IMPROVED methane capture at six high-emission coal mines appears the state’s best bet to hit climate targets. A report released by climate advisory group Common Capital said NSW could help reach emissions targets with best-practice abatement at the six mines, which produce half the state’s coalmine emissions despite delivering less than 10 percent of the […]
Community invited to help shape Scotts Head masterplan
THE Scotts Head community is being invited by Nambucca Valley Council to have a say on the future of the town’s foreshore and public spaces, as it begins work on a new masterplan. Council’s General Manager Bede Spannagle, said the goal is to understand what land management practices are working well and where improvements could […]
DFV strategy welcomed but more to be done
THE State Government has launched a “landmark strategy” to respond to the perpetration of domestic and family violence (DFV) in New South Wales. “Building Better Responses: NSW Strategy to Respond to the Use of Domestic and Family Violence 2026–2030” is NSW’s first dedicated plan aimed at disrupting DFV and focusing on those who cause or […]
Major change to gas connection fees
THE Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) will require newly connecting retail gas customers to pay the upfront cost of their connection, often more than $2000, moving away from the old system where these costs were often shared across all customers. The recent final determination responds to a rule change request from Energy Consumers Australia and […]
Concerns mount over proposed Valla Beach housing site
PUBLIC concern is rising in Valla Beach following the NSW Government’s October announcement that a parcel of land near Langsford Way and Anderson Park, formerly owned by the Department of Education, has been identified as a potential site for more than 160 homes under the state’s Building Homes for NSW initiative. The NSW Department of […]
EPA project aims to monitor impacts of pesticides on region’s waterways
A 12-MONTH pesticide water quality monitoring project is underway on the Mid North Coast to better understand the presence of pesticides in the region’s waterways. Led by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the project builds on previous monitoring work and aims to provide a clearer picture of pesticide detections in waterways in the Coffs […]
Mixed response to new environment laws
THEY said it couldn’t happen, but the Federal Labor Government has worked with the Greens to pass reforms to the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act after negotiations fell through last November. The reforms include a new environment watchdog agency; national standards to safeguard nature; federal laws to apply to native forest logging by mid-2027; […]
Council takes stand on domestic and family violence
NAMBUCCA Valley Council will undertake a series of actions to reduce the rate and impact of domestic and family violence (DFV) in the community. The move has been led by councillor Ljubov Simson, a survivor of family violence and gender-based workplace violence. Cr Simson successfully moved a motion at Council’s 15 October meeting, outlining a […]
NSW residents encouraged to be alert to signs of avian influenza in poultry
THE NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is encouraging everyone to be alert to signs of avian influenza in commercial and domestic poultry, and wildlife. Australia remains free from the H5N1 strain that is causing concern globally, however there is a risk the disease may be introduced by wild birds that migrate […]
Doctors hail Medicare changes as win for rural patients
SOME elderly rural cancer patients live on farms with limited connectivity, hundreds of kilometres from the closest computer and even further from their doctor. These are the kinds of marginalised patients who will be helped by hard-fought new telehealth Medicare rebates, allowing for longer telephone consultations with specialists, medical oncologist Christopher Steer says. The new […]
