ONE Nation leader Pauline Hanson has failed to overturn a court ruling that she made a racist remark when she told a fellow senator to go “back to Pakistan”. After spending much of her decades-long career rejecting accusations of racism, One Nation founder Pauline Hanson has failed to quash a court ruling that she made […]
Seven suspected cases of bird flu have been detected in greater crested terns, a common coastal species in Australia. Photo: AAP Image/Andrew Stafford.
Seven suspected bird flu cases in native species
THE poultry industry is on alert after seven suspected bird flu cases were found in native species, potentially marking a new phase for the outbreak. The poultry industry is on alert after seven sick greater crested terns were found in South Australia’s southeast, sparking fears of a local transmission. Five were collected from Southend in […]
Australian records first case of H5 bird flu
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 […]
Dungog’s Sarah U’Brien awarded Churchill Fellowship
DUNGOG local Sarah U’Brien is one of the newly-named Australian Churchill Fellows. The Winston Churchill Trust was established in 1965 to honour the legacy of the former UK Prime Minister. It is a not-for-profit organisation which gives Australians the chance to travel overseas, to investigate their diverse specialist fields, and to learn new skills. They […]
Australians warned to pay attention to superannuation paperwork
MILLIONS of Australians are putting their superannuation at risk by not following-through with proper, and legally binding, beneficiary paperwork, according to a nation-wide survey. Research conducted by Super Consumers Australia, an advocate for people on low and middle incomes in Australia’s superannuation system, shows that more than one in three Australians with super say they […]
AEC formally declares Alison Penfold as Lyne MP
ALISON Penfold is now officially the Federal Member for Lyne, after the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) formally declared the ballot result last Wednesday. In an electorate reeling from the recent flood disaster, Ms Penfold said the news came at a time when it was difficult to focus on anything other than supporting the community on […]
Direct Newcastle to Bali flights to launch in October
JETSTAR will launch a direct route between Newcastle and Denpasar (Bali) from 21 October. Denpasar is a major international aviation hub offering connections to over 40 countries. The service is set to be run three times a week, and will be the first international route offered from Newcastle’s new international terminal. Minister for Jobs and […]
Reviving long-promised nature law reforms are top of Murray Watt's to-do list. Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch.
Thorny nature reforms threaten to entangle new minister
WITH a reputation as a savvy negotiator, Australia’s new environment minister will need all his political nous to navigate the competing interests in the politically fraught portfolio. Reviving long-promised nature law reforms are top of Murray Watt’s to-do list, but that will not be the only challenge of the gig. The fate of contentious resources […]
Peter Dutton's leadership was 'thoroughly rejected' by voters, ending his time in parliament. Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS.
Soul searching for coalition after poll thumping
THE coalition will be forced to carry out a “fundamental reorganisation” of the party’s structure to ensure its ongoing relevance to voters after its election wipeout, a leading pollster says. As votes continue to be counted after Saturday’s poll, figures show the coalition could slump to its lowest percentage of seats in parliament since the […]
Alison Penfold succeeds Dr David Gillespie as Lyne MP
THE National Party’s Alison Penfold will be the next Federal Member for Lyne, succeeding the long-serving Dr David Gillespie. As of Monday morning, Ms Penfold held 60.55 percent of the Two candidate preferred count over Labor’s Digby Wilson (39.45 percent) after Saturday’s federal election. Ms Penfold took 37.20 percent of first preference votes, with Mr […]
