THE NSW Government has released an online tool for comparing connectivity quality across the state, producing some surprising outputs for the Hunter and MidCoast regions. The NSW Digital Connectivity Index, accessible via the NSW Government website, breaks digital connectivity down into three key areas: – Access: how strong is the coverage, how well the network […]

MEDOWIE will finally get its own town centre, with a final masterplan endorsed by Council during its 26 May meeting. The plan, placed on public exhibition from December 2025, was revised after community feedback and is now ready to be put into action to support a growing population of over 20,000 residents by 2041. “It’s […]

PORT Stephens Council is exploring the idea of electric vehicle chargers in the area, noting market trends and economic opportunities. During the latest Council meeting, Cr Roz Armstrong and Cr Jason Wells put forward a motion requesting that EV charging installations be included in future strategic plans. “People who own an EV plan their trips […]

PORT Stephens Council has launched a new initiative to support the recycling of reusable resources and the delivery of services to the community. Fifty baskets have been placed in high-traffic areas across Port Stephens, including at Raymond Terrace, Medowie, Karuah, Lemon Tree Passage, Salt Ash, Corlette, Soldiers Point, Salamander Bay, Fingal Bay, Nelson Bay, and […]

THE NSW Government’s ongoing FuelCheck inspection program has revealed which regions across the state have the best and worst compliance rates for price transparency. While approximately half of all inspections have taken place outside of Sydney, around 70 percent of all fines have been issued in regional NSW. The Central Coast comes out on top […]

PORT Stephens councillors have unanimously endorsed a set of community advocacy priorities to put to state MPs ahead of the NSW Budget. The priorities outline key funding needs and were discussed at their latest meeting. They include support for road repairs, drainage infrastructure, housing, employment and economic growth, liveable communities, tourism, and sport and recreation. […]

CHANGES to Port Stephens Council’s Code of Meeting Practices have divided councillors, with amendments formally endorsed at their April meeting. In October 2025, Council started reviewing the time councillors and the public were allowed to consider business papers ahead of meetings. It has now voted to amend clause 3.8 of the Code of Meeting Practices, […]

THE ongoing housing crisis across the region was discussed in a livestreamed event hosted by Port Stephens Council on Wednesday, 22 April. Utilising a Facebook Live stream, Mayor Leah Anderson was joined by Council staff Zoe Pattison, Ryan Falkenmire and Brock Lamont in an hour-long conversation, attempting to answer the community’s questions about housing supply […]

THE Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has provided $3.25 million to MGA Thermal in Tomago for up to five front-end engineering design studies to help commercialise its thermal energy storage technology and support industrial electrification. MGA Thermal’s technology stores renewable energy as heat, which can then be used on demand for industrial processes, aimed at […]

The XPT trains have been painted to reflect their history. The XPT trains have been painted to reflect their history. THE Sydney to Grafton XPT train service is set to return from 28 April, after a year of coach replacements during fleet upgrades. Sydney to Grafton train services – travelling through the Central Coast, Hunter […]