KING Charles III has expressed his admiration for emergency services and volunteers who responded to deadly flooding in Australia’s most populous state. Five people died and more than 1200 buildings were made uninhabitable after the record-breaking deluge across the NSW mid-north coast and surrounding regions. The flooding, which has now mostly ended, “greatly concerned” himself […]
Dave Owens appointed Hunter and Mid-North Coast Recovery Coordinator
FORMER NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens has been appointed as the Recovery Coordinator for the Hunter and Mid-North Coast in the wake of devastating floods. Mr Owens commenced the role last week and will be based out of Taree. “Dave Owens has a lot of experience helping communities after natural disasters, so I am […]
Qantas launches direct flights between Newcastle and Perth
QANTAS has announced it will be the first airline to offer direct flights from Newcastle to Perth. The new route will launch on 8 September and flights will operate on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. “These flights will boost connectivity for Newcastle residents and mean they no longer have to drive to and from Sydney when […]
Floods compound issues for region’s primary industries
THE Hunter region’s primary industries have had a difficult year with the recent floods only adding to the stress being experienced by many businesses. A very wet summer leading into the recent East Coast Low and then almost immediately followed by flooding rains, has devastated many local businesses. Anthony Dorney, Managing Director of the Dorney […]
‘Major’ road damage expected from floods
DUNGOG Shire Mayor Digby Rayward says the full extent of damage to the local road network from recent flooding is still being assessed, but Council will aim to secure as much funding for repairs as possible. “We certainly expect to see major damage to our roads, and we need to be patient as the team […]

Flood victims wait in hope for future-proof solutions
FROM the door of Mel Connell’s gift shop, in shin-deep water, the only things still recognisable were a few hanging festoon and fairy lights. After 14 years as a small retailer, she had to refashion her premises after floods ripped through the northern NSW town of Lismore in February 2022. By September, Ms Connell had […]
Recovery Assistance Point available in Dungog
A RECOVERY Assistance Point is being offered at the Doug Walters Pavilion from 2-6pm on Wednesday, 4 June, to offer support for anyone affected by the recent storms. Residents can drop in and access a range of important recovery services, including housing support, government assistance, mental health and wellbeing services, insurance and legal advice. Dungog […]
Dealing with DV after funding ‘neglected’ for years
MORE than half a billion dollars will go towards dealing with domestic violence in a bid to undo years of “neglect” in Australia’s most populous state. The funding will go towards supporting victim-survivors and keeping alleged abusers behind bars to “build a safer NSW”. The government announced the funding pledges on Monday before the state […]
Youth crime committee tables first report
THE first report of an inquiry into community safety has been tabled, highlighting an urgent need for early intervention to deal with the complex social drivers of youth crime in regional and rural NSW. Since adopting the inquiry on 20 March 2024, the Committee of Law and Safety received almost 200 submissions and conducted hearings […]
Farmers urged to report disaster damage
NSW FARMERS is encouraging all flood affected landholders to report damage through an official government survey to help target disaster assistance for their region. The Primary Industries Natural Disaster Damage Assessment (PiNDDA) from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is a survey used to determine what government support the agricultural sector […]