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Latest News
Move Beyond Coal turning up heat on government
Move Beyond Coal says it will be staging protests at Labor MP offices around the country over the next week to 'turn up the heat' on the government to stop approving climate-wrecking coal and gas projects.
Other News
Editorial: The best democracy money can buy
Last week, The Juice Media published a YouTube video, Honest Government Ad | How to rig elections.
Byronian wanders down street
After a ten-year hiatus, iconic Byron cafe The Byronian (est. 1978) has returned with a new location, outside Woolies,...
Screening: The last two weeks at Longlee
Susie Forsters’ film about palliative care is showing again at the Mullumbimby Drill Hall on Thursday, November 30 at 7pm.
Byron Council dependent on government grants for survival, audit shows
Byron Council continues to rely heavily on State and Federal Government grants for its financial sustainability, a financial audit has shown.
Turning eight at the Nudge
Saturday is the day for you to arrive early and stay late! Cunning Stunts’ Nudge Nudge Wink Wink: The Ultimate Party with a Conscience is turning 8!
Eight performances will dazzle on this date, filled with bangers all day long for you to dance and gyrate to fromt their magical birthday line up – we can’t wait! Guest DJs: Iain Yes, James Scott, Rahel, Lady S, and Miss L, join the awesome resident DJs, Lord Sut and Dale Stephen + live performances by The Hoodlum Ballet, all curated for you to celebrate.
Truth-telling beyond the Voice referendum
In order to transcend the disappointment of the Voice referendum, many political and Aboriginal leaders are focusing on ‘truth-telling’.
Stories about "pork barrelling":
Nats candidate for Ballina responds to pork barrelling claims
The Nationals’ candidate for the seat of Ballina in this month’s state election has defended practices labelled ‘pork-barrelling’ in the lead-up to a Meet the Candidates forum in Byron.
Ballina not taken for granted as MP Tamara Smith pursues re-election
The Ballina electorate is one of the key seats to watch in this month's NSW state election, with a three way tussle between the Greens, Labor and the Nationals, and the result likely to be decided by preferences. With a background in teaching and the law, the Greens' Tamara Smith has represented the region since she was elected in 2015, riding the anti-CSG wave, and then re-elected in 2019 with a 4.7% swing.
Which NSW election candidates support pork barrel grant reform?
With Byron Shire Council heavily reliant on government grants to fill potholes, commission flood studies and even improve toilet amenities The Echo asked all Ballina NSW election candidates their position on reforming how grants are allocated.
NSW gov’t accused of ‘pork barrelling’ in Ballina electorate
As people on the Northern Rivers last week endured the anxiety of severe storm warnings and pre-dawn emergency alerts, a visit from the state’s emergency services minister was barely announced.
The legalities around pork barrelling in NSW
The misallocation of public funds to benefit partisan interest, to the detriment of making such decisions based on merit, is nothing new in the state of NSW. However, the blatant justifications of the practice by the current coalition government are something new.
And pork barrelling!
Ron Curran, Ocean Shores
Is there any minister in the Morrison cabinet who has not been implicated in some way by rorts, cover-ups, shonky deals, illegal...
Did Liberal-Nationals rort ‘bushfire’ recovery funds?
Lismore MP Janelle Saffin (Labor) has joined the call to highlight the actions of the Berejiklian-Barilaro NSW government over the latest ‘Liberal-National government grant rorts scandal’.
Electorates miss out on bushfire slush fund
NSW member for Ballina, Tamara Smith (Greens), has spoken of disgust at the latest Liberal-National government grant rorts scandal, which has directly impacted this electorate and the neighbouring Lismore electorate.
Let’s talk pork!
Put simply, pork barrelling is where certain electorates are favoured by politicans with cash (grants, infrastructure projects etc) to curry favour. It’s questionable though, how ethical the practice is, given it is essentially a bribe.
National News
Industrial relations reform bill passes parliament
New industrial relations laws have passed NSW parliament today, which the government says will create the structure needed to deliver meaningful improvements to wages and conditions for hundreds and thousands of workers in the state.
Local News
Fire ant update in the Tweed
Aslan Shand - 3
There were information sessions this morning for local businesses and industry members impacted by the detection of Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA) at South Murwillumbah, with the opportunity to find out more information about the strategy that the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) are using to contain and eradicate the fire ants.
National News
$15 million to subsidise habitat destruction?
The recently-released NSW Forestry Corporation’s annual report, which shows that taxpayers will again be asked to spend $15 million to subsidise native forest logging, has today been labelled ‘a damning indictment on our state’.
Local News
Lismore Council unveils latest upcycled Christmas tree
Lismore City Council has unveiled its iconic sustainable city Christmas tree. This is the eighth year of Lismore’s upcycled Christmas tree being proudly displayed on the corner of Keen and Magellan streets, following a one-year hiatus after the 2022 flood disaster.
