Bundjalung Region

Ballina 2478 is a coastal Northern Rivers postcode centred on Ballina and surrounding communities, with 32,053 people and a median age of 48 in the 2021 Census; it offers beaches, waterways, a subtropical climate, tourism, agriculture, retail, health and professional services, and a relatively self-contained regional lifestyle, although housing costs have risen and the area is increasingly attractive to retirees and lifestyle movers. Australian Bureau of Statistics Gold Coast 9726 is quite different: it is a non-geographic Australia Post postcode used for mail processing/large-volume mail and does not represent a residential community, Lismore 2480 is a much more substantial inland Northern Rivers regional centre, covering Lismore and a large rural hinterland; the postcode had 45,938 people and a median age of 44 in 2021, with a median household income of $1,326 and average vehicle ownership of 1.9 per dwelling. Australian Bureau of Statistics Lismore provides major regional health, education, government, retail and professional services, has a strong agricultural hinterland and a distinctive arts/education culture, but its location in the Richmond River catchment means flood risk is an important consideration, particularly following the major 2022 floods.