Ballina District Hospital is set to get a new four-bay emergency short-stay unit before the end of the year, providing a modest boost to a hospital that remains limited in the range of specialist and higher-level care it can provide.

Plastic has become such a permanent fixture of modern life that avoiding it can feel a bit like trying to dodge sand at the beach.

The Great School Art Show Off! – Byron Bay Public School invites the community to celebrate creativity at a spectacular afternoon of art, music, dance and community spirit on Wednesday, 9 September from 4pm to 6pm.

A woman has been charged after the body of a man was allegedly located on a property near Ballina.

The Echo loves your letters and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, send us your epistles.

Saturday 5 September is the monthly Adoption Day at the NRAS Rescue Shelter, at 61 Piper Drive, Ballina from 10am to 1pm.