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Byron Shire
June 24, 2026

COVID testing encouraged in the NNSWLHD

Latest News

Appeal to locate missing woman

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a woman missing from the Kempsey area.

Other News

Local farming legend retires after 23 years

Thursday, 25 June marks the end of an era for local farmer Kenrick Riley who is retiring from Byron...

Tweed Shire Council presents flood resilience series – part one

Over the coming weeks, Tweed Shire Council will present a flood resilience series, which looks at how 'Tweed's story is different from the standard flood recovery narrative and what happened next'.

Aged care

The Byron Central Hospital (BCH) branch of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) would like to express our...

Labor and housing

I met Treasurer Jim Chalmers on the beach here a little while back. I asked him, ‘Are we in...

In loving memory of Dr Tony Parkes AO PhD (1929 – 2026)

Dr Tony Parkes AO PhD, one of Australia’s most visionary conservation leaders and a pioneering force in ecological restoration, passed away last Thursday at the age of 96. He spent his final months at Honey Bee Homes in Ewingsdale.

Community housing industry call for major expansion in upcoming NSW budget

The community housing industry are calling on the NSW government to use next week's State Budget to unlock a major expansion of community housing.

On Easter Sunday afternoon the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) has thanked the community for coming forward in large numbers for COVID-19 testing, with more than 10,000 tests conducted in the region in the past week.

NNSWLHD Chief Executive Wayne Jones said the Northern NSW community has really got behind the call to get tested. ‘Over the past week there has been a significant increase in testing, and I want to thank the residents and visitors who have come forward.

‘High rates of testing help us to detect any cases in the community as early as possible.’

Since Monday March 29, more than 10,000 people have been tested at NNSWLHD clinics, drive-through clinics operated by QML Pathology and the walk-in clinic at Byron Bay High School.

There have been no positive cases in Northern NSW since the locally acquired case announced on Wednesday 31 March 2021.

Mr Jones encouraged people to remain vigilant for COVID-19 symptoms and to get tested for even the mildest of symptoms. Symptoms can include fever, cough, breathing difficulties, sore throat, loss of smell or taste, runny nose, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

‘We don’t want people to dismiss their symptoms as a cold, we want them to get tested to confirm it’s not coronavirus.’

To find your nearest testing clinic visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/how-toprotect- yourself-and-others/clinics or contact your GP.

Temporary restrictions remain in place in the local government areas of Tweed Shire Council, Ballina Shire Council, Byron Shire Council and Lismore City Council until 11.59pm tomorrow – Monday 5 April.

• masks must be worn on public transport, in retail stores, and in all public indoor settings

• the one person per 4 square metre rule applies at all public indoor settings including hospitality venues

• the number of household visitors is capped at 30, including at holiday rental properties

• dancing, singing, eating or drinking other than when seated is not allowed in non-residential indoor areas.

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Citizen science last line of defence for threatened species

Native forest logging is again in the spotlight in NSW, following Monday night’s Four Corners investigation into Forestry Corporation NSW’s failure to protect nationally endangered species.

Site confirmed for future high school at Pottsville

The NSW government says it has secured a site for a future high school in Pottsville, delivering on its commitment to future-proof public education for the growing Tweed community in the Northern Rivers of NSW.

Twelve winners at Byron Bay Herb Nursery

The Byron Bay Herb Nursery continues to create constructive pathways to achievement with twelve students from Byron Bay Herb Nursery’s disability support program recently graduating with a Certificate II in Horticulture.

Lismore students pitch sustainability projects

Young people will take centre stage in Lismore this Friday when the HalveIt Festival brings student sustainability pitches to decision-makers in what organisers are calling 'part innovation expo, part community festival.'