NOTICES of development applications (DAs) lodged in the Port Stephens LGA will now appear weekly in News Of The Area, after Council voted to extend the notices into the publication at their February 14 meeting.

In April 2020, changes to legislation in NSW meant Councils were no longer required to publish all public notices in print.

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Following this change, Port Stephens Council made the decision to cease weekly DA advertisements in newspapers.

Councillor Leah Anderson moved a motion in early 2022 to reintroduce DA advertisements back into local newspapers.

In December 2022, the decision was made to reinstate DA notices into the Port Stephens Examiner.

At last Tuesday’s Council meeting, Council voted to include Port Stephens News Of The Area in their DA Awareness Campaign, with advertisements outlining local DAs to be published each week.

“This was a notice of motion I brought to Council last year, not so much a DA Awareness Campaign, but getting the DAs advertised back in the paper,” Cr Anderson said.

“I think it is a huge improvement from where we have come from to where we are now in terms of our transparency.
“I have had some really amazing community feedback.”

Cr Anderson said extending the notices into the NOTA would allow more Port Stephens residents a chance to see them.

“The Examiner unfortunately doesn’t get delivered to everyone’s front door.

“For some people it is quite sporadic sometimes, and some people miss out on the Examiner.

“For them to know they can go to their local shop or Coles or wherever, there are lots of places you can get the News Of The Area… you can pop in and get one of those and see the DAs that have been lodged.”

Cr Giacomo Arnott said the extension of DA notices into the NOTA was not about supporting newspapers financially, but about improving transparency.

“For me, DAs going into newspapers isn’t about funding those newspapers, it’s not about putting money into them,” Cr Arnott said.

“It’s not about the money, it is about making sure we are being transparent with the community.

“I have always struggled to put a price on transparency because it is so important.

“Extending this advertising into another publication I think is important.”

Cr Steve Tucker, alongside former councillor John Nell, voted against the removal of DA notices from newspapers when proposed by Council in 2020.

“Ever since, support has been building with Councillor Anderson’s motion to reinstate them,” Cr Tucker said.

“This latest motion, which will include the NOTA, which I read every week, will bring balance and will support them as well.”

News Of The Area director Michael Wright welcomed the move, both in terms of transparency and support for a local business.

“Of course this decision shows the Council’s commitment to transparency, however for me it’s not just about that,” Mr Wright said.

“After I spoke at the December council meeting about our paper being left out of the DA Awareness campaign, the Mayor and management called a meeting with me to talk about News Of The Area.

“For the Mayor, councillors and management to pass this decision is also showing a level of support for a homegrown and local business too.”

By Doug CONNOR