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Byron Shire
March 18, 2024

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Latest News

Tweed hospital and playgrounds welcomed

State Labor politicians have officially welcomed two upgraded playgrounds and a new hospital built in the Tweed Shire.

Other News

Hundreds rally against fish farms in Hobart

Yesterday in nipaluna/Hobart, hundreds of concerned citizens joined the Fish Farms Out Now flotilla organized by Bob Brown Foundation, calling for fish farms to be removed from Tasmanian waters.

Preview screening of The Koalas at Federal Hall this Sunday

An insight into the lives of koalas is taking place this Sunday with the preview screening of  The Koalas at Federal Hall. 

Alliance Française French Film Festival

The opening of the Alliance Française French Film Festival (AF FFF24) last week was brilliant, with a screening of the epic The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan – there are still sessions available for this film and the sequel, The Three Musketeers: Milady. There are so many truly good films in this festival, the program is definitely worth checking out, but the one I am looking forward to most is Neneh Superstar.

State of destruction

Tasmanians go to the polls next weekend, in an early election brought on by Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockcliff, whose party has fractured during its ten years in office but is currently warning voters not to elect a Labor minority government, which he's been calling a 'Coalition of Chaos'.

Prime agricultural land to be rezoned for development in Lismore

Last night's Lismore Council meeting unanimously passed a voluntary planning agreement to rezone 70 hectares of prime agricultural land at 1055 Bruxner Highway. 

Cartoon of the week – 13 March, 2024

The letters deadline for The Echo is noon Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. The publication of letters is at the discretion of the letters editor.

Garth Luke, Mullumbimby

Why do we always focus on adding new buildings when the conversation turns to affordable housing?

Byron Shire is full of three and four bedroom houses with only one or two bedrooms that are occupied. We are ignoring a large source of appropriate housing for people in these larger, under-occupied houses.

However, the answer is not to encourage more share housing. Few people, especially older people, would be comfortable with that. The answer is to assist home owners to separate their large house into a primary and secondary dwelling and thus make much better use of our existing housing stock. This can also be done at much lower cost and environmental impact than building a separate additional dwelling in the back yard.

This would provide more convenient and affordable housing, improve the incomes of many real estate rich but income limited home owners, reduce the cannibalisation of garden space, and help to build relationships and reduce loneliness in the Shire.

Byron Council could do a lot to make it easier for owners of larger houses to split their homes into two dwellings. This would include broad promotion of the option, providing a free design service, minimising compliance rules, expediting planning approvals and reducing Council consent fees. At the moment we are just wasting our most valuable resource in the provision of affordable housing.


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Surf’s up for World Pro-Adaptive Titles in Byron

Favourable conditions are expected for the World Pro-Adaptive Surfing Titles 2024, to be held at Byron Bay’s Main Beach from today.

More calls for federal intervention in Wallum estate plans

Another ecologist has added their name to the community campaign against development on environmentally sensitive land in Brunswick Heads.

Body found near Byron in search for missing man

A body believed to be that of a man reported missing last week has been found, police on the weekend said.

State of destruction

Tasmanians go to the polls next weekend, in an early election brought on by Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockcliff, whose party has fractured during its ten years in office but is currently warning voters not to elect a Labor minority government, which he's been calling a 'Coalition of Chaos'.