ON THE RAINBOW SPECTRUM SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 37 #31 • January 11, 2023 • www.echo.net.au
DĶōŔ ĪĕƆƐǽ ƱĶƐIJ ŕş ƆƐſĶŕīƆ ëƐƐëĈIJĕĎ
Poor mental health still an ĶƆƆƖĕǽ şŕĕ Ʒĕëſ şŕ ĪſşŔ ǖşşĎƆ Paul Bibby
Bangalow’s red carpet will be rolled out this Friday for the town’s film festival, to be held January 12 until 21. The Bangalow Film Festival includes over 20 films, an Indigenous art exhibition, as well as visual performances and industry talks. There is also a kids’ program with the ever popular Bunny Racket. Locally made documentary, The Last Violin, will have its world premiere on Friday from 5pm at the A&I Hall. Organisers say a performance on the violin featured in the film, with Romano Crivici on piano, will follow after the screening. Pictured is The Last Violin film Director, Carla Thackrah, with Romano Crivici and festival Co-director, Christian Pazzaglia. For more info, visit www.bangalowfilmfestival.com.au. Photo Jeff ‘Strings And Things’ Dawson
As the one-year anniversary of the 2022 floods approaches, many locals are still experiencing the legacy of the disaster on a practical, emotional and mental level, according to a local mental health support service. Mullumbimby Safe Haven, located in the park behind the Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Centre, was set up in the aftermath of the floods, and provides free mental health support seven days a week from midday to 6pm. Nearly 12 months on from the first round of flooding, the Haven says there is still a significant group of people in the Shire and beyond who are struggling to find safe, stable housing. ‘There’s a lot of people still living out of their cars,’ Peer Worker Melissa Madden says. ‘We hear a lot that an individual had a room in a share house, and
that was flooded and they can’t afford the rents in the area. They’re staying in cars, maybe have a room with friends a couple of nights a week. A lot of people were emptied out because of the school holidays.’ Those lucky enough to own a home are still struggling to get repairs completed, or even started in some cases.
'ĶǔĶĈƖōƐ Īşſ şōĎĕſ żĕşżōĕ ‘Everyone’s struggling to find builders, struggling to get building materials,’ Ms Madden says. ‘It’s particularly difficult for older people who aren’t necessarily able to get in and do it themselves. ‘They’re given a scope of works but they don’t understand or they’re not clear what they’re signing up for.’ The mental health impacts of these challenges, and the disaster more generally are only now beginning to become clear. ▶ Continued on page 2
¨ żƖćōĶĈ IJĕëſĶŕīƆ IJĕōĎ Dĕć ǟǞ Ɛş ǟǠ The NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has announced the public hearings into the Byron Shire Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) Planning Proposal will be February 21 to 23, at a venue that is yet to be confirmed. Registrations open on Monday January 16 and close February 10. The NSW Minister for Planning, Anthony Roberts (Liberal), has asked
the IPC to hold the hearings and prepare advice for the government to make a decision. It comes after Roberts intervened recently with Byron Council’s STRA policy, which was unanimousy supported by councillors, and broke his promise to allow Council to prepare its own response to the dramatic increase of unhosted holiday letting, and the housing crisis in Byron Shire.
Kim Cheshire in the running for a Golden Guitar Award ▶ p4
Despite Council already collating hundreds of submissions with its STRA policy, the IPC is again asking the community to contribute its views about the industry’s impact on the Byron Shire via submissions and public hearings. According to Council’s ShortTerm Rental Accommodation Planning Proposal Engagement ▶ Continued on page 2
David Heilpern examines the presumption of innocence dilemma ▶ p8
Safe Haven staff member Andrew Cronin, with fellow staffers Mayowa Makinde, and Simone Fraser, at Mullumbimby Safe Haven’s barbecue, held every Monday from 1 pm. Photo Jeff ‘I’ll Have Two, Thanks’ Dawson
Opinions galore! ▶ p9
Tantalise your Too much summer is never taste buds: The enough ▶ p15 Good Life ▶ p25
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