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, […]

THE latest quarterly report into the performance of Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHF) hospitals shows the health services are coping well with a surge in demand.  Patient numbers for October to December 2025 were up by 1,166, according to the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) Healthcare Quarterly Report. This is a three percent […]

AS INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day is celebrated, one Mid North Coast woman is quietly making a difference by creating a space where local women can feel welcome, safe and connected. Jane Bettison is the founder of Sassy Sistahs, a grassroots social group for local women that has grown into a thriving community of more than 700 […]

A FUNDRAISER has been launched to repatriate the bodies of the two men who drowned in the Never Never River near Bellingen on Sunday. Launched on GoFundMe by Sunita Kalkal of Melton West in Victoria, the stated aim is to cover the cost of repatriation to India and funeral expenses, and to support family members […]

NEW research, real-time tracking and expanded drone surveillance lead a $4.2 million NSW Government initiative to keep people safer in the water this summer. The investment follows an unprecedented number of attacks in recent weeks and the need for better education and community messaging on shark behaviour – particularly before and after weather events. Surf […]

AS families across the Mid North Coast prepare for the return to school, new research has revealed the growing pressure many households face simply trying to meet the basic costs of education. The latest Pulse Survey of families supported by The Smith Family shows that more than four out of five parents and carers are […]

FOR the first time in more than two decades, foster and kinship carers across NSW have received a 20 percent increase to their care allowance. The increase aims to ease cost-of-living pressures and strengthen support for vulnerable children in out-of-home care. The tax-free increase took effect from 1 January 2026 and applies to authorised carers […]

THE NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) has released a report to help farmers and primary industries reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining or enhancing productivity and sustainability. The NSW Land and Primary Industries Low Emissions Options Report identifies near-term priority emissions abatement measures for industry subsectors including livestock production, […]

A THIRD-generation local, the Member for Coffs Harbour and recently elected leader of the NSW Nationals, Gurmesh Singh, grew up in a Woolgoolga farming family of Indian heritage. Life in the family and community revolved around agriculture – first bananas then macadamias, and later berries. During that time and through his teens, Mr Singh wasn’t […]

HAVE you ever wondered why we decorate cone-bearing trees, eat turkey and ham, light candles, pull bonbons, hang Christmas stockings, decorate homes, make wreaths and credit Santa with delivering presents via flying reindeer? Most of us know that many Christmas traditions from the Northern Hemisphere sailed south with immigrants. But many so-called Christmas traditions originated […]