DEAR News Of The Area, THE recently released draft Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) for the proposed ‘Revitalisation of the Foreshores’ should be a source of concern for every member of our community. While the document was only a draft and released for public comment, it is deeply disappointing that Council staff were prepared to put […]
DEAR News Of The Area, WITH the Brisbane 2032 Olympics approaching, Australia is heading toward a major jobs and economic boom. Thousands of roles in events, tourism, and logistics will be created – and young people should be preparing now. In Coffs Harbour, they can’t. Students wanting to study event management through TAFE NSW have […]
DEAR News Of The Area, IN all the housing crisis talk by Federal or State governments, the biggest elephant in the room is unhosted Airbnbs, entire home Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA). Homes that should be available for first-home buyers, normal buyers and long-term renters are instead being bought up for Airbnb during the worst […]
The female swamp wallaby. Photo: Marcus Baynes-Rock
DEAR News Of The Area, I am writing to share this photo, which was taken on Sunday, 14 June, while taking a walk to the back of Muttonbird Island. We just happened to see this swamp wallaby among the muttonbird burrows. She wasn’t at all disturbed. She just stood there and looked at us as […]
DEAR News Of The Area, Musing on the state of things in Australia it occurs to me that a strike might help put things into perspective. I mean a strike by all the refugees and immigrants who keep the economy ticking over, our health system functioning, our trains and taxis running, our university doors open […]
DEAR News Of The Area, WHAT could be more dodgy than our Navy squandering $368 billion dollars on ageing, second-hand American nuclear-powered submarines? Firstly, nuclear-propulsion is complex and dangerous technology, relying on nuclear reactors fuelled with weapons-grade uranium – highly enriched to more than 90 per cent U-235. Secondly, after years of operation, submarine nuclear […]
Gumbaynggirr Elder Sue Hoskins and her daughter Marie Hoskins celebrating 50 years on from the opening of the new Wongala housing with Nancy and Tom Strickland.
DEAR News Of The Area, THE city’s flags flew at half-mast and St John’s Anglican Church overflowed as mourners respectfully gathered to celebrate Sue Hoskins’ journey to The Dream Time. The legend of Sue’s many achievements as a Gumbaynggirr Elder warmed the hearts of many. This story pays tribute to Sue’s community service since 1967 […]
DEAR News Of The Area, IT was great to see Win Howard recognised in the Kings Birthday Honours List. Back in the early 1950s Win used to catch the same School Special bus as I did that took us from Gladesville’s Terminus bus stop to Fort Street Boys High School on Parramatta Road, Petersham, (which […]
Dear News Of The Area, SUE Stephenson’s article ‘Dunbogan residents fear dune collapse’, (5/6/2026, NOTA Camden Haven) should be read in conjunction with the ‘State of the Climate 2024’ report by the CSIRO. Globally sea levels have risen by more than 22cm since 1900 and are accelerating. “Extreme sea levels that had a probability of […]
DEAR News Of The Area, I JUST enjoyed a wonderful production of ‘Olivia’ at the Jetty Theatre. We certainly have some talented young people here on the Coast. I was interested in learning where these young people learnt their acting skills from and found out many of them attend the Young Actors Studio. It’s pleasing […]
