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Byron. This is the problem with a commercial event: they are not responsible. Letting them come in and camp the day before and not providing anything for them, it’s a no-brainer that they are going to head into Byron.’ Inspector Owen King of Byron Bay Police reiterated Mayor Barham’s concern. ‘We honestly don’t know if it will increase or decrease the numbers here,’ he said. ‘It’s an unknown from our point of view. I know that Inspector Larkin [of Ballina Police] is working very closely with the event organisers and they are treating it like Splendour in the Grass or the Blues Festival.’ He was however confident that policing levels would maintain the calm and achieve the NYE Safety Committee’s goal. ‘I don’t feel that this will get us off target because the focus on Byron has become family oriented.’
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Ballina gig an unknown impact on Byron Bay’s NYE Mandy Nolan A NewYears Day festival in Ballina, being promoted as ‘15 minutes from Byron’ may pose a threat to the low key New Years Eve plans for the Bay. Byron Shire Mayor Jan Barham told The Echo she had received no notification about the ‘Beats on the Beach’ event taking place from neighbouring Ballina Council. ‘It shows a lack of respect in the region,’ she said. ‘The rest of the region has never been shy about criticising Byron about our development, how we’ve retained culture... but the minute they start realising we have made an iconic destination they all start using it – without advising us that this is going to happen. ‘I am concerned it will encourage more people to the area. With them arriving to attend the New Years Day festival the day before there is a possiblity of people coming into
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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 #24 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2006 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
Wind turbine cranks up
Beats on the Beach is a one day music festival to be held at Kingsford Smith Park in Ballina from 10am New Years Day. Attracting a demographic of 15-35 year olds the festival has been approved to ticket 9,000 people. Camping is available for up to 2,000. Sam Speight of Sydney based promotions and event company, Audio Trade, didn’t feel that the event posed any risk to the safety strategies in Byron Bay. ‘The first year is somewhat of a testing ground, certainly for Ballina Council,’ Mr Speight said. ‘We are quietly confident it is going to work the way we intended. ‘We are aware there is some trepidation in the community about the uncontrolled nature of things that may have previously happened in the local area. We have a team of ten security guards on the grounds from the minute it opens. There continued on page 2
Bangalow shows its calves Mayor Jan Barham, right, launched the Shire’s first wind turbine at Myocum with ReGenesis managing director Danielle Leonard. Photo Jeff ‘Endless Wind’ Dawson
And they’re pretty cute. The calves, their mums, bulls, horses, poultry, feathered friends, dogs, reptiles and trick bipeds all contributed to a very colourful, successful show held in perfect weather. Photo Jeff ‘Herd Mentality’ Dawson
The first wind turbine of its kind in the Northern Rivers region was launched at the ReGenesis farm in Myocum last Wednesday. The farm – its projects include regeneration, timber plantations, food production and composting – will use the turbine to offset the power used for the farm’s irrigation system and cool room. According to managing director Danielle Leonard, the 20 kilowatt Westwind turbine is grid interactive and will save over 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere in its lifetime. ‘This small turbine could power three conventional homes or up to ten
houses that combine energy efficient design with energy efficient appliances.’ Byron Shire Council will monitor noise and fauna impacts over a twelve month period. The project has attracted community concerns for fauna, noise, visual impacts, bird and paraglider safety. According to Ms Leonard the the turbine ‘is about as noisy as a household electric fan’. ‘Wind energy is already competitive as a mainstream source of energy,’ Ms Leonard said. ‘Photovoltaics [solar] is very close to hitting that point as well. The only continued on page 2