Spearow on the day of her rescue in Tanilba Bay, September 2025. Photo: Sea Shelter. Spearow, in December 2025 on the road to a healthy recovery and her subsequent release. Photo: Sea Shelter. BEHIND the walls of Irukandji Shark and Ray Centre, the team at Sea Shelter are quietly continuing to write the rescue tales […]
School students in need of digital devices for education. Photo: www.thesmithfamily.com.au
AS families across Australia prepare for the return to school, new research has revealed the growing pressure many households face simply trying to meet the basic costs of education. The latest Pulse Survey of families supported by The Smith Family shows that more than four out of five parents and carers are worried about being […]
THE message from maritime authorities this summer was clear: slow down, stay alert and respect the rules as a statewide compliance crackdown puts jet ski safety firmly in the spotlight. Operation Cool Your Jets, a week-long joint campaign led by NSW Maritime and NSW Police Marine Area Command, aimed at reducing risky behaviour and keeping […]
Member for Port Stephens, and Families and Communities MP Kate Washington.
FOR the first time in more than two decades, foster and kinship carers across NSW have received a 20 percent increase to their care allowance. The increase aims to ease cost-of-living pressures and strengthen support for vulnerable children in out-of-home care. The tax-free increase took effect from 1 January 2026 and applies to authorised carers […]
THE NSW Government has launched an intensive pilot program for women leaving prison, which provides accommodation and employment in the Hunter. Funded with a donation from the Ian and Shirley Norman Foundation, the new residential facility will provide wrap-around support for women leaving custody. Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington MP said, “This is an […]
Pasture dieback can start in small patches. Photo: DPI.
Pasture dieback can start in small patches. Photo: DPI. Pasture dieback can start in small patches. Photo: DPI. THE region’s producers are being urged to report any sign of pasture dieback this Summer to the Department of Primary Industries, following detections in the North Coast and Hunter. Pasture dieback is a destructive condition that targets […]
PALLIATIVE Care Australia (PCA), the peak body for palliative care in Australia, has suggested ideas on how to relieve “bed block” in public hospitals in its 2026 Federal Budget submission. PCA CEO Camilla Rowland said palliative care is a practical, compassionate way to free up hospital beds while giving people the care they need at […]
The Point Plomer campground in Limeburners Creek National Park. Photo: NPWS.
The Point Plomer campground in Limeburners Creek National Park. Photo: NPWS. Kayaking in the Barrington River. Photo: NPWS. WITH an alarming number of drownings already this season and visitors still flocking to the region’s stunning beaches, rivers, and waterholes, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is urging everyone to stay vigilant and safe. National […]
The report identifies near-term priority emissions abatement measures for industry subsectors. Photo: Leanda Connor.
THE NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) has released a report to help farmers and primary industries reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining or enhancing productivity and sustainability. The NSW Land and Primary Industries Low Emissions Options Report identifies near-term priority emissions abatement measures for industry subsectors including livestock production, […]
THE State Government has launched a “landmark strategy” to respond to the perpetration of domestic and family violence (DFV) in NSW. “Building Better Responses: NSW Strategy to Respond to the Use of Domestic and Family Violence 2026–2030” is NSW’s first dedicated plan aimed at disrupting DFV and focusing on those who cause or may cause […]
