THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 20 #28 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2005 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
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Council scales down Byron’s New Years Eve plans Lesley Patterson Byron Bay’s low key New Years Eve event has been scaled back even further after a blow-out in security costs and a lack of business ďŹ nancial support. Faced with a bill of over $100,000 to set up perimeter barriers on Ewingsdale and Broken Head Roads, Byron Shire Council voted last week to allow through trafďŹ c into Byron Bay on January 31. A much smaller alcohol free and trafďŹ c free area will be sectioned off along Lawson Street from the Jonson Street roundabout to the Fletcher Street roundabout, along Bay Street and parts of Jonson, Middleton and Fletcher Streets. ‘The closed part of the town will be an alcohol prohibition zone which means anyone with a drink in their
hand on the street will have the drink conďŹ scated by the police,’ said Council’s NYE coordinator, Pavitar. ‘Inspector King and his team have been very supportive of the new plans and believe it is in keeping with the original brief for a low key NewYear’s Eve.’ The practice of issuing resident stickers or visitor parking stickers has been dropped for 2005 because of the cost of administering the system and manning the barriers. ‘The income from sticker sales and parking fees would nowhere near have covered the costs of setting up the barriers, in fact we were facing a shortfall of nearly $50,000,’ explained Pavitar. ‘The changes to the out of town barriers will have an effect but some of it will be positive,’ believes Mayor Jan
Barham who heads up the New Years Eve Safety Committee. ‘It is a fact that the restrictions have created problems over the years and have resulted in a lot of abuse of those workers who staffed the barriers. The police will perform trafďŹ c control on the roundabout and also be able to police the area under the alcohol prohibition. Jonson Street is designated as a clearway so there will be a ow through of trafďŹ c that the police will manage through the town,’ she added. Pavitar believes this year’s event will not attract the crowds experienced in previous years because of the absence of ‘party’ entertainment. ‘There will be no ďŹ reworks, no dance party, no loud full-
see sport, page 44
Caitlin dreams of art
on bands. We are catering to families, locals and visitors of all ages. Mums and babies through to grandmas should feel safe to come to town.’ The question is whether the message will get through to the hordes of young people attracted to Byron Bay in previous years looking for an alcohol fuelled good time. ‘At this stage we are planning to have one stage in Lawson Street; an entertainment area in Apex Park, including a cinema screen, which will be a family area with children’s rides close by; and a further low key entertainment area next to the Peace Pole,’ Pavitar said. Council will fund the night to the tune of $125,000 however Pavitar says she is working on sponsorship packages and strategies which she says continued on page 2
The fabulously famous St Finbarrs Fair Getting into the Christmas spirit last week were Graces Pattison and Chaplin, Isabelle Clark and Oliver Mair of St Finbarr’s Primary School. The school’s Christmas Fair is on Tuesday December 6 from 5pm winding up with a fireworks finale at 8.45pm. Baked goods will be bursting forth onto the stalls including Christmas cakes and puddings, pickles, jams and chutney, plus crafts and baskets full of Christmas bounty to put under the Christmas tree. Kids will love the lucky dip stall, kids’ food van and the sample bags. Grown-ups can enjoy the BBQ and Asian food stall, the huge raffle and Kerry’s non-stop sensational Chocolate Wheel with prizes from heaps of generous local businesses. Photo Jeff ‘Looks like rain dear’ Dawson
Caitlin Reilly’s ‘Resting Place’, a personal account of the end of a journey, is one of nearly 30 paintings and lino cuts based mainly on childhood images of landscape and horse dreams. Caitlin’s work will be on display at Bangalow’s Barebones artspace until Friday. Photo Jeff ‘Testing Place’ Dawson
Chamber targets mini bypass The Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce has asked the Deputy Premier, John Watkins, to help stop any further study by Byron Shire Council of the mini bypass development application (DA). It has been nearly five years since the DA for the full Byron Bay bypass was lodged. In 2002 the DA was amended to propose staged construction with the ďŹ rst section being a mini bypass along Butler Street, joining
Jonson Street just south of the Rails. Progress on the DA has been halted pending approval by the State Government for a second rail crossing at Browning Street near Mitre 10. John Watkins wrote to the Chamber recently to advise that a state government working party had been convened to investigate the feasibility of a second rail crossing. continued on page 2
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