THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO
Autumn Weddings
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 #37 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2007 22,300 copies every week $1 at newsagents only
C H O I C E
Interstate drug bust nets local Nomads A series of police raids in Queensland and NSW early on Wednesday morning last week targeted members of the Nomads biker club, alleged to be part of a sophisticated drug trafficking syndicate. Police allege members of the club’s Byron Bay chapter, as well as members and associates of the Gold Coast and Ipswich chapters, were part of the syndicate. As part of an organised crime operation, the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC), in partnership with the Queensland Police Service, the New South Wales Police Force Gangs Squad and the Australian Crime Commission simultaneously executed search warrants on about 50 premises in Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich and Redcliffe. These raids involved more than 200 police drawn from the CMC, State Crime Operations Command, Task Force Hydra, Qld and NSW regional police. So far 17 people have been arrested with offences alleged to involve the large scale production and distribution of dangerous drugs specifically amphetamines. Others are
being questioned by police and further arrests are expected. Those arrested have been charged with a range of offences including drug trafficking, drug supply, produce dangerous drugs, possess dangerous drug, possess drug utensils, possess concealable firearms and tainted property. The raids signal the completion of two closely linked investigations, codenamed Operations Navan and Danson. CMC Operation Navan began in September 2005, in partnership with the QPS and the ACC, on the basis of intelligence about organised crime drug trafficking gathered and analysed by the CMC. The CMC’s Director of Crime Operations, Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Doyle, said 18 months of hard work has led to the closure of two significant criminal networks. ‘As a result, we have disrupted the flow of dangerous drugs between Queensland and New South Wales. This shows that state borders do not impede crime agencies in combating organised crime,’ Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Doyle said.
A blooming dahliance
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O P T I O N A L
Local business helps green Main Beach
Nathan Valentine from Byron Bay Handimarket, the Green Garage’s Sean Crilley, Ed Ahern of Byron United, Teresa Heal from the Green & Clean Awareness Team, Diana Liptrot from Byron United and Rainforest Rescue’s Alice Moffat. Photo Jeff ‘Vegetable Matter’ Dawson
Byron Bay businessman and Byron United president Ed Ahern and business partners Sean Crilley and Nathan Valentine of the Green Garage and Byron Bay Handimarket have given $5,000 seed funding to Rainforest Rescue to go toward ‘greening’ Main Beach, Byron Bay. Rainforest Rescue is working with local environment group the Green Clean & Awareness Team (GCAT) to address dune degradation at Main Beach through a tree planting project. Rainforest Rescue sees the project as a positive step toward expanding habitat for local wildlife and enhancing the community’s enjoy-
ment of the beach. The tree planting project will not only help to strengthen dunes in times of storms and from other damage, it will also in time, create shade along the beach. Rainforest Rescue is hoping to raise $10,000 from local businesses for the project. GCAT is keen to begin the planting and will be working with a bush regeneration professional from Environmental Training & Employment (EnviTE). GCAT’s Teresa Heal said, ‘It is wonderful that local businesses like the Green Garage are coming forward and supporting this project. We still are a fair way off from the total funds needed to complete the
project and we hope other businesses will also come forward to help.’ Rick Christian from local business Byronbay.com has also supported the project with $1,000. Alice Moffett from Rainforest Rescue said, ‘I am really excited about the project and pleased to be facilitating a means where local businesses can create local environmental outcomes – a big thankyou to those who have already shown their support.’ Any local businesses who would like to be a part of the Main Beach planting are encouraged to contact Alice at Rainforest Rescue on 6684 4360.
Grill the candidates over climate change at Byron Bay The North Coast Climate Action Group (NCCAG) has organised a ‘Meet the Candidates’ forum for March 10 in the Byron Bay High School auditorium from 2pm to 4pm. Entry is by gold coin donation. Each of the major candidates – Greens John Bailey, ALP Melanie Doriean and Nationals Don Page Stephen Wedd places the last flower in his family’s formidable display of dahlias – will have 15 to 20 minutes to at Saturday’s Coorabell Flower Show. Photo Jeff ‘Petal’ Dawson outline their plan for action to deal
with climate change. This will be followed by an hour for the audience to put questions, ideas and comments to the candidates. ‘State government can and must do much if we are to save our skins, let alone our lifestyles, as the planet heats up,’ says NCCAG. NCCAG can be contacted on 6684 2272 on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For those who may not be able
to make the Byron event but want to find out more, Gayle Russell from NCCAG is offering a course through ACE, ‘Eco-living & Climate Change: making a difference’ over two Saturdays, March 10 and 17, 10am-4pm. Phone ACE on 6684 3374 to book. For a roundup of the Hypothetical on climate change scenarios held recently at Bangalow, see page 17.