An ambitious lineup of gourmet delights, inspired events, thought provoking discussions and creative collaborations will again entice food lovers to Tweed Shire this October.

This year’s festival celebrates some of the most vital and impactful storytelling in Australian literature, with a dedicated program of First Nations writers whose work spans historical fiction, picture books and Indigenous knowledge and whose voices are reshaping how this country understands itself.

The Byron Writers Festival will once again be treated to the delights of author and journalist Trent Dalton, who will be featured at the Jonson Street Stage on Saturday evening, 15 August, as well as throughout the event. Celebrating its 30th year, the Byron Writers Festival will, for the first time, be taking place around the town of Byron Bay from 14 to 16 August, with a mix of free and paid events.

On Sunday, a memorial was unveiled at the RSL Memorial Park, next to the Ballina RSL, to pay tribute to those lost on the night of May 4 on the Ballina Bar.

Film-maker advocacy group, Screenworks, has revealed the first speaker line-up for Regional to Global Screen Forum 2026, which will be held in Lennox Head on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 September.

A Ballina Greens councillor is calling on the government agencies to act immediately over claims that native clearing is occurring on a private property in Lennox Head.