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Byron Shire
September 23, 2023

Hans Lovejoy

In addition to his role as the editor of the Byron Shire Echo since 2010, Hans is an accomplished musician. A graduate of the Canberra School of Music, Hans has played the double bass and electric bass for more than 20 years, in all styles and at most of Australia's premier festivals. See www.hanslovejoy.com for more.

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Editorial: Be more like Gavin Newsom

The US state of California is suing five major fossil fuel companies over their contribution to the climate crisis.

Editorial: It’s a social housing party!

After six months of bickering, federal political parties of similar stripes – Labor and Greens – came together and said ‘Yes’ to a $10b social/affordable housing package. 

Neighbour speaks of war vet’s tiny home demolition order

Further to last week’s story, ‘Disabled war veteran’s tiny home faces Council demolition order’, a neighbour of Afghanistan veteran Matt Bruce, approached The Echo to tell her side of the story.

Agreement struck on social/affordable housing fund

Both the Greens and Labor are claiming victory over an agreement that will establish a $10b federal social housing fund, which the prime minister says will deliver 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in the first five years.

NSW govt looks to ‘urgently’ fund Byron homeless hub

Calls from local Greens candidate Mandy Nolan for Labor to provide funding certainty for essential homeless service, the Fletcher Street Cottage, may be working,...

Disabled war veteran’s tiny home faces Council demolition order 

A disabled Afghanistan war veteran, with diagnosed PTSD, faces the loss of his off-grid, tiny home in Wilsons Creek because it is deemed an ‘unauthorised development’.

Editorial: Upscaling urban development

Let’s take a short dip into how Mayor Michael Lyon intends to ramp up urban development in the Byron Shire. 

Committee’s calls to retain Mullum’s local water supply rejected by Council staff 

A member of a committee that advises Byron Council on water and sewer issues says she is concerned that Council staff are bypassing community consultation and water and sewer committee advice, and are again pushing to connect Mullumbimby’s water supply to Rocky Creek dam, which is managed by water utility, Rous.

Editorial: Just say know 

Let’s briefly unpack the ‘No’ campaign rhetoric for the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum!

Buckle in for higher density, higher buildings, more homes

With the threat of losing their planning powers, councillors scrambled to respond to the NSW Planning Department at Thursday’s Council meeting, approving a template to deliver 5,825 new homes for Byron Shire by 2041. 

Editorial: All hail, Supreme Unelected Planning Overlord

I CYMI, Marcus Ray, Deputy Secretary NSW Planning, has been bestowed enormous powers by an ineffectual and weak NSW Labor planning minister.

Bureaucrat threatens to remove Byron Council’s planning powers

Byron Shire Council risks losing its planning powers to ‘independent intervention’ if it does not ‘demonstrate how it intends to improve its housing supply’. 

IQ Inc board challenged – again

With the influx of surfers and like-minded people in the 1970s, Byron Bay became a bastion of 'free thinking', the creative arts, alternative living and community minds.

Editorial: If only Assange was a Kiwi

As an Australian, I’ve always felt somewhat inspired by New Zealand’s rugged independence and forward thinking.

Where’s the accountability with flood funding?

Can the public have confidence that federal flood recovery and resilience programs will actually deliver, given the state government’s botched roll-out of flood assistance via the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.

Q&A with Shane Rennie, Island Quarry Trust President

Regarding the push from a Change.org petition calling for fresh leadership at Island Quarry (IQ), Island Quarry Trust member Shane Rennie has replied to...

Bellingen has eco-village pilot project in its sights  

Bellingen Council has been developing an eco-village pilot project over the past few years.

Deadly fire ants just north of NSW border

A new outbreak of the highly invasive and potentially deadly fire ants has been discovered 5.5km from the NSW border at a pony club in Tallebudgera, says the Invasive Species Council (ISC).

Editorial: Ban that smut!

The banning of books is not all that uncommon – it’s done for political, legal, religious or ‘moral’ censorship reasons.

Housing crisis ‘brutal’ says social housing advocate

More than four in five renters are in housing stress, with homelessness the leading impact of the housing crisis, a report by national housing campaign Everybody’s Home has revealed. 

2022 flood level data still not public

There is still no timeframe for when the February/March 2022 flood data levels will be made public by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

Editorial: Be more like Gavin Newsom

The US state of California is suing five major fossil fuel companies over their contribution to the climate crisis.

Editorial: It’s a social housing party!

After six months of bickering, federal political parties of similar stripes – Labor and Greens – came together and said ‘Yes’ to a $10b social/affordable housing package. 

Neighbour speaks of war vet’s tiny home demolition order

Further to last week’s story, ‘Disabled war veteran’s tiny home faces Council demolition order’, a neighbour of Afghanistan veteran Matt Bruce, approached The Echo to tell her side of the story.

Agreement struck on social/affordable housing fund

Both the Greens and Labor are claiming victory over an agreement that will establish a $10b federal social housing fund, which the prime minister says will deliver 30,000 new social and affordable housing properties in the first five years.

NSW govt looks to ‘urgently’ fund Byron homeless hub

Calls from local Greens candidate Mandy Nolan for Labor to provide funding certainty for essential homeless service, the Fletcher Street Cottage, may be working,...

Disabled war veteran’s tiny home faces Council demolition order 

A disabled Afghanistan war veteran, with diagnosed PTSD, faces the loss of his off-grid, tiny home in Wilsons Creek because it is deemed an ‘unauthorised development’.

Editorial: Upscaling urban development

Let’s take a short dip into how Mayor Michael Lyon intends to ramp up urban development in the Byron Shire. 

Committee’s calls to retain Mullum’s local water supply rejected by Council staff 

A member of a committee that advises Byron Council on water and sewer issues says she is concerned that Council staff are bypassing community consultation and water and sewer committee advice, and are again pushing to connect Mullumbimby’s water supply to Rocky Creek dam, which is managed by water utility, Rous.

Editorial: Just say know 

Let’s briefly unpack the ‘No’ campaign rhetoric for the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum!

Buckle in for higher density, higher buildings, more homes

With the threat of losing their planning powers, councillors scrambled to respond to the NSW Planning Department at Thursday’s Council meeting, approving a template to deliver 5,825 new homes for Byron Shire by 2041. 

Editorial: All hail, Supreme Unelected Planning Overlord

I CYMI, Marcus Ray, Deputy Secretary NSW Planning, has been bestowed enormous powers by an ineffectual and weak NSW Labor planning minister.

Bureaucrat threatens to remove Byron Council’s planning powers

Byron Shire Council risks losing its planning powers to ‘independent intervention’ if it does not ‘demonstrate how it intends to improve its housing supply’. 

IQ Inc board challenged – again

With the influx of surfers and like-minded people in the 1970s, Byron Bay became a bastion of 'free thinking', the creative arts, alternative living and community minds.

Editorial: If only Assange was a Kiwi

As an Australian, I’ve always felt somewhat inspired by New Zealand’s rugged independence and forward thinking.

Where’s the accountability with flood funding?

Can the public have confidence that federal flood recovery and resilience programs will actually deliver, given the state government’s botched roll-out of flood assistance via the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.

Q&A with Shane Rennie, Island Quarry Trust President

Regarding the push from a Change.org petition calling for fresh leadership at Island Quarry (IQ), Island Quarry Trust member Shane Rennie has replied to...

Bellingen has eco-village pilot project in its sights  

Bellingen Council has been developing an eco-village pilot project over the past few years.

Deadly fire ants just north of NSW border

A new outbreak of the highly invasive and potentially deadly fire ants has been discovered 5.5km from the NSW border at a pony club in Tallebudgera, says the Invasive Species Council (ISC).

Editorial: Ban that smut!

The banning of books is not all that uncommon – it’s done for political, legal, religious or ‘moral’ censorship reasons.

Housing crisis ‘brutal’ says social housing advocate

More than four in five renters are in housing stress, with homelessness the leading impact of the housing crisis, a report by national housing campaign Everybody’s Home has revealed. 

2022 flood level data still not public

There is still no timeframe for when the February/March 2022 flood data levels will be made public by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
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