David Lowe

Anthony Albanese went to the last election promising to end live sheep exports from Australia. This rubbery promise has since been rolled back to his government's second term (assuming they get one). The independent panel's long-awaited report to the federal government on the issue has now also been delayed, from this week to late October.

Last week, the National Press Club in Canberra hosted two major press conferences, one day apart. The first was a desperate plea for attention from Nick Kaldas, the Chair of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicides. The second was an all-out attack on the Voice to Parliament, via Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians.

Ballina-on-Richmond Rotary Club's domestic and family violence prevention campaign is rippling far beyond the Northern Rivers, sparking interest and support from across Australia and the wider Pacific. The Echo caught up with Rotary District Governor Dave Harmon to find out more.

Last Friday, two Uluru Statement from the Heart ambassadors came to Lennox Head to talk about Voice, Truth and Treaty.

As Alan Joyce runs for cover, with the Australian public baying for blood, it's a good time to remember that the underlying problem goes well beyond Mr Joyce or indeed Qantas. For decades, thanks to privatisation, once-loved Australian institutions have been hollowed out by international profit-making entities, while still pretending to have national interests at heart. Now we're all paying for the consequences.

On Monday at 4pm there will be a briefing from Ballina Council staff to councillors about proposed Conservation Zones for Ballina Shire. The briefing is also open to the public, but there will be no opportunities for two way debate with councillors, as this is an educational opportunity about what is on the table and potential routes forward.

Sixteen year old Ballina student Indigo Grey has recently returned from the Youth Parliament in Sydney. She and her mum Natasha sat down with the Echo to talk about the experience, and Indigo's ambitions for the future.

Sunday 10 September is the date to put in your diaries for the great Rotary Duck Race, which will be happening at Fawcett Park...

Ballina Shire Council's August meeting covered refugees, parks, rubbish collection and development issues, with controversy over local government ward boundaries spilling over into an...

While in opposition, Anthony Albanese was endlessly critical of Scott Morrison's inaction over the climate emergency, and his lack of meaningful support for Australians as they faced unprecedented bushfires and other calamities. So, does our current prime minister hold a hose, and if so, does it contain petrol or water?

Yesterday's Extraordinary Meeting to discuss a rescission motion over Ballina's ward boundaries saw new positions and lots of strong language from councillors, but no ultimate change in the result from the previous meeting.

At its last meeting, Ballina Shire Council voted for one of the three Rs of local government – roads, rates and rubbish – to be entirely taken over by a private company, with council's existing rubbish collection vehicles to be sold off as part of the deal, for $740,000.

Ballina mayoral team’s plan to override staff ward boundary recommendations smacks of ‘politically-motivated gerrymandering’, says Ballina councillor.

At its last meeting, Ballina Shire Council discussed whether community donations expenditures to Ballina Marine Rescue were warranted, including $9,000 for insurance cover and maintenance costs for the Ballina rescue jetboat, which is now under the auspices of Marine Rescue NSW.

Sharon Cadwallader presented a mayoral minute at the last meeting of Ballina Shire Council to fast-track improvements to Walsh Park, East Wardell, following the devastating floods of 2022 and division in the local community since.

Most Australian households have now received their Voice referendum booklet in the mail. It looks quite official and is being distributed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Unfortunately the contents haven't been fact checked. Like most other forms of federal political advertising, lying and misinformation in this context is completely legal.

Ballina Shire Council opened yesterday's meeting with a proposal from Cr Kiri Dicker that welcome packs be offered to local international refugee families. These would include a three month family pool pass, a Richmond Tweed library card, and temporary memberships to Ballina Indoor Sports Centre and Northern Rivers Community Gallery.

Noel Pearson and Kerry O'Brien brought the Yes23 roadshow to a packed house at Lennox Head Cultural Centre on Tuesday night, as part of the education campaign for the forthcoming Voice referendum. The event was hosted by the federal member for Richmond, Justine Elliot.

The Echo caught up with Ballina volunteer Phil Causley after he won the 2023 Marine Rescue NSW agency award, part of the 2023 Rotary District of NSW Emergency Services Community Awards, held in Sydney recently.

The ALP has just held its national conference, in Brisbane, but most of the progressive ideas were discussed only on the fringes, and on the streets outside, with the official debate constrained. Down in Sydney, things pushed further into crazy-land at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an Australian version of the Trump-worshipping American event.

Photographer Brad Mustow has teamed up with Friends of the Koala to share an exhibition of his wonderful pictures of baby koalas at the Creative Artisans Gallery in Ballina this month, with money raised from the sale of framed prints and postcards going to help the iconic but threatened marsupials.