Northern Rivers News

Sweet news for Norco dairy farmers with the announcement of a $30 million expansion of the Lismore ice cream facilities. The investment securing 850 jobs and ensuring the sustainability of the co-operative’s 220 farm members.  

Police are seeking the help of the public to locate a 28-year-old woman, missing on the state’s Far North Coast. Amy Friedman was last seen on a fire trail south of Brunswick Heads Surf Club, at around 8 o’clock on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t until late on Thursday afternoon that police were notified of her disappearance, with a search so far unable to locate the woman. She’s described as being of South American appearance, around 170cm tall, with a medium build, brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

It’s been nine years in the making. Now, approval has been given for a $45-million residential estate to be built on the North Lismore Plateau. Winten Property Group has chosen a 433-lot estate off Sexton Road as its preferred site. “They’ve approved it with just a few minor conditions around a stage 3 development coming down the track about some protection of aboriginal areas and small changes to a few other conditions but really it’s just going through as approved.” The precinct will see Lismore’s population grow by around 5000 people, within the next 10 years. (VISION ONLY)  

A campaign to close Byron Shire’s only nudist beach – due to alleged lewd behaviour – is dividing local opinion. Tensions ran high during a Council meeting today, as naturists and residents gathered to hear what would become of the beach.  

Residents are calling for swift action from Byron Shire Council, after a woman died yesterday when her car crash into a tree on Bangalow Road. Locals call the stretch of road a hotspot – with more than 20 accidents in the last decade.  

Alstonville locals are being warned to keep an eye out for home-made road spikes, after a number of motorists ended up with damage to their cars in recent days. A local mechanic took to social media to warn residents, saying he’d had two customers in two days with flat tyres due to the improvised spikes. Both cars had recently been travelling along Teven Road, with police now aware of the incidents. The post has been shared almost 400 times.

There’s been a tragic crash on the far north coast, with a woman dead after her car went off the road and slammed into a tree. Emergency services rushed to the scene on Bangalow Road at Talofa, east of Byron Bay, just before 3:30pm. They found the 27-year-old woman unresponsive in the wreckage… she couldn’t be revived. (VISION ONLY)

Uber Eats has expanded into Byron Bay in what’s being described as a “potential gamechanger” for the local food and hospitality industries. Some business owners have already signed up, while others remain skeptical.

A 34-year-old man has been charged, after police allegedly located rifles, drugs and stolen property at a home near Lismore. On October 11, officers executed a search warrant at a home on Cawongla Road, Larnook, about 30km north of Lismore. Officers then allegedly located a small hydroponic setup with six cannabis plants, cannabis leaf, MDMA tablets, steroids, three rifles, a trail bike, petrol and credit cards, all believed to be stolen. After inquiries, a 34-year-old man was arrested yesterday and charged with several offences, he was granted conditional bail to appear at court on November 19.

Despite the wet weather, organisers of the 133rd North Coast National are adamant that the show must go on. A record number of cattle have been entered into this year’s show – a promising sign in times of drought.