In a surprising move at the last Tweed Shire Council Labor councillor Reece Byrnes and conservative councillor Warren Polglase were both on the same page in relation to free parking at the contentious new Tweed Valley Hospital (TVH) near Kingscliff. 

A temporary roundabout will be installed at the intersection of Byron Street and Byron Bay Road (The Coast Road) from tomorrow, Friday, 14 July.

Councillor Eva Ramsey and local Jamie Hoile had raised the issue of a roundabout at this site with Ballina Shire Council recently and had started a petition to install a roundabout and reduce speed limits. 

A press release from Ballina Council has stated that the temporary roundabout at Byron Street and Byron Bay Road (The Coast Road) was being put in place to assist with the expected increase in traffic due to the next stage of the Lennox Village Vision project.

Whether it is getting your favourite native animal painted on your face, picking up a free bag of compost or getting that pesky weed identified this Sunday at Knox Park in Murwillumbah is the place to be.

The popular World Environment Day Festival in Murwillumbah is an exciting free community and family event for all the family being held this Sunday 16 July from 10am to 3.30pm.

The festival is hosted each year by the Caldera Environment Centre and focuses on protection of the natural environment w...

Farmers are being alerted to the risk of rock ferns in their grazing paddocks by Local Land Services (LLS) who are urging livestock owners to be on the lookout for rock fern which can cause toxicity.

Rock fern is a hardy plant that survives dry conditions and reshoots readily after rain and is most toxic when new fronds are reshooting or growing which occurs during the autumn and winter, said a spokesperson for LLS.

Containing the toxin ptaquiloside, rock fern depresses bone marrow production of platelets and white blood cells in cattle, reducing the affected animals immune system and causing bleeding.

District Veterinarian North West Local Land Services, Dr Judy Ellemsaid we have had a few cases of deaths in young cattle over the past few weeks in the Gunnedah district.

These deaths are suspected to be caused by rock fern toxicity. Unfortunately, in most cases there has been multiple deaths, said Dr Ellem.

It takes two to four weeks before the effects of the toxin are seen in the animal, with recent affected animals being found dead in their paddocks. They have had blood from the nose and, or the anus.

Landholders are asked to keep a close eye on their cattle and watch out for symptoms. Cattle that are affected by the toxin will be off colour, out on their own, and they may have a fever, or other signs of infection. They may have blood in their faeces, dark wine-coloured urine, or a nasal discharge.

Other signs can include heavy breathing, demonstrating weakness and swaying when walki...

Public submissions close Friday July 14 for vague fast tracked plans by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) to upscale the populations of both Bangalow and Saddle Road. Saddle Road is located near the Mullum/Bruns highway turn off.

From July 1, the newly formed Reconstruction Authority subsumed the NRRCs staff and responsibilities, yet the documents are still on the NRRCs website.

The plans appear to be aimed at increasing considerably the housing density for the region, with rural zonings changed to residential to accommodate the developments. 

According to The Draft Northern Rivers Resilient Lands Strategy Summary Report, land south of Bangalow could accommodate up to 500 dwellings.

The land, believed to be near Lavender Hill, is not included in the North Coast Regional Plan 2041.

Currently, Bangalows dwellings number is 1,080, according to profile.id.com.au.  Additionally, indicative land near the Bangalow Industrial Estate is identified, which could house more people in the medium term, yet no housing figures are provided. 

Dancer, performer and drag queen, Max McAuley, has spent the past 15 years finding his groove in the competitive world of live theatre, and is now kicking goals.

As a young man with Down syndrome, Max has had an even tougher journey than most performance artists. 

But the new appetite for inclusion and interest in diversity means that Max is now getting the opportunities he deserves to showcase his talents. Max has been an ensemble member and principal dancer with Sprung!! Integrated Dance Theatre for over ten years, and has recently been exploring some opportunities as an independent artist. 

Among other things, he has discovered a passion for drag and Bollywood, and has just returned from a headline performance at The Golden Pineapple Awards in Newcastle. And for the past ten months, Max has been working with the extraordinarily talented dancer, choreographer and producer, Che Pritchard, to create a one man show that showcases Maxs many talents drag, hip hop, disco and contemporary dance, to name a few. 

The show is now ready for the early production stage before touring at the end of this year. But in order to get the show on the road, Max is seeking financi...

There will be a community open day this Sunday 16 July to celebrate the reopening of the Lake Ainsworth Sport & Recreation Centre, on the shores of the lake in Lennox Head.

The family-friendly event will run from 10am-4pm, open to all, with no registration or booking required. Public entry to the centre on the day will be via the southern walking entrance (near the BBQs north of the surf club, on the lakeside walk).

Activities and entertainment on Sunday will include:

• Free sports clinics NRL, soccer, cricket, rugby, dragon boats, wheelchair sports, sailability, and more.
• Rock climbing, traditional Indigenous games and site tours.
• Live music from local artist Ben Whiting.
• Free face painting from Polly Esta from 12.30-3pm.

The states emergency services and planning ministers failed to clarify when a second tranche of Northern Rivers recovery funds will be delivered and how much when visiting on Tuesday.

Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib and Planning Minister Paul Scully opted to continue their briefly abandoned media conference in Lismore MP Janelle Saffins office when it was interrupted by rowdy protestors.

The small but noisy group of activists lived up to Lismores reputation for colourful and eccentric style, dressed in theatrical costumes and masks, carrying placards and blasting AC/DCs Highway to Hell on a boom box.

Tensions soon broke into heated spats between some activists and others attending the media conference.

How high did the flood water come in your house? one person** was heard demanding of another as politicians and reporters scurried away fr...

If you build it, they will come. Or if you apply, you may receive!

The latest round of Tweed Shire Councils Sustainable Agriculture Small Grants Program is now open with applications being accepted until 25 August 2023.

The grant program has been running since 2018, providing farmers with financial and technical support to initiate projects that improve the health of soils, waterways and biodiversity on local farms.

Grants of up to $4,000 are available for eligible activities that trial or lead to the adoption of improved farming practices.

Farm walk and talk program

To further support s...

It is time for the NSW government to listen to the northern rivers community about what they need to achieve their recovery from the 2022 floods. Reclaim Our Recovery (ROR) has invited the NSW Premier Chris Minns and the local MPs to come together with the community and listen to what the community after the last 16 months of government failure to provide the support and recovery they need. 

The NRRC have long lost their social licence to operate in our region because of their refusal  to listen to our community and for their failure to communicate basic information in a  timely manner, said ROR in their letter of invitation that also included NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO, Simon Draper, CEO Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC), David Witherdin, and Mary OKane who was the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry co-lead and is now an Advisory board member for the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

Last night Lismore Council looked at two issues involving the town of Nimbin, with both having speakers during public access. One would have been mistaken for thinking the speakers were in a court of law after the clearly hostile grilling they received from certain councillors in the chamber.

The first to speak was President of the Nimbin Chamber of Commerce, David Hyett, in regards to a Council report that was prepared to determine funding to be paid to the Aquarius Festival.

At the 11 April 2023 Council meeting it was resolved to provide the Aquarius Festival $10,000 funding. 

The issue that had arisen was in regards to a traffic guidance scheme (TGS). Some councillors felt that as the festival went ahead without a certified TGS that the funds should be withheld.

The staff recommendation was that that Council resolve to withhold $5,000 of the original $10,000 funding to the Aquarius Festival, as penalty for non-compliance of traffic guidance scheme responsibilities by the Festival organisers, and immediately forward payment of $5,000 to event organisers. 

Councillor Big Rob moved a motion that Council resolve to withhold all of the original $10,000 funding for the same reasons.

There was no seconder.

An unexpected change

Mr Hyett said that the proposal to reduce the funding after Council agreed to contribute the $10,000 was completely unexpected. I had attended a previous Traffic Advisory Committee meeting, at which they had asked me for details of the event, not a detailed traffic management plan, that came later, he said.

After the funding was approved, Council asked for a traffic management plan on every single event. At that time, we had 130 plus events in the pipeline. In reality, it was mostly small events over 10 days. There were a few larger events, such as a dinner at the town hall, plus a few events at the Nimbin Theatre. All the events chosen had appropriate approvals. So it was like nothing beyond what we would normally do in the village when we had something going on.

Festival alarm bells

Mr Hyett said that in hindsight, calling the event a festival was a mistake as the word festival set off alarm bells.

Cr Adam Guise said that the recommendation was essentially penalising the Nimbin Chamber $5,000 for not submitting a traffic guidance scheme. He asked Mr Hyett to clarify the agreement. Were you under any impression or communication from Council staff, that when you accepted the money, that you had to provide that [TGS]? Was that a condition to getting the $10,000?

Mr Hyett said that wasnt the case. No. Not at all. And we did actually submit a plan. The plan wasnt suitable and...

Have you tried to get a tradie recently?

How about booking your car in for a service, or hiring a removalist that can fit you in before Christmas?

If youve tried calling any of these local businesses recently, youve probably discovered that demand for basic services like these is majorly outstripping supply.

Welcome to the north coasts two-speed economy.

While the local retail sector struggles under the dual pressures of rising interest rates and the increased cost of living, industries involved in providing basic, grass roots services are booming.    

Many tradies have waiting periods of two months for an average-sized job, while some, such as carpenters and tilers, are almost impossible to get, unless youre willing to pay a premium.

The average wait to book your car in for a service in the Shire is two-to-four weeks, and if youre moving house within the local area youll want to plan at least eight weeks ahead.

A series of interviews conducted by The Echo with experts and those working in these industries suggest the boom and consequent shortages in these industries are the outcome of multiple factors.

They include the increase in demand for the building industry brought about by the 2022 floods, and the mass migration to the Northern Rivers during covid.

At the same time, there is a critical shortage of workers in some of these areas, particularly in the trades sector.  

Jason Bentley, from the Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce, said the region was definitely seeing different industries at different levels.

The trade sector is going gang busters. Some are struggling to keep up with demand.

But at the same time, others are having to close down their operations or move out of the area.

Jane Laverty, President of the Northern Rivers chapter of Business NSW, said businesses in the region typically fell into one of three lanes: those that were really struggling, those who were hanging in there, and those who were seeing ongoing very high demand.

Golden triangle

All of these businesses are facing what I call the golden triangle, which is housing, staffing and skills, she said.

These are the three biggest challenges that pretty much everyone is facing....