David Lowe

One of Ballina's new councillors in B Ward is independent Eva Ramsey, who was elected as part of Sharon Cadwallader's team and is joining council for the first time. So why now, and what does she stand for?

The Richmond River at Fawcett Park in Ballina was full of colour on the weekend for the 30th Rotary Duck Race. The event has raised a quarter of a million dollars for charity over its history in Ballina.

Ballina-based animal welfare organisation Northern Rivers Animal Services Inc is on the lookout for cat-lovers to help at their cat cottage, and foster carers for both dogs and cats.

Although recent local government elections across the Northern Rivers were dominated by the surge of right-leaning candidates, state-wide there was a very successful result for The Greens, with 67 councillors elected (up from 56). Two of these new representatives are in Ballina, Ward C's Simon Chate and Ward B's Kiri Dicker.

In spite of the unpredictable weather and COVID situation, Lennox Community Market was buzzing on the weekend, returning to Williams Reserve under new management after almost two years away.

The beach north of Lennox Head was unusually quiet on the weekend, with 4WD traffic blocked from entering due to the dangerous conditions in the previous week.

A short drive south of Ballina, at Pimlico, is the recently opened Ballina District Museum. With extra visitors in the area for school holidays, and weather not ideal for the beach, The Echo went along to meet some of the volunteers working to bring the region's history back to life.

The family were heading north on summer holidays in their orange Kombi. They stopped at a fruit stall beside the highway…

The Rotary Duck Race is on again at Fawcett Park, Ballina, from 11am-3pm on Sunday 16 January, with big prizes, all raising funds for community charities.

At the recent Ballina Council elections, Keith Williams' campaign to become mayor was unsuccessful, and he lost his position as a councillor after preferences were distributed in the tightly contested B Ward, where Sharon Cadwallader and Jeff Johnson were also running.

Recently I’ve been wading through hundreds of hours of archival material from the successful struggle to keep the Northern Rivers gasfield free. The collective optimism and unity in the face of what seemed, at the time, like an unstoppable opponent, is inspiring. 

The Ballina electorate's representative in NSW state parliament has had an eventful year. The Echo caught up with Tamara Smith at Ballina Seabird & Turtle Rescue to talk about the political highlights and lowlights of 2021.

Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital is going from strength to strength since relocating to the Macadamia Castle, on the Hinterland Way north of Lennox Head, in October. Matilda the mobile vet hospital is now based next to the electric vehicle charging stations and there's a renewed focus on native wildlife and education within the park.

With an increasing number of sea turtles coming into care, Ballina's iconic wildlife rescue charity based on North Creek Road has a new name and a new logo. It's now Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue. President Anna Dicker spoke to The Echo this week.

One of outgoing Councillor Sharon Parry's last actions at Ballina Shire Council was to recommend that council support a new sign to draw attention to a little-known part of East Wardell's history, the Poet's Tree.

Christmas will be a little brighter this year for numerous families experiencing domestic violence, thanks to family packs from the Rotary Club of Ballina on Richmond being distributed by Momentum Collective.

Three people in a little car were driving around in circles looking for a parking space, but there weren’t any. Ah, the joys of summer holidays.

The visual effects house Cumulus is expanding and moving from Byron Bay to new premises beside the river in Ballina, with an additional fifty jobs predicted and $1m additional state funding.

With almost 59% of the vote after preferences were distributed, Ballina's new mayor is long-serving Councillor Sharon Cadwallader.

Ballina's Allan Watt is looking for new members to join the Northern Rivers Naval & Mariners Association, a social group with an emphasis on getting together rather than protocols and pokies.

Ballina local government area residents won't know the exact makeup of their new council until next week, when preferences are distributed, but the general shape is looking clearer.