DEAR News Of The Area, HIGH-POWERED electric bikes (“fat bikes”) ridden by teenagers have become a major safety issue around Coffs. I have frequently seen teenagers engaging in risky riding, including: riding on the wrong side of the road, riding without a helmet, doing wheelies, riding while standing or kneeling on the bike seat, looking […]
EIGHT people have been charged with alleged drug offences following a police operation in Port Macquarie last week. On Friday 24 April 2026 and Saturday 25 April 2026, officers attached to Mid North Coast Police District – assisted by the Dog Unit – conducted Operation Safeguard across licensed premises in the Port Macquarie and Hastings […]
Jo Dempsey with her mother Vicki Dempsey on the Great Wall of China.
IN 1924 Sydney resident Janet Heyden initiated Mother’s Day in Australia to support lonely, elderly mothers who had lost their husbands and sons to World War One. While intended as a day of charity, the second Sunday in May quickly became a day for recognising mothers everywhere, with Australians spending a record $1 billion annually […]
TICK nests, or tick bombs to some, are a common phenomenon in the Australian bush. However, few people have heard of them, let alone know what to do when encountering one. News Of The Area spoke with Bellingen local Rosie Lewis, who recently had a severe reaction to a tick nest. She ended up in […]
LIFELINE Mid Coast is urging locals to register now for The Push-Up Challenge, Australia’s largest mental health and fitness event. The tenth annual challenge runs from 3 to 26 June. Community members are encouraged to sign up as individuals or teams, with funds raised directly supporting Lifeline Mid Coast’s vital local services. Lifeline Mid Coast […]
Inundation along the Hastings River in May 2025. Photo: Port Macquarie SES.
Inundation along the Hastings River in May 2025. Photo: Port Macquarie SES. Hastings River Drive, Port Macquarie in May 2025. Photo: Port Macquarie SES. THE State and Federal Governments have committed more than $56 million in new funding to support Mid North Coast communities as they continue to rebuild following the severe weather of May […]
Wauchope Men's Shed was granted $39,000 for a workshop extension.
Wauchope Men’s Shed was granted $39,000 for a workshop extension. The Camden Haven Rural Fire Service received $54,792 for station upgrade works in last year’s CBP grants. EXPRESSIONS of Interest (EOIs) are now open for the NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership (CBP) Grants Program, with up to $450,000 available for projects in each electorate. Local […]
Lachie Price was diagnosed with epilepsy at age four.
WEST Haven resident Lachie Price, 29, will attempt an 80-kilometre ultra marathon from Bondi to Manly in October, using the event as an opportunity to raise funds for Epilepsy Action Australia. Lachie was diagnosed with epilepsy at just four-years-old, and it has impacted every part of his life. “School was difficult as all my friends […]
The centralised body will support existing local arrangements by coordinating resources and using technology to plan and deliver hazard reduction more efficiently across the state. Photo: NSW Government.
A NEW multi-agency taskforce has been launched to accelerate hazard reduction and better protect communities across NSW. Launched by the NSW Government, Taskforce Fire Guard will bring together fire agencies and land managers to strengthen coordination and prioritise high risk areas over the coming months. Operating from the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) State Operations […]
EACH year the NDIS funds almost $600 million dollars for the purchase and maintenance of assistive technology such as wheelchairs. But as the scheme continues to experience cost blowouts and participants wait up to a year for wheelchairs to be funded, millions of dollars’ worth of equipment is going to waste. For Wauchope resident Lorraine […]
