THE BYRON SHIRE
ron By
Volume 24 #09 Tuesday, August 4, 2009 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 Fax 02 6684 1719 editor@echo.net.au adcopy@echo.net.au www.echo.net.au 21,000 copies every week
Bay Writers Fe sti va l
Spec s ial liftout in Centre Page
C O M B U S T I B L E AT 2 3 3 0 C
High hopes for wordfest Council to consider new Bluesfest site
Victoria Cosford
The current economic climate notwithstanding, ticket sales for the Byron Bay Writers Festival have been incredibly strong, according to director Jeni Caffin. ‘People have come back confidently,’ she told The Echo, even after the disaster which saw one entire day of the Festival last year cancelled due to flooding. At its new venue at Belongil Fields there will be, she went on to say, ‘four fabulous marquees bristling full of fabulous writers’. And while she acknowledges that the weather will once again be in the lap of the gods, ‘we’ll move heaven and earth to ensure the environment is safe and welcoming for all the guests.’ Jeni is contagiously enthusiastic about this, her third Writers Festival, though happy to single out specific
elements. The mix of writers is one – not just the young with the old but the new with the practised, in particular writers who are ‘seriously mature’, such as Sam Cutler, who are putting out their first books. ‘There’s a lot of hope and inspiration for the new writer there’, she said. And it won’t be all high-ticket items either this year, with a lot of budget events as well as free book launches. Another reason for her excitement is the presence of comics such as Wendy Harmer, Roy Masters and Imran Ahmad – the latter whose account of a 40-city book tour in 40 days is ‘absolutely hysterical’. ‘Anything that involves humour or music touches people’, she said. Kerry O’Brien in conversation with two undercover policemen is guaranteed to be a ‘killer session’ and the Saturday morning pitching sessions,
where ten writers will be pitching their manuscripts to some of Australia’s top publishers and agents, will be fabulous. She recommends that attendees check into the on-site Chatroom whose white board will list spontaneous events changing daily. Jeni’s chief thrill comes from the knowledge that out of the hundred writers booked to appear this year, 20% are from the Northern Rivers region – ‘we are so blessed,’ she points out, ‘with all the creative practitioners we have in the area.’ Blessed too with the level of support given so freely by the local community – a point echoed by Chris Hanley, chairperson for the Festival and its founder 13 years ago. ‘I’m really proud of the area, the volunteers and the local people’, he said, going on to declare that it is the latter element responsible for one of
First Home Buyers
■ Letters, page 12
Community building grants
Community groups and local governments in the Ballina electorate have until August 10 to apply for assistance for projects under the NSW Community Building Partnership program. Member for Ballina Don Page said the Ballina electorate would receive $400,000 towards the cost of building important community projects. ‘This program will also help stimulate the local economy and provide jobs,’ Mr continued on page 2 Page said.
Special
Groups applying for funding need to demonstrate how their project will deliver positive results for the community through various outcomes and local councils will need to make a commitment to match the funding from the government. Application forms are available from Mr Page’s office 6686 7522 or can be downloaded from www.nsw. gov.au. Applications close on August 10.
Fixed first year rate of Fix no establishment fee no registration fee
*comparison *c co rate
5.89
%pa
4.99%
pa*
Comparison rate is based on a loan of $150,000 over 25 years. Terms & conditions, fees & charges available on application.
www.sccu.com.au
1300 360 744 ABN 82 087 650 682
M u r w i l l u m b a h U B a l l i n a U C a s i n o U L e n n o x H e a d U B y ro n B a y U L i s m o re U M u l l u m b i m b y U C a b a r i t a B e a c h U C e n t ro Tw e e d U Tw e e d C i t y
ncaa scc866c
Annie Younger, right, will bringing along her Flying Goolies to Saturday’s Children’s Session at the writers festival. Local writer Chad Kolcze launches his Byron Bay Locals Skate Session book on Sunday. Writers festival director Jeni Caffin will surely enjoy a leisurely leadup to the country’s second largest annual writers festival which kicks off Thursday with the sporting lunch. Photo Jeff ‘Not The Goolies!’ Dawson.
of the development application,’ the report notes. ‘The proposal will be of benefit to the community in many areas, but will also potentially result in impact upon the natural and built environment. ‘The exact impact is hard to determine without further collection of specific data during the festival event on this particular site in relation to traffic, car parking, noise and impacts upon the natural environment. Council engineers still have concerns regarding flooding on the car park areas, and Council should only grant approval for the development application for a maximum period of five years to enable Council, the applicant, the community and government departments with the opportunity to examine all impacts associated with the festival event and the continued suitability of the site for the proposed development. ‘There are no permanent structures proposed as part of the development application, with the exception of construction of six creek and drainage crossings; widening and graveling some of the access roads; construction of permanent protective fencing around Vegetation Protection Areas; and vegetation rehabilitation and planting. ‘Most of the new creek crossings will replace existing, low-level creek crossings needed and used as part of the existing farm operations.’
Byron Shire Councillors are expected this Wednesday to consider an application to relocate the annual East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival to a new site at Tyagarah. The staff report recommends approving the site use for a festival for a maximum of five years. ‘While the annual Bluesfest event will transform the Tyagarah site into a festival site, for the rest of the year it will remain a working cattle and tea tree plantation as it is at present,’ according to the staff report. The Tyagarah site is in three lots totalling about 120 hectares immediately east of the Tyagarah Pacific Highway interchange overbridge. Access to the site is via Tanner Lane. According to the staff report the site is ‘presently occupied by a working tea tree farm and grazing pastures, with three dwelling houses, a truck depot and various sheds and farm activity areas. It is interspersed by a number of watercourses, ultimately draining to Simpsons Creek. The larger watercourses incorporate corridors of native vegetation that connect to a continuous band of primarily native vegetation adjoining the eastern boundary at Simpsons Creek.’ Eighty-six submissions were received to the public exhibition of the DA – 85 opposed, one in favour. ‘The number of submissions received in respect of the proposal provide an indication as to the high level of community interest in the outcome