THE BYRON SHIRE
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Volume 25 #33 Tuesday, January 25, 2011 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
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C H A R L I E D E LTA B Y R O N E C H O F O X T R O T
BU blasts Tourism NSW
Jai’s inquest begins
Hans Lovejoy
Eve Jeffery
President of Byron United (BU), Sevegne Newton, has slammed Tourism NSW, claiming a lack of response to BU’s Byron My Day campaign. Local businesses have contributed $180,000 for the initiative which aims to target South East QLD through TV ads and website. However for it to be launched Ms Newton says it requires additional funding. ‘I am concerned that Byron’s tourism industry will be in real jeopardy if there is no assistance from a State level,’ she told The Echo. After sending three letters to NSW Tourism Minister McKay, Ms Newton said she had not recieved a response. However since the The Echo contacted the Minister’s office last week, a meeting has been arranged between Tourism NSW and BU for Tuesday January 25. Ms Newton claims there are ‘certain circumstances’ that can be granted for such projects, and that the Ms McKay is ‘sitting on her hands’ over the matter. ‘This has delayed the roll out of the campaign that should have been launched around now.’
The inquest of local schoolboy Jai Morcom will begin next week at the Lismore Courthouse. Jai, who died in the Gold Coast Hospital the day after a brawl at Mullumbimby High School, was a 15-year old grade nine student. Since spring 2009, many rumours concerning the boy’s death have been circulating. Jai’s father Steve Drummond has spent countless hours talking to students, teachers and members of the police and medical experts, as well as lobbying local and state politicians for help in solving the mystery of his son’s death. Mr Drummond has made a constant plea to anyone concerned to come forward and give authorities information regarding the events that took place at recess on Friday August 28, including a seven-minute video that was uploaded to YouTube just after Christmas. It is expected that a number of students who were involved in the brawl and some witnesses and teachers will be asked to give evidence during the hearing along with paramedics, doctors from the Gold Coast Hospital and police detectives. Jai’s mother Kim Morcom has asked that the media show sensitivity with reporting the inquest, but with the whole country watching, there is likely to be complete coverage of the event. The media in general were sent a notification last November confirming the court dates with Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon outlining a non-publication order that no current or former students who are giving evidence or are named in the proceedings be identified. The inquest will take place at the Zadoc Street court complex. Proceedings will begin at 9.30 each morning from next Monday January 31 and will continue for up to two weeks.
Where the bloody hell are they for the My Byron Day campaign?
Met Minister last year Ms Newton and John Gudgeon flew to Sydney last year and met with Minister McKay in support for The My Byron Day campaign. At the Sydney meeting, Minister McKay expressed support for the campaign, according to Ms Newton. ‘She said, “it was too good an opportunity,” and “Byron Bay is the second most important tourist destination in NSW.”’ From that meeting Ms Newton announced via the press and her BU Christmas Party speech that the Minister was very supportive of the initiative and willing to be involved. ‘A large number of our visitors are day trippers who come from the
South East QLD region, and weekend stays have just been decimated by one of the worst floods on record,’ she said. ‘This is going to have major ramifications for our town, for employment and for business.’ ‘I have been speaking to a number of businesses, and they are already cutting staff hours back and many are saying that the two good weeks they had after Christmas are not enough to sustain them through what could be a potentially quiet winter. ‘Let’s not forget that local tourism is already suffering from the strong Australian dollar.
Tourism NSW responds A spokesperson for Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay told The Echo, ‘The Minister for Tourism met with Byron United in December 2010 and, as requested by the Minister, Tourism NSW’s Regional Tourism Manager has been in touch with Byron
United to discuss how the My Byron Day campaign could be aligned with the broader tourism campaign for regional NSW. ‘Last week Tourism NSW again contacted Byron United to discuss plans for marketing activity in response to the flood situation in Northern NSW. ‘Tourism NSW officials are meeting with the Northern Rivers and the Mid North Coast Regional Tourism Organisations on Tuesday to discuss their 2011 marketing plans, which attract significant NSW Government funding, and also to discuss campaign activity to support the region following the impact of the floods. ‘The Tourism NSW CEO and Director of Regional Tourism will also be in the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers area on Friday this week to meet with local tourism officials to discuss upcoming campaign activity. ‘A meeting with the president of Byron United has been scheduled.
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‘Following that meeting, Tourism NSW will be in a position to indicate the level and nature of support that could be made available to Byron United for the My Byron Day campaign. The spokesperson also said there are two major international campaigns coming up in March. ‘A $100,000 campaign with Jetstar will be launched in New Zealand and an Air Asia X campaign will be launched in Malaysia and Singapore in partnership with Gold Coast Airport and the Regional Tourism Organisation to attract visitors to the Northern Rivers region. ‘Tourism NSW also worked with tourism operators in the region on Byron’s inclusion as a feature destination in last week’s Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure TV specials, [which is] expected to reach an audience of millions in more than 145 countries worldwide. Photo Jeff Dawson.