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Byron Shire
June 12, 2026

Latest News

Up to 550 homes pegged for Byron Shire’s newest suburb

Community feedback is now sought on three planning documents that will shape the future of Gulgan Village, a new residential suburb proposed on the elevated slopes of Saddle Road. 

Other News

Lismore’s Blakebrook quarry proposal meets resistance

A recent gathering of locals concerned about a proposed ‘mega dump’ landfill at Blakebrook quarry has been supported by Lismore Greens councillors. Lismore Council say they are still considering the proposal.

Israel’s assault on Global Sumud Flotilla – a first-hand account

It hit me like a lightning strike. It was the latex gloves that did it. Those pale blue five fingered clinical sheaths made me want to vomit. Last Tuesday, having just been repatriated from my time on the Global Sumud Flotilla, I was at Tweed Valley Hospital getting a forensic medical examination for my sexual assault at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces.

Declining print media a concern for Kyogle mayor

Kyogle councillors will be asked to consider a motion by mayor Danielle Mulholland around the 'demise of print media In rural and regional Australia'.

Byron Youth Service continues to invest in young people and community spaces

Byron Youth Service is celebrating another year of supporting young people across the Byron Shire through a diverse range of creative, educational, and wellbeing initiatives, while continuing significant improvements to The YAC.

Voters are not ‘always right’

The mantra ‘voters always get it right’ is repeated after every election by winners and losers. The decision of voters must be respected, blah, blah.

Matthew Laverty recognised with OAM

Recognising his  passion for golf and long-term commitment to community service, Mullumbimby’s Matthew Laverty received the Medal of the...

January 7, 2026

Byron Shire Echo issue 40.31 – January 7, 2026

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Local News | Comment | Letters | Articles | Soapbox | Crossword | Stars | Good Taste | The Good Life | The Arts | Hello Summer | Seven Entertainment | Gig Guide | Cinema | Classifieds | Community at Work | Service Directory | Echo Property | Property Business Directory | Backlash

In this Issue:

What do we not get about death?

The day before Greg Mcqueen died in Brunswick Heads, the funeral director arrived at Greg’s home to organise his services.

Office of Local Government stomps into Council meetings

Byron Shire locals generally don’t take kindly to external powers attempting to curtail their opportunities for discussion and debate.

Bruns Breakfast Club given a boost

A not-for-profit provider of employment and training services has awarded $7,500 to the Brunswick Heads Breakfast Club, a grassroots initiative offering meals, connection, and compassion to people experiencing homelessness and hardship in the local community.

Development at Vallances Rd back on the agenda

Could vacant land adjacent to the Brunswick Valley Sewage Treatment Plant (BVSTP) become home to an affordable housing village where residents can walk or ride along the rail trail into the centre of Mullumbimby?

Happy 40th to The Echo, you rock!

When I came to the Byron Shire over 30 years ago, there were three local newspapers. Since that time two have disappeared and others have come and gone. The Echo is still going after 40 years because they care about,...

The air out there

Walking along the Brunswick River through the sculpture park in town, it was a windy day today and as I walked the gusts of wind picked up dirt and some grass debris into tiny whirlwinds around me. I was walking...

Hats off

Hats off to the Byron Shire Council for finally committing to a community consultation process for large projects (Echo Dec 31). After multiple failures and the resultant complete loss of faith and confidence by the community in Council, a motion...

Two poles

Two letters appeared in The Echo regarding the terrible shooting in Sydney a couple of weeks ago. One followed a concise and accurate summary of the situation from Bruce Porter. The other, from Dr Nicole Phillips, was a hectoring...

NSW Police now decide who can protest

The NSW government response to Bondi has seen a huge transfer of power from the courts to the police.

Get your Byron All Shorts subs in by 28 Feb

Northern Rivers short film competition for all ages, Byron All Shorts, is open for submissions. Finalists screening and awards will be held on Saturday 28 February, alongside the Flickerfest International Short Film Festival tour at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall. Local...

Poker machines

Byron Council calls for reform on pokie laws

The Whitlams once famously expressed the desire to ‘blow up the pokies and drag them away’.

Maribeth Cole wins best actress at the Palmies

Congratulations to Maribeth Cole, who won Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Community Theatre Play at the 2025 Gold Palm Awards, for her role in the Drill Hall Theatre Company’s production of 10 Minutes of Fame.

Update on plans to boost Byron Bay’s night-time economy

If you live in Byron Bay, you might have written a submission, attended a meeting, or at least heard talk of the proposed Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP), a NSW government policy designed to grow the 24-hour economy. 

Life-saving AED now in Billinudgel

Billinudgel Fire Station is home to a new defibrillator (AED), kindly granted to the village by not-for-profit health insurer, Westfund.

Christmas/NYE welcomed in the Bay

If there was ever any doubt that our Byron Bay community wanted to come together and celebrate, then with the Christmas Community’s Initiative of a ‘movie under the stars’, we got our answer on December 22. More than 250 residents...

Movement at the station, or another missed train?

Could this be the year that Byron Shire Council takes meaningful, decisive action on building a rail trail between Mullumbimby and Byron Bay?

Rhetoric and hypocrisy

How much empty rhetoric and breathtaking hypocrisy are we supposed to tolerate? The events at Bondi were tragic, however if the Jewish community really want to improve their image and attempt to eliminate alleged antisemitism perhaps mainstream Jewish leaders in...

Bull dust

Bruce Porter (antisemitism’, Echo 23/12/2025) has discovered an ‘elephant in the room’ that is the cause of the vicious hatred directed at Jews this month and for the last two years (and two millennia). Sorry, but it’s not an...

Chill out Mandy

I’m so tired of this polarising narrative you push that divides self-proclaimed ‘locals’ and the town’s tourists – who, by the way, our entire town’s economy relies on. If you don’t like shopping alongside some of the world’s most...

Council’s parking blitz

On 30 December many beaches between Byron and Ballina were closed due to rough seas. Not at Broken Head (except for a short shark alarm). Parking was at a premium with cars parking along the entry road nearly back to...

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: A Voice for the River

When I was a kid we used to swim in the river. Local waterways were full of fish and yabbies. We’d grab a giant inner tube from a tractor tyre and eight of us would fight to stay on the slippery surface. It was the closest thing we had to technology.

Enough talk – fix it!

This festive season, drivers will again crawl 45–60 minutes to enter Byron via the M1 Byron exit, while traffic queues dangerously into the 110 km/h motorway. Everyone knows this is unsafe. Everyone knows it’s been happening for years. Actually...

A loving prelude

A couple of days before Xmas 25, I am sitting in the Byron Community Centre. I am aware of a growing spiritual frailty within my body. I watch the wonderful volunteers at the centre aid a young mother with...

No sense

I am glad the hydrogen-powered waste truck will be quiet and emit low emissions because otherwise it makes no sense. The range of the truck is 300 km but one third of that will be used every time it has...

Cultural wisdom

When will a majority of Jewish people and modern day Israelis take on board the wisdom of their own ancient scriptures where in the first book of the Torah (Genesis) it recounts how Cain, the son of Adam and...

Load limit increased for Byron Creek Bridge

The load limit for Byron Creek Bridge has been increased to 24 tonnes, say Byron Shire Council, following structural analysis of the bridge.

Festival and event grants on offer

Community organisations are encouraged to apply for NSW government grants to bring cultural festivals and events to life across the state over the coming year.

Dr Bronwyn Bancroft wins prestigious Ochre Award

Bundjalung woman and artist Dr Bronwyn Bancroft AM has received the Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Artistic Excellence.

The Pocket Winter Festival bringing you music, food and fun

The Pocket Winter Festival is set to return on Sunday, 21 June, from 10am to 2pm, bringing together the community for a day of music, food, entertainment and family fun at The Pocket Public School.