SOME years ago, the Family Research Group and the Historical Society were asked if we had any information on Mr Ivar Gronfors, who was thought to have lived in our area. We certainly did as Jan Winn’s grandfather had lived in a house that Mr Gronfors sold to him in 1915. On checking further we […]
This roof leak went unnoticed until the heaviest rains fell, again using wood as transmission to the lowest point.
Residents urged to be aware of mould impacts after floods
HIDDEN dangers exist in practically every house and property, many only exposed after an incident like the heavy rainfall that the region received over the last weeks. Mould, which naturally exists almost everywhere, loves moisture and poorly-lit areas that lack decent ventilation, such as walls or wallpaper, ceilings, bathroom tiles, carpets, insulation material and wood. […]
Aedes aegypti mosquito ready for a meal, followed by laying eggs in your birdbath. Photo: Dr Cameron Webb.
Mosquito numbers set to soar after long rains
Aedes aegypti mosquito ready for a meal, followed by laying eggs in your birdbath. Photo: Dr Cameron Webb. This backyard birdbath, filled by the recent rains, contains dozens of mosquito larvae that can mature within a week. The black spots are mosquito eggs or pupae, ready to hatch. MOSQUITO numbers are set to soar due […]
The Hunter region is lagging on indicators of a shift to an economy powered by decarbonised exports. Photo: Michael Gorton/AAP PHOTOS.
Work in progress: bottlenecks hinder green export hub
SLOW project approvals, energy storage gaps and investment uncertainty are proving hurdles to cutting greenhouse gas emissions from heavy industry. For the Hunter, a region eyeing off green industrial exports as global demand for its coal wanes, the transition has not been all smooth sailing. Government support for clean tech innovation and steps to retrain […]
Stroud Street in Bulahdelah remained flooded at its lowest point as of Sunday, while causeways further out were impassable through the week, cutting off Markwell.
Nerong and Bulahdelah suffer riverine flooding after heavy rains
Stroud Street in Bulahdelah remained flooded at its lowest point as of Sunday, while causeways further out were impassable through the week, cutting off Markwell. Nerong’s bus stop and Community Centre sit low near the marina, and remained under water on Sunday. Waterhen Park boat launch area at Nerong was under a few feet of […]
Coastal areas assess damage after days of rain, floods
The southern accessway to Bennetts Beach at Hawks Nest was cordoned off by Surf Club volunteers. Large rivulets formed along The Boulevarde at Winda Woppa, adding to the erosion zone from the other side this time. The road stabilising mass underneath Winda Woppa’s erosion zone is now completely exposed, with no chance for sand renourishment […]
Disaster assistance activated for flood affected local government areas
THE Albanese and Minns Governments have activated disaster assistance to communities in Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Hunter and Mid North Coast following severe weather, including heavy rainfall. The NSW Government’s Natural Disaster Declaration applies to the LGAs of Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, MidCoast, Nambucca, […]
Floodwaters have destroyed Daniel Fitzgerald and his family's home in Taree for the second time. Photo: Sharon Revell.
Residents counting costs after ‘heartbreaking’ floods
DANIEL Fitzgerald slept in his car for five days, watching helplessly as floodwaters slowly destroyed everything inside his home for the second time. Deadly flooding has lashed parts of NSW, resulting in five deaths, damaging up to 10,000 properties and cutting off more than 50,000 people in regional towns. The deluge did not spare Mr […]
A rare recount in a Sydney electorate will delay confirmation of Australia's next parliament. Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS.
Knife-edge recounts could decide parliament’s make-up
IT could take weeks to confirm the members of Australia’s next parliament, with one seat sitting on a margin of only eight votes and an incumbent in another requesting a second tally. Independent MP Zoe Daniel has requested a recount in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein. The Australian Electoral Commission finalised a margin of 260 […]
Housing targets could be difficult to achieve if Australia is unable to secure its timber supply. Photo: James Ross/AAP PHOTOS.
Timber ‘tipping point’ threatens housing affordability
AUSTRALIA’S chances of hitting nationally agreed housing targets and bringing down the prices of new homes are being hurt by challenges to the timber industry. Thousands of regional jobs are facing the axe unless a new national forest policy is delivered, including an expansion of plantations, a report provided to AAP has found. Native forest […]
