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Byron Shire
July 16, 2026

New EV chargers to deliver tourism boost and clean transport

Latest News

Inspiring arts, culture, business collaboration

Byron Fest, a multi-week festival in June 2027, will be a festival for the Shire, say Destination Byron as they finalise the $200,000 grant from the Regional Night-Time Economy Program.

Other News

Plastic not so fantastic

There is nothing healthier than drinking some water – or so I’ve always told my kids. It doesn’t contain sugar or colour additives – as one person used to tell us as children, ‘it’s sky juice’! What could be better?

Jeff Dawson captures Mullum Roots Festival

Did you make it to Mullum Roots Festival on the weekend?

Deadly weaving at Lismore gallery

Eighteen months ago, a group of First Nations artists from the Northern Rivers came together at the Lismore Regional Gallery as part of the Gathering Space project.

Here she comes

Tiffany Grace is a 22-year-old Brisbane-based singer/songwriter/guitarist. Her original songs are deep, uplifting, and relatable, with an acoustic, pop-country feel that are getting attention worldwide.

Where to from here for a healthy future?

Sometimes it is hard not to lose hope, with the depth and breadth of the challenges that have faced the Northern Rivers. From the droughts, fires, Covid, and the 2022 floods it’s sometimes hard to see a way forward.

Inspiring arts, culture, business collaboration

Byron Fest, a multi-week festival in June 2027, will be a festival for the Shire, say Destination Byron as they finalise the $200,000 grant from the Regional Night-Time Economy Program.

NSW Minister Penny Sharpe with an EV charger. Supplied

The North Coast will receive 35 new electric vehicle chargers, thanks to a $5.9 million investment by the NSW government to boost regional tourism and support the shift to cleaner transport.

The Kyogle, Lismore, Tweed Shire and Kempsey Local Government Areas will receive 35 new EV charge ports at 11 sites. Exact locations of the new charging stations are being finalised in consultation with local councils.

The government says the program will make travelling with an EV much more convenient, while supporting local regional economies as more EV drivers stop to explore and spend in communities while they recharge.

This third round of the NSW Government EV Destination Charging Grants program will see chargers rolled out across 48 regional locations over the next year, helping make NSW the easiest place in Australia to own an EV.

Renewable energy

The latest investment also introduces faster chargers than previously, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.

The Minns government says it is has now delivered funding for close to 3,300 new chargers at more than 1,200 sites across NSW. Boosting charging infrastructure decreases range anxiety and drives uptake.

Janelle Saffin. Photo Tree Faerie.

Minister for Small Business and North Coast, Janelle Saffin said, ‘It is fantastic to see this investment in the North Coast and what it means for tourism and sustainability.

‘Expanding our EV charging network makes it easier for visitors to travel here, stay longer and support local business.

‘It also encourages more people to adopt electric vehicles and reduce their emissions and protect our environment. It’s a win for our community, the economy and the environment,’ she said.

A selection of EV friendly road trips are mapped here: www.visitnsw.com/evroadtrips.



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Palestine community action day Sunday

Have you been wondering how to make a change in Palestine? This Sunday, Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine (NRFP) are inviting people to join in a community action day at Marvell Hall, Marvell Street, Byron Bay from 12 noon to 4pm and find out how they can get involved to make positive change in Gaza and the West Bank.

Asren Pugh to run for NSW Upper House

Former Byron Shire councillor Asren Pugh has confirmed with The Echo that he has been preselected for the NSW Labor Upper House (Senate) ticket for the 2027 election. He is number six on the ticket.

A life well lived – Vale Jim Mangleson

From running the local hardware store ‘Manglesons of Mullumbimby’ from 1972 to 1977 to starting Chincogan Real Estate in 1979, all with his wife Jan, Jim (James Harry) Mangleson was a man who liked to get on with life.

Renewable energy opposition

The media narrative suggesting regional people oppose renewable energy projects, when the data unarguably shows the opposite, is now the subject of a published...