Ballina Shire Council is encouraging motorists to drive safely over the coming days with king tides leading to minor flooding of some local roads.

We know times are tough right now: the world’s gone tits up, it’s cold, and the forecast has more rain on the way. Well, to get us out of the doldrums, Brunswick Picture House has the perfect tonic to help warm your bits, and cast away the winter doldrums – the return of Bruns Does Winter Burlesque!

A contentious $300 million proposal on State Significant Farmland (SSF) next to the Tweed Hospital has been recommended for approval by The Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP). The Cudgen Connection decision came in late yesterday, after years of deliberations, opposition and political commitments to protect the SSF. It is located at 741 Cudgen Road.

New flood mapping covering much of the Byron Shire could affect future development controls, with a major new study recommending that planning decisions be based on whichever flood source – river flooding or overland flow – produces the highest flood level.

Older women are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis and financial insecurity. They are the fastest-growing group of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

Lismore City Council says Lismore households recently threw away an estimated $670,000 by placing eligible drink containers in their kerbside bins instead of claiming their refund, while almost half the contents of red-lid general waste bins could have been recycled or composted.