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 #44 TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2008 22,700 copies every week Printed on 100% recycled paper
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The thrill of The Chaser comes to writersfest
Downhill run to Bangalow’s famous derby
The Chaser’s Chris Taylor will be one of the star attractions at this year’s Byron Bay Writers Festival. Chris Taylor is a writer and performer for The Chaser team, responsible for television programs such as The Chaser’s War on Everything, CNNNN and The Chaser Decides. He worked as a journalist for ďŹ ve years before joining The Chaser newspaper as its senior writer. Highlights from the newspaper have been turned into several bestselling books.
Mark your calendars for the Annual Bangalow Billycart Derby on Sunday May 18. If you are interested in sponsoring, volunteering or participating, contact Tony Heeson on phone/fax 6687 2580, ah 6688 4236, or 0419 715 098. Photo Jeff ‘I Love The Smell Of Rubber In The Morning’ Dawson
Ewingsdale speed camera is a lottery Jann Gilbert Di Crozier is in a Catch 22 situation. In order to get to and from work she has to drive between Ocean Shores and Bangalow but she needs to do so without passing the dreaded Ewingsdale (St Helena) speed camera. Di is, unfortunately, one of those residents who seem to have developed a most unwelcome and uninvited relationship with the camera. Even the attentions of the paparazzi would be preferable to the nocorrespondence-entered-into gaze of this infamous lens. Like Michelle Argent (the subject of an Echo article in February regarding the speed camera), Di has been booked a number of times but is convinced she has not been speeding.To give the RTA the beneďŹ t of the doubt, almost any-
one could make the mistake of speeding once (it’s on the downhill, easy enough to creep over the limit slightly) but to know of the camera’s sensitivity and not be cognisant of the speed at which you’re travelling subsequent to this would be akin to the actions of a mad person or a moron. Neither Di nor Michelle (or many of the other victims of the camera) appear to be stark raving lunatics or moronic in the least. Quite the contrary, they’re responsible, believable and intelligent human beings with previously impeccable driving records who are left feeling powerless against the arbitrary logic of both the RTA and the OfďŹ ce of State Revenue (OSR). Di now considers herself a danger on the camera stretch of high-
way because she drives too slowly, simply to avoid an infringement. With another speeding infringement translating to the loss of her licence and, given she needs her car for work (not just to and from but she’s also responsible for driving others), Di decided that she is not prepared to risk the camera so she’s taken herself off the highway and, literally, onto the beaten track, and now takes the longer, more circuitous and dangerous route via Coolamon Scenic Drive and Possum Shoot. ‘It’s one of the most dangerous, winding roads in the area,’ says Di. ‘Not to mention it takes 20 minutes longer and uses more petrol, which is not good.’ What’s of equally great concern is the seemingly ‘enigmatic logic’ used to decide the arbitrary refund
or cancellation of some ďŹ nes based on either ‘leniency’ or a review of the infringements that reveals extenuating circumstances such as roadworks. In Di’s case it was after she had paid the third infringement, following much correspondence regarding the camera, that she received a letter from the RTA informing her that it had decided to show ‘leniency’ and refund the ďŹ ne ‘based on her good driving record’. Does that mean that if you get one ďŹ ne you don’t qualify for leniency but if you get three you do? In Michelle’s case the infringement was cancelled before she paid it. In a letter from the OSR Michelle was informed that her infringement was cancelled subsequent to continued on page 6
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For two years, Chris co-hosted the popular drive time radio show Today Today on Triple J, and in 2007 he wrote the hit musical comedy Dead Caesar for the Sydney Theatre Company. He’s been a guest on Newstopia, Good News Week, The Glass House and The Panel, and also appeared on My Favourite Book and My Favourite Film. In his own words, he’s the only Chaser member currently not wanted by police for questioning. One festival session will see Judith Lucy, Danny Katz, Bryan Dawe and Chris Taylor asking ‘Are they laughing yet? examining the pressure to be funny’. The program will also offer Taylor In Conversation with Mark Seymour and Damien Leith as they unravel the process of telling story through song. Early Bird 3 Day Passes, information and tickets are available at www.byronbaywritersfestival.com or through Jetset Byron Bay on 6685 6262. NEW
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Mecca Centre 7/19 Centennial Circuit, Byron Artss & Industrial Estate 10-4 Tuesday-Friday, 10-1 Saturday Ph: 0407 221 811
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