STATE and Federal governments are delivering more funding to help communities recover from the recent severe flooding. Support available includes: ● Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible small businesses (with fewer than 20 employees) and non-profit organisations to help clean up and restore their business. ● Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible primary […]
Hunters would receive a bounty for killing invasive species like pigs, under a bill proposed in NSW. Photo: Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS have opened fire on a bill which could pay recreational hunters for killing invasive pests, describing the plan as enabling a “fringe minority of men” to let loose. A bill before NSW parliament aims to establish a Conservation Hunting Authority, with debate in the upper house taking place on Wednesday. It would better enable […]
DUNGOG Common’s trails and access roads have been battered by more than a metre of rain so far this year, and Dungog Community Projects, the group responsible for managing the popular recreation area, is now calling for community help to fund vital repairs. Penny Willcock, chair of Dungog Community Projects, said the damage to the […]
King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited NSW seven months ago. Photo: Mark Baker/AAP Image.
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 […]
Former NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens.
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 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 […]
Managing Director Anthony Dorney says the timber industry is under stress.
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 […]
A Muswellbrook Council crew at work on the roads.
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 in Lismore like Mel Connell want more done to prepare for future disasters. Photo: Mel Connell.
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 […]
The top of Jerusalem Creek Falls on 20 May, at the peak of the flood. Photo: Ken Rubeli.
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 […]
