267 Waitui Road, Waitui is on the market with Martin Newell/Percival Property
267 Waitui Road, Waitui Expressions of Interest: Closing 3pm, 30 April 2026 ‘TAONGA’ is more than a residence, it is a statement about how Australians aspire to live when space, design and nature align. At a time when urban density continues to define much of modern housing, properties like this remind us of the enduring […]
The technology is assisting firefighting forces to monitor more areas and predict the spread of more bushfires. Photo: NSW Rural Fire Service.
AI cameras spotted more than 1000 bushfires over summer
ARTIFICIALLY intelligent cameras detected more than 1100 bushfires in Australia over summer, including some that would have been missed by humans until they posed a greater risk. One fire outbreak caused by lighting strikes, for example, could have damaged a pine forest if cameras had not alerted firefighters. Pano AI revealed the findings on Tuesday […]
Letter to the Editor: Fuel shortages are the fault of government
DEAR News Of The Area, AUSTRALIA until recently had 10 oil refineries, but now has only two. Therefore we rely almost entirely on imports of finished products, of which we have only a few weeks of supply stored on Australian soil. The late Senator Major General Jim Molan pointed out the severe consequences of our […]
Settlement Point Road, Port Macquarie during the May 2025 floods on the Mid North Coast. Photo: Port Macquarie SES.
Warning after extreme weather’s financial toll revealed
AUSTRALIANS are counting the ballooning cost of extreme weather events after they caused almost $5 billion in insured losses in 2025, more than 700 percent up on the previous year. And the financial toll is only expected to get worse, with independent analysis indicating it could blow out to $35 billion annually by 2050. The […]
Rob Dwyer MP with some of the members of the Hastings Valley Motorcycle Club. Photo: Rob Lloyd, Sportive Media.
Funding on offer to boost number of women and girls in sport
CLUBS across the Port Macquarie-Hastings are encouraged to apply for funding to boost the number of women and girls in sport. Under the Play Her Way Innovation Program, the NSW Government is making $500,000 available for participation initiatives. Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer said the program provides a valuable opportunity for organisations to break […]
Comboyne’s four-time national downhill champion Luke Meier-Smith is a former sporting fund scholarship recipient. Photo: Sven Martin/Giant Bicycles.
New members needed for Port Macquarie-Hastings Sporting Fund
A LACK of official members of the Hastings Sporting Fund has called its future into question. An expression of interest carried out last year resulted in three applications to sit on the fund’s sub-committee, however rules require seven members. A staff report presented to councillors by Director of Community, Planning and Environment Melissa Watkins, outlined […]
Stargazing: April showers set to thrill
EVER stood under a quiet night sky and caught a sudden flash, like the heavens just struck a match? That fleeting streak we casually call a “shooting star” is anything but ordinary. And over the coming week, the sky is set to put on a show that rewards patience, curiosity, and a willingness to lose […]
Statewide approach to community consultation welcomed by building body
THE NSW Government is attempting to introduce a statewide approach for how communities have their say on planning proposals. A draft statewide Community Participation Plan is now on public exhibition. Currently there are more than 100 different Community Participation Plans across the state, each with its own approach, timeframes and thresholds for consultation on planning […]
A fire training camp held at Guulabaa – Place of Koala in Cowarra State Forest last year. Photo: Forestry Corporation.
Cultural burn undertaken in Cowarra State Forest
BUNYAH Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) community firefighters carried out a cultural burn in Cowarra State Forest on Wednesday, marking the return of traditional Aboriginal fire practices to State Forest management. The burn brought together 15 community members, Elders, knowledge holders and young people, working alongside Forestry Corporation fire crews, to apply traditional fire knowledge […]
