LOCAL parents have raised concerns after discovering that Physics will not be offered to Years 11 and 12 students at Irrawang High School in 2026 and 2027. The decision has prompted broader questions about subject availability in regional public schools. University of Newcastle sociologist Dr Karen van Lonkhuyzen said common challenges for regional students include […]

THEY said it couldn’t happen, but the Federal Labor Government has worked with the Greens to pass reforms to the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act after negotiations fell through last November. The reforms include a new environment watchdog agency; national standards to safeguard nature; federal laws to apply to native forest logging by mid-2027; […]

THE Bourke Street pump station will be upgraded through funding delivered by the Federal Government and Port Stephens Council, aiming to improve flood resilience in Raymond Terrace. Large rainfall events in recent years have resulted in flooding which impacts local businesses, residential properties and critical infrastructure. The capacity of the Bourke Street flood pump station, […]

AN emergency meeting will be held on Monday, 1 December to decide the future of the Tomaree Residents and Ratepayers Association (TRRA). At the Annual General Meeting of the TRRA on 20 October, there were insufficient nominations to form a committee for the 2025–26 year. “Without a functioning committee, TRRA cannot continue to operate,” the […]

THE NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is encouraging everyone to be alert to signs of avian influenza in commercial and domestic poultry, and wildlife. Australia remains free from the H5N1 strain that is causing concern globally, however there is a risk the disease may be introduced by wild birds that migrate […]

THE State Government has allocated $2.1 million across 17 new projects to tackle pests and weeds across the state, including in the Hunter Estuary Wetlands Ramsar area. In the wetlands, Local Land Services is supporting public agencies and private landholders to deliver a cross-tenure pest and weed management project. This program aims to create a […]

ECONETWORK Port Stephens and the NSW Marine Sanctuary Alliance will host a free screening of the film “Ocean with David Attenborough” at Nelson Bay Cinema on Sunday, 2 November. After seven decades filming every aspect of the natural world, Attenborough’s powerful documentary takes viewers on a breath-taking journey showing there is nowhere more vital for […]

PORT Stephens Council and BlockTexx, an Australian clean technology company, have joined forces to divert unwanted household linens from landfill. Council will be holding a free dedicated “Give a Sheet for the Planet” drop off day on Saturday 1 November at the Salamander Bay Waste Transfer Station and Community Recycling Centre. Mayor Leah Anderson said […]

FOUR independent Port Stephens councillors have released a statement seeking to clarify their position on a proposed ban on “powered vessels” in local waterways. In February the four councillors backed a unanimously supported motion requesting that Transport for NSW complete an “urgent review into jet ski usage, including speed limits for all personal watercraft and […]

PORT Stephens residents can now have their say on a review of Council’s “Our Incredible Place Strategy”, with a survey now live. “First adopted in 2021, the strategy provides Council, local businesses and the community with a blueprint on how to work together to grow and celebrate Port Stephens’ unique identity,” Council said in a […]