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Byron Shire
June 27, 2026

Push to bring NBN to Wardell sooner

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An NBN tower at another location. NBN Co wants to delay the implementation of service to Wardell by two years. Photo Marie Cameron
An NBN tower at another location. NBN Co wants to delay the implementation of service to Wardell by two years. Photo Marie Cameron

A Ballina Shire councillor wants NBN Co to reverse its decision to delay its service delivery to Wardell by another two years.

Cr Ben Smith has lodged a notice of motion for tomorrow’s council meeting after learning that NBN Co, which had planned to deploy fibre to node by 2018, was now aiming for 2020.

‘Wardell was planned to receive a FTTN (Fibre to the Node) deployment in 2018, recently however, NBN Co have revised their plan without notice and have now indicated that Wardell will receive NBN connectivity via Fixed Wireless in 2020,’ Cr Smith said.

‘NBN Co has already completed the majority of its NBN Wireless deployment on the northern rivers. Had this decision been made over a year ago, Wardell would already have Fixed Wireless NBN.’

Cr Smith said under the current plan, Wardell would be on the last towns in the country to receive NBN.

‘Given the Federal Government’s focus on housing affordability and Wardell being identified as village for affordable residential growth, it’s critical that the infrastructure is in place to enable it,’ Cr Smith said.

He wants the council to write to NBN Co and relevant ministers asking that the company reverse its decision to delay service for another two years.

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Byron’s Winter Whales raise $43,000

The Byron Bay Winter Whales (BBWW) took to the ocean for the 39th time this year on the first Sunday of May and raised $43,000 for local organisations and charities.

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Conservationists welcome carbon credit scheme to protect forests

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