Scarlet with her twin sister Violet. Photo Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. Scarlet ready to take on her competition. Photo Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. Scarlet with Laurieton Public School principal Grant Timmins. Photo Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. Scarlet with her haul of medals from the State PSSA championships. Photo: supplied. LAURIETON Public School (LPS) speed sensation Scarlet Monk has claimed a haul […]
Reminder that plovers are protected as hatching season brings new dangers
Karen Ledger of FAWNA with a plover hatchling. Plovers are a protected species in Australia. KAREN Ledger of FAWNA is hoping to change people’s opinions on plovers during the current hatching season. These native birds are found all over Australia and are a protected species. It is against the law to interfere with them. Plovers […]
CSIRO report reflects improvements in estimating East Coast koala population
MEMBER for Oxley Michael Kemp says the CSIRO’s National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP) has revealed a staggering leap in koala numbers that “upends years of alarmism”. The 2025 report estimates the listed population across NSW, Qld and the ACT is between 398,000 and 569,000, a dramatic rise from the 2024 estimate of just 95,000 to […]
Printed Edition 07 NOVEMBER 2025
Nationals ditch net zero as Liberals ponder policy
THE Nationals have set up a possible showdown with their political ally the Liberals after unanimously agreeing to scrap their commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. The regional party argues Australia is doing more than its fair share to reduce carbon pollution, and emissions reductions should instead be tied to an average of similar […]
Letter to the Editor: The Nationals have given up – but we don’t have to
DEAR News Of The Area, THE recent decision by the National Party to abandon its commitment to net zero by 2050 has left many in regional Australia questioning what this means for our future. Net zero simply means balancing the greenhouse gases we produce with those we remove from the atmosphere, ensuring the world we […]
OPINION: Reflections on the 1975 constitutional crisis
THE dismissal of the Whitlam Government in November 1975 highlighted the fragility of our parliamentary and constitutional system and the danger that, if the various constitutional norms that protect that system are ignored, the democratic system itself can be weakened. The real villains in the whole affair were two State Premiers who went against a […]
AFL North Coast rep teams to play in Coffs next year
AFL NORTH Coast’s best senior players will represent their competition in Coffs Harbour next year. The North Coast Force men’s and women’s representative teams will play at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Saturday, 18 July. The Force teams will face visiting representative teams from the AFL North West and AFL Central West competitions. The […]
Letter to the Editor: Thanks for your leadership Lauren
DEAR News Of The Area, THE October 2025 Council meeting officially concluded the first 12 months of the current term of office for Port Macquarie-Hastings Councillors. At the meeting a new Deputy Mayor was selected to take over from Lauren Edwards, who had completed her 12-month appointment to the role. I would like to pause […]
Letter to the Editor: Can’t trust the Nationals on energy policy
DEAR News Of The Area, THE Nationals have rejected ‘Net Zero’, the policy they signed up to when Barnaby Joyce was their leader. Net Zero has become a totemic symbol, a two-word slogan the Nationals hate. But Net Zero is much more than a slogan – it’s an ambitious investment, energy, jobs, industry and environment […]
