Independent Northern Rivers crime news
The Coast Report is an independent, volunteer-run digital news publication focused on crime, policing and court proceedings across the Northern Rivers of NSW.
We cover police investigations, criminal charges, bail decisions and sentencing across Ballina, Lismore, Byron Bay, Tweed and surrounding communities.
Our focus is clear, accessible reporting that helps readers follow local cases from the initial incident through to the court outcome. We also publish selected community, emergency services and national stories.
Non-commercial, volunteer-run operation
The Coast Report is an independently operated, volunteer-run local news publication. It is not operated to provide private profit or financial gain to any person.
The Coast Report currently receives no income from advertising, subscriptions, sponsorships, donations, affiliate links or the sale of goods or services. It has no paid staff.
Its journalists and contributors work voluntarily and receive no payment, and all operating costs are privately funded by the publisher.
The Coast Report is not a registered charity and does not claim income-tax-exempt or deductible-gift-recipient status. If its funding model changes, this information will be updated.
Editorial independence
The Coast Report is not affiliated with a major media company, political organisation or government body.
Editorial decisions are made independently. Outside parties do not determine the publication’s news coverage.
Any relevant conflicts of interest will be disclosed where appropriate.
Accuracy
We strive to ensure all published information is accurate at the time of publication.
Information is gathered from official sources, public records, interviews, media releases and other reliable sources wherever possible.
If a material error is identified, The Coast Report will correct it as soon as practicable. Where appropriate, a correction or update note will be added to the article.
When significant new information becomes available, stories may be updated to reflect the latest verified information.
Court reporting
Open justice is an important principle of the NSW legal system. It generally allows journalists and members of the public to attend open court proceedings and publish fair and accurate reports of what occurred.
Section 29 of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) recognises a defence for the publication of a fair report of proceedings of public concern, including public court proceedings.
The Coast Report aims to report court proceedings fairly and accurately. Reports may include allegations, evidence and submissions presented by the prosecution, police, defence lawyers and other parties. Reporting these matters does not mean they have been accepted or proven by the court.
A criminal charge is an allegation. Every accused person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Bail proceedings determine whether a person should remain in custody while their case continues; they do not determine guilt.
The Coast Report observes suppression orders, non-publication orders and other legal reporting restrictions. Articles may be updated when further proceedings, corrections or final outcomes become available.
Children and vulnerable people
The Coast Report does not publish information identifying a child where publication is prohibited by law or a court order.
Particular care is taken when reporting matters involving children, victims of sexual offences and vulnerable people.
Corrections and complaints
Requests for corrections or complaints about published material can be sent to hello@thecoastreport.com.au.
Please include the article link, the specific information of concern, the correction requested and any supporting information. All genuine concerns will be reviewed promptly.
Copyright notice
Unless otherwise stated, all original articles, photographs, graphics, logos and other content published by The Coast Report are protected by Australian copyright law.
No material may be reproduced, republished, distributed or transmitted without the prior written permission of The Coast Report, except where permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).
Limited quotations may be used where permitted by law, with clear attribution to The Coast Report and a link to the original article.
Photographs and image use
The Coast Report uses photographs for genuine news reporting and aims to credit the photographer or original source wherever known. Images may be used with permission or where their use is otherwise permitted by law.
In limited circumstances, images may be used under Australia’s fair-dealing provisions for reporting news. The fact that an image is publicly available, including on social media, does not necessarily mean it is free to reproduce.
The Coast Report considers the news relevance, context, attribution and extent of each image use.
If you are a photographer, copyright owner, person depicted in an image or an authorised representative and have concerns about an image, please contact us. Requests for corrected attribution, additional context or removal will be considered promptly and respectfully.
Have a news tip?
If you have a story or information you think we should know about, we would love to hear from you.
Email hello@thecoastreport.com.au.
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Last updated: September 2026