DEAR News Of The Area, RAIN, rain, go away, come back another day! While I never suggest that all weather is linked to global warming, weather events that set new records are made worse by human-induced climate change. The science can explain why, but the National Party, Sky News and News Corp papers never will, […]
Legal Hypothetical: Mutual Wills challenged in Supreme Court
PETER and Penny have a daughter, Diane and a son, Daniel. Peter and Penny purchase a home in which to live with Daniel. The property is registered in Daniel’s name. Later, Daniel moves-out and Peter and Penny continue to reside in the property. Peter and Penny enter into a Deed with Daniel to the effect […]
Letter to the Editor: Concerning election stats
DEAR News Of The Area, OF concern in the recent federal election was a “swing” towards informal voting, with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) reporting a national average of 5.55 percent ballot papers that could not be counted. Within the electorates of Cowper and Page, the AEC’s corresponding local figures were 9.03 percent and 9.15 […]
Letter to the Editor: Alternative site must be found
DEAR News Of The Area, YOUR front-page article “Bellingen poised for affordable housing history” lacked one very important inconvenient fact: that the “parcel of public land” chosen as the site of this initial project is actually a much-loved little piece of original Urunga bushland, long used as a delightful de-facto park by nearby residents, and […]
Letter to the Editor: The economic management myth
DEAR News Of The Area, I HOPE that the total inability of the coalition to provide a coherent economic narrative during the election campaign finally dispels the complete myth that they are always better at managing the Australian economy than Labor. Despite constant repetition of the rhetoric, this claim lacks any substance. Surely being able […]
Defib
The Big Screen
A TWIST on an established horror franchise has been applied to Final Destination: Bloodlines. The original Final Destination was born from a fairly ingenious idea for the genre: a horror film in which Death itself was the “villain”, orchestrating Rube-Goldberg machinations of misfortune that result in suspenseful, grisly deaths. In this latest instalment, college student […]
Legal Hypothetical: Appointment of Enduring Guardians under attack
BETTY appoints two of her daughters as her enduring guardians. The documentation is executed by Betty in the presence of a solicitor who witnesses her signature and explains the effect of the document to Betty. Her daughters later sign acceptances of their roles as guardians and again their signatures are witnessed by a solicitor. The […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, WE are organising a large birthday function and there are relatives that don’t get along with each other. How do we ensure no one feels left out while still making it an enjoyable experience for everyone? Harriet P. Dear Harriet, If your large family events traditionally look like an episode of Dr Phil, […]
Letter to the Editor: Federal election remorse
DEAR News Of The Area, NOW that the Federal Election is finally over (thank God) it seems a few are grieving the result, and as a consequence their current thinking, as well as their memories, lack clarity. Mr Williamson in his letter of 9 May 2025 laments the fact that we have elected a lying […]