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Come so far, so far to go for reconciliation Michael McDonald Journey of Healing Day in Byron Bay last Thursday began with harrowing scenes of children being taken from their mother from Philip Noyce’s film The RabbitProof Fence. It was a stark reminder of a not too distant past and a challenge to take reconciliation further. The upstairs studio at the community centre was packed to overowing for the event, organised by Sisters f o r R e c o n c i l i at i o n i n partnership with the Arakwal
people. The themes of the day long program ran from the serious to the comic, with perfor mances by local schools and a bush food lunch. Arakwal Elder Aunty Lor na Kelly gave the Welcome To Countr y, obviously moved by the ďŹ lm scenes. She advised the audience to ‘listen and learn’ from the day’s speakers. Bronwyn Sindel of Sisters for Reconciliation, formerly known as Women for Wik, noted that Reconciliation
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Week ran from May 27, the date in 1967 when Aboriginal people were given citizenship rights through a national referendum, to June 3, when in 1992 the High Court recognised native title rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the Eddie Mabo case. Ms Sindel noted the ‘excellent care and stewardship’ of the land by Aboriginal people. She said her motivation sprang from gratitude for ‘living in paradise’ while deploring that the country was ‘forcibly and cruelly stolen’ from its original inhabitants. She described the state of Aboriginal health generally as ‘an insult to our conscience’ and urged the audience to sign petitions and letters to PM John Howard seeking reform. Yvonne Stewart of the Arakwal Corporation gave a detailed rundown on her people’s Indigenous Land
Use Agreement (ILUA), the ďŹ rst of its kind in Australia, with Byron Shire Council and the NSW government. She described the creation of the Arakwal National Park and the Cape Byron State Conservation Area. Ms Stewar t said the Arakwal’s involvement in the Cape Byron Trust was an ‘historical thing for us – we’d never been asked to have a
Michelle Gibson, with daughter Selena, above left, reunite with childhood friend Delta Kay and Peta Kucas at the Journey of Healing Day last week. Photo Jeff ‘Apologetical’ Dawson
employment and training for local Aboriginal people. The ILUA is used as a model for native claims, said Ms Stewart, and the Arakwal have been talking to other Aboriginal groups about the process. She lamented the
say in anything before’. The process since 1998 had been ‘demanding on the Elders’ – Aunties Lorna Kelly, Linda Vidler, Dulcie Nicholls and the late Yvonne Graham – and Ms Stewar t urged Council to take a greater role in providing fur ther
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Council opposes highway fast tracking
Poultry judge Robert Johnstone assesses the champion Black/Red Old English Bantam at the Bangalow Poultry Club’s popular Poultry Show on the weekend. Photo Jeff ‘Finger lickin’ good’ Dawson
The NRMA have criticised Byron Shire Council for opposing the fast tracking of the PaciďŹ c Highway into a four lane road as promoted by the Northern Rivers Organisation of Council (NOROC) Summit this month. NRMA Director, Wendy Machin, said she hoped Council wouldn’t sabotage lobbying to upgrade the highway by the NRMA and NOROC. Upgrading of existing black spots is supported by Council to reduce the incidence of trafďŹ c accidents at certain locations, however the removal of B-doubles is seen as a greater priority.
Dur ing last Tuesday’s Council meeting Councillors registered their for mal opposition to B-doubles on the PaciďŹ c Highway and will ask the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) to direct all heavy transport not servicing coastal areas to use the New England Highway. Delivering a slap in the face to the RTA, Council resolved that it ‘has no confidence in the RTA consultation process in relation to the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale upgrade.’ Legal advice obtained by the Ocean Shores Community Association regarding the transfer of the
B-doubles onto the highway in August 2002 indicated that the RTA were in breach of their statutory guidelines because they failed to consult the community, says Cr Jan Mangleson. ‘If we had gone to court straight away [in August 2002] we probably would have won but because of the time delay we were advised that no court would move the B-doubles off the PaciďŹ c Highway because of the investment in infrastructure by the trucking companies,’ said Cr Mangleson. Byron Shire Council voted last Tuesday not to support the introduction of B-
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doubles on the Lismore to Bangalow Road as being sought by the RTA. ‘I’ve been told by the General Manager of Lismore Council that the RTA have applied, on behalf of Mills Transport, to bring Bdoubles from the highway at Woodburn to Lismore then on to Bangalow. Byron Shire Council hasn’t received any equivalent request for approval,’ said Cr Jan Mangleson. The siting of a major truck stop at Yelgun by the RTA was also opposed by Council at last Tuesday’s meeting, instead voting to support continued on page 2