DEAR News Of The Area, AS a former resident of a rural property far from here, it has been a great joy to me to do most of my shopping in Coffs Harbour CBD but in particular to have access to the library only five minutes from my home. I had my

DEPRESSION can be a relentless liar, pushing individuals to tell falsehoods due to their fear of burdening loved ones and their struggle to convey their true feelings. One common lie is the declaration of being "fine". This facade shields others from concern and is often prompted by the belief that

DEAR News Of The Area, I READ in the Examiner that $1.5 million has been spent on mitigation works to provide safe crossing for our iconic koalas on the Port Stephens Drive. Yes, of course, their lives are worth saving. I wonder though if the lives of the people who try

ONE of the elements in life that I find difficult to understand is the treatment our society delivers to whistleblowers. Generally, whistleblowers are citizens who are so affronted by the corruption they have seen swept under the carpet by those in power that they are moved to expose the truth

DEAR News Of The Area, THOMAS O’Keefe’s frontpage story last week definitely illustrates the dire situation this community is facing in the lack of direct action from our leaders. The sand build up from Corrie to Tea Gardens is increasing and the ferry businesses are reporting daily grounding. They estimate the

DEAR News Of The Area, THE buildup of sand in the lower Myall River estuary from Corrie Island upstream to north of Tea Gardens is increasing noticeably. Our local ferry operators are reporting daily groundings of their ferries on shallow areas of the river bottom and they estimate that access to Tea

DEAR News Of The Area, THE referendum stats are nearly finalised. The highest “yes” vote was in the Electorate of Melbourne. The highest “no” vote to the Electorate of Maranoa. What’s wrong with the Electorate of M…? What’s right with the Electorate of M…? Of course Melbourne is a big city and

DEAR News Of The Area, RECENTLY I have seen several reports where the Government says it will continue to consult with the community regarding offshore wind farms. Implied in those reports is a belief on the part of the Government that it is sufficient to listen to and understand our concerns. From my

DEAR News Of The Area, THE current furore surrounding the proposed offshore wind farm demonstrates just how difficult it will be for any government to implement a timely transition to clean energy. It has become clear that although most people profess to be in favour of the transition to renewables, few are

IN 1949 George Orwell said amongst predictions for his ‘1984’ titled book that “the people will not revolt. They will not look up from their screens long enough to notice what is happening”. I can’t help thinking this prediction is highly relevant for our present financial situation. How anyone could