St Columba Anglican School students (top from left) Angelina McRae, Charlie Finnecy, Xavier Yates, Zaza Semchyshyn, (bottom from left) Minnie Yonge, Kira Mistry, Bronte Hollins and Summer Hodgkin. Photo: supplied. St Paul’s College Kempsey students Kaitlyn Chadwick, Sam Farrell and Gracie Campbell. Photo: supplied. STUDENTS from St Columba Anglican School in Port Macquarie (SCAS) and […]

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) […]
Koalas ‘safe’ as hospital’s tree giveaway continues
ALL the furry residents of the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and Guulabaa Visitor Centre are safe after last week’s deluge. “Despite the extreme weather, our dedicated koala care team has been onsite every day to ensure they’re protected, well-fed with fresh leaves, and closely monitored,” a spokesperson from Koala Conservation Australia told News Of The […]

Advocacy on the agenda as Port and Wauchope CWA attend state conference
NEWS Of The Area joined more than 600 delegates and another 200 observers at the Country Women’s Association’s 103rd State Conference in Wagga Wagga this week. In a statement to media ahead of the conference, CWA of NSW president Joy Beames said, “The high number of motions delegates will be asked to vote on this […]
Mid North Coast students tread the boards in Shakespeare carnivals
MID North Coast students are being offered a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Shakespeare. The Surry Hills-based Sport for Jove Theatre Company has been encouraging students across NSW and the ACT to create work inspired by William Shakespeare for the past nine years. Students are supported to direct short films, compose […]
Hastings Cancer Trust fundraising events selling out, raising at least $45k
COMMUNITY support for the Hastings Cancer Trust remains strong, with tickets selling fast for two of its annual fundraising events. The High Tea and Fashion Parade, to be held at the Port City Bowling Club on 25 May, reached full capacity with 114 guests securing tickets soon after release. The event is expected to raise […]

Wrights Road the focus of Dwyer’s maiden speech
NEWLY elected Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer has used his inaugural speech in Parliament to highlight the growing traffic congestion on the Oxley Highway. Backed by his new colleagues and party leader Mark Speakman, Mr Dwyer said something needed to be done now to fix the huge volume of traffic, particularly between the Wrights […]
Tribute for the 73 women killed in another year of domestic and family violence in Australia
A rose is placed to honour the women tragically lost to violence. Photo: supplied by Liberty. Stories were shared to honour and remember victims. Photo: supplied by Liberty. Rose tributes on National Domestic and Family Violence Remembrance Day. Photo: supplied by Liberty. A ROSE to honour each of the 73 women who tragically lost their […]
Bird Rock background: 45 years of honouring lost mates
AS heavy rain continues to wreak havoc up and down the coast, the surf community is calling upon Huey to deliver the goods for this weekend’s 45th Bird Rock Memorial Surf Classic. At 6pm on Friday, surfers, families and friends will firstly gather at the Bird Rock memorial at Town Beach Headland to honour the […]
Port Macquarie to host major photography conference
PORT MACQUARIE will welcome photographers from across regional NSW on Friday 23 May, as the Panthers Photographic Club hosts the 2025 Northern Zone Annual Conference. The event, held at Panthers Port Macquarie, is expected to attract around 350 photographers and their partners from nine regional clubs including Forster, Grafton, Armidale, and Port Macquarie. Commencing at […]