GLOUCESTER Garden Club members took part in a comprehensive discussion on recycling and waste management at their first meeting for 2026. Guest speaker Jessie Summerville, the Water Resilience Officer with MidCoast Council, highlighted different recycling programs and what waste each bin can take. “Your recycled waste is sent to a Visy material recovery facility where […]

MIDCOAST Council’s Bootawa koala research program has yielded some fantastic results, especially for one koala nicknamed “Drake”. Drake was caught along with 37 other koalas when Council partnered with The University of Sydney’s Koala Health Hub team to conduct the research program in 2025. When caught, Drake was in poor condition, tested positive for chlamydia, […]

HUNTER residents are being urged to change a child’s life and become a foster carer, with the State Government launching a local foster carer recruitment drive. Right now, there are over 160 children and young people across the Hunter who cannot live safely with their families. There is a particular need for people to care […]

GLOUCESTER Environment Group members undertake a bushwalk in the local area each month, with their February walk featuring highlights of the Barrington Tops. The late summer jaunt was led by Steve Robinson. “After so much hot weather, our group of 16 enjoyed visiting the alpine plateaux where temperatures were a good ten degrees cooler than […]

GLOUCESTER State Emergency Service (SES) members were honoured at an awards ceremony at Taree on 10 March, some for bravery and other for years of dedicated service. Among the award recipients were Rob McNeice and Robert Seale, who received the Commissioner’s Commendation for Courage for the rescue of a person from fast flowing floodwaters. On […]

A FIFTH-GENERATION family timber operation in Bulahdelah says it is absorbing an almost $8000 weekly fuel surge to keep hardwood moving to Australia’s cities. Anthony Dorney and his brothers operate two hardwood sawmills, SA Relf and Newells Creek, continuing a timber cutting tradition which has lasted for more than a century. Last week, Anthony pulled […]

RURAL Aid has released the third annual Pulse of the Paddock farmer survey report, offering a candid snapshot of how Australian farmers are navigating mental health, uncertainty and the realities of life on the land. Based on the experiences of nearly 1,400 farmers surveyed during October and November 2025, Rural Aid says the report shows […]

GLOUCESTER Garden Club members took part in a comprehensive discussion on recycling and waste management at their first meeting for 2026. Guest speaker Jessie Summerville, the Water Resilience Officer with MidCoast Council, highlighted different recycling programs and what waste each bin can take. “Your recycled waste is sent to a Visy material recovery facility where […]

THE temporary crossing solution for Tiri Bridge announced by MidCoast Council in early February is now underway, with work able to start on the bridge delivery earlier than expected. “We had enough of the material delivered to site allowing our team to get cracking on a temporary crossing using what was left of the damaged […]

MIDCOAST Council has endorsed a streamlined approach to contracting out flood repair works. Attempting to speed up the process of repairing roads and bridges, councillors at Council’s 25 February meeting voted unanimously to endorse a new procurement approach for the delivery of Essential Public Asset Reconstruction Works (EPA-RW), including the use of existing Council contractor […]