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 Available early Tuesday at: http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 22 #15 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 22,300 copies every week
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Farewell Tony Narracott
Singing away unwanted elephants on Peace Day
Some members of the combined choir, led by Alison Mackay (in blue), warm up their vocal chords before entering the Ewingsdale Hall for a peaceful performance at the Peace Day gathering on Sunday September 16. Byron’s Peace
Day on Sunday marked the International Day of Peace coming up on September 21. Healing and meditation spaces were set up as part of the day, the wishing tree was in place and groups such as Amnesty International and The
Greens shared the park adjacent to the hall with the colossal nuclear white elephant, standing in plain view to highlight potential nuclear dangers. Photo Lou Beaumont
Big crowd expected for Splendour DA meet Hundreds of residents from the north of the Shire are expected at a public protest meeting about Splendour DA plans at Yelgun at the Ocean Shores Community Centre on Sunday September 23 at 4pm. Ballina MP Don Page will be there, Lismore MP Thomas George has been invited as well as Richmond MP Justine Elliot. Byron Shire Mayor Jan Barham has accepted, as have a number of Councillors. Former senator Norm Sanders, a veteran of major Australian environ-
mental campaigns, will chair the meeting. According to spokesperson Ri Fraser, ‘One of the major failures of the DA is that the cumulative effects of the foreshadowed 20 days of festivals has not been addressed. The DA only addresses a “trial event”. ‘Residents are concerned that the northern community of the Shire will be sandwiched between two mega festival sites if the Blues & Roots Festival obtains consent to develop the Tyagarah site. ‘There is also major concern over
illegal house-letting because of the inability of Byron Shire to cope with an anticipated audience of 24,500 people. ‘What were once quiet, safe residential family neighbourhoods will be challenged by high party-house rentals, excessive traffic, late-night festival noise, illegal camping, security threats etc. ‘Local services of hospital, police, ambulance, fire and rangers will be constantly diverted away from the local community. Capacity sewerage, water and electricity will be
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further stressed.’ Submissions on the DA must be lodged with Council by September 28. At their website www.northbyronshireparklands.com.au the developers Billinudgel Property Trust are calling for support of their DA, which proposes a festival with a maximum of 22,500 patrons, 7,500 of them camping on site. The festival is planned for early August next year on the 256 hectare site which borders the Billinudgel Nature Reserve.
Byron Bay identity Tony Narracott died on Sunday September 16 at 6pm. Despite a diagnosis of inoperable cancer Tony continued to live life to the full with travel, sport and parties including his own ‘wake’, The Awakening, in February. Close friend Paul McCarthy told The Echo, ‘Tony died while enjoying a barbecue with his partner Barbara Turner and close friends. After a lovely lunch followed by tea and chocolates Tony began to feel unwell and when given the choice of the hospital or the spa, true to form, Tony chose the spa. He died after a time in the spa – having fun till the end.’ This Thursday night, a fundraiser event, ‘Life of Tony’ at which Tony was to be special guest, will still go ahead. His beloved Byron community is invited to party at the Buddha Bar on Thursday, to enjoy food, drink, revelry and jokes – many at Tony’s expense – with Mandy Nolan and Paul McCarthy. The winner of the $1,000 Tony Narracott Portrait Prize will be announced and there will be a charity auction. All of this in keeping with Tony’s life which has been, amongs other things, dedicated to giving back to the community that has given him so much. Proceeds from the ticket sales, charity auction and raffle will be split between The Buttery (to help build a new continued on page 2