CLOSE to 100 Hawks Nest and District Probus Club members gained a unique insight into life in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when guest speaker Rozz Albon took the stage at the group’s 29 August meeting. Rozz, now a member of the local Probus Club, was based in Dubai for seven years from 2009-2015. The […]

A NEW Model Code of Meeting Practice for local councils has been released and will come into effect in local councils from 1 January 2026. All councils will need to adopt a code of meeting practice that contains the mandatory provisions of the updated Model Meeting Code by 31 December 2025. Key changes to the […]

The paused subdivision on Eagle Avenue. Photo: supplied. Concerned residents attended a meeting in Hawks Nest on Saturday, 23 August. Photo: supplied. MORE than 100 local residents attended an information session on the Eagle Avenue subdivision at the Hawks Nest Community Hall on Saturday, 23 August. A further 35 joined the meeting online, which was […]

THE NSW Government has begun consultation on potential offences for landlords who knowingly lease premises to retailers selling illicit tobacco and illegal vapes. The consultation includes engagement with landlord representatives, retailers, health advocates, partner government agencies and other key stakeholders. The outcomes of the consultation will be reviewed by the Government’s cross-agency NSW Illicit Tobacco […]

HUNTER region residents are being urged to stay alert as cyber criminals step up efforts to recruit so-called “money mules” through social media, fake job offers and online scams. NGM Group, the parent company of Greater Bank and Newcastle Permanent, has reported a 20 percent rise in fraudulent online account openings, with criminals attempting to […]

THE Myall Coast’s “Thursday Walkers” group stayed active despite August’s heavy rains, pounding the pavement for a variety of walks around the Hunter region. “The first Thursday’s (August 7) plan for a jaunt through the Wallaroo National Park was squashed by all the prior rain reducing the target destination to mud, slips and puddles, so […]

THE Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has given the green light to a proposed merger between Summerland Bank and Regional Australia Bank. Regional Australia Bank currently operates 39 bank branches across the New England, North West, Central West, Riverina, Mid North Coast and Hunter regions of NSW, whilst Summerland operates 10 branches across the NSW […]

Artillery gunner and ‘Nasho’ Merv Mills spoke about the Battle of Long Tan, and his own Vietnam War experiences. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. The skies miraculously cleared after days of rain for the intimate ceremony at Tea Gardens. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. Merv Mills with the M2A2 Howitzer at Tea Gardens’ Anzac Park, the same model he […]

THE next time you see the sunrise, take a moment. That big ball of nuclear fire lighting up your morning sky is not just sitting there politely waiting for you to make coffee. It’s racing around the Milky Way at an eye-watering 828,000 km/h, dragging Earth and the rest of the solar system along for […]

Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Surf Life Saving Club members enjoyed the gala dinner at the Hyatt Regency overlooking Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Photo: Wayne Bower. Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib, TGHNSLSC club captain Wayne Bower, Port Stephens MP Kate Washington, Jack Alterator BM, Hunter Branch President Henry Scruton, Gingerlily Shelton BM, TGHNSLSC Vice President Jackie […]