STATE and Federal governments are delivering more funding to help communities recover from the recent severe flooding. Support available includes: ● Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible small businesses (with fewer than 20 employees) and non-profit organisations to help clean up and restore their business. ● Grants of up to $25,000 for eligible primary […]
Cheaper complementary health treatments are on the way
WHEN Peter Hill walked into his first pilates class, he had to warm-up for the warm-up. With a feeble lower back and taut hamstrings, the then 63-year-old was hoping the therapy could aid his pain. Six years later, he can dart and dash with little-to-no trouble. “Occasionally I might have a bit of a twinge […]

Ex-PM lauded over honours gong but not everyone’s happy
FORMER prime minister Scott Morrison has been congratulated after receiving Australia’s highest civilian honour, but there is at least one call for him to decline the gong. Mr Morrison is one of 14 people named as a Companion of the Order of Australia in the annual King’s Birthday Honours List, alongside filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and […]
Off-duty cop charged after refusing to leave premises in Shoal Bay
AN off-duty police officer has been charged after allegedly refusing to leave a licenced premise. About 12.55am on Saturday 28 December 2024, police were called to a licenced premises in Shoal Bay, following reports a group were refusing to leave. Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District arrived and were told three people were physically […]
Community urged to participate in road safety study
FOLLOWING on from National Road Safety Week (May 11-18), Port Stephens Council is encouraging the community to participate in a survey about road safety as part of the Community Action for Safe Speeds (CASS) study. The CASS study, led by researchers from The George Institute for Global Health, aims to find innovative ways to reduce […]
Call for patience as area’s long road to recovery begins
PORT Stephens Mayor Leah Anderson has thanked community members for their patience as the flood emergency makes way for a long and messy clean-up. The priority, she shared, is to “work through recovery – safely, thoroughly, and as quickly as possible”. “Sadly, for many of our residents across Port Stephens, the impacts of this natural […]

Regional collaboration key for airport expansion
MAYORS and council general managers from across the Hunter took an exclusive tour of Newcastle Airport’s international terminal development on Monday 12 May. The local governments represented are members of the Hunter Joint Organisation (HJO), a collaborative body that brings together the ten councils in the region. The tour was led by Newcastle Airport Director […]
Public hearings on renewable energy impacts in NSW
PUBLIC hearings were held in Dubbo and Sydney last week as part of an Upper House inquiry into the impact of Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) on rural and regional communities and industries in New South Wales. The Sydney hearing featured a number of NSW Government agencies involved in REZs, including independent agencies such as the […]
NSW Gov funds $10m for weed control and eradication
THE NSW Government will deliver $10 million to local councils to target high-risk weeds across the state to protect the state’s primary production and public land. The NSW Government Weeds Action Program funds local councils, known as Local Control Authorities (LCA), to detect and respond quickly to incursions of new high-risk weeds. The program focuses […]

Labor’s Meryl Swanson re-elected as Paterson MP for fourth term
MERYL Swanson has thanked the voters of Paterson after being re-elected as the electorate’s federal representative for a fourth term. “I am so honoured to be re-elected to serve our community and build a future made in Australia, starting right here in Paterson,” Ms Swanson posted to social media. “No one held back, no one […]