DEAR News Of The Area, FOR many years, I have provided professional advice and assistance to families raising children with disabilities. As parents age, one of their greatest concerns is who will care for their son or daughter when they are no longer able to do so. My wife and I are now facing this […]
DEAR News of the Area, IN my last letter I warned of unfounded, flawed claims being used by those opposed to One Nation to try to stop their surging popularity in Australia. Bill Robinson’s letter (‘Compassion and vision are essential’, NOTA, 31/7/26) is a prime example. It is an irrefutable fact that the recent OECD […]
DEAR News Of The Area, A NEW website has been created by the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team (DVDRT), an independent statutory body convened by the State Coroner. Over the past 26 years there have been close to 300 women killed by their current or former intimate partners following a history of domestic violence. […]
DEAR News Of The Area, LINDA Dalton’s letter “Affordable housing benefits us all” (NOTA, 31/7/2026) shows that she, and many others, completely misunderstand the reasons why many in Urunga and elsewhere object to the proposal to use Lot 1, Ferry Street, Urunga as a site for affordable housing. We agree that affordable housing should benefit […]
DEAR Jasminda, I have recently joined a pilates group for relaxation. There is one particular attendee who makes a lot of loud noises during the class, which is ruining my ability to relax. Can I say something? Belinda N. DEAR Belinda, Having attended Pilates classes, I have some sympathy for the grunter and groaner. Though […]
CARMEN was barely five feet tall, broad in the shoulders and gloriously stubborn. She believed olive oil cured most ailments, garlic improved every meal and, if an expert disagreed with her, the expert probably needed a second opinion. She trusted her judgment. That included art. While others bought paintings to match the furniture, Carmen bought […]
DEAR News Of The Area, Nuclear power plants consume millions of litres of water per day to cool their extremely hot reactor cores. This year summer heatwaves and falling rainfall have defeated several of Europe’s nuclear plants, forcing them to reduce power or shut down completely, and leading to an energy crisis. One vital water […]
DEAR News Of The Area, I AM 65, and only now do I finally understand the shape of my own mind. Only now do I have the word that explains the shyness, the exhaustion, the confusion, the lifelong sense of being slightly out of phase with the world. Autism. A simple word. A seismic truth. […]
DEAR News Of The Area, IT is very pleasing to see that the long-touted Coffs Harbour artificial reef has finally arrived and been deployed in 28m of water offshore, south and east, of Sawtell. Standing 12m tall, the twin 15-metre, 50-tonne square steel structures are placed approximately 560m apart and will, in a surprisingly short […]
DEAR News Of The Area, I RECENTLY saw a notice advising that a dear friend, Mrs Shirley Whackett, had passed away. For many years Shirley volunteered at the Woolgoolga Retirement Village and Seagulls Day Care Centre, which gave daily respite for aged and disabled people in the vast Woolgoolga area. Shirley helped with many craft […]
