May 7, 2026
Laurieton’s Dave Castleton prepares for eighth Sydney to Hobart
Sport

Laurieton’s Dave Castleton prepares for eighth Sydney to Hobart

LOCAL Dave Castleton lives and breathes sailing. When he first joined the Queens Lake Sailing Club in 1997, his long-term goal was to sail in the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Surpassing that goal, on 26 December Dave will commence his eighth race, crewing on the Lake Macquarie based boat “Inner Circle” which will […]

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Anger and fears over Council’s sudden closure of Kindee Bridge The Kindee Bridge was closed without warning on Tuesday.
Government

Anger and fears over Council’s sudden closure of Kindee Bridge

Kindee resident Chris O’Brien. Photo: supplied. The Kindee Bridge was closed without warning on Tuesday. KINDEE resident Chris O’Brien, 73, lives on his own since his wife passed away earlier this year. A resident of the area for more than 35 years, he is fiercely independent. But as the survivor of a triple bypass, heart […]

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Red Cross and Qantas ‘PlaneDeer’ brings Christmas Joy to Mid North Coast Santa’s Link-Dasher 8 delivered cheer to children from Coopernook Public School.
Regional

Red Cross and Qantas ‘PlaneDeer’ brings Christmas Joy to Mid North Coast

Santa’s Link-Dasher 8 delivered cheer to children from Coopernook Public School. Red Cross volunteers with Port Macquarie MP Robert Dwyer. The Red Cross Bear with children from Coopernook. The children’s faces were filled with joy. Red Cross volunteers with Port Macquarie Airport staff. QANTAS team members and Australian Red Cross volunteers delivered hundreds of presents […]

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State Government stalls on promised Houston Mitchell Drive safety upgrades Patience is needed to find a break in the trailers, trucks and caravans travelling at speed past the Houston Mitchell Drive turnoff. Photos: Kathy Regan.
Local News

State Government stalls on promised Houston Mitchell Drive safety upgrades

IT’S 7.15am on Tuesday morning, 16 December, and cars are lined up behind the stop sign at the intersection of Houston Mitchell Drive and the Pacific Highway, as a work truck and other cars wait in the turning lane opposite, and semi-trailers and a cement truck fly past at 110kmph. This is the nerve wracking […]

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DFV strategy welcomed but more to be done
Camden Haven

DFV strategy welcomed but more to be done

THE State Government has launched a “landmark strategy” to respond to the perpetration of domestic and family violence (DFV) in New South Wales. “Building Better Responses: NSW Strategy to Respond to the Use of Domestic and Family Violence 2026–2030” is NSW’s first dedicated plan aimed at disrupting DFV and focusing on those who cause or […]

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Major change to gas connection fees
Camden Haven

Major change to gas connection fees

THE Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) will require newly connecting retail gas customers to pay the upfront cost of their connection, often more than $2000, moving away from the old system where these costs were often shared across all customers. The recent final determination responds to a rule change request from Energy Consumers Australia and […]

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Work continues to restore Oxley Highway Work has been slowed by extreme weather events.
Local News

Work continues to restore Oxley Highway

RECONSTRUCTION work is continuing on the Oxley Highway at Mount Seaview to restore full access through areas affected by natural disasters. The weekly planned closure at Mount Seaview will be lifted after Thursday 18 December, with parts of the highway returning to single lane, alternating flow traffic arrangements during the NSW summer school holidays and […]

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Council opts for $17m upgrade over $92m new wastewater plant
Camden Haven

Council opts for $17m upgrade over $92m new wastewater plant

A $92 MILLION price tag to build a new wastewater treatment plant has driven Port Macquarie Hastings Council’s decision to instead upgrade the existing Wauchope facility, despite concerns about flooding at the site. Councillors last week endorsed proceeding with Stage 1 upgrades to the Wauchope Wastewater Treatment Plant – focused on inlet works – while […]

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Christmas under the stars: The sky that started a story A tale as old as Christmas itself: the mystery of the so-called Christmas Star.
Local News

Christmas under the stars: The sky that started a story

EVERY year, as the festive season picks up speed, the night sky quietly rolls out its own holiday display- no tinsel, no blinking bulbs, just a crisp dome of stars performing the same cosmic pageant they’ve been staging for thousands of years. And woven into that ancient canvas is a tale as old as Christmas […]

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