THE BYRON SHIRE
YOUR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY 2014
Volume 28 #40 Tuesday, March 18, 2014 Phone 02 6684 1777 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
Inside this week
FREE magazine inserted in this week’s Echo
MEMES PRE-SHRUNK FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE
CAB AUDIT
Protect our Trafficking in Celebrate sanctuaries – bypasses – Seniors Week p12 p14 p16–17
Living la dolce vita – p19
Byron marches for political change
Story and photo Eve Jeffery
A reported 3,490 marchers gathered in Apex Park from 9am on Sunday to stand beside at least 100,000 people across the country for the March in March – Australians United for a Better Government, an action preceding the march on Canberra on Monday morning. The message behind the march was the people’s vote of no confidence in the current government’s policies and decisions. The massive crowd blocked traffic for over 20 minutes as it made its way down Jonson Street to Railway Park where it was standing room only, and peaceful protesters spilled out on to the pavement and road. With a list of at least 115 sins committed by prime minister Tony Abbott and his government, Mandy
Nolan played MC to the jam-packed crowd. Speakers, including Delta Kay, Fred McGrady, Kelly Cox, Justin Fields and Mark Robertson, were spurred on by the throng, who responded with an overwhelming ‘boo’ to Tony Abbott. Towards the end the event struck a sour note when MC Mandy Nolan was roughly handled by individuals wishing to address the crowd. The Echo has the scuffle on video and Ms Nolan is considering her response to the incident.
Abbott unaware Mr Abbott’s response to the event nationwide was that the only march he was aware of was the St Patrick’s Day parade in Sydney. According to AAP reports, the March in March event attracted the
largest crowd in Melbourne, where more than 10,000 people – among them parents, students, environmentalists, refugee supporters, cab drivers, teachers and children – gathered in the city centre. About 2,000 swarmed on central Brisbane to show their disdain for the direction taken by Liberal governments and just under 10,000 protested in Sydney, local police told AAP. Many of the headline-grabbing polices of the Commonwealth, NSW, WA and Queensland governments were attacked during an event organisers say is a grassroots, nonpartisan peaceful protest spawned from conversations on social media. The organisers claim March in March has 45,000 Facebook supporters, amassed since the conversation began in January.
Clooney appreciates art – p26
Byron Shire Council Notices Page 39
Writers festival supports Indigenous Literacy Foundation The Byron Bay Writers Festival has announced it will support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) as its new charity partner. Festival director Edwina Johnson believes the fit between the two organisations is perfect: ‘I feel so honoured that we are able to bring such incredible literary talent to the northern rivers. Our association with ILF means we can transfer some of that benefit via fundraising to remote Indigenous communities through the fabulous work of the ILF’. IFL executive director Karen Williams said the Indigenous Literacy Foundation was set up with the support of the Australian Book Industry in 2005. ‘The core aim of the ILF is to address literacy levels and improve the lives and opportunities of Indigenous children living in remote communities. Over the past five years it has delivered over 100,000 books to more than 230 communities. ‘I was over the moon when I received the call from Edwina informing us of the decision to sup-
port our organisation. We are only able to provide these vital literacy resources and publish community literacy projects through the generous support of organisations like the Byron Bay Writers Festival.’ Williams said the funds raised via the festival will help contribute to the organisation’s ability to increase the number of books it sends out in 2014. ‘Book supply is our biggest program area and many homes still do not have books. Less than 36 per cent of people living in a remote community have access to a library’. Johnson believes festival-goers will find a visit to the ILF festival pop-up tent a highly informative experience. ‘I encourage everyone to visit the ILF at the festival to learn more about the issues facing these communities. Many children in these areas don’t encounter written or spoken English until they reach school.’ See more about the Writers Festival at www.byronbaywritersfestival. com.au and the ILF at www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au.
Children from Yakanarra Remote Community School at the launch of their book at the National Library of Australia in 2013. Photo courtesy National Library of Australia.