June 24, 2025
Ocean rescue emergency exercise held off Hunter coast Brisbane Water crew searching in challenging conditions.
Local News

Ocean rescue emergency exercise held off Hunter coast

Brisbane Water crew searching in challenging conditions. Lemon Tree Passage volunteers search on board LM 30. A crew member retrieves a mannikin. A volunteer searches from inside the cabin. Coordinating communication from the radio room. A MAJOR multi-agency Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) concluded successfully on Saturday, 14 June off the coast of the Hunter. […]

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Leak detection program returns to MidCoast Aqua Analytics technicians will be checking leaks from this week.
Local News

Leak detection program returns to MidCoast

TECHNICIANS from Aqua Analytics will again be on the lookout for leaks across the MidCoast when the NSW Government’s Regional Leakage Reduction Program returns to the region from this week. Beginning in Hawks Nest on Monday 16 June, the technicians will spend five weeks using state-of-the-art acoustic technology to uncover leaks in MidCoast Council’s drinking […]

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Home schooled students get their hands dirty with Stroud Landcare
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Home schooled students get their hands dirty with Stroud Landcare

Platypus mascot ‘Yappi’ (platypus in Gathang language) with Connor and Rachel Barry at a Stroud Jr Landcare event. Photo: Rachel Barry. Stroud Jr Landcare Group at a water quality testing workshop for home schooled students. Photo: Stroud Landcare. Jonathon Quaken of Landcare and Worimi Traditional Owner Justin Ridgeway plant a red cedar tree at Mill […]

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Chimney safety warning to avoid winter housefires Craig Baldwin uncovers inappropriate lead flashing, which allowed water to rust the roof below.
Local News

Chimney safety warning to avoid winter housefires

This chimney was originally installed by an amateur and had never been swept. Creosote was visible on the roof. Craig Baldwin uncovers inappropriate lead flashing, which allowed water to rust the roof below. What a perfectly clean and safe chimney looks like, free of ugly black creosote residue. FIRE safety around chimneys is an area […]

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Stinker’s History: Recreational shooting at Myall Lakes The Korsmans on the water for a shooting excursion (c 1905) hunting with shotguns. The boat is the ‘Greyhound’ brought to Tea Gardens by ‘Diver’ Duncan.
Local News

Stinker’s History: Recreational shooting at Myall Lakes

THE main recreational activities at Port Stephens have traditionally been fishing and boating. From the 1880s up until the Second World War, there was an additional outdoor sporting activity in the Myall Lakes district – recreational shooting. Groups would travel to Port Stephens for the combined activities of fishing and shooting. For many years from […]

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Humpback whale migration begins with prime viewing from Port Stephens A humpback whale breaching off the east coast. Photo: Jonas Liebschner, NPWS.
Local News

Humpback whale migration begins with prime viewing from Port Stephens

A humpback whale breaching off the east coast. Photo: Jonas Liebschner, NPWS. A playful humpback close to the shoreline. Photo: Jonas Liebschner, NPWS. HUMPBACK whales are passing Port Stephens on their annual migration. Each year, approximately 40,000 humpback whales leave their Antarctic feeding grounds and travel north to the warmer waters off NSW and Queensland. […]

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Probus guest speaker’s ‘educational’ stories David Lamb welcomed new Probus members Pam and Tony Jones.
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Probus guest speaker’s ‘educational’ stories

David Lamb welcomed new Probus members Pam and Tony Jones. Rob Murdoch spoke about aspects of his long career from dairy farmer to superintendent. PROBUS members of Hawks Nest and District welcomed two new members on a rare rainless day at the Hawks Nest Golf Club on Friday 6 June, before settling in to hear […]

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First Nations arts residency program now accepting applications Renae Lamb. Photo: Stuart Marlin
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First Nations arts residency program now accepting applications

Renae Lamb. Photo: Stuart Marlin The TCI studio space. A CREATIVE arts hub in Newcastle (Muloobimba) is offering a First Nations Artist in Residence program, with applications now open for Hunter-based artists. On offer is a 12-month, rent-free studio residency at The Creator Incubator (TCI) in Hamilton North. TCI is a lively creative hub housing […]

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Animal advocates shoot down bill for enabling ‘yahoos’ Hunters would receive a bounty for killing invasive species like pigs, under a bill proposed in NSW. Photo: Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS.
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Animal advocates shoot down bill for enabling ‘yahoos’

ENVIRONMENTALISTS have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a “fringe minority of men” to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable […]

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Wednesday Craft Group donates locally for Biggest Morning Tea A full Hawks Nest Community Hall, with members of various volunteer and community service groups attending the Biggest Morning Tea 2025.
Local News

Wednesday Craft Group donates locally for Biggest Morning Tea

A full Hawks Nest Community Hall, with members of various volunteer and community service groups attending the Biggest Morning Tea 2025. Jan and Anne from the Free Clinic Bus. Major rescue and emergency services vehicles ready to take off when the rain worsened outside. Members of the RFS, SES, and Westpac Rescue Helicopter, recipient organisations […]

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