February 17, 2026
Letter to the Editor: the human paradox
Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: the human paradox

DEAR News Of The Area The paradox of being human [is that] Intelligence asks, “Can we?” and Wisdom asks, “Should we?” Humans are the only creatures capable of inventing weapons that could end civilisation, and writing poetry about why we shouldn’t destroy ecosystems and grieving the loss. Or of building machines of war, and dreaming […]

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Legal Hypothetical: the dreaded smartphone will
Hypothetical

Legal Hypothetical: the dreaded smartphone will

FOLLOWING a recent health scare, Peter opens the Notes application on his iPhone and creates a document entitled “last will”. The note appoints his brother William as his executor, gifts his house and contents to his brothers and after some monetary gifts to friends and family, gifts the balance of his bank accounts to William. […]

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On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, We have a few family members who work from home and our mannerisms and work styles are getting on each other’s nerves. How do we improve our work-from-home balance? Megan P. Dear Megan, Research by Roy Morgan (2025) stated that more than 6.7 million Australians work from home at least some of the […]

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From the Mayor’s Desk: Cr Nikki Williams
From The Mayor's Desk

From the Mayor’s Desk: Cr Nikki Williams

OUR Coffs Coast is fast becoming a year-round destination. When you live here on the daily it’s sometimes easy to walk past the roses with little notice. Through the fresh lens of a visitor, Coffs shines so bright. Our magnificent coastline, lush forests, laidback lifestyle, boutique shopping and foodie experiences are a dynamic mix. We […]

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Letter to the Editor: e-bike fright
Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: e-bike fright

DEAR News Of The Area, I ride a pushbike on the cycleways and in the space of 5mins, I was [recently] passed by two e-bikes, both travelling about 50km/h – and neither rang their bell before passing. This is very frightening for me and must be even more so for pedestrians. If I think there […]

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Quiet heroes: volunteers wanted for new WIRES shelter in Coffs Harbour An orphaned mountain brushtail possum joey is cared for by WIRES volunteers until its release back into the wild. Photo: Mick Birtles.
Opinion

Quiet heroes: volunteers wanted for new WIRES shelter in Coffs Harbour

As Australians, we are rightly proud of our natural environment. We march to protect forests, campaign for clean rivers and speak passionately about saving wildlife and ecosystems. Those voices do matter, but beyond the headlines and protest banners, another story unfolds quietly every day. It’s a story of people who don’t just speak for wildlife, […]

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Letter to the Editor: Coffs bypass and dangerous goods
Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Coffs bypass and dangerous goods

DEAR News Of The Area Andrew Simons’ letter  (02/01/2026) states that “hundreds of trucks deemed too dangerous to travel through a tunnel can continue to daily rumble through our town centre.” However, best estimates are that only 20 trucks per day will be prohibited from using the bypass (Class 1 and Class 2.1 dangerous goods […]

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Letter to the Editor: Coffs’ disgrace
Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Coffs’ disgrace

DEAR News Of The Area As a regular traveler from Bonville into Coffs, I continued to be disappointed in the look of the roadside fringes and median strips. I believe some of these areas have not been mowed for more than six weeks with some of the weeds being over a metre tall. It certainly […]

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