WINGHAM Memorial Swimming Pool will be rebuilt following a rare but successful collaborative campaign involving grassroots community advocates and elected representatives from all levels of government. The pool was irreparably damaged during the May 2025 one-in-500-year flood event and has remained closed since. The rebuild will now proceed, thanks to $15 million in Federal and […]
Man dies on Stockton Beach
A MAN died after being pulled from the water at Stockton Beach on Sunday, 20 September. Emergency services were called to Stockton around 4pm following reports that several people in the water were experiencing difficulty. Three men, all aged in their 20s, were pulled from the water with the assistance of members of the public. […]
Port Stephens Council plans pest rabbit eradication program
A wild rabbit spotted in Nelson Bay. Photo: Nico Lombardo. Hole dug by a rabbit in Lorraine Broadway’s garden, Lemon Tree Passage. Photo: Lorraine Broadway. THEY may be cute, but rabbits are one of Australia’s most destructive pests. They cause significant damage to native plants and animals, dig dangerous holes and multiply uncontrollably. After receiving […]
You can help make NSW roads safer
MOTORCYCLISTS on NSW roads are at far greater risk of being killed in a crash than other motor vehicle users, according to the NSW Government’s Towards Zero campaign. Motorcycle fatalities accounted for 20.7 per cent of all road fatalities and nearly 4,500 injuries in 2024 despite motorcycles making up only 3.7 per cent of registered […]
STINKER: Easy to catch; hard to eat
RECREATIONAL fishing is a funny game. It has evolved since my early days on the Tweed River into a monster industry that caters for all expectations. Fishing for me was such a simple thing. Time to go was when it was time for a feed. The extended family all lived under the one roof and […]
LETTER: NSW Government must stop attacking recreational fishing
DEAR News Of The Area, THE NSW Government’s proposed changes to bag limits for snapper and yellowtail kingfish should concern every recreational fisher in this state. Once again, recreational fishers appear to be the easiest target when the Government wants to be seen to be doing something about fish stocks. But where is the evidence […]
Lethal H5 bird flu detected on Myall Coast beach
THE Mid North Coast has recorded another positive test result for the deadly H5 bird flu virus in one of five new detections announced today across NSW. Locally, positive test results were all returned from samples of terns and included birds at Bonny Hills, in the Camden Haven; Boomerang Beach, on the Mid North Coast; […]
THE WRITE DIRECTION: Reality for Australian real estate values
BECAUSE we are living in similar circumstances to the rest of the Western world, what is the reality for real estate values in our country? International news agency Reuters put together a report on real estate markets in Canada and New Zealand, which has become available in Australia this month. It caught my eye because […]
STARGAZING: Growing food in space
WHEN astronauts eventually set foot on the Moon for months at a time, or establish the first human settlement on Mars, they’ll face a challenge that’s just as important as rockets and spacesuits: growing fresh food. Taking enough supplies from Earth simply isn’t practical for long missions, so future explorers will need thriving gardens millions […]
Opposition’s promised youth crime crackdown slammed for ignoring root causes
CONTROVERSIAL ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws proposed by the NSW Opposition have been criticised for wrongly targeting vulnerable young people being used as tools by organised crime gangs. The NSW Coalition on Sunday pledged to make young offenders face tougher penalties within 100 days of winning government if it triumphs at the March state election. […]
