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Byron Shire
June 4, 2026

September Food Festival

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Before The Shed falls silent…

Join the Nudge crew this Saturday for the season ten finale of Nudge Nudge Wink Wink (NNWW) in The Shed at the Billinudgel Hotel – bringing another unforgettable night of music, connection and community spirit to the Northern Rivers.

Fund set up to help Chase Goldstraw’s family after tragedy

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family of a young father recently killed in a truck accident in Tweed Heads.

Damning report on project delivery as RA expands

As the damning NSW Auditor-Generals report into the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s (RA) handling of its two key programs, the Resilient Homes (RHP) and Resilient Lands Programs (RLP) came out RA announced that Kate Fitzgerald has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer.

Crofton Rd to be fixed more than 4 years after damage

Another infrastructure repair project in response to damage caused by the Northern Rivers floods and landslides disasters more than four years ago has been announced.

A love letter to nature

A very special film will screen as part of the Bangalow Film Festival, preceded by a fascinating Q&A (avec moi) looking at old-school filmmaking.

Norths desert Bangalow Bowlo… again

Eight Bangalow community members attended Norths AGM on Monday, 25 May, to seek answers about the future of Bangalow Bowlo, but received no meaningful engagement, with their concerns merely ‘noted’.

Sample Food Festival

Entry to the Sample Food Festival is free for children under 16, and there is a special series of classes, activities and experiences for children.

Kids Cooking Classes: local chef Jedd Rifai of the North Byron Hotel will be teaching the little ones the art of crafting delicious gnocchi from scratch. They’ll mix, shape, and cook their very own lunch. Plus, each participant will receive a refreshing drink, and delectable dessert to round out their meal. These classes are ticketed and have limited capacity so pre-sale bookings are advised.

Wildlife: the Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary will be entertaining the kids, teaching them about reptiles and exploring what the Sanctuary has on offer this spring and summer season. For a gold coin donation children can enjoy a close-up encounter and photo with a reptile.

Kids Creative Pass ($10): little ones can enjoy a safe and fun space within the festival grounds with collaborative art and Lego projects, sensory play, active games, take-home crafts and more. This dedicated kids area is great for ages 3–12 and open from 9:30am to 3:30pm.

The Rainbow Roos: an experienced local community-based organisation dedicated to creating a safe and positive soccer environment will be offering a mix of freestyle open play and organised skills sessions free of charge.

Pre-sale tickets are now available to the 2024 edition of Sample Food Festival including general festival entry, a reserved table hire ticket guaranteeing a table for eight with shade in the bar area as well as festival entry. Picnic rug hire experiences will once again be available for groups of up to six and include festival entry and a reserved picnic spot on a Wandering Folk picnic rug.

The festival is on Saturday, 7 September, and will feature a selection of the region’s best restaurants offering $5–$15 tasting plates, a live cooking stage and a lifestyle stall area. For full details see samplefoodevents.com.



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Ballina Council wrap

With local government meeting practice across the state returning to confusion following the NSW Legislative Council's recent decision, Ballina Shire Council's last meeting included a lot of unanimous decisions and an argument about the remnants of the Big Scrub, in which Mayor Cadwallader used her casting vote to squash Cr Simon Chate's motion.

Conversations in the Pub starts with Janelle Saffin

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Bungawalbin Levee repair to improve flood resilience

A critical section of Bungawalbin Levee is proposed to be partially relocated to build its long-term resilience, benefitting the community, environment and agricultural industries in the Richmond Valley.

Aussie MPs celebrate World Bicycle Day

The leaders of the Parliamentary Friends of Cycling have joined in front of Parliament House in Canberra to celebrate the United Nations’ World Bicycle Day.