Mullumbimby Community Action Network

Originally published 11Jun2008

mullum-zine

NEWSLETTER NO 9: organisation of the biota

CONGRATULATIONS to all the team for collecting about 1000 submissions for Sartor re: S96 changes to Woolworths" DA. This represents about one third of the population of Mullumbimby, not counting separately sent submissions. Collective consciousness is a-changing! Thanks to everyone who contributed.


WWS NEW PLANS: Just before the submission period had expired we heard that Woolworths had changed the goal posts and decided to go for on-site sewage instead of the moratorium-busting connection to STP. They submitted new plans to Council on 22 May, and the local papers say (Echo: 27.5 p1 & BSN 5.6 p5) Woolworths are discussing a new design with BSC. However, the Department of Planning tells us there are no changes to the S96. Ray Darney tells us there are no changes to the S96. So I suppose we just wait until we are told, if we are told. Seems like Secret Woolworths Business – we know there are new plans yet we are told they don"t exist!


BSC MEETING 12 JUNE: Cr Peter Westheimer will be putting an urgency motion to council to recommend to the Dept of Planning that there is simply no way Woolworths can get around the sewage issue until the new STP is built (which might be many years away as tenders have not been set).


LETTER TO MORRIS IEMMA – He is our latest target. Specimen copy is on our website – please write to him. More copies on info table
3; (volunteers still wanted: call Robert 66841783 who is temporarily looking after the info table roster.)


MT EVELYN STOPS WWS: http://www.mtevelynraw.com. (RAW= Residents Against Woolworths) An encouraging, inspiring and motivating site, naming us as a sister town; view for tips resulting from their 6 years" experience fighting against Woolworths – and WINNING!!


WWS: MULLUM PUBLIC SCHOOL SPONSOR? NO!!: The school approached Woolworths, Mallams & IGA for prizes for their Move-a-Thon, that"s all.


PHOTO SHOOT AT UNCLE TOMS: Samaya suggests we get as may supporters as possible for a big picture at the sign "Biggest Little Town in Australia". Will discuss at tomorrow"s committee meeting and let you know in next newsletter.


MCAN COMMITTEE MEETINGS – we have amalgamated the committee meetings to Thursdays 5 -7 pm: let Deb know if you want to come (66843723).


YOUTH DRINKING: Message from Peggy Balfour:
"...just a thought but shouldn't Woolies and Coles be brought into the 'Youth Drinking' issue? Coles and Woolies in particular hold the monopoly on liquor outlets, hotels etc. Surely they have some responsibilities in the matter?"


TRAFFIC IMPACTS Gary Street spoke on The Generator on Bay FM recently (Mons: 9-11am) about the impacts on traffic in Mullumbimby if Woolworths goes ahead – quite a horrifying scenario
3;. More on our website. No independent traffic studies have been done by BSC. Go to fab website http://www.thegenerator.com.au for info various sustainable topics including:


LOCAL FOOD ACTION (see prev para) and


JUDY WICKS in Mullum – recently Judy gave an inspiring talk about how she started up a café in Philadelphia – and from this grew the "localization" movement – see our website for video and write-up http://www.mullumaction.org


WOOLWORTHS ‘GOOD NEWS" Good news is WW"s ‘green wash" householder booklet complete with hype and lies indicates WW"s is feeling the growing heat of the MCAN campaign. Wws would not put out such a booklet unless they were feeling vulnerable. Just as the poorly thought out and written sewage modifications to the S96 modifications show WW"s is bumbling from one option to another as we apply pressure. Mallams haven"t put it all in the bag for them and MCAN is on a roll. Mallams have been making noises too. There is no doubt that there are contracts out there between Mallams, State Rail, WW"s and property developers that might be signed and most likely not yet complete and will be conditional on any number of requirements being fulfilled. Roll on MCAN!
(Thanks to Garry Scott for that contribution.)



WHAT"S ON FROM RAINFOREST INFO CENTRE (Full details on our website calendar: click on date)
1. Climate Change Forum - Saturday, June 14th, Red Dove, Lismore
2. Non Violent Skill Share and Training - Sunday June 15th South Lismore
3. Fundraiser at Dunoon hall -- June 14th, 2-3:30PM to help clear landmines in Cambodia
4. Whale Day Celebrations in Byron Bay - June 14th 11AM and films at 6PM
5. Picnic at Warrazambil Creek - Saturday June 28th (near Kyogle, carpool from Nimbin and environs)
Sneak preview of Tassie Foster Feral Program at http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/tasmania/floz/.


WIKIPEDIA: BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL Wikipedia says that there are 28,766 usual residents living in Byron Shire Council!


QUOTE: Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. By land is meant all the things on, over, or in the earth. Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend: you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left. That is to say, you cannot love game and hate predators; you cannot conserve waters and waste the ranges; you cannot build the forest and mine the farm. The land is one organism. Its parts, like our own parts, compete with each other and co-operate with each other. There is value in any experience which reminds us of our dependency on the soil-plant-animal-man food chain, and of the fundamental organization of the biota. Civilisation has so cluttered this elemental man-earth relation with gadgets and middlemen that awareness of it is growing dim. We fancy that industry supports us, forgetting what supports industry.
By Aldo Leopold (Ecologist) "A Sand County Almanac" 1949

Regards
Deborah