Ballina Shire Council says that due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, there will be temporary closures across several council facilities from today, Wednesday 5 March.
The following facility closures will be in place this week:
- Ballina Area Libraries are closed until further notice.
- Ballina Visitor Information Centre will close Thursday 6 March and Friday 7 March.
- Ballina and Alstonville Memorial Swimming Pools are closed from 12pm Wednesday 5 March until further notice.
- Ballina Indoor Sports Centre will close Thursday 6 March and Friday 7 March.
- Lennox Head Cultural Centre will close Thursday 6 March and Friday 7 March.
- Northern Rivers Community Gallery is closed until further notice.
- Burns Point Ferry is closed until further notice.
- The 4WD access to Seven Mile Beach at Lennox Head is now closed due to dangerous beach conditions. There are currently no lifeguard patrols on Ballina’s beaches and warnings are in place for abnormally high tides, hazardous surf and damaging swells.
What’s still open?
Ballina Shire Council Customer Service Centre at 40 Cherry Street is currently open. Telephone and online enquiries will continue as normal with operating hours 8.15am – 4.30pm.
Call 1300 864 444 or visit ballina.nsw.gov.au. After hours assistance is available 24/7 on (02) 6626 6954
The Ballina Resource and Recovery Centre will remain open today, Wednesday 5 March, from 8am to 4pm with bin collections services proceeding.
Ballina Shire Council is postponing kerbside bin services for Thursday 6 March and Friday 7 March 2025. Council will collect missed bins as soon as practicably possible with further updates to be provided when weather conditions have eased.
The Ballina Byron Gateway Airport remains open and operating, however due to high winds, all flights to and from the airport are cancelled today and tomorrow, Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 March. Travellers should check directly with their airline for their flight status and to manage bookings.
Minimise water use
Residents are asked to please minimise their water use, through kitchen taps, showers, washing and toilet flushing. Wet weather events can place extra strain on the wastewater network.
If residents experience problems with sewerage on their property, please call Ballina Council on 1300 864 444.
Who to call?
- If a tree is blocking a local road, call Ballina Council on 1300 864 444 or after hours on 6626 6954.
- Tree impacting power lines? Call Essential Energy on 132 080.
- Tree blocking your access (front door/driveway), threatening to fall on your property or driveway, roof damaged or leaking? Call SES on 132 500.
- For emergency assistance, contact the NSW SES on 132 500.
- If you are in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
To stay informed, visit the Ballina Emergency Dashboard at ballina.nsw.gov.au. You can also tune in to ABC North Coast (94.5 FM) for emergency broadcasts.
Follow NSW SES Ballina and Northern Rivers NSW SES on Facebook. For road status updates visit www.livetraffic.com.
It’s also a great idea to download the Hazards Near Me app for real-time alerts on your phone.
More stories about Ballina Shire Council:
The agenda for Thursday's meeting includes six notices of motion from four councillors, with issues including missing persons, volunteer recognition, and arts funding. Construction on a $4.35 million flood-resilience upgrade of Ross Lane at Lennox Head is due to begin today, ahead of a nine-week closure of the busy road later this month. With Ballina Shire Council General Manager Paul Hickey deciding to retire after almost twenty years in the role, and even longer as a staff member, the task of finding a replacement has begun. Cr Damien Loone was also returned as Deputy Mayor after Cr Simon Chate withdrew his nomination. September's meeting opened with a minute's silence for much-loved community member and Lennox Head restaurant owner Blake Rogers, who lost his life last week. Fresh from winning pre-selection as the Nationals candidate for the state seat of Ballina, the 'independent' first-term Ballina councillor Michelle Bailey has put forward a notice of motion asking Council to scrap its fixed 2030 net-zero target in favour of what she describes as a 'flexible sustainability strategy'.
Big meeting for Ballina Council this week
Ross Lane flood-resilience works begin ahead of nine-week closure
Ballina Council will be getting a new general manager
Ballina debates dog parks and net zero
Michelle Bailey targets net zero in Ballina
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