PORT Stephens Council has received a grant of $40,000 for the Birubi Point Aboriginal Place. The grant was awarded under the NSW Heritage Grants Program. This year the program awarded a record $8.56 million to 140 grant recipients, with the aim to protect and restore heritage sites across NSW. “Our record investment highlights the Minns […]

Council launches ‘Local Voices’ competition to raise awareness of safe speeds
COUNCIL is inviting local budding content creators, safety advocates and creatives to educate the Port Stephens community on safe driving speeds. The Local Voices competition gives Port Stephens residents the opportunity to get creative in sharing their perspectives, telling their stories and raising awareness of the importance of safe speeds on our local roads. “Local […]
Frustrated residents calling for a permanent fix to Port Stephens roads
RESIDENTS near Lemon Tree Passage Road are questioning why it was not sealed in the days leading up to last week’s forecasted storms. The road has been subject to multiple repairs in the past few years, with the adequacy of the work a subject of debate. Local Warwick Williams wants to see a permanent fix. […]
Public wharves close to commercial use
THE commercial use of public wharves in the MidCoast LGA has been discontinued as of 1 July, including the Yallinbah wharf on Marine Drive, Tea Gardens. The decision looks set to impact catamaran operator YKnot Cruises, which currently utilises the wharf for its Nelson Bay-Tea Gardens service. MidCoast Council resolved to discontinue the commercial use […]
Leadership competition invites young leaders to life-changing Power Trip in Canberra
YOUNG rural women and non-binary students in Years 10 to 12 from across Australia will have the opportunity to win a once-in-a-lifetime ‘Power Trip’ to the nation’s capital. Country to Canberra’s (C2C) prestigious Leadership Competition launched on Monday, opening the door for young rural leaders to embark on a four-day leadership experience designed to help […]
New PFAS guidelines released for drinking water
THE National Health and Medical Research Council has published updated Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, which confirm new, lower values for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australian drinking water supplies. PFAS are a class of more than 4,000 manufactured chemicals that are not found naturally in the environment. These chemicals have been widely used in […]

Development surge coming to Raymond Terrace
PORT Stephens Council says Raymond Terrace is experiencing a “wave of development growth”, with a sharp rise in applications and renewed interest from investors. In the past financial year, Port Stephens Council has approved 77 new residential homes in Raymond Terrace. A further 27 units are currently under assessment. Mayor Leah Anderson said the current […]
Council backs drainage review across Port Stephens
DRAINAGE across Medowie will be evaluated following unanimous support for a motion put forward at last week’s council meeting. Port Stephens councillors Chris Doohan and Ben Niland, and Port Stephens Deputy Mayor Jason Wells, said that poor drainage was particularly impacting residents in Medowie, Salt Ash, and in the Hinterland. “We need to get community […]

Backlash over ‘quiet cut’ to train passes
LIBERAL MLC Aileen MacDonald has called for the NSW Government to immediately reinstate three-month and six-month NSW TrainLink Discovery Passes, describing the removal as a “quiet cut” that disproportionately hurts regional communities. Speaking in the Legislative Council last week, Ms MacDonald moved a motion highlighting the significant impact of the removal of the passes on […]

Budget funding for Stockton sand erosion
A TOTAL of $21.5 million has been allocated in the 2025-26 NSW Budget to continue sand renourishment works at Stockton Beach. According to the City of Newcastle, Stockton suffers from coastal erosion as its sand naturally moves north, but the Newcastle Breakwater impacts this movement from the south. “Beaches naturally move – not only landward […]