March 6, 2026
Honours list: gender balance ‘cause for concern’
Opinion

Honours list: gender balance ‘cause for concern’

CONGRATULATIONS to the 680 Australians recognised in the Order of Australia in the 2026 Australia Day Honours list, which we the Council of the Order of Australia, recommended to the Governor-General. This represents the highest number since Australia Day 2024. The recipients come from all parts of the country and their service, achievements and impact […]

Read More
Letter to the Editor: free campers
Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: free campers

DEAR News Of The Area Back in February 2025, I wrote to this paper voicing concerns about the free campers getting out of control in the Nambucca area. Well, that ship has sailed. More and more residents are seeing the impact on our area, just look on the Nambucca Valley Community Notice Board facebook website […]

Read More
Legal Hypothetical: barking up the wrong tree
Hypothetical

Legal Hypothetical: barking up the wrong tree

BARBARA and Wally have been in a de facto relationship for six years. There is one child of the relationship, their four-year-old daughter. When their relationship breaks down, Barbara and Wally seek legal advice and are able to negotiate consent orders, which resolve parenting issues in relation to their child. They are also able to […]

Read More
On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, Frequently when I go shopping someone pushes a trolley into my ankles. How do I avoid this painful scenario? Jim R. Dear Jim, In the wrong hands, a trolley can be a weapon of mass destruction, thrust into the legs of an unsuspecting shopper when they are simply trying to reach for a […]

Read More
Legal Hypothetical: the dreaded smartphone will
Hypothetical

Legal Hypothetical: the dreaded smartphone will

FOLLOWING a recent health scare, Peter opens the Notes application on his iPhone and creates a document entitled “last will”. The note appoints his brother William as his executor, gifts his house and contents to his brothers and after some monetary gifts to friends and family, gifts the balance of his bank accounts to William. […]

Read More
On the couch with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

On the couch with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, We have a few family members who work from home and our mannerisms and work styles are getting on each other’s nerves. How do we improve our work-from-home balance? Megan P. Dear Megan, Research by Roy Morgan (2025) stated that more than 6.7 million Australians work from home at least some of the […]

Read More
Quiet heroes: volunteers wanted for new WIRES shelter in Coffs Harbour
Opinion

Quiet heroes: volunteers wanted for new WIRES shelter in Coffs Harbour

As Australians, we are rightly proud of our natural environment. We march to protect forests, campaign for clean rivers and speak passionately about saving wildlife and ecosystems. Those voices do matter, but beyond the headlines and protest banners, another story unfolds quietly every day. It’s a story of people who don’t just speak for wildlife, […]

Read More
Legal Hypothetical: A one-way ticket to the naughty list
Hypothetical

Legal Hypothetical: A one-way ticket to the naughty list

AFTER many years of delivering Christmas Cheer around the world, Santa decides it is time to get his legal affairs in order. He visits his long-time solicitor Ebenezer Scrooge, who dutifully prepares a Power of Attorney (‘POA’) appointing Santa’s son, Kringle Jr. The POA contains a specific power allowing Kringle Jr. to oversee “emergency operational […]

Read More