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 […]

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 […]

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 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, […]

CATTLE and dairy farmers have welcomed the government’s decision to legalise virtual stock fencing, which involves using GPS collars to control the animals through audio cues and electric shocks. The move is expected to reduce physical fencing costs, improve rotational grazing systems, and provide remote access to data on the welfare of herds. Minister for […]

A birdseye view of the area burnt near Nabiac. Photo: Alex Weston. A map released by the RFS shows the extent of lightning strikes over four hours on 3 January. THE NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) is urging everyone to remain vigilant, with higher temperatures forecast to return later this week. The bushfire near Bulahdelah […]

FOLLOWING the record-breaking floods which hammered the region in May, impacted residents were instructed by the NSW Government’s Reconstruction Authority to apply for Disaster Relief Grants. According to MidCoast Council, the Authority is now refusing some grant applications due to homes being classified as within a flood zone. Council says this is despite the Authority […]

THREE surfers and shark attack survivors are leading the call for the roll out of life-saving emergency response kits on beaches across Australia. One year after creating Community Shark Bite Kits, founder Danny Schouten has deployed more than 150 kits on beaches across NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. “We’re not going to stop […]

The smoke clouds as the fire began. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. Smoke drifts over the coast, leaving a thick blanket above the water at Bennetts Beach. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. Recon and water-bombing aircraft land, refuel and take off from Bulahdelah Showground,Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. The blackened median and verge forest along the Pacific Highway north of Nerong […]

CLIMATE protesters are ramping up efforts to disrupt the fossil fuel industry, scaling and blocking a ship bound for the world’s largest coal port. Three Greenpeace activists scaled the ship on Sunday morning at Rising Tide’s annual “protestival” at Newcastle Harbour, unveiling a banner reading “Phase Out Coal and Gas”. After police confirmed 11 people […]