WHO KNEW THE APOCALYPSE WOULD BE SLOW AND EXPENSIVE? The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 38 #12 • August 30, 2023 • www.echo.net.au
Rail trail slated for some of Byron Shire
Why Delta is voting ‘Yes’
Paul Bibby
‘I want to see an
ocal Aboriginal woman, Delta Kay is very clear when it comes to the subject of the Voice to Parliament referendum. She’s adamant that she only speaks for herself, and her opinions are hers alone. ‘Lots of people are asking me about it, and I say these are my words. No one else. I do not represent my family or my people.’ Delta is also very clear that other people including politicians, including Indigenous politicians, do not speak for her. ‘I am voting “Yes!”’ ‘I am a local Bundjalung of Byron Bay woman raised up on my mother’s mother’s traditional country. ‘I grew up surrounded by a big family and we all experienced racism through schooling, renting and a denial of our cultural rights.’ Delta wants to see better things for Indigenous people. As the daughter of a woman who died in her 40s,
as the kin and over-represenIndigenous Voice to tation in the friend of people parliament that will jail system. who have been challenge policies and law’. ‘I have family to jail, and members who others who are struggling to find jobs, Delta spends have been through the system, and continually get harassed by police. her days living and working on We know how to heal our mob, Country and educating locals and through connection to culture and visitors about her culture through Country programs. Government her business, Explore Byron Bay. policies don’t address our comSmall step forward munities’ needs. Instead, I see our people get depressed, frustrated, Delta says she believes this and locked up again and again.’ referendum is a small step forward to unite the nation and correct the No acknowledgement constitution to enable Indigenous people to advise parliament on until 1967 referendum solutions that affect Indigenous Delta says a Voice to Parliament people and culture. can fight for sustained funding ‘I want to see an Indigenous that keeps youth out of jail, and is Voice to parliament that will challenge policies and law. I want to see cheaper for taxpayers. ‘My older brother Michael was an Indigenous voice that knows our born in 1961, he wasn’t acknowlpeople, and will have solutions to our ever-growing problems such as edged in the Constitution until health, education, housing and ▶ Continued on page 3
David Lowe: fear, lies and loathing the Voice ▶ p8
Edward Herring asks the toughest questions ▶ p14
Photo & story Eve Jeffery
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Significant steps have been taken by Byron Shire Council toward creating a bike and pedestrian pathway along parts of the old rail line in the Shire, moving away from its previous position of supporting a return of trains to the tracks. After a prolonged and bitter debate at last week’s Council meeting, a majority of councillors voted to proceed with the planning, approval and funding process for rail trails running from the old Mullumbimby station to Crabbes Creek in the north, and from the old Byron Bay station to Booyong in the south. It does not include the section from Mullum to Byron. The decision is a pivotal moment in the ongoing and at-times divisive process surrounding the future of the rail line in the Shire after its closure back in 2004 by NSW Labor. The decision follows the results of a Council-commissioned study, which found that pursuing the multi-modal option in the north and west of the Shire would present major engineering challenges that would make it extremely costly.
Housing investigated Importantly, the motion passed by councillors not only includes beginning the process of creating the rail trail, but also enabling investigation of options for housing within the rail corridor, and the activation of unused space for community use. It thus represents a move that will transform significant stretches of the corridor from quiet bushland to activated and potentially
Rock Dad’s world for Father’s Day ▶ p15
populated areas of the Shire. While the motion ‘reiterates Council’s ongoing support’ for returning trains to the tracks alongside a trail between Mullumbimby and Byron, the creation of a rail trail on either end of this stretch makes it less likely that this will ever happen. ‘This was an historic decision of Council, and it was a tough and long debate as many of us support, or have supported, a multi-use rail corridor in the past to keep the possibility of rail returning to our tracks for public transport,’ Mayor, Michael Lyon said. ‘It was four years ago that we were investigating the feasibility of rail on a multi-use corridor, and since then we haven’t been able to meaningfully advance the case for trains on our tracks in the Byron Shire. We owe it to our community to deliver on something now that can happen.’ However, four of Byron’s nine councillors were opposed to the rail trail decision – in many cases bitterly. They included Peter Westheimer (Independent) Cate Coorey (Independent) Duncan Dey (Greens) and Sama Balsom (Independent). Cr Westheimer attempted to have any decision on the rail corridor deferred until two degradation studies examining the state of the corridor, currently being undertaken by pro-rail advocates, are completed. But he and the other pro-rail councillors were narrowly outvoted by Council’s quintet of rail trail advocates: Cr Lyon, Sarah Ndiaye (Greens), Asren Pugh (Labor), Mark Swivel (Independent), and Alan Hunter (Independent).
Tasty treats at Sample this Saturday ▶ p20
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