New-Look Echo Proud to Form Part of Worldwide Corporation
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THE NORTH AUSTRALIAN COAST Tuesday April 1, 2008 #22.42 INCORPORATING THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO 22,700 copies every week Council to New-look Echo proud to form create ‘super surf break’ for part of worldwide corporation Byron Bay Echo Publications Pty Ltd, the Byron Bay, and the new owners Byron Shire Council voted 8-2 last local company which produces the have promised that no jobs will be week to create a ‘super surf break’ Byron Shire Echo, has been sold to lost. However, it is likely that larger for Byron Bay. Preliminary plans News Limited, the Australian arm headquarters will be needed, and show an artificial reef made from of Rupert Murdoch’s multi-nat- suitable sites are being explored. geotextile fabric filled with sand ional media empire. ‘Naturally we are sad that the running from The Pass to just In making the announcement on association between the newspaper north of Becton’s North Beach Tuesday this week, publisher David and the Shire for nearly a quarter subdivision, which is expected to Lovejoy admitted that the news- of a century has come to an end,’ create a very long surfing break paper he helped found in 1986 was said Mr Lovejoy, ‘but of course we and protect the township from finding economic conditions very had to consider the bottom line some of the impact of sea level trying in the twenty-first century. before all other considerations. rise. ‘We were basically just running News Limited is a huge and expe- Council’s director of marine out of room to expand,’ he said. rienced organisation and it may engineering Peter Bedford said the ‘We were waiting for the state gov- well be that, through predatory artificial reef is ‘probably the larg- ernment to amalgamate councils pricing and the promotion of cor- est project Council has ever under- so that Byron Shire could become rect political ideas, it can reduce taken, dwarfing even Mullumbim- larger, but since Frank Sartor took the unnecessary number of media Rupert Murdoch, right, examines the former Telstra site in Station Street, by’s hydroelectric scheme in the over planning, Maquarie Street has outlets and control the confusing Mullumbimby, for possible use as the new headquarters of the revamped Echo 1920s’. been dead against the idea of large, variety of opinion obtaining in the with, from left, Council’s director of acquisitions Mary Robbins, Deputy Mayor Asked how Council expected to powerful local governments. area, which has tended to stifle Ross Tucker, Mr Murdoch’s personal assistant Mitzi Bloomfield, Mayor Jan fund the project, which is expected ‘We also tried expanding by ten- healthy economic development.’ Barham and Echo publisher David Lovejoy. Photo Jeff Dawson to cost around $230 million, Mr dering for the Byron Shire Council Current Echo editor, Michael Bedford told The Echo, ‘Fortu- advertising,’ he said, ‘but the panel McDonald, has been given a con- ments,’ he said, ‘and that was fair over the newspaper. Failing that, a nately the Department of Lands of Council staff deputised to tract which stipulates that the job enough.’ Shirewide boycott of News Limited has agreed to cooperate in a joint decide the issue considered that will remain his, for as long as no Echo photographer Jeff Dawson would soon show these corporate venture which has far-reaching the larger circulation and broader other News Limited journalist is is also very happy that his services thugs what’s what.’ financial implications and the fed- appeal of The Echo would attract interested in moving to Byron will be retained by the new man- It was left to Byron Shire Coun- eral Office of Climate Change has too much attention to Council Bay. agement. cillor Ross Tucker to inject some agreed to provide start-up capital. activities, and so they left the Mr McDonald said he was very ‘It’s exciting to work for the big commonsense into the matter. ‘With government support we advertising where it was.’ pleased with the fair and open way guys in the business,’ he said, ‘This is similar to Mallams being can then introduce a loan regime. The newspaper will continue to negotiations had been handled. ‘there’s so much to learn. Already taken over by Woolworths,’ he said. That will become unnecessary, operate from Mullumbimby and ‘They showed me the instru- I’ve been given a list of the people ‘It can only help the town to have however, once the artificial reef is I’m not allowed to photograph – big corporations come in and in place. The drawback of waters relatives, friends and executives of syphon money out to Sydney and will enable us to remove the Main Mr Murdoch, people like that. It Melbourne. You cannot stop Beach carpark rock wall and >CH>9:i]^hlZZ`/ will make my job much easier.’ progress, and if small country busi- reclaim the former Esplanade Despite the obvious advantages nesses have to disappear so that which used to run down in front of Full text of John Howard’s speech last that the new deal brings to Byron prices can be cheaper, so be it. The Childe Street at Belongil. week to the Atlanta, Georgia, chapter Shire, there were a few negative only criticism of the deal comes ‘That land can then be redevel- voices to be heard after the from people who were opposed to oped for a combination of afford- of the Ku Klux Klan. announcement was made. The Echo expanding in the first able housing and a boutique retail Crystal Gormpetal, an environ- place.’ area, a sort of mini Darling Har- Robert Manne: Evidence mounts for mentalist and mother of three, said Asked if the enormous commer- bour. Some of the existing Belongil that Rupert Murdoch had a history cial presence of Murdoch in the householders will lose a direct sea charges of sedition, by Janet of ruthless intervention in politics town would not affect his news- vista but the trade-off is greater Albrechtsen. wherever he owned newspapers. letter the Saturday Star, Cr Tucker protection from inundation. ‘Do we really want Mr Murdoch explained that his partner Harold Another side benefit is that the ringing up from New York and tell- Ross would continue to produce longer break will reduce antago- Dennis Shanahan defends Alexander ing the mayor how to vote on Coun- The Star even at his own expense nisms in the surf between various Downer: ‘He’s not a worthless tosser, cil issues?’ she said. ‘We had enough in order to preserve a vehicle for marine interests.’ of that from the previous Echo own- broadcasting his opinions. The project is expected to begin he’s a very well-off tosser’. ers. What is needed is a community- ‘Harold has a lot in common in February 2009 and be com- funded editorial collective to take with Rupert,’ he said. pleted by April 1, 2014. 2 April 1, 2008 Byron Shire Echo www.echo.net.au Local News WOMEN More mayhem in Suffolk Park & MONEY Story & photo Jann Gilbert oin us for a six week journey into If residents of Suffolk Park the unconscious mind of money thought the past violence Using NLP techniques, group discussions, decision and vandalism occurring in Jmaking skills, sacred women’s rights and Robert the area was disturbing, the Kiyosaki technologies, you will take crime record over Easter YOUR Money story into your own Next Group Begins hands and create it as you wish. Tues 8th April 2008 would have to take the cake. Inspector Owen King from Investment Morthern Spears Byron Bay Police confirmed [email protected] $280/$240 that there were 16 break-ins Ph/Fax 02 6680 4686 Mob 0433 880 405 reported in a four-day period, obviously coinciding with the Blues Festival when $ the offenders knew that most people would not be home. In the most serious of the The most beautiful setting... overlooking Byron Bay break-ins thieves found the THURSDAY NIGHTS keys to two luxury BMWs valued at over $200,000 and Farmers Market Menu took them on a wild demoli- 4 COURSES FOR $35 tion derby around the streets “Local Produce, Global Flavours” of Suffolk Park before tip- ping them over the edge of Sunday Lunch the Broken Head quarry day Letting Organisation, impact on the number of expert in who can give us a 3 COURSES $35 into the mud below. John claimed that many incidents reported. Unfortu- report on what is needed, Group Parties The owner of one of the older residents in particular nately the patrols do not and, if we have to, raise the vehicles, Rod Lambert, who FROM $35pp were too frightened to go out seem to be a permanent fix- money to get it,’ says Rod. is also the owner of the prop- in the evening. ture and, while the town of The police are also very erty from which the cars ‘This is really serious. I’ve Byron Bay itself is made safe concerned by the wilful WINNER BEST RESTAURANT CATERER 07 were stolen, was absolutely spoken to the police about it and secure for all those nice nature of the damage and FINALIST BEST BYO RESTAURANT 06 & 07 floored when he discovered as well and really, the only commercial interests and told Rod it was the worst Dinner Thurs-Sun | Lunch Fri-Sun what had happened. solution seems to be tourists, residents in outlying crime in Suffolk Park’s his- 02 6684 7273 bookings preferred ‘It just makes you sick,’ improved street lighting and villages such as Suffolk Park, tory. www.figtreerestaurant.com.au says Rod. ‘I’m a normal Aus- CCTV,’ says Rod.