Thirteen is a lucky number for Surf Coast headquartered Times News Group, which has just added three new print mastheads to bring its fast-growing stable to that total.

The Byron Coast Times, Tweed Coast Times and Ballina Times on Australia’s easternmost coast, join titles in Victoria and South Australia.

The coastal shire of Byron Bay has long been attractive to publishers, most recently Australian Community Media, whose co-owner Antony Catalano owns real estate there. ACM launched the Northern Rivers Review in 2020, the year in which News Corp had closed the print editions of the Byron Shire News, Tweed Daily News and Ballina Advocate, along with a mass of other newspapers it had acquired from APN News &Media.

One established ‘stayer’ in Byron has been the Byron Shire Echo, which now belongs to the family of founder Nicholas Shand – who died in 1996 – plus David Lovejoy and a handful of others.

Based in Torquay, Victoria – also home to the related Coast Print printing enterprise – the Times News Group also publishes in Geelong and suburbs Armstrong Creek and Bellarine, Ballarat, Bendigo, Golden Plains in Victoria’s central west, McIvor and Mt Gambier (SA), mostly under the Times masthead, as well as Bacchus Marsh, where it appears as the Moorabool News.

Times News Group managing director Warick Brown says the “community-first” approach is important: “We’re thrilled to be expanding into the NSW North Coast region, covering the Tweed, Byron, and Ballina Shire footprints.”

Brown says they plan to share hyperlocal news content free in print, online and across socials. “We focus on providing important information about events, entertainment, sports, and all things property in our real estate guide.

“People still love a printed paper, especially one that is well-designed, looks welcoming, and has great local stories that help readers feel connected.”