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Byron Shire
October 20, 2026
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Council Elections

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So you want to be a councillor/politician?

Council Elections Hans Lovejoy - 8
This document was written without fear or favour, by The Echo editor Hans Lovejoy for the politically curious who are considering a tilt at public life, or those who are interested in the inner workings of local politics. My intention is to hopefully inform and engage aspiring political...
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Local News

Ballina Coast High School scoops top state award

The Echo - 0
Ballina Coast High School has been recognised as one of NSW's leading public schools, taking out the 2026 Secretary's Award for Outstanding School Achievement at the NSW Public Education Awards in Sydney.
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Local News

New voices in local decision-making

Eve Jeffery - 6
The first and only Aboriginal councillor to be voted onto Byron Shire Council was Jimmy Budd, who was elected in 1991. 
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Local News

Conservative Mayors for Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley returned

Aslan Shand - 6
Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley councils all have a popularly elected Mayor and this election saw all three sitting conservative mayors returned. 
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Local News

Tweed Council to see one new face

The Echo - 11
Tweed Council will see one new face this term with National's candidate Kimberly Hone being elected in place of retiring conservative councillor Warren Polglase. 
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Local News

Kyogle votes ‘No’ to popularly elected mayor

Aslan Shand - 0
While we still await the final outcome of the Kyogle Shire Council election the vote is on for the referendum on whether they should elect their mayor by popular vote.
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Local News

Mustow back in at Richmond Valley Council but significant vote for change highlighted

Aslan Shand - 0
Mustow is likely to retain control of the council with himself as mayor and three councillors maintaining the current conservative approach. This leaves three positions on council for other candidates. 
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Local News

Ekins bows out of Lismore politics as Krieg returns for second term

Eve Jeffery - 2
Residents came out all over the Lismore shire on Saturday in a vote that saw Steve Krieg returned for a second bite of the mayoral apple and Vanessa Ekins bowing out gracefully, from Lismore politics.
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Byron Echo

Hope for cynics in times of declining trust

Dr Ray Moynihan - 45
Who among us is not guilty of feeling a little unbelieving, when we hear the latest promises on housing, or environmentally-friendly development?
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Local News

Departing Ballina Councillor Jeff Johnson’s voting recommendations

The Echo - 0
After 16 years on Ballina Council Jeff Johnson is retiring from the council playing field to concentrate on family and his solar and electrical business. Having been asked quite a few times who his recommendations are for the upcoming Ballina Council election here's his take.
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Local News

More light election reading: candidate Q&A with Byron Shire’s peak community/residents’ group, CABS

The Echo - 1
The peak body representing community and residents’ groups, Community Alliance for Byron Shire (CABS), have posed the following questions to councillor candidates. All candidates replied to CABS/The Echo except mayor Michael Lyon.
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Local News

Where do Richmond candidates stand on the incinerator?

The Echo - 0
In the lead up to Saturday’s election, members of Residents Against the Richmond Valley Incinerator (RARVI) have released a report on their interviews regarding energy-from-waste and other matters with the Richmond Valley Council mayoral candidates.
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Byron Echo

Political jockeying and time-wasting or good use of Tweed Council resources?

Marion Riordan - 2
You will be hearing a lot from councillors in the run up to this election. One claim by Labor’s Tweed Shire councillor Reece Byrnes that an ‘alliance between Greens, Liberals and Nationals on council’ in which they ‘teamed up to vote’ warrants a fact check.
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Local News

What’s likely to happen with Ballina Shire Council?

David Lowe - 0
On 14 September the people of Ballina will elect nine councillors plus a mayor. Unlike some parts of NSW, where there are more councillor positions than candidates, a large field of applicants are vying for the chance to represent their diverse communities across Ballina Shire, from Newrybar in the north to Cabbage Tree Island in the south, and from Wollongbar in the west to fast-growing Lennox Head in the east.
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Local News

Who to vote for in the Kyogle election 2024

Aslan Shand - 0
The Kyogle Council has seen a fractious last term with their General Manager Graham Kennet being sacked (during a second attempt) in December 2023 and replaced by Brett Kelly. Mr Kelly had no council management experience and after just seven weeks was off to another job. So the question is who will you vote for?
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Local News

Same old Richmond Valley Council or change? It’s up to us

The Echo - 2
The Richmond Valley election has 22 candidates in four groups A, B, C, and D, and one lone independent, vying for seven positions on council, including mayor.
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Council Elections

Byron council candidate Q&A with peak community/residents’ group, CABS

Hans Lovejoy - 0
The peak body representing Byron Shire’s community and residents’ groups, Community Alliance for Byron Shire (CABS), have posed the following questions for councillor candidates....
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Local News

Pre-polling opens across NSW tomorrow – so how do you vote?

The Echo - 2
If you want to get in early and get your voting done for the upcoming council elections tomorrow, Saturday 7 September is your first...
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Local News

Meet the candidates event: Let’s talk Byron business

The Echo - 0
The Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce will host a free ‘meet the candidates’ event, specifically aimed at Byron businesses, on Monday, September 9, from 4.30pm to 5.30pm at the Byron Community Centre
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Local News

An Echo Q&A with Byron Shire’s political newbies on hot button topics

The Echo - 0
With any election, political hopefuls enter the race as insiders (already in the ‘political tent’ and seeking re-election), or being outsiders, meaning they generally...
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Local News

Lyndall Murray for mayor of Richmond Valley Council?

Aslan Shand - 2
Lyndall Murray is running for mayor and councillor in the upcoming Richmond Valley Council elections with a core team of seven candidates. Her team, Group C, are all about the community, effective good governance and positive leadership.
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Council Elections

Council candidate Lucy Vader aims to be ‘ruthlessly transparent’

The Echo - 0
Echo: It is well known that career politicians and bureaucrats suffer from narcissistic and sociopathic behaviour problems. These characteristic traits include a lack of...
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Entertainment News

Cinema: NAZA

The Echo - 0
A must-see, award-winning documentary investigating AI warfare in Gaza. Fresh from winning the Special Jury Prize at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival, NAZA, the latest documentary from Academy Award-winning filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor (No Other Land), examines artificial intelligence and surveillance in Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
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Entertainment News

Interview with Genevieve Clay-Smith, director of Boss Cat showing at the Byron Bay Film Festival

Eve Jeffery - 0
When Sonja (Olivia Hargroder) loses her mother without warning, the only steady presence left in her life is her grandmother, Doris. But Doris’s idea of stability means dismantling everything Sonja has built. For Sonja, who lives with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and has spent her life fighting to be underestimated by no one, Doris’ plan feels less like protection and more like erasure. Directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith, Boss Cat is a vibrant, big-hearted Australian dramedy about independence, family and self-determination, anchored by a fearless lead performance.
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Entertainment News

Something for everyone at the Picture House

The Echo - 0
From Australian superstar musos, to brand new documentaries, to comedians at the top of their game, there really is something for everyone at the Brunswick Picture House.
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Entertainment News

Thirty-six unmissable films

The Echo - 0
The 2026 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival features an unmissable line up 36 films, including five retrospectives which will screen from 28 October to 29 November at Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Cinemas.
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