NEW data suggests that rates of rough sleeping have remained steady across parts of the Hunter region in the past 12 months, while significant increases have been seen in the MidCoast local government area. Each year the NSW Government partners with local organisations across the state to complete “street counts” to provide a point-in-time count […]
WORKERS will now be assisted to relocate to local government jobs in regional and remote areas, through an expansion of the NSW Government’s Welcome Experience program. Launched as a pilot in 11 local government areas (LGAs) in 2023, the Welcome Experience is a free service supporting workers and their families to relocate for roles in […]
Recovery Centres and Recovery Access Points were open from Raymond Terrace to Macksville in the wake of the May 2025 flooding. Photo: NSW RA.
A REPORT has been published examining the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s response to the severe weather event that hit the east coast in May 2025. The review was undertaken by the Joint Select Committee on the NSW Reconstruction Authority, composed of MPs from across the political spectrum. “This inquiry had a focus on the severe weather […]
THE NSW Government has released an online tool for comparing connectivity quality across the state, producing some surprising results for Dungog Shire. The NSW Digital Connectivity Index, accessible via the NSW Government website, breaks digital connectivity down into three key areas: – Access: how strong is the coverage, how well the network performs and how […]
Lyne MP Alison Penfold outside Parliament with Giggle for Girls founder Sall Grover and Nationals Leader Matt Canavan, after introducing her bid to change the Sex Discrimination Act. Photo: Supplied by Office of Alison Penford MP.
Lyne MP Alison Penfold outside Parliament with Giggle for Girls founder Sall Grover and Nationals Leader Matt Canavan, after introducing her bid to change the Sex Discrimination Act. Photo: Supplied by Office of Alison Penford MP. Alison Penfold showing a copy of her Private Member’s Bill to her followers on social media. MEMBER for Lyne […]
An endangered Manning River Turtle being released into the Barrington River by Aussie Ark in February. Photo: Aussie Ark.
NEW research indicates Manning River turtles are being recorded at pre-flood numbers, twelve months after one of the region’s worst floods on record. Waterways in the Hunter and Mid North Coast were battered in the floods of May 2025, with serious concerns held about the long-term effects on fish and animals living in the rivers, […]
Vehicles queueing at the Bucketts Way/Pacific Highway intersection in early 2026.
A SERIOUS accident on Friday 15 May has brought safety issues at the Bucketts Way/Pacific Highway intersection into sharp focus once more. In April, News Of The Area reported on the strong concerns held by former Roads and Traffic Authority senior engineer Gordon Chirgwin about the dangerous state of the intersection. “I believe that the […]
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 […]
NSW Fair Trading’s compliance inspections have taken place across the state. Photo: NSW Government.
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 […]
Stroud Customer Service Point and Library.
REDUCED operating hours at the Stroud Customer Service Point and Library were adopted at MidCoast Council’s 29 April meeting. The facility will now operate from Tuesday to Thursday, 9am to 12pm. The move comes after a three month trial and a community feedback period open from Tuesday 27 January to Monday 2 March 2026. The […]
