May 22, 2026
Lyne MP’s response to Federal Budget
Local News

Lyne MP’s response to Federal Budget

NATIONALS Member for Lyne Alison Penfold has called the Labor Government’s Federal Budget a “bloodbath for regional Australia”. In her response to Labor’s Federal Budget, delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on 12 May, Ms Penfold said regional and rural communities like those in Lyne had been left behind. “Budgets can make or break the ability […]

Read More
Lower Hunter records highest April water usage in 20 years Chichester Dam, April 2026.
Local News

Lower Hunter records highest April water usage in 20 years

Chichester Dam, April 2026. Grahamstown Dam, April 2026. HUNTER Water is urging customers to make smart water choices as the Lower Hunter records its highest April water usage in 20 years, alongside declining dam levels and ongoing dry conditions. Residential water use topped 3.7 billion litres in the month, equating to 189 litres per person […]

Read More
Police charge more than 900 people during domestic violence operation Evidence seized during investigations in the Hunter region. Photo: NSW Police.
Police

Police charge more than 900 people during domestic violence operation

NSW POLICE have charged over 900 people following a four-day statewide operation targeting offenders with a history of domestic violence. Operation Amarok XIII ran from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 May. The operation is described as an “intelligence-led, offender-focused operation that aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of domestic and family violence victims and […]

Read More
Tax, migration and NDIS in coalition’s economic sights Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has unveiled his economic vision in a budget reply. Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS.
Regional

Tax, migration and NDIS in coalition’s economic sights

AUSTRALIA’S tax system would be overhauled, welfare restricted to citizens and immigration slashed under a future coalition government. In his first budget reply speech, Angus Taylor has conceded the Liberals and Nationals still have a long road to win back the confidence of voters, but asked Australians to “begin to believe again”. The opposition leader […]

Read More
700-plus drivers caught during traffic operation Operation RAID was conducted across NSW. Photo: NSW Police.
Local News

700-plus drivers caught during traffic operation

MORE than 708 drivers have been detected allegedly driving with drugs in their systems during a statewide police traffic operation. Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers), which ran from Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 May, focused on roadside testing to identify people who may be driving while affected by alcohol and drugs. During the operation, […]

Read More
Community invited to support SES with Wear Orange Wednesday Members of Dungog and Stroud SES Units. Photo: Dungog SES.
Community

Community invited to support SES with Wear Orange Wednesday

COMMUNITIES across the Dungog Shire are encouraged to wear orange today (20 May) as part of Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day), showing support for the more than 11,000 NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers who respond to floods, storms and other emergencies across the state. In the past year alone, NSW SES volunteers contributed almost […]

Read More
NSW Farmers: Farmers confidence ‘plummets’ amid cost crisis
Dungog Shire

NSW Farmers: Farmers confidence ‘plummets’ amid cost crisis

NSW FARMERS is warning state and federal governments must urgently respond to an acute cost-of-production shock with new data showing spikes in fuel and fertiliser prices caused by global shortages have slashed confidence. The latest NSW Farmers Farm Business Sentiment Survey suggests 80 percent price increases for fuel and fertiliser have flowed through to freight […]

Read More
Budget brawl escalates over rival tax cut proposals The federal government has continued back its budget tax reforms despite opposition criticism. Photo: Susie Dodds/AAP PHOTOS.
Regional

Budget brawl escalates over rival tax cut proposals

A ROW has broken out over the cost of cutting taxes for millions of Australians as Labor and the opposition try to sell rival economic plans to voters. After a week dominated by the state of the nation’s finances, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused the opposition of failing to properly price its plan to bake […]

Read More
Fuel transparency differing between regions NSW Fair Trading’s compliance inspections have taken place across the state. Photo: NSW Government.
Government

Fuel transparency differing between regions

THE NSW Government’s ongoing FuelCheck inspection program has revealed which regions across the state have the best and worst compliance rates for price transparency. While approximately half of all inspections have taken place outside of Sydney, around 70 percent of all fines have been issued in regional NSW. The Central Coast comes out on top […]

Read More