Food Box celebrates ten years Connecting Generations update

Ruth Winton Brown

A local organisation that links young families with older people has voted to become incorporated, allowing it to apply for government grants for future events.

The Australian Red Cross, which has been active in flood recovery in the area, is helping Connecting Generations and Communities with the change.

The Food Box, which distributes quality food for those in need in Mullumbimby on Thursday mornings at the Uniting Church, recently celebrated ten years of serving the community. Co-ordinator, Gill Lomath, told The Echo a morning tea was held with all who have assisted them over the years, ‘along with folk who assisted with flood recovery on our property’. Pictured are (L–R): Moyna Reay, Edie Trotter, Tay Lee, Jan Tarbox, Barry Reid, Barry Lomath, Steve Thomas, Jude Alcorn, Ingrid Manning and Gill Lomath. Brenda Bartlett was absent. Photo Jeff Dawson

Council agenda items this Thursday

With Council returning to public meetings this Thursday, some items of interest up for debate and voting are: ‘Amendments to Byron Development Control Plan Submissions Report’ and, ‘Rural Community Title DCP 2014 Chapter D2 amendments – Submissions Report’. There are also three notices of motion before councillors, and all are authored by Greens Cr Duncan Dey. They are: ‘Timing of removal of fill on bank of Marshalls Creek’, ‘Consult about local impacts of 2023 Triathlon’, and ‘Expression of Interest for land for a natural burial ground’.

Regarding Marshalls Creek fill, The Echo has previously reported that the NSW

EPA is investigating Council’s connection to fill dumped on the floodplain, which was highlighted by residents and initially ignored by staff.

Cr Dey is also the only councillor who has asked questions without notice.

They are: ‘Upgrades on Main Arm Road’ and ‘Triathlon sponsor’s not-for-profit status’.

It is hoped that the organisation will receive funding to pay for activities, such as face painting and art and craft supplies, for its seasonal events, which are now being held at Bangalow Bowlo.

It also plans to host a free ‘Connecting Communities’ lunch for isolated people annually.

Becoming incorporated will also allow the organisation to maintain ownership of the model and mentor other community groups around NSW who want to develop similar gatherings for their communities.

Connecting Generations and Communities was formed around five years ago by a group of community members known as Possum Creek Conscious Elders.

Inspired by the book From Age-ing to Sage-ing, the group’s aim was for older people to have conversations about their spiritual, emotional, physical, mental and moral lived experience.

The last Connecting Generations event in November was a huge success, with activities such as making magic potions to turn cane toads into frogs. Local musicians provided a great soundtrack to the afternoon, with young and old dancing together.

Feb 12 event

The next event will be at Bangalow Bowlo on February 12, from 2pm to 4pm. The theme is Galloping Galaxies, and children will be able to meet Freckles the Pony, and build spacecraft. The organisation now also has a Facebook page that members of the community can follow for updates.

■ Ruth Winton Brown is from Connecting Generations and Communities.

Natural burial ground plans resurrected

Paul Bibby

The long-running campaign to build a natural burial ground in the Byron Shire will return to the agenda of Byron Council this week, with councillors to debate a new motion on the topic.

With the long-term previous plan to build the chemical and coffin-free burial ground falling over recently, Greens councillor Duncan Dey is proposing that Council undertake a new Expression of Interest process for the project.

Should Cr Dey’s motion be successful, Council would publicly invite local landowners to put forward space that could be purchased by, or donated to, the Council for use as a chemical and coffin-free burial ground.

Cr Dey wrote in the agenda, ‘The [previously] favoured site on Sewage Treatment Plant land at Vallances Road [in Mullumbimby] was not suitable, in the main because road access to it is not safe’.

Two existing cemeteries, at Mullumbimby and at Clunes, are now being considered, yet Cr Dey notes the Mullum site may not have enough available land, and Clunes is considred by some to be too far away.

However, Cr Dey’s proposal for an Expression of Interest process has received less than overwhelming support from Council staff.

Unsupportive staff

Council’s manager of Open Space and Facilities, Malcolm Robertson, said that Council had asked for Expressions of Interest to host the burial ground less than three years ago, and not one response had been received.

‘Because of the lack of community response previously, it is recommended that current actions to investigate options within Mullumbimby and Clunes cemeteries are undertaken as a first step’.

NSW Labor states its position on struggling health sector

Further to last week’s story around health pledges from the candidates for the NSW election, Labor’s Andrew Broadley told The Echo their policy is to ‘remove the public sector workers’ salary cap’. He says, ‘This requires legislative change – so it can only occur if there is a change of government.

‘In recent times, Public Sector workers have the case for this change. The Liberals and Nationals have ignored all reasonable attempts to