Ballina Information Blog

Stuck for Mother’s Day gift ideas? If so, a fete at St Bartholomew’s Parish Centre in Alstonville on Saturday, May 9, might provide the answer.
There will be a wide range of gifts on offer, ranging from flower arrangements to cakes, crafts, sweets, hand-made cards and produce.
There will be plenty of other goods on offer, as [...]

A proposal to make Ballina a Transition Town will be announced at the launch of Steve Posselt’s book, Cry Me A River, at the Ballina Fair Cinema on Monday, May 4, at 6.30pm.
Mr Posselt, who wrote Cry Me A River after paddling the Murray-Darling river system from Brisbane to Adelaide, and the Ballina Climate Action [...]

Ballina Environment Society has lodged an appeal with the Federal Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, urging him to assess plans for a residential development at Patchs Beach, South Ballina, as possibly constituting a Federally ‘controlled action’ under the provisions of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999).
“This Patchs Beach development approval was confirmed [...]

The Ballina Jet Rescue Boat Service has received a grant from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.
The $16,500 will help with the purchase and modification of a new boat.
Newcastle Permanent said that after receiving an unprecedented number of submissions, its Charitable Foundation had awarded $230,000 to six community not-for-profit organisations in the Hunter, Central Coast, New [...]

Wooden board and chain beach access paths and eroding informal sand paths at Lennox Head are now being replaced with new, 100 per cent recycled plastic boards.
Ballina Shire Council is believed to be a leader in NSW and one of a handful of local governments in Australia using recycled plastic boards and bearers in pathways [...]

The Anzac Day tradition is alive and well — and apparently growing, judging by the crowd at today’s march in Ballina.
River Street was packed from Martin Street right through to the RSL Club as hundreds of men, women and children lined the march route.
It was a perfect day for the march, with fine weather but [...]

Autism Month will see the official opening of a dedicated building in Alstonville that will deliver Aspect Far North Coast Centre services, including a new NSW Government-funded program as well as existing Aspect services.
The move to the new building, to be officially opened on Friday, May 1, was necessary after vast growth and a high [...]

Ballina Shire eateries figure prominently in nominees in the 2009 Restaurant and Catering NSW/ACT Northern NSW Awards for Excellence.
According to CEO Robert Goldman, the juding region stretches from Byron Bay to the plains of Moree and down the coast to Forster.
Local restaurants that have been nominated are:
BREAKFAST RESTAURANT
Blackboard at the Beach, Lennox Head
Sirocco Café & [...]

The Northern Rivers Community Gallery in Ballina has a diverse series of exhibitions running throughout May.
Gallery 2 will feature Jenny Clarke – Australian Goodwill Bicycles Abroad.
This photographic exhibition focuses on the needless disposal of bicycles and promotes an alternative to this practice by urging people to donate unwanted bicycles to Australian Goodwill Bicycles Inc, now [...]

It’s an Aussie icon, but where do you get a good feed of fish and chips in Lennox Head?
At the aptly-named The Bream Hole, which is in the running to be named Crisco Australia’s Best Fish ’n’ Chip Shop 2009.
The Bream Hole owner, Janene Murray, said she was excited about entering the competition and believed [...]