Opinion/Letters Repair or toss – that is the question Good news, Australians could soon have the ‘right to repair’ their appliances. Our government is coming under pressure to follow the lead of the EU and some (19) USA states that have passed laws and bills that ensure manufacturers need to stop making ‘unserviceable’ and ‘unrepairable’ products that are destined for landfill about three weeks after their two year warranty expires. The right to repair movement, also known as extended producer responsibility (EPR) is about making the manufacturers responsible for their broken product. It is basically criminal that these large companies have been able to get away with designing products to fail – but that is changing. Those changes are coming from woke consumers who are raging against ecological waste, unethical consumerism and corporate immorality.
Still screwed We have all experienced the nightmare of trying to pull apart a cheaply made appliance when it suddenly stops working. Even if you are organised and have the 128-piece screwhead set, you
▶ Continued from page 14 a right upheld by legal principle. Therefore, arguing for the rights of nature, implicitly contained within this Declaration, creates a ‘voice’ for civil society to uphold the rights of all sentient beings. The Butler Street community have, with dignity, expertise, and passion been an example for the Byron protectors to uphold; as we now embark upon addressing the total commercialisation of Byron Bay. An ongoing market violation in times of climate change, drought, extinction of a billion species in Australia due to lack of adherence to scientific warnings. This is not a fait accompi there is a paradigm shift in human consciousness… the debate and struggle continues. Jo Faith Newtown
Hazard burning Wouldn’t it be better to collect leaf litter instead of back- or hazard-reduction burning? Most plant litter has the potential to enrich and become nutrients to protect
somehow still don’t have the correctly tapered one for the job at hand. You rarely succeed in pulling appliances apart and fixing them, especially computers, phones and modern cars. This a is deliberate strategy by the manufacturer. Companies want consumers to buy another one, and another. Manufacturers are fighting against these right to repair laws. And if they are passed, and products have to have basic replaceable components, manufacturers are seeking to own the service and repair businesses. The manufacturers want to ensure they can charge their customers large sums of money for repairs. The only way that this will shift and change is with consumer pressure and lobbying of federal government. If that piques your interest, do a search for the ‘right to repair’ movement. In Australia this movement has mostly sprouted in the suburbs of Melbourne, but it is spreading. The right to repair movement is not simply about avoiding landfill, pointless waste, or about being ripped off by multinationals, it is about the environment. With an iPhone, for example, Apple estimate that each
phone produces around 70kg of Co2 in its lifetime, and 81 per cent of that occurs during the manufacturing process. In 2012 in the Massachusetts (USA) general election, where the ‘right to repair’ movement started, 86 per cent of voters said ‘yes’ to a right to repair. Do you want it to happen in Australia? Locally, the Byron Shire is a beacon of sustainability. There are many fantastic brands and organisations doing pioneering work with sustainable fashion, circular business models and waste management in the region. For anyone interested in the repair movement, who really wants to affect change, simply ask the question when you buy something ‘is it repairable?’
scorched, burnt out and degraded areas. Commercial mowers with bagging attachments would be a quick, safe and easy way to collect the leaf litter to spread over the burnt out areas to enrich soil and lockin moisture. Less danger also of starting fires which can get out of hand. Barbara Turner Byron Bay
supplying information to the Mullumbimby Council office to generate maps of the gravity mains system. There is a significant library of maps that were generated and stored. I and other staff used them over the years. The Water, Waste and Sewer Advisory Committee meeting (WWSAC) of January 30 were informed of the relining of the Mullumbimby gravity mains by a company called Interflow. This company relined a sewer gravity main in Blundel Lane in Brunswick Heads as a test case. This main was just over a metre deep and laid in the sand, which was bone dry. The gravity mains of concern in Mullumbimby, as described in an earlier article by hydraulic engineer Duncan Dey, are the deep gravity mains. They are laid between four and six metres deep, in clay that is permanently wet. Council would want a guarantee from Interflow that their system would solve the infiltration problem under these conditions. Will Interflow guarantee this with no provisos? Alan Dickens Brunswick Heads
Debt of gratitude If ever an offer of a NSW State funeral or Memorial Service was justified, it would be to the families of those three US firefighters who recently lost their lives while on active duty. The NSW community owes a profound debt of gratitude to these brave men who came from so far to help our people in their hour of need. Michael J Gamble Belmont
Reinventing sewers Byron Shire Council’s (BSC) Water and Recycling are now saying they don’t have plans of their sewer gravity mains. As a former sewer operator, we spent ten years
20 The Byron Shire Echo DĕćſƖëſƷ Ǭǽ ǩǧǩǧ
Balloon Aloft Romance is in the air and there is no better way to spoil your lover than a romantic hot air balloon flight with Balloon Aloft Byron Bay! Gifting your loved one a Valentines Day balloon ride voucher for two, or private VIP booking, is bound to win you a smack on the lips! Getting smitten atop the valleys and ridges of the beautiful hinterland, or along the coastal fringe is great quality-time together, and a wonderful way to spend a morning. Afterwards, relax and enjoy a delicious coffee and breakfast at Three Blue Ducks restaurant, The Farm. Plan ahead for your lovely valentine and jump online at www.balloonaloftbyronbay.com or speak to one of their friendly crew on 1300 723 279.
Repair Cafe Mullumbimby’s Repair Cafe at the Mullumbimby campus of Byron Community College in Burringbar Street is open on Saturdays from 9am till 12 noon. Volunteers will be there to help you fix things that might otherwise end up at the tip, and they can advise you on how to fix things you can’t bring in. Q Andrew Crockett is from upstreampr.com.au.
Four-course degustation, bubbles and acoustics
Friday 14 February From 6:00pm $95 pp / $135 pp with matching wines
Valentine’s day
Andrew Crockett
Byron-restaurant@crystalbrookcollection.com 02 6639 2111
LoAveir is in the
Romantic Sunrise Balloon Flights Over Byron Bay & Surrounds followed by gourmet breakfast at Three Blue Ducks
www.balloonaloftbyronbay.com • 1300 723 279
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