Just two weeks after NSW Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, released ‘Vibrancy Reforms’ to ‘encourage businesses to innovate and put on live performance by giving them certainty’, the Eltham Hotel had noise restrictions placed on them by Liquor and Gaming NSW.

The Northern Rivers Pickleball Club hosted the Regional Doubles Tournament in Ballina that included over 160 players competing for 132 medals in late November.

Paul Wilson is telling me about their new chilli garlic halloumi and how it’s ‘fantastic over summer served with a green paw-paw salad,’ and my imagination is fired. It’s a rare thing for this hinterland business – around for some 17 years now, Paul and Kerry at the helm – to introduce a new cheese as ‘we try to stay focused on traditionally hand-made cheeses.’ And their stable of 12 – best sellers the Nashua washed rind and Tintenbar triple cream – include both cow and goat milk cheeses.

The state’s planning department has approved Ballina’s first conservation zone, although it’s unclear how the land will stay protected given the council’s recent vote for an ‘opt-in’ policy.

Just after 7pm Thursday, 30 November 2023, emergency services responded to reports of a two-vehicle crash along the Pacific Highway, Woodburn, about 35km south of Lismore.

In 2003, when I introduced myself as an MP with my maiden speech in parliament, I articulated my centralist, small ‘l’ liberal principles. I argued that values are not something to be on display in the morning and forgotten in the afternoon.