THE state’s peak farm body has welcomed a new government initiative to address acute shortages of vets across rural NSW. Under the NSW Government’s Welcome Experience program, vets, vet nurses, vet technicians and their families are now eligible to receive assistance with sourcing housing, childcare and other services when moving to rural NSW. NSW Farmers’ […]

EARLY campaigning ahead of a federal election is giving insight into what voters will be pitched, with energy and leadership quality dominating the discussion. The political tussle last week largely focused on respective energy policies with Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton each painting themselves as the best chance to take Australia forward and address the […]

  THE most popular names for NSW pubs have been revealed, with Royal Hotel taking the top spot as the most common watering hole in 2025. The latest data from Liquor & Gaming NSW shows that 73 out of the state’s 2,112 licensed hotels share this prestigious name, reflecting its iconic status in Aussie pub […]

  TEN years after the National Broadband Network was declared “fully operational,” industry experts expect the project to finally realise its original mission: high-speed internet connections for almost everyone. The accomplishment is expected in 2030 after the announcement of a $3.8 billion investment to strip more ageing copper connections from the network, replacing them with […]

A LOW-PRESSURE system off the northern NSW coast caused widespread rainfall and strong winds across the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions last week. Flood warnings for the Gloucester area began on Wednesday, 15 January, with predictions of dangerous flooding on the Manning and Gloucester rivers. By 5:30am Saturday, 18 January the Gloucester River at […]

WILDFIRES in Los Angeles, heavy snow in other parts of the US, floods in Saudi Arabia and heatwaves across Australia have all confirmed the fears of climate scientists. The Climate Council, an independent organisation formed after the Abbott Government abolished the Climate Commission in 2013, says scientists have confirmed 2024 was the world’s hottest since […]

  FOR those who can afford it, adding a battery could beat the “sun tax” that will further deplete the once-generous rate of return for rooftop solar pioneers. A third of Australia’s households have rooftop solar and almost three quarters of the output has historically been exported into the electricity grid. But a new tax, […]