Finding a place to live that is affordable was on last weeks Tweed Shire Councils (TSC) agenda with Mayor Chris Cherry and Councillor Dr Nola Firth moving a Notice of Motion (NoM) to investigate an Affordable Housing Contribution Scheme for the Tweed Shire.

Tweed Shire has the very, very unfortunate statistic of having the highest increase in homelessness in New South Wales in a recent technical paper from last year when a statewide street count was done just prior to the just prior to the great flood, pointed out the Mayor. 

We were already the highest increase in homelessness. And obviously, the flood had a massive impact in our Shire as well. So we have a very, very big problem with homelessness. We have a massive problem with affordability in our Shire and we cant sit by and not do anything about it.

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Brisbane climate activists Andy and Max appeared in Brisbanes Supreme Court this morning after being remanded during Blockade Australias actions last week. 

Both have received residential bail conditions and they are expected to be released shortly. 

A Blockade Australia spokesperson said that in court, Justice Davis condemned the prosecutions submission to not engage in unlawful protest, and to not attend meetings, rallies or protests.

He commented, in response to the prosecutions claims, that He (Max) is a political activist. They are not a flight risk. They are standing and making their points.

It is difficult when you try and distinguish between what is lawful and unlawful protest. The High Court of Australia has made a ruling protecting the right to engage in protest.

The Blockade Australias spokesperson said that Justice Davis went on to allude to the mistakes of the Joh Bejolke Peterson era, in the 1980s, during which many activists were jailed for participating in protest. The Peaceful Assemblies act was passed in 1992 to protect the right to publicly assemble and protest.

Justice Davis condemned the draconian m...

National NAIDOC Week events are held across Australia in the first week of July each year from Sunday to Sunday, to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

NAIDOC Week is a special time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions Indigenous Australians make to our country and society.

The 2023 National NAIDOC Week theme is For Our Elders.

Across every generation Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families. They have paved the way for the paths we can now take, and guide us not only through generations of advocacy and activism but in everyday life and how to place ourselves in the world.

We draw strength from their knowledge and experience, in everything from land management and cultural knowledge to justice and human rights. Across multiple sectors like health, education, the arts, politics, and everything in between, they have set the many courses we follow.

It is their influence and through their learnings that we must ensure that when it comes to future decision-making for our people, there is nothing about us without us.

Activities planned for Ballina Shire:

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Are land taxes, set by the NSW government, contributing to spiralling inflation?

Thats a question that local landlord and filmmaker, David Warth, is calling on other landlords to discuss at a meeting on land tax reform.

The meeting is planned for next Monday, July 3, at 5.30pm in the ANZAC room, at the Byron Bay Ex-Services Club.

Several aspects of reform are up for consideration says David. Land tax raised locally could, in part, be allocated locally. This could take pressure off the local council rates levy. 

Land tax could be indexed to commercial interest rates with viable rental returns and CPI also being taken into account.

This would mean that its still worth investing in commercial properties and tenants would have security and the ability to run a successful business.

Some tenants are very stressed

Most commercial property agents have been contacted personally on the issue, Warth says. From discussions with these agents, there was an understanding that some tenants are very stressed, owing to the economic downturn. Fortunately, there are also some enterprises operating in the sector that have been able to maintain momentum.

David told The Echo that there is a human side to the downturn being experienced everywhere. Im thankful to have good relationships with my tenants, and I do my best to rent out my premises at rates that are sustainable. 

I have very good tenants and Im mindful of how important it is for them to succeed with their businesses, and for them to have the opportunity to really enjoy living and working in our beautiful part of the world.

This is a prosperous country and this is a very rich area. There shouldnt be this amount of stress when renting a property.

During covid, he says he adjusted the rents accordingly, and brought them back up slowly. 

It wasnt pleasant to see my tenants so distressed at the time. It was terrible, but we got through it. Now due to land tax increases, the pressure is on again.

Not tied to CPI

Rents are often indexed to CPI, but land tax is not, and is going up in leaps and bounds....

The Northern Rivers Community Gallery and Ignite Studios are inviting the community to celebrate the opening of the Commemorative Flood Recovery Community Art Exhibition, and see some amazing original work made by local creatives.

All are welcome to attend the official launch event tomorrow (Saturday 1 July) from 2-4pm at Ignite Studios, 60 Crane Street, Ballina.

As part of the ongoing flood recovery efforts across our region, the NSW Government has provided funding to Ballina Shire Council supporting Commemorative Flood Recovery projects until June 2023.

NRCG and Ignite Studios have worked with a range of artists to deliver free workshops in the community; at Wardell Public School, Empire Vale Public School, WardellCORE, Ignite Studios and at Wardell Community Village with the Cabbage Tree Island community.

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Heavy alcohol consumption by Australians was highlighted during the pandemic lockdowns, but a new report shows that drinkers of wine and RTDs (ready-to-drink) have kept the party going, leading to an overrall increase in Australians who drink alcohol compared to the pre-pandemic period. Consumption of RTDs is now at a record high.

As many Australias contemplate participating in Dry July, the reports statistics are sobering to say the least.

New data from Roy Morgans Alcohol Consumption Report shows the proportion of Australians who drink alcohol was at 67.6 per cent in the 12 months to March 2023, up by 1.3 per cent points since the pre-pandemic period in the 12 months to March 2020 (66.3 per cent).

Stuck at home for extended periods

The number of Australians drinking wine, beer and spirits reached pandemic highs during 2021 as Australians were stuck at home for extended periods during the many lockdowns that different parts of the country experienced. However, consumption of RTDs  has continued to increase and is now at a record high.

In the year to March 2023 a total of 13,709,000 Australians (67.6 per cent) aged 18+ consumed alcohol in an average four-week period compared to 13,073,000 (66.3 per cent) in the year to March 2020 an increase of well over 600,000 Australians.

The standout alcoholic beverages over the course of the pandemic have been RTDs for which consumption increased from 2,138,000 Australians (10.8 per cent) pre-pandemic up to 4,208,000 (20.8 per cent) a massive increase during the pandemic of over 2 million people.

Most popular alcohol is wine

The most popular alcohol is wine which has stretched its lead during the pandemic with the number of Australians drinking wine increasing from 8,096,000 (41.0 per cent) pre-pandemic to 8,898,000 (43.9 per cent) in the 12 months to March 2023 an increase of over 800,000 people.

The spirits category enjoyed a clear pandemic boost o...