Ballina Information Blog

The Ballina Island Kayak Challenge — a Coastcare Life On The Edge community challenge raising funds for Australian Seabird Rescue — will be held on Sunday, January 4.
The Australian Seabird Rescue North Coast Branch will be hosting the community challenge, the Ballina Island Kayak Challenge and is inviting individuals and groups to participate in a [...]

Police are appealing for witnesses following two separate armed robberies at financial institutions on the Far North Coast during the past couple of months.
The first incident occurred at 10.35am on Monday 17 November, when a man entered a credit union in River Street, Ballina, and produced a handgun.
He threatened staff and left a short time [...]

The Ballina coast and hinterland will be showcased to over 300,000 visitors and visiting friends and relatives as part of the new facelift at the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport.
Ballina Shire council has installed an LCD monitor showcasing the iconic images of the popular features, activities and attractions on offer in the Ballina Shire, a series [...]

Not many gymnasiums offer 180-degree, picture-perfect water views to patrons working up a sweat.
With this in mind, Dave Westaway jumped at the chance to purchase Riverside Health Studio, on the banks of the Richmond River in Ballina, just over a year ago.
Since that time Dave has set about steadily transforming the business into an integrated [...]

The North Coast Regional Algal Co-ordinating Committee has issued a blue green algae ‘red alert’ for Lake Ainsworth at Lennox Head.
Committee spokesperson Brian Dodd said blue-green algae have bloomed in Lake Ainsworth and the latest information indicates that the algae levels have increased since last week’s sampling.
“Accordingly the Regional Algal Co-ordinating Committee, in conjunction with [...]

How clean are the swimming locations in Ballina Shire?
With the exception of the aftermath of flooding last January, our swimming areas in Ballina and Lennox Head have been given the tick of approval in the Department of Environment and Climate Change’s Beachwatch Partnership Program.
In findings released today, the State of the Beaches summary reports that [...]

There’s a big weekend of markets in Ballina and Alstonville, and it might be the ideal opportunity to pick up a unique Christmas gift.
The usual East Ballina Lions-organised Ballina market will be held at the Canal Road grounds on Sunday, while in Alstonville, there will be a first, with the Lismore Car Boot Market coming [...]

Bus tours are available for Ballina Shire residents wanting to check out the more than 100 homes and businesses registered on this year’s Christmas Light Up map.
Ballina Shire’s manager of Tourism and Development, Liz Shepherd, says: “When looking to view the Christmas lights on display ,consider car pooling to reduce carbon emissions or think about [...]

Former Lennox Head Surf Club member Anna Jacobsen has used her lifesaver experience to invent a new rescue neck brace.
Ms Jacobsen, who comes from a family of surf lifesavers in Lennox Head and is now a QUT industrial design student, has designed a neck brace that fits around a modified lifesaver’s tube, the yellow floatation [...]

Record-breaking powerboat Earthrace, which holds the record for circling the globe and is for sale for $US1.5 million, will dock in Ballina on December 30 and 31.
Earthrace is billed as the fastest and greenest powerboat in the world, and will arrive in Ballina as part of a worldwide tour to communicate the importance of biofuels in the [...]