Mullumbimby Community Action Network

Originally published 24Sep2009

mullum-zine

Woolworths -v-Byron Shire DEMO Monday 28th

WOOLWORTHS –v-BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL
Land and Environment Court Case 28-30 September, Ballina.

We will be having a peaceful DEMO on Monday 28 September – Meeting at Apex Park, by the Railway Station, Mullum – 9 am.

From there we will walk along the railway lines, with our placards, to the Woolworths site (north end of Station Street). The Judge, legal teams and representatives from both sides will be there to inspect the site and hear some of the local objections to the on-site sewerage. The is the beginning of the court case, after which they/we will be going down to the Court House in Ballina.

The court case is about Woolworths challenging Byron Sire Councillors decision to refuse their application for the on-site sewage system as it does not meet health requirements and local policy. Since the sewage (s68) application was refused, Woolworths have had new plans drawn by new sewage expert in Sydney, and still Council believes that even these will not work on that site because the supermarket is too big and the site is too small.

This is a prime example of big business attempting to extinguish the people"s rights to public health protection safeguards which are held in place by local government regulations and policy. Furthermore, Woolworths are not only trying to over-rule our rights in court, they have asked that we pay their legal costs as well!

Concerns are that shoppers may not be protected from contact with effluent which will be applied to areas next to the carpark, driveway, paths and table drain with the potential for: disease spread by micro-organisms, foul odours, contamination of groundwater and Brunswick River and degradation of soil and vegetation. Issues of insects (ie mozzies) and vermin also need to be addressed.

MCAN"s short movie with the history of the saga in a nutshell was shown last Friday on the "Dissent" section of ABC"s Stateline programme, introduced by Quentin Dempster. This movie may be seen on http://www.mullumaction.org and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ05FXgzv5k

*********************************************************************

FUNERAL FOR DEMOCRACY will be held this weekend in Sydney – a rally at Hyde Park. This is organised by the RAID groups and in particular Kathy Cowley of Ku-ring-gai, a community being heavily impacted by inappropriate development. Her contact is 02-9416 9007 also Christiane Berlioz 02-9144 3225

Timetable "the Death of Democracy" 27.9.2009

10.30 am Assemble your cars in the Coles Public Car Park in Turramurra (Ray Street).
11.00 am Car cortege to the Domain City Car Park ($10 flat rate). Walk from Domain to Hyde Park to assemble at the Archibald Fountain.
11.40 am Assemble at the Archibald Fountain (northern end of Hyde Park) to walk behind the hearse to NSW State Parliament House.
12.00 pm Procession leaves Hyde Park to Parliament House
12.15 pm Speeches, Condolence messages and laying of wreaths at NSW Parliament House.
01.00 pm Mourners (Groups) disperse
01.15 pm Wake at the NSW Leagues Club
**********************************************************

Today on ABC"s Breakfast programme on Radio National, Arundati Roy was interviewed about her new book "Listening to Grasshoppers: Field notes on Democracy". This is the big picture version of our Mullum/Woolworths fight.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/breakfast/ Arundati Roy 24.9.09 8.11am

*****************************************************************


CLEBRATE EARTHDAY and RIDE with BIKEBUS WED 30 Sept
Ride with Chris Astill and others from Brunswick Heads to Shearwater School, along the lovely Mullum Creek Valley before the cars get busy. Use the new cycleway in Left Bank Road! Have brekky at Shearwater Café. Bikebus stops at Mullumbimby council chambers 08.02, Petria"s swimming pool at 08.05 and all stops along the way. Full details on http://sites.google.com/site/mullumbikebus or contact bikebus@gmail.com


"Life is like a ten speed bicycyle. Most of us have gears we never use" Charles M Schulz.



IS YOUR HOME SUSTAINABLE? Free assessment now, with funding from the Federal Government. Contact: Simon Walsh, 66286528
(simon.walsh@partnersenergy.com.au)
Web links: http://www.environment.gov.au/greenloans/ and
http://www.partnersenergy.com.au/



QUOTE: Noam Chomsky: "Arundhati Roy"s essays evoke a stark image of two Indias being driven "resolutely in opposite directions", a small India on its way to a "glittering destination" while the rest "melts into the darkness and disappears" – a microcosm of much of the world, she observes, though "in India your face is slammed right up against it". Traced with sensitivity and skill, the unfolding picture is interlaced with provocative reflections on the writer"s mission and burden, and inspiring accounts of the "spectacular struggles" of popular movements that "refuse to lie down and die".


The popular movement in Mullumbimby also refuses to "lie down and die".
See you Monday.
Cheers
Deborah