The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 34.09 – August 7, 2019

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NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF FRANK ZAPPA The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 34 #09 • Wednesday, August 7, 2019 • www.echo.net.au

DƖſŕĜƆIJĜŕč Ć?IJÄ• ŔĜŕĎ ƹĜĆ?IJ ĹŠĹ•Ĺ&#x;ĆąĹ?ĕĎčĕ

Mayor stands ćơ ƆĆ?ĂŤÇ” ČœĆ† Ĺ?ĂŤÄˆĹŠ Ĺ&#x;ÄŞ Ć?ſÍŕƆşÍſÄ•Ĺ•Äˆơ Hans Lovejoy

Jack Charles’s story is surely the archetypal cinematic redemption trope. From heroin addict, petty thief, actor, prisoner, human rights activist, and mentor, Jack is now author of Born-again Blakfella. He had the Writers Festival audience in tears one moment, and in fits of laughter the next. Also pictured top left is just one of the festival’s featured sculpture works (not the toddler); below, Damon Gameau and Mandy Nolan and below them, The Saturday Paper’s Maddison Connaughton. Photos Jeff Dawson. For more photos see page 18. Phillip Frazer There were too many stars at last week’s Byron Writers Festival to mention, but let’s mention Melissa Lucashenko, for winning the Miles Franklin Prize two days before opening night, philosopher AC Grayling for drawing the biggest crowd, and all those African-Australian writers who introduced themselves so eloquently to the rest of us. Writers festivals are also political festivals; authors and readers leap into debate about the meaning of democracy or how many compromises can the Labor Party make in one week, or we enjoy the thrill of

Byron Shire Council Notices ▜ p10

shared outrage (TOSO) over Trump, Morrison, or the newest bloviator on the block, Boris Johnson. But there was a new twist to the vibe this year.

Activism arises Yes, every session still had one punter asking where they could find a morsel of hope – the word that kept popping up this year as we approach the demise of our species was activist, as in we-are-all-activists-now. Tim Costello, another old warrior, revealed that while writing his autobiography, he wrestled with the many labels that have been

A hard life under ‘stolen wages’ ▜ p11

pinned to his chest, right above the bleeding heart – crusader, politician, human rights champion, Jesus champion. He concluded that what he is, and always has been, is an activist. It could be that our recent election stunned jaded leftists into action and more broadly electrified those of us who care and fear for the planet. There’s an old lefty trope about encouraging the election of probusiness antisocial candidates, because it heightens the contradictions, meaning the worse it gets the more likely the masses are to rise up finally.

Sick of the bypass? No? Well turn to page 14

WĹ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ ŽžĆ‰Ä‚ĹśÇ‡ ^ĹšŽŽĆšŽƾĆš

zŽƾ Ä?ĂŜ Ć?ĂǀĞ ĹšƾŜÄšĆŒÄžÄšĆ? ŽĨ ÄšŽůůÄ‚ĆŒĆ? Ä‚ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒ Ä?LJ Ć?ĞůĞÄ?ĆšĹ?ĹśĹ? ƚŚĞ ĆŒĹ?Ĺ?Śƚ ÄžĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ ƉůĂŜ͕ Ä?ƾƚ ĹšĹ˝Ç ÄšĹ˝ LJŽƾ ĨĹ?ŜĚ ƚŚĞ Ä?ÄžĆ?Ćš ĚĞĂů ĨŽĆŒ LJŽƾÍ? Ç€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒ Ĺ?Ĺś :ƾůLJ ÄžĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ Ä?ŽžĆ‰Ä‚ĹśĹ?ÄžĆ? Ć?Ğƚ ƚŚĞĹ?ĆŒ Ć‰ĆŒĹ?Ä?ÄžĆ? ĨŽĆŒ ƚŚĞ ŜĞdžƚ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍ˜ Ď´Ď´Ď´ ^ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ dĞŏ ŚĂĆ? ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ Ä‚ Ć?ƉĞÄ?Ĺ?Ăů Ä?ĂůÄ?ƾůÄ‚ĆšĹ˝ĆŒ ĨŽĆŒ Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ ƉůĂŜĆ? Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ Ć?ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ ŽĨĨÄžĆŒĆ?Í• Ć?Ĺ˝ LJŽƾ Ä?ĂŜ Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĹŹ ŽƾĆš ƚŚĞ Ä?ÄžĆ?Ćš Ä‚ůůͲĆŒŽƾŜÄš Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ç€Ĺ?ÄšÄžĆŒ ĨŽĆŒ LJŽƾ͘ ƚŚĞ žŽĆ?Ćš žŽŜĞLJ ÄžÇ€ÄžĆŒÇ‡ Ç‡ÄžÄ‚ĆŒÍ˜ dĹšĹ?Ć? Ć?ƉĞÄ?Ĺ?Ăů ĆŒÄžĆ‰Ĺ˝ĆŒĆš Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ Ć?ĹšĹ˝Ç Ç‡ŽƾÍ—

Fish kills and the ruination of Belongil ▜ p16

ϲ͘ϲ ĹŹt ůĂĚĞ ĂŜĚ ^ƾŜĹ?ĆŒĹ˝Ç ^ƉĞÄ?Ĺ?Ăů ϲ͘ϲ ĹŹt Ͳ ĎŽĎŽ dž ^ÄžĆŒÄ‚Ć‰ĹšĹ?Ĺľ ůĂĚĞ ĎŻĎŹĎŹt ^ƉůĹ?Ćš Ğůů WĂŜĞůĆ? ,Ĺ?Ĺ?ĹšÄžĆŒ zĹ?ĞůĚ ƾĞ ƚŽ ÄžĆšĆšÄžĆŒ ^ŚĂĚĹ?ĹśĹ? ZÄžĆ?ƉŽŜĆ?Äž

Ď­Í˜ ĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ >Ĺ˝Ä?ĂůĆ? Ͳ ^ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ WĆŒŽžĹ?Ć?Äž ĎŽĎŹĎŽĎŹÍ˜ y ,Ĺ˝Ç ĆšĹ˝ ĆľĆ?Äž ŽƾĆŒ Ä?ĂůÄ?ƾůÄ‚ĆšĹ˝ĆŒ ƚŽ ĎŽÍ˜ KĆŒĹ?Ĺ?Ĺ?Ĺś ĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ Ͳ ^ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ KƉƚĹ?ĹľĹ?Ć?ÄžĆŒÍ˜ ĨĹ?ŜĚ ƚŚĞ Ä?ÄžĆ?Ćš Ć‰ĹŻÄ‚ĹśÍ˜ ĎŻÍ˜ WĹ˝Ç ÄžĆŒĆ?ŚŽƉ Ͳ >/d ͘ y tŚLJ ^ŽůÄ‚ĆŒ &ĞĞĚ Ĺ?Ĺś dÄ‚ĆŒĹ?ĨĨ ĆŒÄ‚ĆšÄžĆ? Ä‚ĆŒÄž ŜŽĆš ƚŚĞ Ä?ÄžĆ?Ćš Ç Ä‚Ç‡ ƚŽ Ä?ŽžĆ‰Ä‚ĆŒÄž ƉůĂŜĆ?͘ y ,Ĺ˝Ç ĆšĹ˝ Ĺ?Ğƚ ĞǀĞŜ žŽĆŒÄž ƚŚĂŜ ƚŚĞ Ä‚ÄšÇ€ÄžĆŒĆšĹ?Ć?ĞĚ ĆŒÄ‚ĆšÄžĆ? Ä?LJ ƉůĂLJĹ?ĹśĹ? Ć‰Ĺ˝Ç ÄžĆŒ Ä?ŽžĆ‰Ä‚ĹśĹ?ÄžĆ? Ä‚Ĺ?Ä‚Ĺ?ĹśĆ?Ćš ĞĂÄ?Ĺš Ĺ˝ĆšĹšÄžĆŒÍ˜

Advised it is satisfactory ‘In preparation for works within the part 4 area (LEC approval condition), the project team have submitted all relevant pre-construction management plans under the consent for approval to Council.  â€˜The pre-construction management plans have been assessed by SEE, and the project team have been advised that they satisfy the requirements’.

Inside and out; check out Home & Garden ▜ p22

džÄ?ĹŻĆľĆ?Ĺ?ǀĞ EÄžÇ KĨĨÄžĆŒÍ—

KĆľĆŒ dŽƉ ĎŻ WĹ?Ä?ĹŹĆ?Í—

Ăůů ĆľĆ? ĂŜĚ Ç Äž Ç Ĺ?ĹŻĹŻ ĞžĂĹ?ĹŻ LJŽƾ ŽƾĆŒ Ć?ƉĞÄ?Ĺ?Ăů ĆŒÄžĆ‰Ĺ˝ĆŒĆš ĂŜĚ ĂůÄ?ƾůÄ‚ĆšĹ˝ĆŒ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ LJŽƾ Ä?ŽžĆ‰Ä‚ĆŒÄž ÄžĹśÄžĆŒĹ?LJ ŽĨĨÄžĆŒĆ? Ĺ?Ĺś ĎŽĎŹĎ­ĎľÍ˜ &Ĺ?ŜĚ ŽƾĆš ƚŚĞ Ä?ĆŒĆľÄ?Ĺ?Ăů ÄšĹ?ĨĨÄžĆŒÄžĹśÄ?ÄžĆ? Ä?ÄžĆšÇ ÄžÄžĹś ƚŚĞ ƚŽƉ Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ç€Ĺ?ÄšÄžĆŒĆ? ĂŜĚ Ç Ä‚Ç‡Ć? LJŽƾ Ä?ĂŜ Ć?ĆšĆŒÄžÄ‚žůĹ?ŜĞ LJŽƾĆŒ Ä?ŚŽĹ?Ä?Äž ƚŽ Ć?ĂǀĞ

But my sense is that the shift is more among people who don’t consider themselves ‘political’. According to English writer Samuel Johnson, ‘Nothing concentrates the mind so wonderfully as knowing you are going to die next week’. He said that in 1756. Now, 2019 is shaping up to be the year in which a couple of billion of us realise that the planet could die in a couple of decades. Our minds are concentrated because, while it dishonours the Shire motto to say so, I reckon the masses at the Writers Festival don’t believe ‘This was meant to be’.

While protests continue around construction of the Butler Street bypass, Council staff have undertaken the large infrastructure project without a contamination report or providing proof that they have met requirements of L&E Court orders – as reported last week. Given Council staff have dismissed the public’s right to be informed of all the details required for the bypass project to be undertaken, The Echo asked Greens mayor Simon Richardson: ‘Why is this going ahead without these vital docs being made public? Given this undermines Council’s credibility, are you prepared to make this info available ASAP so the public have confidence that good process has been adhered to? While in opposition, you were very vocal about poor process. This is poor process, isn’t it?’ The mayor replied, ‘The works undertaken to date by the contractor are only within areas covered by the Part 5 Review of Environmental Factors and not by the Development Consent (LEC Condition)’. Â

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The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 34.09 – August 7, 2019 by Echo Publications - Issuu