Sometimes it is hard not to lose hope, with the depth and breadth of the challenges that have faced the Northern Rivers. From the droughts, fires, Covid, and the 2022 floods it’s sometimes hard to see a way forward.

Ballina Shire Council is encouraging motorists to drive safely over the coming days with king tides leading to minor flooding of some local roads.

A contentious $300 million proposal on State Significant Farmland (SSF) next to the Tweed Hospital has been recommended for approval by The Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP). The Cudgen Connection decision came in late yesterday, after years of deliberations, opposition and political commitments to protect the SSF. It is located at 741 Cudgen Road.

Lismore’s signature food, arts and culture festival, Norco Eat the Street, is making its highly anticipated return to the CBD on Saturday, 22 August 2026.

The Echo loves your letters and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, send us your epistles.

Across Australia, Telstra mobile and mobile data customers have been dealing with widespread outages this morning, from cities to the regions, including the Northern Rivers.