MidCoast Council Mayor Claire Pontin. Photo: MidCoast Council.
MIDCOAST Council Mayor Claire Pontin has welcomed the NSW Government’s decision to take back financial ownership of Rural Fire Service (RFS) assets, commonly known as the ‘Red Fleet’. The transfer of ownership will include around 150 RFS vehicles across the MidCoast region and is scheduled to take effect from 1 July 2027. The announcement follows […]
NEW data suggests that rates of rough sleeping have remained steady across parts of the Hunter region in the past 12 months, while significant increases have been seen in the MidCoast local government area. Each year the NSW Government partners with local organisations across the state to complete “street counts” to provide a point-in-time count […]
MEMBER for Lyne Alison Penfold has introduced a Private Member’s Bill to the Australian Parliament to amend the Sex Discrimination Act. Ms Penfold wants to reinstate the Act’s 1984 definitions of a man and woman, which were based on biological sex, not self-identification. In a statement, she said, “The Parliament has a responsibility to provide […]
An endangered Manning River Turtle being released into the Barrington River by Aussie Ark in February. Photo: Aussie Ark.
NEW research indicates Manning River turtles are being recorded at pre-flood numbers, 12 months after one of the region’s worst floods on record. Gloucester and its nearby waterways were battered in the floods of May 2025, with serious concerns held about the long-term effects on fish and animals living in the rivers, particularly on the […]
Vehicles queueing at the Bucketts Way/Pacific Highway intersection in early 2026.
A SERIOUS accident on Friday 15 May has brought safety issues at the Bucketts Way/Pacific Highway intersection into sharp focus once more. In April, News Of The Area reported on the strong concerns held by former Roads and Traffic Authority senior engineer Gordon Chirgwin about the dangerous state of the intersection. “I believe that the […]
NATIONALS Member for Lyne Alison Penfold has called the Labor Government’s Federal Budget a “bloodbath for regional Australia”. In her response to Labor’s Federal Budget, delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on 12 May, Ms Penfold said regional and rural communities like those in Lyne had been left behind. “Budgets can make or break the ability […]
IT’S always distressing to hear or read about people losing their lives in a house fire, particularly when many such tragedies can be prevented with simple safety measures. Each year, approximately 20 people die in NSW from fires that could have been prevented, and almost all of these fatalities occur in people’s homes. Fire safety […]
Stroud Customer Service Point and Library.
REDUCED operating hours at the Stroud Customer Service Point and Library were adopted at MidCoast Council’s 29 April meeting. The facility will now operate from Tuesday to Thursday, 9am to 12pm. The move comes after a three month trial and a community feedback period open from Tuesday 27 January to Monday 2 March 2026. The […]
Pat Burrows explains the Community Garden’s composting method.
NEW Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) recycling requirements are coming into force. From 1 July, most large food businesses will have to recycle their food waste, with the aim of diverting it from landfill. The changes will also require all councils to provide household food waste recycling services from 2030. “Without action, NSW is […]
LOCAL Ray Fitzgerald, who has been a firefighter with Gloucester Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) for 14 years, knows better than most the importance of smoke alarms in saving lives. Ray strongly supports the current campaign by FRNSW to encourage Gloucester residents to book a fire safety visit. FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell has indicated that […]
