Latest News
Lismore Women’s Festival cancelled
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis that is sweeping NSW and other states in Australia the Lismore Women’s Festival has been cancelled.
Other News
1,114 cases of COVID-19 in the Northern Rivers in last 24 hours
The Northern NSW Local Health District say that to 8pm yesterday, January 17, there were confirmed 1,114 new PCR cases of COVID-19.
Man dead after Lismore stabbing
NSW Police say a man has died, and two others have been injured, following a stabbing in Lismore overnight.
Community the big winner at Rotary Duck Race
The Richmond River at Fawcett Park in Ballina was full of colour on the weekend for the 30th Rotary Duck Race. The event has raised a quarter of a million dollars for charity over its history in Ballina.
Lismore Council chooses costly by-election over ‘countback’ if a council position becomes vacant
New Councillor Big Rob took to the floor of the Lismore Council chambers during the first council meeting (Tuesday...
Bioenergy precaution
The notion of ‘Green Energy’ has recently excited business investors and no doubt the public. We need positive solutions...
Lismore Councillors sworn in and Committees decided
On Tuesday, Lismore City Council GM Michael Donnelly facilitated the swearing-in of the new Mayor and 10 Councillors in the chambers at Goonellabah.
Stories about "rail trail":
Time to ride the election cycle
Bicycle advocacy is vanishingly rare in our community. Amid all the noise about net zero, my search for bicycle advocate candidates to vote for on Saturday only turned up vague references to ‘reducing our reliance on cars’ and ‘increasing public transport connectivity’. The closest thing to policy was: ‘It’s time to create bike paths all over the Shire.’
Ballina joining rail trail network?
Balllina councillors are considering the potential of linking up with the forthcoming rail trail network with new bicycle routes, but not using the old rail route which closed in 1943.
Tender to build rail trail from M’bah to Crabbes Creek awarded
The debate over the tender for the building of the rail trail between Murwillumbh and Crabbes Creek was ultimately held behind closed doors, Mayor...
Pro rail trail association urges Council to award construction tender
Representatives from the Northern Rivers Rail Trail Association are urging Tweed Shire Council to award the construction tender for the Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek section of the corridor at this week’s Council meeting.
Business calls for Tweed train tracks to be kept ignored
More than 800 people had signed a petition calling for a new rail trail to be built next to, rather than in place of, the existing disused railway line running through the shire.
At a gathering of trainspotters
On a cold wet Wednesday evening in March, a small band of committed train activists gathered at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club. It was billed as a major event: a public meeting to launch a new company, Northern Rivers Rail Limited (NRRLtd), and to share its grand plans of bringing trains back to our tracks.
Rail group wants bikes and tracks
The Murwillumbah Group of Northern Rivers Rail Supporters are holding an event this Thursday as part of the campaign to save the railway tracks from being ripped up.
Byron’s rail reactivation saga continues
Byron Council will consider funding further investigations into getting trains back on the tracks in the Shire, despite strong criticisms of the reports on the matter that have been prepared to date.
Work together?
Lydia Kindred, Rosebank
Responding to letters written recently to The Echo, some stated that it is the preference of many in the Shire to build...
The result you want
Chris Sheridan, Ewingsdale
Before you believe the arguments for or against the rail line, it is very important that you look at the way the...
Byron Echo
Vale Byron girl, Patricia Marcia Dailhou
Patricia, better known as Pat or Patsy, was born in Byron Bay in 1933 and was the second eldest of nine, to Horace Cecil Vernon Freeman (better known as ‘Bluey’) and Dorothy Lulu Freeman (nee Daniels).
Byron Echo
Daintree buyback sees more forest retained
Aslan Shand - 0
Over the last two-and-a-half years the Mullumbimby based Rainforest 4 Foundation has had a mission to buy back parts of the Daintree Lowland Rainforest that were subdivided for sale in the 1980s.
Local News
Over 1,000 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Northern Rivers
There have been 1,099 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWHD) to 8pm 18 January. These numbers include 663...
Byron Echo
Localisation shines as supply chains weaken
Paul Bibby - 0
While Coles and Woolworths struggle with supply chain issues caused by the Omicron outbreak, local farmer’s markets and independent food retailers appear to be coming into their own.
