HELICOPTERS have provided isolated farmers with emergency fodder for their stranded livestock, as part of a range of support available to flood-affected farmers across the Mid North Coast, North Coast and Hunter. As of midday Saturday, 24 May, there had been 43 helicopter aerial drops of fodder, and nearly 131 emergency fodder drops by other […]

Scamming behaviour tipped to spike following natural disaster
PREDATORY scammer activity is predicted to skyrocket in the wake of the recent rains and flood disasters. In the aftermath of severe flooding, the State Government is urging people to remain vigilant when donating to recovery efforts. As communities recover and rebuild, authorities are warning that scammers may attempt to exploit the situation through fake […]
Disaster assistance activated for flood affected local government areas
THE Albanese and Minns Governments have activated disaster assistance to communities in Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Hunter and Mid North Coast following severe weather, including heavy rainfall. The NSW Government’s Natural Disaster Declaration applies to the LGAs of Bellingen, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Kempsey, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, MidCoast, Nambucca, […]

Advocacy on the agenda as Nelson Bay CWA branches attend state conference
NEWS Of The Area joined more than 600 delegates and another 200 observers at the Country Women’s Association’s 103rd State Conference in Wagga Wagga last week. In a statement to media ahead of the conference, CWA of NSW president Joy Beames said, “The high number of motions delegates will be asked to vote on this […]
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 […]

Work in progress: bottlenecks hinder green export hub
SLOW project approvals, energy storage gaps and investment uncertainty are proving hurdles to cutting greenhouse gas emissions from heavy industry. For the Hunter, a region eyeing off green industrial exports as global demand for its coal wanes, the transition has not been all smooth sailing. Government support for clean tech innovation and steps to retrain […]

Residents urged to be aware of mould impacts after floods
HIDDEN dangers exist in practically every house and property, many only exposed after an incident like the heavy rainfall that the region received over the last weeks. Mould, which naturally exists almost everywhere, loves moisture and poorly-lit areas that lack decent ventilation, such as walls or wallpaper, ceilings, bathroom tiles, carpets, insulation material and wood. […]

Fifth death linked to floods as body found in burnt car
A FIFTH person died in a region devastated by floods after dangerous conditions prevented emergency crews from accessing a home. The body of a man believed to be in his 80s was found inside a burnt-out vehicle in the shed of a Cooplacurripa property, about 50km north-west of Taree. A concern for welfare had been […]
Nelson Bay CWA warming up for annual Winter Fete
THE Nelson Bay Branch of the Country Women’s Association of NSW (CWA) is preparing for its annual Winter Fete. The Winter Fete will be held from 8:30am to 1pm on Saturday, 7 June at the CWA Hall, on the corner of Achilles and Gowrie Streets in Nelson Bay. The branch regularly fundraises for local outreach […]
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 […]