18.6 C
Byron Shire
November 9, 2026

NSW Aboriginal Land Councils elections this weekend

Latest News

Green Heroes among 2026 NSW Environment Award winners

The NSW Environment Awards, hosted by the state’s leading environmental advocacy organisation, Nature Conservation Council NSW, was recently held at Customs House in Sydney.

Other News

National gun buyback scheme begins in NSW

The biggest gun buyback in 30 years began in NSW yesterday, with the first firearms set to be surrendered as part of the government’s commitment to reduce the number of guns in the community and help make NSW safer.

Hold abusers to account equally

Izaac Lee Alford loves social media messages, and lives on his daddy’s cattle farm just out of Gympie, a lovely town where it only needs to sprinkle to be flooded. It has also for many years been One Nation central...

Northern Rivers family could be forced to leave Australia

A Northern Rivers family might be forced to leave their life behind without direct intervention by the Minister for Immigration, Tony Burke. The de Silva family have been living locally since 2020, contributing significantly to local businesses and to disaster recovery.

Questions remain over October Belongil Creek fish kill

The artificial opening of the Belongil Creek, an Intermittently Closed and Open Lake and Lagoon (ICOLL), on Monday, 12 October led to yet another significant fish kill with locals and vistors advised to avoid the area and not swim nearby.

Haven turns one: a three-day celebration

Haven’s story starts with a supermarket. The venue at 102 Jonson Street occupies the former Woolworths building, a site presented as a temporary home for music and community, before the building is eventually redeveloped. Instead of hiding that impermanence, the team made it the point. The space was built entirely from salvaged materials, turning a commercial site into a cultural one which is reminiscent of a futuristic Pan-Asian set from Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell.

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Don’t scrape

The arts are an essential industry. We need artists as much as we need accountants. We need dancers as much as we need doctors. We need comedians as much as we need civil engineers. We need filmmakers as much as we need financial planners. We need musicians as much as we need ministers.

Elections for members of NSW Aboriginal Land Councils (NSWALC) are on this weekend and NSWALC CEO Yuseph Deen stresses the critical significance of active participation in shaping the future of Aboriginal communities in New South Wales.

Mr Dean said elections only come around every four years, and they present a vital opportunity for our Members to have their voices heard and their votes counted. ‘This democratic process is fundamental to the principles of self-determination and community empowerment.’

A pivotal moment

The NSWALC say elections serve as a pivotal moment for members to elect representatives who will champion their interests and advocate for Aboriginal rights across the state – though, many indigenous communities have very strong opinions about Land Councils as some feel their views are not always honoured and they have lost faith in the process.

With the stakes high, Mr Deen encourages all eligible voters to exercise their democratic right and make their voices count.

To facilitate informed decision-making, detailed candidate bios and information about polling places are readily available on the NSWALC website. Members are urged to review this information before casting their vote to ensure they select candidates who align with their values and aspirations.

Thriving democracy

‘Our democracy thrives when every member of our community actively participates in the electoral process,’ said Mr Deen.

‘I urge all LALC members to engage with the candidates, familiarise themselves with their platforms, and cast their votes on election day.’

For further details regarding candidate bios and polling locations, please visit the NSWALC website at www.alc.org.au.



For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling.

If you are a local business owner help us and in turn we help you. All The Echo asks for is advertising, not a free ride. It is every advert in The Echo and on www.echo.net.au, which creates the space for all the stories and coverage of community events, happenings and concerns.

If you are a reader you can become a sponsor of The Echo. Your support keeps the us independent.

Even a small one-off or regular donation from you will help keep the echo’s independent voice alive and strong.

Support Us

Become one of the supporters who helps keep independent, local journalism alive in the Byron Shire by contributing anything from as little as the cost of a coffee each month.

You're Wonderful, Thank you for supporting independent journalism in the Byron Shire

You’re supporting The Echo, thank you

Your contribution is keeping independent, local journalism alive in the Northern Rivers.

Because of supporters like you, we can keep every story free for everyone — no paywall, no exceptions. Your money goes directly to funding our newsroom of 40-odd local workers covering the stories that matter to this community.

Tell us what you think, give us your opinion

The Echo loves your letters and comments and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, email us your epistles at editor@echo.net.au.

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. Please remember to include your full name, address and telephone number.

Online comments are no longer available.

Remembrance Day 2026: 11am, 11 November

It is estimated that in WWl there were 20 million dead and 20 million injured. From a population base of fewer than five million,...

Love books? Join Friends of the Library

Friends of the Libraries, Byron Shire are looking for some fresh, new, younger faces to join the group and help keep it moving forward.

Racehorses shot for pet food by NSW breeder

Thirteen thoroughbred horses deemed no longer useful, have been destroyed with eight horses destroyed by firearm at Berkeley Park Stud.

Byron Bay Surf Lifesaving Club youngsters shine

Two young members of Byron Bay Surf Lifesaving Club have delivered outstanding performances at the Paddle NSW State Sprint Championships, held at the Penrith International Regatta Centre over the weekend.