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Byron Shire
August 29, 2026

Local leadership vacuum

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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

Going beyond the BBQ

The Men & Family Centre will soon be running a free Beyond the BBQ event in Lismore.

Rally against changes to RDT laws at Queensland Parliament House

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Have you seen Stephanie Cordery?

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

Robot armies

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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.

No food fraud at the farmers’ market

Food fraud has made headlines recently after an investigation by ABC program Four Corners found the issue is rampant in major supermarket aisles in Australia.

It seems that this elected Council thinks little of the community and the best interests of business.

We had the renewal of the stormwater system in Lawson Street Byron Bay, no real thought given to those businesses or the adverse effects this would have on them.

Now we have the closure of the entry and exit to Mullumbimby and the absolute craziness of forcing all traffic leaving Mullumbimby to the north to use Coolamon Scenic Drive (Tunnel Road) which will put the motoring public at risk and more than likely finish up in a serious accident.

Will Council take responsibility for this if it occurs?

Even suggesting that adequate consultation had taken place here is ludicrous, was the transport advisory committee involved in this decision?

I read in The Echo that Council staff advised councillors not to discuss the 57 Station St development with the community, is this staff’s idea of consultation?

It seems to have been decided on the closure of the roads into Mullumbimby that Council will just do it and then deflect any concerns the community and businesses have.

Where are all of these so called experts employed on Council in this field, did none of these people see the problems this ill-planned road closure could cause both to people’s safety and business livelihoods?

Nice one – Cr Asren Pugh took the high ground with his statement ‘somewhere in the process, something was broken and didn’t work, and we’ve caused confusion for the staff who are supposed to be implementing, we’ve potentially caused delays’.

What does Cr Pugh’s statement mean, that the elected Council has confused the expert staff employed to deal with these problems?

I thought they were there to advise the elected councillors on issues like this so these sorts of situations don’t arise? Guess not.

Alan Dickens, Byron Bay



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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.