The Byron Greens support animal welfare. We believe that animals must be recognised as sentient beings that deserve our care and respect.   Byron Greens will: Continue to prohibit circuses with trained animals operating on Byron Council managed land. Support the transition away from beef cattle farming in the Shire and towards more productive and environmentally/climate friendly land uses. Support a phase out of intensive animal farming such as piggeries and cage hens in the Shire and a...

Byron Greens members were instrumental in Byron Council adopting a program entitled, “Greenprint for a Sustainable Future for Byron Shire”  in 1995. Byron Greens’ first councillor, Richard Staples, was elected in 1995 and was a part of the council that developed the rural settlement reforms that were encapsulated in the 1998 award winning Byron Rural Settlement Strategy. Byron Greens candidate, Ian Cohen as an MLC, was instrumental in making Multiple Occupancy (MO) legal again after the...

The Byron Greens believe that diversity of belief is critical for a healthy society and democracy. We support the right to peacefully protest. We support the option of non-violent direct action to protect the environment, human rights, and our community. Byron Greens candidates Ian Cohen and Matt O'Reilly have both been arrested protesting against the destruction of the environment, the nuclear industry or while supporting Aboriginal traditional owners. One core tenant of non-violent direct...

The Byron Greens support our community and our most vulnerable  The Byron Greens drove the early adoption of a Byron Shire Positive Ageing Strategy and a Byron Shire Youth Strategy. Sadly, over the last nine years those strategies were ignored and finally in 2020 they were repealed. Currently Byron Council has no specific strategies or policies in place to support healthy ageing or youth in our Shire.  The Byron Greens commit to community consultation in the preparation of a new healthy ageing...

Since the Aquarius festival in ‘73 the north coast has attracted people with passions and ideals that are essentially Green - respect and love of nature, living the ethics of social justice, reducing their footprint on the earth. The Byron Greens are keeping the dream alive! You can tell a lot about a community by the clothes that they wear and the lack of shoes, so that we feel the earth beneath our feet. Take a stroll through the Mullumbimby farmers markets on a Friday morning and you get a...

The Byron Greens support traditional medicine, complimentary therapies, and allied health. The Byron Greens: Acknowledge that the use of all drugs and medicines, both legal and illegal, have the potential to cause harm to the individual and to the community.  Support research into the therapeutic use of psychedelics, particularly for PTSD, depression, and anxiety.  Support the legal use of traditional medicines from all cultures.  Believe a wide range of conventional and proven complementary...

The Byron Greens are ready to act on Byron's housing crisis! We know that housing stress is shocking in Byron Shire with vast sections of our community being made homeless. As Greens we will protect the environment and neighbourhoods and find ways to look after the needs of our community. We also acknowledge that satisfying demand with conventional development can often lead to unacceptable environmental impacts and would end up making Byron more like the Gold Coast. We take the housing crisis...

The Byron Green's will preserve Byron's surfing culture! The Byron Greens have been a part of Byron's surfing culture going back to our founding in 1993. Whether you were born here, moved here during the alternative hey-days of the 1970s or a more recent arrival Byron's surf culture is part of what makes Byron special. Byron Greens candidate, former MLC and Broken Head resident, Ian Cohen has been surfing around Byron since the early 70s. Who can forget the iconic image of Ian surfing the bow...

The Byron Greens recognise that the Brunswick River is under increasing pressure from many sources. Increasing recreational and tourist use, pollution, run off, sewerage, stormwater, and coastal water degradation all play their part. The Byron Greens support the Arakwal and other Bundjalung groups being granted formal joint-management of the Cape Byron Marine Park to give better protection to the estuary of the river.   We will: Make sure that the Ocean Shores and Brunswick Valley...

The Byron Greens will protect our Shire's Platypuses.  It is not just Koalas that are under threat in Byron Shire. Our freshwater creeks and waterways were once home to thriving populations of Platypus. The Byron Greens will protect our waterways and ensure that the Platypus can re-populate our Shire.   We will: Take action to prevent roads polluting our waterways with sediment,rubbish, pesticides and petro-chemicals, including Council managed roads. Make sure illegal land clearing is...