Billabong Zoo operations manager Blake Stone with a red panda this week. Photo: supplied. Timbertown owner David Waite, pictured with Jaida from Forster, has revealed the Wauchope attraction has been very busy this summer. Photo: @Timbertown/Facebook. Town Beach has been popular with visitors this summer. Photo: Matt Taylor. TOURISM operators across the Port Macquarie-Hastings region […]

THE NSW Government has stepped in to take control of a plan for a major high-rise development in the heart of Port Macquarie, declaring it State Significant without prior consultation with the local council. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, last month declared the proposal for an 18-storey mixed-use building on the corner […]

MEMBERS of the NSW Parliament are calling on the State Government to deliver a clear and coordinated plan to address repeated disruptions along Waterfall Way following another landslip that has forced a prolonged closure. Michael Kemp, Member for Oxley, and Brendan Moylan, Member for the Northern Tablelands, said the latest incident highlights the urgent need […]

THE 2025 Ritchies IGA Hastings Grant Campaign has officially closed, with 53 applications received from community organisations across the Hastings region. Ritchies Community Development Manager Tim Walker said, “It was incredible to receive so many applications, and it is an indication of how many local clubs, groups and schools require financial assistance for their chosen […]

THE Hastings Auto Restorers Society Inc has continued its long-running fundraising commitment, donating $7,000 to support the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute at Port Macquarie. The donation was raised through two major initiatives organised by the Society. Fundraising activities included raffling of a wheelbarrow hamper filled with non-perishable food items and the club’s annual Swap […]

The ‘Top Shop’ by Jan Wilson. Bonny Hills Art Prize Display AFTER five years, the Bonny Hills Art Prize is firmly ensconced as a cultural institution on the summer calendar. This year saw 1000 locals and 200 tourists through the doors enjoying the incredible range of work on display. “Top Shop” by Jan Wilson caught […]

THE small community of Kindee has a population of 91 with a significant portion of the residents falling into an older demographic. Their lifeline to medical services as well as social connection is historic Kindee Bridge. Built in 1936, the bridge is Australia’s oldest surviving timber suspension bridge with its age and construction design necessitating […]

PORT Macquarie–based maritime engineering company Birdon has secured a $125 million contract to design and build a new fleet of Amphibious Vehicles – Logistics (AV-Ls) for the Australian Army. The contract covers the construction of one prototype and 15 production vehicles, which will replace the Army’s ageing Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vehicle (LARC-V). All vehicles […]

A RARE white humpback whale sighting off the Mid North Coast has prompted wildlife authorities to urge the public to report any further sightings immediately and to strictly observe exclusion zones. The whale was sighted off Little Nobby near Crescent Head approximately 5pm on Saturday 10 January, drawing the attention of marine scientists and conservation […]

COMMUNITY pressure and persistence helped overturn a controversial preschool proposal at Umina Beach Public School. The outcome should resonate strongly with hundreds of parents and residents opposing a similar development at Tacking Point Public School. In what has become a powerful precedent for communities across NSW, determined parents and residents on the Central Coast showed […]