SMOKE Alarm Action Day is 1 June, a day when Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and fire services across Australia, prompt people to check they have a working smoke alarm. Their campaign slogan is, “Be smart. Take part. Check that you have a smoke alarm and test that it works”. “The most important button you’ll […]

‘Long road’ to flood recovery on the Coffs Coast
NSW SES Coffs Harbour volunteers made the journey south to Kempsey to support recovery efforts. Photo: Coffs Harbour SES. Drivers were implored not to risk driving through floodwaters. Photo: Coffs Harbour SES. SES volunteers respond to incidents across the Coffs Coast. Photos: SES. SES volunteers respond to incidents across the Coffs Coast. Photos: SES. SES […]

Renewed calls for alternate route to Dorrigo Plateau
BELLINGEN Shire Council is ramping up its call for urgent action on a viable alternative route for Waterfall Way, following a third major landslip in two months. On Tuesday 13 May, Waterfall Way was closed at Gordonville Cutting due to a landslip, limiting vehicle access to Dorrigo and surrounding Plateau communities. Motorists were left to […]

Freemasons support The Uniting Church Soupie
MEMBERS of the Coffs Harbour and Sawtell Masonic Lodges have donated goods to the Uniting Church Soup Place. “We provided them with packages of food and other items that can be used for crisis packs for those suffering homelessness and hardship,” Brother Stan Gordon told News Of The Area. The Coffs Harbour Soup Kitchen, also […]
National Road Safety Awareness Week commemorated at Coffs Harbour
THE Coffs Coast community commemorated National Road Safety Week (NRSW) with a solemn ceremony at the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden on Thursday 15 May. Organised by the City of Coffs Harbour, the ceremony was held alongside a yellow-flowering Remembrance Garden, where guests could write the name of a loved one on a tribute ribbon. […]
Pumped: Boambee Bay Service Station celebrates first year in business
Cash, Chisel, Adam, Poppi and Jodi on their first day as owners of Boambee Bay Service Station. Co-owner of Boambee Bay Servo, Adam Hudson. Co-owner of Boambee Bay Servo, Adam Hudson. TO CELEBRATE one year of business, the owners of Boambee Bay Service Station and General Store are inviting the community to join them for […]

Council charges ahead with electric vehicles
Council Sustainability Office Lara Cumming, General Manager Mark Griffioen, Mayor Steve Allan, and Group Leader – Sustainable Environment and Waste Sam Tate. Mayor Steve Allan learning the ropes of the new fleet vehicles. Council’s Nissan Leaf fleet vehicles will be run on 100 percent renewable electricity. BELLINGEN Shire Council has replaced two of its petrol […]
Vape use suspected of causing Coffs Central evacuation
A VAPE is suspected of triggering the Automatic Fire Alarm at Coffs Central shopping centre on 13 May, leading to its evacuation.. Coffs Harbour Fire and Rescue, under the command of Station Officer Nat LaMacchia, investigated the cause and believed it to be someone vaping in the Harbour Drive entrance near the chemist. Customers and […]
Trains cut for coaches during year-long refurbishments
LOCAL rail travellers are questioning NSW TrainLink’s handling and timing of service cutbacks. For the next 12 months, refurbishment of the state’s existing XPT train fleet means there will be a premium coach service between Grafton and Sydney Central. There will be two services each way daily, providing an express and a selected stops service […]
Inquiry launched into illegal tobacco trade in NSW
A PARLIAMENTARY inquiry was established on 7 May to report on the illegal tobacco trade in New South Wales. Among a broad remit, the committee will inquire into links between organised crime syndicates and tobacconists, and the utilisation of money laundering schemes by tobacconists. The inquiry will also explore the impact of the illegal tobacco […]