Twelve Northern Rivers residents are celebrating the completion of a groundbreaking program designed to build essential skills and unlock employment pathways for women in civil construction.

With local government meeting practice across the state returning to confusion following the NSW Legislative Council's recent decision, Ballina Shire Council's last meeting included a lot of unanimous decisions and an argument about the remnants of the Big Scrub, in which Mayor Cadwallader used her casting vote to squash Cr Simon Chate's motion.

Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has approved Ballina Shire Council's application to increase its general income through a permanent special variation (SV) of 26.25% [in rates] over four years, from 2026-27 to 2029-30.

Byron Greens members could expect to be asked to take the future of the Richmond River further south into account when choosing a candidate for next year’s state election.

Local business owners in the Alstonville and Wollongbar townships are being encouraged to take the time to read through Ballina Shire Council’s draft plans, which are currently on exhibition.

The Lennox Kinvara Action Group is calling for email submissions to Ballina Shire Council to stop the development of thousands of houses in a sensitive, flood-prone area, as the full scale of what's planned becomes better known.

At its last meeting, Ballina Shire Council narrowly decided to leave the door open for future urban development on several large areas of land between Lennox Head and Tintenbar. The contentious sites are North Kinvara (CURA B), CURA C and West Lennox Palms.

Ballina Shire Council's meeting tomorrow will see not one, but two mayoral minutes from Mayor Sharon Cadwallader.

Ballina Shire Council met this week, reluctantly, for an Extraordinary Meeting to discuss the Ballina Croquet Club, which is about to lose access to its lawns at Cherry Street.

Tomorrow's meeting of Ballina Shire Council will debate issues including local strategic planning, biodiversity, CCTV, bridge duplication and single use plastic elimination.