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BYRON BAY SCHOOLIES
WEEK |
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Content merged from the Lismore Radio website. |
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 I
very recently found myself asking a number of questions about
Schoolies Week in Byron Bay which I thought would warrant some
effort in answering. These included:
* Are Byron Bay
Schoolies too much to handle?
* Are we really hearing the
whole story?
* Are there very real problems being covered up
by those with vested interests?
* Are the issues being dealt
with and managed by the right people?
Following a Lismore
Radio police report posted on Sunday night about a male, possibly
armed with a knife, arrested near the Schoolies Hub at Byron Bay,
Nicqui Yazdi, Coordinator of the Byron Schoolies Safety Response,
has come out firing. That report can be read
HERE. |
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Ms Yazdi posted the following
comments on the Lismore Radio page before later removing them:
| ‘You have no idea what you are
talking about Lismore Radio. … Byron does not have an issue
with 'Toolies' unless you count those coming from Lismore,
Ballina and surrounds, who also come each and every week and
'run amok'. In fact, this is how uninformed you are with
regard to schoolies, there was not one 'schooliesrelated
police incident' at last year's Schoolies in Byron. … the
Schoolies who chose to come to Byron … come to Byron for a
chilled out holiday with their friends … The police presence
isn't so much needed to 'protect Byron from the Schoolies'
but to protect the Schoolies from the normal every day
issues that happen here! If anything, the last few days, the
ones running around town causing trouble, selling drugs and
generally acting like delinquents, are a bunch of people
from Lismore and Nimbin. Get a grip on reality Lismore
Radio!!’ |
Besides her very low opinion regarding those from Lismore,
Ballina, Nimbin and other surrounding areas who regularly visit
Byron Bay to enjoy the night life, Ms Yazdi does not seem to be able
to differentiate between a ‘Toolie’ and a regular visitor. If they
are there every week, should they not be welcomed as regular
customers to the local businesses, made to feel welcome and
appreciated instead of ridiculed by a prominent Byron Bay
representative?
When challenged about her completely
unrealistic belief that '... there was not one 'schooliesrelated
police incident' at last year's Schoolies in Byron' and she was told
Lismore Radio would head to Byron Bay with cameras and audio to show
everyone what really happened, she went on to post:
‘You even think of it and I
will have the Police follow you! Byron does a huge allin
community effort to manage schoolies here and the
last type of people we need here are creeps like you!’ |
After being threatened and insulted by this person, she went on
to say:
‘I will be showing this to the
Police, so they will be keeping an eye out for you.’
‘Don't worry, I took screen shots’ |
There were other words exchanged where Ms Yazdi relied on the
Northern Star as a reference source to support her comments before
Lismore Radio provided links to various articles relating to
Schoolies 2013 from such major media organisations as The Herald
Sun, The Daily Telegraph and the ABC. The Northern Star article
referred to can be read
HERE.
The Herald Sun article, titled ‘Schoolies alcohol-fuelled violence
drives up assaults in Byron Bay’, quoted a local medical doctor, a
very experienced local emergency specialist, who warned that binge
drinking is destroying young lives and driving other tourists away.
A two to three-fold increase in assaults over the summer months was
also reported. He also warned people to forget Byron Bay after 10
pm. The Herald Sun article can be read
HERE.
The Daily Telegraph article, titled ‘Schoolies in Byron Bay swim
drunk along unpatrolled beaches’, expressed concern about teenagers
risking their lives. They reported that Surf Live Saving NSW ranked
Byron Shire in the State’s top 10 black spots for drowning in the
previous year. The Daily Telegraph article can be read
HERE.
The ABC article, titled ‘Byron Bay spreads Cringe the Binge message
in lead-up to schoolies’, expressed concern about alcohol related
incidents. It explains how about five young people on average
between the ages of 15 and 19 are admitted to the emergency
department as a result of alcohol related issues including assaults
and extreme intoxication. It goes on to say this is likely to
increase three-fold during schoolies week. Violence and alcohol
related sexual assault are said to be common. The ABC article can be
read
HERE.
Things escalated again this morning when a link to a post about
another Byron Bay incident that occurred last night posted on
Lismore Radio was sent to Ms Yazdi. That police report was about an
18 year old male who was reportedly assaulted at the Schoolies Hub.
An ambulance was called as the male was not responding well after
being hit in the head. Police were at the location when called. Last
night’s report can be read
HERE.
Ms Yazdi denied any assault occurred. She accused me of spreading
lies and stated she went to police about me. She said:
| ‘If you turn up in the park and
put a camera in anyone's face, they will remove you.’ |
She went on to say:
| ‘Well, I have arranged with the
Police that they will be expecting you. Your photo has also
been shared with all HUB volunteers too, so they are
expecting you too, so they can let the Police know that
you're there. Don't think that I am joking. You have been
the subject of much discussion this morning.' |
Ms Yazdi’s aggressiveness and persistence to cover up any
incidents occurring at Byron Bay involving Schoolies made me look a
little deeper.
It appears funding support from local
businesses and council dropped off last year with a little relief
coming just two weeks before Schoolies Week 2013 when $1,970 in
council fees were waived by Byron Shire Council following a Mayoral
Minute.
Another $3,500 as a budget line item for ‘Schoolies
Approvals under Community Development’ was allocated a few days ago
by Byron Shire Council following a Notice of Motion.
It
appears the future of the Byron Schoolies Safety Response is
uncertain. This may explain Ms Yazdi’s aggressive, rudeness and
intimidatory behaviour. Alternatively, she either just does not like
me or others heading to Byron Bay from Lismore and surrounding
areas.
More information about the Byron Schoolies Hub is
available on their Facebook page which can be found
HERE.
Nicqui Yazdi was also very adamant about me not using her name.
After being told there was never a need to be rude, her last comment
sent to me by private message read:
| ‘You are a fine one to speak.
Your lack of respect for what we are doing here has got you
into this. If you in any way use my name, at all and
whatsover, you will be the subject of a lawsuit. I am not
one to trifle with. The Police are not impressed by what you
have written in your fb post. They have no idea where it is
that you got your very incorrect information from. There was
no 18 year old male assaulted last night, at all. All has
been sent to the Police and you are now a police matter.’ |
Lismore Radio will be making a few trips to Byron Bay Schoolies
over the next few weeks to record what goes on and to share that
material with readers. We can all then judge for ourselves.
A senior police representative has also confirmed that there is no
issue whatsoever with Lismore Radio attending Schoolies to record
and interview people in the street or to record police in action. He
did not seem to have any knowledge about the issues mentioned above.
With assaults in Byron Bay bucking state-wide trends last year,
and local police warning that the chance of being assaulted in Byron
Bay on a Friday or Saturday night was greater than anywhere else in
NSW, this should be a real eye opener for many.
Big Rob. :)
Published
25 November 2014 |
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