THE deadly H5 bird flu has been detected in Australia, the Australian Government confirmed on 20 June, 2026. A detection of H5 high-pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) was confirmed by the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in a single brown skua (migratory seabird) in an isolated area in southern Western Australia. This is the […]
Green reflector markers now guide heavy vehicle drivers to 10 additional informal rest areas along the Golden and New England highways in the Upper Hunter. Photo: Towards Zero Safer Roads Program
HEAVY vehicle drivers travelling through the Upper Hunter now have 10 new places to stop, rest, and reduce their risk of a fatigue-related crash. The NSW Government has expanded its green reflector program with new sites along sections of the Golden and New England highways. It is expected this will make it easier for truck […]
Co-ordinator Annette O’Neill at the Dungog Palliative Care office.
Co-ordinator Annette O’Neill at the Dungog Palliative Care office. Volunteers Margaret Jones, Lynne Moseley, Joy Berry and Annette O’Neill with Hebe Thomas, Principal Policy Officer, NSW Ministry of Health, and Felicity Burns, President, Palliative Care NSW. Photo: Palliative Care NSW REPRESENTATIVES from Dungog Shire Palliative Care volunteers recently attended an invitation-only award presentation in Sydney. […]
As RSV Awareness Week draws to a close, the Australian Medical Association is urging Australians to speak with their GP about vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus. AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was not just a winter nuisance but could cause severe illness, hospitalisation and death. “This week is an important […]
Nurses should receive long-awaited back payments by the end of this week. Photo: file.
PUBLIC sector nurses and midwives across NSW should have now received backpay payments, following a pay increase decision by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) in April. The IRC ruling delivered nurses and midwives a pay rise of between 16 and 28 percent over a period of three years, backdated to 1 July 2025. Backpayments […]
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, […]
Michelle Dado-Millyn with over 100 survey responses.
Michelle Dado-Millyn with over 100 survey responses. Users meet at the Dungog swimming pool. OVER 20 concerned pool users recently met at the Dungog Memorial Swimming Pool, calling for it to remain open for longer periods. Currently, the pool is open six months of the year. This year it closed just before Easter and the […]
The report shows walkability has a bigger impact on the amount of time spent walking in regional communities. Photo: David Guerrero/Pexels.
AMID soaring fuel prices which are prompting Australians to explore alternative transport options, a new study highlights the health benefits of walkable neighbourhoods. New research shows that regional residents living in walkable towns and centres walk 75 minutes more each week, prompting calls for Governments to invest more in well-connected, safe footpaths to boost community […]
A water-bombing helicopter refills at a dam on a property near Nerong. Photo: Pindimar-Tea Gardens RFS/Facebook.
The 6500ha bushfire sits just a few kilometres north of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. Image: Fires Near Me website. A water-bombing helicopter refills at a dam on a property near Nerong. Photo: Pindimar-Tea Gardens RFS/Facebook. Diggers clear burnt trees and open up hidden ground fires near the pine plantation. Photo: Pindimar-Tea Gardens/RFS Facebook. Grass […]
Medical student Aimee Long is one of the 7,900 students who have benefitted from the program since 2024. Photo: NSW Health.
UP TO $12,000 in financial support is on offer for students enrolled in medical, nursing, midwifery, dentistry, Aboriginal health and allied health degrees across NSW. The new round of applications for the Tertiary Health Study Subsidies Program opened on 28 January. This year, support will be available for up to 4,000 students across the state. […]
