Operations Manager Blake Stone and Zookeeper Naomi Gardner feeding Basil and Josie. Photos: Pauline Cain OTTERS Basil and Josie have made their debut in Port Macquarie, just in time for the school holidays. The siblings turned five last Monday and had plenty of visitors to help them celebrate. They have officially taken up residence at […]

Prime position. The Port Macquarie Police Station at the corner of Hay Street and Sunset Parade. Photo: Matthew Doyle, Unearthed by Matt. Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan, Superintendent Shane Cribb, Police Minister Yasmin Catley, Member for Port Macquarie Rob Dwyer and Detective Superintendent Jason Dickinson. Photo: supplied. PORT Macquarie police are finally getting rid of […]

WITH droughts on one side of the country, floods on the other, and political volatility overseas, Australia’s agriculture industry has been right in the thick of it. But there is reason for “cautious optimism” in the $90.7 billion sector as uncertain conditions create both threats and opportunities for the nation’s producers, according to Bendigo Bank’s […]

NSW LANDHOLDERS are being asked to report their livestock numbers and land use information as part of Local Land Services’ annual farm census. The Annual Land and Stock Return collects information that helps shape the delivery of animal health and biosecurity services and prepare for emergencies such as bushfires and biosecurity outbreaks. Landholders must lodge […]

NPWS staff boarded whale-watching cruises along the NSW coast this week as part of Operation Ketos. Photo: NPWS. AS humpback whales undertake their annual migration, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) have teamed up with professional tour operators to help remind the industry, recreational boat users and the community to keep a safe distance […]

FEDERAL Member for Lyne Alison Penfold is calling on the Federal Government to urgently revoke the latest National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) pricing changes, warning of the “significant negative impacts on people with a disability living in regional and remote areas”. The changes, announced following the Government’s NDIS Annual Pricing Review, came into effect on […]

  Suzanne Strauh, Julie Bruce, Cathie Pilgrim, Karen Green, Helen Bicket, Lyn Ward and Judy Crick. Photo: Pauline Cain.   Julie making coffee. Photo: Pauline Cain.   EACH Monday at the Wauchope Country Club, a team of volunteers prepares and serves a hot meal for those in need. Make a Difference (M.A.D), a not-for-profit charity […]

Transport engineering expert, Dr Elnaz Irannezhad from UNSW’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The freight industry is under growing pressure as it struggles to align with Australia’s sustainability targets. Photo: NSW Government. FREIGHT is critical to Australia’s economy but a University of NSW (UON) expert is warning the industry is falling behind on the […]

Students welcome the Jubilee Boat to MacKillop College. Photo: Pauline Cain. The Jubilee Boat in the Chapel at MacKillop College. Photo: Pauline Cain. THE Jubilee Boat arrived at MacKillop College this week and News Of The Area was invited to join students for a service to celebrate the occasion. The boat is a symbol of […]

FLOOD Recovery Centres on the Mid North Coast have assisted more than 9500 people in the past few weeks. Various local and state organisations are on-hand to provide assistance with ID documentation, accommodation, legal and financial support, insurance and mental health support. Centres have operated this past week at the Indoor Basketball Stadium on Hibbard […]