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Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Buses, not trains, the way forward

Latest News

Blue skies for Bluesfest day 1

If yesterday at Bluesfest was anything to go by, it's going to be an incredible event and with the weather holding, (so far) the Easter weekend's future is looking bright.

Other News

Cinema: Wicked Little Letters

Based on a true scandal that stunned 1920s England, Wicked Little Letters centres on neighbours Edith Swan and Rose Gooding in the seaside town of Littlehampton.

Byron Council staff baulk at councillors’ promise of free parking for locals

Will Byron Council deliver on its pledge to make parking permits free for locals across the Shire when paid parking comes into force in Brunswick Heads?

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

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

It’s a biggest little town festival! 

Supporters, performers, and volunteers gathered to launch the Mullum Laneways Festival 2024 last Friday. 

Urgent appeal

At last Thursday’s Byron Council meeting a long and dedicated campaign to save rail tracks and restore trains in...

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. 

Peter Hatfield, Cumbalum

David Lisle’s opinion piece A short history of our rail corridor debate is a good summary of the long history of our efforts to try to open the disused former rail corridor for recreation and tourism. I would add to his history that, like every other transport study in the region that was open to alternatives, the recent draft Byron Shire transport strategy concluded that a rail service was not the best way to meet the public transport needs of the Shire, and it recommended putting in place more regular buses.

The draft study also includes the advice from Transport for NSW that the government will not fund the Shire’s plans to reactivate the rail corridor with a shuttle rail. The Byron Council is still trying to pursue its rail plans, but it has not come forward with any ‘strategy partner’ to fund it and the draft transport plan did not envisage any role for rail over the ten year life of the strategy, so it’s safe to conclude there is no identified funding source.

The Shire’s very consultative process with the community, to develop its PAMP and Bike Plan, resulted in a cycling and walking path along the corridor  being placed as Priority A in the Bike Plan. While the government will not fund its rail plans, the Tweed experience shows the Byron Shire would have little trouble getting funding to develop a design and business case for a path along the corridor, and it would again be likely to attract funding to construct it. Such a study could identify where it is feasible to build the path beside the rails as many in the Shire would prefer. I encourage the Byron Shire community to urge their Council to pursue the path they identified as a priority.


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Retired local professor launches book on grief

A leading international thinker and researcher in the development of innovative sport coaching and physical education teaching has returned home to Byron Bay and is launching his first non-academic book, 'Grief and Growth', on April 4 at The Book Room in Byron. 

Resilient Lismore’s ‘Repair to Return’ funding

On the eve of the second anniversary of the second devastating flood in 2022, Resilient Lismore has welcomed the finalisation of its funding deed with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, which will enable the continuation of its ‘Repair to Return’ program.

Editorial – Joyous propaganda! 

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