I’m from a place called Sheffield originally, which I remember as being in shades of grey, mostly dark grey. I was glad to get away from it. The first move away was to Torquay. That was a very, very pleasant change. One of my strongest memories of Torquay was a place called Babbacombe, on the cliffs overlooking the sea. I was looking down on a sandstone beach, with round pebbles, reddish coloured stone on the cliffs, eye-opening blue sea, sunshine – which was a big attraction, and these little yachts called a Firefly, which were two-person yachts, with red sails. So, the red sails on the blue sea and a white sandstone beach full of pebbles, and sunshine.
When I came to Australia, I developed an interest in the natural environment and developed into a bit of a greenie. I ended up being the president of the Ballina Environment Society for about 20 years. I more or less inherited the position. We took the Ballina Council to the Land Environment Court, I think on about five different occasions, more or less successfully. And in the long term it was successful, part of which is visible around here, because we managed to limit the high-rise development that had taken place in Queensland and was encroaching into northern New South Wales until we developed this buffer area here. There was a councillor, the first green councillor on a Byron Shire Council, who gave her support and assistance. She set an example for councillors to promote the natural environment. And that’s why around here, Byron especially, has the height limit of development and the maximum amount of green cover.
