A PARLIAMENTARY committee will review the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s response to May’s record-breaking flood event. After entire townships were left isolated and thousands of homes and businesses were damaged, the NSW Reconstruction Authority has been leading recovery operations, including coordinating clean-up and repair efforts. A NSW Parliament Joint Select Committee has recently commenced an inquiry […]

Direct flights to Perth a ‘huge win’ for tourism
NEWCASTLE Airport’s first direct flight to Perth took off last Monday, ending the need for Hunter travellers to drive to Sydney for westbound journeys. The three-times weekly service, operated by a 150-seat QantasLink Airbus A319, aligns with the NSW Government’s recently announced Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, which commits to improving access to and from regional […]
Melbourne to Noosa for neuroblastoma research
Melbourne dad Trent Robertson. Oli, who battled stage 4 neuroblastoma at just two years old. TO mark the start of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Melbourne dad Trent Robertson will embark on the most challenging journey of his life – running 10 marathons and cycling 1,200km in just 30 days. He will raise vital funds for […]
MidCoat Council warns of challenges in the control of bindis
MIDCOAST Council is warning of “challenges ahead” in the control of bindis. Council is working through a priority list for treatment areas with dog parks, sporting fields and high use foreshore and beach areas at the top of the priority list for treatment. It says effective control of the weed hinges on perfect timing. “Successful […]

Planning approval for Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone
THE Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone project has received planning approval after a review of environmental impacts and consultation. The project has an intended network capacity of one gigawatt (GW) and stretches from the Upper Hunter in the north to the Central Coast in the south. It is set to be the first renewable energy […]
Nurses and midwives vote to accept pay rise and improved working conditions
THE NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) has voted to accept the NSW Government’s offer of a three percent interim wage increase and enhancements to working conditions. “At the conclusion of the vote on the public sector interim offer from the NSW Government, branches have accepted the offer, with 88.2 percent of participating branches with […]

Tea Gardens business warns of AI robocalling
ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is becoming more invasive by the day, with one local businessman receiving unsolicited and deeply concerning robocalls last week. Tea Gardens indoor/outdoor electrician Wil Davies told News Of The Area that he answered a call from a number that looked genuine but was unknown to him. “The female voice on the other […]

Extra funding required for road repairs across the MidCoast LGA
MIDCOAST Council plans to spend more than $68 million on roads this year. Despite the eye watering number, Deputy Mayor Jeremy Miller says it isn’t enough to get the road network to “where the community expects”. “We know that we need to invest an additional $35 million into our roads each year to keep them […]
Great Lakes FM launches new studio in Bulahdelah
Presenter Greg Hayes in action. The new location is ready. BULAHDELAH Rural Transaction Centre has a new addition to its fleet of offerings. Previously home to the Myall Coast Radio studio, which was originally based in Tea Gardens before moving to Bulahdelah, it is now part of Great Lakes FM. Since 1986, Great Lakes FM […]
Life without laundry: How astronauts survive in space
SPARE a thought for the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They may float 400 kilometres above Earth at 28,000 km/h, eating their dinner out of pouches while gazing down at the swirling blue planet below – but they have one very down-to-earth problem: laundry. Or rather, the complete lack of it. That’s right. […]