13.2 C
Byron Shire
August 29, 2026

More bureaucrats than houses

Latest News

How can we keep paying for incompetence

The only way forward is going backwards. That’s how I explain the current situation of Byron Shire Council. The...

Other News

They’ve got their trousers on

They’re almost here – Baggy Trousers bring ‘Madness’ to Ballina next week! London-born and hailed as the Southern Hemisphere’s premier Madness tribute show, Baggy Trousers brings to life the legendary UK band’s iconic hits in The Sound of Madness and bring the energy, humour and soundtrack of the UK’s golden era to Ballina RSL.

One Night Only

What if one messy night turns out to be the best thing that ever happened to you? Will Gluck, the filmmaker of Anyone but You and Easy’, celebrates modern romantic comedy on the big screen with a fresh, witty, swoony, original film about searching for love on the least romantic night of the year in One Night Only.

Interhall Committee volunteers’ hazard update

As the weather warms up, so too are community volunteers. In mid August regional volunteers gathered at Clunes for the quarterly Interhall Committee meeting.

Have you seen Stephanie Cordery?

NSW Police are reappealing for public assistance to locate a woman missing from Lismore.

Cameras rolling on Ballina crime fight

A $1 million CCTV network targeting crime hotspots and major roads in Ballina and Lennox Head is finally moving into the installation phase, following years of calls for greater surveillance across the shire.

Being un conscious

There is a general belief that consciousness is an entity in itself or something that is non-physical. I don’t...

Following the NSW Audit Office’s report, and continued community feedback that we have failed in our core mission of reconstructing houses, we convened our dozens of senior executives to develop a solution.

We quickly realised we have now hired more senior executives than we have reconstructed houses.

After hiring several more senior executives to oversee the process and many agonising weeks of pretending to read your feedback, we are proud to announce our rebrand as the NSW Deconstruction Authority.

Our performance is unparalleled: no organisation in the history of the state has deconstructed as many homes as we have, and we have done it with no business case and no cost-benefit analysis, proving that true delivery requires no plan whatsoever.

The numbers speak for themselves. Hundreds of homes in the process of, or awaiting deconstruction. Zero homes reconstructed. Zero land delivered for housing. We have achieved total consistency across every figure we report.

While other government departments struggle to meet their targets, we are now the only authority in the state reliably exceeding ours, having taken the precaution of lowering them first.

Premier C Minns; has recognised us as the one agency reliably impacting housing supply in the region, and has approved performance bonuses for dozens of senior executives in recognition of how effective we have become.

William Goode, Lismore



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.

Greens urged to back pathway to end native forest logging

Some of NSW’s most respected and long-standing forest campaigners and scientists have today urged the Greens not to support the Nationals' attempt to disallow the Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) method.

Ballina Council makes decision on Ross Lane

With the absence of all four of its progressive councillors for various reasons, Ballina Council pushed ahead with its agenda at yesterday's monthly meeting, including a decision which is likely to close Ross Lane for months while the road is upgraded.

Mullumbimby puts new governance models first, and now wants to build it

Imagine Northern Rivers says Mullumbimby is the only community across the region to rank new models of governance and decision-making as the number one element of its preferred future, and last week locals gathered to work out how to make it real.

Appeal to locate man missing from Broadwater

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a local missing man.