Community groups

Vitality Farms Northern Rivers is a growing regional initiative designed to connect, elevate and strengthen the full food and farming ecosystem across the Northern Rivers. From producers and makers to educators, supply …

Ocean Shores based produce swap Every 2nd Sunday, alternating with Coorabell Crop Swap. Communicates via Facebook Messenger Group

COORABELL HALL Crop Swap Bi-Weekly Meetup Sun 9-9:30 am GROW MORE THAN YOU NEED? SWAP WITH OTHER LOCALS FOR FREE KNOWLEDGE SHARE HANDPICKED SUPPORT ALWAYS FRESH LOCAL FREE EXCHANGE KNOWLEDGE SHARE

Tweed Heads (various market dates)

Community-run markets in the Tweed Heads area. Outlet for regional producers, makers and food stalls.

Lismore

Non-profit eco shop, info/referral/research centre. Runs volunteer training and bush regeneration programs, and promotes environmental awareness across the Lismore region.

Kyogle

Community hub for Kyogle LGA with outreach to Bonalbo, Urbenville, Woodenbong and surrounding Aboriginal communities. Provides family support, emergency relief, and food assistance.

Fletcher St, Byron Bay

Homelessness service hub opened April 2022 by Byron Community Centre and Creative Capital. Provides breakfasts, showers, laundry and partner services (housing, medical, counselling, legal, vet, podiatry) Tue-Fri.

Bundjalung Country, Northern Rivers (regional)

Aboriginal-led organisation specialising in natural resource management and resilience for Country on Bundjalung land. Runs cultural landscape restoration, nature-based flood mitigation, cultural burning, water-quality …

Bangalow (operates across 7 Northern Rivers LGAs)

Grass-roots not-for-profit that has planted 500,000+ trees across seven Northern Rivers shires since 2019, aiming for 850,000 by 2030. Works with councils, Landcare groups, landholders and communities to rebuild koala h…

23 Rifle Range Rd East, Lismore

Koala hospital, care centre and Burribi Community Education Centre in Lismore. Runs a native-plant nursery supplying koala-habitat species and delivers community engagement & advocacy. 24-hour rescue hotline: 6622 1233.

Wilsons Creek, Huonbrook & Wanganui valleys, Byron LGA

Landholder-led group restoring riparian zones and revegetating the Wilsons Creek, Huonbrook and Wanganui valleys in the Byron Bay hinterland. Relies on volunteers for work days, community projects and fundraising.

Bangalow, Byron LGA

Formed 1998 to improve water quality in Byron Creek through native revegetation. Weekly working bees Saturdays 8.30-10.30am across varying sites in the Bangalow area.

Wider Lismore area (member properties)

Formed 2018, grown to 80+ members focused on biodiversity and native habitat regeneration on private land. Meets on members' properties for peer mentoring, hands-on work, and information sharing.

Northern Rivers (regional chapter)

Not-for-profit uniting new, young and aspiring farmers. Northern Rivers is YFC's founding chapter, hosting bi-monthly field days, farm walks and socials focused on small-scale regenerative ecological farming.

Tom Kendall Oval, River St, New Brighton, Byron LGA

Tuesday producer-only farmers market (7-11am) on the Byron coast. Part of the regional short food-supply network linking local producers directly with shoppers.

12A Elizabeth St, Pottsville, Tweed LGA

Tweed Coast neighbourhood centre offering community services to children, young people, families and seniors. Runs social enterprises including an op shop, tech centre, and community gardens.

Mullumbimby

Heart-of-the-community neighbourhood centre offering emergency relief, food parcels, frozen meals, free counselling, free community lunches Tue-Thu 12.30-1.30pm, and Wednesday soup kitchen. Gulganii Pantry runs low-cost…

Three stores across Byron Bay + Mullumbimby

100% not-for-profit environmental social enterprise pioneering organic and bulk food in the region since 1978. Became a registered environmental charity in 2016. Supports hundreds of local and organic farmers, employs 7…

Byron Bay

Food pantry initiative of Amrita Australia and Amma Byron Bay. Works with local organisations to provide food and essential items to people in need across Byron Bay and surrounds.

Byron Bay Community Centre, Fletcher St entrance

Volunteer-run registered charity rescuing food from becoming waste and preparing meals for people in need. Serves 600+ meals per week from the Byron Community Centre kitchen (Mon/Thu 7am-2pm).

Lennox Head, Ballina LGA

Lennox Head Landcare acknowledges the Traditional Custodianship of the Nyangbul peoples of the Bundjalung Nation. Maintains habitat gardens and bush regeneration work across the Lennox area.

Ocean Breeze Reserve, Lennox Head, Ballina LGA

Founded 2015 by local volunteers. Occupies 3,000 sqm within Ocean Breeze Reserve with ~100 mainly exotic fruit trees plus vegetable plots. Working bees Thursdays 8.30-10.30am and Sundays 4-6pm.

Saunders Oval, cnr Swift & Clarence Sts, Ballina

Established 2011 on a 3,900 sqm Crown Land site. Welcoming, inclusive space for growing fruit, vegetables and flowers, and sharing gardening knowledge and local food sustainability skills.

Shop 5/6 Oak St, Oaks Arcade, Evans Head

Neighbourhood centre serving Evans Head, Woodburn, Broadwater and Coraki. Runs a low-cost Community Pantry ($3/yr membership), Cook and Connect program, and broader community services.

138 Canterbury St, Casino

Richmond Valley's Casino-based neighbourhood centre. Auspices the Casino Community Garden and delivers community development, welfare and family support across the LGA.

Cnr Adam & Hartley Streets, South Casino

Community garden growing food locally and supporting local welfare agencies. A project of the Casino Neighbourhood Centre.

Whiting Beach Carpark, Yamba (Wed 7-11am)

Weekly Wednesday producer-only farmers market at Whiting Beach. Anchor point for Clarence Valley regenerative producers and a hub for the local food story.

Shop L5 'The Link', Grafton Shopping World, 50 Prince St, Grafton

Low-cost food relief operating Wed-Fri 9am-1pm. A care group of Christian Outreach Centre Grafton helping people under financial stress stretch their food budget.

Wooloweyah, Clarence Valley LGA

Long-running conservation group focused on the Lower Clarence. Funded the Lower Clarence Biolinks Study and liaises with government, industry and community on resource management and nature conservation.

Grafton, Clarence Valley LGA

Grafton-based community group formed 1988 with members throughout the Clarence Valley. Engages on environmental, land-use and biodiversity issues affecting the region.

Grafton, Clarence Valley LGA

Grassroots environment centre active since 1990. Runs a volunteer-staffed shop in Grafton, ecological surveys of vulnerable species, and advocacy across the Clarence Valley. Works with council, landowners and community …

Bangalow Showground

Saturdays 7-11am. Producer-only farmers market at Bangalow Showground with 40+ regional stallholders.

Lismore Showground, North Lismore

Saturdays 7:30-11:30am. Long-running farmers market on Wiyabul Country showcasing Northern Rivers producers.

Mullumbimby Showground, 51 Main Arm Rd

Fridays 7-11am. Regional producer-only market, anchor point for the local regenerative food economy.

Butler St Reserve, Byron Bay

Weekly farmers market (Thursdays 7-11am) connecting local regenerative producers directly with consumers. Key piece of the Byron Shire short food-supply chain.

Murwillumbah, Tweed LGA

Supports people caring for the environment and natural resources of the Tweed. Provides training, project coordination, advocacy, and representation for hundreds of Care-group volunteers doing bush regeneration.

Kyogle, Kyogle LGA

Grassroots Landcare group promoting understanding of the natural environment, sustainable agriculture, and supporting landholder groups across Kyogle and the wider Northern Rivers.

Lismore, Lismore LGA

One of the oldest Landcare groups in NSW (formed 1990). Works on riverbank restoration upstream and downstream of Lismore and within the CBD riparian zone.

PO Box 6, Brunswick Heads (covers Brunswick Valley incl. Mullumbimby)

Coordinates locality Landcare groups, bush regeneration, junior Landcare, native-plant resources and the Northern Rivers Koala Count. Coordinator: Valley Lipcer.

1/80 Main St, Alstonville

Umbrella Landcare body for the Richmond catchment coordinating member groups, Nature-Based Solutions work, and riverkeeper activity across Lismore, Ballina, Richmond Valley and parts of Kyogle.

North Coast NSW (regional, 11 member networks)

Independent not-for-profit established 2009 supporting 11 member Landcare networks across the North Coast, including all seven Northern Rivers LGAs.

PO Box 304 Clunes NSW 2480

Regional community foundation funding grassroots projects across the Northern Rivers, including the First Nation Food Security Project and Recovery & Resilience grants program.

51 Wyrallah Rd, East Lismore

Food pantry auspiced by the Lismore Soup Kitchen Inc under a funding partnership with the Lismore Catholic Diocese. Open Mon-Fri 10am-3pm providing free food relief.

Lismore CBD

Lismore's neighbourhood centre for 50+ years. Provides emergency relief, food boxes, advocacy, assisted referrals, and capacity-building services across the Northern Rivers.

71 Cullen St, Nimbin

Long-standing neighbourhood centre with a dedicated food-security program since 2008. Supports Nimbin as a sustainable community via food projects, social services, and the Nimbin Food Security network.

Uki, Tweed LGA

Community-led resilience organisation with a Neighbourhoods Project connecting residents to local Neighbourhood Leaders. Maintains food security and emergency resources for the Uki area.

Byron Shire, Byron LGA

Charity organising Byron Shire and wider Northern Rivers residents into a web of neighbourhoods and interconnected areas of local resilience.

Lismore, Lismore LGA

Locally-based charity supporting Lismore and surrounds to recover from the 2022 floods. Runs home repairs, preparedness programs, tool workshops, and a community tool library.

Northern Rivers (regional)

Convenes the Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance and delivers grassroots resilience workshops. Builds regenerative capacity of Northern Rivers communities in the face of disasters and crises.

Mullumbimby hub, regional focus

Community initiative working for a flourishing regional food economy and broader localisation - food, housing, energy, transport, health, and business. Runs events, a directory, and localisation-strategy resources.

Northern Rivers (regional)

Collaborative coalition convened alongside Seed Northern Rivers to engage and connect the regional food system. Runs workshops and gatherings on food security, food sovereignty, and resilient local food systems.

Regional body, Grafton to Tweed

Independent regional food industry body operating since 2011, supporting local food businesses, producers, and regional food networks from Grafton to Tweed.

50 Cullen St, Nimbin

100% community-owned, volunteer-managed not-for-profit promoting local organic food and food safety in the Northern Rivers.

Byron hinterland, Byron LGA

Grassroots seed-saving group hosting approx. 4 events per year where gardeners, farmers and edible-plant growers share seeds, cuttings, and tubers to strengthen regional food security.

Wattle Park, Yamba, Clarence Valley LGA

Established 2013 in Wattle Park, Yamba. A communal gardening space for residents of Yamba and surrounds featuring diverse produce, a custom outdoor pizza oven, and an allied garden in development at Iluka.

Mooball St, Murwillumbah Showgrounds

Nearly one hectare organic garden at Murwillumbah Showgrounds, auspiced by Tweed Valley Rural & Community Advancement Co-op. Demonstrates organic gardening, composting, water and energy efficiency, and recycling.

Lismore, Lismore LGA

Not-for-profit formed 2006 promoting community gardens in and around Lismore. Manages the Lismore Community Garden under licence with Lismore City Council and supports emerging garden projects across the LGA.

Mullumbimby, Byron LGA (5-acre site)

Award-winning 5-acre community garden and regional network (rebranded from Mullum SEED in mid-2025). Runs a large seed-saving shed, workshops, kitchen garden, and supports grassroots regenerative initiatives across the …

1km from The Channon village, 20km from Lismore

Geoff Lawton's 27-hectare demonstration farm and home of the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. Hosts PDCs, internships, Earthworks courses, and public farm tours.

Cnr Burringbar & Gordon Sts, Mullumbimby

Leading provider of permaculture and sustainability education in the Northern Rivers. Delivers government-funded accredited Certificate courses in partnership with Byron Community College.