August 12, 2026
Clean out the chemicals: Dungog farmers urged to register for disposal opportunity Register your chemicals for disposal with Agsafe by 31August. Photo Agsafe.
Local News

Clean out the chemicals: Dungog farmers urged to register for disposal opportunity

DUNGOG Shire farmers, primary producers and agribusinesses with unwanted or expired agricultural chemicals are being encouraged to register for the upcoming ChemClear collection. The program provides a safe and responsible way to dispose of eligible Group 2 agricultural chemicals that cannot be accepted through the drumMUSTER program. Financial assistance is available for eligible participants, thanks […]

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1 in 4 Australians forego heating or cooling due to cost
Local News

1 in 4 Australians forego heating or cooling due to cost

TEMPERATURE extremes at either end of the thermometer carry inherent risk for vulnerable people, such as the elderly or young children, yet more than one in four admit they’ve gone without in times of need due to the cost. A recent survey revealed that 27 per cent of Australians, which is 5.7 million people, fell […]

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Timeline of adulthood has changed
Local News

Timeline of adulthood has changed

IF you’re 31 years old and still living with your parents, you shouldn’t be, according to new research based on the answers of more than 1000 respondents. 1010 Australians were asked to weigh in on what age is ‘too old’ to still be living at home. The harshest critics were the youngest and oldest Aussies, […]

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A funding boost puts rural local community halls in line for an upgrade The upgraded Rowena Community Hall, originally built in 1934. Photo: Supplied
Community, Local News, Regional

A funding boost puts rural local community halls in line for an upgrade

The upgraded Rowena Community Hall, originally built in 1934. Photo: Supplied Community Association member Vanessa Radford standing at the Rowena Community Hall. Photo: Supplied FOR many rural towns, the local hall is far more than a building. It is where neighbours gather, volunteers organise events, children perform in concerts, emergency information is shared and communities […]

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Cats highly susceptible to H5Na avian influenza
Local News

Cats highly susceptible to H5Na avian influenza

KEEPING domestic cats inside has never been more important, experts say, as the number of confirmed H5N1 avian influenza cases on Australian soil hits 20 and affects four states. While all detections of the highly infectious bird flu have so far been among migratory seabirds, the variant is known to affect more than 100 species […]

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Throw on a flanno is a simple way to show they’re not alone
Local News

Throw on a flanno is a simple way to show they’re not alone

EVERY 10 days, Australia loses a farmer to suicide. Behind that number are families, communities and generations forever impacted. As many farming families continue recovering from drought, floods, bushfires and other natural disasters while navigating increasing financial pressures, the need for support has never been greater. This August, Australians are being urged to register, donate […]

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Peter Gambrill and Mia Finch claim top honours at Stroud Brick and Rolling Pin Throwing Competition
Community, Local News, Regional

Peter Gambrill and Mia Finch claim top honours at Stroud Brick and Rolling Pin Throwing Competition

PETER Gambrill and Mia Finch claimed the Men’s Open and Women’s Open titles as hundreds of competitors and spectators gathered for the annual Stroud Brick and Rolling Pin Throwing Competition during the town’s bicentenary celebrations. The pair emerged as the day’s top throwers at the Stroud Showground, where one of regional Australia’s most distinctive sporting […]

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Citizen scientists photograph and catalogue fungi A stinkhorn, one of many fungi that may be found in Australia. This one smells very, very bad, as the name suggests. Photo: Nico Lombardo.
Community, Event, Local News, Regional

Citizen scientists photograph and catalogue fungi

THE Great Aussie Fungi Hunt 2026 is on, and community members are playing their part in a worldwide effort to catalogue mushroom species. The Great Aussie Fungi Hunt is a yearly event organised by Fungimap, a not for profit, citizen-science organisation dedicated to researching and protecting Australian fungi. One of the chief goals of the […]

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