Byron Bay articles of interest.

The opening of the Roundhouse in 1969. A COMMUNITY group has warned of a “potential environmental disaster” on a contentious piece of council owned land in Ocean Shores. The Roundhouse Action Group says there is a 20m deep disused well on the former Roundhouse site on Orana Rd which may contain toxic chemicals that could leach into groundwater. It has called on Byron Shire Council to find the well and investigate its contents before the council proceeds with a plan to subdivide and sell the site for a townhouse development. The group’s claims are based on the evidence of former Brunswick Heads and now Brisbane resident, Bruce Harkness, who recalls throwing chemicals in the well when he was a 14-year-old [...]

HOT RODDING is like a bug, says Pete Paynter: “Once it gets ya, it’s hard to get it out of ya system.” The Ocean Shores hot rod enthusiast will be in his element among hundreds of like-minded souls at this weekend’s third annual Back to Brunswick Hot Rod Run. The event was organised by Mr Paynter and his mate from the Gold Coast, Rod Brewer, and will showcase some of the country’s most impressive hot rods. Mr Paynter and Mr Brewer have also managed to attract two of the world’s most respected hot rodding experts, Pete Chapouris and Jimmy Shine, from the US Discovery Channel’s TV program, Hard Shine, to be special guests at the meet. Booking the pair was [...]

Line of defence: A line of sandbags were laid at Belongil Beach in January last year in an attempt to stem erosion of the beach. RESTORATION work on the storm-battered Belongil Beach will begin shortly after the NSW Government pledged $738,000 for works. A series of storms, resulting in big seas, caused considerable damage in 2009. “Byron Shire Council’s beach front protection works took the full brunt and considerable damage was sustained by these defensive structures,” Don Page, the Minister for the North Coast, said. “As well as seawall repairs, the works undertaken at Belongil Beach will repair public access pathways to the beach front.” Mr Page said the funding had been approved by the Minister for Finance and Services, [...]

Brunswick Heads Chamber of Commerce president Matt Mayall says the lifting of the sewage moratorium will be good for business and ease pressure on housing. THE towns of Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby are poised to enter a new period of growth and invigoration following the end of the 14-year Brunswick Valley sewage moratorium this week. With its new $30 million Brunswick Valley Sewage Treatment Plant finally online, Byron Shire Council this week voted to lift the ban on development, opening the door for new and more affordable housing, a 30% growth in population and an accompanying boost to business. Town planner Steve Connelly said the decision was cause for celebration. “People have been stifled from doing anything,” he said. “If [...]

Tweed mayor Kevin Skinner wants no part of Byron Shire. Byron mayor Jan Barham has raised the prospect of a merger. TWEED is better off without parts of Byron Shire being added to the council area, Tweed mayor Kevin Skinner said. Cr Skinner yesterday declared the Tweed would not be interested in taking over parts of Byron Shire, such as Ocean Shores or Brunswick Heads, because the shire was already “big enough” and self-contained. His comments should come as good news to a number of Byron residents, whose Greens Party mayor Jan Barham claimed a NSW Coalition government would sack Byron council and amalgamate it with another council. Ms Barham, who is running as a Greens Party candidate for the [...]

The New Byron Youth Service Bus This week Byron Youth Service (BYS) takes delivery of its new Toyota 12 seater minibus for use as a mobile youth outreach service aiming to prevent and reduce youth crime around the Shire on weekends. The “Turning the Tide on Local Youth Crime” project will be commencing service on Friday 1st April, which is the start of National Youth Week, visiting townships of the Shire on Friday & Saturday nights and engaging with young people that are hanging out on the streets.  The aim of the new service is to reduce the likelihood of young people, particularly those under 18 years of age, becoming involved in criminal activities such as alcohol & drug related [...]

Thousands turn out to watch a previous Kites and Bikes Festival at Brunswick Heads. EXPECT to see some weird and wonderful bikes at next Sunday’s Kites and Bikes Festival at Brunswick Heads. Among them will be a modern take on the Penny Farthing, developed by Huon, a Year 10 student at the Shearwater Steiner School. The art bike project has the goal of adding some whimsy and wonder to the growing world of self-powered transport. “The bike activities are all about encouraging people to swap the car for a bike,” festival bike co-ordinator Nick Bowden said. Bring along your decorated bikes, scooters and strollers to The Terrace for the bike parade, or decorate them at the festival. Throughout the day [...]

Valued residents vie for top prize – Australia Day Awards WHILE Australia Day is famed for the announcement of the Australian of the Year, Northern Rivers residents who have gone above and beyond for their communities will be also recognised tomorrow. In the Richmond Valley Council, seven residents are up for Citizen of the Year. Casino’s Dr Jurriaan Beek, the late Dorothy Robson, and Owen Crawford have been nominated, as have Lillian Colless and ‘Boydie’ Arthur Collyer from Evans Head, Coraki’s Barbara Hicks and Woodburn’s Mervyn Morgan. In Ballina Shire, Sheila Aveling, Dawn Sword, Elizabeth Griffiths, Damien Watson and Beatrice Gray are all in the running for the Citizen of the Year award. In Lismore, 14 people have been nominated [...]

The Samba-Blisstas will perform in Byron Bay tomorrow as part of New Year’s Eve celebrations. A low-key and family-friendly event – that’s what’s on offer for New Year’s Eve in Byron Bay. Starting from 4pm tomorrow with the Byron Bay twilight beach market and amusement rides, the markets will feature local artisans, a variety of stalls and buskers on the main Byron Bay foreshore. Byron Shire Mayor Cr Jan Barham said the low-key event was being staged by the council to promote a family-friendly event for residents and visitors. “The Samba-Blisstas will perform from 7.30pm and McGregors Festival Amusements will have a range of rides to entertain the whole family and with the market stalls it should be a fun [...]

Organisers and supporters of the new youth night in Brunswick Heads gather at the Sandbar Cafe. An exciting new Friday night event for 13 to 17-year-olds kicks off at the Sandbar Café in Brunswick Heads tomorrow night. The ‘Our Space’ event is on from 6pm to 9.30pm with live music from alternative rock band Alice Blu, MC hip hop artist Pyxidata and DJ refo.rM. Tickets are $15 and include entertainment, a hamburger and milkshake or juice and transport to the venue on the ‘magic bus’. The Sandbar Cafe co-owner Rachael Smith, along with Bhadrena Rose from Injoy Magazine and Pete Gauge from youth boxing business Boxation, came up with the idea for the ‘Our Space’ nights out of a desire [...]

Byron Council’s annual free bulky items kerbside clean-up starts on June 21. The council’s manager of waste and recycling services, Russell Chaplin, said it was a service provided for items that did not fit in a wheelie bin and was available to urban households that had their red-lidded rubbish bin collected weekly. Mr Chaplin said the kerbside clean-up program would be conducted in three stages over three weeks. He said Area 1 included residents in Byron Bay, Sunrise Beach, Suffolk Park, Baywood Chase, Byron Hills and Broken Head. Residents in these areas must have their waste out by June 20 to ensure it would be collected. Area 2 included residents in Ocean Shores (north and south), South Golden Beach and [...]

Brunswick Heads is the place to be this Saturday for bargain hunters, as the 10th Old and Gold Festival offers a record 59 garage sales and about 100 stalls in three second-hand fairs. The town’s numerous second-hand shops will be full of beautiful treasures, and many of the retail shops will get in on the action with clearance sales and bargains. But the Old and Gold is not just for adults, with plenty of fun for kids and lots of free activities. Kids can let their imaginations run wild at the funky junk craft from 10am to 3pm at the school, where boxes overflow with colourful recycled craft materials to create rag dolls, snakes or anything else. They can have their faces painted [...]

Houses have been destroyed, up to 2000 homes are without power and two injured people have been taken to hospital after a powerful storm tore through Lennox Head on the NSW north coast Buildings have had their roofs ripped off by the storm and power lines brought down, while police say more people may have been hurt when what has been described as a mini-tornado hit the town about 7.30am (AEST) today. NSW Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan says 12 homes have been demolished by wind and hail. He said another storm front is approaching the area, potentially causing major problems for those whose homes have already been damaged. “Up to 2000 homes are currently without power and the power company [...]

THERE were plenty of thrills and spills in Brunswick Heads yesterday, as its new skate park opened to the delight of dozens of skaters and hundreds of onlookers. The sun dried up any traces of the morning’s rain, allowing eager skateboarders from five to 25 to put the bowl and the street section through their paces. Board slides, 5-0 grinds, ollies and fliptricks were performed in every corner as music blared and Mullum Rotary put on a sausage sizzle, adding to the festive atmosphere. ‘Thanks for keeping the heat off the street’, was one entry in a giant card presented to Diane Woods to express gratitude for Byron Council’s help in getting the park built. And kids who skate all [...]

Markets in the Northern Rivers Area Ballina Market Entertainment Area Canal Road Ballina Ph/Fax: (02) 6672 2874 Bruce Williams Art and craft stalls, local home grown produce and a variety of activities. Market held on 3rd Sun of month. Bangalow Market Showgrounds Bangalow NSW 2479 Ph: (02) 6687 1911 Stalls, arts & crafts & performances. 4th Sun of month. Brunswick Heads Riverside Markets Memorial Park Brunswick Heads NSW 2483 Ph: (02) 6684 4437 Gordon Wright Riverside Markets at Memorial Park held from 7.30am to 3.00pm on the first Sat each month. Easter Market held on Easter. Annual Twilight Market held from 4pm to 9pm on the last Wed before Christmas. Byron Bay Community Market Byron Bay Community Market, Butler Street [...]