NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Rose Jackson, says the government has $5 billion ready to spend on social housing, so will the Northern Rivers benefit?

The minister was in the Byron Shire recently as part of the local council election campaign for Labor’s Asren Pugh and says funding is also all but guaranteed for homelessness services offered at the Fletcher Street Cottage.

Meanwhile, thousands of homes have been approved across swathes of land in NSW North and South coast regions but are yet to be built, with so-called ‘zombie DAs’ the subject of a parliamentary inquiry led by Labor Member for Cessnock, Clayton Barr.

It's more than four month since Afghan Files whistleblower David McBride was sent to prison for a five-year term and Greens Senator David Shoebridge is calling on the federal government to release him and drop charges against ATO whistleblower Richard Boyle.

We also hear what drives Echo Publications co-editor Aslan Shand to focus on hyper local news and the history of community broadcasting in Australia, with the sector celebrating fifty years.

1.    Time to decide where to spend $5 billion on social housing in NSW, says Rose Jackson MP  featuring Labor NSW Minister for Housing and Homelessness Rose Jackson and Labor Byron Shire Mayoral candidate Asren Pugh

2.      Thousands of homes approved, not built owing to NSW ‘zombie DAs’ (Part 1 of 3) featuring Labor NSW Member for Cessnock and Inquiry into Historical Development Consents Chair Clayton Barr 

3.    Private landowners hold all the cards, says NSW Labor MP (Part 2 of 3) featuring Labor NSW Member for Cessnock and Inquiry into Historical Development Consents Chair Clayton Barr

4.      Old approvals for new housing on NSW floodplains still valid (Part 3 of 3) featuring Labor NSW Member for Cessnock and Inquiry into Historical Development Consents Chair Clayton Barr

5.      Greens senator calls on federal government to pardon McBride featuring Greens Senator David Shoebridge (Dr John Jiggens)

6.      What drives Echo Publications co-editor Aslan Shand featuring Echo Publications co-editor Aslan Shand (Phil Daly, Byron Business and Beats, Bay FM)

7.      Celebrating 50 years of Australian community broadcasting (Noah Secomb, National Radio News)

*producer: Mia Armitage. Reports by Mia Armitage unless otherwise indicated.Tune in to the Community Newsroom on Fridays from 11am-12 on Bay FM 99.9 or listen online at bayfm.org
Facebook: Community Newsroom NRN

PIC: NSW Minister for Housing, Homelessness Rose Jackson (Wikipedia)