July 4, 2026
Conspiracy theories crowd out consideration of real issues
Opinion

Conspiracy theories crowd out consideration of real issues

DEAR Newspapers Of The Area, THE letter by Rodney Fox in a recent NOTA made a significant observation with regards not only to the topic of “chemtrails” but to conspiracy fantasies in general. “Attempts to belittle or ridicule those seeking answers are unlikely to be effective when many people have already informed themselves on the […]

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Tourists staying in homes and locals staying in motels
Opinion

Tourists staying in homes and locals staying in motels

DEAR News Of The Area, IN all the housing crisis talk by Federal or State governments, the biggest elephant in the room is unhosted Airbnbs, specifically entire-home Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA). Homes that should be available for first-home buyers, normal buyers and long-term renters are instead being bought up to be used as Airbnbs […]

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Call for clear answers about ‘chem-trail’ activity
Opinion

Call for clear answers about ‘chem-trail’ activity

DEAR News of the Area, SOCIAL media was abuzz last week following what many residents described as unusually heavy chem-trail activity over the Mid North Coast. The sky was crisscrossed with persistent trails that gradually dispersed into a light silver-grey haze, obscuring much of the blue sky above. It was the most extensive activity I […]

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Women deserve respect, not patronising
Opinion

Women deserve respect, not patronising

DEAR News Of The Area, WHY do shop assistants and supermarket checkout staff think it is in any way acceptable to call women – especially older women – by pet names such as “Dear”, “Sweetie”, “My lovely” “Darl”, “Love” “Pet” and so on. I’ve heard people make the excuse that they’re just being friendly.  But […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

Dear Jasminda, When I travel with my partner on a plane, he ignores the safety announcements and instead reads a book. I feel like if something goes wrong, I’m the only one who will be able to assist. Bettina L. Dear Bettina, I’ve come across a range of different travellers over the years. Because I […]

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Legal Hypothetical: estate fight brewing behind the bar
Hypothetical

Legal Hypothetical: estate fight brewing behind the bar

MARCO passes away suddenly at the age of 52, leaving behind four children, a small country hotel, and no Will. At the time of his death, Marco was the hotel’s sole registered proprietor, while he and his brother, Tony, managed the business. Their mother, Rosa, however, disputes the notion that the hotel belonged solely to […]

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Letter to the Editor: Dramatic language over budget
Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Dramatic language over budget

DEAR News Of The Area, Golly, a “budget bloodbath”.  Didn’t take long for our local conservative Member for Lyne to talk up a drama. Here is our representative of the parties whose mantra is smaller government and lower taxes screaming blue murder that the government is not spending more money. Fresh from their drubbing in […]

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Letter from the Editor: Fond farewell
Letter to the Editor

Letter from the Editor: Fond farewell

By Doug CONNOR, Group Editor AFTER just shy of six years manning the News Of The Area news desk, I have made the difficult decision to leave my role as Group Editor. Before I officially depart next Friday (29 May), I wanted to take the opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has […]

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