THE BYRON SHIRE
MULLUM SHOP LOCAL
Volume 30 #24 Wednesday, November 25, 2015
www.echo.net.au
THIS CHRISTMAS!
Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every week
SHOP LOCAL & WIN! see pages 20 & 21
TRY HACKING THIS
CAB AUDIT
Isn’t war just terrorism on a bigger budget? What govcorp and mediacorp aren’t saying – p16
Don’t let Putin with a gun get you down – there’s plenty of homes and gardens to explore – p20, 21
Bangalow’s new hair-do
Welcome Schoolies, Zoolies and Toolies With Schoolies now celebrating the end of year 12, The Byron Schoolies Safety Response say they are ready to support the around 10,000 expected to visit Byron Bay over the next few weeks. The Schoolies HUB marquee is located on Main Beach, with The Red Frog volunteers supplying nightly free pancakes, chai and nightly music in the park. HUB co-ordinator, Nicqui Yazdi says the 24-hour Red Frogs Hotline
will be open for the entire duration, offering various services to Schoolies, including a walk-home service, pancake cook-ups at their accommodation houses and just about anything else the schoolies may need help with. The Red Frogs hotline is 1300 557 123. For Byron residents, there is a Noisy Neighbour Hotline, hosted by the Holiday Letting Organisation (HLO). The 24-hour noisy neighbour hotline number is 6626 6888.
If you are having problems with the management of noisy holiday makers, you can call at any time. The service is aimed at ensuring holiday letting does not have a negative impact on locals. A private security company will respond to calls, and will refer to the police in certain circumstances. Identity of callers to the hotline is kept confidential. Above all, take care of each other, stay safe and have fun!
ON GRID SOLAR
SOLUTION Call the renewable energy specialist on 02 6689 1430
netdaily
Chinderah highway servo set for big expansion www.echo.net.au/2015/11/chinderahhighway-servo-set-for-big-expansion
Key environment role downgraded by council Chris Dobney
Miss Teen Bangalow showgirl Ashley Abbott and Charlotte Clark, both competing in the Edwardian Pompadour Hair-do competition at the Bangalow Show on Saturday. Apart from the horses, cattle, poultry, pedigree dogs and guinea pigs, the two day event also featured trotting, barrel and ride-on mower races, tug-o-war and equine musical chairs. Crikey! Photo Jeff Dawson
Online in
Byron Shire Council’s environment team leader position has been downgraded, resulting in the redundancy of the former staff member and a vacant position. And while former mayor and Greens MLC Jan Barham described as a ‘shocking and sad and a betrayal of the community’, Council’s general manager Ken Gainger said the move was part of normal council processes. He added that Council had restructured ‘its entire workforce’ over the past two years. As part of the restructure, the bush regeneration team has been moved to the parks and open space department and now reports to a new team leader, Mr Gainger told The Echo. ‘As a consequence, the former team leader natural environment position was reduced in grade because of the loss of staff management responsibilities,’ he said. ‘The incumbent was offered the new position but chose to apply for a redundancy which is an award entitlement in such circumstances. ‘Council is strongly committed to continuing and growing its extensive environmental programs and will shortly advertise the vacant position,’ Mr Gainger said. But former Greens mayor Jan Barham, during whose term the council’s biodiversity strategy was drawn up, has attacked the move. Ms Barham has urged the community to ‘question elected representatives and the general manager about any move to downgrade or eliminate the role of professional
staff who implement our commitment and responsibility to being leaders in biodiversity protection’.
Outraged ‘Please don’t let this happen, don’t let this be done without the outrage that it deserves and then wonder why we continue to see the shire destroyed – it’s too important,’ she implored. ‘Perhaps [councillors] don’t get that you need professional staff to undertake such a vital role, that the years of study and experience that are required to fulfil such a significant position to enable the implementation of a community priority are crucial,’ Ms Barham told The Echo. In 2004, during her time in office, Byron Shire Council adopted an award-winning biodiversity conservation strategy that ‘identified the long-term plans for implementation of the commitment to be leaders in the biodiversity management,’ Ms Barham said. ‘To do this, it was recognised that professional staff were essential to guide this process and provide support to community to be partners in making it a reality. ‘Staff also have the professional role of informing all other plans and developments within the shire. ‘To downgrade and/or eliminate the crucial role of environment team leader and the priority objective of biodiversity protection will undermine a defined community priority,’ Ms Barham said. Ms Barham added there did not appear to have been any community consultation around the move.
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