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Byron Shire
July 2, 2026

Former Ballina mayor on honours list

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Slow down

Just when you think it can’t get any worse on the roads, dodging e-bikes and ridiculous-sized vehicles, now we...

Other News

Local Byron biz down 50 per cent – why?

What on Earth is going on in Jonson Street, Byron Bay? I ventured to the newsagent in the middle of...

Ballina big band back with a blast

The Ballina Concert Band will perform a fun-packed set of jazz, blues and New Orleans favourites at a free gig at the Cherry Street Sports Club in Ballina, this Sunday, 28 June, from 2pm to 3pm.

It’s investors who are causing the housing shortage

For years, people have been talking about how high house prices are, how you can’t get into the housing market without the bank of mum and dad. How it is virtually impossible to rent, save a mortgage, and then actually buy a property without placing yourself in housing stress.

Help raise funds for Our Kids with Tutu Day

Northern Rivers locals are once again being encouraged to swap business attire, school uniforms, team shirts and everyday clothes for something a little more colourful by wearing a tutu on Friday 31 July to help raise funds for Our Kids.

Council backs $100,000 Easter coordinator despite budget concerns

Byron Shire Council has voted to spend $100,000 on coordinating Easter activities next year, despite unresolved questions about where the money will come from and growing concern over Council’s financial position.

The Cruel Sea

Prepare yourself for a deep dive into the heart of a quintessentially Australian sound with indie rock revolutionaries The Cruel Sea at the Beach Hotel this August.

See Echonetdaily‘s 2012 interview with former Ballina mayor Phil Silver.

Phil Silver, Ballina’s mayor for nearly a decade, is a medal recipient on the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Mr Silver, who was also very active in the disability sector, was honoured with an Order of Australia for his work in both local government and the community.

His 20-year tenure in local politics was matched by Ross Tucker, who was awarded for his 21 years on Byron Shire Council.

Mr Silver told ABC this morning the award ‘was recognition for the whole family, including my wife Virginia, because they’re the ones that let me pursue that career – and we did enjoy it.’

Six other north coast residents received Queens Birthday Honours, including: Mullumbimby doctor Michael Pellmore, long-time Yamba volunteer Joyce Bell, Tweed Heads aged welfare worker Finley Mackay, Woodenbong Justice of the Peace Eric Taylor, Townsend music teacher Gweneth Berman and Alstonville firefighter Kevin Gray.



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Overdevelopment

I was horrified when my eyes landed on the resubmitted housing/commercial DA by Landcom and Byron Shire Council at 57 Station Street, Mullumbimby. It’s a...

The Buttery celebrates NAIDOC Week with ‘Imagine’

The Buttery, in partnership with its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Committee, is proud to celebrate NAIDOC Week with a free community screening of the acclaimed First Nations animated feature film Imagine, inviting the Northern Rivers community to come together to reflect, learn and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, stories and achievements.

CSIRO releases flood mitigation report

After four years of work, the CSIRO has come to the conclusion that multiple water detentions (dams), in the upper reaches of the catchments in the Northern Rivers, along with other flood mitigation engineering, could reduce future catastrophic flooding impacts in Lismore and elsewhere by as much as 2 metres.

Protecting the Daintree from Mullumbimby 

From a small office in Mullumbimby, a local conservation organisation is helping protect one of the most extraordinary places on Earth, more than 1,500 kilometres to the north.