Byron Bay

The Howard Government has an obligation - and the means - to try to stop the Japanese slaughter in Antarctica, writes Sue Arnold.
Ian Stroud is an old Australian whaler, almost a museum piece. Back in the mid-’50s, he was a gunner killing whales down in the Antarctic aboard the Southern Venturer. When Stroud heard about Greenpeace vessels harassing the Japanese fleet as it sets about the grisly business of killing a thousand minkes and 10 fin whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, he picked up the phone.
His descriptions of the trauma whales endure is hard to listen to. He spoke of whales defecating in terror, crying their distress as the whalers chased them. He spoke of watching and listening [...]

Govt under fire over Becton development
The NSW Government has been accused of lacking the expertise to decide the outcome of the Becton resort development in Byron Bay.
Planning Minister Frank Sartor has called in the development application and will decide the fate of the 92 hectare site. The Minister’s decision comes after three years of discussions between Becton and Byron Shire Council. Mayor Jan Barham says she is disappointed that local knowledge about the issue will not be used in the process.
“See, a lot of the expertise that’s required is localised in terms of the significant values on the site,” she said. “So it’s been an ongoing issue … we’ve stated a number of times our concern about the [Government's] lack [...]

Blue King Brown on ABC North Coast
Reporter: Kim Honan
Presenter: Mike Corkill
If you have done the music festivals on the East Coast this year – Blues and Roots in Byron, Bellingen Global Carnival, Woodford Folk Festival and more recently Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie – you were probably just one of the thousands blown away by the high energy performance of Blue King Brown.
The band has become one of the hottest new bands on the festival circuit, and with good reason. Blue King Brown has appeared with and supported the likes of Michael Franti and Spearhead, The Cat Empire, and John Butler Trio.
The band recently picked up the APRA Songwriters Award and Best Alternative Group at the 2005 [...]

By Sal - Open Content Australia
Southern Cross University held a Community Forum on the Distribution of Digital Property today (11/12/05) in Byron Bay. Speakers were Tony Morris QC and Quentin Cregan, senior and junior Counsel for the defendant in the Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd v Cooper [2005] FCA 972; John Hennessey, junior Counsel for the applicants in the case of Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd v Sharman License Holdings [2005] FCA 1242; and Peter Coroneos, Chief Executive of the Australian Internet Industry Association. Here are some of the highlights from what they had to say: John Hennessey outlined the basis of the Kazaa litigation (authorisation) and made reference to the “minuscule” quantity of legitimate works relied on by Sharman [...]