Ballina Information Blog

The precious coast of northern New South Wales will be better protected as a result of Labor’s five-year $100 million Community Coast Care Program.
Labor candidate for Page Janelle Saffin says the local coastline is under real pressure from climate change and coastal growth, and coastal communities are calling out for on-the-ground support.
The Community Coast Care [...]

Ballina is set to come alive this Sunday when Rivafest 2007 is held.
And while the emphasis will be on fun, there also will be a moment of sad reflection when Fawcett Park is formally renamed Lance Ferris Park in memory of the founder of Australian Seabird Rescue.
Lance, pictured, died suddenly last month, aged 60.
The official renaming [...]

Twenty-five surf lifesavers from northern NSW are attending the 2007 Lifeguard School being held in Ballina this week.
The lifesavers from as far north as the Gold Coast south to South West Rocks have been selected to take part in the school, which is the training program for those lifesavers who wish to be appointed as [...]

North Coast lifeguard co-ordinator Stephen Leahy’s daily beach report:
The first great beach day for quite some time – weather-wise but conditions were still a little tricky with some strong rips and currents around. Here’s what happened on lifeguard patrolled beaches today:
Lennox Head: Nice half metre waves, particularly out behind the sandbank on the falling tide [...]

A re-elected Coalition Government will invest $5 million to support Ethanol Technologies’ pilot ethanol plant at the Harwood Sugar Mill, Nationals candidate for Page, Chris Gulaptis, said today.
“The Coalition has announced strong plan to increase Australia’s biofuel production and encourage more Australians to choose biofuels like ethanol at the fuel pump,” Mr Gulaptis said.
“Ethanol is [...]

Even the Nationals think John Howard and Peter Costello have been ignoring the National party in this election campaign, ALP candidate for Page Janelle Saffin said.
“Former National Party leader John Anderson has told the Australian newspaper that the views of the Nationals have been ignored by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer,” she said.
Ms Saffin [...]

Member for Ballina Don Page has called on the State Labor Government to expedite the construction of the radiotherapy unit at Lismore Base Hospital. This comes on the back of the Federal Government’s announcement that it will kick in another $2 million on top of the $8 million they have already committed to the project.
Speaking [...]

North Coast lifeguard co-ordinator Stephen Leahy’s daily beach report:
Due to strong southerly winds off northern NSW, there are dangerous conditions along the Far North Coast of NSW. Waves are around 1m to 1.5m and very choppy. There are strong sweeping currents and many powerful, fast-moving rips along beaches.
Australian Lifeguard Services advises that people should:
Leave the [...]

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says the whiting and flathead have been quite good in the lower reaches up to about Pimlico. Depending on how much fresh comes down from the recent rain, they’ll either move slightly downstream or all the way down to the walls in the Town Reach.
Blue swimmer crabs were coming on [...]

The northerlies have finally been replaced with south to south-east winds, and there’s plenty of swell.
Unfortunately, the wind got a bit too much onshore overnight and it’s a messy swell today.
South to south-east winds gusting to 33 knots are forecast for today, so expect the swell to hang around over the weekend.