HAVEN
Tom's incredible run for charity
By Luke HADFIELD
LOCAL musician and endurance runner Tom Mwanza completed an extraordinary 100-kilometre run from Hallidays Point to Port Macquarie on Saturday, raising funds to build a home for five orphaned children in his hometown of Kalulushi, Zambia.
Originally from Zambia and now based on the Mid North Coast, Tom set out to raise $100,000 through his campaign “100km for 100k”.
The funds will go toward constructing a modest home and supporting the children’s education and living needs.
“These five beautiful
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HOUSING HOPE
Joint venture to address homelessness in the Camden Haven
By Luke HADFIELD
REPRESENTATIVES from Camden Haven Community at 3 and Kew Country
Club have met to discuss a potential joint venture aimed at addressing homelessness in the Camden Haven region. The proposal involves applying for grant funding to build several relocatable homes that would provide temporary accommodation for people in need.
CONTINUED Page 3
Where Modern Meets Rural Calm
Set on a pristine 3-acre sanctuary, this architecturally designed residence is where refined design meets the quiet beauty of rural living. Light dances through soaring cathedral windows, filling open-plan spaces with a sense of warmth and calm.
At its heart, the gourmet kitchen—with handcrafted timber benchtops and a walk-in pantry—flows effortlessly to the alfresco deck, where sweeping views stretch across the northern acreage. Whether it’s entertaining on a grand scale or savouring a slow afternoon, this home was made to celebrate life’s moments. With a master retreat framed by leafy vistas, spacious bedrooms, multiple living zones and a private theatre, every corner has been designed for comfort, style and connection.Private, peaceful and unforgettable—this is rural living reimagined, with room to breathe and beauty all around.
Gaven Whalley
q Melinda Mwanza, Staffan Andler and Tom Mwanza.
Luke HADFIELD 0408 461 038 luke@newsofthearea.com.au
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Run of hope
FROM Page 1
children lost both of their parents within six months,” said Tom.
“They’re now in the care of my mother back home, but she simply doesn’t have enough space or resources to raise them properly.
“They deserve a chance at education, a roof over their heads, and a childhood that isn't defined by loss and survival.”
Tom said while running 100km in one day is one of the hardest things he has ever attempted, it’s nothing compared to what the kids have faced.
“Every kilometre I run is a message: ‘You are not forgotten. You matter. There is hope’,” he shared.
Camden Haven businessman and Kew Corner Store proprietor Staffan Andler also played a role in supporting the initiative, providing his place of business as a stopover point where family, friends and supporters could catch up with Tom
along the route.
Tom, well known locally for his Afro-dance music and community spirit, swapped his guitar for running shoes to take on one of his greatest physical challenges.
The run began at sunrise in Hallidays Point and concluded at nightfall in Port Macquarie, where supporters gathered to cheer him across the finish line.
Donations are still being accepted through Tom’s GoFundMe page at https:// gofund.me/38ade09b.
Port to Port building blitz
THE Building Commission NSW has released the results of its three-day inspection blitz of worksites between Port Stephens and Port Macquarie.
During August, a team of inspectors visited 41 sites across Nelson Bay, Forster, Diamond Beach, Bonny Hills and Port Macquarie.
Inspections focused on identifying defective building work, monitoring for unlicensed or unsupervised specialist trades and ensuring site safety and management controls were in place.
Building Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said that while the state needs to deliver more than 75,000 new homes each year to meet the National Housing Accord target, it is not interested in sacrificing quality.
“So, tackling misconduct in the state’s building industry is more critical than ever.”
While the overall standard of work was good, inspectors have either issued or expect to issue 13 rectification orders for a range of defects.
These are mostly for noncompliant masonry work, with inspectors noting particular issues with control joints and bricks overhanging the concrete slab.
Positively, no incorrect installations of Damp Proof Course were identified in this round of site visits, after inspection blitzes in other regional parts of NSW found it was a common issue.
Damp Proof Course is designed to prevent moisture from the ground seeping upwards into the brick work and if not installed properly can lead to long term issues with mould and damp.
We
During the inspection blitz, Building Commission NSW also issued 22 Penalty Infringement Notices (PINS) worth $17,970, with over half (13) relating to improper builder or certifier site signage.
Clear and correct signage is vital to ensure workers and visitors are aware of who is working on the
site, as well as the relevant safety procedures, hazards and restrictions on the project.
The remaining PINS were issued for unlicensed work or contracting (4), noncompliant electrical work (3), insufficient supervision of trades (1) and undertaking work without insurance (1).
An additional nine Written Direction Notices (WDNS) were issued for non-compliant electrical work, with the main issue identified being non-compliant residual current devices (RCDS) and switchboards used on construction sites not configured and labelled for construction use.
Before Rectification Orders are finalised and made public, Building Commission NSW must consider written representations from the developer or principal contractor, as
required by legislation.
In the coming months Building Commission NSW inspectors will re-inspect sites where issues were identified to ensure orders are complied with and defects are rectified.
Building Commissioner James Sherrard said the inspections were not just about issuing rectification orders or fines.
“Our inspectors also aim to educate those on site when problems are identified.
“[They] delivered 40 on-the-spot education notices to trades, covering issues such as signage and licensing, with the goal of preventing these problems from recurring.
The Commission will continue to visit a range of regional sites across NSW in the coming months, deploying teams of inspectors to ensure building quality is maintained.
q Building inspectors visited sites between Port Stephens and Port Macquarie.
HOUSING HOPE
FROM Page 1
Kew Country Club has already played a key role in supporting Community at 3, hosting its weekly Wednesday dinners for those who are homeless, struggling financially, or simply seeking connection and companionship.
The partnership has fostered a welcoming space where community members can enjoy a meal and social support.
According to
Community at 3 Chairman Theo Hazelgrove, the collaboration could be a significant step forward in tackling local homelessness.
“This is the beginning of great things that will help the underprivileged in our community,” Mr Hazelgrove said.
There is currently up to $1.3 million in potential funding available through two grants, one from the Federal Government and another from Golf Australia.
The project is still in
its early stages and would need to go through the usual council approval processes before moving forward.
Port Macquarie MP and Community at 3 Patron Rob Dwyer attended the meeting and praised the initiative.
“It’s fantastic to keep reading about the work that these organisations are doing to help the underprivileged and homeless in our communities,” Mr Dwyer said.
Mr Hazelgrove added that in the past year alone, 522 people in the region had reached out to Community at 3 seeking assistance.
Community urged to join families ‘Choosing Hope’
THE end of the school holidays will come as a welcome relief for some in the Camden Haven; for others, it’s a chance to support the Choosing Hope remembrance walk.
Community members are being invited to join this Bears of Hope initiative, which starts on Sunday at 10.30am from behind the Laurieton United Services Club (LUSC).
The event is a show of support and a fundraising initiative for the Bears Of Hope Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support foundation.
Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer
will be among those supporting families who have experienced the loss of a baby.
“It is a group walk followed by a beautiful remembrance service where we acknowledge those babies gone too soon, by saying their names out loud and placing a remembrance card and flower in their honour,” Mr Dwyer said.
“In 2024, over 150 local Mid North Coast families and friends gathered with us to honour and remember their babies.”
An event like Choosing Hope shows that we are not alone in our grief, and we are
not alone in our loss; there is a much larger community of bereaved families out there who have also gone through a similar experience.
The words “I had a miscarriage”, “My baby was stillborn”, “My baby died”, are often followed by silence.
Saying those words out loud can be hard and not knowing how to respond can also be difficult.
However, pregnancy and infant loss is so much more common than we think.
Every day in Australia, six babies are stillborn, three babies die before their first birthday and a miscarriage occurs every 3.5 minutes.
On average, 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss.
Choosing Hope is a place of connection. It’s a place of reflection. And it’s a place to acknowledge, honour and remember those babies forever in our hearts.
Donations for the foundation, which offers early counselling and hampers for grieving families will be accepted at https://laurieton. choosinghope.com.au/page/ RobertDwyer.
For more information about Choosing Hope, visit choosinghope.com.au or contact choosinghope@ bearsofhope.org.au.
q Tom, Doug, Fran, Kew Country Club General Manager Dean Noble, Community at 3 Patron Staffan Andler, Glenn, Community at 3 Chairman Theo Hazelgrove, and Member for Port Macquarie Rob Dwyer (Community at 3 Patron).
q News Of The Area’s Chan Ansell is congratulated by Port Macquarie MP Rob Dwyer at the finish line of last year’s walk. Photo: supplied.
Lake Cathie closes to the ocean
LAKE CATHIE has closed to the ocean, however Port Macquarie-Hastings Council says conditions remain “ripe for recreation”.
Excessive sand movement and dry conditions have caused the sand berm to close the entrance to the ocean, after more than 15 months of favourable weather conditions allowing it to remain open, according to Council.
This is a naturally occurring process and a regular phenomenon for Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons (ICOLLs).
An opening will typically occur when water levels rise due to rainfall, while closures happen as sand accumulates - creating a berm which acts as a natural seal between the lake and ocean.
Mayor Adam Roberts said the closure is a normal part of the lake’s natural cycle and should not deter people from enjoying the lake's recreational offerings.
“Lake Cathie has been open to the ocean for an extended period, and it’s been wonderful to see so many people out enjoying the pristine conditions we have been blessed with for more than 15 months,” Mayor Roberts said.
“The recent closure is part of the normal opening and closing process of ICOLLs, and conditions for swimming, fishing and other
recreational activities are still suitable.”
As part of the Lake Cathie Standard Operating Procedure, Council is only authorised to conduct an artificial opening during emergency scenarios when water levels threaten critical infrastructure and surrounding properties.
“I understand and appreciate that many locals and visitors do prefer the environment more when it's open, however it’s important to remind our community that Council only has a license to conduct an artificial opening during emergencies, and not to improve the lake’s recreational amenity,” Mayor Roberts said.
“Council last conducted a scrape of the lake’s berm in May 2024 when water levels reached the required emergency trigger point after a sustained period of rainfall.
“This opening was conducted to proactively protect nearby infrastructure and properties at increased risk of flooding.”
Council staff will continue to monitor water levels and quality.
“Separate works will also progress with foreshore maintenance and protection to the embankment at Lake Cathie, caused by recent erosion, during November,” Mayor Roberts said.
q An opening will typically occur when water levels rise due to rainfall, while closures happen as sand accumulates - creating a berm which acts as a natural seal between the lake and ocean.
Crime Stoppers encourages locals to report
q Contact Crime Stoppers to report criminal activity. Photo: crimestoppersact.com.au.
Woman charged over Camden Head stabbing
A WOMAN was due to face Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday charged over an alleged domestic violence attack at Camden Head.
Mid North Coast Police were called to Pilot Beach Road at 4.45pm last Thursday, 2 October.
They were told a 42-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman had been fighting in a vehicle parked at the reserve, when the woman allegedly stabbed the man.
The woman had left the location so officers commenced inquiries to locate her.
The man was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for non-life-threatening injuries before being transported to hospital in a stable condition.
The woman was found a short time later at Henry Kendall Reserve, Henry Kendall
Drive, and was arrested.
She was taken to Port Macquarie Police Station and charged with reckless wounding and contravene prohibition/ restriction in AVO (Domestic).
She was refused bail ahead of her appearance on 8 October.
By Rikki WALLER
CRIME Stoppers and NSW Police are urging the community to continue to speak up and report crime.
This encouragement follows News Of The Area’s report last week about an apparent increase in youth crime in Wauchope.
Residents say there has been a lack of police action in response to their multiple calls.
Crime Stoppers and NSW Police want people to continue reporting what they know.
Whether it’s crimes like trespassing, illegal hunting, theft, physical assault, or online offences such as child exploitation, unwanted contact, cyberbullying, and scams.
Outside of triple zero, Crime Stoppers offers an accessible and confidential way for the public to share information, ensuring it reaches the appropriate police authorities for action.
“We often see people are willing to share information online, such as through online community groups, so neighbours and the local community are aware of what’s happening in their neighbourhood,” said CEO, Crime Stoppers NSW Peter Price AM.
“And while that information can help [people] be aware of suspicious activity,
sharing that information with Crime Stoppers ensures it’s passed on to police so the appropriate action can be taken.”
After telling NOTA last week that over 40 calls to police were left unanswered or de-prioritised during ongoing youth disturbances and safety concerns last month, Wauchope resident Amy Murphy has lost faith in reporting to police.
“Residents who spoke to the highway patrol officer were informed that the police were simply too busy to attend, and the triple-zero calls were marked in their system as a low priority," said Amy.
“[We’re] tired of dealing with the aftermath of these teenagers, who think that they are above the law, or know that no matter what they do, they will receive minimal to no punishment.”
There are several ways the community can report crime in the local area, including contacting the Police Assistance Line (PAL), visiting or calling the local police station, reaching out to Crime Stoppers, or calling Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.
The community is encouraged to report any theft to PAL on 131 444, and report suspicious or actual criminal information to Crime Stoppers at nsw.crimestoppers.com. au/ or call 1800 333 000.
Farm fire vehicle scheme launched after series of trials
FARMERS and rural landholders can now register to use Farm Firefighting Vehicles (FFVs) to respond to emergency bushfires near their property.
Last Wednesday, the NSW Government launched a conditional registration scheme to enable typically unregistered FFVs to be used legally and under the protection of insurance.
FFVs are commonly small trucks, utes or trailers with fixed water, pumps or fire management equipment, kept on farms to be rapidly deployed in the event of a fire.
The move follows two previous trials of around 350 FFVs.
The new scheme offers a lower cost conditional registration, which includes inspection for a light vehicle and the issuing of a licence plate expected to be a maximum of $209.
The cost for conditional registration will drop after the first year with the cost, including an inspection estimated at $126 (or $75 when inspection not required), subject to CPI and CTP increases.
• Vehicle inspections as per the Authorised Inspection Scheme to establish registration, with inspection required every second year and registration to be renewed annually.
• Firefighting equipment must be permanently and securely attached to the vehicle.
• Vehicles must only be used for emergencies, not regular operations.
• May use roads up to 50km away from garaging addresses east of the Newell Highway, with no distance limit from garaging addresses west of the Newell Highway.
Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said, “We know that in many regional areas, farmers are often the first on scene at bushfires.
“This change is about ensuring farmers and other road users are safe when they respond to bushfire emergencies.
“During the 20192020 bushfires, I spent a lot of time with farmers, tourism operators and other members of regional and rural communities who were
Under the scheme, vehicles will be subject to the following requirements:
q
Farm Firefighting Vehicles are commonly small trucks, utes or trailers with fixed water, pumps or fire management equipment.
so badly impacted by that catastrophic bushfire season.
“I heard firsthand stories of the heroism and bravery shown by farmers standing side-by-side with our RFS and other emergency services to fight bushfires."
NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Trent Curtin said the reform comes at a crucial time, with most of the state entering the Bush Fire Danger Period last week.
“Farmers know their land better than anyone, and when a fire starts nearby their quick action can make all the difference,” he said.
“This reform will continue the strong relationship between landholders and the RFS, leveraging all available resources and the expertise and dedication of farmers in safeguarding our communities.”
NSW Farmers’ President Xavier Martin said the new
scheme was progress on solving the problem facing farmer volunteers after years of advocacy.
“These vehicles are lightning quick at getting to fires and getting them under control – but it’s simply not practical to register these units when they’re primarily used on farm for just a few months each year,” Mr Martin said.
“A more reasonable method to conditionally register these units for their specific purpose, so they can be used legally and under the protection of third-party insurance, is much needed – and this is a step towards that.”
With farmers able to apply to register their units under the scheme from 7 October, Mr Martin said NSW Farmers would monitor the scheme to ensure it was fit-for-purpose for farmers across the state.
“There’s still conditions around distance, permanently attached firefighting equipment and vehicle inspections (including costs) that must be met as part of the scheme, so it’s certainly not a perfect solution, but this is an important starting point after two trials,” Mr Martin said.
“It has taken a long time to get here and this scheme has got to work for our farmer volunteers, who are the ones that use these units to fight fires and protect not just their farms, but their communities too.”
While acknowledging the move, the NSW Nationals called out delays in implementing the scheme, saying the announcement came after “two years of sustained pressure by the Opposition”.
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Gurmesh Singh said the “commonsense change” is a good start but more needs to be done to reduce red tape.
“There are still questions around some of the stringent guidelines,” he said.
“We don’t want a situation where people are being rejected for things like needing to have the equipment permanently attached, which might not be
practical for a farmer in a day to day sense.”
Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Dave Layzell said the measure will save farmers the full registration fee but could go further.
“Farm Fire Fighting Vehicles tend to be used around the farm and not on public roads, which is why the conditional registration will be key to allow them to attend nearby fires, without the high cost of a full registration,” Mr Layzell said.
“Although the Government’s current plan has reduced that cost, it’s still double the amount they would fork out to conditionally register a tractor.
“So while it’s a step in the right direction, more needs to be done so landholders aren’t deterred from signing up to help their neighbours in an emergency.”
Service NSW is ready to assist people with their applications with eligible customers able to apply and pay their registrations in-person at their nearest Service NSW Centre.
More details including eligibility requirements are available on the Service NSW website.
Boys behaving badly
By Sue STEPHENSON
THERE’S nothing like a whale or ten to promote the beauty of the Port Macquarie coastline.
This week has seen the humpback highway almost as busy as the Pacific Highway during school holidays, with whale watchers and beachgoers alike treated to plenty of acrobatics and theatrics.
Alex McNaught’s drone shots of a pod of juvenile males jostling for position off Tacking Point, and Jodie Lowe’s photos of a whale in full breach off Town Beach, have been shared around the world.
These professional images are spectacular reminders of how much joy, and business, these giants of the sea bring to the Hastings and Camden Haven communities.
Jodi Heeney, who runs Port Jet Cruises with her husband Anthony, told News Of The Area that the long weekend was “enormous” with hundreds of tourists a day wanting to see the whales.
Among the passengers were visitors who return “season after season”.
“Port Macquarie is a great destination
because we’re through the [coastal] bar and out to the whales in minutes.
“At this time of year they come in nice and close to the lighthouse.”
Jodi said some tourists were taken aback by the “competitive pod” of juvenile males that came through on Monday, 6 October.
“The young adolescents were barging and pushing each other around, with the mothers below them protecting their calves.”
As the cruise skippers captured video of the “boys behaving badly”, Alex captured the pod from the air.
The professional photographer, widely known for his photos of the region’s animals and scenery and for his sand art on Oxley Beach, estimates at least 10 or possibly 11 whales were in the pod.
He told NOTA he launched his drone after getting a tip from spotter Leigh Mansfield, who directs the Port Jet Cruises from the Tacking Point Lighthouse.
“He is invaluable for me as he lets me know when there is something of interest during the season, since he is up there all the hours of the day with binoculars,” Alex said.
“He is an expert at picking the telltale
signs from miles away.”
While Alex shares some of his photos for others to enjoy and to keep the community informed, he and Leigh also play a key role in protecting the humpbacks.
“Leigh also works with National Parks for entanglement and other whale welfare issues, and I have [the National] Park’s full authority to fly as close as I need to get detailed shots to brief rescue teams.
“Typically though, I don't need to go close.
“In fact, I like to shoot from the maximum allowable height, since the drone I use can capture both wide angle and the powerful zoom simultaneously.
“This is invaluable when video editing.
“For the capture of the fast pod, I was already aware the whale watching boat was some miles north with them and reporting vigorous action.
“So, I chose to wait at Rocky Beach for them to come past, which would give me a much shorter distance to fly out… before the inevitable return to the launch point for a battery change.
“Having secured the clips from that section of the coast, I then dashed down to
Tacking Point… so I was able to get a long video for the final edit.”
Both Alex and Jodi say the return migration has been strong, with the run of dry weather and the improved water quality bringing the whales closer to shore.
Alex posts his daily material on Facebook (alex.mcnaught or RovingEyeDotCom) and on YouTube (@AlexMcNaught/videos).
He also uploads a monthly galley for viewing and sale at roving-eye.com/.
Jodie Lowe’s photos are on the Port Jet Cruises social pages and at jodielowesmarineanimalphotography.com/.
The season is expected to run for another month.
Hastings pubs on shortlist of state’s best
By Sue STEPHENSON
THE Australian Hotels Association (AHA)
the Hastings’ pubs are among the state’s best when it comes to food, music and
generally being “the heart of the community”.
Port Macquarie, Lake Cathie, Wauchope, Beechwood and Long Flat all feature on the list of finalists for this year’s AHA NSW Awards of Excellence.
These are the most prestigious awards in the hospitality industry and will be announced in Sydney on 28 October.
Finnians Irish Tavern in Port Macquarie, owned by Hunt Hospitality, will be looking to retain the honour of being Best Live Music Venue, while the Settlers Inn in Port Macquarie and stablemate the Lake Cathie Tavern are both up for Best Regional Local.
Zoe Archer of Settlers Inn Hotel in Port Macquarie is a finalist for the “Industry Rising Star” award while Hastings Hotel chef Ashley Mitcham is in the running to be named “Regional Chef of the Year”.
It is the first time all eight pubs in the Flower Hotels group have made the cut.
Managing Director Alistair Flower shared that it was a humbling result especially as two categories are group awards.
“We’re proud to see our teams recognised for their hard work, passion, and dedication to our communities.”
For the sixth time, Settlers has also made the list of finalists for the big one - Regional Hotel of the Year.
“Sure we haven’t won it [yet], but to
be the only pub continuously on the list is pretty special just the same, considering there are hundreds of great regional pubs.”
The local finalists and their categories are:
- Flower Hotels: Heart of the Community, Group Hotel Operator of the Year.
- Finnian’s Irish Tavern: Best Live Music Venue.
- Zoe Archer: Industry Rising Star.
- Ashley Mitcham: Regional Chef of the Year.
- Settlers Inn Hotel: Regional Hotel of the Year, Best Regional Local, Best Retail Liquor Outlet (Cellarbrations), Best Parmi, Best Regional Casual Dining.
- Lake Cathie Tavern: Best Regional Local, Best Parmi.
- Long Flat Pub: Best Marketing Activity.
- Hastings Hotel Wauchope: Best Steak.
- Tacking Point Tavern: Best Steak.
- Beechwood Hotel: Best Steak Sandwich.
- Fernhill Tavern: Best Cheap Eat Meal (under $20).
State winners may be eligible to enter the National AHA Awards to be announced in November.
reckons
q A drone shot of some of the 10 or 11 juvenile humpbacks off Port Macquarie on Monday.
Photo: Alex McNaught, roving-eye.com.
q This spectacular breach off Port Macquarie’s Town Beach last week has been shared around the world.
Photo: Jodie Lowe’s Marine Animal Photography.
q Whale spotter Leigh Mansfield at Tacking Point Lighthouse. Photo: Sue Stephenson.
q Some of the team from Flower Hotels’ Settlers Inn and Tacking Point Tavern. Photos: supplied.
Low-carbon concrete jobs boost for Mid North Coast
By Sis HIGGINS
WAUCHOPE-BASED
Solidcast will expand production of its patented low-carbon concrete panels after receiving more than $2 million from the NSW Government.
The Australian-owned company has developed precast panels that cut emissions by up to 60 percent compared to traditional
concrete.
The panels are known to speed up construction, reduce costs, and support more sustainable housing.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said the investment supports both jobs and the environment.
“The transition to net zero is not just about reducing emissions,” Ms Sharpe said.
“It’s about creating jobs,
building industries, and ensuring communities benefit from the opportunities of a low-carbon economy.
“These concrete panels are lighter, stronger and can be made with recycled polystyrene, reducing both transport emissions and the amount of waste going to landfill.”
Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said Solidcast is an example of regional innovation leading the way.
“By backing
manufacturers like Solidcast, we’re building supply chains at home, reducing reliance on imports, and keeping investment and jobs in our regions,” Ms Saffin said.
The expansion will create 25 full-time jobs during construction and operation.
The funding comes through the NSW Government’s $480 million Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative, which supports local businesses in renewable
Add your voice to the CWA’s annual
COST-OF-LIVING pressures and access to basic needs like health services are some of the key issues emerging from the Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW Annual Women’s Survey.
The survey is now in its second year and is currently open to all women in communities across the state.
“Last year’s survey really proved to us the need for somewhere for women to highlight their greatest concerns and the issues having the greatest impact on their lives, and on their communities as a whole,” said CWA of NSW President
Tanya Jolly.
“We got hundreds of responses that have helped inform and strengthen our advocacy efforts in 2025, and we’re confident of a similar level of engagement with our second survey.
“Being able to show these results to policy-makers, and present really clear evidence for change, is the strength of a survey like this and I’d urge all women to take some time to put their feelings and experiences forward.”
The survey closes at the end of October, but some preliminary results show that economic pressures, job security and the state
of rural and regional health services are currently among the leading concerns of respondents.
“One of the questions asks what would improve their economic wellbeing, with an analysis of interim responses revealing recurring themes of financial stress, structural barriers, and unmet needs, pointing to areas for urgent policy focus and systemic change,” Tanya said.
“Cost-of-living topped the concerns, respondents saying their income whether from work, pensions, or support payments was no longer sufficient to cover
basic needs like groceries and utilities.
“This financial pressure was amplified in remote areas where goods and services cost more.”
Concerns are also being raised about the precarious nature of work in many regional communities, especially for casual workers, carers returning to work, and younger women.
It was also highlighted that available jobs often don’t cover the cost of living or lack stability.
On the question, “What would make the biggest difference to healthcare in your community?”, the
women’s survey
urgent need for more GPs and primary care doctors is currently leading responses.
The affordability of health care is also being highlighted, exacerbated by the decline in bulk billing in many communities.
The survey covers a raft of issues, including housing stocks, education opportunities, infrastructure, childcare options and telecommunications.
“To date, the types of concerns that are coming to light are not really a surprise, particularly for those in remote, rural and regional NSW, but what this survey offers us is the chance to put
concrete numbers around the problems, and their significance,” Tanya said.
“That can speak louder than words alone when it comes to our discussions with policy-makers.
“To continue with our efforts to make a case for change, we need every woman’s voice, so I’d urge you to complete the survey if you haven’t already and urge your friends and family to be involved, too.”
To complete the survey, go to https://www. surveymonkey.com/r/ VV7HSZB.
Responses close on 31 October.
Health, housing and jobs stifling the country dream
By Stephanie GARDINER, AAP
A QUIET life in the countryside appeals to nearly half of Australia's city residents, but concerns about access to health care, housing and jobs are stopping them making the move.
Country Australia is on track to become home to 11 million people by 2032, or 40 percent of the population, while 40 percent of people living in the cities are considering a move to the bush, research from the Regional Australia Institute shows.
While the country lifestyle
and lower cost-of-living was appealing, access to housing, health care, connectivity and public transport were seen as key barriers.
Those findings - along with a lack of progress on skilled workforce and education targets - has prompted the think tank to call for "40 for the regions".
Regional Australia should get 40 percent of the seats at policy-makers' tables, with the same percentage of new migrant settlements and the homes to be built under the National Housing Accord, it said.
"Australia has been caught on the hop by a regional
renaissance with critical services, infrastructure and skills playing catch-up to population growth," institute chief executive Liz Ritchie said on Tuesday.
"An urgent intervention, like this commitment, would at least ensure that regional Australians are getting the proportionate focus they deserve."
The institute released a three-year progress report on its vision to ensure 11 million people could live prosperously in the regions by 2032, finding the proportion of skilled workers has dropped slightly in 2025.
The school attainment
rate also fell to 74 percent, while the regional rental vacancy rate remained "tight" at 1.9 percent in June.
Separate research from the National Rural Health
Alliance in August showed an $8.35 billion annual shortfall on health care in the bush, or roughly $1090 per person.
"40 for the regions is recognition that regional
Australia has a different set of challenges to our cities and one-size-fits-all decisionmaking doesn't always deliver equal outcomes," Ms Ritchie said.
q Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe tours the site with Solidcast owners Will and Sarah Hynes.
q Precast walls in use. Photo: Solidcast website. q
Sisters spread love through loom bands
By Rikki WALLER
WHILE most kids are spending their school holidays taking their foot off the pedal, sisters Poppy and Zaylee Cupitt have kept their hands heart-warmingly busy.
With tiny, coloured rings spread over the table, the sisters aged 10 and 9 respectively, spent five days creating over 100 loom band bracelets for patients in the children’s ward at Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
It’s an idea that was sparked by a love of crafting and an intense desire to help kids smile
“Zaylee's inspiration behind the bracelets was to bring some cheer to the kids who couldn't enjoy the holidays in the same way as she is able to,” mum Sharee Cupitt told News Of The Area.
“Poppy is hoping the bracelets make kids in the hospital smile.
“She thinks her handmade bracelets can bring a little joy to their day.”
And joy it did bring, with Nurse Unit Manager Paediatrics, Darlene
Malineack, sharing a beautiful message via Facebook thanking the girls for their kindness.
With their big hearts and generous nature being the catalyst for their loom band love, it’s unsurprising that this isn’t the first time that Poppy and Zaylee have worked together to do something charitable for the community.
Last year, the girls started adorning rocks with hand painted designs and gifted them to people on their afternoon walks around their neighbourhood.
This year, with their birthdays delivering them
their beloved loom band kits, they started making bracelets for not just themselves, but also their friends and family, eventually delivering their box of smiles to the children’s ward.
With Poppy and Zaylee already having their thinking caps on for what’s next, this isn’t the last time that the community will hear from them.
“Their father Greg and I are so proud of them both,” Sharee said.
“Now the girls are brainstorming more ideas to spread fun and kindness in the community.”
Investing in regional artists
REGIONAL Arts Australia is launching a “transformative” new funding initiative with $2.4 million dollars in support from Minderoo Foundation.
The program offers multiyear grants of $160,000 to support independent artists living and working in regional communities across Australia.
“Practice in Community” will deliver two funding rounds for independent artists working in Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) to cocreate impactful projects within their regional community and help it thrive.
Expressions of Interest open in October for the initial funding round, where
Health initiative for women over 50
By Cosette DE LORENZO
WOMEN across NSW are being invited to take part in a major governmentfunded health initiative designed to support active, independent ageing.
The program, Active Women over 50, is led by Professor Anne Tiedemann from the University of Sydney and supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.
It will provide free, tailored support to 1000 women from both rural and urban areas across NSW, who are keen to increase and maintain their physical activity.
“The program offers support so women can be more active and stay more active in a way that works
for them,” Rosanna from the Active Women over 50 team said.
“The free program offers telephone health coaching from a physiotherapist, behaviour-change motivational messages, a program-specific website and a private Facebook page, all designed to support physical activity.”
The aim is to help women over 50 become more active in ways that are sustainable and enjoyable.
“Not everyone enjoys exercising, which means some
people struggle to prioritise it,” Professor Tiedemann said.
She suggests starting small and increasing the amount of exercise over time, and to choose something enjoyable.
The research trial will also contribute valuable insights into how best to promote longterm health and independence for Australian women.
Women aged 50 and over who are interested in joining the Active Women over 50 program are encouraged to register soon, as places are limited.
For more information, visit the program website or contact the research team at the University of Sydney.
Design competition for pre-school kids
graduation certificates.
Ms Penfold will judge and select four different artworks to appear on the certificate, which will be presented across the electorate at all upcoming preschool graduations at
the end of the year.
“As a new member of parliament, I was unsure what the preschool certificates should look like and thought: ‘Who better to decide than our preschoolers themselves?’.
five artists will be selected to begin their projects in 2026, followed by a second round to create a cohort of six artists commencing in 2027.
“We’ve listened closely to what regional artists have told us,” said Ros Abercrombie, Executive Director, Regional Arts Australia.
“They have been asking for longer-term support to work in their communities - different types of funding opportunities to complement one-off project funding.
“Practice in Community is about investing in artists themselves and unlocking creativity as a catalyst for hope, connection and thriving regional communities.”
Penny Dakin, Executive Director of Communities at the Minderoo Foundation, said the organisation was proud to support
Regional Arts Australia’s vision to bring “inclusive, participatory arts practice to regional communities”.
“Minderoo Foundation believes in the power of community arts to bring people together, nurture potential, and build pride, and in the unique role philanthropy can play to unlock new opportunities, like Practice in Community, that elevate what’s possible.”
Through these multiyear grants, artists will also receive tailored professional development opportunities, including mentorship and dedicated wellbeing support.
A rigorous evaluation process will ensure the program remains community responsive, cross disciplinary, and grounded in local priorities. Learn more at regionalarts.com.au/pic.
insects, dinosaurs or dogs, butterflies in the garden or magical rainbows.
“To the many mums and dads of preschoolers across the Lyne electorate, please send in your children’s most creative, colourful artwork on the theme of nature.
“This could be drawings of bugs and
“Let their beautiful imaginations go wild. I can’t wait to see the designs and showcase local creations.”
The graduation certificate is an A4 size in landscape.
Please submit entries by
11.59 pm AEST on Monday, 3 November 2025. Email artwork to alison. penfold@aph.gov.au or post to PO Box 244, Wauchope, NSW, 2446. Please include the child's name, their parent or guardian's name, and the best contact number or email with each submission.
FEDERAL Member for Lyne Alison Penfold is encouraging preschool-aged children from across the Lyne electorate to take part in a unique opportunity to have their artwork featured on her new preschool
q Zaylee and Poppy Cupitt with their box full of loom band love. Photo: supplied.
q Penny Dakin, Scott Howie, Ros Abercrombie, Andrew Barker, Danielle Fusco and Imogen Castledine.
q Professor Anne Tiedemann from the University of Sydney.
Stargazing: How long would it take to get to the nearest star?
By Dave RENEKE
EVERY night, the stars wink down at us like ancient storytellers, daring us to come closer.
They’ve been hanging there for billions of years, teasing us with the possibility that someone - or somethingmight be staring back.
The great cosmic question is simple yet maddening: will we ever actually visit another star?
The nearest one, Proxima Centauri, sits a mere four light-years away.
That sounds manageable until you realize a light-year is nearly ten trillion kilometers.
If Earth were shrunk to the size of a grain of sand, Proxima would still be the next beach over.
Our fastest spacecraft, Voyager 1, has been plodding along since the 1970s and hasn’t even crossed a single light-day yet. At its pace, you’d be looking at 70,000 years before knocking on Proxima’s door.
That’s a lot of sandwiches to pack.
And yet, the temptation is irresistible.
In 2016, astronomers discovered Proxima b, a rocky world orbiting right in the star’s “Goldilocks zone.”
Not too hot, not too coldat least in theory.
Could it have oceans? Forests?
Or skies full of strange flying creatures we haven’t even imagined?
For all we know, someone there might be wondering if we exist.
The universe loves a good riddle, and this is one of its best.
Getting there is the tricky part.
Chemical rockets are out - they’re the Model T of space travel.
To cross interstellar space, we’d need the starship equivalent of a Ferrari: nuclear fusion drives, antimatter engines, or even giant laser beams pushing wafer-thin sails at a fraction of light speed.
The most ambitious idea so far, called Breakthrough Starshot, imagines sending tiny robotic probes to Proxima that would arrive in just a couple of decades. They wouldn’t carry
humans - more like robotic spies - but imagine the first close-up pictures of another star’s planet.
That alone would be the postcard of the millennium.
But the real prize would be a human journey.
Even at 10 percent the speed of light, it would take over 40 years to get there.
That’s an epic road trip - grandparents launching, grandchildren landing.
And that’s assuming you survive cosmic radiation, figure out how to eat without restocking Woolworths, and, importantly, remember how to stop when you get there.
Crashing through another solar system at 30,000 kilometres per second would be a very short visit indeed.
Still, history favours dreamers.
Once, the Moon was as unreachable as the stars.
Now astronauts look back at Earth from its surface in old photo albums.
Crossing oceans was once madness; today it’s a budget flight.
Maybe our descendants will see interstellar travel as just another commute, albeit
the shimmering promise.
Maybe it will be microbial slime under alien seas, or maybe - just maybesomething looking up at the same sky, wondering about us.
If two civilizations are staring across the void, perhaps one day we’ll wave
across the darkness and finally meet our cosmic neighbours.
Until then, the stars remain both distant and tantalizingly close—like a door we know we’ll open eventually.
The question isn’t whether we’ll visit another star.
It’s when we finally get the nerve - and the technology - to knock.
The stars are far, yesbut they are not unreachable forever.
For a species that has already left footprints on another world, the road ahead is not a matter of “if,” only “when.”
Tiny forests breathe life and hope into urban Australia
By Stephanie GARDINER, AAP
LIVING in one of Australia's fastest growing regional
areas, Anna Noon was watching in despair as nature made way for sprawling housing developments.
"There was a lot of land
clearing happening," she says of her home at Lake Macquarie in the rapidlyexpanding Hunter region.
"I knew that was leading to habitat loss, species extinction and exacerbating climate change."
The former social worker
felt compelled to act and began volunteering for local tree-planting programs.
Five decades before, Japanese ecologist and botanist Akira Miyawaki felt a similar sense of dread as he watched native vegetation disappear from the landscape
across his homeland.
Inspired by the lush clusters of native trees flourishing around temples and shrines, Professor Miyawaki developed a method of dense planting in urban areas for rapid revegetation.
Ms Noon, who re-trained in sustainable living and founded eco charity The Groundswell Collective, is following in his footsteps.
The charity has planted 16 tiny forests at schools and parks across NSW, packing as many as 900 trees into spaces as small as a basketball court.
The result is a forest that grows 10 times faster, is 30 times more dense and 100 times more biodiverse than if created via traditional planting methods.
A study by the University of Newcastle showed tiny forests hosted a complete food web within seven months of planting, as insects, birds, lizards and kangaroos made them part of their habitats.
"It just shows what you can do on a small scale if we take these underutilised areas in our community," Ms Noon told AAP.
There are about 4000 Miyawaki forests around the world and many across Australia, including through a project at Murdoch University in Western Australia.
Groundswell's 17th project is in partnership with Mission Australia and Carbon Positive Australia to plant the nation's first tiny forest at an aged care home in Orange, central western NSW.
Australian blackwoods will grow next to mountain gums, snow boxes, acacias and other wattles at Benjamin Short Grove, a facility for older people who are at risk of homelessness.
The benefits of tiny forests go beyond environmental, Mission Australia's aged care general manager Stephen Brooker said.
"Many of our residents have had lives filled with challenges, including experiences of homelessness.
"We hope the forest will be a healing space where they can connect with nature and each other."
For Ms Noon, hope and connection are essential parts of navigating a changing environment.
"We see incredible things from people coming together," she said.
"People will often say, 'I've done everything in my own environment to live as sustainably as I can' but they come to our planting days and there's 70 other people that also care about the things they care about.
"They find their people."
one with better snacks. Will we find life? That’s
q Groundswell Collective volunteers have planted 16 tiny forests in schools and parks across NSW.
Deforestation can cause ‘eight-fold increase’ in flood event risk
THE chance of largescale flooding in a specific catchment area can increase by as much as 700 percent if widespread deforestation has occurred.
That is the finding of a new paper by academics who analysed decades of flooding data from regions in Australia which frequently suffer forest fires.
The loss of forest canopy has long been claimed to increase the risk of flooding – but actually proving the direct link has proven difficult since the impact of other factors such as changing climate are hard to exclude.
But a team of researchers, led by Professor Ashish Sharma from UNSW Sydney, say they have now confirmed the correlation and determined there is a very significant increase in the risk of flooding if forest canopies are removed from catchment areas.
“What we have shown is that the probability changes from a one-in-64 year flood event, to a one-in-eight year flood event if there has been deforestation.
“So we can say there is an eight-fold increase in the likelihood of there being a flood,” says Prof. Sharma, from UNSW’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
“Another way of thinking about it is to imagine there being 64 different forested catchments.
“In any single year, the most extreme climate would cause the highest flood in one of these 64 catchments.
“But according to our analysis of the data, if there was major deforestation, then in the same year, the same flood would be exceeded in eight of the 64 catchments.
“Deforestation and mega forest fires under climate change are happening all around the world, so this is a very important topic.”
Decades of data
The results of the research have been published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal and were based on information related to three mega forest fires in south-east Australia, as well as streamflow data in the same region covering 50 years when no major forest fires were reported.
The team were able to identify nine historical
years when the climate strongly matched those of 2003, 2007 and 2009 (when the devastating fires occurred), and also ensured there were no extreme rainfall patterns in any of the datasets which could distort the comparisons.
That meant any years when El Niño (lower average rainfall) or La Niña (higher average rainfall) were declared would be ignored, as they can dramatically change the risk of flooding by themselves.
Analysis of the remaining records showed that in the years when there were no forest fires in the region, the chance of exceeding the normal annual flood levels in any given catchment area was 0.016 – or roughly 1 in 64.
However, in the period immediately following the mega fires, the chance of an unusually large flood in a catchment area rose to 0.127 – or roughly one in eight.
“Our paper tries to assess whether the loss of forest canopy increases the risk of flooding or not in large-scale watershed processes,” says Dr Tae-Ho Kang, who worked on the project as a PhD candidate and is now a Senior Researcher at the K-water Institute in Korea, while continuing the work with
the team at UNSW.
“This has been a question raised since the 1600s, but it’s been almost impossible to resolve because flooding in a specific location over time can be caused by many different factors, not least a change in the climate.
“What we were able to do was utilise the data when we knew there was complete tree loss from major forest fires, and compare that to historical records from the same catchment areas when we could see the climate was very similar and the forest canopy was in place.
“And we only looked at flooding data in the wet season immediately following those mega fires in 2003, 2007 and 2009 – not two or three years afterwards.
“So basically we could see in the comparisons that the climate was similar, the rainfall was similar, and the locations and the geology were obviously the same.
“The only difference was whether there was forest canopy in the catchment area, or if there was widespread deforestation caused by the fires.
“That really allowed us to contrast the data with regards to the risk of significant flooding.”
Absorbing the rainfall
The research team,
which included Professor Lucy Marshall who was at UNSW but has since taken up a role at University of Sydney, also took into consideration the fact that flooding events could be impacted by the effect of the forest fires on the surface soil.
Fires can make the soil hydrophobic – which means it repels water rather than absorbs it – thus potentially causing an increase in the chance of a flood event after rainfall.
But analysis showed this was not a significant factor in the flood risk increasing when compared to the impact of the loss of the forest canopy and leaf litter which absorbs and disperses rainfall.
And to doublecheck their conclusions, the research team also compared streamflow data in relevant years from areas where damage from forest fires was extensive, versus that in areas where the burning was not so severe.
“We contrasted those two sets and we could see there was a dampening effect in the forested catchments which was not happening in the more heavily deforested areas,” says Professor Young-Oh Kim from Korea’s Seoul National University and a co-author of the study.
q The loss of forest canopy has long been claimed to increase the risk of flooding – but actually proving the direct link has proven difficult since the impact of other factors such as changing climate are hard to exclude. Photo: NSW SES.
“And that is comparing the levels of flooding in proximal areas in the same year, so obviously the climate was the same for both and the only thing significantly different is the loss of forest canopy.
“Recent mega wildfires in South Korea highlight the increasing exposure to severe forest loss driven by climate change, a phenomenon that has become increasingly common worldwide.
“According to our study, after each disastrous wildfire, societies need to seriously consider the flood risk increase that will occur.”
The paper helps explain the specific process by which a large forest canopy helps lower the risk of flooding.
With more forestation there is a two-fold impact that reduces the impact of rainfall and reduces the risk of flooding.
The first is the canopy of the trees – that is the branches and the leaves –which first block the rain from reaching the ground.
If there is heavy rain it can also disperse the water over a wider area and over a longer time which reduces the peak amount of moisture reaching the ground, and therefore lowers the potential flood levels.
Secondly with more trees in a catchment area, there are also more fallen
leaves and that dampens the flow of any rain that does reach the ground.
When there is significant deforestation the canopy and leaf litter is severely diminished, and the water they were previously absorbing goes straight into the soil, which can then more quickly get saturated. And when that happens the risk of a flood subsequently goes up.
Implications for the future
Prof. Sharma hopes the research will be taken on board by anyone involved in the process of manmade deforestation, given the devastating impact flooding can have on human populations who may be living in areas at risk.
“The data is collected from south-east Australia, but we see no reason why the conclusion does not apply in the same way anywhere else where forest canopy is being removed,” he says.
“Our main message is that extensive deforestation has a significant increase in flood risk.
“If deforestation is happening, then there should be strong consideration for planning rules or regulations regarding habitats downstream, to reduce the enhanced danger they will face from flooding.
“We would also advise that if deforestation has to occur, it should be restricted to areas that do not have vulnerable communities downstream.”
Bowling bonanza
By Rachael THORPE
WHEN Glen Dickson took on the role of Bowls Coordinator at Club North Haven a year ago, he had grand plans and new ideas.
In June the club held its first State Open Pennants event, and over the October long weekend the club hosted its first Open 5 ASIDE tournament.
Held over three days of competition, 12 teams of five battled it out for $10,500 in prize money, playing a variety of games in singles, pairs, triples, and
fours formats.
A total of 60 players participated, including some from Sydney and the Gold Coast.
“We’re going to run this as an annual open event,” Glen told NOTA.
“Next year we hope to increase to sixteen teams of five.
“This year attracted players of an extremely high calibre including one who previously played for Australia.”
Glen thanked the team of local volunteers who supported the event over
three days.
“These things only get off the ground with a lot of people helping,” he said.
“We simply couldn’t do it without them.
“We had perfect weather, and I’ve had a lot of positive feedback with everyone keen to return next year.”
Next month is the start of Club North Haven’s Community Charity Challenge, which will run for five weeks from 11 November to 9 December.
Teams will compete for cash prizes which are then donated to charitable
causes, with the club contributing $500 to the winning team’s nominated charity in week five.
The challenge is aimed at amateur bowlers, with only one affiliated bowler allowed per team of three.
Bowlers must be a minimum of twelve years of age with specialised equipment available for younger participants.
Contact Club North Haven for more information.
q Bowls coordinator Glen Dickson and fellow bowler Tim Harris at a tournament earlier this year. Photo: Club North Haven Happenings.
Teeing up futures
By Sis HIGGINS
THE community united through golf to raise funds for the Hastings Education Fund (HEF), ensuring it can continue its work supporting local students.
As part of the Country Education Foundation of Australia, HEF helps young people from the Port Macquarie-Hastings area as they move from high school into university, apprenticeships or further training.
Karen Bale, Media and Promotions at HEF, said the group runs on local support from sponsors, donors and volunteers who “understand that helping our young people means investing in the future of the Hastings region.”
“Many former HEF recipients are now doing amazing things in fields like healthcare, education, engineering, science and the arts,” she said.
“It just goes to show what can happen when we believe in our local talent and give them a bit of support."
Ms Bale said there were 25 teams involved in the fundraising day.
“Currently the money raised is sitting at $5054, but will go higher."
Since it began, HEF has supported many students to overcome the challenges of regional life, including travel distance, financial strain and limited access to resources.
Its grants cover costs such as accommodation, transport, laptops and textbooks to help students get started after high school.
In 2025, HEF awarded 31 Commencing Grants and 13 Continuing Scholarships, with a total of $174,500 distributed to local students.
This was made possible through the generosity of 85 local sponsors.
HEF continues to look for further support and sponsors.
Students shine at Grand Final
By Jules BARDON
MID Coast FC made the local area proud on the weekend of 13 September, with four out of eight youth teams appearing in the grand finals in Newcastle.
The high-performance youth program competes in the NSW Premier Youth League Newcastle competition.
It was a day of mixed results for the representative players.
The Under-14 Boys were victorious against New Lambton FC 1–0, with six members of the title-winning side attending MacKillop College in Port Macquarie.
The Under-16 Boys also tasted success, edging past Charlestown Azzurri 7–6 on penalties after the game finished 0–0 at the end of extra time.
The Under-17 Girls unfortunately had to endure the heartbreak of a penalty shootout loss, going down 7–6 on penalties after the two sides couldn’t be separated, with the full-time score locked at 3–3.
The Under-13 Boys were also unlucky, going down 1–0 to New Lambton FC. Overall, it was a successful campaign for Mid Coast FC, who will be looking to continue to build on their success in 2026.
CAMDEN HAVEN
q Six members of the title-winning Under-14 Boys side attend MacKillop College in Port Macquarie.
q Golf fundraiser attendees Jane Hillsdon, Hayley McGrath, Kev Hillsdon and David McGrath. Photo: supplied.
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open plan living, dining, and kitchen area, where there's also room for a home office or study nook.
The cleverly designed kitchen offers ample bench and cupboard space, perfect for family living.
Offering seamless indoor-outdoor integration to the spacious sunroom where you will find another lounge and seating area, the perfect spot for breakfast or for hosting social gatherings, all year-round.
The master suite is privately positioned, complete with walk-in robe and ensuite bathroom, while two additional bedrooms include built-ins and ceiling fans, and are serviced by a spotless main bathroom
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Spacious villa in a block of three. Located at the end of a central Laurieton cul-de-sac, short walk to shopping and all recreation facilities. Two generous bedrooms, open plan living, heaps of natural light, internally accessed garage. Fully ducted reverse cycle air conditioning. Cozy, private outdoor living area. Very secure and a quiet location.
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By Manny WOOD
Promises become property problems
PENDING the birth of their first child, Peter and Jane were staying with Jane’s mother, Betty.
At the time, Betty was involved in a difficult divorce with her husband.
They agree that if Peter and Jane help Betty with finance, they can retain the home and in return they would be registered on title.
As the family grew, Betty was to move into the granny flat, which required substantial renovations.
The property is refinanced and Peter and Jane begin working on the granny flat.
As part of the refinance, Peter and Jane are registered on title as to 10 percent each.
Unfortunately, a few years later, following an argument between Peter and Betty, their relationship breaks down.
Peter and Jane say that they are entitled to compensation for the work they have done on the property and say that they are also each entitled to a 1/3 interest in the property, as per promises that they say Betty made to them during the course of the refinance.
Betty denies that there was any binding arrangement regarding the 1/3 interests and says that the improvements that Peter and Jane made to the property were substandard.
The parties are unable to resolve their differences and the matter proceeds to determination by the Supreme Court.
The Court hears evidence from the parties regarding the alleged arrangement between them and conducts a careful analysis of the improvements that Peter and Jane say they made as well as the financial contributions regarding mortgage repayments and the payment of outgoings such as council rates and insurance.
Ultimately, the Court decides that Peter and Jane are not entitled to more than the 10 percent that they each hold as registered proprietors and that their improvements to the property do not constitute a basis for an increase.
The Court does however recognise that Peter and Jane made contributions towards the repayment of the mortgage which entitles them to an additional one percent share of the property.
This case demonstrates the importance of formally documenting family arrangements, particularly involving real estate.
This fictional column is not legal advice.
Inshore consistency and offshore marlin blitz
By Kate SHELTON
THE Macleay River remains a prime location for flathead enthusiasts, with reports of excellent catches being made throughout the system.
The most successful anglers are primarily using live herring as their bait of choice.
Offshore activity continues to deliver, as kingfish are actively feeding near Fish Rock, Black Rock, and the FAD.
With the seasonal shift to warmer months, there is growing anticipation for the imminent arrival of black marlin further north.
For freshwater anglers, reports last week confirm some great Australian bass were caught in the upper reaches of the Macleay River.
Catch rates in the Camden Haven area have been highly variable.
While a few small tailor have been sighted near the rocks at Bonny Hills, overall success has been limited. Better prospects lie with luderick and bream, which are showing promise, particularly around the Dunbogan and Crowdy headlands.
Offshore, anglers working the local reefs are finding success with a mixed bag of snapper, pearl perch, and assorted reef species.
Further offshore, the Rowlands area is yielding solid kingfish and samsonfish. Boats fishing wider have even reported surface
sightings of striped marlin.
In nearby Lake Cathie, the water is warming up, and the whiting are really starting to increase their activity.
The full moon on Wednesday should also produce some good runs of school prawns this weekend.
The Hastings River region is currently showing the most promise and consistency.
A noticeable increase in whiting numbers suggests an excellent season is on the way.
Productive locations include Limeburners, Blackmans Point, and the Maria River, where worms, yabbies, and surface lures have been effective.
Bream fishing remains reliable, with decent catches coming from the northern break wall after sunset.
Flathead are well dispersed and numerous, and lure fishing upstream is yielding consistent results.
Improved numbers of mud crabs are also being found, especially within the deeper upstream holes.
On the beaches, North Shore is the top pick for bream and whiting, while Lighthouse Beach is offering up small tailor and the occasional salmon.
Further upstream, freshwater anglers have been reporting good catches of Australian bass.
Offshore Snapper fishing has been a highlight, with quality fish caught on soft plastics off Lighthouse and Point Plomer.
While mahi mahi provided good sport at the Port Macquarie FAD mid-week, the weekend bite was noticeably slower.
Additionally, deeper reefs off Point Plomer are holding a few kingfish, which are being taken on live bait and jigs.
Over the long weekend local gamefishing anglers reported another great few days of striped marlin activity with many catching their first marlin.
On theCouch
DEAR Jasminda,
A mutual friend often offers me job opportunities during social gatherings, but doesn't mention the subject again until the next time we catch up. Should I take these offers seriously and seek further information, or brush them off?
Katie L.
Dear Katie,
Social situations often involve social lubricants. Is your mutual friend halftanked when these job opportunities are discussed? Are you?
I'd be wary about any work discussions that take place after multiple rounds of drinks.
In these situations, the mutual friend may be drawn to talents that don't translate to employability skills in the cold light of day.
Does he for example say, ‘you'd be an asset to the workplace’, as you're shouting, 'I reckon I have another Mojito in me’. Then, ‘let's run home; it's only five kilometres'?’
This declaration may scream “Ricky Resilience” when your mutual friend is sloshed, but with a fresh mind, he may instead view you as someone who over-promises and under-delivers (particularly if you have to call an Uber at the halfway mark). Does he ask about your career aspirations after you've performed a rousing acapella version of Aerosmith's Dream On at the monthly Open Mic night?
Again, this self assurance is impressive, but your performative skills may irritate other staff in the open plan office. Alternatively, could he simply be waiting for you to show the same initiative you showed when you encouraged everyone to join in on a Nutbush City Limits dance-off and call him.
In future, ask him to clarify the specifics (including the next stage of the process).
Or, when the evening has reached its inevitable loosey-goosey stage, you could record him reciting the job opportunity (with permission, of course).
When you play the offer back the next day, you may decide that you don't want the position after all.
DEAR News Of The Area,
I HAVE been disappointed to see workers like me who may well lose our jobs because of the Great Koala National Park be treated like an afterthought.
No questions have been asked to check the government’s claim they have a fair package for workers. No research seems to have been done by journalists to see if this package is comparable to what has been
paid in other forestry changes.
It is sad to see government lines repeated with no checking.
I think most people would want workers losing their
Carpe diem, Jasminda.
q Port Macquarie Game Fishing President Matt Hobbs with a striped marlin just before successfully tagging and releasing it.
KCC Men's Golf Report
By Danny LLOYD
Kew Bowling Club
By Andrew RICHARDS
6th OCTOBER, 2025
In Wednesday Social Bowls, Adrian Hilton, Phil Owen and Dave Jones claimed first prize. The Runners Up were Reggie Robb, Dave Adamson and
Kew Country Club Men’s Veterans Golf
By Laurie HAMILTON
RESULTS 06/10/2025
Monthly Medal Stroke Sponsored by Allum Property Group.
Kew Ladies Bowls
By Velvanie HARTAS
TUESDAY 7th October
We had a really good roll
Lake Cathie Bowling Club
By Suzanne MILES
SATURDAY, 27th
September, Morning, Ladies Social BowlsJune Wilson, Ann Butlin & Noelene Holt - winners.
Vera Hamilton, Lynne
LUSC Thursday Mixed Bowls
By Warren BATES
THIS week was our monthly Free Sausage Sizzle Day, and 32 bowlers turned up for another friendly, fun round of lawn bowls, finishing off the
LAST Thursday KCC men played Stableford, sponsored by WIGGLY TAIL BUTCHERY.
Best in A Grade was Steve James (40pts).
Dave Napper. Voucher winners were Lyndsay Moran, Dave Napper, Chicka Thompson and Henry Reynolds.
The Friday Jackpot wasn’t drawn, but the Half Jackpot was won by Adrian Hilton, Wayne Thrussell and Mick Ashford. Voucher winners were Doreen Barr,
89 Starters
A Grade winner – Steve James 67 Net. ( Even PAR ). 2nd – Dave Larcombe 68 net. C/B.
3rd – Phil Long 68 net.
B Grade winner- Peter Hammer 66 net.
2nd – Rod Wayling 69
up today,and the weather was quite pleasant for us also.
Also we had 2 Major Singles Semi Finals played today.
Watson & Yvonne Howardrunners-up.
TUESDAY, 30th
SeptemberHazel Durrant, Ros Hancox & Lynne Lawsonwinners.
June Wilson, Chris Baldwin & Lyn Gibsonrunners-up.
WEDNESDAY, 1st
morning with a delicious sausage and roll. It was another wonderful day at Kew Country Club.
Rink winners were Warren Barnes, Brian Johnston, and James Lennox. The runners-up were George Wise, Rod Barnett, and Warren Bates. Peter Chilvers won the
SPORT RESULTS
B Grade went to Cody Weston also (40pts).
Best overall and C Grade was Charlie Hartshorne with (45).
Brett Irwin, Carol Cheers and Viv Gunter. The Hundred Club was won by Bob Carr, Dave Adamson and Reggie Robb.
The Semi Finals of the Mens Major Pairs were played this week. The results were:
• Barrie Isaac def. Brett Irwin 25-13
net. C/B.
3rd – Steve Hoffman 69 net.
C Grade winner – Neil Dark 67 net. C/B.
2nd – Jack Hibburt 67 net.
3rd – Doug MacLean 70 net.
Team 1.
Leonie Murphy against Dee Squire's. Team 2.
Kim Thompson against
October, Social Open PairsJohn Hooker & Dave Wells - winners. Andrew Richards & Don Quirk - runners-up.
THURSDAY, 2nd
October, Men's Major Pairs Club Championship - Semi-Final -
With only one shot in
major nomination sheet draw, while Wayne Davies took home the minor prize. Warren Barnes also picked up the JA Fashion voucher. The Christmas Club raffle winners were Bob Nixxon, Gerry Ludford, and Jeff Ryan.
Next week is Meat Tray Raffle Day, with eight
Comboyne to World Cup
STORY STARTS on BACK COVER, Page 24 enough. “[I’m] going to remember this moment for the rest of my life.”
doubting if I’d ever achieve this moment, and here we are.
“It’s going to take some time for this to sink in and I can’t thank my whole team and everyone in my corner
Luke, 23, was the 2019 recipient of Port MacquarieHastings Council’s Wayne Richards Scholarship. When he’s not competing around the world for the
Australian Giant Factory Off-Road team, he’s at home in Comboyne or training in Tasmania at the Maydena Bike Park - the largest network of gravity terrain in the Southern Hemisphere.
Luke’s brother Remy is a fellow rider and describes seeing his brother win a
q Luke Meier-Smith (centre) with his brother Remy (in the white t-shirt) and his family and support team. Photo: @svenmartinphoto via @luke_ms.
The $85 GAREL GOLF NTP was won by Kevin Watts. Saturday was the October Medal, sponsored by LJ LANE PRINTING.
• Terry Miles def. Chicka Thompson 25-12
The Final of the Mens Major Pairs is scheduled for next Saturday 18 October unless played earlier.
In Monday Monthly Pairs, the top three teams were only separated by a difference of one end, while second/third was decided
Ball Winners –Geoff Mascord 69, Dave Haggett 70, Danny Lloyd 70, Kevin Brennan 70 & Lou Forster 71.
Nearest to the Pin, 9th Hole A Grade Rob Spring, B Grade Steve Hoffman, C Grade Jim Finch.
Margaret Ashford. WINNERS WERE Team 1.
Dee Squire's. Team2.
Margaret Ashford.
it Gary Knox and Danny Murray defeats Paul Dewson and John Fuller.
Men's Social TriplesRink 15 - Clive Portway, John Greenwood & Alan Bigg. Rink 10 - Paul McNamara, Greg Dring & Mike Ryan.
Rink 12 - Mark
delicious Wiggly Tails trays up for grabs, along with all the usual Thursday bowls prizes.
Just a reminder—if you haven’t ordered your new club shirt yet, there’s still time. Your club currently has the following stock available: size M (3), size L (4), size XL (2), and size
World Cup race as “the best moment in my life”.
“I’ve seen everything and Luke’s been through a lot,” he shared.
“He’s sacrificed every other aspect of his life for this and for him to reach the top yesterday (5 October) was crazy.”
Remy’s rush to the finish line to congratulate Luke landed him with a fine from the event organisers.
Not that the brothers were concerned.
Speaking later to YouTuber Wyn Masters, Luke said he’d pay it if necessary.
“Yes, they fined him, but it was worth it for the moment.”
The UCI Mountain Bike World Cup is made up of multiple rounds held at different locations around the world.
While Luke’s win at Lake Placid represents a career milestone, there’s still another round to go before the overall World Cup series is decided.
Mick Marshall owned A Grade with 40pts. Jason Ippaviz was best overall and B Grade winner with 41pts.
by margin difference.
Frank Raczka and Chicka Thompson took out 1st Prize, with 3 wins and 26 ends.
Brad Martin and Trent Goffin came second with 3 wins and 25 ends, while Sandra Gill and Gwen Saunders came third with 3 wins and 25 ends. Round winners were Ian Hodgkinson/Trevor
10th Hole A Grade
Terry Case, B Grade Ken Dollery, C Grade Howard
Hughes
12th Hole A Grade
Dean Myers, B Grade Peter Hammer, C Grade Col Voss 18th HOLE EGGS.
A Grade Michel Laurent,
RUNNERS Up WERE. Team1.
Leonie Murphy. Team 2.
Kim Thompson But a good effort by both
Wright, David Foster & Jim McGill - Silver Medal.
FRIDAY, 3rd October, Scroungers & Skins Fun DayDi Fischer - winner. Anne Wilson - runnerup.
SATURDAY, 4th October, Morning, Ladies Social Bowls -
XXL (2). Once this stock is gone, there won’t be any more until the new year, so grab your new $15 shirt while you can.
New bowlers are always welcome to join us—it’s so easy! Simply add your name to the weekly nomination sheet in the LUSC
C Grade went to Wayne Sheargold with 39. The GAREL GOLF NTP ($80) was won by Tom Bateman.
Boyle, Adrian Hilton/Viv Gunter, Terry Miles/Barrie Isaac, Doreen Barr/Wayne Thrussell. The Free Game was won by Gloria and Peter Wiget.
Bowls this week include Wednesday Social and Saturday Cashpot Triples, names in by 11.30 for a 12.30 start (mufti dress).
B Grade Larry Southall, C Grade Doug MacLean.
A Grade Putting – Dean Myers 24 Putts, B Grade Rod Wayling & Mick Bevan 31 Putts each, C Grade Jim Henry 30 Putts. PRESIDENTS AWARD –Dean Myers players. Our Pairs Game are coming up on the 28th October, so get your names in,sheet in on Notice Board.
Ros Hancox & Anne Wilson/Skip - winners. Susan Malzard, Nola Scott & Lynne Lawson/ Skip - runners-up.
Men's Social Pairs, AfternoonRink 9 - Gary Beves & Peter Gleeson. Rink 5 - Gary Knox & Danny Murray.
Bowler’s Corner (in the club foyer) and turn up ready to play at 9am on Thursday at Kew Country Club. Your first game is free, so there’s nothing to lose if you’d like to give it a go. Get active, enjoy the great outdoors—it just makes good sense!
q Luke and Remy’s finish line celebration landed them a fine from event organisers. Photo: @remy.meier.smith.
SUDOKU
Dennis George Douglas
It is with great sadness that the family of Dennis Douglas announces his passing after a brief illness, on 3rd October 2025, at the age of 73.
Dennis passed away peacefully at Wauchope Palliative Care and will be lovingly remembered by his family and friends.
Dennis was a Postman for 40 years in the Camden Haven area, played competition darts and loved fishing with his grandchildren.
The funeral service will be held at Simplicity Funeral Chapel, Lake Street, Laurieton at 2pm on Friday 17th October.
All are welcome to attend.
16 Lake Street Laurieton 02 6527 9710
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BEST ON THE BOX
FRIDAY
MOVIE: MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS
SEVEN, 8.30pm, PG (2022)
The third film adaptation of the 1958 novel by Paul Gallico is an utter cinematic delight. The great Lesley Manville (pictured) is perfectly cast as the determined and good-natured house cleaner, who’s intent on getting herself a Christian Dior dress. This of course means going on a trip to the City of Lights, where her unwavering spirit charms the uptight, haute couture elite. An inspired supporting cast including Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson and Jason Isaacs rounds out a superb production. Striking just the right balance, Mrs Harris Goes to Paris is most certainly a trip worth taking.
FRIDAY, October 10
6.00 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R)
6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 Gardening Australia.
8.30 Professor T. (Ma) Professor T is asked to investigate the murder of a doctor and her family when they are found dead on their living room sofa.
9.15 Hard Quiz. (PGs, R) Presented by Tom Gleeson.
9.50 Mother And Son. (PGdl, R)
10.15 The Assembly. (PG, R) 11.00 ABC Late News.
11.15 Silent Witness. (Mal, R)
12.15 Rage New Music. (MA15+adhlnsv)
5.00 Rage. (PG)
Australia Junior. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 Teen Titans Go! 8.00 To Be Advised. 8.25 BTN Newsbreak. 8.30 Hard Quiz Kids. 9.00 Robot Wars. 10.00 Merlin. 10.45 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
TUESDAY BUMP
NBN, 8.35pm
If you’re just now catching up on this quality homegrown drama, welcome to the chaotic, complicated lives of the Hernández and Chalmers-Davis clans. There’s five seasons – and a forthcoming Christmas movie – on Stan, but Nine is taking free-to-air viewers back to where it all began. Last week, we met ambitious teenager Oly (Nathalie Morris, pictured) on the most extreme day of her life – the day the schoolgirl delivered a surprise baby and everything changed. An honourable mention goes to Claudia Karvan as Oly’s mum Angie, who is the heart and soul of this series.
WEDNESDAY
THE IDEA OF AUSTRALIA
SBS, 7.30pm
Australia, where does the myth end and the truth begin?” So asks acclaimed actor Rachel Griffiths (pictured) in the trailer for this intriguing four-part series that questions how Australians see themselves and their future. The first instalment dives into the idea that we live on the land of a ‘fair go’. It’s a longheld belief that we live in an egalitarian society, but is it actually true when there’s a growing gap between the rich and poor? Among the pioneering Aussies who share their views over four episodes are Grace Tame, Rachel Perkins, Ray Martin and Craig Foster.
7.35 Amazing Railway Adventures With Nick Knowles. (R)
8.25 Lost Temples Of Cambodia. (PG, R)
9.25 Lost Treasures Of Egypt. (PGa)
10.15 SBS World News Late.
10.45 Catch Me A Killer. (MA15+av)
11.45 Rogue Heroes. (MA15+v, R)
2.00 Charles I: To Kill A King. (PG, R) 3.05 Welcome To My Farm. (PG, R) 4.05 The Wheelhouse. (Mals, R) 4.50 Destination Flavour. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Better Homes And Gardens. A look around a luxury home on the Gold Coast.
8.30 MOVIE: Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris. (2022, PGl) An ordinary woman’s dream of owning a Christian Dior gown leads her on a Parisian adventure. Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson.
11.00 Motorway Patrol. (PGal, R)
11.30 GetOn Extra.
12.00 Healthy, Wealthy & Wise. (PGl, R)
1.00 Riviera. (MA15+adlsv, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R) 5.00 NBC Today.
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 David Attenborough’s Asia: Beneath The Waves. (Premiere, PG)
8.40 MOVIE: Elvis. (2022, Mal, R) The life of Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s. Austin Butler, Tom Hanks.
11.40 Next Stop.
12.10 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.00 Great Australian Detour. (R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 Global Shop. (R)
5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
5.30 Postcards. (PG, R)
SBS MOVIES (32)
(83) 6am Mosley. Continued. (2019, PG) 6.50 All At Sea. (2010, PG) 8.30 Murder Party. (2022, PG, French) 10.25 Haute Couture. (2021, M, French) 12.20pm Benediction. (2021, M) 2.55 The Straight Story. (1999, PG) 5.00 Selkie. (2000, PG) 6.40 What We Did On Our Holiday. (2014, PG) 8.30 The Assassination Of Jesse James. (2007, MA15+) 11.25 Lions For Lambs. (2007, M) 1.05am Late Programs.
6.00 10 News+. 7.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) 7.30 Dog House. (PGa) A terrified cockapoo arrives in a bad state. 8.30 The Brighter Side. (Final) The team explores fresh paths to home ownership and shares tips to stay safe from scams. Adam Liaw cooks a curry. 9.00 Have You Been Paying Attention? (Malns, R) Hosted by Tom Gleisner. 10.00 10’s Late News. 10.25 10 News+. (R) 11.25 The Late Show With
(34) 7MATE (64)
SATURDAY, October 11
6am Children’s Programs. 6pm Octonauts. 6.10 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.30 Paddington. 6.45 Steve And Aneeshwar Go Wild. 6.50 Andy And The Band. 7.05 Do Not Watch This Show. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Hard Quiz Kids. 8.00 Kids BBQ Championship. 8.40 Chopped Junior. 9.20 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.05 Abbott Elementary. 10.25 Speechless. 10.45 Late Programs.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Orient Express: A Golden Era Of Travel. (PG)
8.25 75 Years At Longleat.
9.20 Royal Crisis: Countdown To Abdication. (PGa, R)
10.20 Great Australian Walks. (PG, R)
11.15 Homicide: Life On The Street. (Msv, R)
2.45 Welcome To My Farm. (PG, R)
3.45 Urban Conversion. (R)
4.20 J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom. (R)
4.45 Japan Bitesize. (R)
5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Healthy, Wealthy & Wise. (PG) Presented by Chrissie Swan.
8.00 MOVIE: Die Hard: With A Vengeance. (1995, Mlv, R) A New York detective tries to stop a mad bomber who is holding the city to ransom. Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson. 10.30 MOVIE: Ambulance. (2022, MA15+av, R) Jake Gyllenhaal.
1.20 Motor Racing. Supercars Championship. Round 10. Bathurst 1000. Day 2. Top 10 Shootout. Replay.
3.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 It’s Academic. (R) 5.00 House Of Wellness. (PG, R)
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 MOVIE: Father Of The Bride. (1991, G, R)
9.35 MOVIE: Monster-In-Law. (2005, Ms, R)
11.35 Law & Order: Organized Crime. (MA15+av, R)
12.30 Australia’s Top Ten Of Everything. (PG, R)
1.30 The Garden Gurus. (R)
2.00 The Incredible Journey Presents. (PG)
2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.30 Global Shop. (R) 5.00 TV Shop. (R) 5.30 Helping Hands. (PG, R)
6.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) Narrated by Dr Chris Brown. 7.30 Selling Houses Australia. A woman tries to sell her mother’s retro home. 8.30 Ambulance UK. (Mal, R) Ambulance crews attend to a man who has been found unresponsive on the roadside. 9.45 Gogglebox Australia. (R) TV fanatics open up their living rooms to reveal their reactions to popular and topical TV shows.
10.45 The Gilded Age. (PGa, R) Gladys’s desired beau
6am Selkie. Continued. (2000, PG) 7.05 The Movie Show. 7.40
Where Is Anne Frank. (2021, PG) 9.30 What We Did On Our Holiday. (2014, PG) 11.20 Master Gardener. (2022, M) 1.20pm Lions For Lambs. (2007, M)
SUNDAY, October 12
Mother And Son. (PGdl, R)
Take 5 With Zan Rowe. (PGl, R)
MOVIE: In My Blood It Runs. (2019, M, R)
Gardening Aust. (R) 5.00 Insiders. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 6pm Octonauts. 6.10 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.30 Paddington. 6.45 Steve And Aneeshwar Go Wild. 6.50 Andy And The Band. 7.05 Do Not Watch This Show. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 The Mysterious Benedict Society. (Return) 8.15 Crongton. 8.40 Fresh Off The Boat. 9.20 Abbott Elementary. 10.05 Speechless. 10.25 Merlin.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.35 Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World. (Premiere, PGa)
8.30 King And Conqueror. (Premiere, Mlv) 9.30 Dan Snow’s Greatest Discoveries. (PG, R)
10.25 The Wonders Of Europe. (PG, R)
11.25 The Real Mo Farah. (PGa, R)
12.35 Gloriavale: New Zealand’s Secret Cult. (Ma, R) 2.10 Tough Trains. (PGav, R) 3.10 Welcome To My Farm. (R) 4.10 Urban Conversion. (PG, R) 4.40 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 APAC Weekly.
VICELAND (31) VICELAND (31)
Jeopardy! 4.50 WorldWatch. 5.20 PBS Washington Week. 5.50 History’s Greatest Heists With Pierce Brosnan. 6.40 Abandoned Engineering. 8.30 Suranne Jones Investigating Witch Trials. (Premiere) 9.30 Uncanny. 10.40
Supercars C’ship. Round 10. Bathurst 1000. Day 2. Top 10 Shootout. 6.00 NBC Today. News and current affairs. 7.00 Motor Racing. Supercars Championship. Round 10. Bathurst 1000. Day 3. Support races and warm up. From Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, NSW. 10.00 Motor Racing. Supercars Championship. Round 10. Bathurst 1000. Day 3. Build up and Race.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 The Voice. (PGl) Hosted by Sonia Kruger. 8.45 The Rise And Fall Of Kings Cross. (Premiere, M)
10.25 24 Hours In Police Custody: A Knife Through The Heart. (Madlv, R)
11.25 Crime Investigation Australia: Most Infamous: The Moorhouse Horrors. (Mav, R)
12.40 Miniseries: The Victim. (Malv, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
Hours of Fuji. H’lights. 1.30 Soccer. English Premier League. Chelsea v Liverpool. Replay. 3.30 Ski Rescue Down Under. 4.30 Hot Wheels. 5.30 MOVIE: Short Circuit. (1986, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: Police
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 The Block. (PGl) 8.45 60 Minutes. Current affairs program, investigating, analysing and uncovering the issues affecting all Australians. 9.45 9News Late.
A Killer Makes A Call: Grindr Killer. (MA15+a) 11.15 Mobsters: John Gotti. (Madv) 12.10 The Gulf. (Madlsv, R) 1.00 Our State On A Plate. (PG)
MONDAY, October 13
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (PG, R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.35 Big Fat Quiz Best Bits: Dream Teams. (Premiere)
8.30 King And Conqueror. (Mlv)
9.25 Sydney’s Super Tunnel. (R)
10.25 SBS World News Late.
10.55 Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes. (PG)
11.30 Mayflies. (Madl, R) 12.35 The Allegation. (MA15+av, R) 2.35 Tough Trains. (PG, R) 3.35 Welcome To My Farm. (PG, R) 4.30 Growing A Greener World. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6am Children’s Programs. 7.45 Maddie And Triggs. 7.55 Children’s Programs. 5.55pm Octonauts. 6.10 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.30 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.50 Supertato. 7.00 Rocket Club. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.00 Operation Ouch! 8.30 BTN Newsbreak. 8.35 Gladiators. 9.35 The Crystal Maze. 10.25 Merlin. 11.05 Late Programs.
MOVIES (32)
6am Finding
You. Continued. (2020, PG) 8.10 Meek’s Cutoff. (2010, PG) 10.05 Girls Will Be Girls. (2024, M, Hindi) 12.15pm Knight Of Cups. (2015, M) 2.25 Lara. (2019, PG, German) 4.15 The Four Musketeers: Revenge Of Milady. (1974, PG) 6.15 The Way. (2010, PG) 8.30 Lawless. (2012, MA15+) 10.40 The Last Night Of Amore. (2023, MA15+) 1.05am Traffic. (2000, MA15+) 3.45 Late Programs.
TUESDAY, October 14
Grand Designs. (PG, R) 1.55 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 2.40 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) 3.10 Parkinson In Australia. (PG, R) 4.30 Gardening Aust. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 7.45 Maddie And Triggs. 7.55 Children’s
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (PG, R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Great British Railway Journeys. (PG)
8.30 Tell Me What You Really Think. (Premiere, M)
9.30 The Hospital: In The Deep End. (Ma, R)
10.35 SBS World News Late.
11.05 The Point. (R) 12.05 Safe Home. (Mal, R) 1.00 The Unusual Suspects. (Mls, R) 2.00 Charles I: To Kill A King. (PG, R) 3.10 Tough Trains. (PGa, R) 4.10 Urban Conversion. (R) 4.40 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 My Kitchen Rules. (PGl) Hosted by Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel. 9.00 The Rookie. (Mav) Three teenage girls are stabbed. 10.00 Alert: Missing Persons Unit. (Mav) The team searches for a missing muralist.
11.00 S.W.A.T. (Mav) 12.00 Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce. (Premiere, MA15+s)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise. 6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa) 7.30 My Kitchen Rules. (PGl) Hosted by Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel. 9.10 Murder In A Small Town. (M) Cassandra assists a local unhoused man.
Grosse Pointe Garden Society. (Masv)
The Agenda Setters. An expert panel tackles the biggest AFL topics.
The Block. (PGl)
Murder Down Under. (MA15+adv)
6am The Movie Show. 6.15 The Way. (2010, PG) 8.30 Lara. (2019, PG, German) 10.20 True Grit. (2010, M) 12.25pm The Eagle Has Landed. (1976, PG) 2.55 Bonneville. (2006, PG) 4.35 Finding You. (2020, PG) 6.50 Lord Of The Flies. (1963, PG) 8.30 A Fistful Of Dollars. (1964, MA15+) 10.25 The Grump: In Search Of An Escort. (2022, M, Finnish) 12.30am Lawless. (2012, MA15+) 2.40 Late Programs.
DRAMA (51)
DRAMA (51) 9GEM (82)
WEDNESDAY, October 15
6am Children’s Programs. 7.45 Maddie And Triggs. 7.55 Children’s Programs. 6.50pm Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Rocket Club. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.00 Operation Ouch! 8.30 BTN Newsbreak. 8.35 To Be Advised. 9.20 Teen Titans Go! 9.45 We Bare Bears. 9.55 Pokémon: Diamond And Pearl. 10.15 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.40 Late Programs.
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 The Idea Of Australia. (Premiere)
8.30 Great British Train Journeys From Above.
9.30 Code Of Silence. (Mlv)
10.25 SBS World News Late.
10.55 I Am Scrooge. (Premiere, Mal)
11.45 Freezing Embrace. (Malv, R)
1.25 Charles I: To Kill A King. (PG, R)
2.30 Tough Trains. (PGa, R)
3.25 Urban Conversion. (R)
4.30 Growing A Greener World. (R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
WorldWatch. 5.50 The Food That Built The World. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 The Patient. 9.50 MOVIE: The Lost Boys. (1987, M) 11.35 The Bloody Decade. 1.35am WWE Legends. 3.05 Late Programs.
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am Bonneville.
Continued. (2006, PG) 6.35 The Movie Show. 7.10
The Snow Foxes. (2023, PG) 8.40 Lord Of The Flies. (1963, PG) 10.20 Like Water For Chocolate. (1992, M, Spanish) 12.20pm Waiting For Anya. (2020, M) 2.20 The Legend Of Longwood. (2014, PG) 4.10 The Eagle Has Landed. (1976, PG) 6.40 Whisky Galore. (2016, PG) 8.30 For A Few Dollars More. (1965, M) 11.00 Late Programs.
THURSDAY, October 16
(PG,
4.30 Gardening Aust. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)
6am Children’s Programs. 7.45 Maddie And Triggs. 7.55
Ouch! 8.30 BTN Newsbreak. 8.35 Secrets Of The Zoo. 9.20 Amazing Animal Friends. 10.10 The Mysterious Benedict Society. 10.45 Late Programs.
6.00 Mastermind Australia. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 24 Hours In ALDI. (R)
8.25 Scandinavia With Simon Reeve.
9.30 Blue Lights.
10.40 SBS World News Late.
11.10 Davos 1917. (Mv)
12.05 The Head. (Malv, R)
1.40 Lady Jane Grey: Murder Of A Child Queen. (PG, R)
2.45 Tough Trains. (PGa, R)
3.40 Urban Conversion. (R)
4.45 Bamay. (R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
(31)
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 RFDS. (Ma)
8.30 Off The Grid With Colin And Manu. (M) Hosted by Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel. 9.30 House Of Wellness. (PG) Experts share advice on living well. 10.30 Chicago Fire. (Ma) 11.30 The Agenda Setters. 12.30 Imposters. (Madlsv, R)
1.30 Harry’s Practice. (R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
The Movie Show. Noon WorldWatch. 12.30 The Rap Game UK. 1.35 From North Korea, With Love. 2.30 Bamay. 2.55 Insight. 3.55 News. 4.00 WorldWatch. 6.00 Our Medicine. 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 The Curse Of Oak Island Specials. 10.10 The UnXplained With William Shatner. 11.00 Homicide. 1.40am Conversations. 2.20 Late Programs. 6am Morning Programs. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00 Million Dollar Minute. 9.00 Animal Rescue. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon My Kitchen Rules. 1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. 2.00 Room For Improvement. 2.30 House Of Wellness. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Animal Rescue. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Heartbeat. 8.45 Inspector George Gently. 10.45
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am Whisky Galore. (2016, PG) 7.55 The Movie Show. 8.30 Bonneville. (2006, PG) 10.10 The Grump: In Search Of An Escort. (2022, M, Finnish) 12.15pm For A Few Dollars More. (1965, M) 2.40 The Snow Foxes. (2023, PG) 4.10 Hail, Caesar! (2016, PG) 6.15 Capricorn One. (1977, PG) 8.30 The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. (1966, M) 11.50 Late Programs.
7MATE (64)
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
8.30 Jim Jefferies And Friends. (MA15+ls) Jim Jefferies has a question for the ‘plusses’ of the world.
9.30 The Amazing Race. (PG) Hosted by Phil Keoghan. 11.00 7NEWS: The Balibo Five – 50 Years On. (R) 11.30 Gatecrashers. 12.30 Life. (Malsv, R) 1.30 Harry’s Practice. (R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise. 6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current Affair.
The Block. (PGl) 8.40 Australian Crime Stories: The Investigators. (Mav) 9.40 The Grand Tour. (Ml) 11.10 9News Late. 11.40 Resident Alien. (Return, Malv) 12.30 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 2.30 Global Shop. (R) 3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa)
A Current Affair. (R)
Today Early News.
Today.
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 RBT.
7MATE (64)
9GO! (83)
9GO! (83)
By Sue STEPHENSON
Comboyne to World Cup
Wynyard, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Queenstown, Derwent Bridge, New Norfolk, Hobart, Mt Wellington, Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Mona, Richmond, Ross, Freycinet, Bicheno, St Helens, Bay of Fires, Pyengana, Bridestowe Estate, Launceston COACH
q Comboyne’s Luke Meier-Smith at the top of the winners’ podium in Lake Placid. Photo: @svenmartinphoto via Giant Bicycles.