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Byron Shire
June 11, 2026

Love Gaia

Latest News

School is the beating heart of Bruns

From floods to festivals, Brunswick Heads Public School has long the been the anchor of village life.

Other News

Tropical soda apple eradication project spans 130km of the Richmond River

A major regional effort to manage a highly invasive weed has been completed across the Far North Coast, says Rous County Council (Rous), "marking an important step forward in protecting local agriculture and the environment".  

New exhibitions opening at Lismore Regional Gallery

All are welcome to the official opening of four new exhibitions at Lismore Regional gallery this Friday evening, with live music and a talk from Melbourne artist Sarah Ujmaia.

Echo Love Awards

Last Saturday night, Yuti and I had the privilege of attending the 40th anniversary celebration of The Echo. The trip...

Council appeals for help as deliberate tree destruction spreads

Tweed Shire Council is appealing for community help after a spate of deliberate destruction of trees on public land across the Tweed, including the poisoning of mature Norfolk pines at Cabarita Beach and damage to established trees at a local cemetery.

Underbelly in Byron

Byron has long had a dark underbelly.  Many places do, but Byron has sold itself as a young person’s...

Interview with Peter O’Doherty

Australia’s legendary band Mental As Anything made an historic comeback in 2026 – the first in 25 years – as original founding members Peter O’Doherty and brother Reg Mombassa reunited, leading an exciting new lineup to perform once again under the iconic banner Mental As Anything.

The state of Gaia is of concern to us in the rainbow region. We have all been impacted the past few years particularly. It’s time to honour the ethos that we live here.

We were reminded of the cultural shift of 50 years ago at the recent Regeneration Festival. This is well recorded in the Brunswick Valley Historical Society’s documentaries of those times. I believe they are being rerun mid-April to celebrate their 40-year anniversary.

The ‘hippy’ era literally moved in and they have been an international icon since. We have a unique and caring community, ultimately proactive and looking for honesty.

Past ideas have become reality. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, it’s time we remembered why we live here. We need to set our own ideals and agenda for the future. All of us. The various events that occur in the area breathe local culture. Please infuse your life with our ideals.

The Aquarius Festival anniversary is an opportunity for us to gather and set our course. Who would have thought a bunch of hippies could have such a lasting effect, defining our path forward and setting our aspirations?

To me it’s a wonderful synchronicity that we also vote to give our Indigenous guardians a voice. It seems they have always known.

Debra Smith, Mullumbimby



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Israel’s assault on Global Sumud Flotilla – a first-hand account

It hit me like a lightning strike. It was the latex gloves that did it. Those pale blue five fingered clinical sheaths made me want to vomit. Last Tuesday, having just been repatriated from my time on the Global Sumud Flotilla, I was at Tweed Valley Hospital getting a forensic medical examination for my sexual assault at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces.

Voters are not ‘always right’

The mantra ‘voters always get it right’ is repeated after every election by winners and losers. The decision of voters must be respected, blah, blah.

Lismore councillor pay rise divides chamber at June meeting

The sharpest debate from Lismore City Council's 9 June ordinary meeting saw a majority vote to increase councillor and mayoral fees, following a 3.7 per cent rise determined by the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal (LGRT) – a figure tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12 months to February 2026.

Here’s to the Flotilla

The Global Sumud Flotilla is about brave people doing exceptional things with skill, compassion, colour, spirit and gruff chutzpah. Would I leave my comfy chair...