Byron Bay articles of interest.

INITIAL RESPONSE FROM THE SCHOOLIES HUB COORDINATOR, NICQUI YAZDI, TO THE NEWS OF BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL REMOVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE BYRON SCHOOLIES SAFETY RESPONSE HUB in 2013 – “With all of the current high profile alcohol issues in Byron, it comes as a serious blow to the community that Byron Shire Council have essentially pulled all of their support for the Byron Schoolies Safety Response HUB this year. For the last four years, the HUB has provided much needed assistance during this high traffic time, not only to the visiting schoolies, but also to the local community, in making sure that the safety issues of having 10,000 extra young visitors here, are attended to. To clarify for the community [...]

THE BYRON SCHOOLIES SAFETY RESPONSE ARE LOOKING FOR SCHOOLIES HUB VOLUNTEERS FOR 2012. THERE IS A SIGN-ON AND REUNION AT THE OWL & PUSSYCAT ON SUNDAY 9TH SEPT 4-6PM Schoolies is fast approaching again. This year the Byron Schoolies Safety Response is once again recruiting volunteers for the Schoolies HUB in order to help make the young visitors welcome and ensure that they enjoy a safe celebration. The HUB will be open 24/7 for the duration of School Leavers Celebrations from November 16 til December 3. Volunteers are rostered on for shifts of 4 hours around the clock. This year the aim is to find 100 local volunteers who would like to give some of their time to the HUB. [...]

@ ‘Stukelele’ aka Stu Eadie from ‘Uke Mullum’ and Steiner music teacher Tom Whitaker will be bringing a special free ukulele workshop to the YACROCKCAFE, followed by a whole night of funky young uke players taking to the stage! Ilona Harker is coming to play some tunes too!!! Cecilia Brandolini is also on the night’s line-up, fresh from taking off third place in the Tweed Battle of the Bands with her brother Gabe. Cecilia will be joined by her sisters Bridget and Monica, who also all performed in the Bluesfest Groms Buskers Comp this year and at the Bluesfest itself. Alexandra Dickson Matilda Dods, Leila Karni, Leah Garnett-Carol, Maya Duel, Giri, Billy, Lali Gill and more! are on the line-up [...]

Byron Bay’s YACROCKCAFE @ the YAC are celebrating Youth Week with a massive free party for local youth on the 20th of April. The YACROCKCAFE kicked off back in March with a HUGE party. The Youth Week Party is looking at being even better! MC for the night is Byron’s very own Dancin’ Man Thomas Franklin. Young performers booked to play the party include Gabe & Cecilia Brandolini, Reilly Fitzalan, Vanessa & Arna Rogers, Ben Meek & the Paper Navigators, Chelsea June & Zep Hamilton and Loki Hough & Elliott Cooper Brain. YACROCKCAFE Coordinator Nicqui Yazdi said “All of these young musicians are incredibly talented and most of them have just played at the BluesFest. Gabe Brandolini is now living [...]

Do you want to volunteer to do some good things in the community? Then head on down to the Volunteers Expo at the Community Centre on Thursday… Keep your eye out for the BUDDI stall… BUDDI (the Byron Underage Drinking & Drug Initiative-Community Drug Action Team) needs volunteers for the new YACROCKCAFE, a teen music cafe at the YAC every Friday night; the Byron Schoolies Safety Response Schoolie HUB and other community events… Are you up for volunteering?? Head on down and sign up to be a volunteer! BUDDI – the Byron Underage Drinking & Drug Initiative-Community Drug Action Team BUDDI was formed under NSW Health Community Drug Strategies Program and is auspiced by Byron Youth Service. BUDDI Team membership [...]

YACROCKCAFE Opening on March 9th at the Byron Youth Activities Centre – Music-based Drop-in for Teens Something exciting is about to kick-off for young people in Byron Bay on Friday nights. The YACROCKCAFE is a free weekly music-based drop-in program for high school aged young people on Friday nights at the Byron Youth Activities Centre. The YACROCKCAFE will commence on Friday March 9th with a special opening night party sponsored by Project U-Turn. Guest artists on the night include awarding winning young band Lifeline, Mitchell Smith (X-Factor), Cecilia Brandolini, Loki Hough and Haven Hough. There will be giveaways from surf and skateboard company, Bone Machine, including a custom made skateboard and t-shirt packs and free pizza from the new Byron [...]

Byron Bay’s Main Beach was crowded with revellers at the strike of midnight. Revellers pack Byron beaches THE crowds returned to Byron Bay’s New Year’s Eve celebrations on Saturday, with about 10,000 revellers packing into the area to see in the new year. Police reported well-behaved crowds but said the sheer number of people kept officers, St John Ambulance volunteers and surf lifeguards busy. After several low-key years with no entertainment, this year the chamber of commerce, Byron United, organised a band and a fireworks display. The plan coincided with the increased influx and barely a patch of beach could be seen for the sea of people crammed onto Main Beach. Mobile phone networks also crashed. By the strike of [...]

Preparing for the Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve festival were, from left, Susi St Julian (site manager), Alison Corfield (Tropical Fruits chairwoman), Laure Despland (green girl or waste manager) and Tim Childs (tool shed co-ordinator). Tropical Fruits brings in millions CHRISTMAS is behind us and that means only one thing for the North Coast’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities – it’s Tropical Fruits time. The task to decorate and set up the Lismore showgrounds in advance of the Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve party shifted into top gear yesterday with some of the 300 volunteers for the event descending on the venue. Local business owners are also preparing for the influx of visitors and dollars into Lismore and the [...]

(From left) work experience student Denyelle O’Brien, Australian Seabird Rescue North Coast co-ordinator Kath Southwell and Australian Seabird Rescue veterinarian nurseMichelle Hall tend to a sick hawksbill turtle found in the Richmond River more than a week ago. VOLUNTEERS and funds are needed to care for the alarming number of sea turtles washing up on North Coast beaches. It is believed the turtles are becoming ill as a result of the destruction of food sources caused by Cyclone Yasi and the high level of plastic pollution in our oceans. “We have seen nothing like this since we began rescuing sea turtles in 1998,” Australian Seabird Rescue North Coast co-ordinator Kath Southwell said. “We are receiving twice as many stranded turtles [...]

A scene from Schoolies 2009 at Main Beach, Byron Bay. The area is expecting 10,000 teenagers. IN A FEW days as many as 10,000 schoolies will descend on Byron Bay to celebrate finishing year 12. In an effort to keep the teens safe, the Byron Schoolies Hub will be open from this Friday and will remain open 24 hours a day for 18 days. Hub co-ordinator Nicqui Yazdi estimated half the schoolies who came to Byron were under the age of 18. Because they were unable to get into clubs and pubs many of them ended up drinking on beaches and in parks, Ms Yazdi said. Police will have a high presence in Byron during schoolies and will set up [...]

Schoolies is less than 6 weeks away now. 10,000 school leavers from all around Australia are coming to Byron to celebrate the end of Year 12. This year the Byron Schoolies Safety Response is offering free training to any volunteers who sign up before the end of October. These are certificate courses in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) and Senior First Aid. The first 2-day YMHFA training will take place on October 31 and November 7 at the YAC. There will be a sign-on night and reunion at the Owl & Pussycat on October 24 from 6-8pm. This will be a chance for new volunteers to get together with past volunteers and sign up for this years HUB. There [...]

Schoolies is only 10 weeks away now. 10,000 school leavers from all around Australia are coming to Byron to celebrate the end of Year 12. This year the Byron Schoolies Safety Response is once again recruiting volunteers for the Schoolies HUB in order to help make the young visitors welcome and ensure that they enjoy a safe celebration. The HUB is a large marquee supplied by Byron Shire Council and placed in Main Beach Park for the duration of the celebrations. HUB Co-ordinator, Nicqui Yazdi said “We would really like to encourage those that have had experience with working with young people to come and give it a go. And also those that might have done first aid training, although [...]

LESS than a month remains for people to nominate a hard-working volunteer they know in NSW or the ACT for a NRMA Helping People Award. NRMA President Wendy Machin said NRMA Helping People Award nominations for volunteers from a charity or not-for-profit organisation close on Friday 29 July. “Communities can’t function without volunteers, so if you know a volunteer who deserves some recognition for the help they are giving don’t delay, nominate them now,” Ms Machin said. “The four winners will receive a great Australian getaway for two and a $5,000 donation will be given to the charity they volunteer for. “We have already received 280 nominations for some incredibly dedicated individuals who volunteer in their communities. “The volunteers nominated [...]

Two of the celebrities at this year’s Lantern Festival will be a treat for the kids. From the popular TV series dirtgirlworld, 3m high lanterns of dirtgirl and her faithful companion, scrapboy, will be walking in the Lantern Parade, and later singing and dancing in the Fiery Finale. Rumour has it that earlier in the day, between 3 and 4pm, they’ll be dropping in to the Kids’ Art Space at the Lismore Regional Gallery, on Molesworth St, and meeting and greeting around the Market de Light stalls. TODAY is the biggest day of the year for Lismore. Rain or shine, there’ll be music in the air and markets in the heart of town, parties in the street and a river [...]

Tent master Marty Ashton busy setting up one of the tents for the start of Bluesfest on Thursday. THERE are only three sleeps before Bluesfest kicks off for 2011. Not that we’ve got a countdown going. Setting up of the Tyagarah site for the six-day event started two weeks ago, with the five stages already ready to house an estimated 44,500attendees – a 20% increase on last year’s crowd of 35,335 – and 114 acts, or around 1140 musos. With only 11% of ticket-holders residing on the Northern Rivers, an estimated 89% of attendees will seek accommodation for the festival, with around 5500 camping on-site. This year the site consists of five stages, four bars (including one VIP bar), five [...]

Karen Coyle, of Light’n’Up in Lismore, has created a special giant musical note to be used at this year’s Bluefest lantern processions. Marc Stapelberg ENGLAND may be gearing up for a royal wedding, but on the Northern Rivers there is to be a union of two beloved institutions that will be a sparkling pageant in its own right. A team of lanterneers from Light’n’Up Lismore, who present the annual mid-winter Lismore Lantern Parade, is joining forces with the Byron Bay-based Bluesfest to present a twice-nightly lantern procession throughout the festival from April 21 to 26. Artist Karen Coyle, of Goonellabah, has been hard at work at the Lismore lantern workshop making special music-themed lanterns for the event. It’s been a [...]

The New Byron Youth Service Bus This week Byron Youth Service (BYS) takes delivery of its new Toyota 12 seater minibus for use as a mobile youth outreach service aiming to prevent and reduce youth crime around the Shire on weekends. The “Turning the Tide on Local Youth Crime” project will be commencing service on Friday 1st April, which is the start of National Youth Week, visiting townships of the Shire on Friday & Saturday nights and engaging with young people that are hanging out on the streets.  The aim of the new service is to reduce the likelihood of young people, particularly those under 18 years of age, becoming involved in criminal activities such as alcohol & drug related [...]

Thousands turn out to watch a previous Kites and Bikes Festival at Brunswick Heads. EXPECT to see some weird and wonderful bikes at next Sunday’s Kites and Bikes Festival at Brunswick Heads. Among them will be a modern take on the Penny Farthing, developed by Huon, a Year 10 student at the Shearwater Steiner School. The art bike project has the goal of adding some whimsy and wonder to the growing world of self-powered transport. “The bike activities are all about encouraging people to swap the car for a bike,” festival bike co-ordinator Nick Bowden said. Bring along your decorated bikes, scooters and strollers to The Terrace for the bike parade, or decorate them at the festival. Throughout the day [...]

Red Cross volunteers trained in emergency services (from left) Amanda Lucantonio, Tracee Thomson, Tweed-Byron emergency services liaison officer Kodie Alderton and Byron Bay team leader Bronwyn Raphael. We’ve all seen the tragic images. Buildings in ruins. Lives lost. Byron Shire locals have looked on in disbelief – as have people around the world – at the devastation following the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Not that long before, Australia as a nation held its collective breath as Cyclone Yasi ripped through Far North Queensland, we shook our heads as bushfires destroyed homes in Perth, and could hardly believe the inland tsunami which swept through Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley. And, in each natural disaster, there is a common feeling in [...]

Lismore Lantern Parade president Terry Lawrence (left) and parade director Jyllie Jackson, holding Ivy Luna, aged 1, with lanterns based on this year’s The Great Garden theme at the Lismore Community Garden. THE theme has been chosen and the stage – the streets of Lismore – is set for the 2011 Lismore Lantern Parade. The theme is ‘The Great Garden’, which is the Gaelic meaning of the name of Lismore. Festival director Jyllie Jackson is inviting everyone to become involved in the preparations for the parade and festival, which turns 18 years old this year. “We are calling on residents, schools and community groups to come and help make lanterns, create costumes and sets, or perform on the night,” Ms [...]

FUNDING has ceased for a service helping youth in at-risk situations on Friday and Saturday nights in Ballina. The Ballina District Community Services Association (BDCSA), which has been operating the Street Beat program for 12 years, is appealing for community support to get the Street Beat service back on the road. BDCSA executive officer, Dianna Howell, said State Government funding for the service stopped in September because of a change in funding criteria. The BDCSA then funded the service for another month. “Despite four separate applications for State and private funding, none of which has yet been successful, BDCSA lacks the financial resources to support the program on an on-going basis,” Ms Howell said. The BDCSA has requested State funding [...]

The Byron Schoolies Safety Response will be getting a big helping hand from Byron Youth Service (BYS) and BUDDI-CDAT (Byron Underage Drinking & Drug Initiative) for this years school leavers celebrations. BYS and BUDDI received a grant from the NRMA to provide a ‘Summer Safety in the Bay’ campaign and will be launching their program at Schoolies this year. Amongst other things, the NRMA funding has purchased 150 identifiable t-shirts for the volunteers of the Schoolies HUB and also volunteers for other high traffic times over summer, including New Years Eve. In an effort to reduce the amount of disposable cups that were used at last years Schoolies HUB, the NRMA grant will also enable the purchase refillable, biodegradable water [...]

BYRON BAY is Australia’s second-most popular destination for school leavers, according to BookSchoolies.com managing director Matt Lloyd. The leading schoolies accommodation booking service has secured 840 bookings for Bryon Bay, second only to the Gold Coast with 24,000. Byron Schoolies Safety Response founder and co-ordinator Nicqui Yazdi said the school leavers would be made welcome, but more volunteers were needed for Byron’s Schoolies HUB this year. “These young people are our future tourists,” she said. “And while they may not have a lot ofmoney to spend we certainly need (the economic boost) because we’ve had such a slow year with Splendour and the Bluesfestbeing out of town.” Ms Yazdi said last year’s Schoolies HUB was a huge success and previous [...]

Schoolies is only weeks away now. 10,000 school leavers from all around Australia are coming to Byron to celebrate the end of Year 12. This year the Byron Schoolies Safety Response is once again recruiting volunteers for the Schoolies HUB in order to help make the young visitors welcome and ensure that they enjoy a safe celebration. The HUB will be open 24/7 for the 18 days of School Leavers Celebrations from the 19th of November until the 6th of December. Volunteers will be rostered on for shifts of 4 hours around the clock. Last year 66 local volunteers worked the Schoolies HUB along with assistance from the Red Frogs and also local organisation YWAM (Youth With A Mission). This [...]

Schoolies is fast approaching again. This year the Byron Schoolies Safety Response is once again recruiting volunteers for the Schoolies HUB in order to help make the young visitors welcome and ensure that they enjoy a safe celebration. The HUB will be open 24/7 for the 16 days of School Leavers Celebrations and volunteers will be rostered on for shifts of 4 hours around the clock. Last year 66 local volunteers worked the Schoolies HUB along with assistance from the Red Frogs and also local organisation YWAM (Youth With A Mission). This year the aim is to find 100 local volunteers who would like to give some of their time to the HUB. The HUB is a large marquee, supplied [...]

At 10am yesterday, Tuesday 24th August 2010, The Byron Schoolies Safety Working Group met at the Byron Youth Activities Centre, 1 Gilmore Crescent, to sign a ‘Joint Vision Statement’ for this year’s Byron Schoolies Safety Response in November/December. The Byron Schoolies Safety Response aims to provide a safe and secure environment in Byron Bay during the end of year school leaver celebrations using the key messages of Respect, Responsibility and Relax. In 2009, the Byron Schooies Safety Response was born, in response to the need for safety strategies to cater to this ever-growing School Leavers event. In 2009, around 10,000 young people attended their end of Year 12 Celebrations here in Byron Bay over a period of 16 days. For [...]

Twenty five community organisations in the Byron Shire have shared in more than $243,000 in volunteer grants announced last week by Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot. A total of 73 community organisations on the North Coast have received money. Organisations will receive grants of between $1000 and $5000 through the Volunteer Grants initiative to cover the cost of petrol and much-needed equipment such as computers, barbecues, air-conditioners and refrigerators. “Volunteers are the backbone of our community,” Ms Elliot said. “Every day volunteers are out in the community doing what they do best, helping those in need, nurturing our environment and completing police and background checks. “They provide valuable support to organisations that keep out local community together.” Recipients The [...]

Nicqui Yazdi, Schoolies HUB Co-ordinator and the big Red Frog at the recent Red Frog’s Corporate Sponsorship Dinner in Brisbane. Byron Schoolies Safety Response group on facebook is a page to share information, links and all sorts of other stuff about school leavers celebrations in Byron Bay. The Byron Schoolies Safety Response working group was formed in 2009 to assist to make school leavers celebrations in Byron Bay a safer time for both the visitors and the local community. Nicqui Yazdi, the Schoolies HUB co-ordinator said that “As of this week we will start to put this page together to keep everyone informed of what is happening. We will also add links to groups and organisations involved and other  information [...]

While the Byron Bay Writers Festival looms on the literary horizon, festival director Jeni Caffin has acknowledged that it couldn’t run as smoothly as it does without the army of volunteers that help each year. “It truly is the volunteers who make the event possible,” she said. “You’ll find them across every aspect of the festival – we’re indebted to their generosity and enthusiasm.” Ms Caffin went as far as saying that the volunteers were the ones that created an inclusive and inviting atmosphere. Ralph Moore has been volunteering at the writers festival for eight years and obviously enjoys it. “We’re like this big family that gets together once a year and throws a big party and everyone’s invited,” Mr Moore said. “And we have [...]