AS his side celebrated an important victory in Game One of the State of Origin, NSW coach Laurie Daley’s mind was on the Mid North Coast. “I hope this victory lifts everyone’s spirits,” he said in a Channel 9 interview following the win, sending a “shout out” to all those dealing with the impact of […]
AEC formally declares Lyne result
ALISON Penfold is now officially the Federal Member for Lyne, after the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) formally declared the ballot result on Wednesday. In an electorate reeling from the recent flood disaster, Ms Penfold said the news came at a time when it was difficult to focus on anything other than supporting the community on […]
Heartbeat of the Hastings: Cassie Clark
CASSIE Clark is one of those people who always seems to be doing something for others, and she’s been that way since she was a kid. “My very first memory of giving back was when I was about eight,” Cassie told NOTA. “One of my sisters was in the Miss Australia Quest, raising money for […]
Guulabaa – Place of Koala recognised with international award
Tom Owens, Principal at Gensler Sydney (centre), receiving the ULI Award. Guulabaa – Place of Koala is the world’s first purpose-built wild koala breeding and rehabilitation centre. Photo: FCNSW. GUULABAA – Place of Koala, the world’s first purpose-built wild koala breeding and rehabilitation centre, has been named a winner of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) […]
‘Harry and Pearl’ to perform latest play in Port and Taree
AN inspirational chat over a cup of coffee led to the formation of the Harry and Pearl Ensemble Theatrical Group. Bill Harrow and Judy Campbell had performed many plays together in “The Night for Murder Group” and for the Players Theatre. The first show they were in was “Get Knitted” and their characters were Harry […]
Disaster relief extended for small businesses, primary producers
STATE and Federal governments are delivering more funding to help communities recover from the recent severe flooding. Support available includes: ● Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible small businesses (with fewer than 20 employees) and non-profit organisations to help clean up and restore their business. ● Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible primary […]
Youth crime committee tables first report
THE first report of an inquiry into community safety has been tabled, highlighting an urgent need for early intervention to deal with the complex social drivers of youth crime in regional and rural NSW. Since adopting the inquiry on 20 March 2024, the Committee of Law and Safety received almost 200 submissions and conducted hearings […]

St Joseph’s Primary builds maths fluency in Year 3 with daily practice
St Joseph’s student Paramveer Singh. Arthur Bell unpacking number facts. Students dive straight into two minutes of timed number facts practice at the start of each maths lesson. St JOSEPH’S Primary School in Port Macquarie is taking a hands-on approach to boosting maths fluency in Year 3. Every day, students dive straight into two minutes […]

Landslips close Oxley Highway at Mt Seaview in both directions
THE Oxley Highway between Forbes River and Clay roads will remain closed until further notice because of landslips. More than 100 new landslips have been detected on this section of the highway since heavy rainfall over the past week. Engineers are urgently assessing damage and planning clean-up operations and long-term repairs. Transport for NSW (TfNSW) […]

Dreams of a puppy and meeting Oscar Piastri come true for two of Port’s ‘wish kids’
VOLUNTEERS from Make-A-Wish Port Macquarie are helping local children facing serious illness. The branch, founded in 2015, has 10 active volunteers from Crescent Head to Diamond Beach. Together, they create tailored Wish Journeys that give children a chance to focus on something positive, even in the middle of treatment. Tammy Frater has been a volunteer […]