THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO
Byron Bay Writers Festival
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 21 #08 TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2006 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
Pages 20 & 33 (behind seven)
E V E RY O N E
Writersfest ready to turn 10
Michael McDonald Writers festival organisers are ready to celebrate the Byron Bay Writers Festival first decade, with the tenth event kicking off this week and coming weekend at the Byron Bay Beach Resort, the community centre and venues throughout town. The festival will be the last for much respected director Jill Eddington, who has decided to move on. Attracting more than 100 writers, the festival’s program ranges from politics to cookery and on to writing for children. Among the events Coastlines4, the latest anthology of creative work from Southern Cross University writing students, will be launched by renowned novelist Robert Drewe on Saturday. Published through the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Coastlines4 is produced by a team of nine student editors and their supervisor Dr Janie Conway-Herron. The anthology will be available at the launch and at Dymocks and the Co-op Bookshop, Lismore. A discussion on the need – or not – for cultural policy
Writers festival stalwarts (left to right) Rebecca Park, Jeni Caffin, Jill Eddington and Chris Hanley gear up for the tenth annual Byron Bay Writers Festival. Photo Jeff ‘Word Me Up’ Dawson
in Australia will be held at the Byron Bay Community Centre on Friday from 9.30am to 11am as a free event. Guest panellists include Professor Ien Ang, public commentator and leading figure in cultural studies worldwide; Neil Armfield, one of Australia’s foremost directors; film producer Margaret Fink; and Professor David Throsby, internationally known for his work in the economics of arts and culture. Professor David Throsby says, ‘There is a sense in the air that as a society we are economically wealthy but culturally impoverished or at least uncertain about what our cultural values are or in what direction they may be changing.’ To book your free seat at this discussion ring Jetset Byron Bay on 6685 6554 or pick your ticket up from Jetset, Shop 6, Old Bakery Complex, on the corner of Marvell and Jonson Streets, Byron Bay.
See more on the festival on pages 20 and 33 and for full program details go to www.byronbaywritersfestival.com.au.
C O U N T S
State grabs park power from Byron Council Lesley Patterson The state government has sacked Byron Shire Council as manager of four caravan parks on Crown land and the Clarkes Beach Café. Minister for Lands Tony Kelly announced the move in a press release on Thursday morning, just as staff from his department were breaking the news to Council. The Terrace, Ferry Reserve and Massey Greene Caravan Parks in Brunswick Heads and the Clarkes Beach Caravan Park will now be managed by the Department of Lands. ‘Following a number of complaints from the community, an independent audit was undertaken that identified a number of issues of serious concern with these parks,’ said Mr Kelly. ‘The
Department allowed Council time to respond to the issues and prepare a strategy to address the concerns raised in the audit. Council’s strategy lacked the detail to effectively deal with the situation.’ The Department of Lands would not reveal how many complaints had been received or give specific details on the nature of the complaints. ‘Environmental concerns, public safety, OH&S [occupational health and safety], non compliance with licensing requirements,’ was as far as John McClymont from the Department of Lands would be drawn. ‘The audit was undertaken in the first half of 2005 and a copy of the audit was provided to Council. Discussions were undertaken with senior staff and Council was
Breastfeeding gets the thumbs up
It’s World Breastfeeding Week. ‘We’ll drink to that,’ agree Rose and Pearl – with mother Zoe – who’ve been celebrating for about five months. Further gatherings of bosom buddies will be held at Mullum Hospital at 10am on Wednesday August 2 and at the Brunswick Heads Playground, on The Terrace near the caravan park, on Friday August 4, also at 10am. Both events are morning teas. All breastfeeding babies welcome, BYO mother. Photo Jeff ‘When only the breast will do’ Dawson
given the opportunity to provide an action plan to address the issues. However, Council’s response failed to address the serious matters outlined in the audit,’ said Mr McClymont. Byron Shire Mayor Jan Barham told The Echo, ‘There is no way the issues raised in the audit warrant the action that has been taken by the Department’, adding that major criticisms in the audit involved issues such as minimum distances between caravans and fire safety technicalities, which had largely been dealt with. ‘One part of the audit talks about the undervaluing of the product and compares prices of cabins in the Brunswick caravan parks with other tourism accommodation such as units. This is pretty bizarre. I don’t know anyone who would think a holiday in a caravan park would be comparable with a unit in a block. My biggest fear is that this is all about money,’ Cr Barham said. Last financial year’s profit target for the four parks was a little over $1.5 million, however this sum does not remain in Council’s coffers but is repaid to the state government. Council then applies to the Department of Lands for grants to carry out work on the caravan parks, as well as maintain infrastructure on Crown land such as surf life saving clubs, the Byron Bay pool and beachfront reserves. ‘The worst case scenario is that some of the responsibility for maintenance of public reserves and surf life saving clubs would fall back on continued on page 4