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Byron Shire
June 9, 2026

One-state solution

Latest News

Mono wins in Hawaii and Japan

Australian adaptive surfing champion Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart has once again celebrated success on the international stage. Mono claimed victory at...

Other News

Catalano’s twin Wategos mansion DA wins court approval

A controversial dual-mansion development at Wategos Beach has been approved by the NSW Land & Environment Court, ending an 18-month battle between media entrepreneur Antony Catalano's company and Byron Shire Council.

Drug driving reform introduced to NSW Parliament

Greens MP and drug harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann has welcomed news that reform to drug driving laws for medicinal cannabis patients will finally be introduced into NSW Parliament.

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.

Minimum requirements were never meant to be aspirations

The Echo’s recent report (2 May) on Cr Elia Hauge’s proposal for a community assessment panel for the old Mullumbimby Hospital site contained a sentence that deserves more than a passing read.

Financial woes

Byron Shire’s financial woes are not the result of a lack of money, but rather the waste of it....

Man seriously assaulted in Byron Bay

NSW Police say detectives have commenced an investigation after a man was seriously assaulted in the local area overnight.

Warren Kennedy with another unhelpful letter in last week’s Echo. He totally ignores my suggestions about giving the Gazans a much-needed and well-deserved chance to live in harmony with Israel, which is what almost all Israelis want at the end of the day.

He suggests that one option is to ‘finish the genocide and kill all the Palestinians’. What a ridiculous idea. Everyone knows that Israel could have done this if she wanted to and could have ended the war in one week, but genocide was NEVER the goal, in fact, the population in Gaza has increased since the start of the war, and that is a fact that can’t be denied.

Hamas is pure evil, and they prove it daily by the savage murder of any Palestinians who say anything against them.

Look at the case of Uday al Rabbay, a 22-year-old Gazan who protested Hamas’s rule. This very week, Hamas dragged him out of his house, and tortured him to death in the street so that everyone saw. They slashed his arms with knives and screwdrivers, stabbed his chest and back over 100 times, broke his bones then took him to a high floor in his building and threw him to the street all in front of his poor mother. This is who Hamas is. What do you have to say to that Warren Kennedy?

Hamas has to go for the sake of the Palestinians – then peace has a chance.

Danny Wakil, Billinudgel



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Matthew Laverty recognised with OAM

Recognising his  passion for golf and long-term commitment to community service, Mullumbimby’s Matthew Laverty received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) from...

Eclectic Selection for the week beginning 10 June 2026

Eclectic Selection: What’s on this week is a taste of some of the events that can be found in the Byron Shire and beyond this coming week.

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.

Cinema: The Christophers

From acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh, The Christophers is a sharp, darkly comic exploration of art, legacy and deception, led by Golden Globe winner Ian McKellen and Emmy winner Michaela Coel.