Business Archives - Port Macquarie News Of The Area

Birdon awarded contract to design, build, operate and maintain Daintree River Ferry

Birdon’s General Manager Assets and Contracts Sarah Yuen, and Ferry Operations Manager John Gray, with Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon and CEO Scott Osman. Photo: supplied. The Daintree River ferry to be built at Birdon’s Sancrox shipyard. Photo: supplied. PORT Macquarie maritime engineering company Birdon has signed a 20-year contract with Douglas Shire Council to […]

Business

Port Macquarie makes top 10 list for NSW first home buyers

FOR the first time, Port Macquarie has been named among NSW’s top 10 suburbs for first home buyers and is the only suburb outside Sydney to appear in the top performing locations for all buyer groups. The latest Quarterly Market Update from prop tech firm InfoTrack ranked Port Macquarie in third place for the highest […]

Business

Hastings pubs on shortlist for AHA NSW awards

THE Australian Hotels Association (AHA) reckons the Hastings’ pubs are among the state’s best when it comes to food, music and generally being “the heart of the community”. Port Macquarie, Lake Cathie, Wauchope, Beechwood and Long Flat all feature on the list of finalists for this year’s AHA NSW Awards of Excellence. These are the […]

Business

Port Macquarie bus mechanic Drew Miante named Apprentice of the Year

PORT Macquarie apprentice mechanic Drew Miante has been named the BusNSW Apprentice of the Year. Drew works at the Busways Port Macquarie depot and was recognised for her outstanding skills, determination and contribution to keeping buses safely on the road. The award was announced on 1 October at the association’s annual member conference in the […]

Business, Government

NSW Government invests $2 million to create low-carbon concrete jobs on Mid North Coast

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe tours the site with Solidcast owners Will and Sarah Hynes. Minister Penny Sharpe with Solidcast owners Will and Sarah Hynes. Precast walls in use. Photo: Solidcast website. WAUCHOPE-BASED Solidcast will expand production of its patented low-carbon concrete panels after receiving more than $2 million from the NSW […]

Business

MBF launches new leadership and free events for Small Business Month

OCTOBER marks Small Business Month in NSW, and Port Macquarie’s Micro Business Forum (MBF) is celebrating with a new leadership team and two free community events. MBF elected a refreshed committee of local business leaders on 17 September, to drive its mission of supporting micro and small business owners across the Hastings. The 2025 committee […]

Business

Port Macquarie businesses dive into digital future at innovation event

Mayor Adam Roberts opens the Digital Deep Dive business event. Photo: Sis Higgins. Host Ollie Brooke moderates the Process & Systems Panel with David Young from Never Late Electrical, Jane Whitfield from Drawn to Art and Stuart Goodfellow of Ripple Ag. Photo: Sis Higgins. PORT Macquarie-Hastings businesses turned out in force for Digital Deep Dive, […]

Business, Government

Rate cuts welcomed, but cost of living still looms over regional Australia

THE Reserve Bank’s decision to cut interest rates by 0.25 percent on Tuesday 13 August, has been welcomed as a positive step for households across the nation, particularly the three million families managing mortgages. The reduction equates to a saving of $74 per month on a $500,000 mortgage. Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan, who is […]

Business, Community

Port Macquarie operators take top honours at North Coast tourism awards

TWO local operators received major accolades at the 2025 North Coast Regional Tourism Awards in Byron Bay, highlighting Port Macquarie’s strength in the tourism sector. Port Macquarie Museum claimed Gold in the Cultural Tourism category, in recognition of its engaging exhibitions and dedication to preserving and sharing the region’s heritage. “This award is wonderful recognition […]

Business, School

CSU searching for business and community partners needing free IT solutions

PORT Macquarie-based Senior Computing Lecturer Dr Arash Mahboubi is searching for community groups and businesses with IT problems to solve. His Charles Sturt University (CSU) students have just delivered 3500 hours of free IT solutions as part of the capstone unit of their Bachelor of Computer Science (Software Development). These solutions, which were for organisations […]