March 12, 2026
Forestry firefighters deployed to South Australia Firefighters have been deployed to both Victoria and South Australia. Photos: supplied.
Local News

Forestry firefighters deployed to South Australia

Firefighters have been deployed to both Victoria and South Australia. Photos: supplied. Smoke fills the air on the Victorian firefront. FORESTRY Corporation of NSW last week deployed 10 firefighters to South Australia to support firefighting operations following several weeks of assistance in Victoria.  Forestry Corporation, one of NSW’s four firefighting agencies, has more than 500 […]

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Dragon boaters take up call to provide accessible water sport
Community

Dragon boaters take up call to provide accessible water sport

Flamin’ dragons and passengers. Exercise physiologist Natalie West with physiotherapists Glen Clarke and Mark MacGibbon. BEC Dalzell is not your average physiotherapist. She has big goals that include seeing her patients make the most of where they live. In 2022, Bec approached businesses and organisations to seek expressions of interest in partnering to provide accessible […]

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Indigenous students invited to share stories in ‘Yarning’ program
Local News

Indigenous students invited to share stories in ‘Yarning’ program

THE Department of the House of Representatives has announced that entries are now open for the 2026 Yarning Competition. ‘Yarning’ is an Australia-wide storytelling competition that invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students from across Australia to share their perspectives and stories with the Australian Parliament. “The Yarning Competition is a wonderful new […]

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Wine and taxes: only one certainty for small producers Ian Napier was slugged with five years' worth of land taxes after diversifying his winery business. Photo: Peter Stoop/AAP PHOTOS.
Business

Wine and taxes: only one certainty for small producers

UNDER the shade of a weeping willow on the banks of a sparkling dam, wine lovers can look out across a sprawling national park while sipping chilled Chardonnay. Members of the Wombat Crossing Vineyard, in the heart of the NSW Hunter Valley wine region, can also stay in a cosy lodge with a fireplace, aptly […]

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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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Hastings businesses encouraged to apply for grants to install EV charging station MP Robert Dwyer and Phil Cassegrain with some of the EV charging stations at Cassegrain Wines. Photo: supplied.
Local News

Hastings businesses encouraged to apply for grants to install EV charging station

THE PUSH for clean transport means grants are available for Hastings businesses wanting to install electric vehicle fast-charging stations. Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer is encouraging local businesses to apply for funding, now available under Round 4 of the NSW Government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy. The program has been updated to better reflect its long-term […]

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Retired teacher speaks out in support of $6.3m preschool The government bunting torn down out the front of Tacking Point Public School last month. Photo: supplied.
Government, School

Retired teacher speaks out in support of $6.3m preschool

SUPPORTERS of a new preschool at Tacking Point Public School (TPPS) have emerged publicly following weeks of tense debate about the $6.3 million project. Philip von Shoenberg, a retired teacher who lives near the school on Bangalay Drive, has expressed his strong support for the State Government’s plan to build a free public preschool on […]

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Port mum taking on Kilimanjaro for breast cancer support Kristal Kinsela at Everest Base Camp in 2024. Photos: supplied.
Local News

Port mum taking on Kilimanjaro for breast cancer support

  Kristal Kinsela at Everest Base Camp in 2024. Photos: supplied.   Kristal Kinsela at Everest Base Camp in 2024. Photos: supplied.   PROUD Jawoyn and Wiradjuri woman and Port Macquarie local, Kristal Kinsela, is preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise critical support for First Nations people affected by breast cancer – less than […]

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Dr Aunty Rhonda Radley an Aboriginal Woman of the Year finalist
Local News

Dr Aunty Rhonda Radley an Aboriginal Woman of the Year finalist

DR AUNTY Rhonda Radley has been named a finalist for NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year. The awards celebrate trailblazers, changemakers and role models from across NSW, with winners to be announced on Thursday 5 March. Dr Aunty Rhonda’s life and work reflects a deep and enduring connection to Country, culture and community across the […]

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