LAST weekend, I finally got to head to sea off Port Macquarie since giving birth to my baby in March. I had a great time even though fishing was a bit quiet. Unfortunately, the weather is looking wet and wild for the upcoming weekend, with heavy rain and large swell in the forecast. This weekend […]
Letter to the Editor: Faster trains that won’t break the bank
DEAR News Of The Area, HARRY Creamer’s dream of a foreign funded high-speed rail for Australia (25 July) sounds like another eye-wateringly, never-ending, expensive AUKUS scheme. Australia simply doesn’t have the population to support high-speed rail projects. Even if most city-to-city travel was taken by rail, there still won’t be enough usage to pay for […]
Legal Hypothetical: Family feud over finances
ALAN appoints his three children, Jim, Robert and Mary as his attorneys under a validly executed enduring power of attorney. Alan’s children are appointed “jointly and severally”, so that either one of them can use their power as Alan’s attorney without the consent of the others. Several years later, at 90 years of age, Alan […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, There has been so much hype around the gotcha moment when Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was caught in an embrace with his chief people officer at a Coldplay concert. Why is there so much interest? Jerry P. Dear Jerry, Coldplay songs cover the gamut of emotions. It’s one thing to drive a loved […]
Add Up
Add Up
Letter to the Editor: Make XPT replacements a priority
DEAR News Of The Area, ONE article among many caught my attention in the July 11 NOTA (No ‘hard and fast date’ for new trains, page 9). I have been following this since 2015 when then Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams issued a media release announcing a ‘brand new fleet of trains to replace the […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, Since the recent heavy rain events, we now have a flock of bin chickens in our yard. They are not a very attractive bird, but I can’t seem to shoo them away. How do I get rid of them? Jonathan R. Ah, Jonathon Using the term bin chicken tells me everything I need […]
Legal Hypothetical: No bars on estate claim
MARVIN had been estranged from his family for several years and is now serving a lengthy prison sentence for a serious criminal offence. As a former legal officer in a national security agency, he was charged with leaking classified information. Following the death of his mother, Hilary, in 2023, her Will appointed her daughter, Emily, […]
Letter to the Editor: Does the Treasurer own a calculator?
DEAR News Of The Area, LABOR’S proposal to introduce an unrealized capital gains tax on superannuation funds has created quite a bit of attention since Chalmer’s Federal Budget back on 25 March. I don’t believe Jim Chalmers owns a financial calculator or has thought through the effect of his tax. Recently the Government estimated that […]
