20.4 C
Byron Shire
June 16, 2026

Are you paying attention?

Latest News

Byron Shire Rebels gutsy efforts

A day of contrasting rugby fortunes for the Rebels at Ballina, with the Men’s XV putting in a gutsy...

Other News

Bangalow Film Festival opens

The Bangalow Film Festival opening night is this Thursday, 11 June and has already sold out.

Echo Love Awards

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

Festival and event grants on offer

Community organisations are encouraged to apply for NSW government grants to bring cultural festivals and events to life across the state over the coming year.

Calls for micro-abattoirs to boost food security

Local farmers and food producers are calling on NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty and Minister for Small Business and the North Coast, Janelle Saffin, to work with farmers, industry and local communities to develop practical, evidence-based reforms that support a diverse, decentralised and resilient food production sector.

Underbelly in Byron

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

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...

A few more examples for those still not paying attention.

For months Labor has misled the public on its two-way arms trade with Israel, now there are pictures of Albanese with a drone gun and the Australian-made drone gun being used by an Israeli soldier (David Shoebridge – Facebook).

A further example of politicians who haven’t got the guts to defend the national interest and value for money, following revelations from the Auditor General, regarding the lack of integrity in the tendering process for a recent defence contract with BAE Systems for the construction of frigates. Greens senator David Shoebridge has referred this process to the Anti Corruption Commission.

Literally, the only new direct spending on social housing by federal Labor is the three billion dollars The Greens secured in negotiations over the Housing Future Fund, meanwhile propping up property investors and overseeing record rent and house price increases.

Labor’s new environmental laws refuse to consider climate damage and allow more pollution. More than 150 new gas wells with approval until 2080 and will make us one of the largest exporters of fossil fuel on the planet.

Thousands living homeless while billions are spent on weaponry to prop up the US and British weapons industry. Six dollars a week increase in JobSeeker is more than an insult. Labor is a bad financial manager and shows complete disregard for its citizens and environment.



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.

Local boxing legend visits Byron Boxing

Kyogle heavyweight, Athol McQueen, who represented Australia at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and famously floored a then-unknown Joe Frazier, visited Byron Boxing at the...

Seas the Day in Kingscliff this weekend

This weekend the fourth NRMA Insurance Seas The Day women’s surf festival is back at Kingscliff Beach with Surfing Australia. The world’s largest female participation...

Interview with Drover

Doing the DIY at Stone & Wood Bobby Conn, Roy Parsons, Rhys Mcilwaine and Molly O’Neil are the key members of Drover, a folk-rock band...

Mullum takes A grade, Byron takes B, Suffolk takes a sausage

The Northern Rivers NET League Finals went down on Saturday, and it delivered some genuinely good tennis, nervous moments, an old school BBQ, and...