THE Macksville Pre-School Childcare Centre is celebrating 50 years of service as a not-for-profit community preschool this year. The half century landmark was almost not reached however, after the preschool fell on hard times that threatened the closure of the centre earlier this year. With the challenge of fixing a severely damaged roof, removal of […]

A humpback whale breaching off the east coast. Photo: Jonas Liebschner, NPWS. A playful humpback close to the shoreline. Photo: Jonas Liebschner, NPWS. HUMPBACK whales are passing the Nambucca Valley on their annual migration. Each year, approximately 40,000 humpback whales leave their Antarctic feeding grounds and travel north to the warmer waters off NSW and […]

Volunteers are assisting with recovery tasks such as damage assessments, debris removal, chainsaw operations, and property clean-ups. DISASTER Relief Australia (RDA) volunteers have been hard at work across Nambucca, Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Taree helping residents with flood recovery. Volunteers are assisting with recovery tasks such as damage assessments, debris removal, chainsaw operations, and property […]

RECOVERY work continues at the Macksville Memorial Aquatic and Fitness Centre, which sustained significant damage in the recent floods. The Centre has been closed for the safety of the community while assessments take place. Council’s insurer conducted an assessment on the centre on Tuesday 3 June. Initial electrical safety work is now underway, with a […]

MARY Gibson has lived on a hilltop property in Talarm for more than 40 years. A dedicated gardener, conservationist and active member of the community, Mary also has a remarkable tale of recovery to share. Her pleasant and fruitful daily existence took a shocking turn on the morning of December 9, 2022, when she took […]

TWENTY-FIVE Fijian students celebrated their graduation from NV College this week, each earning a Certificate III in Individual Support. A graduation ceremony recognised the hard work and dedication of the students, who have completed their training under the Australian Government’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, as part of the Aged Care Expansion (ACE) program. […]

THE Nambucca Valley Writers Group have announced the winners of their annual writing competition, a tradition for the past 19 years. The 2025 theme was ‘performance piece’ and was judged by Lisa Milner, a Coffs Harbour writer who was once a long-term member of the group. “There was a very high standard of performance pieces, […]

MORE than 100 local businesses from the Mid North Coast have put their case to the NSW Premier for the creation of the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) as a “game-changing tourism destination” to rival the Blue Mountains and the Great Barrier Reef”. The business coalition submitted a signed letter to Mr Minns at State […]

Surfers at Scotts Head last week celebrated the life and marked the passing of Jack McCoy with a traditional paddle-out in his honour. Surf cinematographer Jack McCoy after being injured at Teahupoo in 2003. Photo: AAP Image/ASP/Pierre Tostee. THE world of surf filmmaking has lost one of its most influential figures, with the passing of […]

A POWERFUL new documentary titled Bravery & Betrayal was screened last week at C.ex Coffs Harbour. The film offers a raw and deeply personal insight into the experiences of the Australian Special Forces during their years of service in Afghanistan. It also examines the media scrutiny and personal toll of official investigations of these elite […]