YOU may have heard that the government is proposing a new levy on tech giants like Google and Facebook to help fund Australian journalism. Before you look away, thinking ‘what has this got to do with me?’ – a quick question. What do you like about the website or newspaper you’re currently reading? Maybe it […]
DEAR Jasminda, Last night I made a birthday dinner for my mum. I decided to make the veggie burgers that I used to love as a teenager because I thought it would be nostalgic. The dinner was panned by every family member as being ‘bland’, ‘missing something’ and ‘disappointing’. I feel as though my energy […]
DEAR News Of The Area, I WAS so annoyed by the ridiculous letter written by one who thinks the poor little creatures who live along our coastline will suffer from the creation of an ocean pool! After all, we only have hundreds of miles of coastline containing millions of all sorts of these creatures who […]
DEAR News Of The Area, TIGHTENING the NDIS while leaving gas profits untouched doesn’t add up. On the Mid North Coast, the NDIS underpins thousands of lives, and a growing local workforce. Around 9300 people here rely on it, with over half less than 18 years old. The supports help people get to work, stay […]
WALK down any main street in regional Australia and you’ll find small businesses doing what they do best: serving their communities with pride, hard work, and a personal touch. Businesses in our regional towns thrive on trust, the kind that comes from knowing the people behind the counter. But there’s a growing issue quietly affecting […]
DEAR News Of The Area, LAST week Health Minister Mark Butler announced cuts to the $50 billion NDIS budget with little detail other than the end of support which is coming for an estimated 160,000 current recipients; not to mention future hopefuls. While few would disagree that there are national budgetary constraints and the NDIS […]
DEAR News Of The Area, TO the humans planning an Ocean Pool at Oxley Beach, we are the ones you don’t see when you snap your beach selfies. The blue groper who sleeps in the rocky crevices. The sea urchins wedged between basalt. The wobbegong and grey nurse sharks who call these gutters home. The […]
DEAR News Of The Area, HIGH-POWERED electric bikes (“fat bikes”) ridden by teenagers have become a major safety issue around Coffs. I have frequently seen teenagers engaging in risky riding, including: riding on the wrong side of the road, riding without a helmet, doing wheelies, riding while standing or kneeling on the bike seat, looking […]
DEAR Jasminda, I RECENTLY went to a fancy dress party as a tradie. While I normally feel a bit reserved at parties, I was surprised at the number of people who initiated conversations with me. This helped me relax, and I ended up enjoying myself, whereas normally I’d be looking for an early exit. What […]
DEAR News Of The Area, IT’S worth noting that the US/Israel war on Iran is going to affect people differently. Setting aside the effects on the Iranian people, the main effect here in Australia is that the costs of energy and food are going to go up. For working and middle-class people this is going […]
