DUNGOG Shire Council’s Waste Management Team hosted a well-attended Recycling and Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) information session on Wednesday, 12 November, as part of National Recycling Week. The full Waste Management Team along with Council’s Environmental Compliance Officer Jodie Cowan and Plastic-free Dungog Champion Michelle Dado, were present to facilitate discussions and answer […]

BARRINGTON’S Liam Mowbray has been announced as one of seven participants in Cattle Australia’s 2025-26 National Beef Leaders (NBL) program. Liam is a cattle veterinarian, Angus breeder, and a Research and Development Specialist at Angus Australia. Based in the Barrington area, Liam works with producers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to deliver genetic research outcomes and […]

IN A boost for the region’s global connectivity, Jetstar has introduced a new flight service from Newcastle to Singapore, via Bali. From 29 March 2026, Jetstar will operate direct services between Newcastle and Bali on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with all four weekly Jetstar flights to continue on to Singapore, via a 90-minute stop […]

PESKY plastic tags on loaves of bread, tiny soy sauce fish bottles and detachable bottle tops are all being binned by a state government battling a mounting rubbish crisis. The ambitious clean-up is part of an expanded ban by NSW coinciding with the start of National Recycling Week. The NSW Plastic Plan 2.0, will see […]

Supermoons are the closest to earth. Photo Greg Higgins. The moon was 30 percent brighter than normal. Photo: Sis Higgins. SKYWATCHERS across the region looked to the heavens last Tuesday night as the biggest and brightest moon of 2025 rose over the horizon. Amateur astronomer Dennis Hughes explained to News Of The Area why the […]

THE Hunter New England Local Health District team has been recognised for its outstanding contribution to health care at the 2025 NSW Health Awards. The annual event celebrates the dedication, kindness, innovation and achievements of those who make a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of their communities. “I’m incredibly proud to celebrate the […]

Airport representatives at the Future-Proofing Airport Development workshop in Singapore. Burcak Sezer GAICD, Executive General Manager People Communications at Newcastle Airport. NEWCASTLE Airport was represented on the international stage last week at the Future-Proofing Airport Development workshop in Singapore, hosted by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Bringing together decision-makers from across […]

THE premier could use compulsory acquisition powers to increase gas supplies for industry and help secure the future of the nation’s biggest aluminium smelter. Federal and NSW government leaders have been scrambling to keep the Tomago Aluminium facility running, with a bailout reportedly worth more than $1 billion on offer. The operators of the Hunter […]

CONSTRUCTION of the new Stroud SES building will begin this week. The contract was awarded to Precise Build and is expected to take 12 months to complete. The existing facility in Booral was seen as insufficient to meet the needs of the volunteers and to store their equipment. The new facility, conveniently located in Stroud, […]

THE state’s peak farm body says Newcastle and the Hunter Valley have a golden opportunity to build a strong future around agriculture as it transitions from coal. Last Thursday NSW Farmers Board Director Bronwyn Petrie launched “Beyond Coal: New Growth for Newcastle and the Hunter”, a discussion paper which laid out how the region could […]