THE Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) will step up water compliance checks along regulated sections of the Hunter River catchment during May to improve water law compliance. NRAR will visit properties across the Hunter region in the coming weeks to speak with water licence holders about their water take conditions. The visits follow a review […]

Pests, weeds to cost $30 billion a year without action
MORE than 350 invasive plant and animal species are causing about $2 billion worth of damage every year in one of Australia’s most populated states. But that annual figure could balloon to a whopping $30 billion by 2030 without investment in a long-term biosecurity management system, a government body has warned. A report released on […]
Ark achievement
AUSSIE Ark has achieved a nationally and globally significant outcome with the koalas residing in the Barrington Tops Wildlife Sanctuary. Aussie Ark, Ecosure and Endeavour Veterinary Ecology (EVE) began their journey in November last year, when the team captured and vet checked the eight koalas living ‘wild’ in the sanctuary. All koalas were recently recaptured […]
Alison Penfold succeeds Dr David Gillespie as Lyne MP
THE National Party’s Alison Penfold will be the next Federal Member for Lyne, succeeding the long-serving Dr David Gillespie. As of Monday morning, Ms Penfold held 60.55 percent of the Two candidate preferred count over Labor’s Digby Wilson (39.45 percent) after Saturday’s federal election. Ms Penfold took 37.20 percent of first preference votes, with Mr […]
Dungog Shire Council and Hunter Water aim to strengthen partnership
REPRESENTATIVES from Dungog Shire Council and Hunter Water met on Monday, 28 April to discuss the organisations’ interests in common. A spokesperson for Council said the meeting focused on progressing shared priorities including faster development assessment processes, updated catchment protection guidelines, and future servicing plans to support sustainable growth, particularly around Clarence Town. Mayor Digby […]
Gardening with the wildlife: Gloucester Garden Club explore Stroud forest garden
GLOUCESTER Garden Club members found “many gems of nature” in the forest garden of Bente and Mogens Siefert during the club’s recent monthly meeting. Situated on Listening Hill to the east of Stroud, the property is one of 15 situated in a community-living arrangement among a natural forest setting. Bente and Mogens showcased their work […]
Funding approved for Sculpture on the Farm
COUNCIL has endorsed a $10,000 funding request to support Sculpture on the Farm. In a statement to media, Dungog Shire Council said the event “attracts thousands of visitors and the acclaim of world-renowned sculpture artists”. A much-loved exhibition run by a dedicated band of local volunteers, the three-day event has previously brought around 2000 visitors […]
Dungog Shire Council’s strategic plan on public exhibition
DUNGOG Shire Council will seek feedback on its most significant long-term planning document – the Draft Community Strategic Plan 2025-2035. It will be placed on public exhibition for 28 days alongside key supporting documents including the Delivery Program, Operational Plan, Resourcing Strategy, Budget, and Fees and Charges. “The draft documents have undergone robust review by […]
Police legal action rates rise across most offences
THE NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) has released a new report examining the proportion of recorded crimes that result in an offender being charged by NSW Police. The study, “Trends in police legal action rates 2009-2023”, examines the rate of legal action taken by police across 11 categories of offences over 15 […]
Information sessions for coastal water users
COASTAL water users are invited to information sessions to learn more about the rollout of non-urban metering, including the deadline to install compliant meters by 1 December 2026. The State Government is aiming to have 95 percent of licensed water taken in NSW accurately measured with tamper-evident, auditable meters by the end of next year. […]