Latest News
Mud benda rant
Regarding last week’s Splendour Festival and all the ‘haters’ out there. I took along a few seriously fun-deprived teenage...
Other News
Editorial – Bye bye, Prince St froggies
It’s worth pausing to reflect on the mass frogacide that just happened on Prince Street, Mullum, which was led by unquestioning Byron Shire councillors and Resilience NSW.
Top tips for feline friends this International Cat Day
Some silly humans think that it's money that makes the world go around – we all know it's cats!
Beekeepers can get a permit to move hives away from flood water
With so many challenges currently surrounding the bee industry, it comes as a relief to many that NSW Department of Primary Industries will issue a special group permit for beekeepers in flood warning areas to move their hives to higher ground.
Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: For Sale: Moral compass
Some weeks it’s hard to navigate the big feelings I have around injustice; the kind of injustice that occurs every day, everywhere, underwritten by the privilege of some at the expense of the many. The shit stuff people get away with! The shit stuff no one notices. Shit stuff always happens to people who don’t have much to start with. I sometimes wonder how you can hear story after story and not realise the system is broken. Capitalism sucks. Let’s go break stuff – like, the dominant paradigm! We haven’t managed to subvert it – so can we smash it into tiny pieces? Please?
Undesirable
An undeniable purpose in living is enjoyment, due to the fact that we have the capability to enjoy. What...
Bruns underground car park reconsidered
Byron Council’s decision to approve a controversial mixed-use development in Brunswick Heads that would include the town’s first underground car park could be overturned at this week’s meeting, with a group of councillors moving a rescission motion.
Stories about "penalty rates":
Ballina sushi shop owner ‘deliberately exploited’ Korean workers
The former owner-operator of Ballina's Sushi Kuni outlet has been penalised a total of $136,250 by the Fair Work Ombudsman for the ‘deliberate and calculated’ exploitation of young Korean workers and using false records to try to cover it up.
Pressure on Hogan to stand up for penalty rates
Lismore City councillor Eddie Lloyd has made an impassioned plea to Page MP Kevin Hogan (Nationals) to protect Sunday and public holiday penalty rates. And she has launched a petition so members of his electorate can voice their opposition to the government move.
More than 13,000 Richmond residents set to lose penalty rates
Federal Richmond MP Justine Elliot (Labor) said new figures show that the electorate of Richmond will be hard hit by the Fair Work Commission’s cut to penalty rates.
Penalty rates vital for healthy economy
Anthony Wilson, Currumbin Waters. Weekend penalty rates are very important to us Australians as it brings our take home pay to that being equal to an average wage.
Penalty-rate cut would slash $25m from Page economy
Retail workers in the Page electorate would be left out of pocket to the tune of up to almost $24.9 million a year if penalty rates were cut, research released today has found.
Penalty-rate changes are Workchoices by stealth: Elliot
Labor Federal Richmond MP Justine Elliot has lashed out at a government proposal to slash penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sectors, saying it will impact unfairly on workers in our region.
Weekends still sacrosanct
Ruth Dare, Bangalow. I wholeheartedly agree with the letter from Asren Pugh re penalty rates. I think, Asren, that you should publish the names of the businesses advocating the abolishment of penalty rates.
Penalty rates justified, especially for low-paid workers
Asren Pugh, Bangalow. I was very disappointed to see some local businesses in Bangalow showing signs in support of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry campaign to get rid of penalty rates over the Easter public holidays.
Letters
Autocracy or democracy for Byron Shire?
The New Yorker Magazine recently wrote a quote from Mr Rupert Murdoch ‘The truth is authoritarian governments do work!’ Hold that thought.
It has been...
Byron Echo
Criminalising protest
In another Sstate government descent into criminalising protest, to protect their own government’s sabotage of a liveable planet, last Thursday new laws were passed...
Byron Echo
Mullum pods
First, Hans Lovejoy’s article ‘emergency wedged’ was educational, factual and provided valuable information to the community. Michele Grant’s letter (27 July) was emotive overgeneralisations...
Local News
Flood residents get $650 from Lismore Council
Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg today announced that 1,558 residents will receive a grant of $650 from the Lismore Flood Appeal.