Something to Talk About is our community magazine designed to share stories and news from around the Byron Shire.
Download the latest edition Something To Talk About Community Newsletter 2025 to 2026(PDF, 10MB)
See some highlights from the year below.
Looking back over the past 12 months I’m grateful for what we’ve been able to achieve together – our biggest program of projects and works to date, with a focus on caring for our environment while serving our community’s needs as the six new councillors find their feet.
We’ve tried to approach each project with respect for Country and an eye toward sustainability, creating spaces where our community can connect with the natural beauty that surrounds us.
The Byron Co-Lab on Arakwal Country has been a rewarding project – the $6.2 million transformation of the old hospital site now houses community organisations and services that were much needed in our area.
The next step will hopefully see the back half as housing for emergency services workers, a much-needed addition during our current housing crisis.
We’ve also been working on connecting our green spaces. Heritage Park in Mullumbimby how has new play equipment and an accessible path and we’re adding a new section of footpath along the lighthouse walk at Byron Bay, with more to come.
The renovation of Marvell Hall has given us a refreshed community space.
I’m pleased we will be able to heat the Petria Thomas pool in Mullumbimby in time for next winter. It’s something the community has been asking for and will make swimming more accessible year-round.
When Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred hit earlier this year it was encouraging to see how much better prepared we were compared to the 2022 floods. Our community networks and emergency planning made a real difference and I’m grateful to everyone who helped their neighbours through challenging times.
That’s just a taste of what has been happening. I invite you to discover more about our achievements.
With warmth and appreciation,
Mayor Sarah Ndiaye
- $47.9 million – Major work and construction
- $23.6 million – Recycling and waste services
- $17.95 million – Sewerage operations
- $14.2 million – Water operations
- $10.5 million – Parks, sports fields, beaches and bush regeneration
- $16 million – Buildings and pools
- $14.4 million – Maintenance of roads, bridges, footpaths and drains
- $10.6 million – Natural environment, planning and development
- $8.1 million – Community Services, libraries and childcare
- $73,000 – Administration and governance
- $4.5 million – Enforcement and environmental health
- $1.2 million – Emergency Services
(correct at time of printing)
In 2025/26, for every $100 spent we will invest:
- $28 – Major work and construction, including flood recovery
- $5 – Community services, libraries and childcare
- $9 – Buildings and pools
- $8 – Maintaining roads, bridges, footpaths and drains
- $6 – Parks, sports fields, beaches and bush regeneration
- $14 – Recycling and waste services
- $6 – Natural environment, planning and development
- $1 – Administration and governance
- $3 – Enforcement and environmental health
- $1 – Emergency services
- $8 – Water operations
- $11 – Sewer operations
(correct at time of printing)
Save water and save money. Use these simple ways to check for water leaks in your home.
Use your eyes
Check your taps, showerheads and pipes. Can you see water, moisture, wet spots or corrosion?
Use your ears
Can you hear water dripping or running? Pay particular attention to the toilets.
Add some colour
Add a few drops of food colouring to the toilet cistern.
Check in 30 minutes and if the water in the bowl is coloured you have a leak.
Make friends with your water meter
Turn off the dishwasher, washing machine, taps and other appliances that use water. Check your water meter – if the numbers are moving you probably have a water leak.
Check your water bill
Compare your water bill to the previous one to see if there has been a sudden spike in water usage. It could mean you have a water leak.
Council hosted its Furry Friends Festival in June – a free community event to celebrate beloved pets of the Byron Shire, all shapes, sizes and furry-ness!
The festival’s new Doggy Arena in the centre of the Bangalow Showgrounds attracted a large, furry audience (and their owners) with free shows, competitions and demonstrations. We look forward to seeing everyone there again next year.
Find out more about designated on lead and off lead dog exercise areas on our website.
The transformation of South Beach Road at Brunswick Heads is in full swing and on track for completion at the end of August.
This $2.7 million project includes:
- Drainage
- New kerb and guttering
- Full road reconstruction
- Parking formalisation and line marking
We are preparing to start the Byron Bay Drainage project in the second half of 2025.
This is a major project for Council that aims to solve many flooding issues in the Byron Bay town centre and nearby areas.
So far, we have secured a total of $18.8 million for the works planned which includes:
- $7 million for gravity drainage upgrades in the town centre catchment
- $11.8 million for drainage upgrades in the recreation grounds catchment.
Have you visited the new and improved playground at Heritage Park in Mullumbimby? If not, make sure you put this one on your list!
Surrounding by beautiful parkland and magnificent fig trees, the playground improvements include some fun, new nature-based elements and a popular four-metre high, spider climbing frame that’s perfect to stretch and challenged primary school-aged kids.
It’s been full steam ahead for our Infrastructure Services team over the last 12 months.
We’re proud to bring you a snapshot of some of the work we’ve done across the Byron Shire in 2024/25 and a look at some of the projects we will deliver in the next 12 months.
Flood Recovery
Some of the work completed in 2024 to 2025
- South Golden Beach installation of flood pump generator
- Coogera Circuit detention basin
- Lawson Street drainage upgrade
- Gravel road repairs – 11 roads
- Johnsons Road causeway and culvert repairs
- Left Bank Road causeway and culvert repairs (two sections)
- South Golden Beach floodgate upgrade options – investigation
- Main Arm Road pavement upgrade (stage 1)
Underway or coming up in 2025/26
- Bangalow Flood Study
- Belongil Creek and Tallow Creek Flood Plan reviews
- South Golden Beach flood pump (west) feasibility assessment
- Brunswick River Catchment Flood Study and Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan update – subject to grant funding.
- Byron Shire Overland Flow Study path (draft mapping completed)
- Broken Head Road culvert upgrade
- Coomburra Crescent drainage upgrade assessment and design
- Massey Green stormwater renewal – investigation design and approvals
- Byron Bay drainage upgrade
- Coopers Shoot and Picadilly Hill Road shoulder repairs
- Huonbrook Road, Left Bank Road, Main Arm Road – flood damage repairs
- Upper Wilsons Creek – culvert and causeway repairs
- Wilsons Creek Road landslip repairs, road reconstruction, culvert repair and replacements
Water and utilities
Some of the work completed in 2024 to 2025
- Sewer main CCTV assessments program
- Hydrant inspections program
- Inflow and infiltration patch works program
- Bangalow Road, Fletcher Street water main upgrade
- Paterson Reservoir concept design
Underway or coming up in 2025 to 2026
- Water main replacement – Yelgun Creek, Kolora Way
- Low pressure sewer pump station upgrades
- Wilsons Creek Weir slip repair
- Inflow and infiltration sewer relining works program
- Mullumbimby emergency trunk main upgrade
- Sewer pump stations renewals program
- Main Arm Road water main upgrade
- Ewingsdale Road water main
Mullumbimby Road Upgrade
People going to and from Mullumbimby are asked to factor in additional travel time and consider alternative routes (e.g. Myocum Road) from mid-July to December as Council upgrades sections of Mullumbimby Road.
Th $5.3 million project includes road reconstruction and widening where possible and drainage and intersection improvements.
The project is being delivered in two stages.
- Stage 1 is from McAuleys Lane to The Saddle Road and Mullumbimby Road will remain open to traffic in both directions but at slower speeds.
- Stage 2 will be from The Saddle Road to Gulgan Road (Uncle Tom’s) intersection and the road will be open to inbound traffic only.
Mullumbimby Road upgrade
Some of the work completed in 2024 to 2025
- Booyong Road reconstruction
- Fern Street footpath
- Bayshore Drive road reconstruction (stage 1)
- Rifle Range Road upgrade
- Coomburra Crescent intersection upgrade
- Main Arm Road pavement reconstruction
We resealed sections of the following roads:
- Tweed Valley Way
- Shara Boulevard
- Coolamon Scenic Drive
- Yallakool Drive
- Tweed Street
- Plantation Drive
- Campbell Street
- Booyung Road
- Mafeking Drive
Underway or coming up in 2025 to 2026
- South Beach Road upgrade
- Mullumbimby Road upgrade
- Station Street road and drainage upgrade
- Mullumbimby to Brunswick Heads cycle path design
- Byron Street raised pedestrian crossing
- Tallow Creek footbridge renewal
- Centennial Circuit shared path
- Cowper Street shared path and road upgrade
- Market Street footpath construction
- Beach Avenue construction
- Kendall Street railway crossing safety improvements
- Bangalow Road shared path and crossing
- Bayshore Drive roundabout (TAFE/IGA intersection)
New place plan on the way
An exciting new Place Plan is on the way for residents in the north of the Byron Shire following a year of consultation with local community and stakeholders.
The team is currently reviewing feedback from the recent public exhibition and the plan will go to Council in September to be adopted.
A draft list of 22 actions was developed for the Place Plan in consultation with community members.
High on the list were:
- Creation of a network of paths and cycleways.
- Improved road safety for pedestrians at village centres and beach entries.
- Improvement of road safety for drivers and pedestrians at identified intersections.
New Brighton, South Golden Beach and Ocean Shores Place Plan - Byron Shire Council
Biodiversity education programs kicking goals
Council’s Biodiversity Officer, Claudia Calliari, picked up a Highly Commended at the Local Government NSW Excellence in the Environment Awards for the No Bat No Me community engagement project.
Council’s Biodiversity team also ran the 2025 Toad Bust Byron Shire which removed 6,385 toads and tadpoles from our local environment, contributing to control of more than 200,000 cane toads this season (2024 to 2025) across Australia.
Pest Animals - Byron Shire Council
Update on 60day cap for Byron Shire holiday letting
Last September we saw a shire-wide 60-day cap on the number of nights an unhosted property can be holiday-let across the year (with the exception of parts of Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads) come into effect.
At its heart, this regulation is about opening up long-term rental options and opportunities for our community.
We need more affordable housing and more key worker housing for people who live and work in the Byron Shire.
At the time of printing, we will be 10 months into the first year of this new regulation.
Staff are monitoring all short-term rental accommodation regulations via the NSW Government register and other data sources.
New tools launched to restore wildlife habitat
Byron Shire Council and Brunswick Valley Landcare have launched to new tools to help landholders restore wildlife habitat in riparian zones across the Byron Shire.
The new tools include:
- An updated publication of Brunswick Valley Landcare’s Revegetating Streams in the Brunswick Catchment.
- Council’s new interactive Wildlife Corridors map.
Fireants
We don’t want fireants in the Byron Shire.
Be on the lookout.
Local alert pest species - Byron Shire Council
Completed projects across our community facilities and open spaces program in 2024 to 2025 include:
- Council Chambers roof replacement
- Federal Community Children’s Centre roof replacement
- Bangalow Community Children’s Centre roof replacement and upgrade to facility
- Mullumbimby Civic Hall structure upgrades to entry awning and lintel
- Marvel Hall upgrades including asbestos removal, new kitchen, accessible ramp entry and internal refurbishment
- Mullumbimby District Neighbourhood Centre:
- New windows, doors and accessibility upgrades
- First floor exterior asbestos removal/replacement of cladding
- New Brighton soccer shed new roof and ceiling
- Heritage Park pathway and playground upgrades
- Concept design for Brunswick Heads sports ground playground
- Linda Vidler Park concept design for new pathway and shelter
- Improved lighting at Byron Bay Tennis Club
- Fence renewal at Pine Avenue football field
- Byron foreshore concept design (endorsed by Council)
- Concept design for Apex Park Byron Bay public amenities
- Belongil Beach emergency access ramp
- Upgrade and repairs to the Mullumbimby Civic Hall Fountain
- Relocation of Bangalow Farmers Market to Piccabeen Park
Projects coming up in 2025 to 2026
- Brunswick Heads sports fields – amenities and accessibility upgrade project (to start September to October)
- Byron foreshore kayak storage facility (to start October 2025)
- Sandhills Childcare Centre – roof improvements
- Mullumbimby Community Hall (old Scout Hall) – refurbishment including accessible ramp, kitchen and accessible toilets.
What are we doing to tackle homelessness?
This year Byron Shire recorded the second highest number of people sleeping rough in the NSW Government’s 2025 Street Count.
This is of great concern to Council and our community.
We’ve been working on solving the complex issues surrounding homelessness in our Shire for about 10 years now and we are continuing to step up our efforts.
We employ two staff members (Public Space Liaison Officers) who provide a proactive and compassionate response to homelessness, including linking people sleeping rough with services and support.
We co-fund staff to convene and take part in the Ending Rough Sleeping Collaboration Byron Shire, a community-led project taking collective action to end homelessness.
We also provide Fletcher Street Cottage to the Byron Community Centre as a local hub to make sure that our community can connect with a wide range of homelessness and other support services.
We are also reaching out to the wider community through our 1,000 Voices project to capture local experiences, hopes, challenges and ideas.
Homelessness in the Byron Shire
We offer a full range of library services to our community through the Richmond-Tweed Regional Library with libraries at Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads and Byron Bay.
The mobile library offers a borrowing service to other communities such as:
- Federal
- Ocean Shores
- Suffolk Park
- Bangalow.
The Lone Goat Gallery is hosting Council’s biennial Climate Conversations Project and will have the powerful installation ‘Rise and Fall’ by nationally-recognised Indigenous artist, Karla Dickens, on display starting in July.
Did you know that the Cavanbah Centre in Byron Bay runs a weekly program of social sports?
Join pickleball on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday mornings, volleyball and futsal teams on Wednesday evenings or Scrimmage on Saturday afternoons.
The Cav also has three outdoor courts, five sports fields and the indoor facility to hire.
Cavanbah Centre
Our Move to Reuse campaign has helped local markets, events and community groups to eliminate single-use food and beverage packaging.
We have stopped over 110,000 items from going into landfill.
How can you help?
- BYO cups, cutlery, containers to events and businesses.
- Support local businesses that offer reusable options.
- Ask for reusables wherever you get takeaway.
- Dine-in and take some extra time to enjoy.
- Always return items that you borrow. Even if you take them home you can take them back to any of the markets.