Herbie, the centrepiece of local artist David Bromley’s street mural in Urunga. Friend James Hughes and Herbie. Herbie the traveller, back in the day. ALBERT Nuster, 90, known fondly as Herbie, passed away peacefully at his nursing home in the Masonic Village Raleigh on 6 March, 2026. Herbie requested no funeral service and was privately […]

GLOBAL events, most notably the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, have seen petrol and diesel prices skyrocket in the last few weeks, with a jump of 10 cents per litre (c/l) seen in a matter of days. As of Sunday 22 March 2026, crude oil prices are around US$122 per barrel – high by […]

Footage captured by an AI-powered camera system on a watch tower. Photos: supplied. RFS volunteers now have improved access to real-time imagery, particularly in remote and high-risk areas. Drones provide volunteers with live vision of firegrounds. RURAL firefighters in NSW are utilising new technology helping to detect fires earlier, improve situational awareness and strengthen communications […]

The crowd gathered at Bellingen Park. Photo: supplied, Bob Brown Foundation. Marchers went up and down Bellingen’s main street. Photo: supplied, Bob Brown Foundation. After the march, some went to Pine Creek State Forest to highlight their call for a forest bridge. Photo: supplied, Bob Brown Foundation. APPROXIMATELY 500 people braved the rain to take […]

COAL mine expansions are on the cards for at least another 25 years under NSW’s new mining road map at odds with its environment commission. The NSW government announced its coal industry outlook for 2026-2050 on Thursday, saying it will no longer consider new coal mines but applications to extend existing mines will be assessed. […]

AFTER being closed for two months, Waterfall Way was opened to traffic on Sunday – restoring a vital link for the North Coast. The major access route between Bellingen and Dorrigo has been closed since 19 January due a landslip, causing significant impacts to residents, businesses and organisations in the Bellingen Shire. Temporary repairs to […]

Lily Kennedy with Breffni Quinn. Photo: supplied. Bowraville Central School’s Cattle Team performed superbly at the recent Wingham Show: Amarli Whit, Lailana Heather, Lily Kennedy and Thea Heather. Photo: supplied. AN impressive series of results has put Bowraville Central School’s cattle team firmly in the spotlight, with standout student Lily Kennedy earning selection to compete […]

FORESTRY Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) has been convicted and sentenced over the illegal logging of six giant and three hollow-bearing trees in Wild Cattle Creek State Forest near Coffs Harbour in June and July 2020. The organisation responsible for managing timber production in NSW’s state-owned native and plantation forests, FCNSW has been ordered to pay […]

AN Australian-first microplastic assessment has found three Mid North Coast creeks to be among NSW’s most contaminated coastal waterways. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has partnered with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) to deliver a Broadscale Microplastic Assessment, released this week. The report ranks coastal waterways by […]

WHENEVER a major road is disrupted, it isn’t just its regular users who are inconvenienced: residents in formerly quiet, urban streets also experience significant traffic changes. Forty residents attended the Bellingen Showground Luncheon Pavilion earlier this month to air their concerns about the impact the closure of Waterfall Way is having on them. Hammond and […]