DEAR News Of The Area, I WRITE in response to your article, “Hanson loses appeal over ‘seriously offensive’ tweet”, (NOTA, 29/7/26, Page 2). Senator Pauline Hanson’s so-called “seriously offensive and racist comment” was made in reply to Senator Merheen Faruqi’s extraordinary and disgraceful statement on the day our late Queen died. Ms Faruqi had described […]
LETTER: Stop blaming migrants and start fixing problems
DEAR News Of The Area, A CONVERSATION with an Uber driver on my way to Brisbane Airport got me thinking about where Australia is heading. We talked about youth crime, housing, cost-of-living pressures and immigration. I came away wondering whether our political debate focuses too much on who to blame and not enough on what […]
LETTER: Stop blaming migrants and start fixing problems
DEAR News Of The Area, A CONVERSATION with an Uber driver on my way to Brisbane Airport got me thinking about where Australia is heading. We talked about youth crime, housing, cost-of-living pressures and immigration. I came away wondering whether our political debate focuses too much on who to blame and not enough on what […]
Kangaroo grass rebounds on Nambucca Head’s Lions Lookout Headland
DEAR News Of The Area, THIS photo shows the Kangaroo Grass (Themeda) looking good on the Lions Lookout Headland above Nambucca Surf Club. The recent bushfire on the headland burnt the tall, rubbishy, weedy grasses, giving the native kangaroo grass a competitive advantage. Note the bare patches of soil between the clumps. It is an […]
WRITE DIRECTION: A super situation
NEW battle lines are being drawn for the next Federal Election, which is due by 20 May, 2028. Many of us might be thinking that 20 months is too early to offer policies for scrutiny, but the Government seems to be desperate to change direction away from its present economic malaise. Surprisingly they have chosen […]
STARGAZING: Robots first to colonise the moon
ELON Musk has built a career on chasing ideas many people once thought impossible. Now the SpaceX founder has revealed perhaps his boldest dream yet: creating permanent human settlements on the Moon and, eventually, Mars. The first steps could begin before the end of 2026. But instead of astronauts leading the way, Musk wants fleets […]
ON THE COUCH WITH JASMINDA: The dog dishwasher
DEAR Jasminda, MY friend lets her dog ‘prewash’ the dinner plates and dessert bowls by licking up any leftovers before she puts them in the dishwasher. As much as I love going there for dinner, I am disgusted by this unhygienic act. How do I sensitively raise this issue? Isla F. DEAR Isla, PEOPLE with […]
HYPOTHETICAL: When a promise bears fruit
CLIVE began working at Rosegum Vineyard as a young man. Owned by Reginald and Dorothy, Rosegum became the centre of his working life. He tended the vines, repaired fences and worked each harvest for modest wages and accommodation. Over time, Clive came to know Rosegum intimately. He knew which vines struggled through dry summers, which […]
Working VISA
LETTER: Multiculturalism means many cultures but only one community
DEAR News of the Area, THE Coffs Coast is home to people from many ethnic backgrounds. This cultural diversity was celebrated at the inaugural Coffs Coast International Food and Dance Festival in November 2023. Festivals, stories, food, music and dancing are wonderful ways of bringing people from different cultural, linguistic, religious, social and philosophical backgrounds […]
