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Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Ballina Jet Boat gets a medal

Latest News

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Other News

Coveted Wollumbin Art Award open for young and old

Are you an artist in the Northern Rivers? Now is the time to get your art ready and submitted to the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre’s coveted biennial Wollumbin Art Award.

Community grants on offer

Ingrained Foundation is running its fifth annual grants program, with a funding pool of $150,000.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.

A seasoned bard

Guy Kachel had an idyllic entry to the world of music. Born in Tamworth, he was raised on the banks of the Peel River. The landscape was a fertile ground for his imagination. Seeing this rustic world change, as Tamworth developed into an inland city and friends grew to sometimes troubled adulthoods, provided insights for the artistry that later powered his career as a performer.

Terania blockade film to support Wallum cause

A film about Australia’s first environmental confrontation, which occured at Terania Creek near Nimbin, will screen on Friday, 22 March from 7pm at Brunswick Picture House as a fundraiser for the Save Wallum campaign. 

Editorial – Let’s do the development dance!

Some good questions were raised by residents at last week’s Council meeting – and were ‘taken on notice’ by Mayor, Michael Lyon.

The Ballina Jet Boat Surf Rescue has become the first surf life saving service to be awarded a Maritime Medal, the highest honour to be bestowed by the agency.

An institution for almost 40 years on the far north coast, the Ballina Jet Boat and its dedicated surf life saving volunteers are often first on the scene of maritime emergencies, such as coastal bar crossing incidents, rock fishing mishaps and general boating distress situations.

The service has contributed more than 550 hours over the last two years, patrolling, performing search and rescue and attending emergency callouts.

In the last 12 months the service has responded to numerous overturned boat incidents on the Ballina Bar, rescued kayakers who’ve come to grief and, most recently, spent days searching for the missing Kenyan teenager who drowned at Cabarita last week.

The acquisition of a new jet boat last year has significantly enhanced the service’s ability to protect the local communities in the Ballina, Byron and Evans Head region.

SLSNSW lifesaving manager Dean Storey says the award is well deserved.

‘The Ballina Jet Boat service is central to our coastal safety efforts on the far north coast. The personnel who operate the service are all highly skilled, committed surf life savers and maritime rescue experts,’ he said.

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Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region. 

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

Lennox Park and the shelter shed has now been upgraded and reopened.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.

Saddle Road group home DA decision this week

Plans to build Byron Shire’s first permanent group home for women and children in housing stress are moving ahead, with the development application for the project coming before Council this week.