Byron Baes protest: resident says they ‘have to fight for the soul of Byron’ at event opposing Netflix reality show
Resident says what’s happening to the town is breaking the hearts of the community.
Byron Shire
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Community members turned out in force to call on Netflix to cancel a planned reality series in Byron Bay on Tuesday.
Netflix recently announced the production of Byron Baes, a reality program to focus on the "influencers" of the region.
Magira Holmes was among a group who took part in a paddle-out protest at Main Beach.
She said the town was "already really strained" by a range of pressures and she was concerned about the future of young people growing up in the town.
"It's breaking all of our hearts," she said.
"We have to fight for the soul of Byron."
Parkway Drive drummer and owner of Byron Bay General Store Ben Gordon also spoke out against the planned show at the protest.
At the time of publication, 7833 people had signed an online petition, launched by Tess Hall, calling for the show to be scrapped.
Byron mayor Simon Richardson has also weighed in and is expected to bring an item before the council's meeting this Thursday denouncing the production.
Sally Watego's family are from the local area.
"I really don't like seeing what's been happening to the town," she said.
"It's been taken over.
"I just think the town doesn't need any more promoting.
"There's a lot of issues in this town with real estate prices (and) homelessness.
"There's a community here and I just feel this town doesn't need any more exposure.
"We can't cope as it is.
"I've seen the change in the last couple of years, what's happening to the community."
She said she didn't support the image Byron Baes would portray.
"I just think it's so superficial," she said.
"Byron is not about that.
"Growing up here it was never like that.
Mark "Mono" Stewart, an adaptive surfing champion and local man, also took part in the protest to speak out against "a multinational company coming in and making money off Byron Bay".
"There are real locals that live here and we're really concerned that it's going to portray the town in a bad way and we don't need it, it's ridiculous," Mr Stewart said.
"Enough's enough.
"We have a housing crisis here and all the local families are getting forced out.
"Where does it all end?
"We just want to tell them real people live here.
"We don't want them stuffing up what we've grown up to love."
Originally published as Paddle protest: 'We have to fight for the soul of Byron'
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