WITH droughts on one side of the country, floods on the other, and political volatility overseas, Australia’s agriculture industry has been right in the thick of it. But there is reason for “cautious optimism” in the $90.7 billion sector as uncertain conditions create both threats and opportunities for the nation’s producers, according to Bendigo Bank’s […]

NSW LANDHOLDERS are being asked to report their livestock numbers and land use information as part of Local Land Services’ annual farm census. The Annual Land and Stock Return collects information that helps shape the delivery of animal health and biosecurity services and prepare for emergencies such as bushfires and biosecurity outbreaks. Landholders must lodge […]

An area previously occupied by homeless people is now fenced off, forcing them to move to unsafe places. Signs on the Jetty carpark fence make it clear that rough sleepers are not welcome. LOCAL homelessness services believe the number of people sleeping rough in Coffs Harbour is being significantly undercounted. Frontline workers say that many […]

Transport engineering expert, Dr Elnaz Irannezhad from UNSW’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The freight industry is under growing pressure as it struggles to align with Australia’s sustainability targets. Photo: NSW Government. FREIGHT is critical to Australia’s economy but a University of NSW (UON) expert is warning the industry is falling behind on the […]

Htun had the opportunity to meet others advocating for multicultural issues, including advisory board member Malaemie Fruean OAM. Community representatives from across the region attended the forum. A RECENT community consultation by Multicultural NSW, held in Grafton, provided a valuable opportunity for the Coffs Harbour community to provide a voice on the future of multicultural […]

Andy and Scrubby face the journey with courage. Andy and Scrubby hit their stride in training. Locals Ange and Craig Hurst, with pup Betty, are keen to learn more about Andy’s mission. The map on the trailer shows how far they’ll go. The sign says it all. TO MARK his 60th birthday, local Andy Hope […]

THE Minns Government is extending free vehicle access to National Parks to all Commonwealth Veteran Card holders. Park entry fees for motor vehicles apply at 45 of NSW’s 895 national parks and reserves. A 2025-26 budget measure will enable veterans from around Australia to apply for a pass to enter for free. The pass is […]

A BACKPACKER hoping for a memorable working holiday on an Australian farm finds himself crammed into a house with 17 people, eating dry bread and deprived of sunshine and fresh air. After arriving on a visa from China, the young man had headed to a small town on the NSW coast in 2024 to pick […]

Community members were detained by police after halting logging operations. Photo: Bellingen Activist Network. A drone image of a logged area of Orara East State Forest. Photo: Photo: Bellingen Activist Network. FORTY people gathered at a locked gate outside Orara East State Forest on 18 June, with 25 singing and dancing their way into the […]

EYE-WATERING prices for blueberries are set to continue but shoppers will be mostly protected elsewhere from recent widespread farm flooding. Extensive rainfall and floods across northern NSW in May left thousands of farmers with crop and cattle losses. About one in four blueberries will not make the shelves this season due to the floods as […]