BYRON BAY’S Belongil Creek Bridge has been repainted in rainbow colours.
Byron Shire Mayor, Simon Richardson, said the new paint work on the Belongil Bridge was a fantastic statement for the gateway to Byron Bay, a town known for tolerance and acceptance.
The rainbow colours are used around the world as a symbol of pride in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities.
“The colours on this bridge show Byron Shire Council’s support for equity and inclusion,” Mayor Richardson said.
“Council has been very vocal and supportive of same sex marriage and several years ago we wrote to every local government area in Australia urging them to join us in supporting marriage equality as a human right,” he said.
“The Northern Rivers is also known as the Rainbow Region for its weather so the paint work on the bridge is a natural fit for the area.
“The new rainbow colours on the Belongil Bridge are a welcoming message to everyone and I congratulate Philip Bird and the team from Marine and Civil Maintenance who have been working under the bridge to upgrade the foundations,” Mayor Richardson said.
Philip Bird, Operations Manager for MCM, approached the Byron Shire Council with his idea for painting the bridge in rainbow colours and said if any town in Australia could be home to a rainbow bridge it’s Byron Bay.
“The rainbow gateway is a bright, happy and genuine statement for Byron Shire, a place which embraces equity, diversity and harmony,” Mr Bird said.
“Byron has more than two million visitors a year, so this is a huge message of support for marriage equality.
“Let’s hope photos of the rainbow bridge are shared around the world,” he said.