April 30, 2026
Free grain and bait on offer in statewide offensive on feral pigs The cost to farmers of grain for feral pig trapping and baiting can be significant. Photo: supplied.
Regional

Free grain and bait on offer in statewide offensive on feral pigs

LANDHOLDERS across NSW are being encouraged to take advantage of $850,000 worth of free grain and bait on offer as part of a statewide crackdown on feral pigs. The funding is part of the Government’s Feral Pig and Pest Program with funding from the State’s more than $1 billion biosecurity budget. It is the third […]

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Paterson Reverse Vending Machine proposal canned PPA members Andrew and Julie recycle bottles into Remembrance and Anzac Day flowers.
Regional

Paterson Reverse Vending Machine proposal canned

STATE government-appointed Return and Earn network provider, Tomra, has rejected a proposal to install a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) in Paterson. Since March last year, locals have tried to persuade Tomra to install an RVM, similar to those in Dungog. Paterson locals can drive 33km to Dungog, only to find that the machine is not […]

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New online tool to support farmers prepare for and recover from natural disasters The platform brings together functions that previously existed in a suite of existing tools such as the Drought and Supplementary Calculator, DroughtPack, Feed Cost Calculator and Drought Feed Calculator.
Regional

New online tool to support farmers prepare for and recover from natural disasters

A NEW online tool is available to help NSW farmers better prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters including fire, flood, and drought. The platform, called myStockPlanner, enables farmers to provide details of their farm, risks and resources to access tailored response options to consider and implement with their feed and livestock. Federal […]

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Oyster and Timber Festival showcases the best of Karuah
Regional

Oyster and Timber Festival showcases the best of Karuah

The woodchop competition was a centrepiece of the event. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. RFS volunteers from Karuah and Medowie turned out to help attendees get ready for summer. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. Stallholders were busy as the crowds rolled in. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. Tea Gardens Lions kept the people fed with their famous portable barbecue. Photo: Thomas […]

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Inaugural Worimi and Birrpai Youth Gathering heading to Saltwater The organising committee at Murrook Culture Centre planning the event. Photo: supplied.
Regional

Inaugural Worimi and Birrpai Youth Gathering heading to Saltwater

The organising committee at Murrook Culture Centre planning the event. Photo: supplied. THE inaugural Worimi and Birrpai Youth Gathering is being hosted by the Goori-Bugg family later this week at Saltwater, near Old Bar. Activities will include weaving, grass skirt making, emu egg carving, canoe and gunya building, and a Goori song and dance. The […]

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Sudden stratospheric warming causes weather chaos Bureau of Meteorology heat map for Wednesday 22 October, showing new record temps. Photo: BOM.
Regional

Sudden stratospheric warming causes weather chaos

RISING temperatures over Antarctica have been a major contributing factor to recent volatile weather along the East Coast, according to new information from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). A “sudden stratospheric warming” (SSW) is to blame. This is a documented weather scenario in which air temperatures high above the South Pole rise by 30 degrees […]

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Radio Dungog upgrades studios and reception In the new studio, 2DCR secretary Margie Hunter, vice president Michael Beaumont and president Nola McDonald.
Regional

Radio Dungog upgrades studios and reception

THANKS to grants from the NSW State Government, 2DCR Radio Dungog 107.9FM is moving into new studios. In addition, the community station is now being heard clearly by four times the number of listeners, with a new aerial located on Coorei Hill. Reception has gone from being just in the town of Dungog and immediate […]

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Deforestation can cause eight-fold increase in flood event risk, says report The loss of forest canopy has long been claimed to increase the risk of flooding – but actually proving the direct link has proven difficult since the impact of other factors such as changing climate are hard to exclude. Photo: NSW SES.
Regional

Deforestation can cause eight-fold increase in flood event risk, says report

THE chance of large-scale flooding in a specific catchment area can increase by as much as 700 percent if widespread deforestation has occurred. That is the finding of a new paper by academics who analysed decades of flooding data from regions in Australia which frequently suffer forest fires. The loss of forest canopy has long […]

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Infrastructure ‘key’ offers to unlock regional housing Planning Minister Paul Scully says the NSW government is supporting housing growth in the regions. Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS.
Regional

Infrastructure ‘key’ offers to unlock regional housing

SOME regional Australians may get a reprieve from the housing crisis as councils are offered interest relief to build more drains, roads, and other infrastructure. Though many parts of regional Australia have ample residential land, it often isn’t ready for development due to a lack of funding and planning for critical infrastructure, a 2024 national […]

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SES and RFS joint training keeps volunteers’ skills sharp
Regional

SES and RFS joint training keeps volunteers’ skills sharp

The car’s roof safely peeled down, with sharp edges protected against accidental contact. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. SES and RFS volunteers safely extract the ‘casualty’ from the well-lit wreck. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. SES Deputy Commander Greg Snape demonstrates how to safely shatter side-window glass using a special SES tool. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. One of the many […]

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