May 25, 2026
Kew four-year-old raises $1700 for mental health campaign
Health

Kew four-year-old raises $1700 for mental health campaign

Henry Turnbull. Henry Turnbull and his mullet. HENRY Turnbull is only four-years-old, yet displays a sense of compassion well beyond his years.   The youngest son of Kew residents Aimee and Arnold Turnbull, he has raised more than $1700 in April for the Mullets For Mental Health campaign. Henry’s older brother Rory was diagnosed with cancer […]

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Walkable towns help regional Australians exercise 75 minutes more each week The report shows walkability has a bigger impact on the amount of time spent walking in regional communities. Photo: David Guerrero/Pexels.
Health

Walkable towns help regional Australians exercise 75 minutes more each week

AMID soaring fuel prices which are prompting Australians to explore alternative transport options, a new study highlights the health benefits of walkable neighbourhoods. New research shows that regional residents living in walkable towns and centres walk 75 minutes more each week, prompting calls for Governments to invest more in well-connected, safe footpaths to boost community […]

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Improvements in home waste management Local households achieved a 75 percent landfill diversion rate. Photo: PMHC.
Community, Health

Improvements in home waste management

RESULTS from the 2025 MidWaste Kerbside Waste Audit have revealed that households in the Port Macquarie Hastings local government area are outperforming state averages for waste management. Local households achieved a 75 percent landfill diversion rate, with most of the household waste being successfully kept out of landfill through recycling and the Food Organics and […]

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Heart Health NSW donates ‘Sara Stedy’ aid to Port Macquarie hospital Heart Health NSW’s Dennis Bridgeland, Bill Peck, Reg Wilkinson, Bryan Gough, Kaitlin Largent and Mandy Short experience firsthand the benefits of the Sara Stedy. Photo: supplied.
Health

Heart Health NSW donates ‘Sara Stedy’ aid to Port Macquarie hospital

Heart Health NSW’s Dennis Bridgeland, Bill Peck, Reg Wilkinson, Bryan Gough, Kaitlin Largent and Mandy Short experience firsthand the benefits of the Sara Stedy. Photo: supplied. Heart Health NSW members with Mandy Short and the plaque honouring Doug Short. Photo: supplied. PORT Macquarie Base Hospital’s Coronary Care Unit has strengthened its patient care capabilities following […]

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Creative therapy pilot launches on North Coast Registered Art Therapist Tania Miller from ReCreate Art Therapy.
Health

Creative therapy pilot launches on North Coast

PEOPLE across the North Coast experiencing moderate to severe mental health challenges now have access to new free creative therapy services, thanks to the launch of the North Coast Creative Therapies Pilot. Launched by Healthy North Coast and funded by the Australian Government through the Primary Health Network program at a value of $1.03 million, […]

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New figures show record demand for Mid North Coast Hospital Emergency Departments This is the first time Wauchope Hospital has been included in the BHI’s quarterly report. Photo: MNCLHD.
Health

New figures show record demand for Mid North Coast Hospital Emergency Departments

MID North Coast hospitals have experienced record demand for their emergency departments, according to the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) quarterly report. Despite this, hospital performance between October and December remained high. Across the health district, which covers Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour, there were a record 40,126 attendances, an increase of three percent […]

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Dunbogan’s Bruce de Graaf cracks 700 blood donations
Community, Health

Dunbogan’s Bruce de Graaf cracks 700 blood donations

Bruce de Graaf making his 700th donation. Bruce de Graaf and Port Macquarie MP Rob Dwyer. DUNBOGAN’S Bruce de Graaf celebrated his 700th donation at Lifeblood Port Macquarie on Friday, 20 February. He now holds the record for the most blood/plasma donations in the Port Macquarie region and is one of the top ten donors […]

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Cancer Trust seeking support for gala event Wauchope Palliative Care Nursing Unit Manager Mary Trotter with a hydraulic assist layback commode shower chair purchased with a grant from Hastings Cancer Trust.
Community, Health

Cancer Trust seeking support for gala event

THE Port Macquarie-Hastings community is being urged to support the work of the Hastings Cancer Trust (HCT) in 2026. Cancer Council Australia estimates that in 2024 169,500 people were diagnosed with cancer, 52,700 died of cancer and that one in two people will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85, making it a […]

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NSW Health offering subsidies to future health workers Medical student Aimee Long is one of the 7,900 students who have benefitted from the program since 2024. Photo: NSW Health.
Health

NSW Health offering subsidies to future health workers

UP TO $12,000 in financial support is on offer for students enrolled in medical, nursing, midwifery, dentistry, Aboriginal health and allied health degrees across NSW. The new round of applications for the Tertiary Health Study Subsidies Program opened on 28 January. This year, support will be available for up to 4,000 students across the state. […]

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