18.2 C
Byron Shire
June 23, 2026

The heart of Byron Bay’s local community

Latest News

Science in the Pub, Lismore, 16 July

An engaging and informative Science in the Pub event is planned on Thursday, 16 July, from 5pm at Two Mates Brewing, South Lismore.

Other News

Byron Writers Festival reveals 30th anniversary program

As August draws near and authors gear up for a big weekend in Byron Bay, Byron Writers Festival has revealed its complete program for its 30th anniversary edition

Wyuna 1 freed from Belongil Beach

There's been a happy ending to the saga of Jeff Sutton's yacht Wyuna 1, which has been beached near Elements at North Belongil since early May, after being damaged in heavy weather.

Artist Gerwyn Davies exhibits at Tweed Gallery

From 3 July, a major new body of work by Gadigal/Sydney-based artist Gerwyn Davies will be exhibited at the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre.

Putting their money where their mouth and conscience is

Climate action group Rising Tide say they will disrupt business at Tweed City ANZ today, as local long-term customers withdraw their life savings from the bank.

More comes out on Byron and Mullum pools saga

The problem with Byron Shire councillors making decisions in confidential sessions ‘behind closed doors’ is that no-one knows what really happened apart from those in the room.

Momentum hosts free skate workshop for girls and women

Whether you are stepping on a skateboard for the first time, sharpening your skills or getting ready to compete, a free school holiday workshop is being offered to all female skaters up to 25 years.

Byron Community Centre (BCC) team. Photo supplied

For 45 years, the Byron Community Centre has been at the heart of Byron’s local community, providing arts and social programs for locals and visitors. Today, it stands as a central force in local life, delivering a diverse array of programs, venues and services that support, connect and enrich the community every day.

Located in the heart of Byron Bay on Jonson Street, the community centre brings together an extensive network of initiatives under one umbrella. It owns and operates the Byron Markets, Byron Theatre, Byron Spaces, Byron Spaces Gallery, Byron Seniors and Fletcher Street Cottage, each playing a distinct but interconnected role in shaping the local experience.

Collectively, these initiatives represent one of the most dynamic community offerings in the region. The three Byron Markets, Community, Twilight and Beachside, have become a defining local and visitor attraction, supporting over 500 stallholders and showcasing the best of the Northern Rivers creative and food culture. Byron Theatre delivers a year-round program of 150 live performances, music, film and community events, providing an important platform for both local and touring talent.

Jan Dawkins had a central role in setting up the Byron Community Centre. Photo Tree Faerie

Workshops, events and exhibitions

Byron Spaces offers accessible venues for workshops, events and exhibitions, while Byron Spaces Gallery stands as a free exhibition space dedicated to supporting local artists. With seasonal exhibitions, the gallery provides local artists with an opportunity to share their work with the community, reinforcing the organisation’s ongoing commitment to local creativity.

Beyond its cultural footprint, the Byron Community Centre plays a vital role in social support. Fletcher Street Cottage provides essential services for over 10,000 people each year experiencing hardship and social isolation, delivering practical support alongside dignity and care. Complementing this, Byron Seniors delivers inclusive programs for 500 seniors that promote connection, wellbeing and active participation for older members of the community.

At the core of the Byron Community Centre’s impact is its people. Supported by a strong network of 70 staff and 175 volunteers, the organisation continues to foster a sense of belonging that extends across every program and service it delivers. This collective effort ensures the organisation remains responsive to the evolving needs of the local community.

As Byron Shire continues to grow and change, the Byron Community Centre remains a constant, embedded in the heart of town and deeply connected to its local community. Through its broad and integrated offering, it continues to deliver meaningful impact, ensuring community, creativity and care remain at the centre of Byron Bay life. 

More info: www.byroncentre.com.au



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.

Six dwellings proposed on flood-prone Mullum block

Six units are proposed at the eastern end of New City Road, Mullumbimby, on a site that was inundated during the 2022 floods. Submitted by Duncan Band's Kollective, Development Application (DA) 10.2026.269.1 at 73 New City Road is on public exhibition with Byron Shire Council, and sits within the Shire's flood planning area.

Mullum Scout Hall fire overnight

At 1.45am this morning the NSW Fire and Rescue Mullumbimby Station 388 Sans and Brunswick Station 240 were called to a fire at the Mullumbimby Scout Hall.

Expansion on farmland around Tweed Valley Hospital opposed

Residents are holding firm against a proposal to develop State Significant Farmland (SSF) near the Tweed Valley Hospital at Cudgen, after the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) held a public meeting on Friday 19 June around the Planning Proposal for Cudgen Connection (PP-2023-2669-Cudgen Connection).

E-bikes destroyed by police in Tweed

Thirty-five e-bikes that were seized during police operations near Tweed Heads have been destroyed, say police.