Firefighters have been deployed to both Victoria and South Australia. Photos: supplied. Smoke fills the air on the Victorian firefront. FORESTRY Corporation of NSW last week deployed 10 firefighters to South Australia to support firefighting operations following several weeks of assistance in Victoria.  Forestry Corporation, one of NSW’s four firefighting agencies, has more than 500 […]

THE Department of the House of Representatives has announced that entries are now open for the 2026 Yarning Competition. ‘Yarning’ is an Australia-wide storytelling competition that invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students from across Australia to share their perspectives and stories with the Australian Parliament. “The Yarning Competition is a wonderful new […]

PROUD Jawoyn and Wiradjuri woman and Port Macquarie local, Kristal Kinsela, is preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise critical support for First Nations people affected by breast cancer – less than two years after facing the disease herself. In 2024, just months after trekking to Everest Base Camp, the business leader and author received […]

THE PUSH for clean transport means grants are available for Hastings businesses wanting to install electric vehicle fast-charging stations. Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer is encouraging local businesses to apply for funding, now available under Round 4 of the NSW Government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy. The program has been updated to better reflect its long-term […]

THE North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) has questioned the NSW Government’s Koala baseline assessments, saying that a review has found the Government’s models of koala densities broad and inaccurate. This includes claims that cleared paddocks near Kyogle have higher densities of koalas than the Great Koala National Park (GKNP). NEFA says the survey results, often […]

DR AUNTY Rhonda Radley has been named a finalist for NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year. The awards celebrate trailblazers, changemakers and role models from across NSW, with winners to be announced on Thursday 5 March. Dr Aunty Rhonda’s life and work reflects a deep and enduring connection to Country, culture and community across the […]

WORLD Thinking Day will mark its 100 year milestone when Girl Guides celebrate the occasion on 22 February with a Come and Try event at Bruce Porter Reserve, Laurieton, from 9am to 1pm. For 100 years, World Thinking Day has united Girl Guides and Girl Scouts across the globe in a shared celebration of friendship, […]

THE Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is recruiting more than 2,700 Field Managers to help deliver the 2026 Census, providing job opportunities on the Mid North Coast. The roles form a critical part of the Census workforce, supporting communities across Australia to take part in one of the nation’s most important data collections. Field Managers […]

John and Jean Hodge today. John and Jean Hodge on their wedding day. SEVENTY-THREE years of marriage is a rare and remarkable milestone, and John and Jean Hodge’s story feels as though it is drawn from another time, when dances mattered, promises were kept, and love arrived with a simple question: “May I have this […]

WALK to Work Day will take place on Friday, 26 March, encouraging Australians to build more walking into their daily routines while raising funds for better mental health outcomes nationwide. The annual campaign, led by the Pedestrian Council of Australia, highlights the physical and mental health benefits of walking and this year supports the Black […]