The Mount Pleasant coal mine.
PLANS by mining company MACH Energy to substantially expand its Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter Valley have stalled. The NSW Court of Appeal has found that the Independent Planning Commission’s approval of the mine’s expansion in 2022 was legally flawed. The approval would have allowed the mine to continue operating until 2048, and […]
Researchers say animal survival and biodiversity conservation should be prioritised in burning processes. Photo: National Parks.
AS Australia and the world grapple with global warming and increased bushfire risks, University of South Australia ecologists are turning their attention to the impact of prescribed burning on native animals. In a new study published in “The International Journal of Wildland Fire”, researchers investigated the maximum temperatures that lizards could experience during prescribed (controlled) […]
THE family of Tinonee resident Scott Hayden is pleading for the public’s help to help locate the missing 46-year-old. Scott was last seen on the evening of 30 May in his car on Thunderbolts Way, Tibbuc. The vehicle was found abandoned the following day, parked on the side of the road near Tibbuc Road. The […]
THE State Government has welcomed the Standing Committee on State Development’s report into beneficial and productive post-mining land use, supporting all of its 13 recommendations. In a statement last week, the Government stated it is “committed to supporting coal-producing communities as the demand for coal declines over time”. The Future Jobs and Investment Authority, in […]
Signage at the monastery.
LOCALS will have a unique opportunity to explore one of Stroud’s best-kept secrets at a special three-part open day event at the mud brick monastery on Saturday 30 August. Nestled in the bush beside the Stroud Golf Club on Bucketts Way, down St Claires Road, the monastery, often dubbed the “Assisi of the South”, will […]
INFORMATION sessions will be held in Maitland and Muswellbrook around proposed changes to the process of negotiating land access for pipeline projects. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) says it is modernising the regulation of pipelines and creating new guidelines to clarify: the roles and responsibilities for seeking land access […]
Hunter students preparing for the competition. Photo: supplied.
MORE than 13,000 students from over 200 schools across the Hunter will put their numeracy and problem-solving skills to the test this week in the 45th Newcastle Permanent Primary Schools Mathematics Competition. The competition is one of Australia’s largest and longest-running primary school mathematics contests, giving participants a unique opportunity to shine. Newcastle Permanent spokesperson […]
The community has rallied against the expansion since it was first proposed.
THE Land and Environment Court (LEC) has dismissed an appeal to expand the Martins Creek Quarry. The seven-month-long case ended on 24 July, when the court ruled that the negative effects the expansion would have on the area’s community, outweigh the benefits for local infrastructure and the area’s construction industry. “The negative consequences are particularly […]
TELLING the incredible stories of Dungog Shire is what News Of The Area (NOTA) is all about. Since successfully launching in mid-2024, amid widespread newspaper closures, the independently-owned and family-run NOTA has been keeping locals up to date with all the latest news, sport, current affairs and more. Now, NOTA is seeking more enthusiastic locals […]
MAYOR Digby Rayward has sincerely thanked several local councils which offered support to Dungog’s recovery efforts after the May flooding event. The councils who offered direct support include: · Lake Macquarie City Council: coordination of resourcing and logistical support · Muswellbrook Shire Council: pothole and patching crews · Tamworth Regional Council: pothole and patching crews […]
