Letters The great reset Like many of the highly speculative ideas that swirl around on the internet, there is a kernel of truth to the notion that the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) latest annual theme,The Great Reset, is worrying – as mentioned by Dr Liz Elliot (Letters, 3 February). Anything the WEF does, should, of course, be heavily scrutinised. Dangerous ideas do indeed lurk within. However, it’s problematic to casually glide over the fact that The Great Reset has also become the poster child for absurd, social-media-fuelled fantasies. And doing so arguably does a disservice to those of us who truly wish to take well-considered action and hold the WEF to account. When un-proveable nonsense enters the mix, as it has done with The Great Reset becoming the conspiracy of all conspiracies, it muddies the waters and dilutes the potency of any reasonable critique. No doubt, this is just the way many evil-doers at Davos would prefer it. If you don’t call out people’s misguided and preposterous opinions, and if you provide a platform for contrarians who simply stir the soup with their make-believe views, then you might consider the overall harm you are doing to the very causes which you profess to care for. Lucas Wright Billinudgel
Weed policy Can Byron Shire Council explain why they are still using a glyphosate formulation, Weedmaster Duo, in Bangalow parks when organic herbicides
and commercial operations. While the public have little chance of overturning the looming irrational ban on access, it may be possible for local businesses to at least get recompense for losses that will arise as a result of the ban. There may be a case against NSW NPWS for the impact its policies have had on business income and the value of local businesses. While I’m not a lawyer it seems NSW NPWS have an obligation to fairly compensate the people it has impacted with its actions on just terms. Marc Hendrickx Berowra Heights
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Koala clearing
Cartoon by Francie Lowe are available even from Bunnings? While children and pets played in the park off Deacon Street on Thursday, and a tai chi class was in swing, two staff walked among the vegetation hosing as they went. A nice, light wind carried the drift and all else, I assume, will be absorbed not just by weeds, but by wildlife, and run into the waterway. Not good enough, especially when Council has spoken about steam weeding before. Helen Hawkes Ballina
Mt Warning ban Indigenous readers please note the following letter contains the name of a deceased local elder. For years now NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have been actively seeking to
reduce visitors to the Mt Warning National Park. The bureaucratic term for this is ‘demarketing’. NSW NPWS have exaggerated safety claims and environmental issues and misinformed the public about Aboriginal claims on the mountain. It preferences the negative views of the Bundjalung Nation over the inspirational message of Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd, RIP, who said in 2007: ‘How can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation!’ NPWS also ignores other Aboriginal opinions that would see the summit remain open for visitors. NSW NPWS no longer promotes the summit experience, and it has also passively discouraged visitation by lack of action on access, parking, security,
Letters to the Editor and cartoons Send to Letters Editor Aslan Shand, 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.
The Byron Shire Echo
Volume 35 #36 February 17, 2021 Established 1986 • 24,000 copies every week The Echo acknowledges the people of the Bundjalung nation as the traditional custodians of this land and extends respect to elders past, present and future. Disclaimer: The Echo is committed to providing a voice for our whole community. The views of advertisers, letter writers, and opinion writers are not necessarily those of the owners or staff of this publication.
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After reading the article by Aslan Shand (3 February), I drove up Rifle Range Rd to check out the situation for myself. What confronted me was an act of what I consider to be environmental vandalism perpetrated by a landowner who wishes to ‘move an existing driveway’! Was it necessary to destroy so many important trees for a driveway, pray tell? And yes, while some of the cleared trees are the introduced nuisance camphor laurels, as was pointed out in the article, they also’... ‘provide an important role as transition and provide shade for koalas’. Surely these beautiful animals have had enough of their important habitat removed? Perhaps the owner of the land intends to replant appropriate vegetation with the koalas in mind? I think not. Maggy Todd Rosebank
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