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Byron Shire
March 19, 2024

It’s plastic free July!

Latest News

Man killed in car crash near Coffs Harbour

A 76-year-old man died when the car he was driving crashed about 35 kms northwest of Coffs Harbour last Friday afternoon, police said.

Other News

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. 

Cost shifting excluded in Byron council’s financial review

An independent review of the financial model applying to local government in NSW would seem at first glance to be a welcome opportunity for councils such as Byron.

Floodplain Mullumbimby

Mullumbimby is a floodplain. Every time we have a heavy downpour I am up and down through the night,...

Byron Mayor backs down over floodplain development 

Mayor Michael Lyon told Mullum residents that he has the numbers to remove floodplain development but will push through the Residential Strategy that aims for 4,522 homes by 2041.

The case for natural parks

Between One Mile Beach and Big Rocky Island, just south of Nelson Bay, lies the stunning Samurai Beach, a part of the Tomaree National Park. 

Big family Kaleido fun day May 5  

Following the success of Blue on Burringbar Festival in Mullumbimby last year, the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce and Creative Mullum are putting on a fun, interactive community event this year on Sunday, 5 May.

The ‘Stop It and Swap It!’ campaign for the NSW Government.

To mark the beginning of Plastic Free July, the NSW Government, who are partnering with 17 organisations to help communities around the state, are asking people to ‘Stop It and Swap It!’

Did you know that plastic packaging and single-use plastic items make up 60 per cent of all litter in NSW?

Minister for Environment James Griffin said the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is delivering funding to community champions to inspire others. ‘The NSW Government is on a mission to reduce our reliance on problematic single-use plastics because we need to seriously decrease the amount of plastic entering our environment as litter or landfill,’ said Mr Griffin.

‘To coincide with Plastic Free July, we’re delivering almost $900,000 in funding support for 17 organisations to educate communities. As we pivot away from single-use plastics, these community partnerships will help drive necessary change.

Shoppers are being asked to swap to reusable bags.

Mr Griffin said that the community partners, such as Surfing NSW, the Men’s Shed Association and Take 3 will help by tapping into local networks, ideas and creativity to deliver mass behaviour change.

Organisations partnering with the NSW EPA include the Great Plastic Rescue, which supports businesses with excess lightweight single-use plastic bags by offering a service for collection and reprocessing of that stock.

OzGreen and Green Music Australia will work with music festivals and food vendors to introduce more sustainable ways of doing business.

Education campaigns will also be launched through Girl Guides and Mens’ Sheds across the state.

From 1 June, lightweight single-use plastic bags were banned in NSW. From November, the NSW Government is banning additional single-use items, including plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls and cotton buds, expanded polystyrene food ware and cups, and rinse-off personal care products containing plastic microbeads.

Single-use plastic items and packaging make up 60 per cent of all litter in NSW. The ban will prevent almost 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from entering the environment in NSW over the next 20 years.

Sustainability partners include:

  • Girl Guides NSW
  • Green Connect
  • Green Music Australia
  • Kindergarten Union (KU)
  • Meals on Wheels NSW
  • Men’s Shed Association
  • NSW Environment & Zoo Education Centres
  • OzGreen
  • Plastic Free July
  • Southern Cross University
  • Surfing NSW
  • TAFE NSW/Addison Road Community Organisation
  • Take 3
  • The Great Plastic Rescue
  • University of New England
  • University of Newcastle
  • University of Wollongong

For more information about the NSW plastics ban, visit: http://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban

For ideas on how to stop it and swap it this Plastic Free July, visit: https://www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/environment-heritage/plastics-action-plan/stop-it-swap-it


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