Letters to the conditions of this land. For example sheep and cattle are hard-hooved animals that cause erosion and have devastated the crops of two centuries ago and before. Find out the truth. Go purchase a copy of Bruce’s book and you will know why we are now in the grip of droughts and fires. Paul Brecht Evans Head
Mitchell’s snail
Cartoon Gary Cavanagh – Instagram: @gary_cavanagh
Next time… The next time America and its allies and other subservient countries go to war over some perceived threat to trade and male control, we must get rid of the sexism and keep our young men safe at home and send only women to fight. Fantasy I know but I reckon the war would have a very different outcome. Hannah Grace Ocean Shores
Byron at Byron The sale of the Byron at Byron resort will see Lyn and John Parche leaving the management role. They set high standards, delivering five-star tourism and also
supporting our community. After a legal case with the previous owner, the new owner, Gerry Harvey, engaged the internationally experienced Parche duo and an excellent architect, Ed Haysom, to redesign the resort to complement the unique environment. The Parches have shown great respect for Arakwal from the beginning and ensured that visitors understand and appreciate their connection to country and cultural heritage. The degraded swamp has been given years of regeneration attention to create an outstanding nature experience. Lyn and John have been generous supporters of
Letters to the Editor Send to Letters Editor Eve Jeffery, fax: 6684 1719 email: editor@echo.net.au 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. NORPA PRESENTS
the community; donations, accommodation for local events, and hosting community events. I was also fortunate to serve with Lyn on the regional tourism board and learnt so much from her vast tourism experience. To the new owners, it’s a hard act to follow, but welcome. And I hope you follow their lead. To Lyn and John who will remain as local residents, I wish you all the best for your retirement and thank you for understanding why Byron is unique and your commitment to quality tourism and our community. Jan Barham Broken Head
Pascoe’s Dark Emu Despite the bullshit that the indigenous people of Australia were hunters and gatherers, Bruce Pascoe‘s book Dark Emu proves that the First Nations people were farmers. The English and European way of farming isn’t suited
The way things seem to be heading, it might be a good idea for someone to start a captive breeding program for the Mitchell’s rainforest snail. Might be a good idea, bypass or no. David Gilet Byron Bay
The deputy mayor Cr Sarah Ndiaye has been elected (rewarded with the position of) Deputy Mayor of Byron Shire. I am more than a little aghast. As Head of the Public Art Panel, she recently oversaw the expensive and very wasteful ‘disco dong’ debacle. Is the Council completely out of touch with the community? Is there no sense of propriety here or, at the very least, some little measure of embarrassment? Looks like we urgently need to find some new faces on council for next year’s elections so the community can again have a voice. The divide at the moment is glaringly obvious. Ron Curran Ocean Shores
second hand Kmart t-shirt in a Byron Shire op-shop than a brand new t-shirt in Kmart. We buy the bulk of our family’s clothes at op-shops because: 1. We believe in recycling and reusing wherever possible to reduce waste and resource use. 2. New clothes = more carbon miles and higher emissions 3. New clothes = more sweatshop labour 4. It is really expensive to clothe kids – they grow so fast that we have to buy a new wardrobe of clothes for them twice a year; one for winter months, one for summer months. This really adds up – even at op shops! 5. The money we spend at the op-shops goes to really good causes. Just because some people might be able to pay higher prices at op-shops doesn’t mean that op-shops should charge high prices.
Op-shops provide really important services to the community in reducing waste and keeping families clothed. They shouldn’t be exclusionary and nor should they inadvertently encourage the purchase of ‘fast and cheap fashion’. Rebecca McNaught Ocean Shores
Extinction worry Many are worried about extinction. But how do we stop 7 billion humans beings ruining the planet? Ironically, as we near the edge of the apocalyptic precipice the western world is speedily abandoning the remains of its ancestral spirituality. Who can be bothered to spend even one hour a week giving thanks to the creator? Byron Shire, a last ▶ Continued on next page
Which opportunity? It’s official. Op-shops are no longer opportunity shops – they are ‘opulent shops’. I can now pay more for a
#NORPA2019
86 JONSON ST, BYRON BAY 6685 7662 therailsbyronbay.com
AND THE FAMOUS
RAILS kitchen
Thursday, 10 OCTOBER
Stunned Mullets Friday, 11 OCTOBER
Hombres AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA’S ACO COLLECTIVE
Saturday, 12 OCTOBER
SERENADES FOR STRINGS
KATIE NOONAN & AUSTRALIAN STRING QUARTET
FRI 25 OCT, 7:30PM
FRI 1 NOV, 7:30PM
Lismore City Hall | Bar & Diner from 6pm
THE GLAD TOMORROW NATIONAL TOUR
Lismore City Hall | Bar & Diner from 6pm
Slime Sunday, 13 OCTOBER
Sunstone Monday, 14 OCTOBER
Walker Tuesday, 15 October
Guy Kachel T I C KE T S
norpa.org.au www.echo.net.au/byron-echo Byron Shire Echo archives
Wednesday, 16 October
Craig Atkins wĈƐşćĕſ ǰǽ ǩǧǨǰ The Byron Shire Echo 11