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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 Available early Tuesday at: http://www.echo.net.au VOLUME 23 #10 TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2008 22,700 copies every week
TA K I N G
I D E A S
Heroes in ight at Arts Expo
Story & photo Eve Jeffery Catharina Sauerland has her nagging mother to thank for her entry in the Ocean Shores Arts Expo. On the due date for entries, Catharina submitted her piece ‘Heart Of A Hero’ into this year’s new Arts Expo section sculpture and was amazed when she found out she has won second prize. Catharina’s sculpture was one of a record 180 works entered by 160 artists in a show that is coming of age. Five years has seen the gradual and organic evolution of the Arts Expo whose aim is to provide an opportunity for the Ocean Shores community members to participate in a local cultural event. It encourages an evolving
sense of community while at the same time creating an opportunity for artists of all ages to be involved in an art show. Organisers feel that the quality of work is creating a buzz and that this show has ďŹ nally put the Ocean Shores show on the art map. Artist and organiser of Bangalow’s Art on Sunday, David Arrowsmith, was very impressed with the expo. ‘This is my third year at the show,’ said Mr Arrowsmith. ‘Ocean Shores has raised the bar in terms of quality. I can’t pick a favourite work, I’ve got about six! ‘The judging panel was fair, square and egalitarian. I am betting that other public exhibitions will be taking a leaf out of the
WEDDINGS
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THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO
Ocean Shores book.’ About 200 art lovers gathered at the community centre on Friday night for the opening of the show and to see the presentation of awards with prize money totalling $3500. This year’s theme was ‘Belonging’ and the winners of the ďŹ ve categories created works with this in mind. Catharina’s ceramic piece is a sculpture of the torso of a superhero with the visible heart containing a tiny super hero child bursting through the breastplate. ‘Heart of a Hero is about Super Man with a vulnerability; the need to nurture the child within,’ she said. ‘Belonging comes from this vulnerability.’
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Billibong puzzles locals Eve Jeffery Concern is mounting for missing postal worker Karen who disappeared in the vicinity of the Billinudgel Billabong early last week. The Billi Billabong, or perhaps Billibong, which is a growing feature of the town landscape, is well known as being responsible for the disappearance of several cars in recent years but the postie is the ďŹ rst know human victim of the devilish waters. Postal manger Sue Stirton is very concerned for the safety of Karen and others who may venture too close to the billabong. ‘The biggest problem is the crocagators who have recently inhabited the pond,’ said Ms Stirton last Friday. ‘Heavens above! I was in fear of my life. ‘We got some chooks from Ken at the pub and managed to keep the crocs at bay until Bindi and Bob junior came and took them away. I am planning to head up to the Australia Zoo myself in the next few weeks to learn to wrangle the creatures and maybe start my own croc farm right here in the main street of Billi.’ The pond which is about ten metres long and four metres wide is slowly encroaching on the main drag and when the rain does stop is takes days for the water to dry up. ‘The council did come
and tar over it earlier this year so the hole no longer went through to China, but we don’t have any drainage and it ďŹ lled up again. ‘We did come up with an idea that we could fence it and turn it into the Billi Pool. A twelve metre diving tower would have made a
nice addition to the street, but since then one of the crocs regurgitated Karen’s boot and no-one is game to go into the water.’ ■Contribute tales of the Billibong on the forums section of our website – www.echo.net.au
Postal worker Di Galetti and Postal Manager Sue Stirton with some of the inhabitants of the Billibong. Photo Peter King
Draft local environmental plan for Shire up before Councillors Byron Shire Councillors will consider the long-awaited draft Local Environmental Plan (LEP) at their planning meeting this Thursday August 14. Council’s Director of Planning, Development and Environment Services, Ray
Darney, said a huge amount of work had been done by Council planners to get to the position where the plan could be considered by Councillors before being forwarded to the Department of Planning to determine whether the plan can
be exhibited for input by the community. Mr Darney said Council planners have been preparing the new plan since June 2006, and in this two year period some substantial changes in direction by State Planning had caused changes
in direction for the LEP process and some time delays. Some of the key issues that have been addressed in the new plan include defined oor space ratios, secondary dwellings, coastal hazard areas, rezoning of the super-
market site at Mullumbimby, business zone for Jonson Street south, hospital rezoning on Ewingsdale Road and some land releases at Bangalow. Mr Darney said he had not supported a rezoning to business of a residential site
on Broken Head Road, Suffolk Park, adjacent to the BP Service Station. It was considered that residential use as per its current zone was more advantageous than to move to a commercial rezoning for a supermarket. continued on page 2
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