TELLING the incredible stories of Port Stephens and the Myall Coast is what News Of The Area (NOTA) is all about. NOTA is currently seeking more enthusiastic locals with a background in writing to join the team. Are you a freelance reporter, current or ex-journalist, or simply a passionate and quality writer? “If

AUSTRALIAN animation steps up once again this week with the premiere of Memoir of a Snail, a fully stop-motion feature from filmmaker Adam Elliot and featuring a murderers row of Aussie voice talent. Elliot’s films have always been a fascinating juxtaposition between the seemingly whimsical medium of stop-motion puppetry and the

DEAR News Of The Area, IN his latest four-page newsletter on nuclear energy, Dr Gillespie has once again made statements at odds with experts from CSIRO and the Australian energy moderator. He states that underwriting renewables is putting pressure on coal-fired power stations to close when in fact our remaining power

DEAR News Of The Area, COFFS Harbour electors have given a strong endorsement to our newly elected Mayor Nikki Williams. She received 32.8 percent of the first preference votes, well ahead of Paul Amos on 26.8 percent. Her team received 34.1 percent of the first preference votes, sufficient to

DEAR News Of The Area, WE said no and we expect the government to respect the poll. The Coffs Harbour community stands together. Seven out of 10 of us or over 33,000 voters out of 48,000 said no to private multi-level residential development at the Jetty Foreshores. The state government department

DEAR News Of The Area, AS we now have a blueberry farm neighbouring our property I have increasing concerns about the intensive use of a large range of environmentally unhealthy chemicals on commercial food crops in the Nambucca Valley, primarily on blueberries but possibly also on zucchinis - Dimethoate being one

DEAR News Of The Area, WHILST fully appreciating and sympathising with the role of Norco farmers and workers I wonder about the lack of moral outrage when Norco previously and unceremoniously dropped Northpower as their electricity provider in a period where Northpower employees, many of them local, were going through their

DEAR News Of The Area, AS a community, we love and fiercely protect the unique environments and ecosystems of the Myall Coast and Port Stephens. They provide us with natural sanctuaries, recreational opportunities, and the financial benefits generated by our tourism industry. The science has been clear for many years

DEAR News Of The Area, FROM 25 - 28 September Coffs Harbour hosted touch footy at the stadium; that’s four days. It was very well organised, well attended and as usual, the grounds were presented in a professional, well maintained way. The total event was quoted to have fed $5,000,000-plus into the

DEAR News Of The Area, TODAY, I had insightful conversations with a small business owner and a financial expert from Sydney about the current state of the economy. The owner of a long-established restaurant in Coffs Harbour mentioned that he believed Labor wasn’t supportive of small businesses. I asked him if he