Former Byron Shire councillor Asren Pugh has confirmed with The Echo that he has been preselected for the NSW Labor Upper House (Senate) ticket for the 2027 election. He is number six on the ticket.

Former Byron Shire councillor Asren Pugh has confirmed with The Echo that he will be seeking support to run on the Labor Party ticket for the NSW Senate (upper house) in the 2027 state election.

Byron Shire Councillor Asren Pugh is seeking support to consider the option of heritage listing the Bangalow Bowlo in response to the closure of the bowlo by Norths Collective (North Sydney Leagues Club) on Friday, 24 October.

Labor councillor Asren Pugh has taken issue with the Mullumbimby Residents Association (MRA) questioning of Council plans to develop 32 units and a commercial shop on a busy carpark in the town’s CBD. 

The first meeting of the new Byron Council term was barely an hour old when the realities of politics and power quietly made their presence known in the Council chamber.

The Byron Shire Council is to be led by a Greens’ mayor again for the first time since Simon Richardson’s departure before the 2021 local government election.

Labor mayoral candidate Asren Pugh has conceded defeat in the September 14 local government elections, with Greens candidate Sarah Ndiaye poised to become Byron Shire Council’s new mayor.

Counting in the 2024 Byron Shire Council election after polling booths closed Saturday suggested a Greens-majority was again in sight for the first time since 2016.

Given the apparent cosy working relationship and voting patterns between current mayor Michael Lyon, Cr Sarah Ndiaye and Labor’s Asren Pugh, The Echo asked Cr Pugh and Ndiaye to outline what their points of difference are from the current mayor.

The Labor team is Asren Pugh (Bangalow), Janet Swain (Ocean Shores), Mark Swivel (Byron Bay), Peter Doherty (Bangalow), Diana James (Byron Bay) and Linda...