THE Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has given the green light to a proposed merger between Summerland Bank and Regional Australia Bank. Regional Australia Bank currently operates 39 bank branches across the New England, North West, Central West, Riverina, Mid North Coast and Hunter regions of NSW, whilst Summerland operates 10 branches across the NSW […]

DEBATE about the delivery of lifeguard services in Coffs Harbour continued at Council’s 28 August meeting. As previously reported in News Of The Area, City of Coffs Harbour Council has butted heads with the United Services Union (USU) in recent weeks over plans to outsource beach lifeguard services to the Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS), a […]

Students of Crossmaglen Public School are finding new ways to protect the environment. Students of Crossmaglen Public School are finding new ways to protect the environment. The ‘waste-busters’ of Boambee Public School. The ‘waste-busters’ of Boambee Public School. OZGREEN’s “Rethink Waste” schools project has inspired the students of Boambee and Crossmaglen public schools who have […]

A TEENAGE boy has faced court and another two have been charged over a series of alleged property and traffic offences. Between 12.20am and 1.20am on Tuesday 26 August 2025, three properties in Sawtell were the subject of attempted break and enter offences. About 1.20am that morning, a vehicle was allegedly stolen from a home […]

THE Kempsey Neighbourhood Centre (KNC) is offering free help with community recovery in the aftermath of the May 2025 floods. Running until October and funded by the NSW Reconstruction Authority, residents in Local Government Areas (LGAs) including Coffs Harbour and Bellingen Shire, can phone or drop in to the centre on Wednesdays between 10.30am-12.30pm and […]

THE Big Banana glowed purple on Sunday 31 August as a sign of awareness, remembrance and hope on International Overdose Awareness Day.  More than 2000 Australians lose their lives each year to unintentional overdose. This is more than the number of people killed in road accidents each year. Overdose isn’t about one drug or one […]

BELLINGEN Shire Council has voted to endorse the formation of the Urunga CBD Community Reference Group (CRG). The CRG will play an important role in the design phase of the $6.5 million Urunga CBD Redevelopment. It will ensure community voices are heard and reflected as the project moves from the vision outlined on the Urunga […]

THE next time you see the sunrise, take a moment. That big ball of nuclear fire lighting up your morning sky is not just sitting there politely waiting for you to make coffee. It’s racing around the Milky Way at an eye-watering 828,000 km/h, dragging Earth and the rest of the solar system along for […]

THE State and Federal Governments have announced a $50 million Housing Support Package to assist eligible homeowners, renters and primary producers impacted by recent severe flooding. Caravans and self-contained pod homes will be deployed for eligible flood-hit residents and primary producers whose homes were uninsured and uninhabitable so they can stay on their property during […]