Hans Lovejoy
  • Home
  • Music
  • Journalism
  • Editorials
  • Consultancy
  • Contact

Tenderising a community market

12/12/2011

0 Comments

 
Democracy triumphed over appalling policy last Monday week. Perhaps the most inspiring thing about the draft market policy meeting held at the community centre is that everyone, from business owners, stallholders and the public, had a go. Good questions were asked and a lot of ground was covered.

And as to be expected Kerry O’Brien did an excellent job as chair; he was on topic, asked pertinent questions and kept it tight and light. Best of all he aimed for a resolution at the end of the meeting which gave councillors the clear message that the draft policy did not reflect community wishes.

Some critics claim that breaking the Byron market monopoly held by the Community Centre could potentially uncover a racket, and/or free it up to be administered more democratically.

It appears like sour grapes. Everyone – ie the stallholders – at that meeting was in total support of current management. As Community Centre manager Paul Spooner said at the time, no-one else is better placed to administer local markets than a community centre.

But our state government overlords have spoken (have they?) and it must be open to tender. Councillors fear that now the state is grabbing at caravan parks previously managed by councils they could turn to public lands such as sports fields and parks. To prevent that, they say, policies like this need to be properly enshrined to protect community assets from state takeovers.

Council’s problem is that it still has no constitutional recognition as part of the third tier of government and remains in thrall to the state government. The only thing that appears to give any state government reason to act (under either party) is the legislation they are bound by, or perhaps bad press.

However, as with anything legal, the winner is the one with the best advice, and as elections are held every four years, there’s a lot of ignoring that can happen in between when it comes to bad PR.

A lot is at stake. Many livelihoods. I know stallholders who are paying off property and feeding families (partly) from market income. It’s a cornerstone of our identity, it’s a major tourist attraction and a regular local hang.

The best speech all night was from a quietly spoken farmer who simply said to the audience, ‘You allow us to do what we love. It’s not a huge income, but without this, we wouldn’t be here.’

Let’s hope the second draft of the market policy will allow localisation to thrive instead of whatever it is the state government wants.

0 Comments

    Archives

    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

    Categories

    All
    Banglaow
    Brunswick Heads
    Byron Bay
    Byron Shire Council
    Capitalism
    Civilisation
    Class Warfare
    Climate Change
    Community Markets
    Conservative Intellectuals
    Corporations
    Counter Culture
    Crime
    Development
    Drugs
    Elections
    Environment
    Federal Coalition
    Federal Government
    Federal Labor
    Festivals
    Finance
    Food
    Health
    Hemp
    History – Australia
    Holiday Letting
    Human Rights
    International
    Journalism
    Language Usage
    Lobbyists
    Mardigrass Festival
    Media
    Mining
    Mullumbimby
    Nationals Party Nsw
    Nsw Government
    Piracy
    Police
    Religion
    Renewable Energy
    Social Contract
    Sovereignty
    State Coalition Party
    Technology
    The Greens
    Transport
    West Byron

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Music
  • Journalism
  • Editorials
  • Consultancy
  • Contact