WHAT might have been a straightforward grant of $60,000 to the Bunker Cartoon Gallery has been delayed because five City of Coffs Harbour councillors received electoral funding from a gallery board member. While this sounds contentious, the councillors all declared the conflict of interest and recused themselves from voting on the grant last year. This […]
Blue Motorcycle Project rides in to the Coffs Coast
AN old motorcycle painted blue has popped up above the fence of a property on Orara Way in Coramba, accompanied by the sign “Feeling Blue? Get help”. It is the handiwork of the group of lifelong mates behind the Blue Motorcycle Project. The men previously organised rides to raise money for motor neurone disease and […]
Margaret Crawley remembered as a ‘woman of excellence”
SATURDAY, 8 March is International Women’s Day, an opportunity to remember a tireless community volunteer whose unwavering influence on the community stems from the grace of kindness and selfless service. Margaret Crawley was a role model with this kind of legacy. She dedicated over 20 years to charity work in Melbourne before moving to Emerald […]

Shakespeare mentorship program empowers Coffs Harbour students and teachers
ALLEGRA School Coffs Harbour teacher and Leader of Student Support and Strategy Kelly Green, recently participated in the 2025 Bell Shakespeare National Teacher Mentorship program. The program has proven positive impacts that empower participants, their students, and the wider school community. The course is conducted annually at the Sydney headquarters of national theatre company Bell […]
Royal Hotel reigns as most popular NSW pub name
THE most popular names for NSW pubs have been revealed, with Royal Hotel taking the top spot as the most common watering hole in 2025. The latest data from Liquor & Gaming NSW shows that 73 out of the state’s 2,112 licensed hotels share this prestigious name, reflecting its iconic status in Aussie pub […]
A decade past its due date, the NBN promises to deliver
TEN years after the National Broadband Network was declared “fully operational,” industry experts expect the project to finally realise its original mission: high-speed internet connections for almost everyone. The accomplishment is expected in 2030 after the announcement of a $3.8 billion investment to strip more ageing copper connections from the network, replacing them with […]
Barrington Tops cops 525mm of rain in stormy week
A LOW-PRESSURE system off the northern NSW coast caused widespread rainfall and strong winds across the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions last week. Flood warnings for the Gloucester area began on Wednesday, 15 January, with predictions of dangerous flooding on the Manning and Gloucester rivers. By 5:30am Saturday, 18 January the Gloucester River at […]
Wildfires and other weather extremes raising new climate alarms
WILDFIRES in Los Angeles, heavy snow in other parts of the US, floods in Saudi Arabia and heatwaves across Australia have all confirmed the fears of climate scientists. The Climate Council, an independent organisation formed after the Abbott Government abolished the Climate Commission in 2013, says scientists have confirmed 2024 was the world’s hottest since […]

Ways for consumers to put the ‘sun tax’ in the shade
FOR those who can afford it, adding a battery could beat the “sun tax” that will further deplete the once-generous rate of return for rooftop solar pioneers. A third of Australia’s households have rooftop solar and almost three quarters of the output has historically been exported into the electricity grid. But a new tax, […]