A giant petrel found near Hawks Nest, north of Newcastle, was confirmed positive on the weekend for H5 high pathogenicity (H5 bird flu) avian influenza in laboratory tests by the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

NAIDOC Week celebrations will be held from Sunday 5 July to Sunday 12 July 2026, under the national theme 50 Years of Deadly. 

This Thursday, 2 July (tonight) the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF) Women’s Giving Circle is bringing a stellar lineup of leaders to the Regent Theatre in Murwillumbah to discuss how progress happens across climate, gender equality, media, democracy, and community action – and why local action still matters.

Byron Council will investigate private sponsorship, tourism partnerships, and smaller staged projects as it seeks a new path forward for the long-delayed Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) after a major federal funding bid failed.

Parents for Climate, Future Ready Schools, and the NSW/ACT Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has welcomed a motion passed at the NSW Labor Conference on the weekend calling for a comprehensive rollout of solar generation and battery storage at every public school and early learning centre in New South Wales.