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Latest News
Australia’s Environment Report card not looking good
2023 was a 'year of opposites' for Australia’s environment, but despite conditions fluctuating between wet and dry, overall conditions remain stable following a bumper year in 2022, according to the latest Australia’s Environment Report, led by The Australian National University.
Other News
Two charged following alleged pursuit – Ballina
About 12.20am (Thursday 14 March 2024), police from Richmond PD Highway Patrol attempted to stop an allegedly stolen Ford Focus on the M1 Motorway at West Ballina.
Action needed on affordable housing and land banking say regional city Mayors
Regional Cities NSW mayors have called on the state government to take action on the worsening housing crisis outside of Sydney as they call for affordable housing and a way to stop developers land banking.
Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Reach Beyond
One in 12 people over 65 are living with dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease, but is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities. It’s actually no longer called dementia, but Major Neurocognitive Disorder (MND).
Connection?
Is there any connection between a five-star resort that is about to build holiday apartments and houses a kilometre...
Cannabis
I’m not sure Andrew Hall understands how politics works if he is blaming the Greens for cannabis not being...
The case for natural parks
Between One Mile Beach and Big Rocky Island, just south of Nelson Bay, lies the stunning Samurai Beach, a part of the Tomaree National Park.
Stories about "Ballina koalas":
Koalas destined for extinction – unless we do something
Lismore’s Friends of the Koala says it’s not too late to prevent koalas going extinct in the wild on the North Coast – but our window of opportunity is rapidly closing.
Govt ‘misleading the public’ over koala feed tree planting
An animal activist has accused two National Party MPs of ‘misleading the public’ over claims the RMS has revegetated more than a hundred hectares of land along the Pacific Highway Ballina upgrade route with tens of thousands of koala feed trees.
Koala fire victims trapped by RMS fencing have nothing to eat
The Ballina Pacific Highway Upgrade is a disaster waiting to happen. A major bushfire of over 300 hectares two weeks ago has left important areas of koala and long-nosed potoroo habitat burned to the ground, writes Sue Arnold.
RMS builds ‘death traps’ for Ballina koalas
With the Ballina Pacific Highway Upgrade poised to begin operations, scientists, community organisations, and environmental groups are horrified by the devices put in place by the RMS to change wildlife behaviour.
Highway route in ‘worst possible spot’ for koalas: expert
Backed up by a renowned koala expert, local, national and international conservation groups are accusing the Roads, Maritime Services (RMS) agency of submitting inaccurate and misleading information in the Ballina Koala plan.
Government refuses to route Pacific Highway away from koalas
In the clearest show yet that the state government is unmoved about the plight of the north coast’s last intact koala colony, it indicated in parliament yesterday that it still intends to plough through it when it builds the new Pacific Highway south of Ballina.
Labor enlisted to help save Ballina’s koalas
NSW shadow environment minister Penny Sharpe has accepted a petition of more than 17,000 signatures aimed at highlighting the plight of one of the last intact koala colonies on the north coast.
State decisions killing north coast koalas: NCC
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW has accused state government bodies of potentially overseeing the localised extinction of koalas in two sites on the north coast.
Labor’s koala commitment questioned by Greens
Lismore Labor candidate Isaac Smith has defended his decision to vote against a motion to express concern about the Pacific Highway upgrade between Ballina and Broadwater, which critics say will decimate the northern rivers koala population.
MP’s highway death claims ‘beggar belief’
The Greens have lashed out at comments by retiring National Party Ballina MP Don Page that moving the route of the Pacific Highway away from an endangered koala colony would cost human lives.
Local News
New tourism plan for Lismore region
In a move aimed at bolstering Lismore's visitor economy, Lismore City Council has greenlit a roadmap to navigate the region towards tourism growth.
Local News
New charitable funding round opens
Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation’s first funding round for 2024 opens today, Tuesday 19 March, with more than $500,000 available for local community groups and charities with new and existing projects.
National News
Tech companies grilled on how they are tackling terror and violent extremism
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has issued legal notices to Google, Meta, Twitter/X, WhatsApp, Telegram and Reddit requiring each company to report on steps they are taking to protect Australians from terrorist and violent extremist material and activity.
Local News
Ballina burnout workshops to support local community
The Northern Rivers community will have an opportunity to learn from leading burnout experts across March and April in a series of free workshops presented by Ballina Shire Council.