4. EMAIL COUNCILLORS IN THE BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL (send BEFORE Wednesday 21 February 2024).
It would be better to send your own heartfelt email to Council on this matter…especially if you have a stake in this/are a Tyagarah beach goer.
Otherwise, I have put together a simple template you can copy and paste and send to councillors…just fill in the […] sections for yourself - I have provided some prompts in there.
COUNCILLORS’ EMAIL ADDRESSES (copy and paste).
cate.coorey@byron.nsw.gov.au, alan.hunter@byron.nsw.gov.au, sarah.ndiaye@byron.nsw.gov.au, duncan.dey@byron.nsw.gov.au, peter.westheimer@byron.nsw.gov.au, sama.balson@byron.nsw.gov.au, mark.swivel@byron.nsw.gov.au
EMAIL TEMPLATE:
[
Dear Councillors,
I am [disappointed/disheartened/sad/distressed - or whatever emotion you want to convey] to discover NSW NPWS’ very sudden request to have the clothing-optional status of the beach revoked. The lack of transparency on NSW NPWS’ behalf and their omission of community consultation is unfair, undemocratic and unjust.
[mention IF you are a Byron Shire resident so that they know you vote in Council elections]
I go to the beach [often/a lot/all the time/frequently/every couple of weeks in summer etc]
I go to the beach with…[wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/family/friends etc]
For me, Tyagarah is [talk about what you love about the beach…for e.g. my/our happy place/ a place I/we go to find peace/a place to gather with like-minded people/to find community/meet with friends/etc]. It is a place to experience freedom, liberation and empowerment.
If you shut down this beach, you are robbing the community of this same opportunity that has changed my life (and countless others) for the better.
I urge Council to propose a different course of action to NSW NPWS in which there is community consultation and a collaborative effort between themselves, Council and the naturist community.
If the CO beach is to close on 8 April, us naturists have NO other stretch of beach to enjoy in the nude. This significantly impacts the lives of the hundreds of beach goers who frequent Tyagarah. Please urge NSW NPWS to consider this. At the very least, I urge you to defer the matter on the democratic grounds that NSW NPWS consult with the community.
At the end of the day, us naturists share the common values and sentiments that the NSW NPWS, Byron Shire Council and police do…we all want to ensure safety on our beach and promote cultural and environmental conservation of the land that we all share and love.
Regards,
[Your name]
]
5. SHARE THIS BLOG WITH YOUR COMMUNITY!
6. ATTEND THE COUNCIL MEETING IN MULLUMBIMBY ON THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2024 @ 9am AEDT.
Location: Council Chambers, Station Street, Mullumbimby.
or, alternatively, tune into the Council meeting livestream on Thursday 22 February 2024 via…
https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Council/Meetings-Agendas/Meeting-Livestream
or, you can also tune into the meeting livestream via their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/byronshire.council/videos
Remember, Council are meeting on this matter on Thursday 22 February, so we need to sign this petition and send these emails by Wednesday 21 February 2024 at the latest!
If you would like further resources, you can read the report that Council will be discussing on 22 February via the link below (pages 138-142).
It’s always disheartening to hear about nude beaches being shut down…and it’s especially so when it’s your own local nude beach. Thank you for your help on this. I can only hope that, after 8 April 2024, I still have a nude beach to go to.
With love and hope,
Jessa
Xx
