11:00 am - Community Newsroom

12:00 pm - Community Newsroom

Resonating stories. Journalists from around the block, interstate and overseas.With no corporate interests and no government bias, when it comes to news, we put community interests first. Our stories come from you. 

Thanks to the Community Broadcasting Foundation for support.

Facebook: @CommunityNewsroomNRN

Got a tip? Email communitynewsroom@mail.com

Anchor / Executive Producer: Mia Armitage

Contributors: Emma Setterfield-Smith; Anny Reed; Dr John Jiggens; Julie Beesley; Michelle Michels; Dione Green; Kate Payne; Jim Beatson; Emma Meyers; The Wire; National Radio News Service; Community Radio Network and more

listen to past episodes and interviews here.

PIC: Mia Armitage and Emma Setterfield-Smith

Resonating stories. Journalists from around the block, interstate and overseas.With no corporate interests and no government bias, when it comes to news, we put community interests first. Our stories come from you. 
Thanks to the&nbsp;<a href="https://cbf.org.au/about/community-media/">Community Broadcasting Foundation</a> for support.
Facebook: @CommunityNewsroomNRN
Got a tip? Email communitynewsroom@mail.com
Anchor / Executive Producer: Mia Armitage
Contributors: Emma Setterfield-Smith; Anny Reed;&nbsp;Dr John Jiggens; Julie Beesley; Michelle Michels; Dione Green; Kate Payne;&nbsp;Jim Beatson;&nbsp;Emma Meyers; The Wire; National Radio News Service; Community Radio Network and more
listen to past episodes and interviews <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/community-newsroom">here</a>.
PIC: Mia Armitage and Emma Setterfield-Smith

Community Newsroom: weekly program

Resonating stories. Journalists from around the block, interstate and overseas.With no corporate interests and no government bias, when it comes to news, we put community interests first. Our stories come from you.Thanks to the Community Broadcasting Foundation for support.

Facebook: @CommunityNewsroomNRN

Got a tip? Email communitynewsroom@mail.com

Anchor / Executive Producer: Mia Armitage

Contributors: Emma Setterfield-Smith; Anny Reed; Dr John Jiggens; Julie Beesley; Michelle Michels; Dione Green; Kate Payne; Jim Beatson; Emma Meyers; The Wire; National Radio News Service; Community Radio Network and more

listen to past episodes and interviews here.

Resonating stories. Journalists from around the block, interstate and overseas.With no corporate interests and no government bias, when it comes to news, we put community interests first. Our stories come from you.Thanks to the <a href="https://cbf.org.au/about/community-media/">Community Broadcasting Foundation</a> for support.
Facebook: @CommunityNewsroomNRN
Got a tip? Email communitynewsroom@mail.com
Anchor / Executive Producer: Mia Armitage
Contributors: Emma Setterfield-Smith; Anny Reed;&nbsp;Dr John Jiggens; Julie Beesley; Michelle Michels; Dione Green; Kate Payne;&nbsp;Jim Beatson;&nbsp;Emma Meyers; The Wire; National Radio News Service; Community Radio Network and more
listen to past episodes and interviews <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/community-newsroom">here</a>.

Community Newsroom

Community Newsroom  - 20 February 2026

Byron local George Graham, has been monitoring the storm water drainage leaking onto Clarks Beach for over fifteen years. Through independent water testing and researching into the history of the drain, he concludes that the water is not safe for people to swim - even though many do. 

He tells us about his research and what he think the council should do next. 

George Graham: Byron Local, independently researching into the storm water drainage at Clarks Beach

PIC: Clarks Beach, supplied by George Graham 

Byron local George Graham, has been monitoring the storm water drainage leaking onto Clarks Beach for over fifteen years. Through independent water testing and researching into the history of the drain, he concludes that the water is not safe for people to swim - even though many do.&nbsp;
He tells us about his research and what he think the council should do next.&nbsp;
George Graham: Byron Local, independently researching into the storm water drainage at Clarks Beach
PIC: Clarks Beach, supplied by George Graham&nbsp;

George Graham tells us his concerns regarding the 'brown frothy' water at Clarks Beach 

Following the $$ in Byron Shire and how to have your sayfeaturing Byron Shire Council Assets and Major Projects Manager Christopher Soulsby

reporter: Mia Armitage

PIC: shared path in the Byron Arts and Industrial Estate/Sunrise (Mia Armitage)

Following the $$ in Byron Shire and how to have your say featuring Byron Shire Council Assets and Major Projects Manager Christopher Soulsby
reporter: Mia Armitage
PIC: shared path in the Byron Arts and Industrial Estate/Sunrise (Mia Armitage)

Following the $$ in Byron Shire and how to have your say

Today we follow the money, in the Byron Shire at least, with an expert guide to ‘developer contributions’ ie. fees… but not always, as we learn thanks to the council’s assets and major projects manager, who joins us in the studio to explain how you can have a say in how the funds are spent.

Something’s frothing at Clarkes Beach but it ain’t the surf… we find out what’s up with thanks to a long-term local who reckons he’s been keeping tabs on a possibly illegal drain spewing toxic brown water onto the beach for the past 16 years.

All isn’t well over in New Zealand when it comes to relations between the government and Maori representatives but we hear how generational changes could alter dynamics; and how a new film accidentally caught the last days of one of Russia’s only independent TV news outlets.
18 years since the National Apology featuring former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Took the children away by Archie Roach (Fernando de Freitas)
Following the $$ in Byron Shire and how to have your sayfeaturing Byron Shire Council Assets and Major Projects Manager Christopher Soulsby
NZ gov’t accused of racist politics featuring Auckland University Māori Studies Professor and Ngāti Kahu leaderMargaret Mutu (Harrison Pederson, The Wire)
The Byron beach frothing in a bad way featuring Byron resident George Graham (Emma Setterfield-Smith)
Filming the last days of independent Russian TV featuring Julia Loktev, director of My Undesirable Friends, Part 1: Last Air in Moscow (Stephen Hill, The Wire)
Northern Rivers News with Emma Setterfield-Smith (Karen Crick)

*producer: Mia Armitage. Reports produced 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: brown stormwater discharge on Clarkes Beach (pic supplied)

Today we follow the money, in the Byron Shire at least, with an expert guide to &lsquo;developer contributions&rsquo; ie. fees&hellip; but not always, as we learn thanks to the council&rsquo;s assets and major projects manager, who joins us in the studio to explain how you can have a say in how the funds are spent.
Something&rsquo;s frothing at Clarkes Beach but it ain&rsquo;t the surf&hellip; we find out what&rsquo;s up with thanks to a long-term local who reckons he&rsquo;s been keeping tabs on a possibly illegal drain spewing toxic brown water onto the beach for the past 16 years.
All isn&rsquo;t well over in New Zealand when it comes to relations between the government and Maori representatives but we hear how generational changes could alter dynamics; and how a new film accidentally caught the last days of one of Russia&rsquo;s only independent TV news outlets.
<ol>
<li>18 years since the National Apology featuring former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Took the children away by Archie Roach (Fernando de Freitas)</li>
<li>Following the $$ in Byron Shire and how to have your say featuring Byron Shire Council Assets and Major Projects Manager Christopher Soulsby</li>
<li>NZ gov&rsquo;t accused of racist politics featuring Auckland University Māori Studies Professor and Ngāti Kahu leader Margaret Mutu (Harrison Pederson, The Wire)</li>
<li>The Byron beach frothing in a bad way&nbsp;featuring Byron resident George Graham (Emma Setterfield-Smith)</li>
<li>Filming the last days of independent Russian TV featuring&nbsp;Julia Loktev, director of My Undesirable Friends, Part 1: Last Air in Moscow (Stephen Hill, The Wire)</li>
<li>Northern Rivers News with Emma Setterfield-Smith (Karen Crick)</li>
</ol>
*producer: Mia Armitage. Reports produced 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&nbsp;<a href="http://bayfm.org/">bayfm.org</a> Facebook: Community Newsroom NRN
PIC: brown stormwater discharge on Clarkes Beach (pic supplied)

CN 13-02-26: Following the $$ in Byron Shire and how to have your say; The Byron beach frothing in a bad way; NZ gov’t accused of racist politics; Filming the last days of independent Russian TV 

Community Newsroom - 20 February 2026

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