Jane Bettison is helping local women to connect and make friends. Casual drinks with (l-r) Caroline, Liane, Debbie, Francesca and Loran. Enjoying a boat ride. Getting outdoors for a bushwalk. AS INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day is celebrated, one local woman is quietly making a difference by creating a space where local women can feel welcome, safe […]

WITH the prospect of paying at least $1 million for a home in many of Australia’s capital cities, buyers are once again looking to escape to the country. The regional property market surged in the three months to January, outpacing the capitals, according to figures from data firm Cotality released on Wednesday. Dwelling values rose […]

TIM Ayliffe award-winning Australian author is visiting the Yarrila Library in Coffs Harbour on Monday, 2 February to give a talk on his latest crime thriller “Dark Desert Road”. Set in the NSW Riverina, the novel delves into the rise of sovereign citizen movements and extremist ideologies in regional Australia. While the story is fictional, […]

A FUNDRAISER has been launched to repatriate the bodies of the two men who drowned in the Never Never River near Bellingen on Sunday. Launched on GoFundMe by Sunita Kalkal of Melton West in Victoria, the stated aim is to cover the cost of repatriation to India and funeral expenses, and to support family members […]

NEW research, real-time tracking and expanded drone surveillance lead a $4.2 million NSW Government initiative to keep people safer in the water this summer. The investment follows an unprecedented number of attacks in recent weeks and the need for better education and community messaging on shark behaviour – particularly before and after weather events. Surf […]

AS families across the Mid North Coast prepare for the return to school, new research has revealed the growing pressure many households face simply trying to meet the basic costs of education. The latest Pulse Survey of families supported by The Smith Family shows that more than four out of five parents and carers are […]

FOR the first time in more than two decades, foster and kinship carers across NSW have received a 20 percent increase to their care allowance. The increase aims to ease cost-of-living pressures and strengthen support for vulnerable children in out-of-home care. The tax-free increase took effect from 1 January 2026 and applies to authorised carers […]

The Point Plomer campground in Limeburners Creek National Park. Photo: NPWS. Kayaking in the Barrington River. Photo: NPWS. WITH temperatures high and visitors flocking to the region’s stunning beaches, rivers, and waterholes, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is urging everyone to stay vigilant and safe. National parks offer countless opportunities for swimming, fishing, […]

THE NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) has released a report to guide farmers and primary industries so they can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining or enhancing productivity and sustainability. The NSW Land and Primary Industries Low Emissions Options Report identifies near-term priority emissions abatement measures for industry subsectors […]

HAVE you ever wondered why we decorate cone-bearing trees, eat turkey and ham, light candles, pull bonbons, hang Christmas stockings, decorate homes, make wreaths and credit Santa with delivering presents via flying reindeer? Most of us know that many Christmas traditions from the Northern Hemisphere sailed south with immigrants. But many so-called Christmas traditions originated […]