13.8 C
Byron Shire
August 29, 2026

Traversing the Super Rough Seas in Murwillumbah

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

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.

Ocean Shores golf winners

The Ocean Shores division one team won the clubs first ever NRDGA division one pennant flag.

Artist attempts the impossible at Lismore gallery

How do you grab hold of a horizon? Artist Lottie Consalvo has decided to have a crack.

Trains on tracks

Give the Northern Rivers a fair go on rail I was surprised to see The Echo promoting the Rail Trail...

Byron Bay fights for its low-rise character as 16m to 21m height breaches loom

Urgent questions are being raised about Byron Bay’s future as the NSW government increasingly uses fast-tracked planning pathways that can allow major developments to bypass or vary local planning controls, including height limits, raising concerns about how Byron’s unique character, built environment, and community expectations will be protected.

Climate science meets art at Lismore Gallery

Climate change conversations filled with graphs, reports and grim headlines can be enough to make even the hardiest soul want to hide under the doona. This Sunday, Lismore Regional Gallery is trying a different approach to discussing the issue.

The Super Rough Seas Project under construction.

The Super Rough Seas Project is a new and vibrant street art montage that has been installed at the M.Arts Precinct, in Murwillumbah.

The project is an Community Arts Recovery Project lead by local artist Karma Barnes which explores a narrative around how we may all be in the same ocean, but our boats are all different shapes and capacities and brings together our community stories of our compounded experiences throughout the pandemic, recent fires, droughts and floods.

A hundred community members from around the Northern Rivers contributed to the project, including regional artists, artists with disabilities and youth, with ages ranging from between 4 and 78 years of age.

Artist Karma Barnes and the completed mural in Proudfoots Lane Murwillumbah.

Community members were invited to submitted images of artworks created in 2020 around the themes of floods-droughts-fires-pandemic. Then over two weeks community members created paintings of boats at a community
arts workshop at M.Arts around what self-care tools we can take from our experiences of 2020 into the unknown waters of 2021 to keep our selves, families & communities strong.

So take a stroll down Proudfoots Lane to check out the work that will be on exhibition for the next two months, you’ll need to visit more than once to take in all the details.

The project was supported by a Micro-Grant through Arts Northern Rivers.



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.