November 12, 2026
Cost-of-living challenges affect children’s schooling
Community, Local News, School

Cost-of-living challenges affect children’s schooling

MORE than half of the families supported through The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program are struggling to afford the basics their children need for school, as cost-of-living pressures continue to stretch household budgets. The national children’s education charity’s latest Family Pulse Survey found 53.1 per cent of respondents said it had been hard or […]

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Stroud Road safety spokesman to hit up State MPs MidCoast Council is pressing the NSW Government for safety improvements at the 12 Mile Road intersection. Photo: Althea Guinsberg.
Community, Government, Local News, Regional

Stroud Road safety spokesman to hit up State MPs

ROD Zemanek wants the last eight kilometres of gravel on The Branch Lane sealed to give drivers another way onto the Pacific Highway. He took that idea to MidCoast Council’s Community Conversation in Stroud on Thursday, 5 November, where road safety at the 12 Mile junction was also discussed. Mr Zemanek said he came away […]

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Dungog Shire’s Disaster Satellite Services tested ahead of emergency season
Community, Local News, Regional

Dungog Shire’s Disaster Satellite Services tested ahead of emergency season

AHEAD of the higher-risk weather season, nbn has worked with Dungog Shire Council to run checks on designated sites installed with nbn’s Disaster Satellite Services. Since 2020, nbn has made satellite services available during a disaster or emergency. This includes over 1000 fixed locations around Australia funded by the Commonwealth Government’s STAND (Strengthening Telecommunications Against […]

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Dungog railway station upgrades a signal new trains are edging closer Dungog Railway Station is set to have its platform resurfaced as part of works scheduled for the rail corridor. Photo: Brian Sirman, Facebook.
Community, Government, Local News, Regional

Dungog railway station upgrades a signal new trains are edging closer

COMMUTERS and other users of Dungog railway station may notice maintenance or improvement work being carried out between mid-November and mid-December. NOTA has previously reported on the much-delayed plans by the NSW Government to replace the existing XPT trains which service Dungog, although no date has been announced for the introduction of the replacement fleet, […]

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‘You’re not alone’: Motherland event at Tocal connects rural women experiencing isolation
Community, Health, Local News, Regional

‘You’re not alone’: Motherland event at Tocal connects rural women experiencing isolation

Myffy Doyle, Bronnie Taylor, and MP Dave Layzell. Photo: Megan Willis. Motherland event committee members, Penny Evans, Taylor Stephens and Vanessa Barwick, from Paterson and Gresford. Photo: Megan Willis. Motherland event at Tocal College on Saturday 24 October. Photo: Megan Willis. MOTHERLAND is a national charity that supports rural mothers through connection, understanding, and reducing […]

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TIMES PAST: Dungog Shire’s Vacy village approaches rare milestone The historic bridge marking the entrance to the village of Vacy, which will celebrate 100 years since the sale of the estate next year. INSET: The sale poster. Note the ‘wonderfully easy’ terms.
Community, Local News

TIMES PAST: Dungog Shire’s Vacy village approaches rare milestone

DUNGOG Shire is one of the few places in Australia to have had a private village. The Lower Hunter Valley town of Vacy is one of them. Next year marks the centenary of the sale of the Vacy Estate. The unusual story of the estate began with the arrival of John Cory in 1824. The […]

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Festival of All Things Orange connects Paterson to its historic roots, and residents to each other Paterson River Oranges, harvested by the bucketful. Photo: Elizabeth Cristo, Slow Food Hunter Valley.
Community, Government, Local News, Regional

Festival of All Things Orange connects Paterson to its historic roots, and residents to each other

Paterson River Oranges, harvested by the bucketful. Photo: Elizabeth Cristo, Slow Food Hunter Valley. Madryn and Melissa, two Paterson locals who attended an orange garland-making workshop at the Hub & Harvest. Photo: Eleesha Pereira. A PATERSON service club has received almost $10,000 to capture shared local history and bring it to life, thanks to the […]

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