Coalition’s youth crime laws voted down in parliament
THE NSW Labor Government has voted down the Opposition’s Crimes Legislation Amendment (Youth Crime) Bill 2025, which proposed changes to bail and sentencing laws. The Coalition’s bill sought changes including: – Expanding the definition of repeat offences beyond break and enter and car theft, to include serious indictable crimes like murder and sexual assault. – […]
Hunter union welcomes government’s 2035 emissions target
TO help drive the transition to net zero, the Australian Government has set a target to reduce emissions to 62-70 percent below 2005 levels by 2035. It is a step up on Australia’s 2030 target – to reduce emissions to 43 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The government says it represents a “credible contribution […]
OPINION: The moral culpability of ignoring climate change
SHOCKED and grieving, she laid her ruined wedding dress on the muddied, mangled pile of treasured belongings. Emergency volunteers bore witness, absorbing her heartbreak while valiantly hosing stinking mud and river slime from her waterlogged home. Unforgiving torrents of floodwaters, fuelled by ‘atmospheric rivers’, left mountains of precious possessions disintegrating in landfill. Tragically, lives and […]
Pedalfest-ers take to the streets of Dungog.
Pedalfest 2025 rolls into Dungog
Ready, set, go. Pedalfest-ers take to the streets of Dungog. DUNGOG is set to come alive from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 September as Pedalfest returns for another jam-packed weekend of cycling, community spirit and country hospitality. The action begins Friday with the NSW Schools Funduro Championships at Dungog Common, where school-aged riders will test […]
The government says the addition of these vehicles to the NSW SES fleet across regional parts of the state will increase volunteers’ ability to access isolated communities and perform critical rescues during flooding.
New vehicles to support disaster response across regional NSW
DISASTER response and recovery operations will be strengthened as the NSW Government delivers new emergency vehicles across the state. The vehicles are part of the Government’s fleet replacement program, ensuring NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers have the latest, purpose-built equipment. Included in this year’s flood rescue fleet upgrades are 10 new High Clearance Vehicles […]
Stargazing: Could Earth be struck by a doomsday rock?
IMAGINE waking one morning to find the sky torn open by a glowing fireball racing towards Earth. It sounds like science fiction, but it isn’t. Our planet sits in a cosmic shooting gallery. Asteroids and comets – leftovers from the birth of the solar system – cruise through space, and sometimes their paths cross ours. […]
On the couch with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, Every time I look at the news there is a new tragedy unfolding or a new source of conflict. It’s actually getting to me. I feel that I’m in a constant state of worry wondering what will happen next. Do you have any ideas on how I can address this? Leonie B. Dear […]
The new volunteers: Joy Berry, Michele Kingston, John Vanvalen and Simone Ryan.
Dungog Shire’s new group of Palliative Care Volunteers graduate
The new volunteers: Joy Berry, Michele Kingston, John Vanvalen and Simone Ryan. The graduates with Annette O’Neill, Dungog Palliative Care Coordinator (centre). FOUR new volunteers graduated from the Dungog Shire Palliative Care Volunteers training course this week. Joy Berry, Michele Kingston, John Van Valen and Simone Ryan celebrated their new roles with Coordinator Annette O’Neill […]
Parliamentary committee to review NSW Reconstruction Authority’s response to May floods
A PARLIAMENTARY committee will review the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s response to May’s record-breaking flood event. After entire townships were left isolated and thousands of homes and businesses were damaged, the NSW Reconstruction Authority has been leading recovery operations, including coordinating clean-up and repair efforts. A NSW Parliament Joint Select Committee has recently commenced an inquiry […]