THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 30 #33 Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Sign on 2016
www.echo.net.au Phone 02 6684 1777 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au 23,200 copies every evveerry we w ek week
p20–22
S T O P G I V I N G M A R K L AT H A M A M I C R O P H O N E
CAB AUDIT
Mojo M Juju talks all things music al – p32
Delta Kay, Holley Somerville–Knott, Sage Nara and Elizabeth Watts have all scooped categories for Byron Shire’s Citizen of the Year. Community Event of the Year has been awarded to The Byron Bay Writers Festival. Mayor Simon Richardson said of Byron Shire’s Citizen of the Year, Delta Kay, has ‘many admirable skills and qualities including her ongoing enthusiasm, leadership, ability to connect and educate, patience and her motivation to build on her own personal awareness of Indigenous culture and her knowledge as an Aboriginal woman.’ Byron Shire’s Young Citizen of the Year, Holley Somerville–Knott, has been an activist since she was eight years old, where she founded her charity, Stardust Entertainment. Now 12, her charity has been selected as one of seven global charities to be a recipient of Reachers Philanthropy Global Social Media continued on page 5
Parents rejoice! Back to school time – p16–19
Flickerfest homecoming
Locally based NSW Nationals MLC Ben Franklin has declined to tell The Echo whether he supports legalising marijuana, despite strong evidence that doing so has reduced crime and boosted the economies of legalised states in the US. But he has defended his government’s controversial roadside saliva
www.echo.net.au/environment-ministerscousin-protests-at-santos-pilliga-site
Tragedy in Thailand for Byron family Christine Willmot
Mullumbimby Civic Hall was packed last weekend for the annual Flickerfest and Byron All Shorts film festival. Production and tour manager Shane Rennie said that this year’s festival saw 19 local finalists from the northern rivers region hotly contesting for prizes that recognise excellence in short film making. He said, ‘The Byron All Shorts competition was judged by an esteemed jury of film practitioners including legendary Australian actor and activist Tony Barry, award-winning Indigenous writer/director/actor Wayne Blair and local producer Lois Randall.’ Cloudcatcher Media’s David Lowe and Eve Jeffery (also from The Echo), are pictured centre back row, and they won the Jury selection for best short film, Citizen To Activist. Photo Jeff Dawson
Local Nats MLC supports drug testing laws Hans Lovejoy
Online in netdaily Environment minister’s cousin protests at Santos’ Pilliga site
drug tests, despite a growing movement of activists claiming they unfairly target cannabis users and that cannabis use is not known to be a major contributor to road accidents. The former NSW Nationals director and now upper house MLC told The Echo, ‘Nothing is more important than ensuring the safety of local residents on our roads. Drug driving is unsafe, and it contributed
to 50 deaths on our roads in 2014. ‘This is a measure to address the staggering numbers of people who get behind the wheel when they’re under the influence of illegal drugs. ‘Illegal drugs are present in around the same number of fatal crashes each year as illegal (over the limit) alcohol ‘Last year, one in ten MDTs came back positive, compared to around
1 in 300 positive Random Breath Tests for alcohol. ‘With regards to people’s concerns about testing, a positive MDT does not by itself prove the offence. After testing, samples are sent to a laboratory where a highly accurate testing machine confirms the result. People aren’t charged until the results are confirmed in the laboratory continued on page 7
Both grandmother and daughter lost Somepong’s grief is doubled having lost both her mother and daughter in this tragic accident. Sonya was a sparky, happy child beloved by all and was looking forward to starting ‘big school’ – Byron Primary – this year. She was very close to her big brother, Justin; they were best mates continued on page 2
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The enjoyment of a holiday in rural Thailand was tragically cut short for a Byron Bay family of four when their youngest child, Sonya, aged five, was involved in a motorcycle accident on Monday January 18, 2016. George and Somepong Davis and their children, Justin, six and Sonya, five had been experiencing Thai village life while staying on Somepong’s parents’ farm in northern Thailand. On the morning that they were due to fly back to Australia, Sonya accompanied her Thai grandmother to the local market on the family motorbike when they were struck by a car travelling at speed from behind. Sonya’s grandma died on impact and Sonya survived the crash, but was critically injured and was put on life support. She died five days later on 22 January. Her mother, father and older brother Justin are utterly devastated.
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Australia Day winners announced
Ticks, red meat and you – a beginners guide – p7
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