Budaabang Bari Dancers performing at the Buluunggal Festival. Photo: Jessica Miller. Te Whānau Mānihera from Aotearoa performed a number of dances including a haka. Photo: Jessica Miller. Janie Smith, Nopera Pikari, Uncle Martin Ballangarry and Kiki Marama. Photo: Jessica Miller. Rhys Pavey operating Uncle Bud’s smoker. Photo: Jessica Miller. The Budaabang Bari Dancers. Photo: Jessica […]

TICK nests, or tick bombs to some, are a common phenomenon in the Australian bush. However, few people have heard of them, let alone know what to do when encountering one. News Of The Area spoke with Bellingen local Rosie Lewis, who recently had a severe reaction to a tick nest. She ended up in […]

AUSTRALIANS are counting the ballooning cost of extreme weather events after they caused almost $5 billion in insured losses in 2025, more than 700 percent up on the previous year. And the financial toll is only expected to get worse, with independent analysis indicating it could blow out to $35 billion annually by 2050. The […]

THE coalition’s hardline migration plan has been lashed as divisive and Australia’s multicultural communities say they are tired of being dehumanised by all sides of politics.  Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has unveiled a plan to boot migrants from the nation if they do not exhibit “Australian values”, shut the door on some asylum seekers and […]

A NEW wave of internal migration is reshaping regional Australia, with coastal communities from Port Stephens through to the Mid North Coast continuing to attract strong interest from city dwellers. While Queensland’s Sunshine Coast remains the top destination nationally, the NSW corridor spanning Port Stephens, the MidCoast, Port Macquarie, Nambucca and Coffs Harbour is maintaining […]

THE NSW Government has fast-tracked a statewide fuel compliance blitz to “strengthen fuel price transparency” and protect motorists from misleading pricing. At the NSW Fuel Security Roundtable held last week, retailers agreed to use the FuelCheck app to inform the Government when they have run out of fuel. FuelCheck is the NSW Government’s real-time fuel […]

BELLINGEN Shire Council is inviting community feedback on a proposed affordable housing development at Ferry Street, Urunga, marking the next step in a project years in the making. The consultation follows a Mayoral Minute passed unanimously by Bellingen Shire Council in May last year, requesting a detailed report into the legal and financial considerations of […]

AUSTRALIA has stockpiled billions of litres of fuel – more than a month’s supply – as frustrated motorists grapple with rising petrol prices and an explosion in demand. The country is “as prepared as possible” with 1.6 billion litres of petrol or 37 days’ supply, Energy Minister Chris Bowen told reporters on Saturday. The stockpile […]

RATIONING fuel in Australia’s major cities to supply the regions would cause unnecessary economic and social issues, a peak motoring body says. Iran has closed the strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil corridors, after the country was attacked by US and Israeli forces. The conflict in the Middle East has spiked […]

CHARITIES, community groups and not‑for‑profit organisations delivering community‑led projects across Essential Energy’s network area are encouraged to submit their applications for the 2026 Essential Grants program before the end of March. The program is offering grants of up to $15,000 to help eligible organisations bring their initiatives to life and deliver real benefits for people, […]