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The Daily Maverick

Saturday 17 October 2026

Your personalised local daily news. No opinions. Make your own.

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⚠️ Live alerts: 2 fires within 100 km · 1 weather warning. See alerts →

⛅–Weather
🌧️–Rain chance
💨–Wind
🌅–Sunrise
🌊–Next tide
🏄–Swell
🌙–Moon

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Alerts

In an emergency call 000.

🔥 Fire danger today

🟢 MODERATE Plan and prepare.

✅ No Total Fire Ban today. Gas, electric, wood and charcoal BBQs are fine with care: keep an adult on it, water handy and nothing that burns nearby. Burning off or a fire in the open? Check if you need a permit.

Tomorrow: 🟢 MODERATE

Info from NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire Danger Ratings (Far North Coast). Updated Sat, 17 Oct, 6:30 pm.

🔥 Fires within 100 km

  • BUSBYS FLAT RD, BUSBYS FLAT Not Applicable
    BUSBYS FLAT RD, BUSBYS FLAT 2469 · 79 km away · Under control · 251 ha
  • OIL RIG RD, GIBBERAGEE Advice
    OIL RIG RD, GIBBERAGEE 2469 · 84 km away · Under control · 1039 ha

Info from NSW Rural Fire Service, Fires Near Me. Updated Sat, 17 Oct, 6:30 pm.

⚠️ Weather warnings

Info from Bureau of Meteorology, NSW warnings. Updated Sat, 17 Oct, 6:30 pm.

🚧 Coming soon

Team Smarketing is on it.

A live roads and traffic feed.

For now, try Live Traffic NSW.

It's a big job. We'll get there.

📰 Today's news

The EchoFish kill follows Belongil Creek opening as Council reviews protocolsA fish kill at Belongil Creek has prompted warnings to avoid the affected area, with Byron Shire Council and government agencies investigating the incident following an artificial opening of the creek.Fri, 16 Oct · Read the full story →
“What you do not want for yourself, do not do to others.”— Confucius, Analects 15.24

More headlines

These stories are written and owned by The Echo, NBN News, not us. We show the headline and a short summary; tap a story to read it in full on their site. Updated Sat, 17 Oct, 6:00 pm.

📅 What's on

Specials, members nights, bingo, trivia, live music, markets and events around Byron, in one place.

Read from each venue's own website twice a day. Specials can change, so check with the venue before you go. Know a venue we're missing? Tell us.

🎪 Community events

Nothing listed in 2479 yet. Know something on? Add it free.

+ Add an event (free)

Births, Deaths and Marriages

👶 Births

Welcome to the world.

No recent notices.

Share a birth (free) →

🕊️ Deaths

Remembering locals who have passed. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.

No recent notices.

All recent notices →

💍 Marriages

Engagements, weddings and big anniversaries.

No recent notices.

Share your news (free) →

👶 Top baby names across NSW, 2025

👧 Girls

  1. CHARLOTTE =
  2. AMELIA =
  3. OLIVIA =
  4. ISLA ▲1
  5. MIA ▼1

🚀 Biggest climber: LAINEY, up 41 to #56

✨ Highest new entry: AMIRA at #79

👦 Boys

  1. NOAH =
  2. OLIVER =
  3. THEODORE =
  4. LUCA =
  5. LEO ▲1

🚀 Biggest climber: ELIAS, up 52 to #35

✨ Highest new entry: MATEO at #65

The latest full-year list from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Arrows show the move since 2024. NSW doesn't publish names by town. Checked Sat, 17 Oct, 3:17 pm.

🇦🇺 Number one in every state, 2025

👧 Girls👦 Boys
NSWCharlotteNoah
VICCharlotteNoah
QLDCharlotteOliver
WAIslaNoah
SACharlotteOliver
TASCharlotteNoah
ACTEvelynOliver
NTAmeliaNoah

From each state and territory's Births, Deaths and Marriages registry. There's no single official list for all of Australia.

🌏 Around the world, 2025

🇺🇸 United States

👧 Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia

👦 Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, Henry

Top 5 from the US Social Security Administration.

🇬🇧 England & Wales

👧 Olivia, Lily, Amelia, Isla, Florence

👦 Muhammad, Noah, Leo, Luca, Arthur

Top 5 from the UK Office for National Statistics.

🇳🇿 New Zealand

👧 Isla, Charlotte, Amelia, Hazel, Olivia

👦 Noah, Luca, Oliver, George, Theodore

Top 5 from the NZ Department of Internal Affairs.

💡 Noah, Oliver, Charlotte and Amelia make the top 5 in more than one country. Some names travel well.

See all Births, Deaths and Marriages →

Handy tools

☰ Everything on the Daily Maverick Every page we have, in one place → 📌 Community notice board Lost pets, volunteers, clubs and classes. No buy and sell → 🏡 My home Bin night reminders and a house-sitter sheet to print or share → 🌊 Why Byron? Fun facts: the poets' streets mix-up, the most easterly point, the meeting place → 🟢 What’s open? Local or visiting: pharmacies, doctors, servos, cafés, mechanics and more. Open ones first → 🐕 Dog beaches & parks Off-leash spots near you → 🐶 Dog-friendly cafés & pubs Places happy to see your dog → 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly Local places that welcome everyone → 📺 What to watch tonight Stop scrolling, start watching. See what locals rate → 🧊 What's in your fridge? Dinner ideas from what you've already got → 🎂 Birthday deals Which local places look after you on your big day → 🧒 Kid Zone Games for kids 12 and under, with a grown-up’s OK. No chat, no ads, nothing collected → 🗣️ Gen Alpha interpreter What did your kid just say? Jimmy Joel translates → 📰 Births, Deaths and Marriages Family notices, filtered by what you’re looking for → 🏠 Renting Every rental site, plus your rights and bond help, in one place → 💼 Jobs Every job site in one place, already searched for Byron Bay → 🚸 School run check Weather and traffic for your school drop-off and pick-up →

🐕 Dog friendly

Off-leash beaches, dog parks and places happy to see your dog. If there’s nothing mapped, it says so.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), the free map anyone can add to.

🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly

Local places that welcome everyone. If there’s nothing mapped, it says so.

From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), the free map anyone can add to.

Fuel

Loading cheapest fuel…

Info from NSW FuelCheck

🔢 News in numbers

Facts from the sources named, side by side. No opinions: make up your own mind.

Cost of living

Figures from October 2026

247.9cUnleaded petrol near Byron todayaverage a litre across 89 local servos, Fri, 16 Oct, 11:12 pm
vs
179.4cNational average a year agoa litre, October 2025

NSW FuelCheck · Australian Institute of Petroleum, via NT Treasury

Big tech watch

Figures from June 2026

900 millionPeople using ChatGPTevery week (February 2026)
vs
3.6 billionPeople using Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Messengerevery day (June 2026)

OpenAI, via TechCrunch · Meta second quarter 2026 results

Figures from March 2026

13.6 millionAustralians using AI tools58% of people 14+, in an average four weeks (Jan to Mar 2026)
vs
about 4.7 millionKids' social media accounts shut downunder Australia's under-16 ban (reported January 2026)

Roy Morgan · eSafety Commissioner, via Associated Press

Figures from June 2026

US$60.8 billionMeta's revenueApril to June 2026
vs
US$15.8 billionMeta's profitApril to June 2026

Meta second quarter 2026 results

Life and death

Figures from December 2023

34Australians killed by animalsa year on average (2001 to 2021), all animals, horses to sharks
vs
46,728Americans killed by gunsin 2023 (about 128 a day)

National Coronial Information System, via ScienceAlert · CDC data, via Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Figures from December 2021

222Australians killed by horses2001 to 2021
vs
39Australians killed by sharks2001 to 2021

National Coronial Information System, via ScienceAlert

Figures from December 2021

0Australians killed by spiders2001 to 2021
vs
45Australians killed by bees2001 to 2021, all from allergic reactions

National Coronial Information System, via ScienceAlert

🤖 AI for good, AI for bad

A recent AI story of each kind from the news, so you see both sides.

Headlines from The Guardian and Google News, sorted into good and bad by AI, so check the full story. See every story we've logged.

🧠 Learn how AI can help in your everyday life, from your local experts at Maverick Digital →

🍺 Beer watch

The cheapest price for your beer at local bottle shops, posted by the shops themselves. No big chains, local only.

Checking…
Own a local bottle shop? Post your price free

Prices posted by local shops, with the date they posted. Shown for 30 days. Please drink responsibly.

🍷 Wine watch

The cheapest price for your wine at local bottle shops, posted by the shops themselves. No big chains, local only.

Checking…
Own a local bottle shop? Post your price free

Prices posted by local shops, with the date they posted. Shown for 30 days. Please drink responsibly.

🏦 Banks and the RBA

Home loan rates at the big four, and how quickly each passed on the Reserve Bank's (RBA) rate changes. Numbers only.

Cash rate: 4.60% since 29 Sept 2026

How fast they passed on RBA changes

CommBankWestpacNABANZ
Average days to pass on a rise10.012.010.010.0
Average days to pass on a cut10.014.011.010.0
Rises passed on in full4 of 44 of 44 of 44 of 4
Cuts passed on in full3 of 33 of 33 of 33 of 3

Days from the RBA's decision to the date the bank's new variable rate took effect, for the 7 RBA moves since February 2025.

Every RBA move and what each bank did
RBA decisionCommBankWestpacNABANZ
29 Sept 2026
▲ +0.25 to 4.60%
+0.25
9 Oct 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
9 Oct 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
9 Oct 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
9 Oct 2026 · 10 days
5 May 2026
▲ +0.25 to 4.35%
+0.25
15 May 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
15 May 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
15 May 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
15 May 2026 · 10 days
17 Mar 2026
▲ +0.25 to 4.10%
+0.25
27 Mar 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
31 Mar 2026 · 14 days
+0.25
27 Mar 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
27 Mar 2026 · 10 days
3 Feb 2026
▲ +0.25 to 3.85%
+0.25
13 Feb 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
17 Feb 2026 · 14 days
+0.25
13 Feb 2026 · 10 days
+0.25
13 Feb 2026 · 10 days
12 Aug 2025
▼ -0.25 to 3.60%
-0.25
22 Aug 2025 · 10 days
-0.25
26 Aug 2025 · 14 days
-0.25
25 Aug 2025 · 13 days
-0.25
22 Aug 2025 · 10 days
20 May 2025
▼ -0.25 to 3.85%
-0.25
30 May 2025 · 10 days
-0.25
3 June 2025 · 14 days
-0.25
30 May 2025 · 10 days
-0.25
30 May 2025 · 10 days
18 Feb 2025
▼ -0.25 to 4.10%
-0.25
28 Feb 2025 · 10 days
-0.25
4 Mar 2025 · 14 days
-0.25
28 Feb 2025 · 10 days
-0.25
28 Feb 2025 · 10 days

Integrated Finance Group · Mortgage Professional Australia · Savings.com.au · Canstar · Finder · Savings.com.au · The Motley Fool. Cash rate from the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Tides & fishing

Loading…

Tide times are modelled estimates. Not for navigation; check the Bureau of Meteorology before boating.

🎣 What's biting in October

  • 🐟 Snapper peak
  • 🐟 Pearl perch
  • 🐟 Tailor, whiting & flathead

Seasons from NSW DPIRD GoFishing guide (Coffs Coast), the nearest official guide and Coffs Coast tourism.

📍 Where to fish within 20 km

  • Brunswick River rock walls Breakwall
    Known for: mulloway (in season), bream, tailor
    ⚠️ Rock fishing: watch the swell
    🧭 Directions
  • Brunswick River Boat Harbour Estuary
    ⚠️ Fishing allowed here (special purpose zone)
    🧭 Directions
  • Tallow Beach Beach
    Known for: tailor, mulloway
    🧭 Directions
  • Tyagarah Beach (south end) Beach
    ⚠️ Habitat protection zone: fishing allowed
    🧭 Directions

⚠️ Byron Bay, Broken Head and the creeks beside Brunswick Heads have sanctuary zones where you can't fish at all. Check the map before you cast.

Before you cast: licence, limits and no-fishing zones

Know your 2479

The handy stuff, all in one place. Every item is sourced and shown as the source has it. We don’t edit it. We tell you where it’s from and how well the owner keeps it up to date.

Who runs the place
  • Mayor: Cr Sarah Ndiaye · Deputy Mayor: Cr Jack Dods
  • Councillors: Elia Hauge, Delta Kay, Michelle Lowe, Asren Pugh, Janet Swain, David Warth, Michael Lyon. Contact them
  • Council meetings: see what's being decided

Info from Byron Shire Council, Leadership page. Council doesn’t say when they last updated it. We’ve watched it since 16 Oct 2026: last change spotted 17 Oct 2026.

Bins & rubbish
  • Which bin this week? Get the free Recycle Coach app and search your address
  • Yellow lid: recycling, fortnightly · Red lid: landfill, fortnightly · Green lid: food and garden, weekly (urban)
  • Big clean-up? Each household gets an annual free drop-off at the Byron Resource Recovery Centre (2 × 150 kg household waste or 500 kg green waste)
  • Missed bin? Report it within 24 hours on 1300 652 625
  • Seen illegal dumping? Report it online

Info from Byron Shire Council, Waste guide for new residents. Council doesn’t say when they last updated it. We’ve watched it since 16 Oct 2026: last change spotted 17 Oct 2026.

Got a problem?

Info from Byron Shire Council, Report requests and feedback. Council doesn’t say when they last updated it. We’ve watched it since 16 Oct 2026: last change spotted 17 Oct 2026.

Contact council

Info from Byron Shire Council, Contact us. Council doesn’t say when they last updated it. We’ve watched it since 16 Oct 2026: last change spotted 17 Oct 2026.

Spotted something out of date? Let us know.

🏠 Renting

Looking for a place in Byron Bay? Every rental site, already searched for you.

Every rental site, your rights and bond help →

💼 Jobs

Looking for work in Byron Bay? Every job site, already searched for you.

Every job site, plus council, harvest and local employers →

📻 Local radio

Community radio from around the shire, run by locals, mostly volunteers. Tune in or listen live online.

Info from the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia list of community stations and each station's own website. Missed a local station? Tell us.

🏛️ Council watch

Keeping an eye on Byron Shire Council, with every item linked to its source.

Meeting dates are on the council's meetings page.

Is council doing what it said?

Every three months Byron Shire Council reports on its own plan. We'll show its latest report here, in its own words. For now: council's progress reports.

Have your say or make a complaint

🏅 Mini Maverick Encouragement Award

Every month one local kid gets the Mini Maverick Encouragement Award: $50 to spend wherever they like at a local Byron Bay business. Bookshop, surf shop, bakery, the footy club canteen. Anywhere local, except fast food.

📍 The award must be spent at a local Byron Bay business. No multinationals, no chains, no fast food.

Kindness, courage, trying hard, helping out. Anything worth encouraging. Grown-ups nominate; kids don’t sign up themselves.

Nominate a local kid → · Clubs and local businesses: apply

🌳 Get outside this weekend

Things for kids and families to do outdoors, free or under $50 a kid. This weekend: Sat, 17 Oct and Sun, 18 Oct.

No kids' events listed for this weekend yet. Running one? Add it free and tick "Good for kids".

Always-good local favourites

  • Arakwal National Park & Tallow Beach Free
    Bush tracks and a long, quieter beach.
  • The Pass & Clarkes Beach Free
    Sheltered end of the bay. Swim between the flags.
  • Railway Park Free
    Playground and shade right in the middle of town.
  • Cape Byron walking track Free
    Loop up to the lighthouse and the most easterly point of mainland Australia. Whale-spotting in season.

Outdoor and affordable, picked by locals. Check times and prices before you go · Suggest one

Sport & field closures

🚧 Coming soon

Team Smarketing is on it.

Field closures and local sport. Clubs can post games and closures free via Add an event.

We're building it right, not fast.

✈️ Flights at Ballina Byron Gateway Airport

See everything coming and going at Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (live board on FlightAware).

Holidays

Next NSW public holidays

  • Fri, 25 Dec: Christmas Day in 69 days
  • Mon, 28 Dec: Boxing Day in 72 days
  • Fri, 1 Jan: New Year's Day in 76 days
  • Tue, 26 Jan: Australia Day in 101 days

Info from Nager.Date public holidays. Updated Sat, 17 Oct, 5:00 pm.

🔭 In the sky, next 14 days

  • Wed, 21 Oct: Orionid meteor shower peaks (look north-east after midnight) in 4 days

Dates are the usual peaks; meteor showers are best away from town lights. Info from timeanddate.com.

☄️ Asteroids passing by

  • Sun, 18 Oct: 2026 TS, about the size of a jumbo jet (roughly 41 to 92 m), passes 2.4 times as far away as the Moon at 10.3 km a second tomorrow
  • Thu, 22 Oct: 2026 TV8, about the size of a bus (roughly 19 to 42 m), passes 4.7 times as far away as the Moon at 9.2 km a second in 5 days
  • Tue, 27 Oct: 2026 TB94, about the size of a bus (roughly 21 to 47 m), passes 5.1 times as far away as the Moon at 11.6 km a second in 10 days
  • Fri, 23 Oct: 2026 TV86, about the size of a bus (roughly 13 to 30 m), passes 5.6 times as far away as the Moon at 5.7 km a second in 6 days

Info from NASA JPL Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. Updated Sat, 17 Oct, 3:23 pm. None of these will hit Earth. Most are too faint to see without a big telescope

Next school holidays

  • Summer school holidays: Fri, 18 Dec to Wed, 27 Jan in 62 days
  • Autumn school holidays: Mon, 12 Apr to Fri, 23 Apr in 177 days

Public schools in the Byron Shire. Info from NSW Department of Education · Private schools may differ

🧩 Crossword

Today’s Byron crossword in three levels: 🟢 Easy, 🟡 Medium and 🔴 Hard. Sign in free to keep your streak and best times. Play today’s →

✨ Horoscopes

Your stars for Saturday 17 October. The first-quarter moon says take action. This is the Year of the Fire Horse 🐎.


🎂 Add your birthday and we'll set your Western and Vedic signs:

🏖️ Beach, surf & surf cams

🌡️–Water temp
🌊–Waves
💨–Wind
☀️–UV today

📹 Surf cams

Coastalwatch charges for its live surf cam feed, so we can’t show it here. Nobody pays to be on this site, and we don’t pay to show other people’s paid content either. Have a look on their site: Coastalwatch.

Swim between the red and yellow flags. Patrol times and beach-by-beach info: Beachsafe.

Info from Open-Meteo (modelled, updated hourly). Not for navigation. Which swell and wind suit each beach: surf-forecast.com break guides; patrols from council.

🙏🏽 Help a brother out

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