Lyne MP Alison Penfold says an 80 per cent tobacco tax cut is the only way to smash organised crime’s grip on illegal cigarettes, but a former detective says even that might not be enough.
Politics
Posted inLocal politics, Tweed Shire
Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry calls time on six turbulent years in the top job
Six years, a cyclone, two floods and a border shutdown later, Tweed Shire’s mayor is stepping back. Chris Cherry has revealed who she wants to take her seat, and why she says now is the moment for a changeover.
Posted inAgriculture, Environment, Federal Politics, Local News
Farmers need answers on Labor’s new environment laws
Can you clear a fence line or fix a creek crossing without Canberra’s say-so? Allison Penfold claims Labor’s new environment laws leave basic farm work in limbo.
Posted inMurwillumbah, NSW Politics, Regional Development
South Murwillumbah locals get say on flood buyback land’s future
South Murwillumbah’s flood buyback land could become parks, trails or wetlands. Locals get their say from this September, with pop-ups, workshops and an online survey.
Posted inCoffs Harbour, Good News, Local politics
New faces bolster three Coffs Harbour committees
Four locals, including a recent regional tourism award winner, have joined three City of Coffs Harbour committees covering tourism, disability access and ageing.
Posted inLocal politics, Long Read, Politics
Three strikes and still not out: the weak council rules unable to deal with populist politicians
They run the same playbook as Pauline Hanson and Donald Trump: turn every sanction into persecution. Inside the NSW rules that still can’t make badly behaved councillors stop.
Posted inEmergency management, Housing, Lismore, NSW Politics, Regional Development
Northern Rivers rebuild delivers first homes, unlocks flood-free land
Four relocated homes are in. Seventy-six more lots are coming. The Northern Rivers rebuild is picking up pace, and officials say it’s changing lives on the ground.
Posted inKyogle Shire, Local politics, Money
Kyogle Council’s decade-long waste levy fight finally pays off
A decade of lobbying, one unfair tax scrapped for good. Kyogle ratepayers are set to save up to $400,000 a year after the state finally agreed the levy should never have applied to them.
Posted inNSW Politics, Roads and Infrastructure, Tuncurry
Tuncurry Slipway finally back on track after years in limbo
Empty since 2023, fought over in Budget Estimates, and now finally funded: the Tuncurry Slipway has a $13.8 million path back to life, and a mid-2027 finish line.
Posted inFederal Politics, National News
Barnaby Joyce fails to clear up One Nation migration confusion
Barnaby Joyce said his colleague was wrong on One Nation’s migration numbers, then confirmed that PALM workers don’t count. But he refused to say what skilled workers we would have to go without.