillor’ this or that and this (I think) may well go to their heads. We’ve seen it all before
– as in Yes, Minister – but these councillors are no longer new and we have a right to expect that, lovely as the staff may be, they’re there to represent us – and some of us worked hard to get them there. I am particularly horrified at the suggestion that weddings and other ‘events’ should be allowed on prime rural land. When I was on Council (aeons ago) my main concern was to look after our rural land, which was under constant threat of subdivision. We brought in new strategies to provide necessary protections. Please, councillors (and I know it’s not easy), stick to the principles that saw you elected. Jenny Coman Bangalow Q Readers may not be aware of the initiatives we outlined in response to Ian Cohen (page 16), as our beloved paper is now the instrument of the Editor’s personal hatred of us Greens councillors. Hans recently abused us on The Echo’s Facebook page, describing Michael as ‘a true authoritarian tyrant
twat’ and ‘a shit stain’, Sarah as ‘a third card in a terrible useless pack of jokers,’ and Simon as amongst other tags, ‘Mayor of Party Town’ (whatever that means). He went on to describe us as, ‘Totally inept, arrogant, and lacking in reflection,’ who are in the job, ‘to climb a greasy political pole.’ Perhaps more natural within a universitystudent newspaper, or the Daily Telegraph, but it’s tragic for the paper we all love. Hans is free to have his personal opinions and threrefore to disparage us in his editorial or anonymously on the back page; however, opinion and objective journalistic coverage of council should be separated. A paper (and in this case, an editor) that can only represent one view, that struggles or makes no attempt to be fair, accurate, and independent can’t possibly ever serve a complex, changing, multilayered and dynamic community like ours. Echo readers deserve to be kept properly informed of Council issues and initiatives that affect them. Byron Greens Councillors
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