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 […]
Rachel Relf, Jazmin Madden, Nigel Wieck and Peter Douglas at Wingham Show. Photo: Cedar Creek Angus.
Middle Brother farmer making waves in the cattle world
Rachel Relf, Jazmin Madden, Nigel Wieck and Peter Douglas at Wingham Show. Photo: Cedar Creek Angus. Jazmin Madden exhibiting at the Wauchope Show. Photo: Cedar Creek Angus. DESPITE being just 23-years-old, Middle Brother resident Jazmin Madden is already making a big name for herself in the world of cattle breeding. In 2019 she launched the […]
Mid North Coast Adult Volunteer of the Year Tania Hrbacek was represented at the 2025 award ceremony by Ulong Public School Principal Surinder Kaler (centre). Cowper MP Pat Conaghan and Port Macquarie MP Robert Dwyer presented the award.
Nominations open for the 2026 Mid North Coast Volunteer of the Year awards
IT’S time for people across the Mid North Coast to nominate family, friends or work mates for the 2026 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards, to help celebrate the enormous positive impact of volunteers across the state. The awards are in their 20th year and are run by The Centre for Volunteering to recognise the […]
Heart of the Haven: Julia Reynolds
JULIA Reynolds is one of those quiet achievers who just gets on with helping others. Living in Laurieton since December 2014, her connection to Camden Haven goes back much further. “I’ve been coming here for over 47 years on holidays,” she said. “My in-laws lived in Dunbogan, so I’ve always felt very connected to the […]
Improvements in home waste management
RESULTS from the 2025 MidWaste Kerbside Waste Audit have revealed that households in the Port Macquarie Hastings local government area are outperforming state averages for waste management. Local households achieved a 75 percent landfill diversion rate, with most of the household waste being successfully kept out of landfill through recycling and the Food Organics and […]
Heartbeat of the Hastings: Casey Whitehouse
FOR Bonny Hills volunteer Casey Whitehouse it was becoming a parent that truly opened her eyes to the importance of strong support networks. While she had always believed in the importance of community, motherhood gave her a deeper understanding of how vital connection and support can be. “Parenthood can be incredibly joyful, but it can […]
Laurieton couple cooks up support for RFS Brigades
FRANK Deguara embodies the Lions Club’s motto “We Serve”. Last year he and his wife Jeanette raised funds for the flood-affected areas of Taree, and this month they set their sights on assisting the RFS Brigades at Camden Haven and Lake Cathie. With the support of Hometown manager Mark Ennor, and fellow residents, a fundraising […]
New Peer Leader to advocate for locals with spinal cord injuries
NORTH Haven’s Noel Hiffernan OAM is a full-time wheelchair user and longtime disability advocate who is also the new Peer Leader of the Mid North Coast Advocacy Community Network. The network takes in Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA), which has grown to be the peak body for more than 20,000 people in Australia living with […]
Some of the Willing & Able team showcasing their many chairs on sale. Photo: @WillingandAbleFoundation.
Willing & Able Port Macquarie marks 60 years of supporting people with disability
ONE of the Port Macquarie-Hastings region’s most recognised organisations, Willing & Able marks 60 years of supporting people with disability, while continuing to evolve to meet the needs of the community. Despite its long history, many people are still unaware of the full scope of services it provides and the impact it has had on […]
Liz Faassen bids farewell to the Hastings’ 2WAY FM
BETWEEN 2pm and 4pm on 29 April, Hastings Community Radio presenter Liz Faassen will broadcast her final program of “The Sounds of the Swinging 60’s and 70’s”. Liz became a 2WAY FM presenter in 2014 after completing the required training. She had listened to 2WAY FM for many years prior to this, and was a […]
