The Byron Bay Beach Hotel has again changed hands, with Johns Lyng Group CEO, Scott Didier AM, taking full ownership, having previously been a minority shareholder.
It is widely considered to be the second-highest price ever paid for a pub in Australia at reportedly $140m. In 2022, Nelson Meers AO, former Sydney lord mayor paid $160 million for The Crossroads Hotel in Casula, Sydney.
The Beach Hotel or The Beachy, as it is known, underwent significant redevelopment in the early 1990s when owned by John Cornell and his wife Delvene Delaney.
In 2007, the van Haandel family acquired it for a reported $44 million, and then ten years later in 2017, it was sold to Impact Investment Group for a reported $68.2 million. In 2019, Moelis Australia (now MA Financial Group) acquired both the freehold and the operating business, reportedly for just over $100 million.
Who’s the new owner?
According to LinkedIn, the Melbourne-based businessman has been CEO of ‘insurance commercial disaster maintenance services’ company, Johns Lyng Group, since acquisition in 2004.
Johns Lyng Group (JLG) hold significant government contracts and were tasked with building the emergency pod villages in the Northern Rivers after the 2022 floods.
They came under the spotlight ▶ Continued on page 2
It’s going to be marbellous …
Bruns faces tough winter with pay parking, campervan impacts
Hans Lovejoy
Residents and business owners in Brunswick Heads voiced concerns around the downturn in business at the Chamber of Commerce’s monthly meeting, held last Wednesday at the Bruns Picture House.
The board invited councillors to attend – David Warth, Janet Swain and Jack Dods were present.
It was a constructive and mature discussion around the serious issues facing the town, namely the negative impacts of pay parking and the large number of campervans parking in the heart of town.
The meeting heard that there are small businesses on the verge of going broke and closing.
And according to one long-term elderly local, ‘I’ve never seen this
town so unhappy’. Around 60 people were in attendance.
BVC revenue down
Chamber President Peter Wotton started by informing all present that the Brunswick Heads Visitors Centre (BVC) is a not-for-profit organisation and has not received funding by governments or Council since opening 13 years ago. It relies on
membership and events to generate sufficient income, he said, including Bruns merchandise sales, to sustain their business model.
‘Since the introduction of parking meters, our revenue has plummeted and is now not sustainable’, he said.
To keep the doors open, he asked Council’s General Manager, Mark Arnold, for a financial lifeline. ▶ Continued on page 2
Alongside the Old and Gold Festival in Bruns this Saturday June 7, the Australian Marbles Championships will be held from 10am to 2pm at the Housie Shed, opposite the pub. Former champ, Damian Farrell, is aiming to regain his title, which he says was ‘lost unceremoniously last year to
14-year-old Santiago Villanueva, from Brisbane’. The winner walks away with a marble statue and inestimable prestige. Pictured are Lucca in blue and Baxter in red, with a bunch of other hopefuls along with co-ordinator, Mary Ashton, and sore loser, Damian Farrell. Photo Jeff ‘Glass Marble Jaw’ Dawson
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Bruns biz under pressure from pay parking
▶ Continued from page 1
‘Thankfully, Council has now approved a modest lifeline of funds to help the Visitor Centre for this year’, he said.
‘It’s been a tough year. We lost the management of the Brunswick Heads Memorial Hall [to Council]. These funds were vital to our budget, worth $12,000 pa’.
He also said that there had been no Mullum to Bruns paddle this year, owing to the new Brunswick Surf Lifesaving Club premises being under construction.
Mr Wotton believed the downturn in the local economy was directly related to Council’s installation in September 2024 of pay parking meters, a sentiment that was supported by residents and business owners.
Around two weeks ago, a slim councillor majority, led by Cr Jack Dods and supported by the Greens, moved to reintroduce a $55 per year parking permit for residents from July 1. 2025. Crs Lyon, Pugh, Swain and Warth voted against.
Data disputed
Underpinning the decision was parking data provided by Council staff.
Visitor Centre Marketing and Membership Manager, Cherie Heale said that in a previous meeting with 23 chamber members and Council, the chamber members explained the downturn.
‘Council’s reply was that they have done their own inhouse research, and said the implementation of parking meters wasn’t affecting the local Bruns economy’.
‘We know that small businesses are being affected’,
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Cr Dods said that the data, which was geo-located specifically for the town and averaged out, was provided by senior staff.
‘It said on average [the economy] was two per cent up’, he said, with which the gathering clearly disagreed.
Cr Dods admitted after questioning that no local businesses were approached for the data.
The data was also based on information provided by banks. It was pointed out there is no longer a bank in Brunswick Heads.
‘Unless there are door-todoor surveys’, one business owner said, ‘this isn’t a true representation of the local economy’.
Cr Dods said that revenue was down 15 to 20 per cent across Byron Shire, with other chamber presidents reporting similar figures. ‘Part of the problem is that landlords don’t give a shit’, he said.
And while generally sympathetic, councillors present said that for anything to change, the other councillors need to be convinced.
One business owner made the remarkable claim that they parked their car in the
town for three weeks during business hours to see if they would be fined.
They were not.
‘I don’t feel confident that pay parking is being enforced’, they said.
Problem campers
The meeting also heard from residents that there are 30-40 vans parking nightly.
‘They open their vans’ backdoor to the roadway and use gas cookers’, one said.
Others spoke of vanpackers defecating in public and private areas, blocking driveways, and entering private residences, and taking residents’ water and electricity.
‘Police told us it’s a Council issue, unless it’s a disturbance’, one resident said. Another business owner said vanpackers were not being fined. ‘What are the compliance teams doing?’ they asked.
Cr Warth said he was working with Cr Lyon on a Council notice of motion (NoM) to direct more compliance to the vanpacker problem.
He is calling for Council to gain authorisations to issue fines on Crown and Transport NSW land.
Beach Hotel under new management
▶ Continued from page 1
when leading the state government’s Flood Property Assessment Program, as JLG held key roles in assessing damage and the need for repairs to homes.
LinkedIn says, ‘In late October 2017, Scott led the company to a successful listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)’.
Didier’s statement to The Echo says his local real estate portfolio includes the Byron Bay Beach Suites, 50 per cent stakes in both the Great Northern Hotel and Hotel Marvell (in partnership with Scott Emery, founder of ASX listed MoneyMe Limited), ‘as well as a range of other commercial and residential properties’.
Delighted Didier
Mr Didier said he is delighted to purchase the landmark venue.
‘The Beach Hotel is iconic – not just to Australians, but to the many international visitors who love Byron Bay’s unique atmosphere and spectacular waterfront.
My wife Yvette and the entire family look forward to growing and nurturing this magnificent asset for generations to come’. He says the pub will be independently managed by Coleman Management Group (CMG), ‘a familyowned group with 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry’.
CMG Director, Justin Coleman, says, ‘The Beachy is in solid hands with the Didier family, and our team looks forward to getting back to the fundamentals of what made The Beachy such a legendary venue’. Settlement and takeover is scheduled for 1 July 2025, says the statement.
Problem areas created by campervans include Fawcett Street, where the Bruns Memorial Park is located near the river, and the boat harbour. Photo Jeff ‘NFA’ Dawson
Scott Didier AM. Photo LinkedIn
Footy coach seriously injured from e-bike collision
Hans Lovejoy
Local Mullumbimby father, footy coach and carpenter, Tom Evans, was seriously injured recently after being hit by an e-bike in Casuarina.
His wife Fernanda told The Echo he was hit while crossing the road by a 16-year-old travelling at up to 80km/h.
She said, ‘The youth sustained a broken wrist while Tom suffered a fractured cheek bone, multiple facial lacerations requiring stitches, concussion, five broken ribs, broken teeth, arm injuries, and a highly traumatised knee injury with bone chips and extensive ligament damage’.
‘This is so devastating, not only for our family, but the wider community,’ she says.
‘Tom coaches the under 9 soccer (Mullum-Bruns Valley FC) and the under 10 rugby team (the Byron Rebels).
‘The teams will now need another coach to step in while he recovers’, she said.
With ongoing operations and a long recovery ahead, Fernanda is calling on legislators to step up and enact tougher laws around e-bikes.
‘I have contacted the
office of local Labor MP
Justine Elliot and local NSW MP Tamara Smith to let them know there needs to be stricter laws on e-bikes’.
‘I was at the same location where Tom was hit the other day, and was about to get out of the car when an e-bike sped past.
‘They are silent so you can’t hear them – they are just so dangerous’.
Spike in injuries
‘There’s been a spike in e-bike related injuries to emergency departments in hospitals in recent years’, Fernanda said, adding there are multiple cases every day at local hospitals.
SMH (Nine) reported on May 29 that, ‘Hospital emergency doctors are warning that serious e-bike injuries are on the rise as the popularity of the devices explodes, while governments around the country struggle to balance convenience with public safety’.
Laws around e-bikes
As of May 2025, the NSW government is reviewing recommendations from an upper house inquiry, which may result in reforms, such as changes to speed limits, footpath access, and broader harmonisation with national standards.
The laws around e-bike
use are set out in the Road Transport Legislation Amendment (Electric Skateboards and Bicycles) Regulation 2023
While there are no minimum age restrictions to ride an e-bike, they must not exceed 25 km/h, and not exceed more than 200 watts.
No NSW registration or licence is required for e-bikes and their riders, as long as the e-bikes are compliant (i.e. not modified and meet safety standards).
Non-compliant e-bikes are treated as motorcycles (with registration/licence required).
On June 27, 2024, Byron Shire Council adopted a motion to work closely with local police to promote safe e-biking through an education campaign and to ensure enforcement of existing regulations. Federal and state MPs were also alerted to the inadequate laws around e-bikes.
Fundraiser
A fundraiser has been set up to help Tom and his family with the months ahead. To help, visit www. gofundme.com/f/tomevans-hit-by-ebike-supportneeded.
Mullumbimby Road upgrade delayed to mid-2025
A major upgrade of the main road into and out of Mullumbimby has been delayed, say Council staff.
The $5.3 million Mullumbimby Road upgrade delay ‘will be until the middle of the year to allow staff more time to finalise plans and revise traffic management for the project’.
Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway, said, ‘The project was to start at the end of May, but pushing the pause button also means we are able to
work directly with concerned members of the community, answering specific questions about detours and other issues related to the road upgrade’.
‘We want to take some time to fully brief residents about the Mullumbimby Road upgrade project to clear up any misunderstandings’.
He said the road upgrade is a complex project on, ‘the second busiest road in the Shire, carrying around 13,000 vehicles a day’.
‘The length of
Mullumbimby Road being upgraded is narrow in some sections with a small road reserve on either side, meaning there are limited options for traffic control when roadwork is being done.
‘This means that it will not be possible for the road to be open to two-way traffic during parts of the project and with few options to get in and out of Mullumbimby this will equate to traffic delays,’ Mr Holloway said.
‘Drivers will be understandably frustrated because
we will be asking them to use Myocum Road or Coolamon Scenic Drive for several months to get in and out of Mullumbimby.
The project will be done in two main stages.
‘Stage one will run from late June to September, and will involve safety improvements from the McAuleys Lane intersection to The Saddle Road intersection, including shoulder widening of Mullumbimby Road and McAuleys Lane around the intersection’.
Tom Evans and his family. Photo supplied
‘She stood in the storm, and when
– Elizabeth Edwards
TIt’s a print pop-up!
he newly equipped print studio at Byron Community College’s Community Arts Hub was brought to life last week, with an exhibition and live demonstration that marked the launch of the space, which is now open for community hire.
The highlight of the print pop-up event was the opportunity to see the presses in action. Exhibiting artists Ingrid Zammit, Victoria Nadas and Jude White were onsite creating work throughout the afternoon, offering visitors a rare behind-the-scenes look at
printmaking in process.
Their live demonstrations showcased the versatility and creative potential of the studio’s professional equipment.
The exhibition featured a range of works exploring contemporary printmaking techniques including prints developed during a recent course with educator Rachel Dun, collage monoprints by studio technician Victoria Nadas, and large-scale silkscreens by past student Jude White. The works reflected the diverse practices now supported by the new facilities.
The studio includes equipment for screen-printing,
intaglio and relief processes, and photographic exposure, as well as supporting infrastructure such as a washout unit, filtration tank and laser printer setup. It is now available for use by local artists, educators, and community members.
Creatives welcome
The college welcomes creatives and curious visitors to explore the revitalised space, connect with exhibiting artists, and discover how the new studio can support local artistic practice.
Call 6684 3374 to get involved.
In what has become a cherished local tradition, the Byron Writers Festival is once again teaming up with First National Byron to offer the Sunday locals’ pass.
Festival organisers say the discounted tickets are offered exclusively for residents of the Northern Rivers region, and, ‘recognises and celebrates the strong local support that has helped shape the Byron Writers Festival into what it is today’.
Residents in Byron, Ballina, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, and Tweed council areas are eligible.
Special day
Chris Hanley, CEO of First National Byron and Byron Writers Festival founder, said, ‘Festival Sunday has always been special for the locals’.
‘Relaxed, chilled and filled with laughter on the last day, Sunday is the perfect opportunity to experience
the festival and get a taste of this wonderful event.
‘Byron Writers Festival has been built and sustained by a passionate local community, so First National Byron is very proud to support the Sunday locals’ tickets for residents of the Northern Rivers’, Mr Hanley added.
Sunday’s local passes will go on sale from 9am, Thursday June 5 via www. byronwritersfestival.com.
Come along and bring your pet dogs on lead for a morning of furry fun and frivolity!
When: Saturday 7 June, 8am to 1pm. Where: Bangalow Showgrounds.
• Fun live music
• Delicious food and drinks
• Paws & Claws Market Stalls
• Face painting
• Dog shows and trainer talks in the new Doggy Arena - prizes for best tricks!
• Free photo booth to get some snaps of you and your pets
• Vet advice.
• Freebies, treats and lots more!
Join our free Doggy Arena Shows
• 8.30am to 9.30am: Fun Dog Show – Watch and cheer as dogs show off their skills at the Dogly School for Dogs!
• 9.30am to 10.00am: Obedience, Searching & Protection Sports Demo – See Summerland Dog Training in action!
• 10.00am to 11.00am: Fun-gility by Kindred Paws - Ready to test your dog’s agility? Join the fun and learn new skills with our expert trainers!
• 11.00am - 11.45am: Scent Games with Happy Dogs. Test your dog’s sniffing skills and participate in exciting scent challenges!
www.byron.nsw.gov.au/ Furry-Friends
PHOTO BOOTH
Ingrid Zammit and Virginia Reid check the new print press at their Byron Community College’s Community Arts Hub. Photo Jeff ‘Pops’ Dawson
Jake A. Minton (illustrator) Melia Naughton (The Gumboots and Shire Choir) and Chris Hanley, CEO of First National Byron and Byron Writers Festival founder. Photo Eve Jeffery
Radical rethink of Habitat’s stage-5 plans
Paul Bibby
Nearly 80 permanent residential units would be built within Byron’s Habitat precinct under radically revised plans for the fifth and final stage of the development.
A new development application (DA) for the concluding stage of the precinct was lodged with Byron Shire Council last week, setting out plans for a $57.1 million mixed use development.
It represents a significant departure from the previous DA for this part of the precinct which was approved in 2020.
That plan had envisaged a mixed-use commercial, retail and tourist accommodation development, featuring 94 short-stay hotel units, a large wellness centre and a restaurant.
78 apartments
While the new DA still contains retail and commercial components, the planned hotel units are to be replaced by 78 shop-top permanent housing apartments.
Nearly all of these new units will be so-called ‘livework’ apartments featuring a single bedroom plus a home office, with the remaining handful being two-bedroom units.
Documents accompanying the new DA state that Habitat’s owners changed their plans for the firth stage because of ‘lessons learnt’ from earlier stages of the development, and ‘suggestions received from various people in the community’.
It was also reportedly
Habitat’s owners changed because of ‘lessons learnt’ from earlier stages of the development
a response to changes in government policies, and the ‘urgent need to deliver an increased supply of smallersized housing options for Byron Bay and the broader Shire’.
‘Habitat Stage 5 offers 78 apartments designed to accommodate a diverse range of residents, lifestyles, and budgets,’ planning consultants hired by the developer say in the Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) lodged as part of the DA.
‘The mix of unit types ensures flexibility, accessibility, and variation in size, aspect, and price point.’
The apartments will be designed to ‘support remote work and small-scale enterprise’ which are said to be ‘critical elements of Byron’s shifting employment base’.
150 parking spaces
The new apartments would be located above a ground floor featuring
planning rules by 2.2 per cent, though this is said to be almost identical to the FSR approved in relation to the previous DA.
The development will include around 150 parking spaces and is estimated to generate around 530 additional traffic movements per day.
around 150 parking spaces accessed from Gallagher Street, 849-square metres of commercial premises, a pocket park at the eastern end of Penny Lane, and a swimming pool.
‘The commercial premises are deliberately designed to foster opportunities in the internet economy,’ the SEE says.
‘The units are intended to be for businesses that largely market on the internet but also need showroom-style street exposure.’
While the fifth stage of Habitat will reportedly have the same high level of sustainability featured as earlier phases of the precinct, the developers are nevertheless proposing to exceed both the height and floor space ratio limits for this part of the Shire.
The proposal exceeds the 9m height control specified in local planning rules, but that exceedance is generally consistent with that approved for the previous DA according to the developer.
The proposed floor space ratio (FSR) of 0.92:1 exceeds
The MDNC at your service
The Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood Centre Inc (MDNC), located at 55 Dalley Street, has a multitude of services to meet community needs.
MDNC manager, Julie Williams, says food security coupled with food waste reduction is very much a part of the service.
‘All aspects are interwoven with recovered food going into ‘More Than a Meal’ and frozen meals, food parcels, dehydrating, and composting.’ Other services the centre provides include: the Recovery Support Service – supporting community
recovering from 2022 and Cyclone Alfred; the Listening Space, a counselling service; and Mullum Together – a community listening project that listens to voices in community that are not often heard.
Ms Williams says the hub is about to open longer hours as per pre-Covid, and the community piano is also waiting to be played. ‘People come in now and play the most beautiful music. It brings us all joy.’
JP services
There are specialist domestic and family violence programs which cover Ballina to Tweed, and there are many other social inclusion activities.
‘We also have JP services which are really important,’ she says.
‘JPs are available five days per week. Our JP volunteers contribute their time to community, often when some of the work takes a lot of time and is critical to everyone.
‘It’s a community contribution that is often not acknowledged’.
‘Two thirds of what we do is unfunded’, Ms Williams says. ‘It is challenging, and creates a lot of anxiety when we don’t have the funding to simply open the doors’.
‘But doing nothing is not an option. That’s the place we want to build, the place where we can make a real difference,’ Ms Williams added.
But it was determined by traffic consultants hired by the developer that this would make a ‘minimal contribution to traffic volumes’ on Ewingsdale Road.
Construction would be carried out during standard daytime construction hours, namely, Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm; Saturday 8am to 1pm and with no work taking place on Sundays or public holidays.
It is anticipated that construction will take around 12–18 months, with the most acute impact felt by the commercial terraces and Easy Street living apartments.
NRPP decision
Given the large size and cost of the proposed fifth stage, the consent authority for the development will be the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) rather than Byron Council.
However, the NRPP’s decision will be informed by an assessment prepared by Council.
For more information on the DA go to Byron Council’s DA tracker and search for DA 156 under the year 2025.
The proposal is also expected to go on public exhibition in the coming weeks.
Byron’s Habitat precinct proposal. Image Mana Architects
Eve Jeffery
Funds raised for Cancer Council
Aslan Shand
The Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce (MCC) and the Mullumbimby Country Women’s Association (CWA) came together recently to raise money for the Cancer Council with a Biggest Morning Tea, hosted by Ellen Briggs.
Everyone enjoyed a delicious breakfast thanks to Baker and Daughters, while having fun with a range of games, including celebrity
heads which kept everyone amused while raising money for the Cancer Council.
‘The CWA also had a cake stall which raised money, and the Mullumbimby ExServices Club donated the space.
‘We were able to raise over $1,000,’ said MCC member and event organiser, Jenelle Stanford.
Dignity bags
The Chamber also collected donations for dignity
bags for women at the Biggest Morning Tea event, as they did at the previous International Women’s Day breakfast, run by the Chamber in March.
‘We have now donated those bags to the Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood Centre,’ said Ms Stanford.
The dignity bags provide homeless women with a range of necessities from shampoo and conditioner to menstrual products.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lecture July 14
ArtsNational Northern Rivers will present a lecture entitled ‘Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: A Volatile Relationship’ on Monday, July 14 at the Bangalow A&I Hall from 6pm.
The media release reads,
‘International presenter, Maria Chester, will share the story of this vibrant duo, who were eccentric artists and political activists’.
‘Discover how their love, health, passion and art is linked. Enjoy the opportunity
to engage with like-minded lovers of art and a chance to win a fabulous book prize in our monthly raffle. Guests are welcome.
‘Non-member fee is $25. Book via TryBooking or pay at the door’, organisers added.
North Byron Hotel improvements on exhibition
A new outside beer garden bar, and associated landscaping improvements are proposed for the North Byron Hotel, located at 61 Bayshore Drive.
Ten new car spaces are also proposed, according to Development Application (DA) 10.2025.108.1. Additionally a new kids’ play area and garden seating
are proposed, at a total cost of $561,000.
No improvements are proposed inside the pub. The DA is available on Council’s website.
Bangalow pooches on show this Sat
The Furry Friends Festival is on again at the Bangalow Showgrounds on Saturday, June 7, from 8am til 1pm –and organisers say it’s a dog ‘on lead’ event with lots of fun, talks, demos, food and entertainment for all.
The free community event is proudly hosted by Byron Shire Council, and aims to celebrate our furry friends, while providing some practical advice and assistance (to their humans) with pet ownership.
Council’s Manager Public and Environmental Services, Sarah Nagel says, ‘This year we’re hosting a new doggy arena and centre stage with a great line up of engaging dog talks, training demos and games’.
‘We have the Paws and Claws Market, featuring 40 pet-related stalls, live music and entertainment, delicious food stalls, free face-painting for the kids and a photo booth to grab a snap of you and your pooch to enter a
prize draw,’ Ms Nagel said.
‘Having all our pets on leads will help everyone enjoy a safe space and the morning’s activities.
Doggie rules
‘We’ll also be promoting Council’s Dogs in Public Places Strategy, reminding people how to find information on dog areas and why it’s important to stick to the rules to avoid fines, but most importantly, to protect our beautiful environment and
wildlife,’ Ms Nagel said. The event schedule includes a fun dog show from 8.30am to 9.30am, and an obedience, searching and protection sports demo from 9.30am to 10am. Test your dog’s agility by joining expert trainers from 10am to 11am, while from 11am till 11.45am, test your dog’s sniffing skills and participate in exciting scent challenges.
To find out more visit www.byron.nsw.gov.au/ Furry-Friends.
Community Centre announces interim leadership
The Byron Community Centre (BCC) has announced an interim leadership structure, following the planned departure of long-term General Manager, Louise O’Connell, on July 31, who has served in the role for six years.
In a statement, BCC says current Operations Manager, Michelle Heuer, will step into the role of acting general manager in August.
BCC say, ‘A permanent general manager will be appointed within six months, ensuring continued strong leadership and a clear focus on delivering positive outcomes for the Byron Shire community’.
‘In addition, the Byron Community Centre is recruiting a new relationships manager, a key position
focused on fundraising, donor engagement and strategic partnerships.
‘The new role reflects the organisation’s longterm vision to strengthen sustainability and deepen community connections’.
Louise O’Connell, outgoing
General Manager, said, ‘It has been an incredible honour to serve the Byron community alongside such a passionate and committed team.
‘I’m proud of what we’ve built together, especially during times of crisis and change’, she added.
Shady and Max. Photo Jeff Dawson
Jenelle Stanford from the Mullum Chamber. Photo Jeff ‘No Ddddd Diggity’ Dawson
Louise O’Connell (outgoing General Manager) and Michelle Heuer (acting General Manager). Photo supplied
Paul Bibby
The creation of a statue honouring local surfing legend Pauline Menczer is nearly complete, but a final injection of funds is needed to get the project over the line.
For four years, the surfing community has been working to get a bronze sculpture of Pauline installed at Bondi Beach in recognition of her 1993 world championship win and enormous contribution to the sport.
Nationally recognised sculptor Cathy Weiszmann has been working on the life-sized tribute, but more financial support is needed to finish the job.
June 22 event
In a bid to get the project over the line, the Pauline in Bronze committee is holding a mega raffle on June 22 at the Seas the Day women’s surf festival in Kingscliff.
‘We want to celebrate female achievement and prove to the next generation that anything is possible,’ a campaign spokesperson said.
‘Believe it or not, there are actually more statues of pigs and other animals in
this country than women… We want to change that.’
The prizes for the raffle include an awesome threenight getaway at Pauline’s funky surf studio in Brunswick Heads, a Patagonia Yulex wetsuit, a signed surfboard, gift vouchers, surfing lessons, and passes to the Byron Writers Festival. Tickets are available to purchase now, and can be found a www.raffletix.com.au/ northernrivers2025.
Entrants are encouraged
to go to the women’s surf festival but attendance is not required to claim a prize.
Pauline won her world title in 1993 despite suffering from severe arthritis.
She did not receive any prize money or sponsorship – an injustice that was eventually acknowledged decades later. Since retiring from the professional tour, the Brunswick Heads resident has made, and continues to make, a major contribution to surfing, particularly women’s surfing.
Equality advocate
She has been involved with the All Girls Surfriders for many years, and featured prominently in the 2021 documentary Girls Can’t Surf
She has also been a prominent advocate for equality within the sport at all levels, including equal prize money.
Bruns Hotel looks to improve its outdoor spaces
The Brunswick Hotel is seeking Council approval to improve the pub’s outdoor awning structures, along with other upgrades
According to Development Application (DA) 10.2025.158.1, the proposal seeks to add a new male toilet, and create a new bar in the existing pavilion, along with ‘a minor extension to outdoor gaming’.
The MDNC offers so much to the Byron Shire community. So much it is beyond this advertising space! Specialist domestic and family violence programs, disaster recovery program, information and referral, infrastructure for other services and a big heart.
BUT so much of our work is not funded, like just opening the doors!
• More Than a Meal: a meal for the community to eat, connect, meet new people. Serving up over 62,000 meals to the community since 2016.
• Gulganii Community Pantry: the cost of living is real and Gulganii provides are stretched 5,523 people helped. There is also access to free items from Food Recovery.
• Food Recovery: harvesting excess food from local supermarkets, cafes and restaurants.
• Frozen Meal Program: sometimes people just need a meal not a parcel. not able to cook, people who are homeless, some of our older community members,
The DA is on public exhibition at Council’s website.
or those who are going through health challenges and cooking is just too hard. 4,200 helped.
• Listening Space: free counselling.
• Community Support / Emergency relief: material aid, advocacy, referral, impacting on day-to-day living. People supported 3,706 times.
• Christmas hampers. 300-400 each year.
• Volunteer Program. 40+ at any one time
• Supporting people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness.
• Supporting community groups to secure small grants.
• Showers. 2,000+ used.
• Tea, coffee, hugs.
These services are not funded by the Government. if paid before 30th June.
Surfing legend Pauline Menczer. Photo supplied
More luxury units for Byron CBD
Paul Bibby
Aprime beachfront location in Byron Bay would become home to a $9 million luxury unit development under plans currently on public exhibition with Byron Shire Council.
If approved, the development application (DA) for 42 and 44 Lawson Street would see the demolition of three existing homes stretching over two blocks, and the construction of a five-unit residential flat building.
Five plunge pools
The large, three-storey structure would have basement parking for 12 cars, rooftop terraces and five plunge pools.
Significant landscaping works are also included in the proposal, with three native trees to be cut down, though the application has promised to undertake ‘extensive planting of native coastal plants, palms and canopy trees’ as part of the project.
The proposed basement would also require ‘substantial earthworks’, including the excavation of 5,000 cubic metres of soil to a depth of 4.5 metres.
The application states that this extensive excavation is necessary to ensure that the building does not exceed the nine-metre height limit for this part of town.
The unit located on the ground floor will be located over a metre below street level.
Nevertheless, the proposal does include exceedances of the front building line setback, with one of the private swimming pools to be located entirely within the setback area.
However, the planning consultants hired by the developer – Newton, Denny, Chapelle – argue this is a minor exceedance and have sought permission for a variation to the rules.
The consultants concluded
that, aside from this small variation, the project complied with all relevant local planning rules and legislation.
‘In consideration of the issues and information provided, approval of the DA is warranted in the manner prepared, subject to the application of reasonable and relevant conditions,’ they said.
‘The project provides for five new high quality residential units on the beach front in Byron Bay… [and] has been designed to be compatible with the existing and desired future amenity of the locality’.
The owners of the properties are listed as PA McCann and One Cremorne Pty Ltd, with the developer listed as the Martino Group.
DV reform funding unclear, says peak body
Reforms around domestic violence (DV), announced by the NSW government on Monday have been described as mostly existing funds, and not a ‘new investment’ by peak body for specialist domestic and family violence services in NSW (DVNSW).
They said in a statement, ‘Right now, victim-survivors in NSW are waiting up to two months for support. Today’s announcement does not change that. Of the $272.7 million listed for domestic,
family, and sexual violence services, we believe much of this represents the continuation of existing state and federal funding – not new investment. We await clarity from the NSW government’.
‘While today’s announcement includes some welcome justice reforms, we are deeply concerned about the future of domestic violence services in NSW.
‘For over five years, we have consistently called for a 50 per cent increase to baseline funding to enable
frontline services to meet demand, retain staff, and deliver safety and healing to those in crisis. Yet this announcement once again overlooks that urgent need.
‘Yes, we welcome the fulfilment of longer-term reforms such as five-year contracts, workforce development strategy implementation, and new data strategies. These are important building blocks. But they don’t address the reality that existing services are stretched to breaking point’, DVNSW said.
Mandy thanks her vollies
Unsuccessful federal election Greens candidate, Mandy Nolan, gathered with more than 150 of her volunteers for tea and cake at the Garage Art Space in Mullumbimby last Sunday to celebrate their hard work. But she says it’s not over – the pressure is on the Labor government to do better with fossil fuel projects, given Minister for the Environment, Murray Watt, just gave the WA Woodside project the green light until 2070. Pictured with Mandy are Karen Gross, Akmal and Julie Ryan, who are with chief supporter, and husband, John, at the back. Photo Jeff ‘Drawn On Party Lines’ Dawson
Byron Shire Council is one of seven Northern Rivers member councils sharing new funding for an innovative project to shift local businesses away from reliance on single use items.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority has provided $254,550 for ‘Transitioning Regional NSW To Reusables One Plate At A Time’.
NE Waste is also a beneficiary, and their research shows that consumers and businesses are confused about recycling when it comes to things like certified ‘compostable’ items.
Linda Tohver, the education coordinator at NE Waste, says, ‘certified “compostable” single-use containers, including burger boxes, bamboo plates and coffee cups, aren’t accepted at our commercial compost facilities owing to chemical coatings’.
‘And once they’ve had food in them, they also can’t be recycled’, she said.
‘The good news is that more than 50 per cent of event
waste can be diverted from landfill with the introduction of reusable plates, bowls and drink containers. The CO2 savings from reusables far outweigh the convenience of single-use as well. No, that “compostable” coffee cup can’t compost in landfill!
‘Through this funding, we will have the opportunity to collaborate with business, community and schools, trial and showcase successful reusable systems, improve infrastructure, share learnings across regional NSW and build on work currently being done in Byron Shire Council,’ Ms Tohver said.
She told The Echo that apart from the Plastic Free July campaign, ‘Byron Shire Council also have a Local Government Waste Solutions Fund (LGWSF) grant to support the implementation of their single use packaging policy at Council facilities and events being held on Council land’.
‘It’s a first of its kind in Australia, and aims to
address single-use as a whole, not just plastics.
‘This includes the work currently being done at Byron and Mullum farmers’ markets in terms of switching from single-use to reusables, audits and trials at Byron Writers Fest and Sample Festival last year, as well as other events across the Shire’.
Move to Reuse
Sarah Child, resource recovery strategy and engagement officer said Council’s ‘Move to Reuse’ campaign has been successfully trialled over the last 12 months at several markets and events in the Shire.
‘Over 160,925 single-use items have been avoided already through Councilsupported initiatives’, she said.
‘The reality is single-use items use land and resources from all over the world to create something we carry for ten minutes and then we throw it away and bury it in the ground’, added Ms Child.
A three-storey luxury unit proposal for 42 and 44 Lawson Street, opposite Dening Park. Image Bureau Proberts Architects
North Coast News
One in five NSW young people vaping
The number of people in NSW who smoke cigarettes has fallen to its lowest level on record while vaping rates are said to be stabilising.
Kyogle Council
launches new free community map
Kyogle Council has launched a new community map which provides a host of information ranging from identified heritage sites to planning information about individual properties.
Five charged during Lismore’s Operation Rapina
Five people will face court as an additional 27 people were issued criminal infringement notices during Operation Rapina targeting anti-social and criminal behaviour across the Richmond area.
NSW GPs to be offered extra ADHD training
People seeking diagnosis of and treatment for attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder will soon be able to access support from their general practioners (GPs) in NSW, the state government says.
Leadbeater’s Possum discovered in NSW
The NSW Government say its threatened species team has discovered a variety of possum thought to be extinct in the state.
Half a billion extra to address DV
The NSW Government says it will invest an extra half a billion dollars in a justice system package to support victim-survivors.
Forest protectors face court
Supporters of forest protection activists Sharron Hodge and Juliet Lamont will gathered outside the Coffs Harbour Court House last week.
‘Birth Stories on Stage’ is women sharing their experiences of birth
The M-Arts Precinct in Murwillumbah will be the venue for a powerful and heart-opening evening of true stories told live on stage. ‘Birth Stories on Stage’ features 13 local women sharing their personal experiences of giving birth — raw, real, and unforgettable.
News from across the North Coast online www.echo.net.au www.echo.net.au
The Ballina Environment Society (BES) is urging local community groups, environmental organisations, and businesses to endorse an open letter calling on Ballina Shire Council (BSC) to eliminate single-use items from its operations, events, and facilities as a call to action for Plastic Free July.
The letter highlights the extensive environmental, economic, and health consequences of single-use plastics, which persist in local waterways and ecosystems and contribute to global pollution and climate change.
‘Plastic pollution is not just a litter problem – it’s a public health issue, a threat to biodiversity, and a financial burden on local councils,’ said BES spokesperson Claudia Caliari.
‘Ballina has an opportunity to lead by example and protect the Richmond River catchment while reducing long-term waste management costs.’
Scientific evidence underscores the profound impact of single-use plastics. Issues include: chemical leaching,
plastic proliferation, and marine pollution.
The BES says that despite widespread awareness of plastic pollution, global production of plastics, especially single-use items, continues to surge.
The OECD reports that global plastic production has more than doubled since 2000, with nearly half of all plastic waste coming from packaging.
This growth is driven by fossil fuel-based industries, with major petrochemical companies heavily investing in new plastic manufacturing facilities, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, regulatory frameworks remain weak or fragmented across many jurisdictions.
Local solutions
The Ballina RSL has taken steps to remove single-use coffee cups and is implementing a reusable cup swap system. This initiative demonstrates that sustainable change is possible and practical at the local level.
‘The RSL’s leadership is proof that small, local actions can ripple outward,’ said Claudia.
‘We’re encouraging all community stakeholders to add their voice to this growing movement for systemic change.’
Data from Byron Shire Council shows that banning single-use items has helped avoid over 165,000 disposable products and saved over one tonne of waste and 4,300 kg of CO2 emissions annually.
The BES believes similar results could be achieved in Ballina with surveys showing strong local backing for change.
The BES invites local community organisations, sports clubs, businesses, and residents to join the call to action and encourage Ballina Shire Council to go plasticfree in July.
‘Together, we can transition away from throwaway culture and toward a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable future,’ said Claudia.
Read full story in The Echo Online: www.echo.net.au.
Lismore Council to debate
Mia Armitage
The future of bought-back houses on Lismore’s floodplain is to again be discussed at the most recent Lismore City Council meeting.
Greens Councillor Virginia Waters gave notice of intention for a two-part motion concerning ‘relocatable homes at risk on the floodplain’.
‘Leaving them in situ creates a risk of damage or loss in the event of future flooding,’ Cr Waters writes on
notes for her motion.
Cr Waters says temporary warehousing on land in East Lismore owned by the Southern Cross University would be ‘a practical and immediate solution’ to protect the buildings while other lands are developed.
Warehouse houses
Her motion calls for the Council to write to the NSW Reconstruction Authority, CEO Mal Lanyon and Minister for Recovery and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin
‘to explore the opportunity to use land earmarked for the Resilient Lands Program for warehousing relocatable homes as a temporary storage solution until homes can be relocated to a final location’.
The motion also calls for Council to request feedback on outcomes of discussions and ‘any identified pathways to progressing the temporary use of land for this purpose’.
Council staff haven’t commented on the notice of motion.
High School Counsellor Commencing June 10, 2025
Monday to Friday 8.30am–3.30pm (Term time only)
Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School is a vibrant and progressive K-12 school, 370 Students, dedicated to the educational principles inspired by Rudolf Steiner.
The High School Counsellor works to holistically support the social and emotional development and wellbeing of young people, and adults, within our School Community. In your role, you will provide individual counselling services to the students and establish a care team as required. Applications
Once again the community will be coming together in a joyous celebration of World Environment Day at Knox Park in Murwillumbah this Sunday, 8 June.
This exciting, fun, annual, free community event kicks off at 10am bringing together environmental education, live music, and collective action.
Hosted by Caldera Environment Centre and Tweed Landcare, this year’s free festival shines a spotlight on the region’s unique biodiversity while promoting practical solutions to climate and conservation challenges facing the Northern Rivers.
The festival program features ocean-inspired music from Birren Slabb, heart-warming sounds by The Seeding Band, and performances by the innovative Hoopla Circus. Rainbow Power Company will present on inspiring people-led clean energy futures.
‘Raising global awareness of environmental issues of our time is important to educating the public and promoting collective action towards a larger global movement for change,’ said Isabelle Oude-Egberink, Community Officer with
Tweed Landcare.
‘We are a part of nature, and nature is a part of us. This festival brings people together on World Environment Day to spark the conversations and connections vital for real change in our region.’
World Environment Day is celebrated internationally on 5 June each year as the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for environmental protection.
The Murwillumbah festival extends this celebration locally, highlighting the Northern Rivers’ extraordinary biodiversity and the community’s commitment to its protection.
The event emphasises practical solutions, community collaboration, and the vital role of local action in addressing global environmental challenges. From soil health to songbirds, renewable energy to wildlife conservation, the festival demonstrates how individual and collective efforts can create meaningful environmental impact.
See program at: calderaenvironmentcentre.org/ world-environment-day-2025.
Circular textile waste the future for Ballina Shire
Ballina Shire Council (BSC) has been awarded $34,200 by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to facilitate a project that will help divert textile waste from landfill.
The Creating a Circular Clothing Community project will help deliver innovative local waste and recycling solutions, supporting the state’s transition to a circular economy.
‘It’s fantastic to see BSC awarded funding for their Creating a Circular Clothing Community project which will help minimise waste, keep valuable resources out of landfill and drive NSW towards a circular economy,’ said Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith.
‘We know clothing waste is a major pollutant. I will be excited to follow along as this program gets underway.’
‘I look forward to seeing the exciting opportunities this opens for Ballina communities,’ said Ms Smith.
‘Moving to a circular economy not only protects our environment into the future but also strengthens communities and local economies.’
Next round
Round four of the LGWS fund is planned to open in September 2025. Individual councils, a group of councils, or regional waste groups in the waste-levy-paying area are eligible to apply. Individual councils can apply for up to $200,000 in funding, and groups of two or more councils can apply for up to $400,000 in funding.
For more information on how to apply for round 4 visit: https://www.epa. nsw.gov.au/workingtogether/grants/councils/ local-government-wastesolutions-fund.
This is one of 13 successful projects awarded under round three of the Local Government Waste Solutions (LGWS) Fund program, led by councils and regional waste groups, to share in EPA’s $2.9 million future funding program.
North Coast News
The Love Lennox Festival returns on Saturday, June 14, transforming the heart of the town into a buzzing celebration of everything we love about Lennox Head.
This year’s program is expected to draw more than 10,000 locals and visitors. There will be a huge array of market stalls, live music acts including The Mumblers, Colliflowers, The Gumboots, Serendipiti, JB’s Blues Breakers, and Lily Grace Grant – there will also be the Flavours of Lennox tasting competition, and a variety of kids’ activities and entertainment across the day.
Family and
The popular Dogly Fun Show will also return, bringing smiles to animal lovers, young and old, and new to the program is an
Police are appealing for assistance to locate a woman missing from Banora Point.
Carly Bohringer, aged 39, was last seen on Vintage Lakes Drive, Banora Point, about 3.15pm on Saturday, 31 May, 2025.
When she could not be located or contacted the Tweed–Byron Police commenced inquiries.
There are concerns for Carly’s welfare as she lives with a medical condition that requires medication.
Carly is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 170cm tall, of medium build, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing black shorts, a pink long-sleeved shirt, black thongs and carrying a black
early morning surf session, starting on the grass in front of the Lennox pub in partnership with Surf Getaways and Lets Go Surfing. The free pre- registered event includes surf lessons and a guided paddle out – the perfect start to the day.
Celebrating Lennox
Vice President of Business Lennox Head and Co-Director of the festival, Alexander Sharkey, says the Love Lennox Festival is a celebration of everything that makes our town special. ‘We’re proud to deliver a day that connects the community, supports local businesses and invites visitors to experience the best of Lennox.’
The festival is made possible thanks to the generous support of local sponsors, including Club Lennox Sports, Ballina Shire
handbag. Carly is known to frequent the Tweed Heads area.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https:// nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
Council, and joining this year is international sponsor Airbnb.
Country Manager of Airbnb Australia and New Zealand, Susan Wheeldon, says Airbnb hosts are locals who want to help people explore and enjoy the best their community has to offer. ‘We hope our support will help more people celebrate and enjoy what makes this festival such a special event.’
Entry is free, and festivalgoers are encouraged to walk or ride their bikes to the event. Ballina Street will be closed from 8am to 5pm on the day.
The full festival program can be found online and at key locations throughout Lennox in the lead-up to the event.
For more info, visit www.lovelennox.com.au.
Life Changing Financial Advice
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The Gumboots will be one of the live music artists at the Love Lennox Festival in July. Photo supplied
The Byron Shire Echo
What would you do with $32?
If you are on the minimum wage, then get ready to celebrate with the extra $32 per week the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has just awarded you.
It’s hard to argue that the new minimum hourly rate of $24.95 will make a meaningful difference, but the Fair Work Commission gave it a crack.
The 3.5 per cent above-inflation increase to the minimum wage was necessary, they said, to avoid ‘entrenched’ lower living standards among the millions of Australia’s lowest-paid workers.
It could be argued quite easily that lower living standards have been entrenched since the term ‘living standards’ was invented.
What about Byron?
Byron Shire’s average income is already below that of both regional NSW and the state overall, and the local economy is concentrated in lower-paid industries.
Approximately 28.3 per cent of people in Byron Shire earned a low income in 2021, according to www. profile.id.com.au. Low incomes are defined as less than $500 per week.
Perhaps Byron still has appeal with all its surf and mull and sex and fun?
Regardless, imagine, like John Lennon did before being shot, that society didn’t allow poverty to exist. And by poverty let’s include the working poor.
There have been small little glimpses into that utopia.
When Covid was in full flight, the government paid everyone a living wage. That was everyone except artists, musicians and academics, a decision that was very on-brand from mean Coalition governments.
Universal Basic Income? It’s the best thing that could ever happen.
And during Covid, cities like New York and states like California relocated tens of thousands of homeless individuals from shelters into hotels. There are ample studies to support that this approach leads to improvements in physical health, sleep, hygiene, privacy, safety, nutrition, and overall wellbeing.
Business Insider reported that a 2017 study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness found the taxpayer cost of supporting homelessness (for public services from shelters to hospitals) can range anywhere from $35,000 to $96,000 a year, per person. If those people are housed, that cost drops to between $18,000 and $34,000.
Money can make you happy. It’s easier to cry into the steering wheel of a Mercedes Benz than be miserable sitting on a bicycle.
The happiness difference between a low income earner and a middle-low income earner is considerable, just as it is between an average earner and someone with a high net worth.
But if you are wealthy with millions, then having billions does not necessarily make you any happier.
It’s a finding by philosopher Peter Singer, who has extensively explored the relationship between wealth, happiness, and moral responsibility, particularly through the lens of utilitarian ethics and effective altruism. His work suggests that true happiness is less about accumulating wealth, and more about using resources to do good.
The wealthiest Australian (by far) is miner Gina Rinehart, who is worth $29 billion.
Tax the uber wealthy! The working poor will become happier and Gina’s happiness will remain the same.
Hans Lovejoy, editor
Council left to deal with police matters
In April, six brave, passionate, committed souls climbed onto the roof of a several-storey building housing Forestry Corporation in Coffs Harbour.
They unfurled a banner calling for an end to native forest logging. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
In May, three fervent activists were arrested on the roof of the electoral office of MP Justine Elliot after rolling down a banner stating ‘Free Palestine – no trade with genocide’.
And who could argue with that?
The offence charged in each case was the criminal version of trespass. In NSW it is a relic dating back to 1901 called, with ancient grammatical flourish, the Inclosed Lands Protection Act
When arrested, all five demonstrators were taken to the police station – searched, finger-printed, photographed and locked up for hours. Release was conditional on signing bail conditions restricting conduct, area, behaviour, and requiring the defendants to attend court on a certain date.
Pretty ho-hum so far.
But here is the exciting bit, if you’re an activist lawyer – the offence does not carry a prison term. It carries a $550 maximum fine.
Yet the police have the power to arrest, detain and bail even though the ultimate penalty that can be imposed by the court is a fine.
Go figure.
The take-home is that the police have the power to arrest for any crime, and the criteria for that decision include whether the offence is continuing, and if it is necessary to stop ongoing or repeated conduct.
And so to the Brunswick Heads van fiasco. Please bear with me, because I don’t want anyone to think for a moment that I am comparing opportunistic travellers to the courageous selfless friends who put their liberty on the line in furtherance of the wonderful tradition of peaceful nonviolent protest.
I see Council struggling to deal with what is ultimately a police matter, and I view all the gnashing
of teeth, and motions, and huffing and puffing as well-meaning but ultimately misguided. Of course Council should do what they can.
But the police have the power, the resources, and the training to arrest even for parking offences.
They have the authority to move on where others are harassed or obstructed. They can arrest for breaching ‘no camping’ signs.
They can even tow away vehicles in certain circumstances.
They can apprehend people for offences or issue go-away orders under the Crown Land Management Act 2016 – like the boat harbour area. It is obviously an imprisonable offence to defecate or urinate in a park, or indeed anywhere within view of a public place.
If the police can institute a spy, catch, cover and arrest for nude swimmers like they did a few years ago (or manage thousands of drug-driving tests) they can surely undertake a shit, grab and smear undercover dunny-paper sting now.
Effectively all Council can do is issue fines, 90 per cent of which aren’t getting paid anyhow, and are laughed off by Mr Belgium and Ms Guatemala.
When I went down to Brunswick Heads to have a look I was pretty appalled. I saw at least 40 arrestable offences within ten minutes. Everything from the gas stove regulations, to negligent driving, to illegal parking, to pooh pooh in bush bush.
(By the way, it is no defence to swap places within the same zone to beat a time limitation – you have to move completely outside the designated area).
So rather than Council spending too much time and money (and the ultimate cutting-off-nose-tospite-face of closing whole areas to parking for everyone – think South
North Coast Vets + Caring for your pets + Keeping your livestock healthy and productive
Beach Lane) here is the answer.
Police – do your frigging job. Here is a set of proposed bail conditions – ‘liberty is conditional on you not returning within 5km of Brunswick Heads Post Office.
‘You are not to sleep in your vehicle except in a permitted caravan park or campground’.
After all, if it’s good enough for environmentalists and humanitarians, bail is applicable for problematic parkers. And if they breach their bail, well, they may be held in custody until their court date and face further more serious charges. At least the cell will have a proper toilet.
Lobby police, not mayor
Residents, if you want to picket, protest and lobby, go to the local police commander, not the mayor.
Police should, and hopefully would, exercise discretion – a genuinely homeless family for example could just be moved on. I saw none of those at Bruns. But I reckon a determined operation would end the problem in Bruns with just a few arrests in a few days.
News travels fast on WhatsApp.
Then perhaps the same squad, while they’re at it, can arrest a few people walking their dogs, thus killing shore birds in National Parks or on prohibited beaches. And then some Forestry Corp illegal loggers. And then some noisy doofers.
Sadly, there are three problematic questions. Is this the society we want to be?
Arrest and detention is ultimately a form of violence – is that who we are? And where would the van dwellers move to next?
Better not be my street.
Professor David Heilpern is Dean of Law and Chair of Discipline at SCU. He is also a former magistrate.
Professor David Heilpern
Homegrown asset
It was with great shock and disbelief that members, players, and parents of the Mullumbimby Tennis Club received the devastating news that Byron Shire Council will NOT be renewing the management of our amazing club.
It was over 30 years ago when a group of local parents and tennis enthusiasts had a vision of creating a tennis facility for our town and its children, thus forming the Mullumbimby Tennis Club.
Starting from a vacant patch of Council-owned land, they tirelessly fundraised, sought grants and took out a bank loan (which was repaid) to create the amazing facility we have today. Our club has been utilised by hundreds of local children, adults and schools over many years.
Recently the club has survived Covid and rebuilt the courts after servere damage from the 2022 floods. It was only through the commitment of the Mullumbimby Tennis Club that these facilities continue to thrive.
It is highly likely – when the out of town club awarded the management take-over our Mullum club – that they will bring with them their own coaching staff. This would mean losing our much loved coach, Steve. Steve rose from the ranks as a Mullum junior to become the club coach. Steve has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to junior development within the club for over ten years, often giving his time freely to ensure junior players can access the competition they require to pursue their tennis skills. He employs local students and adults as coaching staff. Steve has been able to do all this while keeping his rates fair and affordable.
After 30 years of dedication to tennis and our Mullumbimby community the Mullumbimby Tennis Club is financially strong, has large numbers of players across junior, adult and social members and a tournament-level facility. Why would Council make a decision to hand over a viable homegrown asset to an out-of-town enterprise?
Renae Leeson Main Arm
Ugly concrete
So Rusty Miller would like the ugly concrete and asphalt carpark to remain so that he can do a little circle to check out the surf. Seriously?
He implies that everyone does a little circle and doesn’t hang out. Again, seriously?
I was there walking yesterday (walking Rusty –try it) and the carpark was totally parked out with cars and people hanging out in all manner of campervans. If Rusty can’t check out the surf without leaving his car then I think he needs to reassess his lifestyle.
Stephen Bland Wellington
Byron foreshore park
I wonder if it was only locals (Byron Shire residents) whose opinion counted in regards to the survey about the foreshore area. If not, it’s a dud. More important issues where money should be spent like footpaths, cycle paths, road repairs, and slowing down cars in urban areas, etc. need Byron Council’s attention.
Considering the rate of sea-level rise (minimum 15cm in next 30 years) the car park may be an island.
Wally Hueneke Byron Bay
A ‘healthy’ foreshore
I cannot understand why our ‘green and environmentally caring’ Byron Shire Council remains one of the very few councils in the country unable to understand the very concept of ‘foreshore’ and how best to look after it.
A healthy foreshore is an undeveloped bank of sand
In his closing statement, barrister Jonathan Korman presented the significance of the site and the dire impacts development pose for the critically endangered and vulnerable species. He described the concept of urbanisation versus ecology, highlighting that destruction is permanent and removes the potential for biodiversity recovery from the threat of extinction.
dunes, binding grasses and delicate marine habitat.
A healthy foreshore is the land’s best protection from erosion and flooding – it absorbs the impact of storms and rebuilds damaged beaches later on. With a healthy foreshore there will always be a beach.
But should the foreshore be removed or constricted (e.g. locked up behind seawalls), then the beach will die. Everybody knows that, don’t they? Well not in Byron Bay it seems.
Until the 1960s, Byron Bay’s foreshore remained relatively undeveloped and healthy. The beach came and went but was always there – in fact so much so in the early 1900s, that sand blew down Jonson Street and had to be shovelled out.
Foreshore deconstruction began in the first half of the 20th century with state-sanctioned sand mining. Starting in the ‘60s with the influx of surfers, the Aquarius ‘back to nature’ post-hippies, and later developers and lifestyle gurus, Byron Bay was transformed from a working port to a holiday magnet. And the foreshore was taken over piece by piece.
Please read full letter in The Echo online: www.echo.net.au/letters
Jan Hackett Byron Bay
Saving Wallum Heartfelt thanks to the Save Wallum community for the outstanding efforts to protect the precious Brunswick environment, it was incredible to watch the Federal Court case live.
The evidence of local experts, David Milledge and David Newell, was critical in identifying flaws in the ecological assessments. Current legislation that allows zombie approvals to proceed without consideration of contemporary and comprehensive ecological values and threat assessments is so obviously wrong.
Justice Perry made insightful comments and in her closing statement, acknowledged the enormous efforts. The dynamic duo, Luciana and Svea have worked tirelessly on the legal case to ensure this development finally received comprehensive scrutiny, and so many community members contributed to the sustained challenge.
I hope this case encourages Byron Shire Council to focus on Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) matters, they aren’t required to, but they should.
This is more evidence of this community’s commitment to protect this biodiversity hotspot, it takes enormous commitment, energy, time and funding, so please go to Save Wallum website to donate.
Jan Barham Broken Head
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Doctor-owned, professional, and easily accessible practice offering the best health care for you and your family.
Working together
Thank you for covering last week’s Byron Council meeting (‘Former mayor attacks current mayor over performance’, May 28). I’d like to clarify how this collaborative approach to governance is actually working.
From day one, I’ve been committed to fostering genuine collegiality where everyone brings their unique strengths forward. Our new councillors are exceptional – I’m working with an incredible team of women, and I’ve established an open-door policy with Deputy Mayor Jack Dods, including full diary access and invitations to anything that interests him. He’s thriving in his role, and when scheduling conflicts arise, it’s simply due to competing mayoral commitments. His engagement is on his terms.
This collaborative approach has strengthened our Council’s effectiveness. I’ve extended the same openness to all councillors as they settle into their roles while balancing other employment, which is no small feat.
face significant challenges – housing affordability, environmental destruction, infrastructure needs – that require partnership, not politicking. That doesn’t mean everyone needs to agree, it’s just about how we work together.
There should definitely be additional remuneration for the deputy mayor as there is in some other states, and we will continue to lobby for that.
I am determined to continue providing as transparent, and respectful, governance as possible, and encourage all councillors to bring their skills and enthusiasm to the table. Save the politicking for just before the next election and in the meantime, work together for the community.
Cr Sarah Ndiaye Mayor Byron Shire Council Unboxing editors
have been impacted by unforeseen construction issues such as drainage and service relocations that will require a further $1 million to complete the works. The works are a condition of the current DA’.
I am confused by this, how are unforeseen issues contained in a DA submitted to the elected Council?
Were not these million dollar issues identified and included in the original DA?
There are other issues of concern. There is still the issue of the sewer gravity mains in Mullumbimby which are falling apart, but supposedly relined in a five-year contract awarded to a Queensland company completed in 2025. To my knowledge no evidence has been supplied to substantiate which mains have been relined.
portfolio... rather than handing them out at the discretion and whim of the party leader!
Otherwise it is jobs for the boys/girls/whatever and subject to manipulation.
DYT?
False light
Anthony Plesko West Ballina
What sort of delusional person could imagine that Labor is some sort of guiding light for the future?
‘The future is ours’ by Keith Duncan in last week’s Echo claimed some ‘mandate’ with only 30 per cent of the primary vote, after changing the financial regulations for donations to disadvantage independents and minor parties.
The building of a new wastewater treatment plant in Mullumbimby, which was built to treat seven times the dry weather flow generated by Mullumbimby and commissioned in 2011.
With thousands struggling with the cost of living and homeless while they give tax concessions to multiple home owners and corporations which pay no tax.
Getting out of the box or the editors’ challenge, involves two questions for all editors. A point to remember is that all people are first and foremost the editor of their own life, the box is the awareness of your own existence. A clue is, can you become a singularity of feeling, thinking and doing, also relating to other given definitions of singularity?
▶ Please read full letter in The Echo online: www.echo.net.au/letters.
Alan Dickens Byron Bay
While the country continues to spiral billions into debt, on the promise of questionable attack submarines to prop up US arms manufacturers and preparations to follow the US into yet another conflict.
DYT?
To drive a car we need to be trained and get a licencse.
To sell milk we need a licence.
Having served as deputy mayor for five of the past eight years, I really gave myself to the role wherever I could. I worked in earnest alongside my colleagues and loved it. I deeply value inclusive leadership. Simon Richardson was wonderfully encouraging and inclusive; I’m building on that foundation. Michael Lyon was too until my circumstances changed and I decided to run for mayor.
The questions being asked are the following: 1. If you, being the editor of your life of your own existence, did not exist, would all the existence that you now perceive also not exist? 2. How do you determine the answer?
To teach children we need to do a course and get qualified.
To prepare food for sale we need to be licensed.
We are still waiting for the ‘National Climate Change Risk Assessment’ which was supposed to have been released last December (conveniently held back, put off until after the election and still not released) while floods and bushfires continue to be a constant occurrence.
R Podhajsky Ocean Shores
To provide medical services we need to study, pass a course and get a degree, etc.
But...
It’s therefore disappointing that Cr Lyon, completely absent from true engagement for the last eight months, would return with such vitriol and a selective memory about past delegations, in a blatant attempt to undermine me through what Cr Dods rightly called ‘somewhat of a stunt’. Our community deserves better than divisive theatrics.
Despite this, I remain committed to working constructively with all councillors, including Cr Lyon, because that’s what our community deserves. We
Expensive roundabouts
The roundabout at Bayshore Drive Byron Bay – we are told that $3.5 million will be borrowed under the delegated authority of the current general manager.
This project has had a development appliction (DA) submitted to the elected Council which was then approved but now, staff say, ‘… since construction commenced, the works
To run for a seat in parliament and then govern the country?
What? WTH?
No courses, no qualifications, no experience, no nothing... Just suck up to people in your party and kiss some arse or grab some pussy and you could run the country...?
No bloody wonder we are in such a mess.
To even run in an election the candidates must have at least done and passed a basic course on ethics and civil norms and responsibilities, in a democracy. Surely?
Opening more coal and gas mines to give it away to multinational corporations while bleating about concerns for climate change in complete disregard for any attempt to comply with the Paris climate agreement and the UNESCO ‘Fossil Fuel Development Accord’. Leading scientists have also expressed concerns the WA Labor government department has interfered with the rock art report linked to the North West Shelf approval process.
Please read full letter in The Echo online: www.echo.net.au/letters Rod Murray Ocean Shores
Bloody hell... allocating politicians to administer specific portfolios must be on the basis of their expertise and knowledge and understanding of the matters and responsibilities of the portfolio?
And... the people should elect who gets what
For a long time now it has been difficult for many of us to raise our concerns about the horrors taking place in Gaza without the febrile reaction of some media commentators. It has felt like widespread censorship, an attempt to deprive us of air.
Hopefully some light is now being shed on the horrendous situation in Gaza with the joint statement by GB, France and Canada (allies of Israel and in the case of GB a significant arms supplier to Israel) on 20/5/25: ‘If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid we will take further concrete actions in response’.
It is always regrettable when news outlets, including local ones, decide that an issue with racial elements is too inflammatory and effectively act as censors. It is understandable that a news outlet might be reluctant to air unsavoury views but that surely is part of giving people, all people, a voice.
A few months ago we witnessed vitriolic language of condemnation about alleged antisemitism which has often drowned out a dispassionate assessment of the basic facts of a situation. Witness the story about the Dural caravan full of explosives. News outlets characterised it as an antisemitic incident. The NSW premier appeared to believe it had an antisemitic basis saying it was ‘one of over 700 antisemitic attacks over last summer’. Only later was it revealed that of those 700 incidents 41 per cent were antisemitic, 15 per cent Islamophobic and 44 per cent ‘other’.
It turns out that the Dural caravan incident was an attempt by certain nefarious individual/s to get a more favourable sentencing treatment by NSW police and it had no antisemitic basis. But the whole fabricated incident came at a time when certain homes and synagogues were being vandalised with antisemitic messages and the more provocative and reactive media took the bait.
Rather than publish material emphasising the racial or religious basis of the devastation in Palestine, thereby bolstering antisemitism or anti-Palestinian feeling, the focus has to be on the humanitarian aspects. Like the reports by Medecins Sans Frontieres. Only on that basis is there a pathway forward. The alternative is a continuation of the brutality being experienced in Gaza…
Even the more rabid elements of the Australian media are now reporting on the daily carnage, unbearable suffering, starvation, and shocking anti-humanitarianism that is occurring.
One does not have to resort to trigger language to criticise but rather to listen
to the on-ground aid workers for credible reporting rather than to politicians, or media commentators who are locked onto agendas of their party or their racially-biased readers.
Frank Lynch Mullumbimby
Israel not Hamas
Danny Wakil, our local apologist for the state whose deliberate starvation policy, and the indiscriminate slaughter of thousands of children and civilians the world witnesses in horror each day, causing a swelling international outcry of indignation and popular demonstrations, shifts the blame on Hamas ‘who have no regard for Palestinian lives’ and admits, ‘Yes, Israel makes horrible mistakes as all countries do in war’, as if this somehow makes the carnage and blatant war crimes normal.
Look over there at ‘the oppressed Druze community in Syria’ you write, then scrape the barrel with the Euro song festival, where coming second, ‘shows that the bulk of the world can still see the truth’. What truth may this be Danny?
Carl Cleves Byron Bay
Freedom to speak
As a sixth-generation Australian and the daughter of a decorated WWII veteran who fought against fascism, racism, and expansionist aggression, I must respond to M McCormack’s letter in last week’s Echo with deep concern.
Sir, you do not speak for all Australians. Certainly, you do not speak for me.
To say Áine Tyrrell and Subhi Awad, who have a pro-Palestinian stance, are spreading a toxic narrative of ‘rape denial’ and ‘hatred’ is not only a misrepresentation – it’s a wilful shutdown of dissent and the very freedom of speech Australians have fought for, bled for, and are proud to uphold.
When artists and activists are hounded out of town for expressing their views on humanitarian crises, we should all be alarmed.
You invoke historical fact to support your worldview while ignoring other fundamental truths – like the continuous displacement of Palestinians for over 75 years, and the fact that many Jewish and Israeli scholars themselves acknowledge the complexity and pain on both sides. To suggest there’s only one historical narrative worth validating is itself a form of denial.
And while you’re invoking ancestral rights to land, may I ask: are you prepared to return your home to the First Nations people from whom it was taken? Or does the principle of historical justice only apply selectively?
Australians are not a monolith. We are a mosaic – diverse, evolving, and increasingly unwilling to be spoken for by those who conflate disagreement with betrayal.
I, too, care about truth, history, and justice. That is precisely why I stand with those who dare to question power – whether in Israel, Australia, or anywhere else injustice festers.
And let me be clear what is happening to Palestinians is not just a conflict – it is a slow-motion genocide. To deny or minimise this, to intimidate those who speak up, is not just morally indefensible – it is complicity. We should not be vilifying those with the courage to say what many are too frightened to admit.
Fiona
Sullivan Mullumbimby Creek Deception in war
Gareth Smith has more outlandish claims in his letter to The Echo last week (28 May).
He has had all but a free pass in all of these years to say what he wants, and it is known that hardly anyone will ever fact-check him.
If any intimidation towards anti-Israel protesters has indeed taken place, I am against it, but what is very clear is that the pro-Israel and pro-peace community has suffered an immeasurable torrent of ongoing attacks from children being harassed in schools, relentless graffiti attacks all over the shire, people being confronted and abused in the streets in broad daylight, the quiet boycotting of local businesses and so on, and so forth.
It is a fact that Israel WAS forced to attack Hamas in Gaza after the incredibly successful deception by Hamas, conducted over the two prior years: that they were not seeking war with Israel – only to launch the hugely successful surprise attack on Israel on 7 October.
Palestinians are sick of Hamas and are protesting in the streets of Gaza against them as we speak. Be proPalestinian and support the right of good Palestinians to get rid of the Hamas death cult.
Danny Wakil Billinudgel
Tassie III – A tale of three ships
Byron Bay Historical Society
Located approximately 150 metres in front of the War Memorial Swimming Pool at the town’s Main Beach, S-77 Tassie III foundered in Byron Bay during June 1945 –80 years ago.
Formerly known as the Tassie II until correctly identified by the Byron Bay Historical Society in 2008 as Tassie III, the vessel was one of many Australian- built lighters used for transporting cargo around Tasmania. It was requisitioned for war service in 1942 along with sister ship S-78 Tassie VI
Conflicting stories about the sinking of Tassie III have long circulated. Carrying tons of condemned munitions, common belief is that after dropping anchor during a storm, the ship’s crew went ashore for ‘refreshment.’
The next morning they fled after discovering the ship had drifted into the jetty and foundered.
Tassie III was later boarded and property stolen, including the captain’s pistol; a weapon allegedly
fired weeks later by a local youth during a domestic dispute. Recent research has shown this narrative to be significantly distorted. What follows is an account of how stories of three US Army small ships coalesced into that of Tassie III
Byron’s
busy bay
During the war the Bay was an extremely busy harbour with Merchant Navy vessels heading north to supply troops and cargo in New Guinea.
More than 60 vessels controlled by the US Army small ships section entered Byron
Bay. This was an improvised and inclusive Allied unit operating requisitioned and newly built Australian and New Zealand ships. It employed civilians from Australia and New Zealand, especially in the early years when fear of Japanese invasion was at its height. They were all volunteers.
One of these small ships made its way to the Bay in mid-December 1942. The crew decided to enjoy ‘a little respite’ in town, ‘seeing the lights of Byron Bay’ before sailing on to the war. Uncrewed, the vessel broke its moorings, running
ashore on a spit. Upon discovering this when the engineer returned, he struggled to get the other seafarers back. Three locals working at the wharf were then employed by the government to salvage the ship. Later, these men were accused of stealing supplies destined for troops in the Solomons. They were sentenced to three months imprisonment which they appealed.
Master, Captain Woods, to help move personal effects and endeavour to moor the vessel. Due to rough weather, the ship sank the following morning after winds battered her into the decommissioned jetty.
Exploding munitions
One of these three was a young man who had kept watch on the boat while the others, at night, ‘swam through shark-infested waters’ attaching lines to the vessel. The accused had possessed a stolen pistol the previous year, reported to the police by his deep sea fisherman stepfather, and was on a good behaviour bond for theft.
Punished more harshly in May 1943 for this reoffending, his father helped him appeal his jail sentence by giving evidence. Another US Army small ship had since ‘got into trouble’ when some of the crew ‘deserted.’ His son had swum ‘50 yards’ to get a rope to this ship, prior to the two of them towing it to Brisbane. The name of this abandoned ship is unknown owing to censorship of ships’ names and movements. It was probably deserted at Byron Bay sometime between January and early April 1943.
Shuttling cargo in the war zone, Tassie III returned to Australia towards the end of the war. She carried 80 tons of ballast, munitions to be dumped at sea. A storm forced the ship to seek shelter in Byron Bay.
Tassie III came aground after breaking anchor about 3am, witnessed by the Fields, three brothers fishing on the beach. The crew of nine then abandoned ship and found accommodation at the Pier Hotel. The fishermen were almost immediately employed by the ship’s
Whilst breakfasting, Woods and the Fields planned the retrieval of valuable equipment from the wreck. The captain and ship’s cook David Jones were then honourably discharged, and returned with most of the crew by road to Brisbane. An American guard remained to supervise salvage efforts.
Unfortunately, the Fields were arrested on the charge of possession of stolen goods. After attending court and offering explanations concerning the storage and acquisition of allegedly stolen goods, the magistrate was satisfied, and charges dismissed.
Some time on Sunday, the foundered Tassie III was boarded by local youths and some of the ordinance souvenired. Tragically, one stolen flare bomb later killed 16-year-old Bruce Graham after he ignited the canister for a fireworks display while entertaining children in a backyard. Eleven were injured, two seriously.
WWII veteran Raymond Young lived for some time at Brunswick Heads. Ray served on several of the more well-known small ships, all of which anchored, or were offshore, at Byron Bay. He enlisted and completed training at the Apprentice Seaman’s School in Sydney in April 1943 when he was 16. Many of the volunteers were teenagers, alongside men too old or too infirm to be accepted by the Services. Around 3,000 Australians enlisted. According to Ray, two other small ships sank between Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads. Being wooden vessels, they are likely to have rotted away or been covered with sand. Their names are similarly lost to us. Divers have not encountered them. Ray’s daughter remains a resident at Brunswick Heads. The billed cap worn by many small ships volunteers as shown in the photograph was not issued by the US Army. They could, however, be purchased from stores. With white feather treatment it is no surprise that civilian volunteers did so.
supported by evidence. Neither is the story of them deserting the ship, although this happened with another early in 1943.
A pistol was stolen, but not from this vessel in 1945.
Munitions drifted in the surf and became buried in the sand raising multiple complaints to authorities in Sydney. It was several years later that Byron Shire Council engaged a contractor from Melbourne to explode the remaining munitions.
Whilst true of the crew on a ship back in December 1942, the drunkenness of those on the Tassie III is not
Tassie III’s story was marked by tragedy, but distortions concerning the ship’s crew and their activities require revision. S-77 Tassie III is worthy of remembrance on account of her service during WWII and the tragic impact on the local community. Byron Bay has a proud and significant maritime history.
If you believe your ancestor served on Australian or American-controlled merchant vessels in the Southwest Pacific Area during WWII, please contact BBHS or USASSA at: president@byronbayhistoricalsociety.org.au or secretary@ usarmysmallships.asn.au.
Tassie III in hiding, Morobe circa 1943. Photo Australian War Memorial
Tassie III wreck at the old jetty, June 1945.
Photo Byron Shire News
Brunswick Heads’ WWII veteran, Raymond Roy Young.
Photo US Army Small Ships Association, Small Ships News March 2018
Social cohesion in Australia – is it just another illusion?
Dr Jeffery Lewis and Dr Belinda Lewis
Sussan Ley, the new Liberal leader, has been quick to condemn Anthony Albanese for his inadequate support of the Israeli military attacks on Hamas. According to Ley, the prime minister is seriously damaging Australia’s strong record of ‘social cohesion.’
The government’s own Department of Home Affairs promotes Australia as ‘one of the most cohesive societies in the world’.
Even so, the most recent Mapping Social Cohesion report (2024)claims that Australians’ sense of national bonding is under strain. This is owing to the cost-of-living crisis, a divisive Voice referendum, and local responses to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
These difficult economic and social conditions are further exacerbated by far right agitators. The far right exploit and amplify social duress, claiming it to be an inevitable outcome of multiculturalism and ethnicreligious diversity.
What is a successful economic strategy?
According to right-wing extremists, real social cohesion can only be achieved through a unitary national culture directed by a powerful, authoritarian state.
On the other side, progressives argue that Australia’s ongoing prosperity depends on high levels of non-discriminatory immigration, cultural pluralism, and a ‘many-in-one’ ethnic nationalism.
Government policies on inclusion, multiculturalism, and anti-hate speech are
this economic strategy.
According to progressive politics, the recent blip in Australia’s Social Cohesion Index should be regarded as both aberrant and ephemeral.
Are they right, or are we heading for the same radical anti-diversity reaction we’re seeing in the US and Europe?
Unsurprisingly, the answer depends on how we define ‘social cohesion’.
Most of the academic literature agrees that social cohesion is related to a sense of belonging and communal bonding. In practice, however, government-sponsored research into social cohesion usually focuses on one particular dimension of national unity. That is, on ‘ethnic-cultural’ communities – how they relate to one another and to the Britishbased institutions that are the political and cultural framework of ‘Australia’.
This means that reports on social disharmony or population-related infrastructure stress and ecological decay are rarely countenanced by governments, mass media, developers, and the Australian Research Council.
A true cultural and social map of Australia would be far more complex than any simple Social Cohesion Index. It would detail a much broader range of communities, sub-cultures, and cultural schisms. And it would ask much more probing questions about a given cultural group’s sense of itself, its members and their engagement with other groups and the nation as a whole.
Wealth disparity
A complex social map would recognise that these groups are dynamic and
gender, sexuality, Indigeneity, relative ability, geography, health, recreational activities, radical politics, environmentalism, ‘crime’, occupation and employment, generation and age, education, body mass and so on.
It would recognise that, at any one time, individuals participate and draw their identities and social knowledge from multiple, different groups in various ways. And all of this occurs within a nation that is highly stratified, often brutal, and unjust.
are most dramatically evident in the increasing disparity between Australia’s wealthiest and poorest groups.
Throughout Australia’s history these economic and cultural struggles have frequently erupted into community division, political violence, and even terrorism. None of this should be surprising, as the whole nation was forged on the anvil of violent invasion and near genocide. That violence still resonates through the national imaginary and the ongoing oppression
of Australia’s Aboriginal communities.
Underlying racism
The Voice referendum of 2023 dramatically exposed these ongoing contentions within a fantasy of national cohesion.
Many progressives were shocked by the referendum result, accusing the rightwing media of deluding ordinary Australian voters, especially migrants.
Many Indigenous leaders believed that the failure of the referendum exposed an underlying racism in the Australian polity.
There may be some truth in those claims. More broadly, though, racism is just one more schism in a society that is an agglomeration of histories, knowledge systems, groups, and strangers.
These schisms are evidenced locally with the recent home invasion epidemic in Byron Shire and elsewhere in Australia. This may just be another symptom of individuals lacking a sense of ‘belonging’ to a socially cohesive nation.
Social pragmatism
Kids from various backgrounds are stealing cars and announcing themselves on social media largely in response to these feelings of separation and cultural anxiety. That feeling of ‘not belonging’.
To put it plainly – Australia is not a cohesive society. It functions with reasonable compliance because of its relative affluence. Most citizens are prepared to defer their differences and disharmonies, so long as they see value in doing so.
Progressive politics denies this kind of social pragmatism, believing in the
higher principles of ‘inclusion’ and its expression in anti-hate and equal opportunity legislation.
Unfortunately, these forms of positive discrimination can create other forms of alienation and resentment.
Politicians like Donald Trump and Germany’s Alice Weidel feed on this resentment. It’s how they are turning democracy in on itself. So Trump – a philanderer, bankrupt, sex criminal, and anti-democratic iconoclast – emerges as a religious and political saviour.
But then Australian democracy is also changing. The rough voice of freedom that continually abraded social authority has been tamed and transformed into a more effete political hydra. This appears to have alienated many ‘battlers’ who are turning increasingly to conservative politics –including the far-right – as a source of hope.
In this context ‘social cohesion’ is just another rhetorical illusion – a fantasy of national unity and social equality that can be invoked for any political purpose. Which is exactly why Sussan Ley chose it to attack her electoral opponent.
Dr Belinda Lewis is a health anthropologist from Monash University. Professor Jeffrey Lewis is an anthropology professor. He is a former Research Dean at RMIT and Professorial Fellow at the London School of Economics. His books include Language Wars and Media and Human Violence: From Savage Lovers to Violent Complexity. He recently completed a governmentcommissioned research report on Right Wing Extremism in Australia
The statue of Captain James Cook in Randwick, Sydney was covered in paint days before Australia Day-Invasion Day.
Photo Randwick Council Instagram
Sport/Local News
Byron croquet players crowned champions
Colin Beaton
The Byron Bay Croquet Club has enjoyed a perfect season in the Northern Rivers Croquet Association pennant competition, which included teams from Lismore, Cherry Street, Alstonville, Ballina and Casino.
During the defence of the title that it won last year, the club won all of its ten matches in the home-andaway series.
Historic win
In doing so, it became the first club in the association’s history to complete an undefeated pennant series.
The Alstonville club also made history of its own by finishing as runner-up for the first time.
With four players required for each match, Byron Bay established an association benchmark in fielding 11 players in total during the season, as the early success of some of the top players took them past the handicap limit for the series.
Winners of NSW Division 3 croquet competition, Noelene Barnes and Jeffrey Regan. Photo supplied
Less experienced players, who had trained in a squad under the direction of club captain Max Donati, stepped up to accept the challenge as the season progressed to maintain the team’s unbeaten status. The depth of talent reflects the local enthusiasm for the sport which has resulted in a number of NSW state titles scheduled for the Northern Rivers area.
Last week, Byron Bay
Eve Jeffery
Last Saturday marked six years since Théo Hayez went missing.
Hayez, a Belgian tourist, was last seen leaving Cheeky Monkey’s bar in Byron Bay at approximately 11pm on May 31, 2019. Théo’s father Laurent, spent much of the next two years in Australia searching for answers.
The Echo spoke to Laurent on Saturday at his home in Brussels where he prepared for a quiet day. ‘It’s been six years of unanswered questions. Six years of missing him every single day. We remember him every day. His
laugh, his voice and his big smile remain so fresh in our memories.’
Laurent and his family and friends want to highlight Missed, an Australian charity that has supported them from the start.
Missed’s objective of creating awareness for missing individuals has broadened to include awareness for the associated issues and the focus of providing practical support has expanded to include emotional support.
‘Loren O’Keeffe, founder and CEO of Missed, has been supporting us and many other families in distress since the first day of Theo’s
The Echo wants to support you.
Please send stories, pics, match reports, upcoming events, tall tales (not too tall mind you), results and anecdotes to sport@echo.net.au.
hosted the NSW Richochet Croquet Championship, which attracted players from as far away as Sydney.
Jeffrey Regan from Strathfield, Sydney, defeated Ballina Cherry Street’s Noelene Barnes in the final, while other locals to do well were losing semifinalists Penny Scott (Cherry Street) and Denis Cummins (Byron Bay), and Plate winner Barbara Barrett from the host club.
Byron Bay will host further state competitions during winter with the NSW Division Two Golf Croquet Doubles title starting next Wednesday, followed by the singles competition from Friday to Sunday.
State titles held
The fact that state titles are scheduled for the Northern Rivers area is testament to the willingness of local players to also qualify as referees who freely give their time to oversee matches in a time and manner which is much appreciated by local and visiting competitors.
disappearance,’ said Laurent.
‘In addition to the moral support, this organisation has come to supplement the support of the public, but also to fill part of the void left by the authorities in managing many practical aspects such as communication, contact with the media, and other aspects that a distressed family is confronted with when a loved one disappears.
‘We are doing Missed in Motion for our Théo and for all the missing people and their loved ones’, he added.
You can support ‘Théo’s Team’ by visiting: missedinmotion.raiselysite.com/t/ theos-team.
Rebels cruelled on the bell, twice
The Byron Rebel’s stormy rugby season continued last Saturday, as both the women’s and men’s first grade teams played away at Casuarina Beach against the Barbarians.
Despite great camaraderie between the women’s sides, there was no holding back during their encounter, that saw a final score of five all.
The first half was an arm wrestle, with play moving back and forth between the 22-metre lines and neither side able to penetrate the opposition’s determined defence. Nil all at half time.
The second half was just as intense, but some handling and defensive errors started to open up scoring opportunities for both sides. The Barbarians scored first
Organic Landcare’s next volunteer day will be on Saturday, June 14, from 8am until 12.30pm, at Saltwater Creek.
Organiser Nadia de Souza Pietramale says to meet at Mullumbimby Community Garden (MCG) carpark.
with an unconverted try, but the Rebels hit back with a try to Keely Arnold.
The conversion would give our girls the lead with not long to play… but where was the kicking tee? It had been left somewhere in the sheds.
Kari Massey had no option but to try for a drop goal. She struck it well, but it went wide of the posts to leave the scores tied at five all.
After another intense period of play, the final whistle blew with no change to the score. A 5–5 draw was probably a fair outcome to a great game.
The tight, intense contest of the women’s game was magnified in the men’s first grade match, which the Rebels lost 35-33 on the hooter.
The Rebels’ scrum was a weapon that the Barbarians simply couldn’t counter, but they showed flashes of classy play in the backs.
Each team was able to apply pressure and collect points and the lead ebbed and flowed, until the Barbarians were able to bullock their way over the line on the stroke of full time locking the scores at 33 all, with the kick to come.
This time the ball did go between the posts to give the Barbarians the win 35-33. It was the second week in a row that the Rebels lost a match in the dying seconds of the game.
The result leaves the Rebels men sitting outside the top four behind Wollongbar Alstonville, Ballina, Casuarina and Casino.
‘Tasks will be to weed the drain, in front of the MCG and follow up green cestrum saplings. Please wear a longsleeved shirt and pants for sun protection and to avoid scratches. Also a hat, gloves, and bring water and some morning tea for a 10.30am break. I will provide a first aid kit, tree poppers, loppers and wheelbarrows. Also welcome two new volunteers, Maria and Jeremy. Jali also worked to pay off his car fine by pushing wheelbarrows full of weeds’.
The women scrum down on their way to a 5–5 draw at Casuarina last weekend. Photo supplied
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Three Blue Ducks
The Farm, 11 Ewingsdale Rd. (02) 6190 8966 enquiries@threeblueducks.com threeblueducks.com/byron
Open 7 days from 7am. Mon-Thurs: breakfast & lunch Fri-Sun: breakfast, lunch & dinner
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Experience the bold and vibrant flavors of Peru at Bonito Peruvian in Wollongbar, where traditional recipes meet modern creativity. From fresh ceviche and anticucho skewers to savory ají de gallina, every dish is crafted with authentic ingredients and passion.
Pair your meal with a classic pisco sour and enjoy a true taste of Peru in a warm, inviting atmosphere.
BYRON BAY (continued)
BYRON BAY
BALLINA
The Good Life
Fresh macadamia harvests at Rainforest Foods and Organic Forrest
It’s macadamia harvest time, and the stalls at Mullumbimby and New Brighton Farmers Markets are overflowing. Local growers Rainforest Foods and Organic Forrest are bringing freshly picked macadamias in every form imaginable, making it the perfect time to get creative with this buttery, nutrient-rich native nut.
You’ll find them raw, roasted, salted, honeyroasted, chocolate-coated, or ground into creamy macadamia paste. There are
also macadamia oils available, both pure and infused with native spices, perfect for cooking or drizzling.
Macadamia paste is incredibly versatile. Spread it thick on sourdough for a simple, indulgent snack. Add a spoonful of Organic Forrest’s Davidson plum jam for a sweet-sour native twist, or go savory with avocado, herbs, and chilli flakes. For an extra kick, try it with Rainforest Foods’ Davidson plum chilli jam, which offers a bold local pairing.
Macadamias are also a fantastic ingredient for everyday cooking. Finely grate them over pasta or salads as a creamy, vegan parmesan alternative. Toast and chop them for a crunchy topping on roasted vegetables or grain bowls. When blitzed with herbs and lemon, they make a beautiful savoury crust for fish, tofu, or grilled vegetables.
Sweet options are just as tempting. Blend macadamia paste into smoothies, layer it into bliss balls, or swirl it through yoghurt or porridge. Whole nuts add crunch to cookies, cakes, muffins, and homemade granola, or you can simply enjoy them coated in chocolate for a decadent treat.
Whether sweet or savoury, fresh or roasted, macadamias are the star ingredient of the season. Visit Rainforest Foods and Organic Forrest this week to stock up and let your cooking shine with the rich, local flavour of freshly harvested macadamias.
Find Rainforest Foods and Organic Forrest every Tuesday morning from 8am to 11am at New Brighton Farmers Market or every Friday morning from 7am to 11am at Mullumbimby Farmers Market.
Wandana: ‘Five Years of Beers’ celebration this weekend
Wandana Is celebrating ‘Five Years of Beers’ this Saturday, 7 June.
To mark this milestone they are hosting a free event for all ages.
The festivities begin with Latino beats from DJ Salve Jorge, while the popular kids’ playroom will be transformed into a glow-in-the-dark disco, complete with UV face-painting artist. JB’s Blues Breakers, the four-piece band, will deliver a lively blues/ rock ’n’ roll show. Then, turning it up a notch DJ Rob Sydney will play from 7pm to 10pm. Let your hair down, come and have fun.
As for drinks – Wandana will be launching a special birthday brew: Panther, which is a 11.4% imperial stout – limited release. There will also be a separate cocktail bar – for those who prefer something other than beer. There are plenty of wines and nonalcoholic options too.
Ballina RSL: a perfect plate with local heart
Ballina RSL serves up a winning combination, a perfect plate with heart.
Claire Tyson
When MasterChef royalty
Matt Moran describes your dish as, ‘20 out of 5,’ and calls your dessert, ‘one of the
best sticky date puddings
I’ve ever tasted,’ you know you’re doing something right. That’s exactly what happened recently at Ballina RSL, where the team is
making waves in the ‘2025
Your Local Club Perfect Plate Awards’ — and they’re doing it with heart, flavour, and a deep love for local.
Running until Sunday, 15 June, this NSW-wide competition puts the power in the hands of diners, who vote on dishes from club eateries across the state. Ballina RSL has entered two stunning creations into this year’s awards, both championing the region’s rich pantry.
The main course, a Ballina Prawn Star Curry, is a fragrant Balinese-style dish featuring freshly caught Ballina King Prawns from Michael’s Seafood, paired with turmeric, coconut, lime and a crisp papaya salad. ‘It’s coastal, it’s bold, and it tells a local story,’ says Head Chef
Bradley Browning.
For dessert, Head Pastry Chef Kanako has crafted the Brookie’s Mac Sticky Date Puddy, a luscious take on a classic – complete with house-churned vanilla ice cream, brandy snap, crystallised ginger and a decadent drizzle of Brookie’s macadamia liqueur.
Both dishes are available now at Ballina RSL, with a strong call to the community to dine in, scan the table QR code, and cast a 5-star vote. Last year, over 170 club eateries competed for glory – and this year, Ballina is going all in.
‘We’re incredibly proud to showcase the flavours of our region — prawns, macadamias, Brookie’s Mac, and even Seven Mile Brewing
Food on the day includes Brazilian BBQ by Charcoal Bay BBQ and gourmet eats from ‘Sunset Eats’ food truck, offering burgers, nachos, and more.
There will be a raffle to support the Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood (MDNC) which reaches into the whole of our community and offers services and support in many ways, including during the many natural disasters we have faced in recent years. The proceeds from this event will go straight back into the community, to those who need it most.
Come celebrate with Wandana!
Saturday, 7 June
From 12.30pm to 10pm 20 Manns Rd, Mullumbimby Wandanabrewingco.com.au
Co. beer,’ says CEO Guy Diven. ‘This isn’t just about a competition. It’s about celebrating our producers, our chefs, our clubs and our community.’
With a visit from Matt Moran under their belt and glowing feedback still buzzing, Ballina RSL is proving
that big things happen when you champion local. So if you’re after a meal that feeds more than just your appetite – one that nourishes community and celebrates where we live –head to Ballina RSL before 15 June and discover your own perfect plate.
Open 6am –
Macadamia season bursts with flavour.
Wandana, big day, good vibes, great beer!
ART GALLERIES
GALLERIES
ARTIST STUDIO GALLERY
Belongil Beach
Open by appointment 0409 604 405 www.janrae.com.au
BLUE KNOB HALL GALLERY
Blue Knob
719 Blue Knob Road, Lillian Rock
Open Thurs to Sun 10am-3pm 02 6689 7449 Blueknobgallery.com
BYRON CLAY WORKERS GALLERY
Fairview Studios
114 Stewarts Road, Clunes
Open Friday to Sunday John Stewart 0406 404 335 byronclayworkersgallery.com.au
GALLERY COSMOSIS
Visionary Art
22 Brigantine St, Byron Bay
Open Thurs–Sat: 10.30am–3pm or by appointment 0431 331 205 gallerycosmosis.com
GARAGE GALLERY
‘Community Arts Hub’ (Byron Community College)
Cnr Gordon & Burringbar Streets, Mullumbimby @mullum.garage.gallery 02 6684 3374
H’ART GALLERY
Local art in the heart of Mullumbimby Mullumbimby Comprehensive Health Centre, 60 Stuart Street, Mullumbimby 0401 647 325
KARENA WYNN-MOYLAN, FINE ART
World award-winning contemporary realism
Art direct from the artist at her Bangalow studio Phone or text 0414 822 196
LISMORE REGIONAL GALLERY
11 Rural St, Lismore, Bundjalung Country NSW
Open hours: Wednesday–Sunday 10am–4pm, Thursdays until 6pm lismoregallery.org | @lismoreregionalgallery
LONE GOAT GALLERY
28 Lawson St, Byron Bay (located in the Byron Library building)
Open Wed–Sat 10am–4pm lonegoatgallery.com.au
NORTHERN RIVERS COMMUNITY GALLERY
Cnr Cherry & Crane Sts, Ballina
Open Wed–Fri 9am–3pm, Sat–Sun 9.30am–1pm 02 6681 0530 nrcgballina.com.au
STUDIO SUVIRA
Ceramics & Sculpture Gallery Home gallery and sculpture garden
28 Left Bank Rd, Mullumbimby 0402 125 922 (call/text first) suviramcdonald.com
The coveted Byron Writers Festival Sunday Locals’ Pass is back again, available for a limited time between 5-10 June or until sold out. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a taste of the festival with the signature Sunday program, and experience the unique atmosphere of Australia’s largest regional writers festival, right here in the Northern Rivers.
With a huge line-up of international voices, national icons and local storytellers, Byron Writers Festival ‘25 promises to deliver exciting performances, candid conversations and rigorous debate across politics, youth media, AI, culture, poetry, food, and the environment, as well as the chance to meet your favourite authors.
Only a limited number of Sunday Locals’ passes will be available. Price: $99 (usually $145)
This year the Archibald Prize returns to Lismore Regional Gallery for the second time, sharing all 57 finalist works from the 2024 iteration at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) in a major exhibition across three of their main galleries.
Judged by the trustees of AGNSW, the prize is awarded to a notable portrait painting annually. Entries to the Archibald Prize must be painted in the preceding year from at least one live sitting. Since 1921, it has highlighted figures from all walks of life, from famous faces to local heroes, reflecting the personal and intimate stories of our times.
The Archibald Prize 2024 features works by Northern NSW artists Matt Adnate (winner of the Packing Room Prize), Angus McDonald and Ben Smith.
5 July - 31 August lismoregallery.org/archibald-prize-2024 11 Rural Street, Lismore
ARCHIBALD PRIZE
ART IN THE HEART OF MULLUMBIMBY
Art-lovers need look no further than the Mullumbimby Comprehensive Health Centre, home to the H’Art Gallery — a vibrant showcase of local creativity. Featuring more than 30 works by ten local artists, this hidden gem is an absolute must-visit.
Curated by graphic impressionist Solveig, the two-floor gallery offers a dynamic exhibition space, with artworks refreshed every six months. It provides a rare platform for local artists to display and sell their work over an extended period.
Visitors to the health centre are welcomed by a burst of colour and creativity, offering a soothing escape from stress and adding to the healing atmosphere of the space.
Conveniently located on Stuart Street, the H’Art Gallery truly is art at the heart of Mullumbimby.
For enquiries, contact info@solveig.com.au. 60 Stuart Street, Mullumbimby
TWEED REGIONAL GALLERY & MARGARET OLLEY ART CENTRE/GUNIMAA-SOURCE
Regional artists Debbie Taylor-Worley and Sophie Taylor are mother and daughter artists from strong matriarchal Gamilaraay/European heritage. Their joint exhibition Gunimaa-Source visually expresses the source of their feminine power which they explore through a cultural lens. Spanning across ceramics and paintings, their imagery draws from intuition, provocative dreams and motifs found in ancient dendroglyphs and petroglyphs used by European and Gamilaraay ancestors. Their exhibition celebrates the intrinsic connection of the feminine to Mother Nature, their strong family bond, and highlights their respect for cultural responsibilities in caring for the earth.
gallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au
2 Mistral Road (Cnr Tweed Valley Way) 02 6670 2790
Winner Packing Room Prize 2024, Matt Adnate ‘Rhythms of heritage’, spray paint and synthetic polymer paint on linen, 220 x 188.5 cm
Murwillumbah is a town that reflects the diversity of its people, who create this dynamic and culturally distinctive town.
Three years on from the devastating 2022 floods, locals know they have built a resilient and supportive community that is ready to face the challenges ahead. From the work on stormwater and drainage, to
CRYSTAL CREEK RAINFOREST RETREAT
A romantic couples retreat, nestled amongst 250 acres of pristine rainforest, Crystal Creek Rainforest Retreat is located within the beautiful Northern Rivers of NSW, just 50 minutes from the Gold Coast airport. 13 luxurious villas and lodges are individually positioned throughout the private estate, carefully hidden amongst the contours offering incredible rainforest and mountain views and providing the utmost in privacy and seclusion. Each of the well-appointed cabins hosts spacious lounges, king–size beds, soft 800 thread count linen, couples’ spa baths and cozy log fireplaces.
Explore 8km of stunning walking trails, passing ancient trees, flowing mountain-fed creeks and glistening rock pools, all bathed in musical birdsong. Unwind with a pampering massage and finish off the day at the wine bar and lounge.
201 Booka Rd, Upper Crystal Creek 02 6679 1591
relax@ccrr.com.au www.ccrr.com.au
the development of M-Arts, the rail trail, the Regional Art Gallery and the Tweed Regional Museum, this is a town and region that takes the chance to excel and celebrate culture and opportunity.
Recently the town has seen the completion of Industry Central, the new business precinct in South Murwillumbah. The precinct
PEDALS AND PICNICS
Explore by bike, picnic in style, discover the Northern Rivers Rail Trail with Pedals and Picnics! Glide along on two e-bikes and a DIY Picnic complete with a grazing box, or indulge in a Destination Picnic where everything is expertly arranged for you.
Perfect for birthdays, corporates, couples, and families. Your experience ensures a memorable, delightful day amidst stunning landscapes on the trail. pedalsandpicnics.com.au F: pedalsandpicnics @pedalsandpicnics
is now ready for the six floodprone businesses that have so far been successful in being granted land as part of the land swap at the site.
Surrounded by the beautiful Big Scrub rainforest, Wollumbin Mount Warning, and being the gateway to the Nightcap Ranges National Park, Murwillumbah is the place to enjoy beauty and begin a wonderful adventure.
TWEED REGIONAL AQUATIC CENTRES
Tweed Regional Aquatic Centres (TRAC) are open 7 days a week.
With heated pools at Murwillumbah, Tweed and Kingscliff centres you can stay active all year round.
Join TRAC’s Aqua Fit classes, running all winter long in their heated indoor pools. They are perfect for gentle exercise, social connection and overall wellbeing.
Book into TRAC’s learn to swim classes. Term 3 begins Monday, 21 July and costs $17.00 per class. Please contact the centre for a free assessment.
Check out their competitive and noncompetitive squad sessions, which help to improve endurance and skills. They provide sessions for adults and children.
Visit their website for more information about cost and opening times.
trac.tweed.nsw.gov.au
02 6670 2750
Murwillumbah pool
Tumbulgum Road, Murwillumbah
Magic Murwillumbah
TWEED RIVER TIMBERS
Tweed River Timbers is an Australianowned wholesale and retail company using locally-sourced timber species. Their services include saw milling, kiln drying, sanding and dressing and supplying DIY timber products. They specialise in custom timber bench tops, vanities, tables and shelving. Tweed River Timbers also create timeless, one-off bespoke pieces from sustainable products including lamps, bird-feeders and coffee tables.
0428 454 504 sales@tweedrivertimbers.com.au
TWEED REGIONAL GALLERY ANNUAL COMMUNITY PICNIC & ARTIST PAINT OUT
Pack a picnic, roll out your picnic rug and enjoy a creative afternoon with family and friends at the Tweed Regional Gallery’s Annual Community Picnic & Artist Paint Out on Sunday, 29 June from 2pm to 5pm.Held in the picturesque grounds of the Gallery, the popular free event offers something for everyone – from hands-on art activities and artist demonstrations to live music and scenic inspiration from the surrounding landscape. No bookings are required – simply bring your own picnic, a blanket and your creative spirit for this inspiring afternoon of art, music and community connection.
For more details visit the Gallery website gallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, 2 Mistral Road, Murwillumbah Gallery open Wed to Sun, 10am to 5pm
TWEED REGIONAL MUSEUM
Due to popular demand, How To Draw A Dinosaur at Tweed Regional Museum had been extended until 19 July!
To celebrate, they’ve launched a new public artwork for you to explore.
As the sun sets over Wollumbin, look into the river from Murwillumbah Bridge for a surprising encounter.
See prehistoric creatures emerge from the depths of the Tweed River. Encounters is a groundbreaking artwork brought to Murwillumbah for the first time by internationally acclaimed artist, Craig Walsh. Encounters continues a series of interventionist projects which explore public waterways, and the vast histories and stories associated with them. The work enables species now extinct to once again be brought to life.
Visit the Museum website or socials for all the details.
museum.tweed.nsw.gov.au
02 6670 2493
2 Queensland Rd, Murwillumbah
Cryptic Clues
ACROSS
1. Audible appeals for content (6)
4. Subject of romantic activity (6)
9. To grow weak is standard (4)
10. Abnormal strain has chap becoming caustic (10)
11. Outstanding amount of middleclass Republican resistance at the Listener (6)
12. Songbird egg on flower (8)
13. Ship’s officer, one who squeezes tango lover (9)
15. Courier using beast of burden (4)
16. Unsteady grip of Mrs Grundy? (4)
17. One that’s been laid by Greek character on radio – with a kitchen tool! (9)
21. Bird dog pair heard (8)
22. Gaoler sending knight away to get festive bird (6)
24. By Tuesday osteopath will be ordered to be cleaner (10)
25. Show rear of our satellite (4)
26. Angry rave by one engaged in commerce (6)
27. Close friend, it turns out, is a gaolbird (6)
DOWN
1. Friend at Rome sent off to another Italian city (7)
2. Bird dog bishop absolved (5)
3. Bird initially shot, perhaps with a kind of missile (7)
5. Fairy flitting around island monastery (6)
6. Argonauts go crazy for this cocktail flavouring (9)
7. Decaying ordure surrounding knight has a circular form (7)
8. Fake candidate seconds Mister Ed! (8-5)
14. Front of row tickets distributed by Rex could be fraud (9)
16. IRA soldiers troop leader also a university office-bearer (7)
18. Bird pecked around robin’s head (7)
19. Eeyore’s becoming a very unsightly individual (7)
20. Brainless sexy guy entertains Papa on island (6)
23. Cake uni graduate dropped at dance (5)
LILITH
This week’s Venus sashaying into Taurus is a material girl in a material world: earthy, sensual, comfort loving –and stubborn...
Quick Clues
ACROSS
1. Satisfy; delight (6)
4. Scandalous romantic entanglement (6)
9. National symbol on a pole (4)
10. Puckering to the taste (10)
11. Overdue payment (6)
12. Tall flowering plant with spiky blooms (8)
13. Ship’s officer in charge of equipment (9)
15. Stubborn pack animal (4)
16. Self-righteous, overly proper person (4)
17. Kitchen utensil for whipping (9)
21. Crested Australian parrot (8)
22. Large festive poultry (6)
24. Dentifrice (10)
25. Earth’s natural satellite (4)
26. Angry, lengthy speech (6)
27. Institutionalised resident (6)
DOWN
1. Sicilian capital (7)
2. Majestic bird of prey (5)
3. Small, common songbird (7)
5. Monk’s residence (6)
6. Bitter flavouring for cocktails (9)
7. Circular or spherical shape (7)
8. Decoy used in hunting (8-5)
14. Cunning deceiver (9)
16. Senior university administrator (7)
18. Secretive marsh bird (7)
19. Visually unappealing object (7)
20. Lacking intelligence (6)
23. Cuban ballroom dance (5)
Last week’s solution #57 MUTANT FLATIRON
C LYCHEES FATWAH S L K F L Y A QUESADILLA FORM U A N N U W R P ABRIDGE SHACKLE R T E S H R E R ETHERNET DEBRIS
Death in Coles
Mandy Nolan
Shoplifting shouldn’t kill you. In 2024 Coles supermarkets recorded an annual profit of $1.1billion. This was during our costof-living crisis. Coles and Woolworths chains control about two-thirds of the market. It’s why they have been accused of price gouging and colluding to drive up profits. Corporate theft. But hey, it’s okay. They’re corporations.
Last week a 24-year-old Aboriginal man in Alice Springs died after shoplifting in Coles. I have been struggling all week to work out how that could have happened. My son is 24. As a mum I imagined myself in the position of the young Warlpiri man’s mother. I imagined my own son shoplifting from a Melbourne supermarket and being caught by a security guard. I imagined a phone call. A trip to the police station. Maybe a hearing. A fine. That’s how it would have gone for me. Then I imagined finding out he had died. Found out that two off-duty cops had restrained my son on the floor of a supermarket.
As a non-Indigenous mother of a 24-year-old son, that will never be my experience. Because my boy won’t die from stealing a few groceries. He’s white. How does a simple shoplifting incident escalate to death in custody? It happened to the son of an Aboriginal mother, because this is a colonised country, and our systems of power and privilege continue to enact violence on First Nations communities. Decades on, there’s still no justice for Indigenous deaths in custody. That’s why young men die brutal, violent deaths in the place we buy our groceries.
I feel so deeply for the Warlpiri mob of the Yuendumu community, and for the family of this young man. This unbearable, unbelievable grief. This shameful misuse of power over a vulnerable person. This young man with a disability, who was on the NDIS, who was restrained and died on a supermarket floor. It was reported that he was pinned to the floor with a knee behind his head. For shoplifting! The witness told the ABC they heard him crying, he was saying, ‘Mama. Mama.’
ARIES: With practical Saturn having arrived in your sign, you might well ask how will the planet of structured and systematic discipline gel with your wild, wilful, impatient selves? The answer is admirably, if you’re willing to let your free-wheeling energy be channelled into more organised, efficient and effective ways of operating.
TAURUS: Everyone’s airing opinions this week, but asking the right person the right question could be of particular benefit to your Tauran self. Then when Venus, your guiding planet, sashays into one of her favourite signs – yours – this weekend, you’ll enjoy indulging in this more-is-better pleasure cycle.
GEMINI: The recent beams of new moon in Gemini send June off to a racing start as the expressive sun and eloquent Mercury team up with jovial Jupiter in your articulate sign. While your words flow persuasively and convincingly, steer clear of telling people what you think they want to hear.
This young man with a disability, who was on the NDIS, who was restrained and died on a supermarket floor. It was reported that he was pinned to the floor with a knee behind his head.
When I read that I felt such shame. Such outrage.
I saw footage of the vigil and witnessed the distress of the Elders. Of grandmothers and grandfathers. Of aunts and uncles. Of family and community. The vigil moved through the Coles supermarket for a mourning ceremony. Watching this ceremonial walk with mob wearing paints and carrying branches, using leaves to clean the tracks of the young man who died was a stark reminder of what our colonial system has done to Aboriginal people. There is no nature in this unnatural place.
To die on a supermarket floor, on the land that his people used to hunt, where there was once plenty, is a crime. Just 250 years ago that young man would have had his spear, he would have been hunting, not shoplifting, on Country where the concept of
CANCER: Influential Mercury in your social networking sector suggests that focusing on teamwork, technology and cooperation could stimulate a meeting that opens doors for you this week. So venture out of your protective shell, resist staying home bingewatching – there’s plenty of time for passive activities next month.
LEO: Don’t underestimate the ripple effect of whatever you share this week, which has the capacity to magnetise collaborators and community support through opportunities that get a jump-start from networking connections and face-to-face conversations. Remember that this isn’t about pushing –it’s about positioning.
VIRGO: This week’s star scenario asks you to be willing to loosen your grip on the familiar. While a change of scenery can break you out of a mental rut, you don’t have to leave town to widen your horizons. Try checking out different venues, exploring alternative ideas, joining a new social group.
LIBRA: Gemini season’s dual energetics can be distracting for Librans, especially where decision-making’s concerned. So if you’re torn between the safe route of standard operating procedure or following your intuition, cut through confusion by considering how this choice will affect your life in ten minutes, ten months, ten years.
SCORPIO: This week’s soundtrack? Paul Simon’s ‘The Sound Of Silence’: ‘everybody’s talking at me…’. With partnerships and creative collaborations favoured for the next fortnight, if you’ve been thinking about exploring a joint venture, your ability to listen and be discreet, amply demonstrates your potential as a valuable ally.
SAGITTARIUS: Resist jumping to hasty conclusions about other people’s motives or intentions, even if their actions appear inconsiderate, because there’s always more to stories than we know. Balance this week’s Mercury-driven mind by accessing your inner Sporty Spice and engaging in plenty of your fave physical activity.
ownership and commerce did not exist. The land was his supermarket. Welcome to Australia. The place that First Nations people call stolen land. The greatest theft of all is to steal an entire country. Isn’t it? A 24-year-old Aboriginal boy died on a supermarket floor. We should not be okay with this. We have a Labor majority government. Push for treaty. Push for truth.
Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox column has appeared in The Echo for almost 23 years. The personal and the political often meet here; she’s also been the Greens federal candidate since before the last two federal elections. The Echo’s coverage of political issues will remain as comprehensive and fair as it has ever been, outside this opinion column which, as always, contains Mandy’s personal opinions only.
CAPRICORN: If you’ve been sitting on a pitch or idea, this week suggests thinking strategically, because what starts out as a niche concept could evolve into something significant. Perhaps consider scheduling a brainstorming session with whoever has the appropriate reach, influence or connections to take things further.
AQUARIUS: Mixed messages abound this week, as in: ‘hurry up... no, slow down,’ which can be disorienting for your cerebral sign. So use this week’s excessive mental energy for an internal audit: are you asking too much of people? Or yourself? Stay tuned for unexpected downloads, sudden epiphanies or creative brainstorms.
PISCES: The input from this week’s hotwired communications could be a bit overwhelming for a sensitive sign like yourself. So to get maximum mileage out of this transit, don’t waste energy randomly forging ahead on multiple projects all at once. It’s a challenge, but focus on one thing at a time.
GEMINI THE TWINS
MANDY NOLAN’S
seven days of entertainment
Singing her way home
Renowned Irish singer-songweaver and truth-teller, Áine Tyrrell is releasing a moving live video performance of her new single ‘Singing Our Way Home’ featuring the soul-stirring vocals of Leah Manaema Avene, Hussy Hicks, Lisa Mitchell and more. Filmed with the intention of creating a sonic circle of song and belonging, the video honours the heart of the song to bring people home through music, connection, and collective remembering. This powerful release comes as Áine announces her longawaited return to live permanently in the west of Ireland after over a decade of living, creating, and growing on Bundjalung Country in so-called Australia. ‘Singing Our Way Home’ is not just a song, it’s both a medicine and a weapon for the times we are living in. A reclamation of our story. A soundtrack for anyone tracing their way back to the land, the self, and the communities that call them home.
The single is leading the way for her upcoming third album, Mise Éire set for release in October 2025, a body of work that promises to be her most personal, potent and politically resonant to date.
Sunday at 6pm at the Brunswick Picture House, Brunswick Heads. Tickets from $28 via brunswickpicturehouse.com.
It’s a gala to remember
The Mullum Roots Festival will open its inaugural weekend with a celebratory Gala Opening Night at the Mullumbimby Civic Hall on Friday, 11 July – a feel-good evening of music, community and dancing that sets the tone for the weekend ahead.
Hosting the evening is none other than local icon Mandy Nolan. A powerhouse of wit and insight, Mandy will bring her trademark humour and irreverence to the stage, guiding the audience through a night of stellar performances.
Headlining is acclaimed guitarist and storyteller Jeff Lang, whose raw, blues-infused sound has made him a fixture on the national touring circuit. Also taking the stage is the ever-inspiring Biggest Little Town Choir, bringing their signature spirit and soaring harmonies to a special hometown performance.
The night rounds out with a fullblown party as local ten-piece big band Soul’D fires up for a highenergy finale. Bring your friends, bring your dancing shoes – this is one night you don’t want to miss. Festival Director Lou Bradley says the night reflects the heart of the festival: ‘We wanted to start the
festival with something joyful and inclusive. What better way than a night of incredible music, community voices and good vibes in the Civic Hall?’
Doors open 6.30pm, show starts 7pm. 18+ event. Tickets now on sale at www.mullumrootsfest.com.
Farewell Nudge (we’ll be back)
Cunning Stunts are getting ready to say goodbye to Season 9 with a dancefloor explosion of joy, rhythm, and purpose. On Saturday, Nudge Nudge Wink Wink returns for its iconic season finalé – one last chance to lose yourself in the music before the winter break begins. Known across the Northern Rivers and beyond for its unmatched vibe, heart-led impact, and feel-good grooves, this is the party everyone talks about – and it’s your final chance to experience it until spring. With tickets flying and an all-star line-up locked in, this night will sell out. Don’t miss the magic.
Expect a phenomenal night of rhythm and revelry, featuring the eclectic stylings of Lunar Disco, the deep grooves of Graeme Chapple, and the mesmerising moves of The Hoodlum Ballet. They’ll be joined by the resident legends Lord Sut and Dale Stephen – guaranteeing a sonic adventure that spans the globe and decades of dance music.
This June, Nudge Nudge Wink Wink proceeds support Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre (PBNC), a vital lifeline for those experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Your ticket helps provide food, clothing, shelter, and hope, to people in crisis.
Saturday from 4pm – a ticketed 18+ event at The Billinudgel Hotel. Lucky Late Bird Tickets are available here: https://bit.ly/Tickets_Nudge_June7.
Australian guitarist-songwriter-vocalist-producer, Jeff Lang has built a reputation for making startling music that is accomplished, intricate, gutsy, melodic and loaded with soul. Often taking unexpected turns, he has consistently inspired his audiences by creating a stylistically diverse catalog of over 25 albums.
Headlining the Mullum Ex-Services stage on Sunday, 13 July as part of the Mullum Roots Festival, Seven had a chat with Jeff last week in the leadup to his Mullum show.
You’re coming up to Mullumbimby soon – are you excited about that?
Yeah – I’m looking forward to it. It’s good lineup and a festival in that part of the world is usually a good thing. I can’t wait.
Are you bringing some new music?
I’ve been writing some new music and I will have at least one or two new songs. I’ve just got to make sure I get them up to performance confidence, and I’ve got a lot of new songs from the most recent album in the set already.
What is it like for you playing in small towns?
Anywhere that people are interested in listening to live music, I love coming there. And it’s really down to the person who’s running the event during their engagement with the local community. It’s what makes all the difference.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? What inspires you?
What usually gets me out of bed in the morning is my bladder and the resistance my teenage son has with getting to school – haha!
I am always interested in where the next song is coming from, and I try to find a new song. But, there’s lots besides music that keeps me inspired. I can be equally motivated to get out of bed and get into work if I’ve got someone’s record to mix, which is something I’ll be doing this week, I really look forward to that, or if I’ve got a new song idea, that’s definitely inspiring. But, you
know, I can be equally inspired if my wife has a day off work and we’re going to go and have some lunch, that’s a pretty great thing to get out of bed for too.
What is your current ear worm?
Well, I’ve just been doing this theatre show –Vandemonian Lags , it’s a production by Mick Thomas, from Weddings Parties Anything – I have this song of Mick’s called ‘Jane Gilligan On The Town’. The chorus of that is constantly running through my head, it’s a wormy thing.
If you had a question that you would like to ask you, what would it be?
I ask myself things all the time, but I’d rather keep those to myself – ha ha! Yes. I mean, ‘Why are you doing that?’
That’s usually the one. ‘Do you feel compelled to do this?’ is a good question to ask yourself when you’re trying to do creative work. Is this something you feel compelled to do, or is this just something that you feel obliged to do?
Ed – I reckon I could answer that one for you myself – I reckon you do feel compelled.
That’s the thing. That the sort of question that I’d find valuable to ask myself, because the answer should be yes, and if it’s not…
Are you having enough fun?
Yeah, yeah, certainly! This last week, this play I’ve been doing is with a bunch of very, very talented people, brilliant people, but also, very, very funny company. And so this last week-and-a-half has been a lot of laughing. So yes, certainly, on the basis of the last couple of weeks, it has been a tick in the fun column.
Is there something about the Mullum Roost Festival that you’re looking forward to?
I think there’s catching up, you know, seeing some of the acts in the lineup, you know, Reg Monbassa, The Waifs – there’s going to be a lot of good people playing. So that’s what’s good – a chance to actually go and see them.
You can find out about the lineup for the Mullum Roots Festival at: mullumrootsfest.com.
Ballina harmonies with Kernaghan
and Owen
There’s a certain kind of magic that happens when two artists with genuine heart and history step onto a stage together – and audiences at Ballina RSL are about to witness it firsthand.
On Saturday,28 June, the club’s auditorium will host Tania Kernaghan and Jason Owen, two celebrated voices in Australian country music, as they bring their Let Your Love Flow national tour to town. What sets this show apart isn’t just the blend of well-loved classics and award-winning originals – it’s the chemistry between two performers who share an obvious respect for the craft, and for each other.
Kernaghan, a mainstay of Australian country for over two decades, arrives with a remarkable legacy: seven chart-topping albums, a string of numberone hits, and accolades from both the ARIA and Country Music Awards of Australia. Her storytelling style, and warm, familiar voice have made her a beloved figure – not just in country music circles, but across regional Australia.
Owen’s rise has been more recent, but no less impressive. Catapulted to fame as runner-up on The X-Factor, his career has since carved out its own distinct identity. His debut album Life Is A Highway shot straight to the top of the ARIA Country Chart, and his recent original works – including the powerful ‘Proud’, celebrating his First Nations heritage – have deepened his connection with fans.
Together, Kernaghan and Owen share more than a setlist. Their duets –which have attracted millions of online views – are grounded in harmony, not just musically, but emotionally. There’s something nostalgic yet fresh in their interpretations of songs like ‘Islands in the Stream’ and ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’, delivered not with gloss, but with heart.
The Ballina performance promises to be more than a night of familiar tunes. It’s an invitation to pause, reminisce, and celebrate the enduring power of music to bring people together.
With doors opening at 7.30pm, and the show beginning at 8.00pm, it’s an evening shaped as much by memory, as by melody. For longtime fans or curious newcomers, Kernaghan and Owen offer a rare kind of performance: intimate, unpretentious, and rich in the kind of stories that linger long after the final note.
For more info and tickets visit ballinarsl.com.au.
Eclectic Selection
What’s on this week
Born in the Western Suburbs of Sydney in 1978, The Radiators have carved a niche in the archives of Australian rock history and are one of few Australian bands still thrilling audiences week after week.
Thursday from 8pm at the Coolangatta Hotel. Free show
Drover is a band making honest, rough-around-theedges music stitched together with twang, tone, and a lot of heart. There’s no clear genre here – just a mix of coastal grit, country dust and whatever else spills out.
Friday from 7pm at Howl and Moan, Byron Bay. Tickets $20 via humantix.com
Benja & The Deadly Good are a First Nation and LGBTQIA rhythm ’n’ blues disco band founded in 2023, with influences drawn from black and queer musicians who defined pop culture through music.
Saturday from 4.30pm at the Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads. Free show
Hashimoto’s Cactus: their music is said to be hatched from a core of simple, yet complex, melody and rhythm. Stephen Lovelight, we’re told, was the mushroom that ate a misty night and spewed out the stars and dark matter that begat Michael DiCecco, the finger-licking man on drums, and Hans Lovejoy, the super-hands behind the bottom end of this weird foetus.
Saturday at the Rails, Byron Bay. Free show
Dynamic nine-piece reggae ensemble, Bradamon Band, are known for their vibrant fusion of traditional Māori music, Pacific rhythms, and deep roots reggae – they are a vibrant force in the reggae music landscape, bridging cultural traditions with contemporary sounds.
Sunday from 4.30pm at the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay. Free show
Singer, songwriter and guitarist – Bloomfield’s style blends soul, blues and roots with songs that have a sincere and authentic lyric and essence. He plays a clever guitar with an intricate delivery, integrating blues and jazz sensibilities.
Sunday from 3pm at the Cabarita Beach Hotel. Free show
From the studio to the stars
Byron Youth Service launch ‘Micro COSMOS’, a vibrant new youth-led exhibition set to open at Mullumbimby’s newest contemporary art space, The Garage Gallery, with a public launch on Thursday.
The exhibition runs until 15 June and features a compelling collection of artworks by participants in the ARTHAUS program, a Byron Youth Service creative initiative supporting young people in the Northern Rivers. ‘The idea for Micro COSMOS came from our group discussions about what it feels like to be a young person today,’ said one participant. ‘There’s so much going on in the world, and this project gave us a way to express how that connects with what we’re feeling inside.’
The Micro COSMOS exhibition and ARTHAUS program have been facilitated by Karma Barnes, Jacqui Adams, and Holly Dunn, whose combined experience in contemporary art, youth work and community engagement has been central to the program’s success. Their collaborative approach has helped create a space where young people feel seen, supported, and empowered to share their stories through art.
Karma Barnes says ARTHAUS nurtures not only artistic ability but also confidence, connection, and a sense of purpose. ‘It helps young people find their voice, build community, and understand how they can contribute to the world around them, socially, politically, and personally.’
The opening celebration will feature a local DJ, refreshments, and a gathering of young artists, families, and community supporters. It’s a chance to witness the power of youth expression in action and to support the creative future of the region.
Micro COSMOS launches Thursday from 4.30pm to 6pm, at The Garage Gallery, Burringbar St, Mullumbimby. Exhibition from Thursday, 5 June to Saturday, 15 June.
Presented by Byron Youth Service ARTHAUS Program with funding from the NSW Government Youth Opportunities program. For more info go to www.bys.org.au.
OLD MERVS ON THE WAY
Wending their way down the east coast are west coast lads Henry Carrington-Jones and David House – best mates since the age of five, Henry and David grew up together on farms in Kojonup, a tiny town approximately halfway between Perth and Albany, in WA, converting an old stable into their first jam space. These days the pair are playing bigger venues and are very pumped for their only New South Wales show at Stone & Wood’s 11th instalment of Festival of the Stone before heading to Victoria, Tasmania and the US. We caught up with Henry in Kojonup before he took to the road …
Are you and David always just you and David?
It’s just the two of us, always a two-piece. So on stage we have a guitar amp and a bass amp and that sort of fills it out, and we’re able to turn the bass amp on and off.
Are you touring new music this trip?
We released our debut album, Old Mervs a couple of months ago. The funnest part of it is always going out and playing it for the first time, and seeing the fans again, which we haven’t seen for a while. Mid tour we have the Byron show so that’ll be good. We’ll stay there for a few days and have a big time off and then play the festival, which everybody’s excited for.
With just the two of your touring, do you have to arm wrestle a lot? You’ve got no one else to take your side – what happens? Do you fight?
No one has asked that before, and it’s 100 per cent the best question a journalist has ever asked me! Because yeah! The biggest struggle about it is you’ve only got two people. There’s no democracy, and it can be a pain in the arse, and creatively, it can be a real, really big struggle between the two of us, because one person wants something that they think’s right, and the other wants the other, yeah.
Were you guys mates before you were musicians?
Yeah, yeah. It’s a pretty funny story. We were like childhood best friends. We grew up in a regional town called Kojonup in WA – it’s a sheep farming area. Both of our old boys were sheep farmers and sort of, that’s how we both ended up in Kojonup.
What’s your current ear worm?
That’s a great question. What have I been putting on? Definitely the ear worm for me at the moment is ‘Australian Dream’ by The Pretty Littles. It’s just a really cool sort of ballad, but it’s a long song. It goes for eight minutes – such a good song, super, sort of catchy. It’s got a really cool story to it.
Ed – I had a listen – I recommend it.
Are you having enough fun?
Yeah, bloody oath! You know that’s the main part about it – it’s like, you don’t want to be doing it if you’re not having fun or not enjoying certain parts of it. And we both love it for the for the most part. It can be challenging at times, but it’s something that we love. We love releasing music. We love seeing people react to stuff. We love playing live – that’s one massive part we really enjoy. We love selling merch to people and them liking the merch and wanting to be sort of a part of the whole ride. So, yeah, we love it.
We’re having a lot of fun. And, you know, you wake up some mornings and you’re absolutely hung over and exhausted and then you have to be on a plane, that’s the best part – haha supposedly, no! It’s good we’re absolutely frothing, and we love it. And you know, what a cool thing to be able to do?
Have you been to Byron before?
Yeah, a few times, we recorded the whole first album over there and have spent a fair bit of time in Byron – we love it over there. Such a cool spot, great surf. We’re quite into sort of that style of surfing, a bit more traditional style of surfing, as opposed to big wave short-boarding over here, which is a bit more hectic and less relaxing. So it’s nice. We just love going over there, because it’s just super different. Like, we’ll take the boards over for this festival and stuff and just have, like, a fun sort of few days over there surfing, hopefully, if there’s waves. So, yeah, no, we love it. Great part of the world.
What’s going to be good about the Festival of the Stone?
It’s going to be a super fun festival. I am looking forward to it big time. It’ll be really cool to play a festival on that side of the country and in that area as well, but it’s obviously a cool thing, because Josh Pike’s playing and there’s some other bands that we haven’t played with and that’s a really exciting part of it – getting to hang out with some other bands, and meet other bands, is super fun. Tell me about the name…
So, we were trying to think of a name, and we had some terrible names, and we were talking about my old dog, who’d died years before. It was my childhood dog, he was a cocker spaniel cross old English sheep dog. His name was Mervyn, and we’re talking at the table, and Dave said something like, ‘oh yeah, good old Merv,’ and I was like, old Merv, old Mervs, Old Mervs. And then we just looked at each other, shook hands, and were like, deal done.
CINEMA
Ballerina
I love me some ballet, but I am not sure I have seen one in quite this light.
Taking place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4, this film highlights the efforts of Eve Macarro, a ballerinaassassin, (yikes!) as she begins to train in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma and sets out to exact revenge for her father’s death.
Let’s dance! Academy-award-nominee Ana De Armas gives a lethally balletic performance in her highlyanticipated franchise debut as the titular lead in the blood-soaked, wall-to-wall action extravaganza, From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina Fan-favourite (and mine) Keanu Reeves also returns to bring more elegantly choreographed violence in exceptionally tailored suits as John Wick himself.
From veteran action director Len Wiseman, the stage is set for a killer supporting cast including, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno,Norman Reedus, and IanMcShane
From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina screens at the Palace Cinemas in Byron Bay, from Thursday. For more information and tickets visit palacecinemas.com.au.
GIG GUIDE
WEDNESDAY 4
RAILWAY HOTEL, BYRON BAY, TAMEAKA FAIRFULL
BEACH HOTEL, BYRON BAY, 6PM WILL HENDERSON
THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY, 6PM INO PIO, 9PM DUELLING
PIANOS – BODHI ACTON & MITCHELL DORMER
BANGALOW BOWLO 7.30PM
BANGALOW BRACKETS OPEN MIC
THE PADDOCK PROJECT, MULLUMBIMBY, 4PM OPEN MIC JAM
HEAPS GOOD FOOD STORE, MULLUMBIMBY, 5.30PM THE SPOKEN WORD SOIRÉE
THURSDAY 5
THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY, 7PM MATTY ROGERS + THE DUSTIES, 8PM DUELLING
RAILWAY HOTEL, BYRON BAY, HARRY NICHOLS
BEACH HOTEL, BYRON BAY, 6.30PM SHMONE
THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY, 5PM ALEX BOWAN, 9PM
DUELLING PIANOS – SHANE
PARRY & SAM WHEAT
HOTEL BRUNSWICK 6PM ADAM JAMES
SAINT MARIES, BRUNSWICK HEADS, 6PM MONDO HUM
THE GARAGE GALLERY, MULLUMBIMBY, 4.30PM STUDIO TO THE STARS: BYRON YOUTH LAUNCH MICRO COSMOS
KELP BAR, BALLINA, JAY & LYNDEY
ELTHAM HOTEL NOT QUITE FOLK JAM
LISMORE CITY BOWLO 7PM THE SUPPER CLUB SOUL BAND
PIANOS – JOHN HILL & SHANE PARRY, 9PM MIKE RISH + EMANUEL BANEGAS AND LUCAS BAUDIO
HOTEL BRUNSWICK 6PM LUKE
COMBS APPRECIATION NIGHT
WANDANA BREWING CO., MULLUMBIMBY, 4PM DJ SALVE JORGE
COURTHOUSE HOTEL, MULLUMBIMBY, 7.30PM STELLAR
MIDDLE PUB, MULLUMBIMBY, 8PM KRAPEOKEEE WITH JESS
CLUB LENNOX 7PM MATT DAY TRIO
LENNOX HOTEL 9PM
SUPERCHEEZE
CHERRY STREET SPORTS CLUB, BALLINA, 7PM INO PIO
ELTHAM HOTEL 5.30PM SLIM PICKENS
MURWILLUMBAH SERVICES CLUB 6.30PM PHIL GUEST
PEARCES CREEK HALL, PIERCES
CREEK, 6.30PM BEEFHEART AND MCQUINN + THE KINDER ROX
CABARITA BEACH HOTEL 6.30PM FINN KEY
KINGSCLIFF BEACH BOWLS 5PM
TAHLIA MATHESON
KINGSCLIFF BEACH HOTEL 6PM DIVAS OF HOUSE
SATURDAY 7
RAILWAY HOTEL, BYRON BAY, HASHIMOTO’S CACTUS
BEACH HOTEL, BYRON BAY, 3PM
ANIMAL VENTURA + BARNEY
WANDANA BREWING CO.,
MULLUMBIMBY, 12.30PM JBS
seven days of entertainment
BLUES BREAKERS + DJ SALVE
JORGE + DJ ROB SYDNEY
MULLUMBIMBY EX-SERVICES
CLUB 6PM DAVE POWER
BILLINUDGEL HOTEL 4PM
NUDGE NUDGE WINK WINK –DJS LUNAR DISCO, GRAEME
CHAPPLE, DALE STEPHEN, LORD SUT + THE HOODLUM BALLET
CLUB LENNOX 7PM MILO GREEN TRIO
LENNOX HOTEL 8PM
PANDAMONIUM DJS
BALLINA RSL LEVEL ONE 6PM INO PIO
CHERRY STREET SPORTS CLUB, BALLINA, 8PM CATH SIMES BAND
HOWL & MOAN, BYRON BAY, 7PM DROVER WITH LUNE TO THE MOON + DARC
COOLS DJS
BYRON THEATRE 2PM
SCREENING: THE MESSAGE OF THE LYREBIRD
NORTH BYRON HOTEL 1.30PM DR JR DYNAMITE DANI QUAYLE MUSIC
THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY, 7PM SIMON MARKS + MARSHALL & THE FRO, 8PM
DUELLING PIANOS – JOHN
HILL & SAM WHEAT + SHANE PARRY & BODHI ACTON
BANGALOW HOTEL 6PM JOE CONROY
HOTEL BRUNSWICK 4.30PM
CALLUM CREELMAN + BENJA & THE DEADLY GOOD + JORDAN MAC
MURWILLUMBAH SERVICES CLUB 6PM LEIGH JAMES THE CHILLINGHAM STORE 3PM
RADIO JUPITER
KINGSCLIFF BEACH HOTEL 3PM THE JACKS
KINGSCLIFF BEACH BOWLS 5PM
BEN WHITING
TWIN TOWNS, TWEED HEADS, THE SHOWROOM 2.30PM ANTHEMS OF THE 70’S SHOW
SUNDAY 8
RAILWAY HOTEL, BYRON BAY, THE GIN BUGGS
BEACH HOTEL, BYRON BAY, 4.30PM BRADAMON BAND
NORTH BYRON HOTEL 2PM KATE ELSWORTH THE NORTHERN, BYRON BAY, 6PM OLE FALCOR, 9PM
DUELLING PIANOS – JOHN HILL & BODHI ACTON
HOTEL BRUNSWICK 4PM THE BRIGHT VIOLET + CARLI FAIRBURN
BRUNSWICK HEADS PICTURE HOUSE 6PM ÁINE TYRRELL
MIDDLE PUB, MULLUMBIMBY, 3PM SWAMP CATS OPEN MIC
WANDANA BREWING CO., MULLUMBIMBY, 3PM DJ ABEL EL TORO
BILLINUDGEL HOTEL 12PM KHANAGE
LENNOX HOTEL 3PM EPIC
LENNOX PIZZA 5PM GUY AND NICCI
MONDAY 9 RAILWAY
AUSTRALIAN HOTEL, BALLINA, 2PM MILO GREEN
WEDNESDAY
7:50PM. Mon: 11:00AM, 1:15PM, 4:00PM, 5:45PM, 7:50PM. Wed: 11:00AM, 1:15PM, 4:15PM, 5:45PM, 8:30PM LILO & STITCH (PG) Daily except Wed: 10:45AM, 1:30PM, 3:50PM, 6:10PM, 8:30PM. Wed: 10:45AM, 1:30PM, 3:50PM, 7:45PM ALL FILMS BEATING HEARTS (MA15+) Daily except Sun, Wed: 2:30PM, 6:45PM. Sun: 11:15AM, 6:45PM. Wed: 11:15AM, 2:30PM BRING HER BACK (MA15+) NFT Daily except Thurs: 8:00PM. Thurs: 8:30PM FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (MA15+) Daily except Mon: 4:20PM, 8:30PM. Mon: 4:20PM, 8:45PM FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA (MA15+) NFT Daily: 10:45AM, 1:00PM, 3:30PM, 6:00PM, 8:30PM MISSION: IMPOSSIBLETHE FINAL RECKONING (M) Daily except Sun, Wed: 11:00AM, 12:50PM, 4:10PM, 7:30PM. Sun: 12:50PM, 4:10PM, 7:30PM. Wed: 11:30AM, 3:00PM, 6:45PM OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH (PG) Thurs: 10:45AM, 3:30PM, 6:15PM. Fri, Mon, Tues: 10:45AM, 3:30PM, 5:45PM. Sat: 10:45AM, 4:00PM, 5:45PM. Sun: 10:45AM, 4:10PM, 5:45PM. Wed: 3:30PM, 5:45PM SINNERS (MA15+) Thurs, Fri, Sat, Tues: 1:00PM, 8:10PM. Sun, Wed: 8:10PM. Mon: 1:10PM, 8:10PM THE GREAT LILLIAN HALL (M) NFT Daily: 11:10AM, 1:30PM, 3:50PM, 6:15PM THE SALT PATH (M) Daily: 10:50AM, 3:20PM, 5:45PM THE SURFER (MA15+) Daily except Thurs, Mon: 6:10PM THUNDERBOLTS* (PG) Daily except Thurs, Mon: 1:45PM, 8:20PM. Thurs: 1:45PM. Mon: 1:45PM, 8:30PM TINA (MOTHER) (M) Daily: 11:10AM
CASABLANCA (PG) Sat: 10:00AM BRING HER BACK (MA15+) NFT Daily except Thurs, Sat: 2:50PM FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (MA15+) Daily: 7:30PM FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA (MA15+) NFT Daily except Thurs, Sat: 12:20PM, 5:00PM, 7:30PM. Thurs, Sat: 12:10PM, 5:00PM, 7:30PM KARATE
PALACE BYRON BAY
BALLINA FAIR CINEMAS
ECHO CLASSIFIEDS – 6684 1777
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WHERE TO GET THE ECHO
If you live in Newrybar, Lennox Head or Ballina, but outside our current home delivery area, you can pick up an Echo from many locations, including: Newrybar Providore Newrybar; Richies IGA Ballina, Ballina RSL, One Stop Shop Ballina, Ballina Golf Club East Ballina, Brighton St Takeaway near the Shawsy, Seagrass Lennox, Lennox pub drive-through, Station St Grocer Lennox
PUBLIC NOTICES
WILD DOG
BAITING NOTIFICATION
This notification is to advise all landholders within one kilometre of the property at 31 Pinegroves Rd, Myocum that 1080 wild dog baits will be laid on the abovementioned property from 10/06/2025 to 30/09/2025.
THIS IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM.
Property owners are recommended to restrain their pets and working dogs and to ensure that they do not enter the baiting location during and after the poisoning operation. In the event of an accidental poisoning seek immediate veterinary assistance. 1080 poisoned baits will be laid in accordance with Pesticide Control (1080 Liquid Concentrate & Bait Products) Order 2020 under Section 38 Pesticides Act 1999. Additional requirements may be imposed by NCLLS. For further information contact: Jason Edwards 0457 356 510 or Steve Elmsly Senior Biosecurity Officer, Local Land Services, 0475 710 668
Mullumbimby & District Neighbourhood Centre
Connecting the Byron Shire Community
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
- Kitchen Hands -
- Retail Assistants- Drivers and Co-driver- Community Support AssistantsMDNC is in needs of dedicated volunteers to be part of a big
FESTIVAL OF THE STONE 2025
NOTICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF BYRON SHIRE
After working closely with Byron Shire Council, consultants have
Byron Brewery, 100 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay. We wish to Saturday, 14th June to 12am, 15th June.
FESTIVAL TIMES: SATURDAY, 14th JUNE – GATES OPEN AT 3PM AND CLOSE AT 10PM
TRAFFIC:
until 12am Sunday, 15th June.
PARKING:
240 Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay. to the festival site.
SHUTTLE BUSES:
Crane.
DEATH NOTICES COBB
Marjorie Elsie (nee Griffith)
Late of Cleveland, Brisbane, passed away peacefully 20/5/2025 aged 96 Beloved wife of Norm (dec’d). Loving mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother
A private cremation was held 28/5/2025
IN MEMORIAM
Zoe Falzon 1972-2024
A year has passed but not forgotten.
Zoe Falzon , beloved daughter of Albert Falzon and Tanya Binning. Zoe attended Mullumbimby and Cremorne High Schools before moving to London for many years. Zoe was born and died in Sydney. Grateful thanks to the staff of St. Vincents Hospital oncology staff in Sydney. Always brave and dearly missed by her family.
HEALTH
HYPNOSIS & NLP
Over 30 years of experience WendyPurdey.com. Ph 0497 090 233
Body Based Psychotherapy
Somatic Practice
Julie Wells
Anne Goslett (nee Mannix)
Dip.Som.Psych, Clinical PACFA Reg. Individual and Couple Therapy
Supervision and Coaching (02) 6685 5185
9 Fletcher St, Byron Bay
ZENTHAI SHIATSU
RELAX, RELEASE, RECONNECT
Contact Alex Zenthai Shiatsu Therapist Bodywork with intention
Bring greater focus, clarity and calm into your workplace.
Certified Mindfulness
Educator Paul Bibby 0401 926 090
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE
Relax, Revive, Restore. Techniques in Swedish, Remedial, Sports, Deep Tissue, Relaxation, Full Body & ASMR or combination. 60, 75, 90 minutes. Mark 0448441194
KINESIOLOGY
Clear subconscious sabotages. Reprogram patterns and beliefs. Restore vibrancy and physical health. De-stress. 0403125506 SANDRA DAVEY, Reg. Pract.
2 BED HOUSE FOR SHORT TERM RENT 22 June to 1 August South Golden Beach
or 0409568795, or apply direct at seek.com.au/job/82948461
LADIES WANTED, MUST BE 18+ Work available in busy adult parlour. Travellers welcome. 66816038 for details.
TAXI DRIVERS WANTED Flexible work hours –perfect 2nd income Email operations@byronbaytaxis.com
High School Counsellor
Mon-Fri (term time only)
See advertisement on page 10.
Position description and application process www.capebyronsteiner. nsw.edu.au
Adobe Tutoring Experienced Professional
Excavator Operator & Rock Wall Specialist
Retaincon is seeking an experienced Excavator Operator & Rock Wall Specialist to join our team in Palm Beach, Queensland.
This is a full-time position where you will play a vital role in the construction and maintenance of rock walls and large-scale earthmoving projects across SE QLD & Northern NSW.
•Operate excavators and other heavy machinery to construct rock walls on both residential and civil projects
•Build rock walls using sandstone and bush rock materials
•Has own excavator/s
•Read and interpret site plans, specifications, and job requirements to ensure accurate and efficient execution
•Perform routine maintenance and conduct safety checks on machinery to ensure optimal performance and safety
•Collaborate with the construction team to coordinate tasks and meet project deadlines and quality standards
•Identify and report site hazards or issues to maintain a safe working environment
•Comply with all company policies, procedures, and safety regulations
Retaincon is a leading construction company specialising in high-quality retaining wall projects across QLD & Northern NSW. With over 20 years of industry experience, we take pride in our craftsmanship, dedication to safety, and positive, collaborative work culture.
For more information, please contact Rohan Cook (Project Manager) on 0420 469 047.
HANDYMAN SERVICES No job too big or too small. Call for quote. $60ph. Insured. 0439735817.
1 or 2 MEN AND A UTE •Furniture •Rubbish • Deceased estates
•Cheaper than a skip or a removalist! Please phone Jarrod 0415 139 308
Not suitable for pets or young children
ready to be adopted! D.O.B 30/12/24 Microchip 900263003505654
SASSY
Sassy is an absolute sweetheart! With her classic tabby markings and captivating eyes, Sassy is as lovely to look at as she is to cuddle. She’s incredibly affectionate and loves nothing more than to purr up a storm while snuggled in your lap. Sassy is playful and curious, always ready to explore her surroundings, she has a gentle nature and would likely adapt well to a loving family environment.
Location: Murwillumbah For more information contact Yvette on 0421 831 128. Please complete our online adoption expression of interest.https:// friendsofthepound.com/adoptionexpression-of-interest/
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Deadline: For additions and changes is 12pm Friday
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HANDYPERSONS
Property Insider
13 Warrawee Drive, Lennox Head
In a peaceful coastal enclave just minutes from the beach, a rare and refined estate offers a new standard in coastal living. Spanning over 3,100 square metres of manicured gardens, this Mediterraneaninspired retreat is a masterwork of design, seamlessly blending sculptural architecture with resortstyle luxury.
The main residence is an elegant expression of light and space. Timber floors, custom joinery, and louvred windows enhance the home’s natural connection to its surroundings. Flowing across multiple levels, the interiors are warm, sophisticated, and designed for effortless living and entertaining. At the heart of the home is a gourmet kitchen featuring sleek
concrete benchtops, bespoke cabinetry, and premium appliances. It opens to expansive living and dining areas that spill onto a series of alfresco decks, all oriented to capture sweeping sunset views over the resort-style infinity-edge pool.
Five serene bedrooms include a luxurious master retreat with its own private garden, outdoor bath, and shower – an idyllic escape within the estate. A fully self-contained, two-bedroom guest studio offers flexibility for extended family, guests, or short stays, complete with its own kitchen, bathroom, and verandah.
The grounds are as impressive as the home itself, with a yoga pavilion, terraced orchards, and lush lawns dotted with mature fruit trees.
Every element has been carefully considered to create a tranquil, functional, and deeply beautiful environment.
Located less than 2km from the coastline and village amenities, this estate offers the rare combination of privacy, sophistication, and convenience. More than a residence, it’s a lifestyle – an immersive retreat where elegance meets ease on the coast.
byronbaysir.com.au
7 AZOLLA PLACE, SUFFOLK PARK
27 ROSES ROAD, FEDERAL
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@taratorkkolafirstnational
Property in focus
Banksia Waters, Tweed Heads West
but to move in, relax and enjoy your new lifestyle.
Open plan living/dining area with ceiling fan & split system airconditioner. A glass sliding door leads out onto the back patio area, a great space for alfresco indoor/outdoor living and entertaining. Stunning stylish kitchen is complemented with Caesar stone benchtops and modern appliances, including a dishwasher. Two spacious bedrooms with ceiling fans; master includes walk-in robe & air conditioner
Generous size bathroom features a lovely bathtub, glassed-in shower, vanity with ample storage & toilet. Plus, a separate 2nd guest toilet.
Adjoining the home is a carport suitable for 2 small vehicles Energy efficient home with a 6Kw Solar system & new hot water system.
Retirement living at its best, without the associated costs of exit fees and no stamp duty.
Sorry, no pets permitted
Inspect: By appointment
Contact:
Open for Inspection
First National Byron Bay
• 46 Cedar Drive, Dunoon. Wed 12–12.30pm
• 2/122 Lighthouse Road, Byron Bay. Wed 12.30–1pm
• 12 Chilcott Circuit, Cumbalum. Wed 1–1.30pm
• 2/59 Brandon Street, Suffolk Park. Wed 2–2.30pm
• 160 Reardons Lane, Swan Bay. Thurs 11–11.30am
• 3/6 Keats Street, Byron Bay. Thurs 12.30–1pm
• 4/6 Keats Street, Byron Bay. Thurs 1–1.30pm
• 73 New City Road, Mullumbimby. Fri 10–10.30am
• 14 Rush Court, Mullumbimby. Sat 9–9.30am
• 58 Corkwood Crescent, Suffolk Park. Sat 9–9.30am
• 5 Barby Crescent, Bangalow. Sat 9–9.30am
• 451 Federal Drive, Federal. Sat 9.30–10am
• 73 New City Road, Mullumbimby. Sat
10–10.30am
• 7 Azolla Place, Suffolk Park. Sat
10–10.30am
• 17 Blue Horizon Drive, Lennox Head. Sat
10–10.30am
• 22 Offshore Avenue, Skennars Head. Sat
10–10.30am
• 2/122 Lighthouse Road, Byron Bay. Sat 10–10.30am
• 29 Palm–Lily Crescent, Bangalow. Sat
10–10.30am
• 2/19 Marvell Street, Byron Bay. Sat 10–10.30am
• 87 Massinger Street, Byron Bay. Sat 10–10.30am
• 25 Dalley Street, Mullumbimby. Sat 10.30–11am
• 2/59 Brandon Street, Suffolk Park. Sat 11–11.30am
• 27 Roses Road, Federal. Sat 11–11.30am
• 32 Left Bank Road, Mullumbimby. Sat 11–11.30am
• 3/6 Keats Street, Byron Bay. Sat 11–11.30am
• 325 Riverbank Road, Pimlico. Sat 11.00–11.30am
• 12 Chilcott Circuit, Cumbalum. Sat 11.30am–12pm
• 4/6 Keats Street, Byron Bay. Sat 11.30am–12pm
• 496 Myocum Road, Myocum. Sat 11.30am–12pm
• 465 Uralba Road, Lynwood. Sat 12–12.30pm
• 93 Station Street, Mullumbimby. Sat 12–12.30pm
• 21 Excelsior Circuit, Brunswick Heads. Sat 12.30–1pm
• 46 Cedar Drive, Dunoon. Sat 12.30–1pm
• 101 James Street, Dunoon. Sat 1–1.30pm
• 234A Bangalow Road, Byron Bay. Sat 1–2pm
• 1/51 Caniaba Crescent, Suffolk Park. Sat 1.30–2pm
• 478 Tuntable Creek Road, The Channon. Sat 2–2.30pm
MANA RE
• 9 Wattar Court, Ocean Shores. Wed 12.30–1pm
• 6 North Heads Road, New Brighton. Sat
9–9.30am
• 14 North Head Road, New Brighton. Sat 10–10.30am
• 9 Wattar court, Ocean Shores. Sat 10–10.30am
• 4/2 Arika Avenue, Ocean Shores. Sat 10.30–11am
• 38 Banool Circuit, Ocean Shores. Sat 11–11.30am
• 15 Muli Muli Avenue, Ocean Shores. Sat 11–11.30am
Tim Miller Real Estate
• 60 Federation Drive, Eltham. Fri 1–1.30pm
• 598 Eltham Road, Eltham. Sat 9–9.30am
• 90 Bates Road, Federal. Sat 9.45–10.15am
• 73 Mafeking Road, Goonengerry. Sat 10.45–11.15am
• 831 Binna Burra Road, Federal. Sat 11.45am–12.15pm
DJ Stringer Property Services
• 305 Casuarina Way, Kingscliff. Sat 9–9.30am
• 3/4B Chitticks Lane, Fingal Head. Sat 10–10.30am
• 24 Blue Waters Cres, Tweed Heads West. Sat 11–11.30am
• 1/13 Biby St, Tugun. Sat 12–12.30pm
Dodds Real Estate
• 4 Wattle Place, Bangalow. Sat 12–12.30pm
• 108 Main Arm Road, Mullumbimby. Sat 1.30–2pm
NEW LISTING
MANA RE
• 4/2 Arika Avenue, Ocean Shores.
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Backlash
Well may we say ‘God Save the King’, because no one will stop The Echo from shutting its office on his birthday, June 9.
World Environment Day Festival returns to Murwillumbah’s Knox Park on June 8. It will run from 10am to 3.30pm and promises to be a community day of ‘environmental education, live music, and collective action’. For more info visit www.calderaenvironmentcentre.org.
Psst: Works have begun on reconstruction of the entire length of South Beach Road in Brunswick Heads, located from the bridge to Torakina and to the surf club. there will be very limited access to parking during work hours, Monday to Friday. Council staff say ‘Torakina carpark will remain blocked to traffic and parking for the remainder of the project – which is on track for completion by the end of August, weather allowing’.
As ‘awareness months’ go, June has taken the unenviable title for bowel cancer, meaning it’s a good time to get checked if you are over 50. The test is the easiest way to detect the early signs of bowel cancer, which is Australia’s seconddeadliest cancer. If caught early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in more than 90 per cent of cases, says Cancer Institute NSW.
Pro-Palestinian activists are keeping Israel’s genocide in the public’s eye, with rushhour traffic heading into Byron Bay on Monday being greeted with signs at the entrance to the Ewingsdale
left, Michelle
Miler on the right and Mountain
band
the
Wendy and Graeme are directors of Community Land Acquisition Initiative, a company with charity status that was established with the express purpose of acquiring the wallum heathland at Brunswick Heads for the community to hold as a reserve in perpetuity. Around 130 revellers doe-si-doed their way around the Bruns Community Hall last week for a fundraiser to ‘Help Buy Wallum’. Co-organiser, Wendy Royston said, ‘The night was a huge success in so many ways – from the rousing music and sense of community created, to the delicious Mediterranean platter created by Save Wallum volunteers’.
intersection. Palestinian author, journalist, and poet, Plestia Alaqad, reports from the warzone and was sent the images via local activist Harsha Prabhu. She replied, ‘As a journalist reporting from the heart of Gaza, I write to you with a heart full of gratitude and deep respect. The images you’ve shared – bold, powerful, and uncompromising in their truth – speak volumes’.
With the Byron Shire Community Awards approaching, now is the time to nominate an individual, business or group who have made an exceptional contribution to community life. Eight categories are open, and to nominate by June 16, visit www.byron.nsw.gov.au/ communityawards.
From
Mahrer, Sandra Lundbergs, Wendy Royston, Graeme Batterbury with Louisa
