THE deadly H5 bird flu has been detected in Australia, the Australian Government confirmed on 20 June, 2026. A detection of H5 high-pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) was confirmed by the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in a single brown skua (migratory seabird) in an isolated area in southern Western Australia. This is the […]
Some of Wilma’s many crochet animals.
Wilma with her gifts of love. Some of Wilma’s many crochet animals. YOU never know what happens when you hand over a gift to someone. Will it be appreciated, loved, packed away, passed onto someone else or – worse – sent to the Op Shop? Wilma Whysall, a retired bank teller who had relocated to […]
Landcare group representatives in Port Stephens planting trees. Photo: @PortStephensCouncil
A GRANTS program that last year helped plant 123,000 trees, shrubs and groundcovers will return in 2026. Grants of between $5,000 and $25,000 are available to support the native planting projects of Landcare groups, Bushcare, Coastcare and Dunecare groups, local governments, natural resource management organisations, not-for-profit organisations and First Nations organisations. It is the second […]
Nurses should receive long-awaited back payments by the end of this week. Photo: file.
PUBLIC sector nurses and midwives across NSW should have now received backpay payments, following a pay increase decision by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) in April. The IRC ruling delivered nurses and midwives a pay rise of between 16 and 28 percent over a period of three years, backdated to 1 July 2025. Backpayments […]
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 […]
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 […]
The BreastScreen NSW van is coming to town. Photo: Shape Hub.
THE BreastScreen NSW van will be providing free breast cancer screening in Gloucester from 9 June to 8 July. BreastScreen NSW Hunter New England manager Rebecca Delaporte said a regular breast screen is one of the most important things women can do for their health. “Detecting breast cancer early increases your chance of survival while […]
LIFELINE Mid Coast is urging locals to register now for The Push-Up Challenge, Australia’s largest mental health and fitness event. The tenth annual challenge runs from 3 to 26 June. Community members are encouraged to sign up as individuals or teams, with funds raised directly supporting Lifeline Mid Coast’s vital local services. Lifeline Mid Coast […]
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 […]
The dogs are excited about their new off-leash area. Photo: MidCoast Council.
SARAH Wortley from Gloucester River Dogs is delighted with the announcement a new fenced off-leash dog park will be developed within the existing off-leash area of Gloucester District Park. Gloucester River Dogs is an informal assembly of dog lovers who for some time have been meeting regularly with their dogs for a couple of hours […]
