THE BYRON SHIRE ECHO Advertising & news enquiries: BBYRONYRON Mullumbimby 02 6684 1777 Byron Bay 02 6685 5222 HHARMONYARMONY Fax 02 6684 1719 [email protected] DDAYAY [email protected] Celebrating Available early Tuesday at: http://www.echo.net.au diversity and VOLUME 22 #39 community TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008 spirit 22,700 copies every week OFTEN FOLDED, NEVER CRUSHED Printed on 100% recycled paper Program on page 20 An evening of Celebrate diversity on Harmony Day escape from orthodox thought The Northern Rivers Writers’ Centre recently announced it was thrilled to be hosting an evening with the matriach of modern fem- inism, Germaine Greer, at the Byron Bay Community and Cul- tural Centre on Tuesday March 18. The Australian writer and journal- ist is UK based but will be in the region presenting Shakespeare’s Wife: an evening with Germaine Greer. Ms Greer gained her PhD from Cambridge University with a thesis on Shakespeare’s early comedies, Rhythm and Foods, Tommy Moto and Manie Shika, will be laying down some African hip hop beats and cooking up a few wicked African treats at next Saturday’s Harmony Day Festival. Photo Jeff ‘White Men Can’t Bump’ Dawson and has taught Shakespearean studies at universities in Australia, Byron Harmony Day, a clebration poetry, martial arts and visual arts ‘It’s an occasion for feasting and 47 Dutch, 69 Italian, 14 Maori, 10 Britain and the US. of multiculturalism, will be held will be presented by local people of celebration, of people coming Filipino etc. In Byron Bay nearly Shakespeare’s Wife was released this Saturday at Railway Park and culturally diverse backgrounds together. The Byron Harmony Day 20% of the population speak a as a book in 2007 and was quickly at the Byron Bay Community Cul- such as Aboriginal, African, Indo- Festival aims to be a day of great language other that English at celebrated as Ms Greer’s most tural Centre from 12 noon to nesian, Spanish, Thai, Japanese, rejoicing and fun. home, the highest percentages controversial book since The Female 10pm. Greek, Irish, Scottish, Latin Amer- ‘How many of us are aware that being German, Italian and Japa- Eunuch. Leading lights in the ‘Byron Harmony Day will fea- ican, Chinese, Ukranian, Arme- in Mullumbimby there are over 28 nese, and a sixth of Byron Bay worlds of history and literature ture many of our local ethnic com- nian, Indian, German, Islander, nationalities represented within the residents are from non-English pounced on the highly contentious munities sharing their own cultural Afro-Brazilian, Mexican, French community including 15 people of speaking ancestry.’ and brilliantly argued hypotheses riches – dances, food, music, and Israeli,’ say organisers. Chinese backgrounds, 11 Croatian, continued on page 8 set forth and debate still rages. Germaine Greer has been in the business of jolting people out of established theories and compla- Plans for West Byron expansion under scrutiny cent thought for decades. Michael McDonald and whether or not to include in and retail area, and a habitat resto- lors to identify the best decision to For an evening of entertainment, Byron Shire Councillors this week the current preparation of the ration zone. Plans for the Area 2 make on potentially large develop- education and escape from ortho- have to consider two large develop- shirewide Local Environmental lands, which include Belongil ments at West Byron. It fails to dox thought, join Germaine Greer ment proposals for the west of Plan (LEP) lands known as ‘Area Fields, have included a retirement even identify all landowners and at the Byron Community Centre Byron Bay – the ‘applicant-inti- 2’ off Ewingsdale Road. village and a residential develop- presents a mish-mash of possibili- from 7pm. Tickets are available at ated’ development control plan The Bayshore Village proposal is ment of some 200 residences. ties, although the planning director the Centre or by calling 6685 6807. (DCP) for the fi ve hectare ‘Bay- for light industrial and residential The preamble to the staff report does note there is insufficient All tickets $25, NRWC members shore Village’ off Bayshore Drive, precincts, a mixed use commercial does not make it easy for Council- continued on page 2 and students $20. 2 March 11, 2008 Byron Shire Echo www.echo.net.au Local News New MacBooks &MacBookPros That’s a wrap! Filmfest concludes Now @ Lightforce! Jann Gilbert The fi nal night of Byron Bay On Demo - Stock Arriving Film Festival 2008 provided New Macbook AIR - 13.3” LED 1.9cm thin & 1.36 kg. a fi tting conclusion to nine Ultra Thin - Ultra Portable... days of amazing film. A 1.6ghz - 80gb HD- $2499! The smallest, lightest laptop ever from Apple packed house watched the lights go down for the last New MacBook Pros - faster & price drop! time on BBFF08 and the MacBook Pro 15” 2.4 ghz - $2699! crowd were treated to a trio MacBook Pro 15” 2.5 ghz - $3399! MacBook Pro 17” 2.5 ghz - $3799! of what later turned out to be award-winning fi lms. Laya Project, a moving col- New MacBooks- faster & price drop! lage of music, sea and people MacBook Combo 2.1 ghz - $1499! fi lmed after the 2004 tsu- MacBook Super 2.4 ghz - $1799! nami was the feature for the evening and, deservedly, went on to win Best Film. in stock: The Brazilian animated New iMac 20” 2.0Ghz - $1698 New iMac 24” 2.4Ghz - $2599 short Ty g e r won Best Exper- imental Film, and producer Price Drops on iPods- Call! of the third fi lm The Sound of CRY, 25-year-old Lav Bodnaruk from Brisbane, Yotam Agam and Sastry Karra’s film Laya Project won the best film award at the Byron Bay Film Lightforce - Byron Shire’s Only Apple Warranty Centre took home the Best Young Festival. Yotam and Sastry celebrate here with festival director J’aimee Skippon-Volke at the awards m-th 10-6 • fri 10-5 • sat 10-1 www.lightforce.com.au Australian Filmmaker after party on Saturday night. Photo Jeff ‘The Reel Thing’ Dawson 1/10 Brigantine St. Byron Bay 6685 8796 Award. On the local award front, and expressiveness of the ers from around Australia making it such a success. the BayFM Best Byron Bay Byron Bay audience who and the world (including (She did, however, neglect Filmmaker Award went to have helped make their expe- Wolf Creek producer Matt to mention her own Hercu- Mick Waters for his surf fi lm rience a positive one. Screen- Hearn, international surf lean effort in watching the Believe, which judges said ing fi lms that refl ected the producer Steven Lawrence, 800 fi lms originally entered captured the spirit of Byron values and ideals held by and Canadian environmen- for the festival, and some- Bay perfectly. Byron locals proved to be a tal fi lmmaker David Parfi t), how selecting the outstand- Director of the third winner. which gave local fi lmmakers ing 150 that made up the annual festival J’aimee Skip- ‘I really think the festival an opportunity to showcase program.) pon-Volke was overwhelmed has made its stamp as a cul- their projects and do a bit of BBFF08 called it a wrap by the response to the festi- tural event that is enjoyed by networking. to a round of hearty applause, val from filmmakers and the whole spectrum of peo- In closing the festival lots of warm smiles and a Birthday Sale fi lmgoers alike. ple in our community.’ J’aimee offered a heartfelt great deal of curiosity about ‘All [the fi lmmakers] were The nine-day festival thanks to everyone involved what’s in store for BBFF09. Now On blown away by the warmth attracted fi lms and fi lmmak- who had contributed to To be continued… Plans for West Byron expansion under scrutiny From front page sidered. Much more work Council’s proposal to adopt opments into them is just Up to 60% off information available on needs to be done before a developer’s DCP to over- going to aggravate this fes- some proposals. A proposal Belongil Fields can be respon- ride existing planning con- tering sore. Council has been by consultants Landpartners sibly considered for approval. straints and establish new repeatedly advised to stop Books* for a group of West Byron ‘Council’s treatment of Shirewide benchmarks for major development of West landowners to rezone pronto Belongil Fields and West high density development Byron until a solution is Mary Ryan’s rather than consider their Byron landowners is inconsis- and reduced residential ame- implemented. 21 - 25 Fletcher Street, Byron Bay land in the preparation of tent. There are strong and nity is astounding. ‘Both developers and ph // 6685 8183 the shirewide LEP comes abundant grounds for refus- ‘It has been recognised for Council fail to consider and e // [email protected] with a staff warning that the ing the West Byron landhold- over a decade that Ewings- apply the 2007 Settlement *selected stock only planning minister could take ers proposal, though Council dale Road is under traffi c Planning Guidelines. Until control of the process. Talk has failed to clearly articulate stress and that the situation such time as Council abides about pressure! them. is rapidly deteriorating. The by the Far North Coast T_RNa\SSR_` In the words of local envi- ‘Bayshore Village has been core problem is the bottle- Regional Strategy and pre- a\f\aNP\ZNb ronmentalist Dailan Pugh, identifi ed as a low density neck into the town centre. pares a Growth Manage- ‘Both the Belongil Fields and residential precinct in the ‘Putting more round- ment Strategy its planning West Byron landowners pro- Byron Bay Suffolk Park Set- abouts along Ewingsdale processes will be fatally posals are extremely poorlyOb ligtlementation f rStrategyee quot eands.