COMMUNITY BYRON have announced their candidacy for the Council Elections. The group, led by Cate Coorey – President of Byron Residents’ Group – is made up of all first-time candidates, bringing a new and vibrant energy to the Council fray.
“It’s no accident that Byron is special and unique – it’s the result of a vigilant and defiant community protecting what we value and nurturing it,” says Cate Coorey. “Byron is a welcoming place but increasingly we are being squeezed by demands placed on us by outside forces. Our group will make community wishes and the environment the top priorities in the whole Shire. We support sensible development and we are interested to hear what people can give to this place not what they can get from it.”
Second on the ticket is Ben Mallinson. Ben worked for 5 years as a specialist consultant to architects in Sydney and now lives in Mullumbimby where he is a permaculture student and design consultant. A committee member of Northern Rivers Young Farmers’ Alliance, Ben established the food sovereignty project ‘food4lawns’ in Mullumbimby.
“The three ethics I put into action: earth care, people care, fair share. I want to see ethical practice in Council. Freedom of information and transparency of process are the foundations of accountability. A new Council must ensure these foundations are solid – a first step to ending questions about secrecy and corruption,” says Ben.
Third on the ticket is scientist and ecologist Caitlin Weatherstone. Caitlin is highly active in the Shire. Currently working for the Byron Bay Surf Festival, she is also establishing an environmental education business. Instrumental in the Plastic Free July campaign, Caitlin has cleaned plastic from beaches on Cape York, undertaken local threatened species surveys and volunteers with several local conservation organisations.
“I’m passionate about environmental education and protection in our local community. I will stand for the values of the community in my decision making and will act to represent all Byron Shire locals – human and animal,” says Caitlin.
Our number four is Byron Rogers. Born and raised in the region, Byron recently retired after 13 years in the NSW Police force and is presently studying Building and Construction. He’s surfed Byron’s beaches for over 35 years and is Secretary of the Byron Bay Malibu Club.
“I am passionate about retaining the unique character of our local towns and villages and strongly advocate for a decent bypass, bicycle paths and CBD pedestrianised areas to be a priority in the Byron Bay township,” says Byron.
Cate Coorey,
So you are standing. Standing for Council.
Ben and Caitlin and Byron all in Byron Bay, all standing. What should we say? Hooray.
What a great picture of four people standing shoulder to shoulder just like a family, four for all and all four in together as a community team relying on each other as there is nothing so strong with energy as diversity. It is great to see. This present Council is going to get a shock. Watch out for the Bilongil rock wall?
Cate Coorey and her “Community” team are to represent Byron residents for the Byron Residents Group. The family, the parents and children of Byron are special as there is a special love here in Byron about ‘community’ and community leader Cate Coorey is raring at the bit to give a lift to Byron Council and to give it a shock and to lift it into a larger realm where the people have a say. Do you the people of Byron want a say? Vote for the Cate Coorey Community team.
Cate Coorey is ready to holler out for the little people who just cop it on the chin when Council rates rise without rhyme or reason. And oh yes, the parking fines. Cate knows about them.
Byron Bay was named after Lord Byron the poet and Byron wrote about love and human beings and relationships between men and women just like the Byron community. The community needs protecting against the economic barbs and harsh realities of institutions like councils and rock walls as people get old and the Health of the community depends on clinics and hospitals and doctors and caring just like in any family. Council has a role to play to keep community health healthy. Ms Coorey is stepping up and opening the Byron Council door and she will keep the community informed if there is any coughs about or any sniffles. Where is that sneeze in someone’s cold as everywhere the people are being squeezed by Council to get blood out of a stone? Do we, as we approach the election hear a groan about Byron Council? Everywhere. Then change the Council. Get a redhead out who throws shoes and put in a community person. Someone on the community team like Cate.
Hey, you there in the red shirt? Yes, you, have you met Ben Mallinson? Oh you have. So you would know he is talented in design and a great consultant to architects. Architectural design takes a special intelligence, the sort that would wield Ben’s knowledge around town planning. This town needs planning, with something of the architectural mind. Something on a higher plain. Vote for Ben Mallinson if you want better planning as he is a community person, someone who will listen to reason as he belongs in an industry with ethics.
As for a person of science, scientists know about Climate Change and the waters and the moving ocean waves and the tides of the Bay and that they are changing and not obeying the rules of yesterday. There is the changing weather. Enter scientist and ecologist Caitlin Weatherstone and how the sands on the beach get picked up and thrown by the wind.
Caitlin works for the Byron Bay Surf Festival and also has an environment educational business. Who could be better in Council to know about the ocean and how it hits a rock wall and takes away the sand and dumps it out to sea.
And the ocean has a force like no other. But when counting on the human kind of force there is Byron Bern who was in the NSW Police Force. Byron knows the beaches and the waters and has probably been close to sharks as he is an experienced surfboard rider and therefore knows the highest local experience that attracts the tourists here to keep the place kicking along, economically. Byron Bay is a tourist town and tourists come here to surf. And they come here to settle and live and bring their money as well. Byron is secretary of the Byron Bay Malibu Club.
What better team could we have in Byron Council for the Byron community? Hey mate, vote for Cate.