THE BYRON SHIRE Volume 25 #06 Tuesday, July 13, 2010 Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron College course guide Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 in this week’s Echo Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] [email protected] www.echo.net.au 21,000 copies every week VIVA PABLO EL PULPO! NAIDOC Week celebrated across Shire A community partnership between for Torres Strait Island dancer Ettikai Byron Shire Council and the Brun- Rebes who with his godson Tom had swick Community Drug Action Team everyone joining in the dance. (CDAT) gave breath to a wonderful Visitors had the chance to make family day of creation and celebra- baskets and badges, create screen- tion at the inaugural NAIDOC Fresh prints and handprints and Kim Chords at the Soundshell in Brun- Mitchell and the Mullum Youth Rec- swick Heads on Saturday. reational Facility crew kept the snags A vibrant day of music, song and and burgers coming. dance followed a hint of rain and after Talented local artists provided great a heartwarming welcome to country music throughout the event though from Ngurung Jarin Brown and Nigel the musical highlight of the day was Stewart, Dhinawan and the Deadly a special appearance by Coloured Dancers got the party rolling. Stone’s front man and guitarist Bunna The dance floor was later the stage Lawrie with Lewis Walker on didj. Some of the motivators behind this year’s Byron NAIDOC celebrations: Delta Kay, her daughter Karla Brown and her niece Kalimna Stewart. Photo Jeff Dawson With the advent of the rain NAIDOC Week celebrations in Byron Bay last Saturday moved from the Peace Pole indoors to the Youth Activity Centre. The day included Aboriginal dance performances by the local Arakwal Dubay and Baygil Nali Jagun dancers, live music, and activities such as face painting, basket making, and wool weaving. Last Wednesday the Arakwal NAI- DOC film festival screened at the By- ron Bay community centre. Greens indigenous affairs spokesper- son Ian Cohen MP paid tribute to the work of the Arakwal elders over the years, in particular Yvonne Graham, Lorna Kelly, Linda Vidler and Dulcie Nichols. ‘We all owe a huge debt of graitude to their determination, gen- erosity and foresight,’ Mr Cohen said. A sea of hands and children dressed in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘They have been instrumental in colours greeted the special visitors attending Mullumbimby Public School’s shaping their culture for their own NAIDOC Assembly. Nine of the school’s students are members of the Deadly people and all residents and visitors Dancers who opened the assembly with a vibrant array of dances. Delta Kay to Byron. Elders’ love for country has from the Arakwal People shared a Dreaming Story with students, helping helped ensure the protection and con- them to understand the importance of accepting each others’ differences servation of many precious areas.’ and embracing our individual uniqueness. Dancer Dhinawan in action at Brunswick Heads. Photo Eve Jeffery enrich your spirit www.crystalcastle.com.au Open 7 Days 10am-5pm (NSW time) 81 Monet Drive, Mullumbimby 40 mins from Tweed Heads 20 mins from Byron Bay (02) 6684 3111 <echowebsection=Local News> Local News An Open Letter To The Mac Computing Community New coordinator for Project U-Turn from Lightforce Computers: Story & photo Victoria Cosford In this time of financial uncertainty we A new coordinator has been appointed by Byron Youth Ser- want you to know we’re doing our part vice (BYS) to run Project U- to keep Byron economically viable & our Turn, a local initiative aimed at reducing binge-drinking ‘Resident Mac Users’ shopping locally. among young people in the area. What steps have we taken? We Will BEAT Kate Reed is a formally- Apple’s Web & Store PRICES Everyday*... trained counsellor with a Masters of Counselling degree Not just on our Sale Items! from the University of West- ern Sydney. Her wide range Winter Computer Maintenance of work experience includes working with homeless youth Hardware/Software Tune-Up and young people with mental On Sale Now @ Lightforce health issues and disabilities. From Sad to Happy Most recently she spent five weeks in Africa working for For $99. Now $69. the Healing Hands organisa- tion, a multi-disciplinary team Special Closeout! helping women and children SALE deal with trauma. 24” MB418X/A Project U-Turn refers to age group at 38.4% compared festivals and kids exposed to nology,’ Kate said. ‘All the kids iMac 24” 2.66GHz $1489 ‘turning the trend of binge- with the state average of 31.9% lots of drinking. It’s also the are into technology: Facebook, 4GB RAM • 640Gb HD drinking in the area around’, and high risk drinking behav- lack of transport as well as phones, the internet ...’ Kate told The Echo. Funded Was $1799 NOW $1489 iour at 11% compared to the boredom. Various projects have been through the National Binge Our Final Stock - Only two left NSW state average of 8.9%. ‘Drinking is associated envisaged, all involving the Drinking Initiative set up ‘New in Box’ With Full Apple Warranty The data in such reports is with socialising so we need to young people themselves, and by Kevin Rudd, it provides corroborated by local police, change that whole attitude. ‘It’s include developing a drama Authorised Reseller $250,000 to address the issue youth mental health workers, something I want to do: look production about binge-drink- over the next two years. Authorised Service Provider council youth workers, drug at ways to redirect and show ing for playing in schools; a The February 2009 NSW and alcohol counsellors and young people there are other short film competition; devel- Office of Liquor, Gaming and local emergency department options. opment of a 15-second com- Lightforce Computers Racing Social Profile Report staff who all agreed that alco- ‘But I think we can do it! mercial for advertising in local 02 6685 8796 for Byron LGA identified al- hol is a major problem utilising We’ve got some funding and cinemas; a poster competition 1/10 Brigantine St. in the Arts & Industry Estate cohol abuse among teenagers much of their limited resources lots of community support. in conjunction with Flush Me- Byron Bay 6685 8796 • See Website for easy Directions as a major problem on the and time. There are lots of really creative dia; bluetooth mobile phone hrs: m-th 9-6 • fri 9-5 • sat 9-1 www.lightforce.com.au north coast with risky drink- Binge-drinking behaviours and enthusiastic people want- campaigns and graffiti arts * Apple’s ‘everyday pricing’ excludes Apple sales, special offers, refurbs, etc. ing behaviour among the 16+ are the cause of hospitalisa- ing to work this out.’ around the Shire. tions, assaults and accidents Project U-Turn has an em- Kate, who together with her affecting young people, their phasis on peer education – Mullumbimby-born husband friends, family and future. Kate young people working togeth- (‘gives me a little bit of cred!’) FREE Compost Workshop told The Echo, ‘I think it’s a big er on the issues and coming up moved to the area 18 months problem right across Australia with ideas conveyed in their ago, told The Echo that ‘every- but here in Byron [it is aggra- language, utilising technology one has been amazing here BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL vated by] the party culture of and social networking media. with wanting to help out with the area, with Schoolies and ‘We really want to use tech- this project!’ Byron Shire Council is interested in increasing levels of composting at Dumping spoils council cleanup home. Composting is The cost of providing the an- number of residents from ru- people dumping at midnight. an easy way to recycle nual kerbside clean up in By- ral areas. The annual kerbside Council rangers have ob- food scraps. About half ron Shire could rise by up to cleanup is not provided to ru- tained evidence from dumped of what we throw into the 25 per cent next year due to ral areas due to safety concerns loads and are following up a garbage bin is food and increasing problems with ille- with rural roads. number of leads after residents garden vegetation. gal dumping and an increase ‘Safety concerns have been provided vehicle registration in the number of small items raised over the potential for numbers. Learn how to compost being placed out for collection. accidents caused by piles of Terry Newling of Mullum your food scraps in an ‘The collection is designed waste placed on road verges Tidy Towns told The Echo, ‘The easy hands-on workshop for bulky items, however we that are often used by vehicles Mullum town idiots have been with an experienced are faced with manually pick- passing in opposite directions,’ at it again. Some dysfunctional compost maker. ing up lots of small items Mr Chaplin said. types upended a dishwasher which could simply be placed He said the kerbside clean into Chinbible Creek from the Sharon Gibson will in a wheelie bin,’ Council Man- up is very popular and it is un- Main Arm Road bridge. demonstrate the various ager of Waste and Recycling derstandable that residents in ‘It would be great to upend ways to compost so that you Services Russell Chaplin said. rural areas who do not receive these types over the bridge rail- can enrich your garden with The extra time this takes, cou- it feel entitled to some form of ing and do the town and them your own natural fertiliser. pled with the need to clean up free waste disposal. However a big favour.’ illegally dumped material, re- he said much of the dumping Mr Newling also suggested When: Sunday 25th July sults in the collection taking of waste has been opportun- Council have a few free Satur- longer to complete and this istic and has shown a total days for residents to take their Where: Mullumbimby pushes up costs.’ disregard for pollution laws, own rubbish to the tip.