Mayor of Ballina Sharon Cadwallader has called for a fairer airport funding partnership for the Northern Rivers, contrasting the Commonwealth’s reported $5.6 billion investment in Western Sydney Airport with Ballina Shire Council funding almost three-quarters of its airport’s recent runway upgrade.

Ballina Mayor Sharon Cadwallader will contest the state seat of Ballina as an independent, arguing that local ratepayers are carrying costs that should be met by the NSW government.

With Ballina Shire Council General Manager Paul Hickey deciding to retire after almost twenty years in the role, and even longer as a staff member, the task of finding a replacement has begun. Cr Damien Loone was also returned as Deputy Mayor after Cr Simon Chate withdrew his nomination.

Water security for rural, regional, and remote communities will take centre stage at the 2026 Water Management Conference being hosted by Local Government NSW in Ballina from 2-4 September.

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.

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.

Ballina Shire Council's final meeting for 2025 covered a lot of ground.

Ballina Shire Council will be back around their big circular table tomorrow for the final meeting of 2025.

Ballina Crs Kiri Dicker and Simon Chate have defended Ballina Council's proposed rate rises, which have been championed by Mayor Sharon Cadwallader and others, in the face of recent criticism from former B Ward Cr Jeff Johnson.